📘May is here! And a look back at April

 May, my favourite month of the year

The Oak tree (leaning over from next door) is in full leaf but
our Mulberry (which you can see in background) is not ready to chance the weather just yet

So far this year we have had perfect Spring conditions in terms of weather with some rain and lots of sunshine. Sadly, I am very far behind in getting my gardening underway as I have had a dreadful viral infection which robbed me of all energy and motivation.

I am hoping to get going soon and am taking my queue from Susan Hill's lovely book "The Magic Apple Tree" to be like Mr Elder who, having been ill, couldn't start his gardening until May and then used his seventy years of experience to catch up and overtake his neighbours!

I have several copies of Susan Hill's book The Magic Apple Tree
and this is a really lovely one on my reading chair in the sunshine

Hannah Green 1826 Stitch Along Progress

April's progress for the Hannah Green Stitch Along

Oh my goodness, there was a lot of grass to be stitched for the section allocated for April on the Hannah Green sampler. It took absolutely ages but it was so satisfying when the sheep stood out from the linen and everything in the scene came to life. I just love the spotty sheep dog, the deer and that huge yellow spotted cat. This is such a fun project, despite all the grass, and the idea is to finish it next year for the two hundred year anniversary of Hannah's finish. I am using DMC threads one over two on 40 count Country Mocha linen. The pattern is the Queen of the May 2024 by Hands Across the Sea Designs

I am attending the Mrs Parkman's Academy of Needlework later this year in Swindon and one of the workshops I have been lucky enough to get a place on is with Cissy Bailey-Smith and we will be finishing a Scottish Castle Etui Box. Another huge stitching project but I am making slow progress and it is a delight to stitch on. You use a Nun's stitch all the way around so that you can cut the linen right up to the stitching - we shall see if I am able to count and sew well enough to achieve that but so far I think it is working out.

 

The start of the Scottish Castle Etui Box - I added some fluffy
tails to my rabbits

Stitching Retreat

I was so lucky to be able to attend the Stitch in London Sampler Retreat 2025 in March. The project we had to stitch before we arrived was a beautiful needle book designed by Jacob of Modern Folk Embroidery. 

We had some wonderful talks. Ruth Taylor of Crowsfeet Stitching told us about Irish Samplers, Michelle Baddeley of Mummalovesyougb talked about Welsh Samplers, Letitia Gibbier spoke about copyright. We had a zoom talk with Bethany Clements in America about Norfolk Samplers and Chloe, Girl With A Gavel Stitches, gave us the low down on how to bid for samplers. We then went on to bid on some antique samplers which was great fun. I received a beautifully stitched and finished pin cushion in the gift exchange which was a motif taken from a sampler and I stitched a Stacy Nash needlework pouch as my gift. It was such a fabulous retreat and I can't wait to go again. 

The Stacy Nash I stitched on the left and the beautiful gift I
received on the right

Knitting

I have so many projects on the go at the moment but I decided to start a project which will be perfect for knitting in the car for a trip we are planning. It is The Reader Shawl by Tracy Bakkelokken. Tracy has a wonderful YouTube and Blog that you can follow as well as patterns for sale on Ravelry

Nothing could be nicer than sitting in the garden knitting on this lovely
shawl - I have a cute 'cat' progress keeper to remind me of Tracy the designer and her sweet cat

An Outing to see the Tirzah Garwood Exhibition at the Dulwich Picture Gallery

In April I was lucky enough to be able to visit this wonderful exhibition with my dear son, Toby. It was a beautiful day and we enjoyed a drink in the gallery cafe (I had the most delicious hot chocolate which may have been the best I've ever had!) before heading into the exhibition. 

I have long been a fan of Tirzah Garwood and enjoyed reading the Persephone edition of her memoir 'Long Live Great Barfield'. Tirzah is buried in a village churchyard not far from me which I visited with Toby last year. 

It is difficult to imagine a life where your own artistic abilities are put to one side so that you can raise a family and run a home but that was expected when Tirzah became a young wife to the artist Eric Ravillious. Toby and I visited the exhibition of his work at this gallery a few years ago but I was struck by how much more personality Tirzah managed to evoke in her work sometimes of the same subject as Eric. What a stoic and inspiring attitude Tirzah had to a life struck by tragedy after losing her husband, bringing up three children on her own and suffering from cancer which finally claimed her life at far too young an age. She was so happy in her final few months in the home she lived in near me which meant she could finally be free to explore her artistic thoughts through painting and the results are highly personal and beautiful works of art.

Toby and I walked through the gorgeous park opposite the gallery and down to Lordship Lane where we had a lovely lunch in one of the many eating places in this lively part of South London. It was a day I will savour for ever and I am so grateful to have had the chance to visit the gallery and to spend time with Toby.

Tirzah and some of her wonderful textile pieces
she worked in so many mediums including marbling, woodcuts and painting among others

Easter

We were delighted to have our family the week before Easter and so we had an Easter Egg hunt in the garden and a lovely family meal together. The sun shone and it was a glorious time.

Some rather glum bunnies came to live in our house made by
Sue of homespunwithlove

Some May Delights to finish

Well, there are so many things to enjoy this Spring, and I am off now to catch up if I can but here are some delights from my garden which bring such joy. Blue and white bells, trees and some lingering daffodils.

The Lilacs are in bloom

Whitebells

Bluebells

Lots of figs to look forward to

Not a host but a somewhat lonely daffodil still blooming

The Rosemary is flowering

How different the garden looks now the leaves are coming and the sky is blue and not grey

Well here we are in 2025!

The start of each New Year brings so many 'light and bright and sparkling' opportunities to look forward to and 2025 is no exception with it being the 250th anniversary of the birth of Jane Austen.

First Stitch Along of the Year Hannah Green 1826

January and February have been punctuated with some lovely moments amongst which was the start of a Sampler stitch along hosted by Emily (@tworivers_58 on IG) and Leslie (@leslie_stitches on IG) who sat on my table at the Great British Sampler Weekend in 2023.

They chose Hannah Green 1826 which was reproduced by Hands Across The Sea Samplers which was a 'Queen of the May' sampler (each year HATS assign a special sampler to be their Queen of the May). Here she is in progress - what a stunning and enjoyable stitch she is:

Blessing Sampler and Christmas Bauble

This year I decided to stitch a "Blessing" sampler for the first time. I don't usually like to follow anything that has overtones of superstition because my life was dominated by such things as a child with a particular relation constantly referring to the negative impact of superstitions and having sat next to a traveller's child at school who filled my head with the same nonsense which caused me lifelong anxiety that I would suffer bad things if I dropped scissors or saw a single magpie and so on. Finally, but not entirely, I am able to dismiss the stupidity of such things and so I was not nervously stitching away thinking I would have a terrible sewing year if I didn't finish it by the end of January. However, this beautiful little sampler was very quick to stitch and I absolutely love the finished piece. The pattern was included on the Hands Across The Sea 2025 calendar as a gift to stitch as a "Blessing" sampler. It is a redwork sampler stitched originally by Louise Vilvorder and I worked mine on 56 count linen using an Au Ver a Sore 100.3 silk thread in colour 384. 

Also in the photo is a bauble made using English Paper Piecing which was a kit by Pretty Fabrics and Trims and was included in their Christmas Box I have each year. So festive.

Sock Test Knitting for a New Pattern by Ada and Noah Designs

I thoroughly enjoyed knitting a pair of socks as a test knit for a new pattern by Caroline of Ada and Noah Designs. I used some sock yarn I have had for some time and was wanting to try and I have to say I was very pleased with the results. I was asked to knit the small size which is not my size but will make a lovely gift.

A Very Special Gift from 2024

One day, out of the blue, in the post I received a gift of stitchy loveliness that brought me so much joy. This is a stack of tiny pillows by Stacy Nash sewn by a very talented needleworker and gifted to me as a thank you. I was absolutely delighted as I am going to be taking a class with Stacy at Cowslip Workshops this Spring. 

Attending the Jingle Ball 2024

Talking of Stacy Nash I went to the Jingle Ball (an online extravaganza for stitchers held at Christmas) where I took her class and we made a beautiful needle case with some wonderful little mice on the back.

All Things Bright and Beautiful a Red Box by Hands Across The Sea Samplers February 2025

How exciting to have another Red Box released from Nicola of Hands Across The Sea Samplers. This one is called "All Things Bright and Beautiful" and contains 14 Sampler reproduction booklets and a flurry of gifts for stitchers as well as some discount vouchers. I have already taken advantage of a discount form Hobby House Needleworks to buy their new Winterbury case (made for a Potoky stand but useful for all sorts of needlework things).

Nicola showing us Red Box Number 3

I won't reveal the contents in this post as some people are still waiting for theirs.

How beautiful is that Duck Egg Blue of my new Winterbury needlework travel case and it goes so well with my smaller Liberty cube case which holds my scissors, needles and other small tools and the larger case will carry a stand, zigzag light (another purchase with a voucher from the box) and larger items I take with me on retreats.

Jane Austen 250th Anniversary Reading Lists, Events and Other Delights

There are so many wonderful celebratory events around the 250th anniversary of the birth of Jane Austen and I am hoping to enjoy books, visits and crafting this year. 

First, I have been delighted to meet Tracy of Tracy's Nordic Lights Blog and YouTube Channel who has curated a list of books by and about Jane Austen as well as life in Regency England which has totally caught my imagination. Do pop over to her blog for more details and to enjoy all her creative work there. I have thoroughly enjoyed the book choices for February and am looking forward to dipping in again next month to her recommendations.

February Jane Austen Reads 

So we are starting our Jane Austen year with her novel Persuasion which she wrote when she was in her early forties. It is the first of her heroines past the blush of youth which makes it so interesting. On the Jane Austen Society website they suggest that 'the influence so sweet and so sad of the autumnal months in the country' runs through the story which can be seen as both literal and metaphorical. It takes place from Michaelmas to Christmas and afterwards in Bath. 

It explores the steadfast nature of love and patience as Anne holds her love for Captain Wentworth in her heart for years despite having obeyed, as a young woman, the dictates of class and wealth making him an unacceptable suitor. 

Wentworth has a gentle epiphany when exploring his unexpressed feelings towards Anne, by finally acknowledging he has always loved her when he writes her one of the most famous and enchanting love letters in literature. 

The novel, of course, has Jane's customary humour but also commentary on human nature and social pressures. It is absolutely one of her loveliest stories in my humble opinion.

Another book on Tracy's list was Jane Austen's Letters collected and edited by Deirdre Le Faye which perfectly complements the novel Persuasion especially if you agree that Anne is probably based on and inspired by her sister Cassandra. The letters are mostly to Cassandra and the excellent new television production of "Miss Austen" about Cassandra wanting to preserve Jane's image as it stood at her death and her belief that other aspects of her sister's character did not need to be known by the public caused her to destroy the correspondence is definitely worth watching alongside reading this book of letters.

Finally, for February Tracy chose "Jane Austen Embroidery" by Jennie Batchelor and Alison Larkin - a book I already own and have enjoyed reading and working one of the small embroideries which can be seen framed in the photograph above.

Fair Maids of February

I could not let this month go past without a visit to see these wonderful small flowers carpeting the woodland floor and we took our grandchildren to one of my favourite houses in the East Riding of Yorkshire, Burton Agnes Hall to visit the garden and enjoy so many snowdrops.

Baking and Gardening January/February

I must recommend a cake recipe given by Miranda of Seasons of Story on Substack.

I made this to take with us to Yorkshire and it was so tasty and a perfect size for a large family gathering. (It is a paid for recipe but her account on Substack is excellent and worth a look).

 

Finally, in the garden there has been the usual work of pruning and sweeping up leaves but I have also been making plans for things to sow in the vegetable plot especially some sweetpeas but more of that next time. Here is one of my Instagram shots from the summer to inspire us for the seasons ahead, especially growing sweetpeas!

Until next time, "do small things with great love" (Mother Teresa)

The Festival of Quilts 2024

Birmingham NEC

My friend and I decided that this year we would go for three days to visit the Festival of Quilts in Birmingham. And we also decided to sign up for two quick one hour workshops each day. However, that took up far more time than we realised and we ended up with little time in between to do the things we wanted so maybe not so many next time, but they were all fantastic.

Overall I thoroughly enjoyed my time there and learnt several new crafts and also met up with so many lovely friends and acquaintances as well as having a great time shopping. 

We stayed in the Crowne Plaza which overlooks the Pendigo lake. My room was perfect for this stay and had the largest tv I've ever seen in an hotel room. The breakfast buffet was good and the dinner buffet we enjoyed twice was also good. 

As you can see below we found the shopping centre right next to the hotel and after buying some Lindt chocolates and a couple of dresses in the Next sale we had to stop for a drink overlooking the water. 

The weather was beautiful and the only rain, which was very heavy, fell whilst we were having breakfast one morning and conveniently stopped before we left to catch the shuttle bus to the Festival. The shuttle buses picked us up and dropped us off each day outside the hotel and NEC.

A quick selfie overlooking Pendigo Lake and enjoying 

the afternoon sunshine on Wednesday

Day one (Thursday) we found our way to the hospitality lounge where we had Bronze membership. That gave us a free cotton bag in which there was a jar of caramelised apple, a magazine and a card with embroidery threads (unfortunately it was the same gifts on all three days but I gave the extras away which was nice) and vouchers for tea or coffee or water. So we started with a coffee and a plan of action marking all the vendors in our programmes that we wanted to get to over our time at the Festival.

Our first workshop was making an all year round Liberty bauble. The tutor was very good and clear, as they all were, and we were soon busy cutting up our Liberty fabric and making up the bauble as far as we could within the hour and making sure we had enough instructions to complete it afterwards.

My finished bauble which I gave a Christmas theme

by adding gold braid 

This was a great start and a project I think I will be making again.

After a quick look at some of the quilts and visiting some of the vendors I ran outside into the Atrium to Starbucks to grab a sandwich which we ate in the Bronze Visitors Lounge and then we were off again to our second workshop.

The second one was called Japanese Cherry Blossom and was a technique using a curved ruler and acrylic flower templates. Again the tutor was very thorough, inspiring and clear in her instruction. I made sure to take lots of photos so that I would be able to finish it when I got home. I love the result which I embellished with hand and machine stitching and beads.

My finished Cherry Blossoms panel

I used a top stitch to enhance the 'frame' and beading and 

embroidery to give texture to the centre of the

blossoms

Another wonderful workshop with lots to learn and new techniques to try.

After this we had another walk through the quilts on display and some more retail therapy before heading back to the hotel for dinner and a restful evening stitching.

Day two (Friday) saw a repeat of yesterday's start. Our first workshop was Stencil and Stitch which used everyday craft items to create a metallic woodland scene ready to be stitched at home. This was a fabulous class and the finish is only waiting on me getting to a shop to get the rest of the supplies I need. Again a really helpful, enthusiastic and knowledgeable tutor.

I have yet to add stitching and a fine glitter netting

for the framing

Another rush for lunch and it was soon time for our afternoon workshop which was an Indian Bird Hanging. This was great fun and we had such pretty Indian stamped fabric to use. I finished it at home adding some lovely beads I'd been wondering what they could be used for - never throw anything out!

Here is the Indian Bird Hanging in my workroom

I am really pleased with how lovely and cheerful it is

We had some more time for shopping and looking at the quilts. My favourite part of the show was the antique quilts which were on display. They dated as far back as the 18th century and were a fascinating look back into the history of this craft. Not only did the quilts tell you about how people lived but also the socio-economics of the eras and sometimes the political and religious stance of the maker. There are a lot of coded messages sewn into 'women's work' if you look closely. Here are some examples of these exquisite pieces:

Without the aid of electric lighting, magnifiers and modern

needlework accessories these women (and sometimes men)

made the most beautiful stitched quilts often

out of necessity rather than for pleasure alone

That evening we stayed on at the Festival because we had tickets to see Jenny Doan of Missouri Star Quilt Company's Trunk Show (that is a look back at the quilts she has made over the years). It was fun and informative and a real family affair. We all came away with lots of inspiration for how to use simple geometrical shapes to create lots of interesting blocks for a quilt.

Getting ready to watch the Trunk Show with Pauline and Pat - oh

and a glass of rosé!

Our hostess, Jenny Doan

Then it was back on the shuttle bus to the hotel where we enjoyed a buffet supper with very jolly and attentive staff who were super busy with Festival Quilt goers and a huge delegation of Jehovah Witnesses staying for their annual conference. Everyone was just so friendly and happy throughout our whole stay and it was a joy to experience how wonderful humanity can be.

The next morning (Saturday) I walked to the NEC along the lakeside which was delightful and met the others in the Bronze lounge for a coffee and our last workshop which was 'Enamel looking paper beads' our tutor had taken the Stencil and Stitch class and was super friendly and happy to see us return to one of her sessions. The technique was just so fascinating, simple and effective. This could well be addictive. Lots of things to be making at home in my workroom.

Simple ingredients cooked up some gorgeous beads

reminiscent of those sherbet lollies you enjoyed

as a child but looking cool as a bead for a necklace

We had a quick sandwich lunch before catching the shuttle back to the hotel where my lovely husband was waiting to pick us up and drive us home. We were absolutely exhausted, exhilarated and elated. So much to bring home and it was a good job I brought my gigantic quilted bag with me to absorb all that shopping.

Never knowingly overpacked

Well I suppose I ought to show you what I bought now - ha! as if I wouldn't be able to resist showing you some crafty gorgeousness from the Festival, here goes:

The Left Hookery kit for a crochet bowl bag

A Christmas cushion kit by Brenda Walker

A felted fox - an impulse buy - can't wait to make it

A Liberty mini quilt - the next in the series I am making

The felt from the Luna Lapin stand for a toy from this book

A Calico and Quilt kit for a Thread Roll

and a pattern for a Figgy Pudding Christmas Pudding

by Susan Smith

A cross stitch kit from The Cross Stitch Guild

And another

A purse kit from Dandelion Designs I've been eyeing

up for some years now

A Gail Pan Christmas mini quilt pattern

Oh dear, how did that get in my bag,

it's the new 'Postcard from the Highlands' fabric range

and it is simply beautiful

Some Ruby Star fabric for a workshop coming up

at my quilting group

And finally sitting in the garden at home working on one of 

the kits and in the background the finished

crochet kit bag in which I am housing my stitching.

If you have not been to the Festival of Quilts I would thoroughly recommend a visit. Be prepared for long, tiring days but so full of quilty goodness that you will never forget how wonderful a time you had and you will come home with lots of stash enhancement and fun kits to make, well I certainly did. I am already planning another visit next year.