Handiwork

A couple of posts ago...

when I was demonstrating my progress

with my crochet...

several friends commented on

the tapestry etc that I have done. 

So,

for those who have only known me a short while,

I thought I would recap a little

on the other things that I enjoy doing.

I enjoy tapestry and have done quite a lot.

The sunflowers reminded me of those I saw in the Botanical Gardens in Oxford.

Hubbie made me

the frame with wood grown on our farm !

My mother loves home made craft

and so

most of the tapestries have been gifts for her.

These are photos, taken a while ago and scanned in.

This flower tapestry took a very long time to complete as the colours are graduated slowly.

I mainly worked it

during the summer so that I could see

the changing colours

I sewed Mum several smaller pictures (like this one)

and quite a few cushion covers....I did 2 of these as I liked them so much.... 

were for her and other of my friends!

I have also made her a couple of chair seat covers.

I do enjoy longstitch though...

like this (I think) traquil scene.......

or the poppy I showed last week!

Sorry about the flash in the middle of this (it's another picture I took years ago and scanned in)

I did this embroidery for Mum

quite a few years ago

It's always been a favourite of mine!

This enjoyment of embroidery has obviously

been inherited!

We recently found this embroidery sewn

by my mother when she was 14.

I had it framed for her.

Mum often talks of evening times when she was young and says her mother would sit doing crochet...whilst her sister embroidered .... and

she knitted.  Her father sat in the corner.......

smoking his pipe and reading the paper!

These are just a few of the many garments that Mum made for my children.

I could show very many more!

So, you see, I think it's a family 'thing'

I wish I could show you my daughter's work because it's fantastic....but that's her story! 

**  I just wanted to add a big thank you for the many lovely comments made on my last post ....I appreciate them all and am so sorry that I haven't managed to respond....

it's been rather chaotic here!



I'm linking today with Tuesdays Treasures

Call of the Sea



I fell in love with this glass

when friends took me out for lunch

a few weeks ago

       We walked down past the old mill workings
                        to the craft shop

and there calling out to me from the cabinet.....

was this beautiful dish....

The different colours and bubbles

reminded me of the sea!



I'm joining Sunny Simple Sunday

and Nancy at Sunday Best

Where Does the Time Go?

I started learning to crochet about a month ago

and made a couple of (mishapen) square/circles (which I sent to my mother as she likes that sort of thing for coasters)

I saw a picture of the 'Granny Stripe' that Attic24

had on her blog and decided it might help my crochet if I tried that....

besides...

I love the bright colours

Until this time the choice of how to spend my time was between knitting and tapestry

I had finished the short sleeve jumper and started on the cardigan.....

when crochet...and its bright colours

took over my life!

So I have no time for the knitting... and...

the new longstitch

on which I had been longing to make a start....

has stayed in its bag!!

Where does the time go when there are so many things I want to do?

I used to do so much!

This is one of a couple of tapestries that I completed last summer to give to a friend......

I have to confess that I realise...

the time that I think has trickled through my fingers

has been spent with my blogging friends!!

I am learning so much and being encouraged by

each one of you.....

I'm so glad that I've found you!!!

Visit to Llanerchaeron

Yesterday we decided to take a trip to visit Llanerchaeron

It was built in 1795 by John Nash as a model of a self sufficient mansion

We took a trip over the Preseli Hills

We arrived and the children tumbled out of the car and ran to give a statue close inspection!

            We walked up the drive to the house



The guide held the door open

The dining room was lovely

As were the stairs!

The kitchens were interesting

What facinated me most was not the 'posh' part of the house but behind the green baize door where the staff worked.

The Butlers pantry, the housekeepers room, the servants' hall  etc...etc...

I could have shown loads of photos but have only shown a few

In this courtyard there was a laundry; dairy..for cheese and butter;brewery; salting rooms for meat and game

Heating the irons!

The diary

The Brewery

They were self-sufficient for flowers, fruit and veg and had an enormous walled garden

They still sell the vegs and fruit

The farm provided meat and poultry etc

but little remains now

apart from the empty buildings....

Lovely cobbles!!

We all thoroughly enjoyed our day

but I think

one of the highlights of the day for the children

was.....

I'm joining Nancy at Rural Thursday


and linking with Green Day at  Raindrops and Daisies

Poole Pottery

This morning I just felt like

some bright, dramatic colours

So I took out my bright yellow cloth

(it is bright yellow....really!!)

added my lovely Poole Pottery dish......

and 'borrowed' a couple of the sunflowers I planned to give my daughter later.

Underneath is just as bright and cheerful!

I bought this for myself at the beginning of the New Millenium...when Poole Pottery were bringing out brightly coloured pottery that really made a statement...rather than the quieter combined shades that they used to use!

They really 'made a statement!'

I suppose that's what I want to do this morning

I mean.......

Make a statement

"Hello world....I'm here.....and I matter!!"

I'm joining The Tablescaper for Seasonal Sundays

and JannShare your cup Thursday at