Wednesday 15 February 2012

Sweet sleep and pillowcases

Hello again! This week has become a guilty pleasure for me as I normally take time off work in the February half term school holidays to chaperone for ESSPA, Alice's performing arts school. This year they are doing Peter Pan and our Alice is a lost boy for musical theatre and a forest fawn for ballet. Her outfits are rather lovely too. We have English granny and gramps coming to see the show tonight, my mum and dad got to see her almost 4 years ago when they were over from South Africa, I wish we could teleport them here by some magical machine for the show. 


Anyway, to cut long story short I have chaperoned for the last 3 years, my licence ran out in January this year and could not be renewed in time, so I have had this week off with quite a few pockets of "me" time. Time to potter in town, cycle along the coast, oh and to indulge in some charity shop browsing. On Monday I found some pretty pillow cases and embroidered cloth.



One of the pillow cases is a romantic rose from Laura Ashley and is so crushy cotton like, perfect for the sweetest slumber. I was pleased to get two pillow cases of the same old (probably 60's or 70's) fabric and knew exactly what I wanted to do with them. My inspiration was pinned on one of my Pinterest boards here. To say that I have been gagging to make these pretty pillow cases is an understatement, just had no time. So, with the time and pillow cases why not indulge?




I remembered that I had some of this pretty pink crochet cotton in my stash and I bought some fabric dress making pencils for my embroidery efforts.




So yesterday afternoon while Alice was at her dress rehearsal, I promptly got myself into my cosy bed, put Radio 4 on and started on the crochet edge as per this tutorial




It didn't take too long to make the borders for the two pillow cases and I was pleased with how straight forward it was to crochet up.




Now, I could not just stop there, look at how "loose/porous" that old fabric is! It needed a stitch or two.




I used my new fabric dress making pencils to write the words knowing that they would easily wash away. I thought of some of the words we have always said to Alice as she has layed down her sleepy head over the years. So here's what I stitched...




Precious child lay down your weary head.




Alice came in at 22h30 last night after her performance and bleary eyed said she loved them. We both like nature's palette of green and pink together and although she has outgrown having all things pink as such she appreciates a hint of it here and there.




My urge to stitch words continues, it really is super easy and if you can thread a needle then you can do it I promise. Start with an easy shape like a circle or square and get confident about back stitching {which enables your stitches to closely follow each other rather than have a space between them}.




It was sooooo lovely to crochet again, I have no plans on what I will be making next but I do hope my inspiration, light bulb moments involve some hooky! I have also finished knitting Alice's socks this week which I will log here sometime soon.


Hope you've enjoyed visiting today, oh and welcome to new followers and oh dear I have been meaning to mention a big THANKS to Little Orphan Skein and Karisma for my blog awards. Much appreciated indeed and heart warming to think that you enjoy popping in. I don't want to sound ungrateful and really appreciate that you think my ramblings are worthy of reading and/or commenting on but as Annie of Knitsofacto blog explained so eloquently here, I am just grateful for a comment and awards have rules and conditions... not something I want on my blog. I have partaken in them before and feel like I have run out of things to say about myself! I really do hope my decision to stop taking awards on board has not offended anyone.


Sending you all warm wishes
and sweet dreams
xox 


ps. If you want to see the most precious handmade bedtime boy quilts do pop over to my beautiful friend Bronwen's blog at Hey cherry and see what she has lovingly created for her boys x

17 comments:

  1. You are so clever, the pillowcaees are a lovely idea. Have you seen those hooks with a very pointy end for just that job of poking through material to make an edge? Very clever idea, but they look a little lethal!

    I love to see the thing you craft, Alice is a lucky girl to have such a crafty mum, but I'm guessing she already knows it!

    ReplyDelete
  2. i love your creations! those pretty vintage pillow cases are so lovely! and the hand embroidery is really special ;0)X
    Ive been catching up on posts...you have such a lovely blog x

    I too get Awards and they are much appreciated but it does feel a bit Q's and twenty answers and i feel ive done it quite a fair bit to bore everyone again...I think an award shouldnt come with a list of rules- just a pretty award would do perfectly!...;0) (they always look a bit tacky too)...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. hope alice#s enjoys her performance! -- I watched Peter Pan at my Twinnys college where she worked...The college was aimed at performing arts and the stage and set was something so spectacular !- Enjoy!

      Delete
  3. The crochet edging looks very pretty. What a lucky girl to come home to such a sweet surprise!
    You are very talented.
    Take care, Sue xxx

    ReplyDelete
  4. The pillow cases look lovely, I have just started to follow your Pinterest boards too. (I am also ambivalent about awards/tags, I always appreciate the thought but as you say the conditions etc are rather annoying. Congratulations anyway!)

    ReplyDelete
  5. Love your idea with the crochet edging, it looks great......xx

    ReplyDelete
  6. What a beautiful idea they look gorgeous. Alice will have so many wonderful memories tied up in the things you make for her. Enjoy the rest of your week, dee x

    ReplyDelete
  7. I love the idea of the crochet edging, and the bed time words are a lovely idea. My father always used to say 'Hasta MaƱana' to me when we said goodnight. I carried it on with my own children but William turned it into 'Hasta bunny banana' (which tells you a lot about Thomas' little brother!) and I don't think that would work on a pillow case!
    T C and the boys are going to see Peter Pan tonight, I wonder if they'll recognise Alice?
    I hope it goes well.
    Congratulations on the award, it's very well deserved. I too have had to give up on anything which requires lots of conditions. The last one I got wanted me to pick 30 - THIRTY(!)other blogs to pass it on to, sorry I just don't have time!
    Enjoy the rest of the week,
    love Penny (and of course, Higgins!) xxx

    ReplyDelete
  8. I love the pillow, and the sayings on it, what a lovely sweet idea that she will remember and cherish forever!!
    I am loving crochet edgings at the moment, I've been doing them on bunting.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Great minds think alike on awards then ;D Much pillow case love from me, sooooo pretty :D

    ReplyDelete
  10. I love your stitching! The pillowcase is lovely. Take care!

    ReplyDelete
  11. these are just fabulous Penelope! I am definitely going to go op shopping and find some gorgeous old pillowcases and make some people some lovely gifts!
    thank you for the inspirationXXXXX

    ReplyDelete
  12. Oh oh oh your pillowcases are wonderful! If anything could make me pick up a crochet hook it would be to make those pillow edgings. I've loved them for a long time and whenever I see someone doing it I wish I wasn't so clumsy with needles and yarn.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Somehow I guess you were a wee bit disappointed you couldn't chapperone and then probably thrilled to have a bit of you time. Sounds perfect all cosy in bed, radio on and making. Love the pillow and bet Alice was really thrilled.

    X

    ReplyDelete
  14. Very taken with this post and I've linked to my blog. Pop across to see.

    ReplyDelete
  15. Gorgeous pillowcase - how can Alice fail to have sweet dreams when sleeping on such prettiness?! X

    ReplyDelete
  16. The pillow cases are gorgeous! And I hear you on the awards thing. I feel much the same myself. (((HUGS)))

    ReplyDelete