Packaging

This morning I received a delivery of the fair trade coffee I buy in bulk online - thrifty or what ! Anyway, I was so taken by the packaging, all recycled of course, that I had to photograph it for future textile inspiration.
This first one is like a nest inside the box

The coffee was cocooned inside and wrapped in more lattice- cut card

Here's a closer look at the lattice - surely I will be able to make something of this idea - perhaps a couple of journal pages - who knows ?

snow

We went out to eat last night as P has his op on Monday so we can't go out for my birthday. The forecast snow arrived as we were eating so when we got back I ran out to the garden to grab a few pics.

My birdie candle holder looked like this but by morning had grown a little !

I am tired of snow now and would like it to go away but was greatly impressed by the snow angel sculpture on hazeltwigs blog - perhaps next winter I'll try my hand at a sculpt !

Sashiko Quilting

Enjoyed a day with castle quilters last week. We are going to do one japanese style block each month and either make them into an object - cushion/bag etc or save them for a quilt or throw. I didn't sew very well - my block is three fans intertwined but the design is not very distinct. I think the main problem is that the fan handles do not line up very well. 

This design is one I did at C&G years ago. It has been looking for a home ever since.

 
 

getting ready for spring

Ever the optimist - here are my new raised veggie beds all ready for the new season. We've had to go ahead and get them done despite the weather as P's hip replacement will have him out of comission for a couple of months. They are all covered over as next doors cats will think we have made them new giant litter trays !

While we are 'enjoying' the weather, I have had a go at ice dyeing. I've tried this before with very wishy washy results but this time I 'cured' the fabric in plastic bags for 24 hours after the snow had melted and got much brighter results though not as interesting patterning as I had hoped . The fabric may well come in for a book cover as I have a journal in need !

 

stone me !

In the interest of blogging more than once this month , this is a stone carving I completed in November after a four evening course at our local art studios - Artison, in Masham. You would not believe the time and energy it takes to remove a half inch depth of stone from a 12 inch square ! The stone is Ancaster limestone from Lincolnshire which is , allegedly, one of the easier stones to work. The whole process is very satisfying and totally absorbing - the time flies by to the extent that you forget coffee time until prompted.

Week 1. Starting

 Week 4. Finished
The stone is now sitting on my garden steps looking very new - won't be long before it weathers in.

Wish You Were Here?

"Wish You Were Here"

happy new year

Am starting the new year with new resolve, hence this post although I have little or nothing to show. This is an ipad cover I made for my daughter's christmas stocking. As it happens, she already has a much more user friendly and efficient cover so it is being made into a (very small ) cushion so she can still enjoy it.

The dog was taken from an old Stitch magazine embroidered on calico and the bag was using up leftovers from other projects.