Bringing a Little of That Spring Indoors

Since the garden was feeling all "springified" I figured the house could do with it too. This is my beautiful Sylvac jug full of tulips. There is a story relating to the jug. Many years ago, when my Mum was unmarried and still living at home (probably around 1948) my Grandad happened to go into the big department store in Sheffield, where they had a large and carefully arranged pile of jugs on display with a sign advertising "any jug" at some cheap price. All the jugs were plain white except for a tiny number of coloured ones at the very bottom of the pile. Yes, you've guessed it. Grandad dismantled the entire display to get to the coloured ones and bought three, one for Grandma, and one each for my Mum and my Aunt for their bottom drawers.
I love that jug.

I made this spring runner after seeing an idea on Flamingo Toes. Mine is made from pieces from a couple of vintage sheets and some 60s or 70s fabric from my Mum's extensive stash, the only thing I bought was the pompom trim. I have decided that I LOVE pompom trim, but I hate sewing it.

And finally, my spring mantelpiece, very simple with a felt flower garland (bought, shame on me!) and a few little eggs

Spring Garden Notes, with Additional Commentary by the Immortal Bard

I was drawn into the garden yesterday by a cacophony of croaking, to discover a huge number of these little chaps, basking in the sunshine in the pond. 

"Eye of Newt and toe of frog"

I counted at least 29 frogs, though it's hard to be sure as they kept diving and resurfacing, and it is not a large pond. (It does have a lot of duck weed though. I really must try and do something about that).  
I didn't see the newts, but they are there in the ooze at the bottom.
Anyway while I was in the garden I thought I'd see what other signs of spring I could find.

 " I know a bank where the wild thyme blows, 

Where oxlip and the nodding violet grows"

No wild thyme, mine is all cultivated, and the violets aren't out yet, but a clump of oxlips are in bloom

and dafodils

"Daffodils that come before the swallow dares,

And take the winds of March with beauty"

and primroses

"Himself the primrose path of dalliance treads"

and crocuses (croci?)

"Who with thy saffron wings upon my flowers

Diffusest honey drops"

and the rhubarb is starting to sprout

and I'm pretty sure Shakespeare didn't have anything to say about rhubarb, (lets face it, the last two were stretching it a bit), but I'm willing to be corrected. 

Edited: Thanks to Gillie who found this quote from  The Scottish Play:-

What rhubarb, cyme, or what purgative drug,

Would scour these English hence?

Some More Upcycling

I've been attacking some of my horde of vintage textiles with a pair of shears, and remaking them into new things, namely bags.
Here is my new shopping bag, which as you can see used to be a souvenir tea-towel

And here is a handbag. The front panel of this is cut from a vintage tea towel, the rest of the shell is made from one of the lovely pieces of vintage feed sack fabric Katherine sent me, and which I showed in the previous post.
Both bags are lined with fabric cut from vintage pillowcases.
I made some other ones as well, and they are now listed in my new shiny Folksy Shop, Brimstone and Quicksilver.

Naomi has been busy as well, customising t-shirts. She's got a Folksy Shop too, hers is called The Word on The Street.
Linking up to Think Pink Sundays at Flamingo Toes

Lovely Things in the Mail, a Challenge and an Experiment in Upcycling

I had two lovely packages in the mail this week, the first was this pair of beautiful silver coral and turquoise earrings which I was lucky enough to win in the Grow your Blog Party draw on Sharon's blog. Thank you Sharon, they are just stunning, and so me.

The second parcel came from Katherine, and contained these fabulous vintage feedsack fabrics. I am really going to have fun with these, they're gorgeous.

If that wasn't enough however, Katherine generously included this chart that she designed some years ago, long before she knew that I lived within a stone's throw of some of the places mentioned in the design. Just wow Katherine! I love it.

It's reveal day for the Needlecraft Haven Monthly Challenge. This month we stitched this design from Threadwork Primitives. I changed mine up a little bit by substituting a few speciality stitches, and finished it as a small pillow. I thought it looked a bit plain so I fastened one of my collection of vintage brooches to it to jazz it up a bit. I like the effect so much I think it might end up being used to store/display some of them in my bedroom.  I changed the date to 1813 and the initials to EB and FD as well.Five bonus litterati points to anyone who can tell why without scrolling down to the clue at the end of the post.

As for the experiment in upcycling, here is a second hand tablecloth I picked up recently.

And here it is again as a skirt. The jury is out on this one. I really like it, and think it looks pretty and summery, David thinks it still looks like a tablecloth, and Naomi's reaction was "No Mum, just no!". I'd appreciate honest opinions here, don't worry about hurting my feelings, as you can see the family don't!

And finally the clue I mentioned
As if I needed any excuse to put up a picture of Colin Firth in a wet shirt.

PS Go the The Victorian Motto Sampler Shoppe for a great giveaway

Valentine's Day Bits and Pieces

Happy Valentine's Day! I'm taking part in Jo's Valentine's Day Blog Hop. Here is the secret stitchy virtual valentine photo I received.. Isn't it sweet? If you go to Jo's blog you'll find a list of all the participants. Wonder who got my photo...

I also took place in an actual Secret Valentine's Exchange via Needlecraft Haven. Look at the gorgeous little stitched ornament and all the other wonderful goodies I received. Thank you so much to my exchange partner

And here is the wool felt crazy patchwork heart I sent out. I made it using a pattern and fabrics from Madeleine Millington. This was so much fun to make, and I had enough of the fabric left to make another one at a later date.
It doesn't show in the picture but it is actually about 6" across.
I forgot to get a snap of the other items I sent with it, some cute buttons and braid and some heart shaped solid hand balm.

And finally, as soon as I saw this little Valentine's Stocking from Plum Street Samplers I knew I had to stitch it (you can find the pattern here), I changed the colours up a bit and used a delicious variegated red thread ~ Ruby Slippers from Crescent Colours. The fabric it's sitting on is the one I used to back it.
I've got one more Valentine's finish, but I can't show it yet as it's the Monthly Challenge.
Off now to check out the other participants in the blog hop!

A Small Ornament Finish

You know how it is when you read the JCS Ornament Edition. Some of the designs go straight onto your "must stitch" list, some your brain files away for possible future reference, and some you just go "Meh" but then you see them later stitched up on someone else's blog and it's like you're looking at them for the first time?
Well I was reading Dani's blog a couple of weeks back and I had just one of those epiphany moments. Wow! What was this wonderful ornament design? Surely not one from the 2012 Ornie Edition? But it was, and it was stunning.
OK Peace Pin Button by Jeanette Douglas. Move directly to the top of the stitching rotation. Do not pass Go. Do not collect £200.
And here is my version. It's a tiny little thing so I made it a bit more flamboyant by adding a fabric yo yo made from turquoise organza to the back. DH says it looks like a prize rosette from a sports day but what does he know? (I'm in no position to contradict him since I never won a prize rosette at sports day)

Theme-a-licious finish, progress and a winner

I've decided to join in with Heather's theme-a-licious monthly themes. 

Just an excuse to post a picture of The Doctor on my blog really. 

Anyway January's theme was "Jardin January" in which we were to work on any piece with gardens or flowers. This piece doesn't have any flowers as such but it does have berries which means there must have been flowers at some point right? This is "Holly Sampler Pouch" by Threadwork Primitives, stitched using the recommended silks. It's a little different in size to the one on the pattern cover due to a bit of a close call on the fabric size. It's a hanging pocket, the idea is to put cards or sprigs of greenery in it. I had hoped to have it finished for Christmas (hence last years's date on it) but that didn't happen. Never mind, it's ready for next year.

This picture shows my lack of progress on Scarlet Letter's Elizabeth Burrows. I've really struggled to get into the rhythm of stitching these crosses over three fabric threads. Yes, sad but true, the woman with the PhD can't count to three.
And finally the winner of the Grow Your Blog Party Giveaway, that's why you are all reading this anyway.
I put the numbers of the comments into the random number generator and it gave me back the number
(drum roll please)
4
which was Cathy Pavlovich
Congratulations Cathy, if you send me your address I'll get your prize in the post as soon as possible.