Zach RIP

Posted on September 3, 2018 by craftycreeky

We had to say goodbye to Zach yesterday, he was nearly 15 years old, we used to laugh that he was blind, deaf, lumpy and grumpy, but even the day before he was cavorting round my daughters bedroom, enjoying a good wriggle and scratch…then he woke up Sunday morning and his back legs wouldn’t work.

I got Zach (or Zachary to give him his Sunday name!) when I was first divorced, so he was with me through the hard times and the good times that followed. He knew when I was upset, just sitting quietly with me, and I never had any doubt that he would defend me to the hilt. He was my little black shadow, following me everywhere, never more than a few steps away.DSC_0010 (1)

When he was younger he loved sitting behind me on my chair as I sat at my sewing machine, as he got older he sat under my sewing table, often getting covered by whichever quilt I was sewing. Over the last few months I made him a bed from an old quilt on the landing so he could see me sewing from a comfortable spot whilst he snoozed.

Zac sneaking on the photo!

Zachs timing was perfect yesterday, my daughter happened to be up for the weekend, my son was around, so when the vet came he slipped away peacefully surrounded by his family.021

 

The end of an era.

 

Posted in Serendipity | 27 Comments

Outlines and Fillers!

Posted on September 1, 2018 by craftycreeky

Over the last few days I’ve completed another double page spread for my stitch sampler. I think this will possibly be my last one, unless anyone has more bright ideas!

With most of my pages concentrating on the variations of one stitch, I was left with a few I wanted to include but really didn’t warrant a whole page, so I’ve be also included some pages on types of stitches. So earlier in the year I did knots and crosses (please excuse the pun!) and I’ve now stitched a page on outlines and a page on fillers…

The outline page took a bit of filling, mainly because by nature the outline stitches don’t take up much space! I included double running stitches, whipped running stitches, back stitch, threaded back-stitch, stem stitch and cable stitch. The initials at the bottom are in couching, back-stitch, with pearl and coral either side. I started this at the WI Tea & Tents camping weekend back in late July.DSC_0151 (2)

The filler stitch page took a lot longer, it didn’t help that I started making shapes to fill, only they were quite big and took some filling! I’ve stitched examples of satin stitch, long and short stitch, brick and cross, darning, buttonhole filling, stem filling, laidwork, bokhara couching, wave filling, leaf and another one which is sets of three stitches which I’ve mislaid the name of already! I love the colour of this thread, it’s DMC 4210 and it’s a lovely mix of ruby red, purple and deep pink.DSC_0150 (2)

I’ve embroidered Newby Bridge on this page as a place where I’ve stitched it, though I’m a little a head of myself here as I’m going with Helen up to the Lakes  in the morning. We’re hoping to climb Great Gable if the weather is fine, or Haystacks if it isn’t so good. After a night at Newby Bridge Helen is going on a riding hack on heavy horses. These are the old working horse breeds, Clydesdales and Shires, they are seriously huge! Shes hoping to be galloping along the beach! In the meantime I’ll be mooching round Newby Bridge or  catching the ferry to Windermere.

Back to my stitch sampler; I’ve now stitched pages on the following groups, fly, feather,buttonhole, cretan, vandyke, herringbone, chevron, running, chain, knots, crosses, outlines and fillers. Can anyone think of another major group I’ve missed? If not I’ll call it a day and stitch a front and back page before making the cover. I’m ready for this project to be finished!Stitch Sampler

Posted in embroidery, Serendipity | Tagged , , , | 17 Comments

Friday Photo Challenge

Posted on August 31, 2018 by craftycreeky

The theme for todays photo challenge set by Postcard from Gibraltar is Viewpoint I’m taking this to be the scenic one and not the moral one 🙂

Walking up the steps in our garden,  a nice viewpoint of the rose arbour framed by the arch.Rose Arbour

A 30,000 feet high viewpoint of Australia!20180303_073739

A great view of Borrowdale from my favourite fell, Catbells, with my two walking friends  having a well earned coffee and sticky bun break.

Catbells 1

From Zach’s viewpoint, this is the best place to be in the winter, though if he can he will lie on the actual hearth with his paws tucked under the stove…one hot dog!

Zac

I’m finishing with one of my favourite photos from our holiday last March, an amazing view of the Twelve Apostles in early (ish!) morning light.

Twelve Apostles

Twelve Apostles

Posted in Garden, Photo Challenge, Serendipity, Walking | Tagged , | 6 Comments

A Butterfly Flutters By…

Posted on August 30, 2018 by craftycreeky

Last Saturday I set off early to negotiate a two bus journey over to Halifax, it took over one and a half hours, it would have been much quicker by train I think if they hadn’t been on strike! It was worth the journey though as I was attending a workshop at The Fabbadashery by Emma Frith.

The Fabbadashery is a lovely shop just up from Piece Hall in Halifax, they have a great range of quilting fabrics, trims, and generally lovely sewing stuff. Very friendly and helpful too, they have regular workshops both on embroidery and quilting.

Emma was running a workshop on embroidering a butterfly brooch. As soon as I saw a photo of the project I booked a place as I knew it would help with an embroidery project I’ve been mulling around in my head for a while. I want to make four (or more, if I get carried away!) butterflies and mount them in a frame like a traditional display.20180825_160944

Emma is a great tutor, she describes herself as an Artistic Hand Embroiderer on her card, her work is beautiful and she’s a very patient teacher and she also managed to create a lovely friendly ambiance in her class, there were seven or eight of us around a big old table, chatting away!

We had the choice of making a common blue butterfly or a red admiral. It was a close thing as the common blues are beautiful, but I decided on the red admiral.

The first thing we made was the body, by weaving wool around a cake-decorating wire. She had already kindly made the antenna for us to save time but she did show us how to make one with a pair of beads, a length of wire and Gutermann thread. With the antenna attached to the body, we were ready to start the wings.20180825_110956 (2)

The butterfly wings start off with silk painting, that’s where the background vibrant colours come from, this suits me to the ground as I have a box of silk paints at home! The silk is then bondawebbed onto some calico / cotton to do the embroidery.20180825_141458 (2)

We could stitch and embellish as much or as little as we wanted, I stitched the veins in stem-stitch, made some black spots with satin stitch and french knots and added colour along the top with herringbone and straight stitches. I added a little curly doodle along the inside of the top wing and sequins along the outer edge.DSC_0142 (1)

Once we were happy with our wings we used bondaweb to attach shot silk to the back. With the back in place we then had to couch a coloured length of wire around the edge of each pair of wings.This was a bit fiddly, but next came the scary bit, cutting out the wings right next to the couching stitches! Once they were cut out We could blanket-stitch around the edge, covering all the wire and couching stitches. It did take rather a long time to stitch round the two wings.DSC_0145

Once all the pieces were ready, all I had to do was stitch the wings together and then the body onto the wings and my butterfly was complete.DSC_0147

I had great fun posing him (or her??) in the garden…Embroidered Red Admiral

I think Emma does quite a few different embroidery courses at The Fabbadashery, I shall certainly be keeping my eye on their workshops as I’d love to do another with Emma. I had to make a hasty exit to catch the buses home, so I didn’t even have chance to mooch around the shop!

DSC_0148

Linking up with Kathy’s Quilts for Slow Stitching Sunday and entering in her photo competition for stitching in your favourite place, my garden! Why not follow the link and see where everyone else has been stitching.

 

Posted in embroidery, Serendipity | Tagged , , , | 29 Comments

Walking in Malhamdale

Posted on August 29, 2018 by craftycreeky

Last week my friends and I went on another practice walk, ready for St Cuthberts Way in a couple of weeks time. Our American friend had a friend visiting from home so we wanted to go somewhere special…we chose Malham Cove…

Malhamdale is limestone country, pavements, scars, gorges, it’s pretty dramatic countryside and Malham Cove itself is pretty iconic here in Yorkshire.

We started our walk in the village of Malham and walked across the fields and through the woodland to Janets Foss. The trees looked beautiful, it was so muggy that mist was rising from the water. The lichen and moss on the fallen tree was almost startling, it was such a vivid green.DSC_0033 (1)

Janets Foss is a very pretty waterfall in the middle of the wooded gorge.DSC_0043

We walked past the waterfall up to Gordale Scar. The entrance to the gorge is quite dramatic, classic limestone scenery.DSC_0045

This is a narrow gorge with overhanging walls of limestone up to 100m high. There is a footpath up past the waterfall but I was very relieved when my friend said we weren’t going that way! A month ago when it was dry we might have had a chance…DSC_0054 (1)

Instead we walked back down the gorge and then over the fields to Malham Cove, there were wonderful views across the valley as we walked along.DSC_0061

The patterns in these fields are from ancient farming methods…DSC_0060

Looking over towards Malham…DSC_0068 (1)Malham Cove is amazing, in glacial times it was a huge waterfall, but now it just has a spring emerging from it’s base…except in December 2015 when there was lots of flooding and for the first time in living memory there was a waterfall from the top of Malham Cove, for a short time it was the highest single drop waterfall in England. DSC_0072 (1)

The top of  the cove is a huge limestone pavement, the slabs of limestone are called clints, the deep fissures between are grykes, these are probably about 2′ deep. We sat and ate our lunch on the top where we were delighted to be visited by a little vole, who didn’t seem at all perturbed by me taking photos!DSC_0090 (1)

The limestone pavement isn’t easy to walk on, it’s a bit like a field of stepping stones, there was a bit of drizzle as we arrived on the top, making the stones slippy, so I managed to measure my length and my shin is still a lovely shade of purple and yellow!DSC_0078 (1)

We walked down the path at the side of the cove, which gives wonderful views of the limestone cliff. In spring it’s a lovely place to visit as a pair of falcons nest on the cove and a telescope is set up so people can watch the nest. It’s also a popular place for climbers.DSC_0100 (1)

It’s easier to see the scale of Malham Cove from a distance…DSC_0104

The mist was still rising from the stream!DSC_0103

We made our way back to Clapham for a welcome cup of tea in a cafe.

Posted in Serendipity, Walking | Tagged , , , | 8 Comments

Fabric Shopping with Friends

Posted on August 28, 2018 by craftycreeky

I’m still on catch up with my posts…

Last month Ali AKA Thimberlina, organised another Sew Dewsbury, it must be about the fourth or fifth meet up she has arranged. Sew Dewsbury is lovely because it’s small and personal, some of the bigger meet-ups you can feel a bit lost if you don’t know anyone, not in Dewsbury!

Dewsbury is south of Leeds, it’s an old textile town and there are still good fabric shops there. I really ought to go to Dewsbury more often as on two trains it doesn’t take that long. I suppose my problem is I rarely go fabric shopping for a specific project, I’m an impulse buyer! I decided on the train on the way over that I wouldn’t go mad, I would be controlled, maybe one or two lengths…well that didn’t work out did it!

We met in Wetherspoons, on a very rough estimate there was probably about two dozen of us. A special treat was meeting Sheila from Sewchet, she’d come up from Somerset for the weekend, staying with Ali, having followed each others blogs for ages it was great to meet in person. We had a great time chatting as we went round the shops.20180728_150142

Our first call was Fabworks, this is the biggest fabric shop in Dewsbury, they have a great range, Liberty, Avoca, cottons, wools, linens, jersey, curtaining…and leather pieces, I’ve never particularly looked at leather before but I started rummaging in the remnant bin (I blame Sheila for this one 🙂 )and ended up buying three or four small pieces. It’s sold by weight here, I seem to remember it cost me about £4.

Fabworks also had some 1.5m lengths of denim, various shades, for £5, I bought three different lots for jeans and denim skirts, for £5 a length it didn’t matter if it didn’t work out! I also found two potential trouser lengths…

In Lucky Fashions I fell for an acid print cotton in pink with dragon flies on. I bought two lengths of this fabric last time in white and teal, I made one into a dress for the summer and it was lovely to wear, so I’m going to have a pink dress this time!20180729_093910

In the Pound a Yard shop (It isn’t anymore, but it’s still cheap!) I spotted some cotton lawn which is meant to be Liberty’s, just a plain white/ivory lawn, perfect for a shirt. I’m not sure if it is Liberty’s or not, but it’s very nice.

Our next port of call was the Creative Craft Centre, they were having a shop birthday, so cakes and refreshments, tombolas and raffles were the order of the day. I won a crochet kit and bought some pretty tulle ribbon which can be knitted into a scarf or a frill.20180728_123411

Our final shopping stop was Dewsbury market, I found the haberdashery stalls and bought some very pretty lace and trims, but missed the Liberty stall!

We all met together again at Wetherspoons, see what everyone else had bought, what bargains we had missed!! I had a lesson in Instagram too, still not really got the hang of it but I do keep posting now @thecraftycreek. I think half the problem is that I’m not a mobile orientated person at all, I can go days without checking my phone, much to the annoyance of my kids! So at the moment if I’m out and about I tend to post on Instagram, whereas at home I tend to write a post here.

Some good news I heard yesterday…I was very sad over the summer to hear that the Sheffield cutlers, Ernest Wright and Son had closed down. They were one of very few traditional scissor makers left in Yorkshire, Sheffield has a very long history is steel and cutlery. There was a beautiful post written by Did You Make That which really captured the traditional company that was being lost. I was very pleased that I had received as presents a pair of their dressmaking scissors and their traditional embroidery scissors, proud to own scissors made in Yorkshire.scissors for sewing

A few days ago this message was shared on facebook from their website …

We are writing a new chapter in the history of the Ernest Wright quality scissors.

All assets including the Ernest Wright and Kutrite brand names, the original machinery, tools and stock have been bought from the Receiver. The original personnel have been offered their jobs back and the old factory and workshop have been leased again from the landlord.

“We are but the two halves of a pair of scissors, when apart… but together we are something”

We will be back soon!

Great news indeed, I might just have to buy myself a new pair to celebrate as soon as they open again 🙂

Posted in Fabric shops, Serendipity | Tagged , , | 8 Comments

Monday’s Meander Round the Garden

Posted on August 27, 2018 by craftycreeky

Over the last couple of days the weather has gone distinctly autumnal, we really could have done with lighting the fire last night, but it’s still August so we just stuck an extra jumper on instead! There were a few comments on facebook about people putting their heating on!

The rose hips on the briar roses are huge this year, like rosy tomatoes! We’ve got a hedge of briar and hedgehog roses along the back fence, so there’s lots of hips to see at the moment.DSC_0153

The foliage plants are starting to come into there own now, whilst I was photographing the hips I noticed this eunonymus and pulmonaria at my feet almost underneath the rhodedendron bush.DSC_0149

In the Amber & Amethyst garden the echinacea are still looking good, the colour looks great next to the deep blue of the veronica spires and the turning foliage of the pieris, the red leaves are looking lovely.DSC_0158

Over in the rose bed opposite the summerhouse I noticed the Pheasant berry (Leycesteria formosa or Himalayan Honeysuckle) was flowering, these are unusual flowers, more like bracts really, the birds love the berries that follow.DSC_0161

The sedums around the garden are starting to come into their own, this one’s reasonably upright, once they really flop then they need dividing in the autumn…two for the price of one!DSC_0162

The cotinus coggyria or smoke bush is just starting to get it’s autumn colour, the outer leaves are quite red. I love this bush, but the colours never seem to come out on a photograph, imagine all shades of red wine!

DSC_0160 (2)

Hopefully this week I’ll manage to do a bit more tidying up, starting to get the garden ready for the winter!

Posted in Garden, Serendipity | Tagged , , , | 9 Comments

A Birdie Blouse

Posted on August 27, 2018 by craftycreeky

I decided to make a blouse yesterday, the weather was too inclement for gardening so a sewing day was called for! After a quick perusal through my fabrics I chose a fine cotton with a pretty bird pattern on it. I bought it at Guthrie and Ghani a couple of years ago during one of my trips to Birmingham to see Helen.DSC_0164 (2)

I wanted to make an Aster blouse, which is a pattern by Colette, I’ve had it in my stash for a while now, just waiting for the right time to try it. There are three versions of sleeve, long, short or frilly and a choice of tucked or not on the front. As it’s such a fine cotton (put it this way, it’s much lighter than a Liberty tana lawn!) I decided to do untucked but with frilly sleeves, a bit of a brave choice for me as I’m not usually a frilly person, they tend to annoy me! Luckily they’ve come out more loose than frilly!

The first challenge was deciding what size to do, I always find this a bit difficult with Colette patterns, maybe because I tend to come out at a size 8-10, which just doesn’t seem right! I studies the finished size more than the measurements bit and decided on a size 10 at the top, grading out to a 12 for the waist and hips. I have to admit that size-wise it’s come out pretty well.

The blouse went together pretty easily, I learnt a new way of stitching a yoke in which involved stitching all the shoulder and back seams and then turning it out through the arm, much easier and neater than hand sewing either the back or the shoulder lining.DSC_0145

The neck is bound with bias,I didn’t have any suitable ready made so I cut a length of bias and then, as it was so fine, I folded it it half length ways and stitched it a bit like quilting binding, just turned it all the way it and then edge-stitched it.

The only bit I’m not 100% on is the centre front. At first I thought I’d made a mistake as the two sides didn’t come together with a neat V, however having looked at the picture that is how it’s meant to be, with a little straight in the centre.DSC_0142 (2)

I french seamed where possible and used a very narrow hem for the sleeves and the main hem. I decided to use vintage mother of pearl buttons for the front, so they don’t entirely match, I chose ones which were the same size with four holes. I quite like having a bit of variety.DSC_0148

This blouse has grown on me in the final stages, it’s very easy to wear, it looks OK either in or out, though I think I prefer it in, it also looks like a blouse I can dress up or down. Of course the weather has suddenly turned distinctly autumnal, so it may not get worn til next summer now!DSC_0146 (2)

 

Posted in Dressmaking, Serendipity | Tagged , , | 13 Comments

Hand Quilt-a-long

Posted on August 26, 2018 by craftycreeky

It’s three weeks since I last showed you my Down the Rabbit Hole quilt, I’m hand-quilting it so it’s going to take a while! I started in the middle on the Dresden circle, but mislaid my thread (and it wasn’t an easy place to start!) so I abandoned it for now in favour of the next border out, the round flowers.

Three weeks ago I had just finished the first quarter, having discovered the hard way that quilting in circles isn’t that easy. I was quilting immediately round each circle, then again about 1/2″ away where possible, before echo quilting round the shapes to the edge. This is where I was three weeks ago…Hand quilting my Down the Rabbit Hole Quilt

I’ve only managed a couple of evenings working on my quilt, but I have found a much easier way of quilting it. It’s probably not a good idea to change methods but hopefully it won’t be too noticeable in the grand scheme of things…Hand Quilting Down the Rabbit Hole

I’m still quilting round each circle, however I am then echo quilting down the outside, stitching the whole quarter at once, I can then quilt the inside. It’s so much easier because it’s all in one direction! Where there is plenty of room I’m making the inner and outer quilting lines meet, like a complete circle.

I’ve now quilted nearly three-quarters of the border, so reasonable progress for two evenings! I’m already starting to think about how to quilt the next green border which is about 1″ wide and also the houses, any suggestions welcome!Hand Quilting Down the Rabbit Hole

Hand Quilt Along Links;

This Hand Quilt Along is an opportunity for hand quilters and piecers to share and motivate one another. We post every three weeks, to show our progress and encourage one another.  If you have a hand quilting project and would like to join our group contact Kathy at the link below.

Kathy, Lori, Margaret, Kerry, Emma, Tracy, Deb, Connie, Susan,  Nanette, Sassy , Edith, Sharon, and Karrin

I’m also linking up with Kathy’s Quilts for Slow Stitching Sunday, a celebration of all things hand-stitched.

Posted in Down The Rabbit Hole, Quilt-a-long, Quilting, Serendipity | Tagged , , | 17 Comments

Two Little Finishes

Posted on August 25, 2018 by craftycreeky

I rather enjoy stitching my little cross-stitch smalls, I usually stitch them on the move, ‘borrowed time’ stitching as I call it, waiting for appointments, in a train station or just waiting for the water to boil for the potatoes!

I did manage to stitch July in the appropriate month, I just didn’t manage to finish it! These are designs by Maja Matyas from The Snowflower Diaries, it’s a SAL from 2016 (I think) it’s called The Joyful World, it’s available free through her facebook page now. I’m about half way through August too, so I’ll be late with that one as well!DSC_0137

I found a pretty pink Japanese sort of print which I think goes well with it. I made a cord from a variegated pink thread and the sandy gold used in the design. I stitched it round, making a hanging loop and added two buttons either side of the join to help hide it.DSC_0136

Back in early summer Christina from Petals & Pins stitched a pretty cross-stitch by Lizzie Kate, she kindly offered to send the chart (and teeny buttons to embellish!) to the first name out of the hat…and that was me! I was well chuffed!!

I stitched it last month using my favourite shade of soft green permin, I had most of the threads in already, all except one, which I substituted for it’s neighbour until I bought the real thing, I was just too impatient to wait! So ‘Make it ‘ should have been a shade darker, which would have shown up better but I like it as it is. It’s a very cute design, I love the little bird box!DSC_0130 (2)

Once I had stitched it I had to decide how to make it up, I wanted to do a bit more than just put a back on it and make a mini pillow. I started to play around with fabrics. My favourite bee fabric co-ordinated nicely with it and also continued the theme of bees on the cross-stitch. I also discovered that a length of teal and blue fabric I bought a couple of years ago complimented it perfectly, just picking out the blue of the cross-stitch too. I played with the idea of making a square cushion, but eventually decided on a long thin one.DSC_0138 (2)

I stitched some lace over the bees, added a 1″ folded blue strip and then stitched it to the cross-stitch. I used the blue fabric to back it and added four tiny mother of pearl buttons. I stuffed it, stitched up the end and then made some cord to go around.Lizzie Kate Cross-stitch

I’m really pleased with how it came out, so thanks Christina for a lovely pattern.

 

Posted in Crafts, embroidery, Serendipity | Tagged , , , | 22 Comments