Learning to let go and other adventures

I have been brave!

I've been thinking about it for ages, but never quite plucked up the courage...

But finally, after a bit of research in a self-help manual, I managed to relax and let go...

I dropped those feed dogs and had a go at free-motion machine embroidery!

The self-help manual was this one...

...which, needless to say can be found on Amazon.co.uk, amongst other places

I need to read it properly - I tend to look at the pretty, inspirational pictures and read a few key points before succumbing to the temptation to get stuck into a bit of stitch-y action.  It really would be sooo much better to be more attentive to the text, but hey!

I had had these frames sitting around for years, waiting for something to be created to replace the rather lacklustre prints.  I liked the washed-out, rough wooden frame and thought they would be perfect for what I wanted to do.

Some Liberty scraps were Bonda-webbed, cut and ironed on before the machine was set a-whirring.  Needless to say I was much too impatient to take step-by-step pictures of how I built this up, but at the end of session one, I had two pieces similar to this.  

I had discovered Sulky threads (I know I'm a bit late to the party there!) and bought a few to play around with - here see the varied shades in the sea and  sky and the grassy tufts. 

On the Sulky website there are some great looking tutorials which I may well have to dive into to improve my machine embroidery skills. Having stuck to up and down and wavy lines, I'm tempted to try this one out...

Oh for a row of life-size Liberty covered beach huts!

Bunting, either stitched or from impossibly small scraps of lawn, were added later, and a few hand-embroidered flowers...

I don't think I will be stopping at three of those threads and two pictures!

On Saturday I held another workshop.  Ginger biscuits and Cappuccino Cake were made and I waited for my five students.  This time I remembered my camera - I even took photos of my lovely participants,but forgot to ask if they would be okay to feature on my blog!  So instead, here is their fabulous work.  

Lastly, I took part in Very Berry Handmade's third ATC swap.  The theme was either Books or Spring .  My secret partner (now out of the bag as she has received her card) was Sue of Deerey Me! (pop over and have a look at her lovely blog, especially the 'Secret Garden' card she made for her partner).  Sue lives near Bath and as one of my favourite books is 'Pride and Prejudice'...

{Small pause for Mr Darcy dreaming

Er, sorry, no.

That's more like it!}

...I thought I'd try something related to that.  I found a very small scrap of very old fabric that I thought was a near a bit Regency-looking and then cut silhouettes from felt.  I printed off a P & P quote 'Her heart did whisper that he had done it for her' and combined them on the tiny piece of backing (buckram is what I used).  Normally I'd do more stitching, but somehow I didn't feel this would benefit from any more.

  

Stitching and knitting, knitting and stitching

Yesterday was my day for works in progress, so after finishing the little cardigan,  I set to on the second of a couple of cottages I was conducting a bit of an experiment with.  And having completed it, I now need some opinions on whether my experiment was useful, so I am hoping you, dear readers will help!  

I normally stitch these cottages (which are stamp book cases) entirely by hand.  They turn out something like this, complete with wobbly windows and doors and a very individual look.

But the windows do take quite a time to do, so I thought I'd have a go at doing some of the stitching one the machine.  So here, the windows, door, porch and stems and branches have been machined, then the flowers and leaves added by hand.

Mr U-t-B likes the machined version, but it's a bit too neat for me (which sounds a bit strange, but I'm sure you know what I mean!)  

I'd really appreciate feedback - the hand stitched version has always proved popular at the Maltings Market -  would part-machine-stitched go down as well?  What do you think?  

???????????

I also squeezed in a bit of knitting.  

Yes, I guess I broke the rules (AGAIN!) in sort of starting something on a Wednesday.

BUT I consider that I started this project on Tuesday, when I bought the yarn and dithered over which pattern to knit up ...

AND I can knit whilst watching TV and 'Who Do You Think You Are?' began again yesterday, which I like (especially as there is NEVER anything good on TV these days)...

AND you have to knit quickly for babies before they outgrow what you are making for them!

I think I'll give up on 'Work-in-Progress Wednesday' (though I won't give up on the projects I planned it for) as I'm not very good at keeping to my own 'rules' it would seem...

Vide-grenier finds

  I have a new reader - my mum!   So I thought I'd post photos of some of my French finds specially for her, as it is undoubtedly through her influence that I prefer the pre-loved to the new!








Here's this years haul of small items.  Lots of grubby linens (ooh - I love the smell of a bathtub full of Oxi-Action and washing powder!), some pretty tea and coffee cups and my star items - the preserve pot, the pot-bellied sugar bowl, the teapot and the cake stand!
  







These cot linens remind me that gorgeous girl is a chip off the old block - they are hers, bought to go with the Art Deco cot that she bought.  I can't believe that I haven't got a photo of that - it's gorgeous, with chunky curves, an unusual clear bar (for teething?) along one end and a beautiful metal swallow swooping across the end.  Sadly it's still in France!

Here's the other star large item.  It might not be complete, but with my clever husband and parents around to patch up the veneer and create a front and base, the two ends are going to be a spectacular daybed sometime!


And guess how much?
Bet you can't...


I'll write it at the end of the post, so you can guess properly!









Another chip-off-the old-block items, one of a pair.  I think they were two euros!


So that was this year.

Here's some from the year before last.

The sewing machine is a real beauty.  Love its rustic wooden cover!

It's very attractive inside, but I neglected to take any photos of that!  It has lovely marquetry on the top, including chevrons that are one centimetre wide.  No searching for the tape measure when using this beauty!

And here is the star from last year!

I was looking for an old bike to put a basket of flowers on and prop up against a wall decoratively.  It had to have 'curve' (as well as kerb?) appeal - I like a nice sweeping curve on the frame, and it had to be old.  If I remember correctly this was the only bike we saw at the vide-grenier that day, and boy did it match my criteria!

Look at the beautiful detail...

And the saddle!

(Have I really become the sort who gets excited about a saddle?)

And unbelievably, we got this gorgeous thing for just over twenty euros, part of a clever deal done by my sister-in-law.  She was at the vide-grenier with the express intention of finding a sewing machine base, but ONLY the base (she wanted it for the garden).  The stall that had the bike also had a sewing machine-less base.  The lack of machine was made much of in the bargaining, hence the price for the two - forty-five euros!

Turns out the bike is from about 1919.  Having survived in such relatively good condition for so long, it would be almost criminal to have it outside in all weathers, so it is awaiting a light restoration, and will then be propped against a wall, but inside!

And the bed?

Ten euros!



I'll sign off now, with apologies if the text is all over the place.  I've done this on the laptop and I can't make things behave!