A New Bag♡

 

Hello lovely lovelies♡ So, so delighted for your sweet visit to my little autumnal place. Thank you♡ I wonder, how has your week been?? Here in my little autumnal place, it was a pleasant one. The days have been pearlers with sunshine shooing away chilly mornings and hanging around until it disappears behind the mountains with dusk settling in. I have spent a good part of my days in the fernery soaking up the warmth of the sunbeams, dancing upon me and the flower pots. Here inside the fernery I feel as if I am in a little glass cocoon away from the cool autumn days, with the beauty of nature just outside the windows. So, so delightful.

Sitting in the fernery, basking in the sunshine, I have been playing with twirls of ribbons, doilies, needlepoints, vintage Italian coverlets and whatever other pretties nudged me to capture my attention; for I was in the mood to fashion a new bag. I never tire of playing with all my pretties, and if they morph into a new bag; then all the better. It's always a good idea to fashion a new bag....well at least I think it is.

Though my favourite style of bag is a crossbody bag, this time I wanted to stitch a big carry-all, kinda bag with cane handles. When out and about shopping I am sometimes in need of a bag which will carry all my purchases. I hate carrying lots of individual bags for each purchase. It can sometimes be a bit of a pain when one has to check that one has everything. So, a big carry-all sounded like a fabulous idea. And I must say I am delighted with what is the finished result. My new carry-all ain't too shabby at all.

So, as I am wont to do when fashioning a bag, I chose a remnant of an Italian coverlet, a needlepoint (as it seems every bag I stitch demands a pretty flower needlepoint)  and played with doilies, ribbons, braids, little leftover flowers from past projects and began to play; design and then stitch.  When happy with what was before me I then sewed the bag together. For the lining, I used the reverse side of the coverlet fabric, stitched an over-big pocket to one side and then inserted the handles, hand sewing the flaps down. The flaps had to be stitched by hand as there was such a lot of bulky thickness. My sewing machine would have thrown a hissy fit and refused  to sew through all the fabrics. I stitched a rectangular flap for closing the bag and then embellishing said flap with a blousy flower from ribbon which I ruched. I then stitched this onto some lovely green, wired french ribbon to skip around the ribbon flower. Then, just because I am that gal who considers more is never enough I fastened a pretty vintage brooch which I have had for yonks. Care to have a bo peep at happy snaps of the process?? Why, of course you do. =)

I love my new bag. It's roomy and will carry all those bits and pieces that one accumulates when out and about shopping for the day. The wonderful thing about this bag, and for most of my bags actually, is I never have to step outside my door to find the required pretties needed to fashion a bag. Everything can be found in the plethora of suitcases sitting in my sewing room, in readiness to be showcased into a new pretty. Love having my own little haberdashery shop inside my home.

It is late Sunday evening here. My bed is calling out and who am I to resist. I am supposing your Sunday in the northern hemisphere is just beginning as mine here at the bottom of the world is nearing its end. It has been a long day but a lovely one. I jumped crawled out of bed very early this morning  to continue working on my bag which I finished within a couple of hours. Then it was off to lunch at some beautiful friends' home which is always a highlight in my days. So, so thankful for lovely friends, delicious food, delightful conversation, a beautiful bunch of flowers from a beautiful friend, blue sunny skies, sunny cocoon of a fernery, pretty ribbons and laces to fashion pretty new bags...and so very thankful for you♡ Why, I have so very much to be thankful for♡ Have a beautiful day, lovely lovelies; with sprinkles of sunshine and love♡ Let your light shine in your little corner of the world♡

Until the next time..........

Linking up to Kathy's Slow Sunday Stitching.

The Gift of Easter♡

"Sing unto the Lord a new song." Psalm 149:1

"Give thanks to the Lord for He is good." Psalm 107:1

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"This is the day the Lord has made,

We will rejoice and be glad in it." Psalm 118:24

"It is good to give praise to the Lord,

to sing praises to the Most High." Psalm 92:1

"Praise Him for His mighty works,

Praise His excellent greatness." Psalm 150:2

"Let all who take refuge in you rejoice,

let them sing joyful praises forever." Psalm 5:11

 

"I will praise the Lord as long as I live." Psalm 146:2

"Let them praise His name with dancing,

and make music to Him." Psalm 149:3

"But I will sing of your strength,

in the morning I will sing of your love

for You are my fortress, my refuge

in times of trouble." Psalm 59:1

"For His unfailing love for us is powerful;

the Lord's faithfulness endures forever.

Praise the Lord!" Psalm 117:2

"Praise the Lord.....who lives from everlasting to everlasting!

Let all the people say "Amen". " Psalm 106:48

Easter♡ In this broken, tragic and confusing world may I experience a sweet renewal of faith, hope and joy. Joy....not how the world gives as it is fleeting, it is empty; but the joy which only Jesus can give. No matter which season of life I am in; no matter what tragedies, difficulties, sadnesses, disappointments, sicknesses, I face, Jesus walks with me; sustains me; fills me with hope. For Jesus didn't promise me an easy time of life, quite the contrary, for He said following Him would be fraught with difficulties. Life more often than not is a struggle. But....the older I get, the more my faith in Jesus keeps me from falling; and may I say when I do fall, He picks me up time after time after time.  May I savor; joy in the gift of life. May I be thankful for the blessings He gifts me every day. For each day is a gift. May I ponder the incredibleness of new life. May I immerse myself in the thought that I am truly loved. Imagine that, God the Father, Jesus the Son loves insignificant me! Astonishing! May I be forever thankful for His unfailing love; His patience, and reflect upon God's miraculous gift of His Son, who gave His life and rose again, so that I may enjoy life eternal long after my days on this earth are but a distant memory.  Oh, how wondrous! Just between you and me, I have loved and followed Jesus since I was fourteen years old, and I really cannot imagine living this life without Him. So, so very thankful for Jesus who makes my struggles His struggles, my fears His fears; my worries His worries.  So, so thankful for the gift of Easter♡ May I linger, immerse myself in Jesus' amazing grace♡ Not a day goes by where I am not thankful for Jesus' love shining through my messy brokenness; and imperfect me. May I continually sing unto the Lord a new song of all the wondrous things He has done♡

May you reflect upon the divine message of love that is the miracle of Easter♡ May you linger on the the divine hope that is a light shining brightly in this dark, dark world♡  May your Easter be sprinkled with blessedness and peacefulness♡

More Hydrangeas♡ More Quilting♡

Hello lovely lovelies♡ More Hydrangeas♡ I know....I know.....but just humour me, if you will. =)

An enlightened person once said "Flowers whisper 'Beauty!' to the world, even as they fade, wilt, fall." And they do, don't they??  Everyone, especially me, loves a flower at the first breath of beauty. Love, love, love when flowers pop up in their season; the petals unfurling to reveal bright, beautiful and colourful blooms. The full glory of the flower is for all to see and delight in. Then, when the flowering season begins to come to an end, the petals begin to fade and wither, many falling to the ground and then, seed heads appear. These flowers at the end of the season's cycle are still beautiful. I thought a lot about the beauty of  faded flowers this week as I was playing with hydrangeas for a photo shoot. As I arranged flowers here, there and everywhere, I was struck yet again at the abundant beauty of the muted hydrangeas in autumn. Truly, they are stunning; and they will remain stunning for a long time yet. 

Besides playing with hydrangea blooms this week I enjoyed some more hand quilting of Hydrangea Cobblestones. Meandering quilting lines are now finished on the bottom and one side. Flight patterns of the butterflies♡ Same ol' same ol' I suppose, but even so......so, so pretty. This evening I will enjoy a little more quilting with the other lovely slow stitchers who gather at Kathy's place.

It has been a delight to have you visit my little place♡ Thank you♡ Thank you for humouring me yet again, as you wandered around my gallery of still lifes with the beautiful, autumnal hydrangeas as the main subject. =) It has been fun these last few days gathering together analogous objects....an old and faded textile pretty, a friend's cast off tapestry-like picture (truly worthy of a photo or two =) ) a wire basket, a pretty frame, pine cones, fallen leaves, a pretty vase or two, twirls and twirls of pretty ribbon, a length of faded passementerie, books; experimenting, playing....fiddle faddling with each pretty, styling all in an assemblage of unexpected compositions. Oh, how I love to play 'stylists'. =) When I grow up I want to be a stylist....or perhaps a florist, or a theatrical set designer; but then, a costumier hiding in the bowels of the theatre happily stitching a pretty ruched flower or a little exquisite embroidery to a silk gown for a thespian would be the best fun♡ Oh, the possibilities are endless. =)

Hoping you enjoy a beautiful week, lovely lovelies, where sprinkles of love, kindness and beauty fill your days♡ 

Until the next time.................