Happy Days :)

Yesterday I received my utterly gorgeous Winter Comforts ATC from Rachel and I couldn't be happier. Organised by Ali, I always love participating in these swaps. 

On a very wet and windy day, getting such a treat in the post is guaranteed to put a smile on my face. Look what I've got...

There are so many details in such a teeny tiny space - these ATCs measure only 2.5" x 3.5"!

I love all the layering and different textures that have been packed into it. 

As I've said many times before - I love taking part in these swaps. There is a real pleasure in creating a little piece of textile art for someone who doesn't know what they're going to get. There is immense joy when receiving one and knowing that it has been specially stitched for you!

It really is a cosy rectangle of happiness :) Thank you so much Rachel xx

Roll on the next swap!

Hope your week is going well :)

Sherry - one happy bunny xx

Finishing a few things with a smile..

The last couple of weeks have seen a few things finished. Cue big smile...

My ATC swap card went off in the post at the beginning of last week. 

Ali over at VeryBerryHandmade was as wonderful as ever organising another Artist Trading Card Swap - this time the theme was Winter Comforts. Taking part in these swaps are always such a pleasure - the planning and creation of a textile treat for someone else.

So what springs to mind? As ever I start with a mind map. It was pretty clear that hot chocolate, log fires, warm Winter woolies and snoozing hounds were high on my list. I sat in my favourite spot (another Winter comfort!) looking out of my window one afternoon thinking about the theme. 

This is my view...

Through the window I could see lots of these little guys feeding on the various treats we put out for them. Blue Tits are just the most relaxing and entertaining creatures - they squabble, chatter, feed and flutter non stop. They land on the window frame and peck on the window to get attention and we sit looking at each other. In the middle of a gloomy day, they make me smile. Ta- dah! ATC planned.

Using photos that my hubby takes of them clutching to the feeder, I sketched out the card... and stitched...

It's bit wonky - the finishing off always takes me for ever and sorry about the lighting - it's been so overcast and rainy here lately.

Ready to go :)

I hope my swap partner likes it. The birds truly are our Winter Comfort and the food we put out for them is their Winter warmer. Thank you Ali for another great swap! I can't wait to receive mine  and I'll post it here when it arrives!

I've finished reading Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn. Oh my word. What an emotional page turner! The film has since been watched. 'Read it!' I'm telling everyone - most people already have. I'm a bit slow off the mark like that. 

Archie might give it a whirl...

...although he's already dozed off before the good bit...

I've sent off an embroidered thank you card and personalised glasses case to some special people - forgot to photograph.. grrrrr

I'm sneaking in here, the fact that I've almost finished the blanket I've been working on (the one that was supposed to be ready for Christmas), but with only another few rows and the edging to go - hey, nearly there...

I've finished clearing out some of my wardrobe space that has definitely made me smile, although I just know I'll want to wear it once it's gone or wish I'd kept the fabric...

Hello February - here's to some more finishings this month!

Sherry xx

A cosy weekend

Somehow a rainy weekend seems to invite you to sit down and relax. 

There are so many jobs that need doing outside in the garden, including a large buddleia that needs cutting back as it's blocking the light from coming in our cottage window. Is it too late to cut back a buddleia bush? I don't know. 

Anyhow, when it's lashing down outside, things are different...  and boy did we get a drenching while out dog walking on Saturday morning. Plan: 'Let's go out quick now, while it's stopped raining'. Reality - the heavens opened at the farthest extent of our walk. Two drenched humans and two sopping wet, unbelievably muddy and not very impressed labradors returning home. Queue washing and towelling dry two reluctant hounds and then both of them steadfastly refusing to move from in front of the fire. I digress....

When it's raining and blowing a gale, then obviously there's not much to be done outside. I'm briefly overlooking here, the multitude of jobs that could be accomplished inside and that are indeed on my list - I'm a list person. 

So, obviously there's nothing for it but to spend a wonderful afternoon and evening crocheting and embroidering numbers onto an advent calendar I'm making. 

Bliss..... zzzzzzz

Also, note magazines needing to be read. Essential. 

My creative influences..

I have sewn, knitted, embroidered and crocheted since I was a probably about 7 years old. I don't know where the passion to create came from - I remember wearing wonderful cardigans and jumpers knitted by my Mother - but otherwise, there were no influences close to home. I was never particularly good at any of them being largely self taught but somehow I muddled on.

Janice - a  dear childhood friend of mine whose Mother was at the time a very talented seamstress took me under her wing when I was around sixteen and we spent many a happy weekend sewing. Janice would spend perhaps a couple of weeks perfecting something she'd made - I always remember her wearing a beautiful jacket to school that she had sewn herself. She was also an expert knitter and went on to study at Saint Martins School of Art (or Central Saint Martins College of Art & Design as it is now known). She gradually built up a wonderful, unique wardrobe - where are you Janice? 

I, on the other hand was impatient to wear anything I'd sewn. I can remember going out with a safety pin at the waistband, so desperate was I to wear my newest creation. Finishing seams carefully wasn't really on my radar. What a difference now, when I might spend an age on finishing touches. 

Sewing classes at school were blissful. I can remember sewing a nightdress in a beautiful lavender cotton with a ditsy flower design. A gathered yolk and hand sewn hems - I was so very proud of that nightdress. 

Crocheting was taught to me one Sunday afternoon by a favourite aunt. She used to crochet very delicate, intricate pieces. I went on to crochet bags, waistcoats and blankets, often in quite gaudy colour combinations! 

Knitting teeny weeny cardigans for my three gorgeous baby boys was a pleasure that was so strong I can taste it. I can see myself now sitting happily knitting, too heavily pregnant to do uch else!

However, although I spend a large chunk of my time now sewing and embroidering, knitting and crochet have largely taken a back seat. Most evenings over the last couple of years see me embroidering, while any spare time of a weekend is usually spent sewing yummy blouses and beautiful underwear - a new skill that I'm still a long way to perfecting. There's a whole new world out there of lace, elastic and fastenings that has sucked up waaaay too much of my time. 

Recently however, I have picked up my knit sticks and crochet hooks again and I'm loving it. I can spend hours on Ravelry, have found a whole host of new knitting and crochet blogs and wool shops have become my new favourite place. 

A blanket for a special someone has been gradually growing. Using a pattern from Attic 24, I have been crocheting my heart out. The crocheting came with me last week on our trip to France where I picked up some more delicious wool. 

Robbie the Robin

So, now that Robbie is all stitched up using the Hot Iron Transfer Pencil that I wrote about yesterday, I thought I'd show you how it looks.

I mentioned that one of the drawbacks of the pencil transfer method is how thick the lines are. You can clearly see the red outline when using two strands of DMC. 

You could probably cover it ok if you used 3 strands, or crewel but as I'm developing a pattern, I needed to stick to two strands. Using Frixion pens (my usual method) wouldn't have left any visible marks at all as a touch of the iron performs magic. 

Every time I look at those marks, they'll truly drive me crazy but I'll use it somewhere and to be honest, the marks look a lot worse in the photos. 

So, the heat transfer pencil works like a dream but I think I'll reserve it for redwork, crewel and the like!

Transferring images onto fabric

Transferring the images that you want to stitch onto fabric can often give you problems. 

There are many different ways of doing it - each way seems to have its plus and minus points.  I thought I'd share a few here with you over the coming weeks. 

The first method -  using the Hot Iron Transfer Pencil. 

The one I bought was from Hemline and was £2.89 from my local sewing shop but you can buy it on Amazon here. 

First thing to do is find the image you want to transfer onto fabric. I chose a robin design taken from a photograph of a gorgeous little chap who comes into our house (and kitchen!) every day. 

You then need to get some tracing paper and trace over the original image. I used regular tracing paper that I had already but you can buy heat transfer tracing paper - not sure what the difference is. You need to remember at this point that the image you transfer will be mirror image so remember to flip any writing you might be adding. 

Robin is now traced and ready to transfer. Try not to make your lines too thick (like I have here in a couple of places) as your thread might not cover thick transfer lines. 

Now take your tracing paper and place it image side down onto your fabric and iron. Make sure your steam is switched off. Hold the iron on the image for a few seconds and...

.. hey presto - there is your image ready to stitch!

Pros - really quick and simple. You can transfer any image onto fabric really easily with this method and it's cheap.

Cons - I find the line that you get can be quite thick. It's permanent so you have to be really accurate with your tracing.

I'll show you Robbie when he's all stitched up!

I've also in the past carved a lino print from this image and printed him onto fabric - I just can't get enough of him :) 

This is him printed onto fabric - 

A little gift - starting early.

Every year I have a dear wish of making as many Christmas (aaargh- sorry to use that word so early) gifts as possible by hand. I love to wrap something that I've spent many an evening stitching- content in the knowledge that I've put love and thought into it.

That's the plan. 

Every year, the mad rush of Christmas orders and the general December mania that seems to descend on us all, renders that grand plan impossible to carry out. 

This year I'm starting early and this is my first completed gift - a wall hanging for a little sweetie in the family.

Have you started on your Christmas gifts yet?

Obviously a little bit of Liberty print bunting!

 I decided on a simple chain stitch for the letters

French knots in abundance..

Hope she likes it . 

Have a wonderful Friday wherever you are x

Swapping little stitches..

I recently took part in the ATC swap organised by Ali over at Very Berry Handmade.

My first thoughts on the theme of My Favourite... were organised into a mind map, which I then plainly disregarded and went off on another tangent!

Sitting out in the back garden on a fairly rare, warm and sunny afternoon a couple of weeks ago, I realised just how very much I love Summer. Ahhh, now there's an idea - my favourite time of the year!

I love all the seasons - and a list of my favourite things about each of the seasons showed this. But it's the warmth of a Summer's day, the carefree days of holidays, swimming in the sea, seeing the garden in full bloom and events like Wimbledon that seem to epitomise the few weeks that make up Summer. 

Selecting the things that represent Summer was easy, it was just the stitching of them that was a little tricky! Anyway, here's the finished card...

Strawberries, Wimbledon, harvesting lavender, and swimming in the sea - all represented under some cheery bunting. 

It went to Jo who loved the itsy bitsy teeny weeny bikini the most! I stitched it all on a pale green linen and thoroughly enjoyed making it.

Today, through the post I received my ATC from Simi. Look at this....

I just love it - the textures, the colour and the obvious fun my swap partner had in stitching it. It will make me smile every day as I look at it sitting on my desk. Such a clever lady. 

That Friday Feeling

It's Friday!! We always used to have a Friday shout out when our boys were young - Iiiiiiiiiiits Friday! would signal that the weekend had begun. I still do a little dance when Friday comes around and we still exchange an 'It's Friday!' text :)

This time last week we attended a family wedding - it was a wonderful day full of smiles and love. It's been a while since we went to a wedding. The bride arrived in an orange beribboned VW Campervan. We giggled and were dewy eyed through a wonderful service presided over by a very modern vicar who made us all laugh and focused in on what it means to be married. A hog roast and music, speeches and spending time with family we don't see enough of. A good day.

Memories of a good week. It may be raining today but the sun did shine for some of it. 

Happy Friday and I hope you enjoy the weekend wherever you are :)

A few of my favourite things...

Monday-itus struck today. 

I've never particularly liked Mondays. Today I needed a pick-me-up. Cue a walk with the dogs, a bit of stitching and having my boys at home.

So, here are a few things that made me smile today..

A favourite blouse, some vintage notions, a glorious cow that the picture can't quite capture, my favourite scissors (why do I love these scissors so much?), a busy bee, scratching chickens and my dogs :)

Now that's better.