Monday 9 March 2009

Catching up!!!....


Hi, thought I'd better catch up as it's been a week since my last post. It seems to have gone by so quickly. I don't know whether it's because it was Holly's last week of the half term holidays or not but it flew by. I went to visit my sister Tuesday morning with Holly to catch up as they'd just got back from their hoiday in Australia. Wednesday afternoon was at Lucy's with her french neighbour, Marie, for our weekly french/english session which of course includes cups of tea and homemade cakes. I spent Thursday tidying up the room where we keep all our stuff. There is still stuff in boxes up there from when we moved over here along with 'stock' for our antiques business. Spent a few hours trying to get some sort of order, but I'm sure the other half will shortly go up there looking for something and it will be a total mess again. Friday went to do the food shopping and Lucy and her husband came round in the evening as it was her birthday, a bottle of champagne and some wine later finally fell into bed.

You ladies are so productive on the blogging front, I've had two days where I haven't had a chance to catch up and boy is there a lot to catch up on. I shall sit and have a read this evening I think.

I'm making brooches at the moment. Here are three I made last week, my own little bits of textile art. The one above and below (same one just different coloured backgrounds) is made using all vintage fabrics. A little fine cotton with embroidery on it for the base, then some old broderie anglaise, a heart of provencal print cotton and on top of that a heart of vintage linen and finally some black silk velvet ribbon. Then I stitched on some little beads. All hand stitched and finished with a piece of felt on the back to make it all neat. If you click on the photos they enlarge so you can see the detail.



The brooch above is again mostly vintage fabric, the cream fabric is very fine with some very pretty embroidery on it, this fabric is so fine and pretty I wonder if it was for a wedding dress, as the pieces I have are sleeve shaped and the embroidery fits the shape, rather than be embroidered all over and the sleeve just cut from the fabric. I have hand stitched a hem at the bottom and pulled it up to make a little ruffled skirt effect. Again I have teamed this with some of the provencal print and the black silk velvet ribbon. My other half said he thought it had a 30's feel to it. I then added the little bits of black ribbon with the hearts and some pretty little beads to catch the light.

In case any of you were wondering what had happened about the crochet blanket which turned into a floor cushion for Holly I thought I'd give you an update. I've been looking for some fabric to back it with and hooray! on Sunday we went to the antiques market and I found this rather pretty floral fabric which picks up the colours of the crochet really well, I thought. So hey ho... Holly will very soon have her cushion. I think I'll have to make my own pad for this one.

Well Holly's just got back from school and I'd better go and get her some tea as it's the violin lesson tonight.

Take care...
Nickyx

17 comments:

Hen said...

Loving that floral fabric.
Hen x

MelMel said...

Hello!

Your weekend sounds super!

Love the brooches....lovely!xxx

Anonymous said...

Nice weekend you must of had.Love the floral fabric as well.

Suzy's Vintage Attic said...

Hi Have discovered your blog through Niki's Nostalgia at Stone House. Really like the fabrics! Also had a look at your shop, love Lucy Bear!
Isabelle x

Floss said...

That's going to be a fantastic floor cushion! I find that with a dog, floor cushions are OUT. We could, perhaps, try them in the bedrooms, where the dog is banned...

Thanks very much for visiting my blog. You asked about Toulouse - it's a great city and I don't visit it often enough! Although we live perhaps 35 minutes away, and go to church in the southern centre of the city, it was November when we last visited the city itself!

The city is a fantastic mixture of ancient - Roman, medieval and onwards, and modern - many universities and a thriving aero-spatial industry. All this talking about it is making me determined to visit it properly and get some photos for a blog tour of Toulouse. I'll let you know when I get it done!

Pixiedust said...

Very pretty brooches, and like the cushions too. So glad you took part in the swap, I'm really looking forward to it. xxxx

bex said...

the brooches look fab!! well done you
xx

Ali @ Betty and Violet said...

Love all the fabrics you have used for your brooches ~ I especially love the provencal prints. Just gorgeous!

Shabby Chick said...

Wow, you have been busy! The brooches look great.

Mel xxx

Poppy said...

It sounds like you have been really busy!
Gorgeous, gorgeous, brooches!!!

Love Lou xxx

Thecraftytrundler said...

Love those brooches, and your crocheted blanket is gorgeous! Sounds as though you had a great weekend, the French way of life sounds great!!
My uncle, and his wife live in a town called POUANCE, I would love to visit!! Maybe one day......

Have a great week! ; )

Sharon xx

ittybittyandpretty said...

i hear ya sista! i have decided to at least read the blogs i follow every day but not post till i have time. otherwise i just get left behind. love your crafting efforts, keep it up.
%^_^%

Country Bliss said...

Hi, I'm looking forward to the swap too.
Love your brooches, very pretty.
Yvonne x

sadie said...

sometimes there are not enough hours in the day to do crafty things, let alone go around blog hopping! You have been busy, the brooches look great.

Sadie :O)

...Nina Nixon... said...

I love your little embroidered hearts - I have a thing for hearts!!

Thanks for the 'crochet' encouragement I may have another crack at it this weekend, if my blooming head cold gives in!!

Nina x

MelMel said...

Cheers hunni...thats sweet of youxxx

Mary Poppins said...

Gorgeous brooches :)

Have now found a lovely blue I like :) Thank you for all your help

Well I have cut 99 5 inch squares from DDs dresses, nearly ready to sew the strips together, and hopefully shall look pretty on DDs bed, and like you say holds very special memories as I can remember happy times from each and every square on the quilt

X