Live on

I had a yen to make a doll and was soon clutching a little pocket sized friend with auburn hair and cheerful cheeks. She had her own ideas about wardrobe though; A patterned sweater, warm and wooly. Hazah! In my sock drawer was a lonely only, its partner missing in action. It was part of a special pair of socks given to me by my daughter.  Perfect! It could live on, transformed into a little pullover.  I congratulated myself on both upcycling and paying homage to a gift.  

I later found the matching sock. 

Hold it

A group of friends posing for one of those pictures inevitably snapped.  "Move in…closer…everyone look this way….hold it….. hold it". 

Sometimes

Not all embroidery with wool is crewelwork.  Sometimes it is just bulky embroidery.

I paused

I paused on Pinterest to admire a sweater, and then another, with a name chain stitched across the front. Algorithms don't need persuading. They spring into action at the slightest whiff of interest. 

My interest quickly turned to resolve and I rushed to the thrift shop. Oh joyous day! A lovely cream coloured sweater, just the right style, just the right size and just the right price. 

Who says it needs to be a name emblazoned on the front?

Why not a single word that works as advice and permission at the same time  

Perfect timing

If you have had fabric so long you don't remember how it entered your life, you would likely think it is the oldest fabric in your stash wouldn't you? I'm guessing the charm pack this table runner is made from was given to me as a gift. Or, maybe is from when I attended a quilt guild with my mother, 15+years ago. Fifteen years goes by in a blink. So does 52 years, apparently. I bought the backing fabric when I was a teenager, for a project that never materialized. Gadzooks, what a pun! It remained uncut and preserved for posterity all these years and avoided being chopped into sundresses, toddlers rompers, curtains or even tote bag linings. 

Amazingly, when I had sewn the table runner and was auditioning backings, my vintage treasure waved its hand in the air and stepped forward. It was perfect timing. 

'A thing of beauty is a Joy forever'

Chicklet

Thrift shop kit. Just in time for spring

The frame of this little pendant works like a miniature embroidery hoop; a circle of wood with a tiny screw to tighten. It was a little tricky to work with though. I tried to center the embroidery and I tried to keep the grain of the linen straight and I tried to make sure the chick was standing and not leaning and I tried to make sure the fabric was neither pushed to far into the hoop or not pushed far enough. And I tried to make two hands and ten fingers work as a team. More than once.  

Ahhh sweet success! 

Then I crocheted a teeny tiny chain of thread and added it as a victory lap. 

Little birds

A flock of watercolor birds destined to become cards.