End of March

 A quarter of the way through this year and it’s good to see Spring has started.  Today has seen David and I doing some Spring cleaning and making things in the house a bit fresher.

In addition I made this one that my friend is getting for her future great grandson. This was a panel that my Mum had in her fabric stash, so it was nice to put this to good use.

I’ve had a quilt top that I’ve now repurposed into 3 bed runners for the local housing association (to which the cushion cover went last month.

I backed with fleece and bound the edge.  This is the first of 3 bed runners and I hope to get the other 2 done during April.

So it was another friend’s birthday and I made a small project bag, just right for a bit of sock knitting.

You might have seen from my last post a venture into Dorset Feather Embroidery.  I haven’t taken it any further this month though.

For knitting/crochet I’ve made progress on Flo’s jumper, as I’ve made the back and 2 sleeves. I’ve started on the front to which I’ll add a pattern panel.  I’ve used an old Family Circle magazine pattern with bobbles and cabling.  The yarn is Stylecraft Colour Burst in Catherine Wheel Colourway, which looks like the colours of Mini Eggs.  I’m using the knitting photo as my marker for April.

Lately I have been subscribing to a mini skein yarn club by Blue Fern Yarns.  I was impressed by their mini skein collection at Yarndale last year.  The theme is Sun, Skies and Starlit Nights. It’s lovely to have the surprise and new yarn each month.  Not sure what I’m going to do yet but enjoying the collecting. Below are the skein collections for February, March and April.  

So that’s been my March.  For April I hope to get another quilt finish, a finished jumper (and hope I don’t need more yarn.  Ooh, maybe more progress on crocheted blankets. 

Stitching the Past.

 Last Monday at Dorset Creative Embroiderers group we had a go at Dorset Feather Stitching.  A few of us in the group have an old book called Dorset Feather Stitchery by Olivia Pass which was printed locally by The Friary Press in Dorchester.  It was first printed in 1957, with reprints up to 1984. This was published by the Dorset Federation of Women’s Institutes, which was then based in the town, but the office has since moved to Poundbury. I have the last reprint, which was in 1984, which I bought at  a charity shop when I worked in Dorchester over 13 years ago, more as a reference book than to make anything from.

There are no colour pictures in the book and there are hand drawn diagrams and the language is a bit old fashioned to our eyes now. It has influences from old English smocks, from Dorset, Wales and Staffordshire and uses ‘pine cones’ the tear shapes from the Peacock’s Eye of Persia for example.  In the book is a Trial and Error sampler to try out the different stitches.

Here are a few pages from the book

The Trial and Error sampler 

A corner design, for which there was a template for. 

A couple of aprons (remember the pinnies that tied at the waist?) along with a needlecase and (I think) an embroidered tea cosy.

We made bookmarks with some fine cotton cloth, backed with wadding to provide stability. One of the group demonstrated and had samples and some templates from a lady she knew who sadly passed away last year (although the workshop was already on the list for the group).

Below is my practice piece. I didn’t have my blanket stitch going on the outside of the curve so clashed with the blanket stitch around two of the pine cones.  I also had a go at couching the ricrac, which is another feature of the embroidery as well as chain stitch with a ‘tip’. It was enjoyable way to spend the time with hand stitching and chatting.

Below are a few more samples

It would be good if this bit of the past carried on.

March 🌼

 Here’s my monthly marker for this month

On the last day of February I visited Kingston Lacy with my daughter and spotted a camellia with a bee (the black spot in the pic), which stayed on the flower for some time collecting nectar.  A sign that things are getting a bit warmer (even though the temperature drops at night).  

I’m still sewing using up orphan blocks and have made 2 Cushion covers with a couple of hand appliqué blocks from several years ago.  I had visions of making a Baltimore Album quilt, but I only got as far as 3 blocks, the third left in progress.  I’m now wondering what to do with them as they look to good to give away.

Another item in production is to make bed runners, which I’m making from an unfinished quilt top. This is version of Delectable Mountains block. Below is the quilt top.

I’ve taken apart 3 sets of 2 rows and used the blocks from the bottom row to add to the sets to add to the width.  Instead of wadding I will back with fleece and found enough fabric to made biding.  These will fit 3 foot wide beds.

In my sorting out I found pieces cut out and ready to make up a zippy pouch with a vinyl front.  I’m sure this will come in useful. I must have wanted to make this for sewing projects as it’s the theme of the fabrics. 

During this week we had an overnight stay in Exeter.  We had a chance to go into the City Centre and while waiting for the bus to take us back to the car park, spied this enormous gull marching up and down the road as if he was waiting for the bus!