Blue Is The Colour

Weatherwise it wasn't the best of weekends. Back to back grey with drizzle and gale force winds thrown in for good measure. After braving the elements on Saturday morning and returning home drenched and frozen, I decided to throw anchor and stay put for the duration.



The girls had plans aplenty and weren't deterred by the bad weather. Left at home I took stock of the million and one jobs that had been left half done or unstarted around me. Paint pots and brushes in the hallway, sandpaper in the bathroom, the sewing order that needed to be finished and sent off and all the goodies that needed to be photographed for the Emporium...
Well I've always been more than a bit of a procrastinator and will find a thousand odd things to do rather than the one that matters most. Which led me to the cupboard under the stairs. The dreaded cupboard understairs where nobody goes unless it absolutely necessary. It'a an 'enter at your peril' kind of place, the sort of cupboard that explodes each time the door is opened. The kind of cupboard where our cats have been known to disappear without a trace for hours on end...



Like a woman possessed, I grabbed bags, piles of cushions, sleeping bags, camping kettles in search of my prey. And there it was in an old plastic bag, the rather worn, stained old woollen blanket that I had managed to hide from the ruthless Mr Roses. Well this blanket takes the word "pre-loved" to its limits, you would have to be truly smitten to take this blanket to heart, to wrap it round you and enjoy its comfort. But there were bits worth salvaging, I was particularly taken by the blue striped edging and grabbed the sewing machine whilst nobody was looking.
In the time it took Mr Roses to go and buy some tomatoes, a newspaper and lose his umbrella, my cushion was made. A quick encounter with some lavender water to freshen it up and a casual chuck onto the blue armchair in the living room and, hey presto, nobody would ever know...



Well, there were no protests from Mr Roses about the smelly blanket from under the stairs, the cats love it, there is a bit more space in THAT cupboard and whilst I may not have touched the sewing order that should have been number one on my priorities list, it did bring a smile to my face to see it finally sitting there soft, blue and finally re-loved.
And if that wasn't enough, look what's going on here today



Blue sky!

Like a siren calling to me this morning I couldn't sit still until I'd gone out for a walk in all that glorious sunny daylight. As I said to a friend, it was like the world was a huge box of chocolates, urging me to open the door and tuck in. And tuck in I did.

Sunny days seen from afar ...

What a beautiful weekend! Unfortunately, because I'd been feeling so poorly last week, it meant that I had to spend most of it indoors catching up on things ... But how lovely it was to wake up every morning to beautiful sunshine streaming in through the bedroom curtains, wonderful. M and I took our morning cuppas into the garden and sat in the silence and enjoyed the feel of that sun on our faces.



To hear the birds singing and see the new shoots appearing in the ground is just a joy. I think early mornings in the garden in Spring and summer must be some of my favourite times.



It's good isn't it to walk round your garden and make plans, such an optimistic feeling. So, still in my pjs, I scattered the lovely hollyhock seeds I'd been sent by Niki.



M took some photos of the beautiful hellebores and Little Sister came bounding outside still in her pjs and enjoying the feel of the grass on her bare feet for the first time this year - whilst inside the house a teenager was still sleeping!



Later on in the morning Mr Roses took the rosebuds to the woods whilst I went off to the post office. I seemed to have experienced a lot of the past weekend vicariously and would love to tell you tales of the first sightings of blossom and frogs doing what comes naturally this time of the year but instead I shall show you some of M's photos and tell you that they came back from the woods, refreshed and full of tales of froggy doings ...



So the weekend seemed to pass in front of the sewing machine with quick little forays into the garden for cuppas and a browse of the newspapers. It was wonderful to see the girls back on the hammock and pink cheeks appearing again on their faces.



Yesterday I did sew some seeds, but unfortunately it was not the "sowing" I would have liked to have done. Piles and piles of these were sewn ready to be sent to a shop, What a great feeling to have finished them on time! It did almost make up for not being able to get outside and enjoy the Spring sunshine.
I wasn't the only one around here who hadn't been out in the sunshine this weekend. Look who I spotted in our bed on Saturday afternoon:



It seems I'm not the only one who likes candy striped sheets!

Another beautiful morning today and whilst tidying up a few minutes ago I found this piece of kindling Little sister had left for me:



... the best kind of sunshine.

... how does your garden grow ...

Well you wouldn't know it if you looked out of the window today, but on Saturday we had sunshine, glorious, warm, Spring sun! It felt so good to be walking around with less layers on and feeling the heat of the sun on our faces. For the first time in ages I braved the garden and went outside for a good rummage. Yes, that's me in the photo above wafting gently around the place in my silk crinoline admiring the hollyhocks and flower covered archway ...



Actually that's a rather pretty cushion cover I found at a car boot last weekend. Determined to find something, I resorted to delving deep into dirty boxes and was rewarded with this pretty little thing, which was rust stained and smelly but responded well to some TLC. Not bad for 50p! Not only looking lovely now on an old chair but it goes remarkably well with an old apron that I caught Miss Blossom wearing the other day ...



she too has obviously got her mind on Spring and the flowers in her garden.



How I would love my garden to be full of these cottage garden flowers all Summer long. Not just the lovely display that lasts for a couple of weeks and then limps sadly through till September.



A garden full of interest the whole summer long is my aim in life! Not that easy with the squirrels eating all the bulbs, the slugs and snails munching on the foliage and two cats who love to lie on top of the most promising plants, just when they're coming into bloom.



Still. I mustn't give up hope. I guess the key is planning (and money!). Any seedlings I grow seem to disappear overnight and I am going to have to try and beg, borrow but not steal some new plants this year. I have in my mind exactly what I want to fill the gaps, drifts of foxgloves, hollyhocks and poppies all blooming nonstop!



I love looking through old gardening books for photos and pictures, the cover of this little book is gorgeous. I have not just been reading gardening books and walking oh so elegantly around my garden in my crinoline surveying the slowly awakening borders - I have been busy making these:



Lovely lavender sachets made from cotton printed with images from some much treasured vintage French seed packets. Not only have I found the urge to sew again, I have really, really been enjoying myself. I don't know if it's just seeing the beautiful graphics on the packets transformed into sachets, the pretty flowers on one side and the charming old growing instructions in French on the other, or the feeling of optimism that they produce, Spring is on its way!


Trays full of them have been produced. some have been sent to some shops and some are in my Etsy shop if you'd like to have a look. The equivalent of a potting shed full of summer promise. So until my make believe garden is full of those hollyhocks and I tire of wearing my bonnet and crinoline, at least I have the gorgeous scent of lavender wafting gently over me each time I walk into the room - nearly as good as my imaginary Mary Mary quite contrary garden, but not quite...

One (slow) step at a time

Oh dear, I think I've been taking this winter hibernation malarkey a bit too seriously - I am in serious danger of turning into a sloth (just like them, I have taken to moving very slowly and only when necessary). I hate to say it but the sewing machine has only been out of the cupboard once since Christmas and that was just to alter the waistband on Little Sister's trousers ...



That's not to say that all is lost on the crafting front, I do have some ideas brewing in my head and have taken heart from seeing all the little components needed for my next project slowly (again that word slowly) being assembled in the corner of the room. I blame the weather - this morning the sun is shining, there's a whiff of fresh, exciting air and I am feeling, if not galvanised, then a little more optimistic re all things crafty. Roll on spring ...



I have been spending evenings, lying sloth like on the sofa, watching the excellent BBC4 programmes on Fashion. Every week a different decade's Style has been analysed and discussed. It's been riveting. I loved the one about the 1940s in particular, the ingenuity of women at home "making do" during the war and the change of styles post-war. Reusing, recycling, reinventing garments, it was fascinating to watch. I have a copy of "Make Do and Mend" and love pouring over it, it certainly was true of these times that "necessity is the mother of invention." I love haberdashery and collect buttons and bows and all kinds of old trimmings, rummaging through my button tin reminded me that even the number of buttons that were allowed to be used on garments in the 1940s was restricted.



Big Sister got these two wonderful vintage fashion books for Christmas. I have been spending as much time as she has, ooohing and aaaahing over the images.



There's me wondering some days if anyone would notice if I shuffled to school in the morning with my pj's still on (don't worry I haven't yet ...) and then I glance at these beautiful groomed, elegant models and despair. Well. no, despair is not what I do, if I'm honest I long for the chance to try them on - just for a few minutes, a few twirls in front of the mirror a shimmy around the bedroom ... instead of a shuffle in my slippers.



The other thing I've been watching and really enjoying is the repeat of The House of Chanel, again on BBC4. Big Sister and I have been riveted to it. The talent and dedication of all involved has been a marvel to watch. From the truly amazing designs we've seen emerge from Karl Lagerfeld's hand, to the skill of the seamstresses in the studio, their patience and hard work and then the final catwalk show - it has made fantastic viewing.



All set against a parisian backdrop which makes it all so much more enticing ... One of the real characters of the show was Chanel's braid maker, Mme Pouzieux, who works on her farm and has been making braid for decades for the fashion house, originally for Coco Chanel. All this made on a loom she made herself and is still using. If you get a chance to see any of the repeats, I really recommend them.



Anyway, back to the crafting, from the sublime to the ridiculous! I have made a few things, this new birdhouse being one of them. It looks rather French with the toile paper I think. Sorting through my bits and bobs has made my head a little clearer and I have decided to list some of my boutons in my Etsy shop.



They may inspire you to get on with your sewing, or, like me, just sit on the sofa and admire the packaging !



See you soon!

May your treetops glisten & your children listen ...

It's Friday again, surely not! What happens to all those days in between? I'm guessing we're all chasing our tails right now, I'm feeling a bit like one of those hamsters in a wheel, running round and round and round in circles. Not only has this week whizzed by, it's been so so so cold. So cold and no snow - can't help feeling a bit cheated. With the promise of snow last weekend and Little Sister putting us all on constant sledge alert, all we've done this week is shiver. No snowballs. no snowmen, no pretty Narnia like gardens to greet us in the morning, just cold with nothing to show for it!




I went to buy some doughnuts the other day from the baker and couldn't open my purse, my fingers were so numb. (Yes that's me in the photo looking marvellously attractive as I face the elements with my terrier under one arm, vintage tartan blanket over my knees and snow covered trees whizzing past behind me) It's been the kind of weather where you just want to be holed up at home, hands tightly wrapped around a mug of hot chocolate and at least two cats and a blanket on your lap! I would have added yet another eiderdown to my bed too, if I hadn't been put off by the thought that my legs would just crumble under the weight of them all - poor old Mr Roses... I hope we get a couple of days of snow over the holidays - a White Christmas for once, wouldn't that be lovely.



When I was little, watching "White Christmas" was as much part of Christmas as Turkey, presents and Morecambe & Wise. It seemed to be always on BBC 2 and I loved it!! I'm going to try and get a copy for my girls to watch as we always seem to miss it when it's on. I think I always cried too . So all this snow wishing led me to make another nostalgic lavender sachet to put in my Etsy shop. I wonder if I put one under my pillow and wish very hard, the snow might come ...



A very big "thank you" to everybody who has been buying sachets and pillows from my shop recently. I am very grateful and happy and building up a nice little relationship with the lady at the Post office!



Not only is it the end of another week, but also another month is drawing to its close - it can't be December next week, how did that happen? If, like me, you are not particularly organised in the Christmas preparations dept and the thought of making an advent calendar rather than buying one seems just like one thing too many, have a look here at my cheat's, no sew Advent. Is it really a year ago that I wrote that? Oh how i love blogging, being able to look back and see exactly what you were up to at any given time of the year - and, in my case, it seems I'm still just as disorganised ...



Have a great weekend and if you see any of them snowflakes, blow them over here please!

Seaside sachet sewing (this week's tongue twister)

A big 'thank you" to everyone who has been leaving such lovely comments recently, it means a lot! Also a huge, huge apology to everybody for my inability these past couple of weeks to visit as many blogs as I would have wished. It seems that the sewing machine and I are now joined at the hip and we have been spending most daylight hours sitting side by side at the kitchen table. Fortunately we're good mates and get along fine and dandy, but I must say I do feel the need to spread my wings and (I'm saying this in a hushed voice so that Janome doesn't get too upset) leave the house!



The sun was shining the other day and I couldn't bear it any longer, I went out into the back garden to sit on the steps and enjoy the fresh air. My poor garden has been sadly neglected these past few weeks and is almost looking unloved. It felt good to breath in some air and feel the sun on my face. I was surpised to see amongst all the dead leaves lots of new shoots appearing already. I'm guessing it won't be long before we'll be able to get out there again, planting bulbs and sowing seeds, just the little matter of Christmas in between!



This morning I drove over to West Sussex to visit a friend. I decided to take the coast road, it felt so good to see the sea stretching out to the horizon. Sometimes when I'm cooped up I lose all sense of place, I don't know if that makes any sense at all, but it was good to see what lay beyond the four walls of my kitchen. So I drove along, one eye on the road, the other taking in the rows of beach huts, moored boats, a pier miles in front of me and another still visible behind me in my mirror and took a deep breath.



it's frightening sometimes to think where the days go, even more frightening to think that it was a year ago, practically to the day that I wrote this post. I had no idea this week when I was busy sewing that a year ago I'd been making much the same things. Perhaps the need for whimsy is even greater at this time of year before the real excitement of Christmas kicks in.



A recent find of some beautiful vintage fabric and a new stash of ribbon was all I needed to get me going this week. Gorgeous seaside images and cheerful brightly coloured ribbons, Janome and I have been having fun. Little bundles of nautical nostalgia.



Alongside these seasidey "postcards" are two that I really love. Wild ponies in the English countryside


and an old fashioned country fair. All bundled up looking bright and cheery in my Etsyshop. Talking of fairs, "Good luck" ladies to all of you lucky enough to be going along to the Vintage and handmade Fair tomorrow. I know you are going to have so much fun, enjoy meeting each other and spending lots and lots of pennies on all the beautiful things I've been seeing on all your blogs.



Have a wonderful whimsical weekend
x

Bless the Weather

Doesn't it feel good when you can look out of the window on the Friday afternoon and see sunshine, it makes the weekend seem all the more exciting. Today I am a happy bunny indeed! After a week of grey drizzle and a return to the school routine, not only is the sun shining, but Mr Ragged Roses and me are off out to a concert tonight. Not just any old concert, we're going to see the very very lovely John Martyn. Do you remember when you were younger and there was a concert looming on the horizon and the days in between seemed interminable, well that's how I've been feeling since Mr Roses booked the tickets some months ago.



If perhaps one person could serve as the backdrop/soundtrack to the last twenty or so years of my life, it would have to be this man. His beautiful, sweet voice was there in the background when I first met M, he accompanied me on holidays, romantic evenings, highs and lows and even the birth of Little Sister. So I sit waiting, filled with memories and thoughts ...



I have been busy this week. Finishing off jobs that have been hovering near the top of my 'to do' list for far too long. For a long time now I have been in love with Cath Kidston's beautiful bathroom in this book. I've been on the hunt for some lovely old towelling to make some cushions in a similar vein. Finally I stumbled across this fabric a few months ago. Beautiful little birds of paradise sit lovely amidst green foliage. Now, if I made some cushions, chances are they would end up in the bathtub with Big Sister alongside this month's Elle magazine, so a lovely bath towel it was



Complete with bobble trim. Almost too lovely to use and it won't be long before I find either one (or both) of our cats hanging from the end of that trim!



I've also managed to make this little lavender cushion to add to my Etsy shop. I found this vintage cotton and love the image so much. I think I had very similar pictures on my cot when I was little, or was it pink teddy bears? It really reminds me of photos from this book, just wish I had more of it ....



This morning, whilst on John Martyn countdown and almost at having to sit on my hands stage, I made some nostalgic lavender sachets for my shop. So there you go, that head of mine that has been buried deep in the sand re the old "C" word is slowly beginning to surface!



Have a great weekend, we're on our way Mr Martyn ...