Saturday, January 25, 2025

More Musings, More Stitching

 


Hello lovelies♡ How are you?? Did you stitch up a storm this week to keep your mind and fingers distracted?? Oh my..................

I'm sitting here beside the pond writing this post. It's early Saturday morning. Just me and my thoughts. Maisie, my faithful shadow is here, too. The fish are darting in and out of the lily pads causing ripples to shatter the mirror-like surface. There's sweet birdsong softly filtering through the early morning quietude. It's a peaceful place. It's calm. There's no angry people. No angry conservative Christians pointing their finger in my face in admonishment; to penetrate the silence. It's a haven; balm to my soul. Sitting here by the still waters nature is at its very best. God's paintbrush has artfully dabbed beautiful brushstrokes here, there, everywhere; like no human can or indeed, could. 

Sitting here the sense of sadness which at times sits with me is mitigated by the beauty before me. The every day delights of my little world cannot but cause me to smile.  Here at my little place in blog land, I have found solace and cheer in like-minded ladies, feeling somewhat in unity with our thoughts.....reflections......in how we perceive this world. May I say, thank you, because you do add beauty to my day♡





This week I picked a few Peace Roses. Actually, I picked quite a few flowers.....but I digress. =) I bought a Peace Rose a while ago, to plant in the garden, as it was my darling mum's favourite rose. I miss my mum. I wish she was sitting here beside me as she would make me laugh out loud about the absurdity of these days that we live in. She was the funniest of ladies who could add levity to the darkest of days. A droll and wicked sense of humour who could make a  room filled with people laugh, both with, and at her. Laughter sometimes, truly is the best medicine. Let us raise a teacup to our mums. =)



And what have I been stitching this week?? I've been delighting in filling baskets with more pretty floral fabrics. There are pansies, violets, ruffled peony roses, wisteria, lupins........all wonderfully floralicious. And, I stitched a few more Liberty stars. No hurrying, no stressing; just stitching through my lazy, summer days.

Did you know that there have been over 45,000 Liberty designs created since the 1880's?? I didn't. Apparently, 'the Liberty Fabrics archive, is bursting to the brim with Liberty prints and sketches – all hidden away in oversized books, piles of labelled boxes and perfectly preserved paintings'. Liberty heaven, if you were to ask me. Unfortunately, the archives aren't open to the public. Oh, how I would love to sneak into the building where the Liberty archives are stored and pore over the plethora of exquisite patterns. I'd be as quiet as a mouse. Nobody would know I was there.  Just me and the  whispers of the Liberty designers of ages past.

I will continue stitching my pretty baskets later tomorrow evening for Slow Sunday Stitching. Here, at my little place we won't have much internet for the next week, so linking up and visiting the other lovely slow stitching ladies might be a tad difficult. I can but try. =)


Yes indeed, I have a book filled with Liberty print gift wrap papers. =) A Christmas gift♡














This week I watched Episcopalian Bishop Mariann Budde speak to Donald Trump and politicians in a prayer service. Her gentle message brought tears to my eyes; and to my heart. If you haven't seen it, please do. Her words are worthy of ponderation. Her words have caused a great deal of robust discussion among those of a conservative Republican persuasion; to put it mildly. Indeed, it has raised their ire.......they 'protesteth' rather loudly.  They expostulate how dare she have the gall, the effrontery, to ask the President; indeed all of us, to consider the weak, the frightened.....those in the minority, those with no voice; and show them kindness, compassion, humility,  love; and mercy. I for one admire her courage and grace.  It's going to take courage, grace, and hope; to walk the walk, and talk the talk in these times, me thinks. Let your little light shine, lovely ladies♡  I'm off to light my candle♡


Until the next time......




Sunday, January 19, 2025

Deary, Deary Me

 


Hello, lovely lovelies♡ Thank you for your sweet words re my post last week. It seems the consensus of opinion is for all of us to keep on stitching and blogging as an antidote to the many sadnesses in this world. 'Keep Calm and Stitch On'; as the Brits would say. So, as a percentage of British blood courses through my veins, this is what I shall do. I, and those of you whom are like minded, will certainly have to stitch our fingers to the bone and blog like crazy, because from tomorrow when Trump and his Deplorables take over the White House, the Dystopian Era begins. Deary, deary me. I've heard the inauguration is being held inside because of the frigid weather conditions??!! There's a chill in the pomp and circumstance. You know......hell will freeze over before......a convicted felon becomes President and is given the keys to the White House! Mmm....but then, I wonder if the size of the inaugural crowd is pressing on his mind???? Oops....a bit naughty of me but you know me, facetiousness will sometimes get the better of me. Deary, deary me.

I've started another quilt. Deary, deary me. I really didn't  intend to. It's one of those happenstance things. I was hunting for the perfect grey fabric for the hexies which will be incorporated into my star quilt and another path opened up for me to skip along. Instead of finding a grey fabric to dance with my Liberty stars, I found the perfect grey for a new quilt where baskets of flowers will be the show stoppers. There really is no rhyme or reason as to the workings of my muddly mind. I see a batik covered in smudgy greys with hints  of leaves and stems all over.......and I think flower baskets! Why......don't you?? =)

I do love quilts filled with baskets of flowers. I've fashioned a couple of quilts featuring baskets reminiscent of the 1930's, but this time I wanted a more modern aesthetic. Simple baskets with floral fabrics being the 'darlings' instead of applique flowers. No piecing of oodles of triangles, nor HST's......no fussy machine stitching of convex and concave curves; just quick hand appliqueing of each basket and fabric bias for the handles. 

The baskets are Kona solids and the flowers are an assortment of florals from my stash. The background as I've said is a grey batik print with a hint of leaves. 















January 20th. Inauguration Day. Martin Luther King Jr Day. My birthday.  Thankfully, down here at the bottom of the world, January 20th arrives sixteen hours before the USofA, so I will enjoy tea and cake in celebration of the day of my birth. I will also raise my fine bone china teacup in honour of Martin Luther King Jr, for he is worthy of celebration. As for the inauguration, thankfully, I will be fast asleep as the Grand Poobah basks in the  glow and warmth of his adoring and worshipping acolytes, as they ceremoniously heap praise and glory  upon him. Deary, deary me, it's too much for me to bear; to witness the 'emperor with no clothes' wearing that triumphant smirk of his.

And.....on that note, I'm off before I get into any more trouble.......because I just know I will.  Deary, deary me. =) I am going to enjoy a little slow stitching of my pretty baskets, this Sunday.

Bye lovely lovelies. Until the next time....


Sunday, January 12, 2025

Some Woolly-ing, This Summertime♡

 


Hello lovely lovelies ♡ A lovely welcome to my summery place♡

Another week has slipped by. A catastrophic and tragic week for many. One cannot watch the TV screens and be but moved and saddened by the disastrous fires in Los Angeles. Another monumental weather event in the US of dire consequences. Just so sad. When I blog these days,  more often than not it seems to be tinged with sadness. Blogging as I do, sometimes seems superficial to me. To talk about frivolous things while catastrophes rage sometimes doesn't sit well with me. Ambivalent emotions are my constant companions.......

But....to frivolous things. What have I been up to this week?? Well....a little Liberty star making, but not enough to show you. Alas, I got sidetracked....yet again. I've been playing with my cache of needlepoints; and I've dabbled in a little crocheting, too.

But first, those needlepoints. Those of you who have visited my little place through the years would know that I have a penchant for hoarding collecting others' unwanted needlepoints. It's a wee bit of an addiction, though I must say now that I'm getting on in years it's becoming less of an obsession. And of course, I really need to whittle down my collection. Over the years the  needlepoints have been given a new life, incorporated into chairs, jackets, and many a new bag.



An ottoman I have had for many years was in need of a new cover. It was a bric-a-brac market find which I have recovered several times because over time each cover became beyond grubby. So, on the spur of the moment, I collected a few needlepoints, and armed with scissors and glue gun fashioned a new cover.

Needlepoints depicting different scenes flow around the sides, and on the top, an English cottage complete with a ubiquitous English flower garden, together with a collage of different florals here and there. A new cover which will last a few more years, and my needlepoint stash has become less. A win, win, me thinks.







I've started a new crochet pretty. A small blanket dancing in granny squares....(of course). The expectant mum wants a blanket in muted colours. So pretty baby pinks, lemons, blues, greens, are not to be seen. Muted browns, blues, greens with a little salmon thrown in are what's desired.





As it's Sunday, I think I'll put my feet up a bit, resting on my 'new' ottoman, and enjoy a little crochet as I join in with the slow stitching  ladies. I hope you can enjoy your Sunday, lovely lovelies♡ It's time for a cuppa, here


Until the next time......