Piecing together some fabric squares for a patchwork quilt that is very slowly coming together..

Below, a patchwork cushion cover I made for Mum's Christmas present - using skills learnt on a sewing day course last Autumn

Learning to Mend

I've a new addiction.

Last year my 92 year old Grandmother, knowing my love for clothes, gave me two beautiful classic Salvatore Ferragamo cardigans that she had loved wearing but no longer wanted. When I got them home, I found they were very badly eaten by moths, which she hadn't realised. Unsure of what to do, but unable to part with the cardigans, I washed them and put them away in the depths of my sewing box. A couple of weeks ago I came across the trend for 'visible mending' (essentially darning with bright yarn) and was instantly hooked. My love of second hand clothing means I have many things that have been worn to... literal bits. Still very much learning - but it is a deeply satisfying way to revive clothes, adding a bit of individuality to them. For anyone interested in learning more, 'Mend! A Refashioning Manual and Manifesto' by Kate Sekules is a great book I've enjoyed reading. And I am greatly inspired by Celia Pym, an artist who keeps embroidery and sewing at the heart of her practice.

Tudor Prison Embroidery

I enjoyed reading about Mary, Queen of Scots' prison embroideries recently. They're full of symbolism - hidden and not so hidden meaning. The pieces made at Oxburgh Hall, where Mary was kept captive for the greatest period of time, are some of her most famous. There are many examples from this period - Mary was even joined by one of her jailers, the aristocrat Bess of Hardwick, herself an accomplished embroiderer. Subjects range from allegories of Mary's situation to everyday animals found in Tudor Britain - cats, dogs, honey bees - and more fantastical creatures such as unicorns and dragons. 

A mouse's tail here is held by a ginger cat - an allegory for Queen Mary and her red haired cousin Elizabeth.

Unicorn

Beehive 

Marigolds (Mary's gold) wilting in the harsh sun

It's inspired me to look at talismans and lucky charms to embroider - symbols we like to keep near during times of need...

WFH Colleagues

I've spent today working through a very comprehensive list of tasks I've been putting off for weeks... and realised that while I'm missing colleagues on set, I'm far from alone. Good sign is - I haven't started speaking to them. Yet. 

On a separate note - I love this portrait of Elizabeth I, by an unknown artist painted in c.1600. So many styling tips!

January Collage

Rejuvenate Old Clothes

A top tip for breathing life in to old clothes. I recently bought a faded vintage Laura Ashley dress, in a colour I wasn't so keen on but loved the style. Laura Ashley can be pricey second hand so I jumped at the chance to get my hands on this dress and won it for £12.50. It barely got through the letterbox before I started its transformation

From light blue... to black. Actually, it's more like navy. Who knew there are various shades of black to chose from?! I love it and will wear it tons in the months to come, feeling VERY smug that I'm wearing a real one off piece.

You can buy Dylon fabric dye from most hardware shops.

A good tip before dying is to check the fabric content. 100% cotton will dye well, but things made from manmade fibres tend not to take the colour so well. Things like stitches and zips may stay their original colour as a result. Make sure you wash dyed pieces on their own for the first couple of washes too.

Neasden Temple, 2017

Groups of women preparing delicious food

Litter picking in style

Shoes off to enter the temple

A few years ago:  Neasden Temple and the Diwali celebrations. It was an amazing feast for the eyes - the elaborate, beautiful shrines with hundreds of silent pilgrims and the loud, celebratory groups of people enjoying food and music everywhere. 

Lockdown 2

Not the end to a difficult year that any of us wanted... but it's back to trying to take joy in small things - which for me was found on Saturday evening, while anxiously awaiting the final result of the US election to be called... My local corner shop serving cheer via these crisp boxes (and a bottle of cold beer).

Embroidery Design

 I've been working on my embroidery skills and recently had a lesson from RSN tutor, Sara. Sara encouraged me to work on my own design, see below. Looking forward to translating it in to stitches...

Jam Jar

Pre Lockdown 2: Dinner outside at Ciao Bella. The 3 of us hadn't seen each other for a while - and Min bought these homegrown flowers from Hertfordshire, complete with jam jar, as a belated birthday present for a friend. 

Toy Time

Market traders refusing to be put off by the rain on the Roman Road

 

Fabric

 More fabric and sewing related endeavours... spent a few days in Shepherd's Bush recently, getting the step count up incredibly high pacing up and down the market. My favourite place! 

Fabric Samples For Quilts

An afternoon spent sorting out fabric samples, after collecting several bags full from a friend who was throwing them out of her studio recently. So excited to get sewing my next quilt!

Road Trip

Last week: a solo road trip to the South West, visiting various family members across Devon and Cornwall. I loved listening to a Driving playlist carefully curated recently while commuting to work - and also an audio version of Girl, Woman, Other by Bernadine Evaristo. I still have quite a lot to listen to - will need to plan my next road trip ASAP.

Mum in Penzance - we swum shortly after this! The only flaw to that plan was timing - low tide meant icy legs before being submerged, but it was worth it.

Socially distanced outdoor gin and tonics