All about Family and Quilting

Another week at work goes by at a rate of knots whilst also at the same time dragging it's itself towards the weekend. Weird how that happens even for a four day 'working' week. As you may gathered from my weekly posts I am very much a homebody, always looking forward to times when I can have time to myself or spend it in the company of friends and family, without the worry of deadlines, unexpected phone calls, the bombardment of emails, and the daily commute.  

I can happily spend the weekend pottering about my flat or even popping to the shops to run an errand and I'll be quietly content. As much as I was equally content spending a rather all over the place Saturday with my family.Seeing pretty much all of them over the course of one day. From a multi-generation visit to the crematorium to lay flowers in memory of my nan too seeing my sister's new abode. A brief visit to Tenterden was also on the cards, along with dinner with my mum and a late night journey back to my flat  in order to save a very early journey this morning. 

It might have been stupidly windy, with crazy on off showers and downpours but it was great and loved every minute of it, especially the mad singing along session on the various journeys on the way to and around Kent with my mum. 

Needless to say little crafting was done yesterday. Though I did get the chance to visit Hoop whilst in Tenterden, been on my 'to visit' list for a while now and picked up some rather lovely grey hue, 32 count linen for me to stitch the Pretty Little San Francisco cross stitch pattern onto by the fab designer Satsuma Street (finally caved). Also purchased another French cross stitch pattern book, have a bit of a thing for there designs, along with Japanese embroidery books and magazines.

Well I couldn't spend a little bit of money whilst I was there...

I would say if you are in or around the area you should totally pop in it's so bright, fresh with great collection of stock and the owner, Vanessa, is super lovely too. Me and my mum were trying persuade her to open another branch in Farnham....because like me she's surprised there isn't one already in the town. There was but they've all since closed. 

Also couldn't resist taking this little fella home too yesterday!

As for today well it was the usual catching up on household chores, trying persuade BT to give me a better deal for the new contract...man I hate haggling. And finally finishing off the mini quilt! 

Ain't it cute. I wasn't sure I was going to like the way it turned out as it's not entirely like the sketch but now that it's hanging on the wall I am rather smitten by it's bold blocks of colour, and the use of the bag handle to hang it. I look forward to coming up with another design. 

And that my friends, was my weekend in a nutshell. The coming week is going to be a nutso with work commitments, and my best friend's little boy's baptism. So there will be a break in the usual weekly blog posts, but never fear I'll return for the Bank Holiday post, probably showing off my new hallway lighting, and fingers crossed the next seasonal pattern will be done by then too!

I hope everyone is safe and well, and happy.

Hey look you can spot my work in Mastering the Art of Embroidery

Sometime ago I was contacted by Sophie Long, a fellow embroiderer who also did the apprenticeship at the Royal School of Needlework, to see if I had any images that I would like to include into her then soon to be book. Some months have passed by and the book is now available. 

Now being the curious sort and to see what images I had submitted were used, I purchased my copy, it was also belated birthday gift. There was another reason for purchasing, I've been after a new embroidery reference book, because even though I was taught everything that's contained within it, during my apprenticeship and what not, I still have moments of complete and utter forgetfulness and also it's easier to show someone what your talking about rather than randomly making hand gestures or silly doodles.

It was lovely to find on receiving my copy, that I have not one but two pieces of embroidery within it. 

My canvas-work piece based on my favourite artist Edward Hopper, it was also one of the first pieces I stitched during my apprenticeship. Which featured various canvas stitches and various types threads from cotton to wool and man-made fibers. I'm not entirely sure if I've ever shown you that piece before...

The other embroidery was my stumpwork piece 'Paradise Bird', which was fantastic to see. So I am utterly indebted to Sophie and her book editors/publishers for selecting the two pieces.

I should also say, if anyone is in need of a reference/instructional book on embroidery then this book may well be for you. Its currently available in hardback but I think it's set to come out in paperback too. 

I know some folks were asking me a few weeks back how I constructed my Kindisky inspired box, well you will be pleased to know that you can find clear instructions on how you construct a fabric covered box within it. This is the way I was taught at the RSN. 

The book itself is broken up into several sections ; Surface Embroidery, Counted-Surface Embroidery, Embellishment, Stumpwork, White Work and Three-Dimensional Embroidery. So basically any stitch your looking for it's bound to be within it. At 288 pages long, you'll certainly getting your monies worth. 

What was also lovely to see, when flicking through the book, was spotting various people's work, either from personal connections or from having seen their work floating about the internet. 

The book will sadly be packed away shortly, pending my move, but I look forward to having it on the bookshelf in my studio!

Book details:

Title: Mastering the Art of Embroidery

Author: Sophie Long

ISBN: 978-1-9064-95-6

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EDIT: 

The Aurum Publishing Group are giving you lovely folks the chance to get the book for £24.00 including p&p* (RRP: £30.00).

To order telephone 01903 828503 and quote offer code JS202. Or send a cheque made payable to: Littlehampton Book Services Mail Order Department, Littlehampton Book Services, PO Box 4264, Worthing, West Sussex BN13 3TG. Again quote the offer code JS202 and include your name and address details.

*UK ONLY - Please add £2.50 if ordering from overseas.

Want it Wednesday: Baking Love

It's a little bit of a different Want it Wednesday, but you know it's good to switch things up a bit, right? Well tonight its just going to focus on one thing a book. A book that I fell in love with whilst visiting a very good friend last weekend. Now, you might have twigged over the years that I have a bit of a thing for baking, it's a side hobby in a way I don't do it often but its nice to just whip up a batch of scones as and when you feel like it. I almost have the recipe memorised to a point I only need to glance at the ingredients to make sure I've not missed anything.

So when I saw this book 

Miette Bakery Cookbook: Recipes from San Francisco's Most Charming Pastry Shop

I knew it had to be mine when I saw the recipes that would make good gifts, well it's not mine yet but I am damned well going to be! Sorry Sophie, it nearly ended up in my bag....

Sew tidings

Good evening fellow crafter's! It feels as though I've not really written a decent blog post for an age. SO I thought I would correct this tonight.


I've been stitching lately, not a great deal, but a little bit in the evenings, and I'm getting back into the rhythm of doing it and enjoying it immensely I like stitching at night time, and I'm not alone in this. It's relaxing, you don't get disturbed, it's just utterly bliss!


On top of stitching I've also been reading, and a lot too. I'm going through a classic book stage. I love it! It all came about from having a sudden urge to read the Thirty Nine Steps, it was the cover that drew me to it, then from there that lead me to Greenmantle. Which if you weren't aware by the same author and involves Richard Hanney from the Thirty Nine Steps. From there it lead me to The Man who was Thursday. Again by the same publisher and the covers are pretty awesome. From there I purchased, Round the World in Eighty Days, The Great Gatsby, and Journey to the Centre of the Earth.


I've even started a little note book with a list of books I've read, and a list of books to read. All published with Penguin. Why? Because I love their covers, the prices and the website is awesome. I recommend! There classics, which have the plain coloured covers, and printed on recycled paper are a mere £2.50 each! Bargain, and the colours are wicked.


Before I forget this is what I was stitching! A little coin purse, using up the last of these type of coin purse frame, and also using my old Peacock Feather design. Stitched entirely by hand, no sewing machine was used. Which meant I could stitch late at night without waking anyone.


So tell me what have you been stitching lately?