Patchwork - Folksy Friday No 36

When looking to see who has added my shop to their favourites this week, I came across a shop which was new to me. Popping over to look at the shop window I found that I loved every one of the items on display!

I have long liked patchwork. I love stitching my own designs and enjoy the work of others. The idea of using scraps and re-using un-worn parts of previously loved items appeals to me. I have my daughter's baby and toddler dresses safely stored for an 'I will find time one day' project - precious memories revisited.  Many of my favourite items on Flickr are examples of crazy patchwork - wonderfully inventive, heavily embellished and very time consuming.

There are many beautiful patchwork items to admire amongst the Folksy stores. I wanted to share these with you. Two of them are from Poppypatchwork, my 'new discovery'. Click on any item to visit it on its Folksy shelf.








Candy Kisses x
Poppypatchwork
Poppypatchwork
Gaia Noir
Gracie's Garden Bazaar
Daisywillow

Canals, Cranes and Crafts

A lovely week-end spent pottering in and around the lovely Shropshire market town of Ellesmere.

Only about ten miles from home it might seem a bit daft to visit a campsite for two nights. Our trips may seem a little eccentric to some folks - but each to their own. We had a great time, until this morning when last night's rain having softened the ground, rendered us immobile until we enlisted the help of JCB to give us a tow!!!

Both kids were away doing Scouts things and we didn't think we should go far in case one of them fell out of a tree, or similar - both a bit accident prone. Actually they seem OK - apart from a scorched left eyebrow for daughter, having sat too close to the camp fire!

We installed ourselves on the campsite on Friday evening and on Saturday morning set off in walking boots for the town centre and craft fair.

I bought a lovely basket, made by someone we know, at the fair. Visited a craft gallery, bought some felt for Brownies and lace and tapestry wool for me and took quite a few photos. a few more words and some photos throughout this week.

Whilst there I stitched a brooch featuring clover. One of the photos has been taken as a reference for a new series of embroideries - more details later.

Not having to drive home, both evenings were spent cooking good food and enjoying a glass or two of wine. All this and the diesel hardly cost us anything!

Beach Combing

It was my birthday at half term. Many folks might consider birthday celebrations to consist of posh clothes and nights out. I suppose we might be considered a little odd, but I decided a day out on Anglesey would be the thing to do.

It was sunny as we drove past Llandudno and through the Conwy tunnel. It was quite sunny as we approached Bangor, but somewhere about there it turned a little more cloudy and it was certainly windy and very cold. Nothing that thermal socks and three layers of fleece topped with two hats and a waterproof can't fix! My hands suffered the most - fleece gloves being a little too clumsy for small treasures on the beach. We walked first at Red Wharf Bay - trying to beat the incoming tide. These photos are from my husband's camera:

Then back to the van for hot bacon and sausage baps ( we did have lots of healthy salady things with them) and hot tea as essential hand-warmers. Then back to Beaumaris, just after high tide and very cold by now. My son has some reasonable photos of this part of the day - I'll try and get his camera tomorrow. Back towards the bridge at dusk and this floodlit shot of the 'old bridge':

We meant to cook tea part way home, but decided it was too cold and brought the food back with us.

It was a few days before I had chance to examine my sandy treasures. Strange how collecting criteria change. As a child, I was only interested in perfect specimens. Now the little holes, which often feature on shells, are 'stitching holes'; the spiral centres of badly damaged shells both interesting and easy to anchor with simple stitches. Perfect specimens are rather more of a challenge. Pity I previously discarded so many, kindly drilled by nature.

A quick rummage through my 'craft store' combined with recent finds allowed me to produce this. (More details about the background and the merits of not disposing of bead looms on ebay another day):

Shoreline - Folksy Friday No 35

After last week's sea glass collecting trip to Anglesey, I have been experimenting with embroidery using glass, shells and pebbles. The exercise has inspired this week's selection. Click on any item to see it in its Folksy shop.

Nature's Larder

Driftwooddreams

Fragments of Light

Laura Cameron

JAusten Jewellery Design

LCGCreations