Seaside

It's the start of the sailing season where we live, and I love to walk along the prom in the sea breeze and see the white sails against the blue ....most of my life I've lived on the coast, and I missed it when I lived further inland for a few years. The sea side has always been a big influence on my designing....

I've often stitched the words of sea poems into my samplers for books and magazines, and special ones for family and friends too - we know lots of people who love the sea and the seaside as much as us...

I find it hard to resist any seaside fabrics too - like the cushion above from CK - and her gorgeous boats print which I made a bag from last year shown in earlier posts...the red white and blue colourway is one of my favourites...

When I saw Julia Crossland's Harbour print I was immediately smitten and had to buy it at once...It's at the framers now and I'll collect it tomorrow and enjoy it on my wall...I love Julia's style and her paintings, like this seaside one really appeal to me...Julia is bringing out some new cards soon which I can't wait to see...

Seaside bunting...little embroidered beach huts, boats and flying gulls to bring the seaside even closer...

 The bunny and the bunting are both from my book Simple Sewn Gifts which has now been translated into French....

 My copy of the translated book came this week and I was tres excited to see it too...I read bits out in my schoolgirl French to my daughter on the phone and we both wondered why things sound so much more romantic when translated into French....charmante....merveilleux....lovely words...

This is my seasidey plant this week - at least red geraniums against white wood always make me think of seaside holidays in France and Italy and good old Blighty too....I love geraniums, even though they go in and out of gardening fashion I always like to have a few each summer, on the window sill or brightening up a corner...Thank you for visiting me here and for the wonderful comments you leave..I do enjoy them so much. Have a lovely weekend everyone, sending you lots of sunshine, sea breezes, flowers and happy times..Back soon xxxxxx

Knitting, Stitching and Planting

 The title of today's post sums up a lot of what I like to do at the moment...first the knitting, lots of progress has been made on the blue fluffy cardi while chatting this weekend - it's so lovely, light and quick to knit too.

Stitching: well, this little Easter bunny toy was my project for this month's CB and was obviously made a wee while ago! I took a new photo of it - in fact several -  and here it is on the front cover of the magazine, in the top left corner to catch the eye and (hopefully) tempt you in! It is a funny thing to catch sight of something you made or designed on a shelf in a shop or supermarket...

 ...rather like spotting a familiar face in a crowd unexpectedly. I still like to see my designs appear when I'm out and about even after all these years...

 Planting: one of my most favourite flowers - violas. I picked these up last week - they have a rose scent and are called Rose Wing ...so beautiful and fresh and delicate, I love them massed together and try to plant a few close together to keep that effect...

...at the bottom of the garden is an old lead hopper, left from when the Victorian rainwater goods were replaced before our time...in the spring and summer I plant different things in it each year, but this time some sweet violets have kindly planted themselves, so I popped a few violas in there too...

I'm loving this time of year - as I'm sure everyone is too - the promise of later, warmer spring and then summer in the garden is just so uplifting..seeing things begin to grow - especially now we've cleared away much of the winter leaf fall, and general debris left by the gales - is just wonderful...

I'm off now to continue stitching, this time for an autumn project!! It's a funny thing, being a designer - I do love all the seasons at any time of year!
I hope you all have a beautiful spring week, with sweet flowers all around and soft spring sunshine every day. Back very soon. xxxx

A Crafty Heart

My little shabby chic heart returned yesterday from its recent photoshoot for Sew Magazine which I design projects for sometimes.

This heart was a treat to make because I could play around with some favourite fabrics, patchwork, applique, a bit of cross stitch, embroidery, ribbons and buttons - all things I love to create with.



I decided to hang it on the bed post in the refurbished and newly painted spare bedroom. So now our home has another heart.

Also yesterday a fabric and buttons order arrived from the wonderful Sew and So and I just had to take a picture of these buttons from Just Another Button Company - birdhouses and hearts....Lovely.

P.S. To those who kindly enquired about my knitting in the last post - I will be showing pictures of my two latest knits and giving pattern information very soon. Have a happy weekend! x