Stripes and Embroidery

Hello Folks.

I hope that you are well.  

Life here carries on much the same as usual, Mr Clicky goes into the office two days a week, I still look after Baby Needles who is now two and a half ~ where has that time gone? ~ a day and a half a week.  The very exciting news is that she has a new baby sister arriving in the New Year.  She has said she doesn't want to share her knitted car blanket I made her back in March, and, why should she? 

This time I decided to go for a crochet ripple, I still have some more to do, but it's going well so far.

I'm really loving embroidery right now and I've completed two more hoops.

Firstly I finished off the last few hearts.

I got the printed fabric from The Embroidery Cart on Etsy and used threads from my stash.  As this hoop is so bright and cheerful I think I will put it in my craft room.

The Autumn Craftpod is also finished.  Another enjoyable project. 

The community project that I have been working on with four others was finished in October.  This was for The Nelson Trust a local charity that supports women with addiction and are in contact with the criminal justice system.  It was to celebrate coming out of lockdown.  The wall hanging was embellished with flowers, bees, butterflies and bugs made by the local community.  

The group met on Saturday mornings starting in July.  With the embellishments already made we had to make everything else.  The bricks were printed on calico and then quilted.  For the background we took a section each, I had the river, and built up the picture using scraps of fabric which were again sewn onto calico.

We then sewed the bricks onto the background and added the bugs and creatures.

The words on the bricks were supplied by the users of the centre.

The bricks with negative words on were tumbling away.

I got good at making bullrushes with wire, felt and thread!

It was a real privilege to be involved in the project.

That's me for now, I'm of to ripple a bit more.

Bye for now.............Clicky Needles. 

A Visit to the Museum

Hello folks.

I heard through the grapevine that there was a textile exhibition on at our local museum in Stroud so I needed to take a look.  It was a joint exhibition by Ruth Issett and Dorothy Tucker.  It is also touring with the Knitting and Stitching Shows.

When I walked into the room I was assaulted by colour.

I really loved this Nine Block Quilt by Dorothy Tucker.

I spent some time getting inspired and lost in colour  and then went for a wander in the museum itself.  It's only small and the curation is a bit mad; when our children were small they would often ask to go there during the holidays.  

Without doubt, their best thing to look at was the Budding lawnmower.  Edward Beard Budding was a local lad who in 1830, invented the cylinder lawnmower after seeing a cutter removing the nap from woollen cloth in a local woollen mill, he thought he might be able to make a machine for mowing grass.  In 1842 he also invented the screw for and adjustable spanner.

My favourite exhibit, and next to the lawnmower is the red Stroud Scarlet uniform.  This is made from Stroud Broadcloth which was produced all over the district.

Look at this beautiful gold work. 

Notebook used by Charles Hooper and Sons dye house with their notes it is pre 1890.

This is a sample book from Strachan & Co from the 1867 Paris Exhibition.

Today there is only one mill left, they are still manufacturing wool felt cloth for snooker and pool tables, and tennis balls.

That's me for now, some finished things in my next post. 

See you soon.................Clicky Needles.

 

Autumn Leaves

 

Hello folks.

Autumn is carrying on marching forward, the leaves from our cherry tree have covered the lawn.  Of course, as lovely as this looks it doesn't do the lawn any good, so this afternoon I have gone over it with the lawn mower and they are cleared.

I completed the three small hoops from this autumn's Craftpod, these really are tiny about 2cm across.  

They have joined the other hoops in the hallway. 

 

Miss Clicky and Baby Needles came to visit the other day; Miss Clicky asked if I could help her make a Halloween bag for their local Halloween trail for Baby Needles instead of using anything plastic.  She got some Halloween fabric, one with black cats and one with bats.  We made a small reversible boxed bottom bag, with a piece of each fabric on each side.  Miss Clicky did the sewing, I made her use my Singer 99 hand crank for the job.

I love that this bag will be used for many years to come.

It may be getting chillier but I still picked these Dahlias today.

Well, that's me for now, I have a day looking after Baby Needles tomorrow, so that'll keep me on my toes.  Bye for now.................Clicky Needles.   

Ta Dah!!!

Hello Folks.

Ta Dah! My Dad's jumper is finished.  The pattern is Rallar-genser and is the second one I have made.  It is knit in Jamieson and Smith 2 ply jumper weight.  It was a real joy to knit, bottom up and join on the yolk. 

 

My Mum and Dad popped by and picked it up, and it was well received.

The Autumn Craftpod arrived last week.  There are four boxes a year based on the seasons.  I'm itching to get going with this one but as I hadn't finished last autumn's hoop,

 

 

I made myself get it out and finish it off.   

Today I got all the hoops out that I have completed in the past and I've displayed them in the hall.

They are from previous Craftpods and various kits that I have made over the last few years.

I've been in a pottering mood today, I got this very dusty and pot bound Zebra Cactus that lives in the bathroom down to repot. 

From one sad looking specimen to seven happier looking ones.

Autumn is definitely with us, cool misty mornings, with sunshiny days and cooler evenings.  I'll miss summer. 

 That's me for now...........Clicky Needles.

A Few Nights Away

Hello Folks. 

Me and Mr Clicky have been away for a few nights in a lovely Shepherd's Hut in Somerset.  Even though Somerset is just the next county along, we've never really spent much time there, we usually drive through on the way to somewhere else.

The hut was really cute and had everything we needed including a super comfy bed.

We looked down over the Somerset Levels and we could see Glastonbury Tor in the distance.  We visited nearby Wells, and the cathedral.

There was an added bonus of a contemporary art exhibition. 

Back to the Hut and we cooked halloumi and steak over the open fire.

Then we settled down in the wood fired hot tub for a soak with a glass of fizz and watched the moon come up.

We had breakfast in the sun 

and then went into Glastonbury for a mooch and into the remains of Glastonbury Abbey.

Back to the Hut for more hot tubbing and watching the sun go down.

On our third day we visited Shepton Mallet prison.  This was a victorian prison which only shut 10 years ago.

It was cold, oppressive and unpleasant.

Back at base, Mr Clicky read his book and I kept myself busy with my patchwork kit.

Another evening dip for our last night.  We had a wonderfully relaxing time.

Back at home I laid out my patchwork pieces, a small bit of a quilt maybe?

That's me for now, see you soon.

Clicky Needles.