The gentle art of domesticity
Doesn’t that sound – nice – lots of connotations of course; should we open that box?
I read it as having the luxury of time to make the home comfortable using traditional female skills and what’s wrong with that, I’m playing to my strengths here. While I can’t be the breadwinner I might as well utilise the time I have to make things nice for my family. So while it may not be dust free I have made the utility part of the dining room a little nicer,
from this
to this
at no cost at all.
While this was baking in the oven
Nigel Slaters carrot cake. Of course, If I’m being honest here today I should be using my ‘gentle domestic skills’ on the bathroom. Mind you, living with 3 males its less of the gently domestic more of the industrial work (wo)man required. I maybe some time…
Beautiful Photography
Unfortunately not mine though.
One of the best things of the internet is the sharing of ideas and finds so I am going to do my good deed for the day and share one of my best finds yet. I came across this shop while browsing through Folksy seeing whats around when up popped up some absolutely gorgeous photos. So I explored a bit further and found this shop, Cassia Beck photography (click on her name to take you to her folksy shop).
My favourite are the vintage ones, the colours are just glorious and they seem to have an almost tactile textural quality, the grainyness lends so much to the subject matter. So with Cassia having a sale on it would have been rude not too – wouldn’t it…
Look what I bought! I don’t know where I’m going to put them but I don’t want to rush it, the frames or frame have to be perfect. One thing I do know though is that I am really going to enjoy looking at them and figuring out where to put them!
80’s hexagon patchwork
While getting the Christmas decorations out of the loft last December and deciding which of the numerous black bin bags actually contained them, we found one containing a blast from the past as it were.
Can you see why I titled this post 80’s hexagon patchwork – love those fabrics eh! I’d forgotton all about this, trawling my foggy memory I recon I must have been around 12 when I did this, but look at the back for technique!
Each patch tacked onto card first then sewn together – god I was good! (colour blind – but good) The question is what to do with it, while I do like the retro colours and prints I do not want to look at it on a bed or sofa!
So after draping it over various things around the house I think I’ve come up with the perfect solution. Ta daa!
This awful cupboard/box is in the dining room next to the computer and is a complete eyesore. So I am going to make a fitted cover and am planning on making a sort of button flap for the front, it looks good in my head anyway – I’ll keep you posted!
Look what I received in the post yesterday! I got a message off my fab secret santa Helen of kitty ballistic creations that she had found another parcel for me that she had forgot to include! Look at the envelope, its South Wales!! And look at the gorgeous buttons, 3 delicous chunky red ones and a totally stunning metal one.
I have to do something special with this one, make it into a necklace of some sort, isn’t the detail fab!
South Bay Shawlette
Due to the fact my back is still in muscle spasm for the 3rd week and I am getting increasingly cheesed off with EVERYTHING at the minute ( I’m not the best patient – ‘just leave me alone’) I felt entitled to start my summer shawl. As I can’t sit for long I keep doing bits of bits really, so found myself wondering through ravelry the other week and saw this gorgeous shawl by an old internet buddy Marie of Woollyholic.
The pattern is lovely and I got a vision of me looking all glamorous on the beach with it draped around my shoulders (I know, I know, the reality is far, far removed from my vision but its my vision ok). Looking at the pattern from lionbrand found here I wasn’t inspired, but seeing all the other gorgeous versions on ravelry convinced me. So I found 4 balls of Regia sock yarn in this varigated denim blue on sale and started! Then I unpicked it all, as it was too thick and not soft or lacy, and I am reworking it with a 5.5mm hook instead of a 4mm. It is perfect, so much softer and lacier and will be even better when blocked.
The pattern is really nice to work, simple but quite effective I think, I can’t wait to see it finished!
Plans
Aside from the mundane though needed plans i.e get a job, write more tutorials for the magazines while trying to find a job, complete the maths course I’m struggling through to help me get the said job… I’m talking about more interesting and fun plans.
This year I want to concentrate on creating some ‘vessels’ from crochet. I’m not going to worry about producing cost effective things for my shops – I want to get really creative and experimentive again. I can’t say much more as I don’t know, I just feel the need to experiment, so look out for hopefully interesting though possibly bizarre photos soon, I’ll document the process here.
I do like to have a few things on the go at once though and have been crocheting a scarf for myself over Christmas from lace weight wool. Its a sort of sampler and I’m making it up as I go along. It a lovely merino silk mix in my favourite teal colour and is so light and delicate. I got the wool from fyberspates, it is a dream to work with.
Next my mum bought me a lovely Japanese crochet book last year and I have been wanting to make this since then though am slightly intimidated by it.
I do like a challange and this is certainly that, but it would be so worth it. To cover myself immediatly I am not envisaging finishing this in 2011, I definately see this as an ongoing thing!
A couple of other things, a shawl I’ve secretly started, its a pattern I saw on ravelry and it is gorgeous and quick apparently and I can so see me wearing it in France this summer… pics in the next post. Then there is the lamp I’m covering in patchwork (for the past 3 years) that is nearly finished now and if I’m honest lots of other bits started all over the place. Oh yes, and I signed up for the valentines swap on crafteroo – don’t say anything!
Crocheted and (very) upcycled coat hangers
I have been looking for old fashioned coat hangers to cover for ages but in Barry at least, its nigh on impossible. I love the look of them, it is something akin to granny squares I think, the colours, texture, associations with the past, let alone the practicality of them.
As is often the case it was the last place you would think to look that you find it. The local pound shop. A pack of 4 covered in an awful lilac nylon/polyester/god knows what for £1.99 – wah-hey!
I was going to rip off the covering, in fact I did, but then put it on again as it served as a great padding. So using up yet more remenants I crocheted a chain the length of the hanger and worked two in double crochet and 2 in my favourite up and down stitch, alternating trebles and doubles. I crocheted till it was wide enough to wrap round the hanger then I cut the end leaving a longtail to sew it together along the underside. Before I did that I found the middle of the crochet and just hooked the hanger through. I then embellished them with some flowers, ribbons and buttons.
2 in cream
and I thought, why not do 2 to match my clothes – thats not taking coathanger love too far is it ?!
Aren’t they fabulous, my favourite is one with the teal flower, it matches my favourite cardie and best of all, the ribbons are of my cardie from those annoying long hanging things you get in garments and the beads came off an old necklace!
Finally I thought I’d show you what I bought in the sales. Its things like this that make me want to get good at dressmaking, I think I’ll let the pictures do the talking!
Happy New Year!
Another Christmas is over and we are all a little sad, especially today
they all came down to be packed away till next year. And do you know what the worst thing was? The amount of dust revealed – I blame santa entirely. (On the plus side I did find several chocolates left on the tree that the boys had hidden so well they had forgotton about them. Should I tell?
Aside from the detritus it was wonderful, family, food, drink, sparkly lights and presents – what more could you ask for? Being the muppet I am I didn’t take any photos of what I made, however all were loved, my bestest friend loved her aran cable scarf, my mum loved her neckwarmer, dad loved his gloves, though I’m not sure ‘loved’ is the right word for Rich’s crocheted glof club cover!
I did love my secret santa gifts! Organised over on the brilliant crafteroo, I sent to Gem of damselfly, and I received my beautifully wrapped gifts from the fabulous Kitty of Kitty ballistic
I received some gorgeous winter scented tealights that are lush, some fruit jellies that are hidden upstairs, way to good for boys, best of all this
talk about perfect, the colours, the details and those pins! It is way to nice to use so I am going to hang it somewhere on a bit of ribbon.
Finally for now 2 more pictures to show you. My mum and dad got me a gorgeous ring for Christmas, but the packaging was as lovely
and open
Isn’t it great, I am so going to copy it!
