{quilt} while you're ahead

14-2015 { crochet classes }

Would you like to learn to crochet?  Let me teach you!

I'm running a beginners class at The Fibreworks in Chipping Norton this coming Tuesday (3rd February), 10-1pm.

There are still a few spaces left, so hurry!

AND if you book it together with the fingerless mittens workshop on Feb 24th you'll get a discount too!

All necessary information are on their website, click here.

 

AND AND just to show you that crochet IS the new black... this is what I found whilst browsing Vogue and In Style magazine this morning at the hairdresser:

Convinced?

See you Tuesday, then!

(68)2014 - folk art and indigo -

Ok, this is the third time I try writing up this post and then Typepad goes all funny and the posts disappear into nothing... I mean, seriously, typepad? get a grip! 

Because of this you're not going to get the nice story or much explanation blah blah blah... just pictures, ok? Like it or lump it.  

Mum and I visited 'Dyeworks' in near Stroud, Glos when she was here and Polly (the founder) gave us a quick talk and indigo dyemonstration... oh my how magical.  I've always loved the deep indigo blue colour, but now I NEED to try my hand at some dyeing....

Polly has been doing it for over twenty years, she sources her indigo in India and dyes everything... old vintage linen, silk scarves and pashminas, clothes... anything.  

A small scrap pack came home with me and asked to be made into a picture.

It needs a border.  I think.  I don't know.  I'm waiting to be asked for one.

You know how it is.

(59) 2014

I just received a text from No 1's school reminding me he's starting again tomorrow. WHAT?  I was convinced he was going back on Thursday. 

Doh.

'This' is how it's rolling around here.  I'm suffering from the worse case of jet lag I've ever had.  After a week my body refuses to go to sleep before 3am and getting up in the morning is torture, hence my fuzzy brain and inability to think rational thoughts.

Sigh.

Oh Happy Easter everyone!  (See? what was I saying....)

We've been taking it easy in the last few days.  The weather has been a little 'meh' too (and cold, blah!) so we kind of flopped at home a part of the occasional necessary foray into a supermarket.

I've finished the sashiko sampler I'd taken away to NY with me:

Such a satisfying little thing.

No 1 has had his first archery shoot of the season.  Silver medal!

I sat and knit for 4 hours. 

Sigh.

(The never told me, during my antinatal classes that I would spend 1/2 of my life... waiting/watching sports/taxing)...

Mr M and the boys filled all the containers with gorgeous flowers whilst I was away (my only request was NO marigold... shudder...)... I took care of the table instead:

A part from this... we baked, ate chocolate, visited family members... the usual.  It was nice.  I hope you all had a nice break.

I'm off attaching names labels to new cricket trousers... for tomorrow!!

127**2013 - bread bag -

I like bread.

No, I love bread. 

And I like baking bread.  No smell is as wonderful and warm and comforting as the smell of a loaf hot from the oven.  

For years I've used a bread making machine and it's only recently that I've started experimenting with making my own.  I'm kind of weary and a bit scared of the whole 'kneading' thing so the recipe I'm using is probably the cheating version... it's all in the name:  'speedy, no knead bread'.

I can see the purists out there shuddering.

Trust me, it's good.  Too good.  Ask my jeans.

But I digress...

The loaf I make is not huge (two thirds of my children still prefer the store bought 'plastic' bread and don't eat mine) but even so often it doesn't last the day (Mr M?? I'm talking to you!).  BUT when it does I'm always stumped as how to best store it.

Till now.  Meet 'the bread bag' (such a catchy, creative name...)

Gingham because gingham is 'it',  gingham is the new black, gingham is the new Friday night.  I'm in a gingham phase and if I wasn't worried about permanently damaging my children I'd make myself gingham clothes too. Maybe not in yellow.  

Yellow because it's happy and it's a favourite piece of fabric bought in Tokyo a two summers ago, and a few things go together as well as yellow and gingham. (Warm bread and Nutella might just nudge ahead of them...)

Cross stitch because... well, it would have been a 'blogging' crime to ignore all those ready made squares.

There.

A bread bag.  No more chewy bread in plastic box.  No more dry bread.

Which ironically brings us rapidally at... no more bread!

 

Have a good week.

75**2013

It's getting a bit late and the air is a little too chilly for me but the boys are still outside playing nicely together and I daren't disturb them.  They seem to have found a common language in long cricket matches and I love listening to their chatter and laughter without being seen.

Another sunny day.

Yes!

Sport, sport, sport. Pakchoi for lunch and a few stitches stolen here and there. 

Chocolate milkshakes and little frogs.

And I made this.  Because it was in my head and needed to get out.

(Talking of OUT... how do I get the boys to come IN?  Wish me luck).

7**2013 - project bag revisited -

I don't know about you, but I have three children who do lots of things and whilst THEY do all their things I get to do lots of waiting around.  Sometimes I read, sometimes I knit or crochet or whatever which means that I always carry around a project bag.

For the past few months I've used the same one and I've grown quite attached to it and so I had this idea that I would record on it every little work I did whilst using it...

As you can see it's not many yet, but I can't wait to see it completely covered!

(I don't know where this compulsion of documenting everything that i have comes from.  A blog, a diary, photo albums... now this.  I like to keep cinema tickets and don't get me started on the amount of 'bits' I collect when we go on holidays.  I have boxes and boxes of letters and it physically pains me to delete emails from friends.  Do you have the same instinct?  Is it a disease? Does it have a name?)

3**2013 - sashiko mat -

This was the absolute last project of 2012.

It was the perfect antidote to the noise and pace of the holidays.

Following the printed lines was very cathartic and satisfying.  

It reminded me of the hours I happily spent 'colouring' when I was a child.

And that can only be a good thing.

 

143//2012

... Easy like Sunday morning...

(porridge and shashiko)

102//2012

The boys are in Italy; I dropped them off at the airport and off they went... I miss them, the house is totally quiet and feels very empty.  Lilli and I look at each other and we both agree that it's not the way we like it.  Then she runs off chasing squirrels and I'm left with the hoover.

I'd rather be chasing squirrels myself.

Anyway, Mr M and I are off for a week by ourselves to the land of the rising sun (very excited!) and I've been trying to sort out the house so it doesn't scare me when I get back and pack in a mature and organised way (normally after packing for the three boys I'm so bored with it I throw my stuff in a case without too much thinking!)

So this is what's coming with me:

 

A new 'Artsy clutch' (from Bend the rules sewing) for the essential passports.  We have a 'family' one we've been using for years, but that's gone with the boys.

(remember when they were all the rage all those years ago?

A new small pouch for little essentials, like ipod nano, lib balm, moisturizers etc.

 

I really enjoyed all those little stitches.

And last but not least a new project bag for knitting on the plain essentials. 

 In this case a pair of socks. Pale grey, simple lace pattern.

More sashiko...

 

So that's it folks, be good... I'll be back in the next few days with a new series: Postcards from Japan!

 

33//2012

I need your comments on something:

http://www.linkedin.com/news?actionBar=&articleID=5580313351826706477&ids=c3cVd38MdjcMd38Qe30Oc3wRdiMTczwSejoNdzcVdz0UcjgNe3kRb3cTe3oTc3sMczAMdPwRdj0UdjkIczkUdP4NcPwNc38UcP0RcjwRdiMTdPgSc3sSczwNdjcPcjcMe3kR&aag=true&freq=weekly&trk=eml-tod2-b-pub-0&ut=38lrIpt7WquB81

What do you think?  Have you read/heard other concerns?

Scaremongery? True? False?  Food for thought?  Should I run? Erase? Hide?

Should I stop pinning? Carry on pinning?

And because I can't really post without a photograph (And I was going to take a picture of a gorgeous soup but I've eaten it now...too late) this is my latest wip:

A very old and frayed and fragile piece of quilt, shaped like a tea-cozy.  I feel it is still missing something... don't know what though... the 'juices' ain't flowing at the moment.