Book Review: The Hand-Stitched Home by Caroline Zoob, and a Giveaway!

I was surprised and excited recently to be offered, a free copy of The Hand-Stitched Home by Caroline Zoob, by the publishers, to review. Obviously, I jumped at the chance to receive a lovely, shiny-new, stitching book to look at. Not having reviewed a book since I was at school it was a little daunting. But of course, it was nothing like school; actually wanting to read this book, being the main difference.

It's been a little while since I've done any embroidery but, after being inspired by this book, I'll definitely be picking up a needle and thread again very soon. Caroline Zoob doesn't profess to be an expert embroiderer but rather calls the process 'drawing with a needle', the result of which is a very individual book, full of designs that are brimming with character. The stylish cover is the first clue as to what is in store.

Lovers of a simple, minimalist style would be in their element with this book, but those who prefer more elaborate decorative touches will also find much inspiration. I've picked out a few of my favourite pictures to show you.

Using the projects in The Hand-Stitched Home you could add embroidered detail to personalise your own possessions, or create new, decorative pieces from scratch. Whether an experienced or novice stitcher, this book has ideas for all levels of skill.

The projects in the book are arranged into five sections; Making pictures, On the edge, At the table, The soft stuff and At the window, followed by the extra, useful stuff, like templates, stitches and techniques. My favourite projects are the place mats, window pelmet and cushions.

It's written in an easy-going, chatty style, with Caroline's love of the art of embroidery, and the whole creative process, shining through. I like the fact that the list of materials required for each project is not too specific, allowing each individual stitcher to use what they may already have, match the design to their own colour scheme or put their own twist on it.

The instructions are easy to understand, and detailed enough to complete the projects, as pictured, but Caroline positively encourages interchanging the designs between projects, and experimenting.

The photography is amazing, showing off the designs to perfection, and I'm pleasantly surprised that the photo captions contain 'new', useful information (and are not just regurgitated from the main text).

Luckily for you, I've decided to give away this copy!! All you have to do for a chance of winning it, is to leave a comment on this post. It can be about anything you like, but if you need a little nudge, how about telling me your experiences of embroidery. I would also be very happy for you to blog about this giveaway, leaving me a separate comment telling me so, and, therefore, earning another entry. The competition is open to anyone, anywhere. I will draw the winner using a random number generator in 2 weeks time, on 19th June, and announce the result shortly after.

If you are not the lucky winner but would still like to get your hands on a copy here's a special offer for you.

To order The Hand-Stitched Home at the discounted price of £16.00 including p&p*, telephone 01903 828503 and quote offer code JS219. Or send a cheque made payable to: Littlehampton Book Services Mail Order Department, Littlehampton Book Services, PO Box 4264, Worthing, West Sussex BN13 3TG. Please quote the offer code JS219 and include your name and address details. *UK ONLY - Please add £2.50 if ordering from overseas.

Bye for now
Teresa x

Making Work for Myself!

 The sun has been putting in some welcome appearances recently.  When it does it's lovely and warm, although the temperature still drops quite significantly as soon as a cloud brings some shade.  I prefer that, though, to the sort of sunshine that leaves you longing for a cloud, for a little cool relief.

I joined my daughter and fiance a week or two ago to walk their dogs on the hill above their town.  We met half way with some of fiance's relatives who then walked back with us.

And last week Mr D and I went to the first of a new regular Farmers' and Vintage Market at a nearby manor house.  We were delighted when we turned the corner of the stable block and almost bumped into an 'ostentation' of peacocks, which is, apparently, what a group of them is called (I just looked it up in case it comes up at our next pub quiz). There were at least a dozen of them!

We came home with some lovely, local, home-made goodies;  welsh cakes, leek and stilton sausages and wild boar and apple pies, laid out on a lovely big piece of fabric I got for £4 from one of the vintage stalls. We'll definitely go back again, when we have time to look around the gardens too.

A few days later, I went with my Ladies' Group on a visit to tour the same manor house, (Llanvihangel Court) followed by a pub meal.  If you're ever in the area (and it happens to be open) the house is well worth a visit.  I can't imagine there being a better example of a house of that age anywhere else.  The Lady of the Manor gave us the tour and pointed out many portraits of her ancestors, including her great-grandmother, who was a lady-in-waiting to Queen Victoria.  Unusually for a 400-year-old house, there wasn't a speck of dust or cobweb anywhere, and every room was stunning yet homely, and although the furnishings were from all over the world and from different periods, nothing looked out of place.

On the crafting front, which has been a bit slow lately, I've added these small felt brooches to my collection. The felt is from an old felted jumper and is quite thick and sturdy, making it strong enough to hold its shape well.  The decoration is all reclaimed bits and pieces, including hanging ribbon, from inside new clothes, to make the bows (you know me - I keep anything that could come in handy).

I've also been recycling the already recycled!  I made a cushion cover a while ago with hexagons on a blue background.  It never looked like the vision I originally had but I was reluctant to waste the work that went into it.  However, when my daughter said she wasn't keen on it either, it was time to take action. I unpicked all the hexagons, stitched them into a block and made them into this zipped bag, with the blue from the cushion as a lining. As usual, I 'winged it' with the design as it's another different construction method. This time the seams are on the outside and are covered with binding.  I also used binding to attach the zip on the outside, which was quite fiddly, but meant there was no need for turning it all inside-out and risking sewing things the wrong way.

This was the cushion 'before'

Helen from The Patient Gardener's Blog asked me a few weeks ago where I got the pattern from for my summer top.  Sorry for the late reply Helen but I had to dig it out of the shed again to remind myself.  It's an old-ish pattern from Simplicity, No K2938, and includes trousers, a dress and a jacket too.  I tried, without luck, to remember where I got it from but am pretty sure I didn't buy it new.

Oh, and I mustn't forget............My new job is a part-time receptionist at a hair salon - at the salon I go to, actually!  I was sitting there, having my hair done a couple of months ago, chatting away to the stylist/owner (as you do) when she asked about my work.  When I told her I was redundant and looking for part-time work, she offered me the job. I've already done some 'shadowing' of the current receptionist and one morning on my own, and I start officially next week!  It will suit me quite well at the moment to work 3/4 days a week, leaving time for proof reading, crafting and helping son and daughter with their accounts.

Progress since last time:

Turned cushion into zipped bag
Added more patchwork diamonds to Country Living inspired quilt
Started cathedral window patchwork cushion
Felt brooches

Bye for now
Teresa x

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In light of the imminent demise of Google Reader, I've managed to transfer all the blogs I follow over to Bloglovin, and I've registered my blog with them.  What I should be able to do now is put this link in the sidebar information, so it's visible all the time, but I don't know how.  After I add another post this link will be out of sight! A possible solution would be to add a new page and put the link there, but that will have to wait for another day because I've got to get on over to Sew Mama Sew and enter a few more giveaways!

Bye for now
Teresa x

Win, Win, Work!

Goodness, it's taken me ages to get back here and post - it was much easier when I could put a quick something together in my lunchtime at work.

 I'd love to show you some photos from our performances of Anything Goes but I'm afraid cameras weren't allowed at the show, and I couldn't bring any costumes home to photograph because they were all hired! However, I can say that the run went really well, I enjoyed doing it (although, for some strange reason, not quite as much as last year), and we had a really good review in the local paper. We have one more performance of the title number, tonight at the Mayor's Show, and then we move on to the next project.

Above is my stall at the craft fair I mentioned last time.  Within the first 5 minutes of the doors opening I sold my first item!  It was a small pink baby quilt and more than covered my costs for the day.  Which was good because I didn't sell anything else after that!  Advice for selling at craft fairs often mentions having a 'story' behind a product to make it more interesting and meaningful - I found the opposite (where the customer has a story for buying the item) is also rewarding.  The granddaughter of the lady who bought the quilt was having a baby girl soon and the baby was going to be the first girl born into their family in nearly 50 years.  I felt quite honoured that they chose to buy my quilt for a child that was obviously very special for them.

I've had a couple of lucky wins lately!! First is this sweet little book that was reviewed and given away by Ali of the wonderful Very Berry Handmade.  I'm dying to have a go at one of these tiny little characters but I don't know where to start - there are so many to choose from.

Ali also sells bundles of lovely Liberty fabrics and I was thrilled to find a little package of pretty scraps in with the book.

My other lucky win was a packet of multi-coloured buttons from Craftseller magazine, that will be a very handy alternative to my stash of mainly browns and whites.

I'm having a stall at another craft fair this weekend and have managed to finish a quilt for a baby boy, this time.  You never know ......!

And I mustn't forget the lovely Marivel of Cristali Designs who very kindly awarded me a Liebster Award.  I think I'm supposed to say something about myself so, here goes:

My favourite colour is orange
I love to read, sew, sing, knit, crochet etc.
My middle name is Mary (so is my daughter's, it's also the first name of 2 aunties and was both my grandmothers')
I also like to watch The Mentalist, Marivel!
Oh, and I've got a new job - probably (more details to come).

Bye for now
Teresa x

Biting the Bullet!

It feels good to finally finish a project and lay it out - but not if you're unhappy with the result and know that changes have to be made.  I joined all the crocheted hexagons together, crocheted an edging all around and gave it a light press. This was the result!  It's intended to be a baby blanket but, with the hexagons being quite big, the result is a bit floppy, and I don't like the uneven sides.

There was no easy way out so I just had to 'bite the bullet' and start unravelling. It's better if I do it immediately so it doesn't end up on a pile of unfinished items that taunt me every time I catch sight of them.  So, straight away, I undid the edging and sat down to work out how to make half hexagons that matched.  Once I'd worked it out, I luckily had enough yarn left to make six of them to fill in the gaps on the sides.  I had to find another similar yarn to make the edging but I think it works well and I'm now much happier with  it.

 

I've had the crocheting bug recently and have almost finished another baby blanket.  I did have it finished once, but - you've guessed it - I was unhappy with the result and am in the middle of a re-do.

The colours are a bit muted for some reason in this photo (my rubbish editing skills probably!).  It's my attempt at dressmaking for the first time in over 20 years.  I made it up in size 18, but 16 would have possibly been enough; I didn't want it too tight, though.  This was the only suitable fabric that I had enough of and although it's not my favourite I didn't want to waste some new, expensive fabric with my experimenting. All I need now is some sun!

I don't know if I'll have much time for crafting or blogging over the next week or two.  I'm doing a craft fair on Saturday and then the mad week of rehearsing and performing starts for Anything Goes.  Why I booked  a fair in the middle of all this, I don't know - it seemed like a good idea at the time.

After it's all over, I think I need to do a bit of reorganising at A Time for Stitching.  My profile is out of date, I could do with a new banner photo and, with the imminent demise of Google Reader, I need to get something sorted.

Bye for now
Teresa x

"600 Months (and 1 Week)!....

......or 18,262 days, 438,288 hours, 26,297,280 minutes, but hey, who's counting" (as my son put in my card).  That's how old I am today!! Some of these numbers don't seem big enough to equal 50 years!

My daughter made me these delicious cup cakes.

I received lots of beautiful flowers from family.....

 .....and friends.

 I'll need to get advice on keeping this alive.  Any tips will be gratefully received.

OH, daughter and fiancé and I spent part of the day at Caerleon. Despite living only 20 minutes away from these Roman ruins, I've never been to see them.  We saw the amphitheatre (above), the museum and the Roman baths.  It was absolutely freezing, but the sun was out and apart from the amphitheatre, the rest of the attractions were indoors.  After a pub lunch we headed home for more cards and prezzies (including a subscription to Craftseller magazine, and vouchers for a wool shop and afternoon tea for 2) before a group of 16 friends and family headed out for a meal in the evening.

Back with more crafting next time!

Bye for now
Teresa x

Oh Blow!

I'd like to show you pictures of my costumes for Anything Goes, like I did last year for Me and My Girl but, although the show is in a few weeks, I don't know what I'm wearing yet.  I got a few items together when told what I needed, but apparently they weren't "sexy enough", whatever that means.  One dress that the Society lent me to try on was a bit too revealing and I had to decline the offer. After all, I didn't want to suffer a serious costume malfunction in the middle of Blow, Gabriel, Blow!!  Finally, I was told last week that they've hired all my costumes, so goodness knows what I'll end up with!!

 In the absence of show costumes I've got more crafting photos.  After booking tables at a couple of craft fairs I need to produce a bit more stock, so I got myself into gear and made a few zipped purses.You can just see, at the back, a glimpse of black, patterned fabric, which I intended to be another purse. Sadly, things went irretrievably wrong and it was not to be.

 I tried something different here.  The design is a combination of the purses above, the zip closure of the laptop bag (that I made before Christmas) and tote bag handles.  It also needed a little extra something, so I tried out my machine's blanket stitch to attach the 3 hearts.

 Hexie crocheting was my holiday project.  I managed about 6 when I was away and the rest since we got back.  The pile on the left has been blocked so looks a bit neater.  They're made from an un-run charity shop jumper but I don't know what I will make from them all yet.  Probably a baby blanket.  I'm nearly at the end of the yarn and it won't make anything much bigger than that.

The last time I used a paper dressmaking pattern was probably about 20 years ago, when I made a few things for my children.  Guided by the measurements on this pattern, I'm cutting it out as a size 18!!!  I think I'm erring on the side of caution but it should be possible to make it smaller if necessary.  It seems that dressmaking patterns are made in 'real' sizes. It's an old, second-hand pattern I've had for a while but can't remember where from.

Progress since last time:

4 Zipped Purses
Lots of crochet hexagons
Mini zipped heart bag
Top cut out and marked
Cut out lots more diamonds for tumbling blocks

Bye for now
Teresa x

Chalet Antics and Cheating!

Goodness me, I didn't realise it's been over a month since I last posted.  I intended popping in before we went away but time ran out.  I haven't any holiday snaps, without people in,  that are worth viewing so here are a few from before I went away. First though, a few comments on the holiday:

Clean beds
Good chalet staff (except for psycho host who broke his collarbone snowboarding and had to be replaced, and finally got sacked after getting drunk and going berserk, resulting in door entry code being changed to keep him out)
No hot water for 36 hrs
Good food (mostly - psycho host wasn't a very good baker)
Good skiing (apparently - I don't ski)
Good walking
Nice people sharing chalet (mother and daughter)
Coming back after a walk to find our chalet's French door wide open and no one inside, the day after having the door code changed due to psycho host's snowboard being stolen (or was it?).

Could have been worse - one of us could have come home with a broken leg and we're definitely going to dine out on this for quite a few years.

Now, back to reality, or so it seems.  OH loves apple pie but I don't make it very often because I don't like making pastry.  The only times we've had any recently is when my auntie makes it for us, from the apples we give her from our tree.  Due to a shortage of apples last autumn, apple pie was also in short supply and OH was beginning to suffer withdrawal symptoms.  What could I do but cheat?  Yes, I gave in and bought ready-made pastry.  And do you know what?  It was very good.  Easy to use, not too expensive and very tasty.

There was plenty in two blocks to make the apple pie, a spinach and mushroom quiche and a dozen jam tart cases.  It was pretty foolproof and I can see it making an appearance in my kitchen in the future. But perhaps I shouldn't leave it until the apple pie craving starts to re-surface.

Anyone who wondered about the tumbling block patchwork should be able to see from this photo why it's called that. The overall effect should be like cubes.  I tried to keep the darker fabric of each set of 3 to the right to continue the effect, but managed to sew one set on the wrong way around.

Just before I went away I revamped this bag that I had lying around.  I won it in a giveaway but didn't use it because it was like a back-pack and wasn't really practical.  I took off the straps, added the decorative ruffles and a matching lining, made the bottom corners 'square' then re-added the straps and fastening tab like a tote bag.

Progress since last time:

More tumbling blocks
Revamped bag
Prepared more un-run yarn 
Started crocheting hexagons from un-run jumper yarn (on holiday)

Bye for now
Teresa x

It's Started!

Two very important events have started.  First, very welcome signs of spring are appearing in the garden and countryside;  daffodils are emerging, snowdrops flowering and roses budding.  After a summer of dull, wet, dreary days followed by more of the same (only colder) in autumn and winter, we're more than ready for some decent sunshine - so here's hoping!

The second (and just as important) event that has started (meaning that the first item on DD's wedding list can be ticked off) is that  The Dress Has Been Bought!!  I'm afraid you'll have to wait for at least a year to catch a glimpse of it, but there's a little clue on DD's nail art as to what it's like.

We bought the dress when two of her 'bridesmaids' came to stay with DD for the weekend for her birthday, and I took them all, plus DS's girlfriend, for a trying-on session.  We had a lovely afternoon and it was a fun way of getting to know her friends.

I managed to finish the place mats for her birthday in time to take too, including a little addition on one corner to cover a mistake that I didn't see until too late!

Progress since last time:

Place mats finished
Zipped purse for DS's girlfriend's birthday
A couple of hours on the x-stitch lighthouse
Few more tumbling blocks put together
Tag Square Bee quilt pinned together ready for quilting

Bye for now
Teresa x

Very Berry Inspiration!

Some of the crafty and baking stuff I show here is inspired by fabulous bloggers that I follow or chance across from time to time, none more so than Ali from Very Berry Handmade who designs and makes gorgeous stylish things and sells lovely Liberty bundles on Folksy.

It was a coincidence recently that a crochet project and some baking I did both came from Ali.  I had book-marked the pattern for this triple layer crocheted flower quite a while ago but didn't get around to trying it out until the Christmas holiday. Then Ali blogged about this Chocolate Cardamom cake the other week and I couldn't resist giving it a try.  The flower came out quite large because I used some chunky yarn I had lying around. I made it into a brooch after finishing it off with ribbon and a button.

The cake is definitely only for special occasions as it contains two slabs of melted 70% chocolate, but despite being rich, it's not heavy or stodgy.  I made a full-sized cake by doubling all the ingredients (except the cardamom, which I was glad about because it had enough flavour with just the 2 pods).

Ali's cardamom pods looked huge compared to mine (I suppose being 4 years out of date might have had something to do with it)!   Above are the contents of 2 of my pods (one lot hard and crunchy, the other soft and much bigger).  All previous pods I'd used were filled with the small, hard seeds so I was reluctant to use the ones that resembled mice droppings (hence only using half the amount).

And while I'm on the subject of lovely inspirational blogs, here are a few more to browse:

Betz White (beautiful creations from felted woollen jumpers and her own organic cotton fabrics)
Wayside Sacraments (inspirational words and pictures from Leslie, who has become a good blog-friend)
The Scrappy Appleyard (Another blog-friend, John'aLee, who creates wonderful quilt patterns, and is so busy I wonder that she has time to blog let alone read and comment on mine!)
Posie Gets Cozy (If I could could take photos half as good as these, I'd be happy)
Patchwork Pottery (A blog full of wonderful, intricate patchwork designs with their own unique style)
Attic24 (Crochet fans should definitely visit Lucy's blog for a fix.

So, there you have it; I felt I should share some of the wonderful blogs I've discovered over the years (although I suspect they're not much of a secret to many of you) and not keep them to myself.  They've given me much food-for-thought and (as I said at the start) much inspiration in my own life and crafty journey.

Progress since last time:

Purple scarf finished
Charity shop jumper un-run
A few more tumbling blocks added

Bye for now
Teresa x

Snow Joke!

I thought I'd better get on with posting my snow photos before it's all melted (not that it will melt in the photos, but you know what I mean).  I know there are a couple of readers who rarely see snow and like to see the pics. It's stayed around for longer than usual due to the cold, but temperatures are forecast to rise soon so I don't think it'll last too much longer.

This is our road the morning after the first major snowfall.

I ventured to the village on foot to pick up a couple of groceries.  The main roads were slightly clearer than ours so deliveries had got through and the local shop's shelves were not empty like in some areas.

The castle was looking a little different, and children, happy that their schools were closed, were sledging on the hill (just out of sight).

We had 4-6 inches that first day and a couple more a few days later. We've heard a lot about the problems and issues caused by the snow (including some sad ones) but there have been some positives too;  Although many parents couldn't get to work and children to school they were able to spend some quality time together with nothing else on the agenda; People came out to help neighbours they may not have spoken to much and the sight of the snow seemed to give people a boost so that they passed the time of day with a smile when they would have normally mumbled a brief greeting (if that).  It also meant much less travel and, therefore, a huge drop in emissions and pollution.

On the crafty side, I've finished piecing the 4 table-mats.  The supplies for quilting and binding arrived yesterday so I can finish them soon.

In the meantime, I was inspired by this quilt in December's Country Living to start a new project.  I'm using the fabrics my auntie gave me and am making the blocks quite large so it's not too daunting a task.  I decided it would be quicker to hand-sew the seams back-to-back rather than paper-piece like the hexagons; and I thought the corners would come together better than if I tried to machine stitch. So, time will tell.......!

Progress since last time:

4 table-mats pieced
Tumbling blocks patchwork started 
Purple scarf nearly finished

Bye for now
Teresa x

A Crazy Mix!

Oh dear, I'm not finding time to blog as often as I'd like.  Being at home most of the day there always seems to be something else to get done first, and blogging comes bottom of the list.  Still, never mind, I'm here now so I'll get on and tell you what I've been up to.

I mentioned last time that my crafting over Christmas consisted of fiddling and experimenting - which means mostly handwork since the machine was put away for the holiday.

 I bought this yarn, made from the bark of banana trees, a while ago just to see what it was like.  I couldn't decide what to do with it so just got out some needles and knitted it up into a square to see what it looked like.  It was quite difficult to work with because it was so tightly twisted (I presume to keep it together) that it kept curling around itself, and the thickness varied so much in places that it was difficult to keep any kind of tension.  I couldn't think of anything to make with it in a square, so I undid it and......

...after seeing an idea (somewhere, I can't remember - I really should make a note) found a loose, open stitch pattern to knit it into a sort of cowl/scarf.  This I am really pleased with and have worn it quite a lot already.  I'm now considering getting some of this in different colours to make some more.

I know that many of you patchworkers will, like me, have piles of scraps left over from projects, that you can't throw away.  The problem is, what to do with them.  While I was doing some sewing before Christmas I got some scraps out and just sewed them together randomly with very little thought of colour or design or what I was going to do with them. (Do you see a theme emerging here?) Looking at them the other day I remembered that DD said she liked the crazy patchwork place mats that they used when visiting her fiance's parents.  As her birthday is coming up soon..................do you see where this is going?

With the poor light we've been having around here lately I was trying all sorts to get a decent photo.  I liked the stained-glass window effect of this one.

Another thing I had a brief (shambolic) go at was free-motion machine quilting.  I've been too afraid to try before in case it was completely beyond me but decided to plunge in and go for it (a bit like the tap dancing last night!).  Not a complete disaster by any means, but I didn't have too high expectations anyway. I am glad  I didn't use a contrasting thread though because that would have been a little too revealing.

Finally, was the return of cross-stitching.  I forget between x-stitch projects how time-consuming it is and plunge straight back into another project thinking it will go swimmingly. Sorting these threads into the separate colours took ages, before I could even start.  And without colour names or symbols on the chart I'm floundering a bit. Some of the colours are very similar and there is only the coloured chart to go by.  I tried getting some clues from the picture of the finished item on  the packaging, but it's different from the chart in places, so I can't rely on that too much.  Lastly, is the issue of how many strands of thread to use.  I took my cue from the packaging, where there are pictures of threads which seem to be of 3 strands each. But now that I'm partly done, I think maybe I should be using 2 strands.  Lets just hope I don't run out, although I've found in the past that generous amounts are usually supplied.

What's that?  You want to know more about the tap dancing?  Well, for our next show, we've been asked to  give it a try.  "Anything Goes" is well known for it's tap-dancing, so we've got to try and include at least a little.  We've got a teacher and about 16 of us had our first lesson last night.  How did it go?  Well, let's just say, we've got plenty of time so we can only hope we get the hang of it soon!!

Bye for now
Teresa x