In a Vase on Monday: Party Time

My wonderful daughter, A, my ‘bright morning star’, created the most perfect party for me a couple of weekends ago.

I picked flowers from my garden to help her decorate the hall.

I fear it is a sad reminder of climate change that I have so many flowers blooming, but they make for a cheery sight.

The calendula, having not flowered all summer are putting on a glorious show right now.

The jug is a favourite of mine, given to me by my Mum (becuase I like bright colours), and found on a market stall. Made in the former Yugoslavia.

Joining Cathy for In a Vase on Monday.

I put little jam jars of flowers in the loos and on the tables, but in the rush to get things ready, I forgot to take photos of them.

But there are some here on the magnificent banquet table that my talented daughter created – doesn’t it look sumptuous! Two varieties of homemade humous and my favourite cheese, Cornish Yarg, are included.

It is a family tradition that we have to have a pineapple present at any big celebration
We were not permitted to put anything on the walls and the ceiling was too hight to hang mandalas from, but I had to include them somewhere. A couple went in the entrance hall on frames I got from Hobbycraft.

I had intended to do something with the netting-waste ribbons, but time ran out.

I left them there for colour and a bit of surrealness

The surreal theme continued on the top of the wine cooler

and for the children, it wouldn’t be a Granny Party if we didn’t have sausages!

A huge thank you to my family and friends for making it such a special time: to my daughter for organising it (with all the many ups and downs along the way) and creating a such fabulous feast; for son 2 for a really funny and lovely speech; and son 1 for being the Mojive king of the night.

 ❤  I am still on Cloud 9  ❤

Textile Tuesday: July

We are edging towards the end of The Stitchbook Collective year, in August we will receive our last kit. Was there ever a better timed project! There are 150 of us in the Collective and it has been a wonderful creative community to be part of over the last few months.

Our June box was all about Laid Work and Couching, including how to couch lettering.

Of course I had to include a bit of rust dyed fabric – Rust Dyeing has been my favourite process of the whole course – I love the magic, alchemy and serendipity of it.

The Laid Work was a real challenge for me

I like to be messy and abstract and fairly free with my stitching

but Bayeux stitch is not any of those things – keeping within the lines is what is required, (and as I am writing this, I am already creating a design in my head of a messy, borderless piece, but still using some of the Bayeux stitch technique…. ooo .. but no … I have to finish writing this post first – ‘inspiration’, a blessing or the opposite?! sometimes both)

I searched online for an Art Deco pineapple design (you might already know how much I like pineapples, here is just one post about them, but there are loads more and if you want to see them, just type Pineapple into the Search Box top right) and created the above from a wallpaper pattern.

After all that control, my inner rebel needed to get messy again so time to experiment with some eco-dyeing

An old calico curtain pickled with mould spots has found it’s time to shine. Soaked in soya milk, and then wrapped round a rusty nail, encasing leaves soaked in rusty water.

In they all go to be steamed

I like the look of the bundles as much as I like the dyed fabric. There is something intriguing about the mystery they hold. (Argghhh! another idea …. project of bundles as the art work themselves, on a theme, so wrapping pertinent pieces of memorabilia in a bundle and then working on the outside to hint at what it holds ……. noooo … get back to writing this post!)

To speed up the process of drying, I sat them on a wheat-filled heat pad that is heated in the microwave

But even that wasn’t quick enough for me, so I later put them under the grill on a very low heat.

I also tried printing the leaves onto paper

I was a bit disappointed with the results at first, but there are definitely marks to work with …. I wonder where inspiration will take me.

Although there is a tinge of sadness that The Stitchbook Collective is coming to a close, there is also celebration as our books are going to be exhibited at the Kniiting and Stitching Show in Harrogate in November.

Even better news! Anyone who would like to be part of the next Stitchbook Collective can be. Helen is running another one next year – I can highly recommend it! Suitable for beginners and experienced stitchers alike. You can subscribe for a whole year or buy the individual kits.

Must go, I have messy Bayeux stitch to figure out and a few bundles to make.

~~~~

If you would like to share any textile related posts in July, just pop a link in the comments below, current or archive, anything textile related,  are all welcome.

 

Silly Sunday with Pompoms

Penelope PomPom was cool

She didn’t like following the rules

She still wanted to be naughty

Despite being past forty

And just loved acting the fool

***

She kept herself looking good

The envy of the Mums in the hood

With her spiky green hair

And bright pink outerwear

She worked it like nobody could!

***

Her kids just thought her the best

She could twerk and floss with the rest

Their friends would come running

When they saw Penny coming

She would always make them less stressed.

***

Poem by  Judy Martin©

Pineapple   play by Sandra Dorey©

 

Penelope Pompom has turned the corner and is enjoying life again – maybe a bit too much. 🙂

 

Silly Saturday with Penelope Pompom

Once Penny had hit middle age

She found it hard to engage

Finding lumps in her custard

Or a ham sandwich without mustard

would sent her off in a rage!

 

Penny once sweet and so calm

Now caused her family alarm

Being so spiky and sour

Miserable and dour

Her twins thought she’s cause them some harm

 

Off to the doctor to find out the cause

Of Penelope’s new character flaws

The hot flushes and stress

Weight gain and night sweats

The symptoms must be menopause!

 

Penny felt cut to the quick

No wonder she always felt sick

Always crabby and tearful

Het up and fearful

This menopause was like a cruel trick

 

She took the kids out for the day

Off down Shelbyville way

The sand and the sea

And her friends’ company

Kept her bad temper at bay!

 

poem by Judy Martin©

pineapple art by Sandra Dorey©

 

Judy and I have teamed up to be silly again. I just love Judy’s take on things, I send her a photo and she responds with a poem, sometmes within minutes! Do pop along over to her website and fine other poetic gems and find her book filled with her wry look at life.

You can find more of our nonsense if you put ‘silly saturday’ into the search box, top right on this page.

 

 

When the world gives you PomPoms

When this pom-pom trim arrived I knew just what I wanted to do with it!

Patterns and Pineapples

….. continuing the story of my Sunny Sunday with Noelle and Alison

After meandering through the gardens Noelle led the way into the buildings of the Bishop’s Palace …. we were wowed by the way the sunlight played with the stained glass windows in the chapel

There was even a Stained Glass jigsaw

and more spectacular patterns in the wallpaper on the staircase

and then joy of joys – Pineapples!

Anyone who has been reading my blog for a while knows I have a bit of a thing for pineapples, you can see more here, here and here

Although the wallpaper in the photo looks grey it was, in reality, a rich blue

Seeing my delight in the pineapple pattern, Noelle hatched a plan …. and on her way home she popped into the shops to buy ……

a pineapple

Noelle then showed us this marvellous way of carving a pineapple to get rid of all the spiky brown bits AND to make the pinepapple look spectacular – a fabulous ‘Crafty Trick’ 

just see how spendid it looks

Alison and I were in for a treat

A delicious lunch awaited us in the oh-so-cosy conservatory

Home-made soup and foccacia. I felt thoroughly spoilt – it was a day to please all the senses.

I can’t leave this post without showing a close up of Noelle’s knitted jumper – her knitting is superb and in such soft yarn and gentle colours

It makes me want to get back to knitting again.

The warmth of the day stays with me – thank you so much Noelle for your wonderful hospitality.

Before posting I checked with Noelle that she was happy with my photos and she told me of more delights she has in store for you on her blogs:

Here is Noelle’s Pineapple Chutney

and

Pineapple Carving

Enjoy!

Pineapple

It is a while since I have done any machine embroidery, but getting the machine out to help Miss E with her bag enterprise has rekindled the passion.

Here is a cushion I made a couple of years ago

It took quite a few experiments to get the ‘pineapple’ effect.

 

Itching to do more now.