Surfing......

Oh I do like the occasional surf. It's so cold and miserable outside I've indulged in a little internet shopping therapy....well window shopping anyway. I suppose that would be 'screen' shopping?! Anyway.....came across this gorgeous little site, would love a couple of big lampshades for the living room....a girl can dream!

lush designs

Display preparation....

This display of my work was put togther by Debbie Flowerday during a very informative meeting with the Maltings Makers Textiles network. I was really pleased with it! What a difference a professional visual merchandiser can make - I would never have thought to do this myself. Thank you so much Debbie!

This is my photo for the Festival of Crafts at The Maltings in Farnham. It's quite exciting! (The festival, not the photo). I do enjoy a bit of photography, scrambling around on the floor feeling all creative and getting a bit grubby - all in the name of art darhling! I love this little quilt with it's designer fabric (Lotta Jansdotter) combined with the lilac panels from a vintage tablecloth. Every piece is individually cut by hand to fit together like a jigsaw - but you don't have a picture of the finished article, and the pieces are all the wrong size to start with! It's a time consuming process which results in a different, tailored, quilt each time. The pom-pom trim is a touch of 3-D whimsy! 

Flushed with success (ok, that's a bad one!)

Who knew you can change the sound of your toilet filling up after you flush it?! I'm stupidly excited about this. The new toilet didn't have the 'gubbins' it was supposed to in the cistern - and the replacement that was provided was er, 'insert a suitable toilet word for rubbish'.
This inlet valve (from your local DIY superstore - the plumbing bit, yes I never go there either!) fills the cistern so much more quietly than the usual one (useful in an en-suite or loo near your bedroom). I'm so impressed!!! It actually makes the toilet sound more expensive (well, car manufacturers spend a lot of time working on how the shutting the doors sounds.....so I'm not THAT weird.........

Another 50 shades of grey....

When I bought the crackle-glazed grey bathroom tiles, I knew matching a paint with them would be challenging. I love grey. I think it's got an understated elegance. It's so often used in the set for 1940's-50's films and looks stunning. A great backdrop for showing off other colours. Trying to match greys however - is a different matter, some are pink-y based, some are blue-y. It was an issue I'd already come across picking the fabrics for this quilt (opposite), trying to match the plain fabric with the printed branches. It takes great care and viewing in a variety of lights (daylight, artificial light, even different times of day). 

After very careful perusal of the colour swatches I invested in a paint tester, fairly confident in my choice. How wrong was I?! Five tester pots later....(this is getting expensive - why didn't I just settle on 'cream')...and my bathroom walls now resemble one of my patchwork quilts. I have to say, reading 50 Shades of Grey was much more enjoyable than watching paint dry! 

A day on the tiles...

I've bought some lovely Laura Ashley (who's sponsoring the textile group I'm involved in setting up at The Maltings) grey tiles. I bought them for £8 sq metre instead of the full price of over £30! I love a bargain.



Laura Ashley photo - not my bathroom.

I braced myself to lift them from the trolley into my car, aware that a chap was watching me. To my surprise he quickly stepped up and offered his help (chivalry is not dead!).

"Cor these are heavy!" he exclaimed through gritted teeth as he lifted them.
I thought, 'Yeah I know' a) I'm stronger than I look b) I'm not stupid - that's why I accepted your help mate!

Any one know a good bender?

Project bathroom is under way. I'm finally feeling confident that the leaks (numerous volumes and sources) have been sorted.

Half of the floor had to be removed after one leak.

Confident enough to replace the grey-green bathroom suite - who ever thought that was a good idea?! - with a shiny white one. I'm sooooo looking forward to a lovely bathroom to relax in - although that is a long way off as I'm too tight/too much of a control freak to get trades involved!

After dusting off the DIY manual I came across this little gem of advice 'it is not easy to bend 22mm pipe over your knee. You are advised to hire a professional bender.' I wonder where I could find one of those......

"The thongs of the saddle world"

After a very busy day of running around....somehow I found myself in a local pub! Apart from the draft beer, my favourite thing in a pub is to 'eaves-drop' 'ear-wig' or a.k.a. listening into other people's conversations (yes Mother, I know you taught me not to!)

It was impossible not to hear the conversation going on at the next table, as I sipped an ice-cold beer. Two smartly dressed, grey-haired gentleman were talking very, very loudly. There was some serious male posturing going on. Their conversation turned to the olympics and a mutual passion for cycling, and how beautiful Box Hill is (yes it is). And discussing the bikes themselves, how modern saddles are so slim. 'Much more comfortable than those wide padded ones we had' one gent assured the other. 'Oh yes, these are like the thongs of the saddle world'......... I nearly spat out my beer......

Are you looking at my spread?

This is the first vintage hand-embroidered tablecloth I bought. It started a small obsession. I'll never part with this one - it's too useful! I love using it outdoors in the summer - weather permitting. The quality of the linen and the embroidery is superb. 

I firmly believe we should use pretty things and not save them for 'best'. This cloth makes me smile every time I see it - and I can't get enough of smiling and feeling good! If you've got something tucked away that you love....why not get it out today? You deserve to feel good too!

Loving your quilt.

Here's a few quick guildelines about looking after your quilt.
The pretty exterior disguises the fact that my quilts are pretty tough things, because of the top quality materials and traditional construction techniques. Quilts were always made to last! A bit of tender loving care means they look good and last for even longer, a real potential heirloom, creating a bit of your family history.

How do I wash my quilt?  

If stated - I've already washed it in my home washing machine. Use what ever is your choice of washing powder (ideally a colour-safe one) and fabric condidtioner. Avoid the Silk and Wool ones though - they can make cottons go yellow.

How do I dry my quilt?

Preferably flat and out of direct sunlight. Not always practical or possible! I like to line dry mine (hang with the back outwards towards the sun) as they dry much more quickly. You can tumble dry on a low heat but this will slightly speed up the ageing process....as it does with clothes. But the option is there.

How do I store my quilt?

Use it! They are designed and made to be used wherever you want, on the bed, hanging on the wall, on the back of the sofa, as a table protector - wherever your imagination takes you. Avoiding direct sunlight is a good idea. Not only does it fade fabric dyes it also damages the natural fibres, leading to weakness in the fabric and then holes.

My quilts are made of all natural fibres. Exactly like your cotton clothes - and aren't they hard wearing!

If you are a storage fantantic - avoid direct contact with untreated wood as the acids in the wood can react with cotton. Fold carefully and pad the folds with acid-free tissue paper. There are many detailed articles on the internet.

For more advice try here : Quilting 101

Does my bump look big in this?

The only time it is not only socially acceptable, but actively encouraged, to guess a woman's girth is at a baby shower. An American phenomenon that seems to be gaining popularlity this side of the pond. I went to Jeanette's yesterday, held in a pub under the flight path of the Farnborough Air Show!

Taken by my Dad - Michael Foot

There was some amazing flying as they showed us what the planes can do and the noise of the Vulcan just turned everyone to mush. Fortunately baby stayed where he was - I'm sure it was quieter in there! I discovered my hidden talent....guessing the number of sweets in jar :-) An aptitude test showed that I'm one of the few people think of numbers visually/with a gut sense. So I suppose it should have come naturally to me. I use it while making the quilts too. There is a lot of mathematics involved in calculating the amounts of fabrics and designing. That's what I enjoy - combining the maths with creativity.

Craft Displays

My thoughts have been on the up-coming craft fair with Malting Makers. I haven't sold at a craft fair before and the whole thing is quite daunting - I've never even done a car boot sale! There's so much to think of....banners, table display (getting a table - I wonder if they have them there), labels, leaflets? This week I've decided to concentrate on thinking about ways to display.

http://seaflowerstudios.com/

This photo was taken by my lovely Canadian Etsy e-mail/pen-pal Marissa at The Spot on Queen Design Market. An inflatable sofa makes such practical sense, I bet children jump all over it though.

Of course I have to be practical and think about how I'm going to store any display stands etc. afterwards.

Maybe something like a wooden airer

would be useful as it doesn't rely on fixing anything to a wall. A window display in TopShop caught my eye. There was a traditional wheelback chair opposite a desk - but the chair was painted matt pink. The mixture of traditional and modern made me smile. And does fit in with my vintage fabrics mixed in with the modern. I shall think about painting a new clothes airer. Pink or soft green.....or maybe one of each?

I should never look at Farrow and Ball! So many pretty colours!!!

If anyone has any ideas - please feel free to comment - all ideas welcome :)

Jammy Cow.

Actually no cows were harmed in the making of this blog post!

Despite the entirely unseasonal weather we've been experiencing in Hampshire this year - the calender tells me it's actually mid-summer. So my thoughts turn to jam-making. I have absolutely no talent when it comes to jams or marmalades - I'm a natural pickler tho :) (can't be good at everything!!). This year I have invested in a jam thermometer - or should I say a 'sugar thermometer' as the lady in the shop corrected me. If it doesn't improve my jam skills I can now make caramel!

Every year I buy fresh apricots when they are half-price - because I'm convinced I have a pickled apricot recipe. I don't. I have a yummy pickled peach recipe! Cue return trip to supermarket to buy the neccesary stuff for making jam..... So, I'm stocked up with sugar and apricots. There really isn't much more to it - so the recipe says. But my creative streak outs itself again. I've got some Lemon Balm growing outside...I wonder if that would be nice. Sounds it should be nice - 'Apricot and Lemon Balm Jam'. A quick internet search (I can't see an exact recipe) reveals that I should probably flavour the sugar with the herb first.

While back in the supermarket - the peaches were better than half-price! Cue - pickled peaches (see below). Peaches smell so yummy while cooking! Here's the recipe...www.deliaonline.com Now I have to wait 6 weeks until they are ready.......

I went on to make Rhubarb and Vanilla Jam. I tried using only one vanilla pod (expensive) and a mixture of sugar - as I didn't have a kilo of jam sugar but did have some golden vanilla sugar.

Oh dear, I've been a very lazy blogger. I got quite stuck into twitter @rebeccasroom and I find once I've written something somewhere - it goes straight out of my head! This is all new to me!! Things have been moving forward in leaps and bounds. I'm now a pioneer member of Maltings Makers. We've just had our first monthly meeting at The Maltings in Farnham. We are a collective of textile workers - not that we weave cotton or sew undearwear in factory - but we all work with textiles in one form or another. There's an upcoming Festival of Crafts in October that we plan to be, erm, doing something at! As I said, it's all very new. Watch this space :)

27th February 2012

What happened to February!? 

I went to the Unravel festival at The Farnham Maltings on 25th February. It was incredibly busy, packed with coffee drinking knitters (and some very stressed out other halves!). 

I found the promotional material more interesting than the actual fair (sorry stall holders - the yarn etc was LOVELY but when you are on a student budget - there's only so much window shopping you can do when packed into a hall like sheep in a barn ready for shearing!) 

There were numerous installations around the town centre. My favourites were the knitted lampost 'cosy' complete with laminated QR code. I don't have a reader on my phone (another thing to do!) so I presume that it linked to Unravel.

The choice of multicoloured neon yarn was certainly eye-catching too! I love the mix of modern and traditional hand knitting. I think this is a theme that just appeals to me - I do the same with my quilts, mixing vintage embroidered tablecloths with ultra-modern Scandinavian fabrics and the traditional quilting techniques.








Another installation that confused town-gowers were the crocheted? helium balloon cosies. Inspired! Bobbing over the River Wey. The town certainly went soft on Saturday in a multicoloured way.

Finally inside The Maltings was a ceiling installation of coloured yarns. I wonder how many other people noticed it - everyone was far too busy concentrating on being polite and trying to not walk into each other with sharp pointy sticks! I have a real soft spot for these treasures in unlikely places - it makes me feel special when I find them!

I spent far too much on buttons (I think I was a magpie in a former life) that I know WILL come in useful! And some of the stall holders had empty baskets, 1 hour into the show. All goes to show how popular knitting is as a hobby.

Apparently there is a quilting equivalent festival each January, I'll have to start saving now!

9th February 2012

My ickle 15 minutes of internet fame....got my treasury chosen my Etsy for their front page :-)) I curated it early one Saturday morning while sipping my coffee out of my favorite mug (hence the mug shot!) Considering that thousands are uploaded to the site every day, it is really flattering to have my selection chosen to represent Etsy. I thought I hadn't shut the computer down properly, but when I checked on my phone it was definitely there and I didn't dream it!

6th February 2012

Right then, it's time to get a bit more business minded. I have been advised to think a bit more 'niche'. Hmmmmm, what to do........ I love the vintage embroidered tablecloths, and taking the damaged ones forward into the future (by working around the stains, holes, age spots - they end up in the bin!). Do I concentrate on my idea of mixing embroidered pieces with contemporary fabrics in quilts? Or make other things with the daisy patterned fabrics (I love the daisy embroidered ones the most....those crinilene ladies in the big skirts, another popular motif, do nothing for me). Or both? Decisions, decisions. But I think the knitting will go on the back burner for a bit. Watch this space :-)

1st February 2012

The first month of the year is over! My daffodils are springing up and some of the herbs are even growing....I must let them get bigger this year before eating them. I've released my washcloth that can be personalised with anyone's name in my Etsy shop. They are just so soft. Handy in a family - no arguing about which cloth is yours! And if you go camping...ahh camping, in the warm summer maybe!

30th January 2012

Ahh birthday weekend - didn't get a great deal done! (apart from having fun!) Back to work now though. To be precise, my drawing course at Open College of Arts.

25th January 2012

Introducing my organic cotton super-soft handknitted washcloth. Knitted to my own pattern I can work the name of your choosing into the cloth. It's knitted in, so there is nothing to unravel. These cloths last for years....

24th January 2012

Did my first listing on Etsy yesterday (thankfully I re-painted that door last summer)! The photographs are just as difficult to achieve as I thought they would be! Particularly this time of year - when it's so dark. I was dashing around according to the few hours of sunshine in the morning. I need to take more photos but it's so grey and dark outside today, I'm going a sun-dance!

22nd January 2012

I love this digital age.  Yesterday I spent an entire morning trying to buy some quality white cotton fabric. After trying three fabric shops, I gave up, went home, and within minutes had bought some on-line. Along with some beautiful Lota Jansdotter fabric - oops! (Don't tell my husband!) 

I got thinking about how photography has changed over the past few years. While I feel nostalgic about my old A-1, this is purely for the history we have together. The bands we've seen, the friendships that have been maintained or re-forged through the photos and facebook (technology again!) and the element of surprise.....will that photo come out as I hope? I love her metal body and the clunk of her shutter. But, I don't miss going out to buy film, then taking the exposed film to the chemist or posting it....waiting days for the pictures to come back..... realizing how to improve the pictures.....and repeat....the whole process could take weeks! And without a darkroom - any image manipulation had to be done 'in camera' and any cropping with a sharp knife! Now I've use GIMP . (It's not kinky, like the name may suggest!).

Sadly, too often it's the quantity of photographs that has increased, not the quality. Hey ho, at least I don't have physically sit through hours of other people's holiday slides.....one click on the internet and it's all over!

19th January 2012

Marmalade takes a long time to make - but smells amazing, and there's no waiting period before you can eat it! (which makes me happy, I like eating and hate waiting). I managed to get hold of some Seville oranges from my local greengrocer, along with a debate about imperial and metric weights. Me - 'Can I have 450g please?' Him - 'Oh you mean a pound' Me - 'Ok, can I have a pound please?' Him-  'Ah, well that would be 454g' (I was losing the will to obtain fruit at this point) Him - 'Well these weigh 500g' Me - 'That will do!' 

I 'bottled it' and used some preserving sugar (to guarantee a good set - I wasn't going to boil orange peel for 2 hours and risk ending up with a runny marmalade!).  The end result is a three jars of yummy strong marmalade and a kitchen that still has a variety of sticky spots that appear to be resistant to the strongest cleaners available to woman-kind and a good dollop of elbow grease.....