Welsh Tapestry Re-invented

So much creativity!

Yesterday my younger assistant came with me to a Beginners Knit class, she was on hand to make tea and generally assist.  We met some lovely ladies, Tracey, Alison, Cathryn, Brooke, Katie and Janet and have hopefully pushed/shoved them a little bit further along the knitting road. 

 After a business lunch I caught up with housework - never ending - while Miss Belle got out the sewing machine found a Barbie Movie - awful -  on the computer and generally had a very good time playing on her own.  I have taught her well!

Simple Antique Waxed Canvas Tote

All colours are now in the shop;

minimalist black with black stitching,

 dark brown, chestnut, cherry red and navy, all with heavy bright white linen top stitching.

Brass tone eyelets and pure cotton braided rope.

This proper waxed canvas will only get better with age.

Birmingham Rag Market and Jamie's Italian.

Our usual half term treat of an excellent lunch at Jamie's after a turn around the Rag Market.

A  £3.99 jar of Nutella from Selfridges, (the same jar is £1.69 in the Co-Op), purely because he never gets anything with his name on and feels he is missing out.

This savvy shopper later argued her point for the £1.69 jar and is going to customise 

- handmade rocks!

Product Development

Playing around with waxed labels.

Half term creativity, a new pair of school shoes means a new bed for Boo.

Transportation.

Manx Tweed and full on 70's.

Vintage French Linen Tote

I found some fab linen - new - in vintage French style.

Still in love with eyelets.

This one makes me think deck chair and seaside.

Oh Baby

I used to have one of these, the baby and the bib!

The baby is nine and the bib only gave up the ghost last year,

it has a second career as a dishcloth - without ties.

Off to an imminent babe of a spinner I know.

Mind The Gap And The Brooding Hunstman!

Christmas present Mind The Gap yarn is knit up and in use.

A bit of self gifting from Lamington Lass on Etsy,

sock yarn with a bit of sparkle for dull old February,

already balled up and cast on.

Proper Old School

I don't know how I've managed to get through life without proper tarpaulin or eyelets.

They are even stitched with some very old - maybe 60 years - thick nylon thread.

They pass the 3 x Leon test - 4kg - easily.

Nice bit of pure cotton braided rope.

Look at that perfect stitching!

Look at that eyelet!

Think I need to get over myself.

In the shop now.

Zip a dee doo dah

A busy morning of admin.

To get to this stage for one of the bags above for example,  I have to scour England for some top notch vintage bark cloth - this was actually from Wales,  deconstruct,  give it a good long soapy soak, dry,  press,  cut,  stitch,  add the finishing touches - leather pull,  photograph,  edit,  upload to Etsy or deliver to a fine emporium I know.

Well worth the effort to resurrect some fabulous vintage fabrics.

 1930's Sewing Bee is back on Etsy - the print is a new fabric, the back a vintage denim.

A lovely bit of Harris Tweed rescued from a skirt.

Love my Japanese linens.

Can't get enough of  1950's Bark cloth - 

"How is it here?"

My favourite ever comment.

The ducklings were left over from some trousers I made fourteen years ago for Louis,

 he's more of an Air Cadet now though.

The Easter Bunny is just around the corner.

You'll find some on Etsy and some at Saltline

and some have already been posted off to their new owners.

Christmas Family Socks!

My christmas-time knitting was off the needles at the beginning of January but it takes a lot of organising to get us all together for a photo, not to mention being photo bombed by Percy.

Chunky Raggsock yarn from Midwinter Yarns.

Two and a half to three balls for an adult pair and and two for a nine year old.

Housekeeping!

It's always worth keeping on top of the cleaning.

  I broke a needle which fell in to the machine,

 so I flipped out the bobbin race and undid a few screws

 and then a few more and a few more 

and then I realised I could get in underneath and so it went on.  

The top photo show my fluffed up cog!