Monday 25 May 2020

Nice things

I bought myself a couple of treats during lockdown.  I've been doing a lot of cross stitch and wanted some nice project bags to put my work in.


I got these two lovely bags from Patchwork Pawprint on Etsy.  I just love the fabrics - so pretty.  They have vinyl fronts so that you can see what project the bag contains.


Etsy is very addictive, while I was there I spotted these two gorgeous needle minders (magnets which you can attach to your work to keep your needle in place).


I purchased these from Dainty Dots Decoupage.


In both cases, service was quick and it was lovely to receive some happy mail!
I would also like to mention two online needlework suppliers - Patchwork Rabbit and Lakeside Needlecraft.  I ordered patterns, thread and fabric from them and once again the service was exceptional.


Thank you to all those who are keeping us crafters happy during this difficult time.

Love, Liz

Wednesday 6 May 2020

Blooming marvelous!

My windowsill geranium is absolutely full of blooms at the moment.  It is absolutely gorgeous!


It is a north facing window, so get lovely early morning sun then plenty of light for the rest of the day.


The geranium obviously loves it!  There are still lots of unopened flower-heads.


For me, the beauty of nature is helping to make these difficult times bearable.

Love, Liz

Monday 4 May 2020

It's the little things!

I was clearing out a cupboard recently and came across this gorgeous little wooden sewing box that I had totally forgotten about.  It was empty because I could never think about what to do with it.  I took it downstairs and gave it a good clean, then got to work!


The wooden box has a little glass shelf with wooden lid.  It already came with some vintage sewing items in this, which is what I think made me buy the box in the first place - I had such plans for the inside (about eight years ago!).  Anyway, I set to work.

The box came with these already in the lid section.



First thing I did was find a cross stitch piece that could fit on the inside of the lid.  This stitched sewing machine which I probably did in the 90s fitted the bill perfectly.  It was stitched on white Aida and looked a bit too "pristine" so I dunked it in some tea to "age" it slightly.  Backed with some cardboard, it fitted perfectly and also acts as a pin cushion.


I lined the bottom of the box with some ginham fabric.


Next I made a little fob for my extra cross stitch scissors.  Again it was something I had stitched years ago.  So I just backed it with some floral fabric and added ribbon.  I attached some safety pins so that I could always find them if necessary.


Next - an inch tape - held together with a pretty bow on an elastic band and some reels of thread.
Then a small pin cushion that I made years ago.  I included two already threaded needles on this.  I can cross stitch for hours each day, but when it comes to mending or taking up hems, that seems to take weeks for me to get around to.  So I thought that if there was a needle already threaded - I might get things done a bit quicker!




So now, not only does the box look pretty, but it also is very useful.  It contains everything I need to do a bit of mending if required.  I'm quite pleased that I've accomplished a long overdue overhaul!

Love, Liz