Thursday 19 January 2012

I couldn't resist being cheerful

Thank you Sweeties for all your lovely comments about my socks, I'm still being a little secretive-smiley about wearing them and knowing I made them with my very own hands. OK enough smug, more humble please!


I know that at this time of the year here in the Northern hemisphere it's easy for us all to lean into the "January Blues" and even easier to find little to feel cheerful about so if you are feeling somewhat blue why not try and take part or have a look at Penny's Reasons to be cheerful and it might {or I hope it will} make your week a little lighter. So here goes my reasons...





I have decided to make progress with my hexagon paper pierced hand stitched quilt for our girly Alice. I am really loving the therapeutic sewing, so soothing and a little addictive. I plan to work on this for months and months and have made Alice promise me that she will stamp her feet and yell like a wild feral thing if I decide to give in and make it small in view of my impatience.
Fabric source: Old, new, vintage, tea cloths, sheets, pillow cases, shweshwe, Alice's old clothes and anywhere I can find a scrap or two.


Who can complain that this fabric is not cheerful? Bought from here last Summer. The fact that I've retrieved it from the attic is progress in the right direction. I might just have that dress I'm dreaming of this Summer.


A little February something to look forward. This was my little Christmas present to myself {do you do that? Not sure where this little "tradition" of mine started but it sure as polar bears is not going to stop!}. I spotted the CK workshops advertised in the December copy of my Country Living Mag {which is actually the January issue} and thought for £16, a 2hour patchwork workshop in the Tunbridge Wells CK store and a copy of the book...Why not? Did I get a subliminal message when I booked this to get cracking on the hexagon patchwork? Hhhmmm!

  
My cheerful ADDICTION of needles and yarn... what more can I say? I am using up all scrapy left overs as Alice did here when she made the loveliest waste-not want-not vest. I'm knitting a little Pebble Vest that Alice has also so beautifully knitted too. 



And, last but not least a little Noro sock yarn to cheer the soul. I am hoping that little Miss. Alice will like this and allow me to grace her feet with some very old fashioned hand  knitted socks. I think I will add a little Alice in Wonderland twist to this yarn to encourage her to choose it, as it invokes thoughts of what kind of rabbit hole I would have liked to fall down and hopefully she'll agree? {we are going through an interesting exerting her independence phase at the moment, all good but a little challenging at times!} 

So to end off today some encouraging words;

If it’s snowing or it’s hailing,
Or late winter checks the spring –
If the northern wind is wailing,
Still this heart of mine will sing. 
                                                                                                             (sorry I can't remember where I scribbled this down)

Hope you have found this a little cheery too xox


16 comments:

  1. I LOVE your patchwork, it's gorgeous! I always wish I had the patience for handsewing, but I just can't do it!

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  2. Oooh what a lovely post, so many gorgeous things! I love the hexi patchwork, it's so therapeutic, you can't rush. There's a bit of drawing, a bit of cutting, then tacking and then stitching. It's like making a garden grow, and with your pretty fabrics it will look like a garden once you've finished! And I love the Noro yarn, I was quite overcome by it all when I was in my new LYS the other day, oh for more hours in the day!
    Thanks for joining in with the cheerfulness this week xxx

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  3. I'm just starting a paper pieced hexie project too (not one I'm ready to tell the world about yet though) ... the stitching together is so therapeutic isn't it. And I love your mixy matchy thrifty fabrics, little bits of history in a quilt.

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  4. Who could not feel cheery about Noro, I've still yet to have some of my very own, but every time I see someone else with it I am a tad jealous! Actually have you seen those huge blanket made in Noro....just gorgeous.

    Your patchwork is lovely, I do like the feeling of heritage in a piece like that.

    And how exciting to be going on a crafty course....one day......

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  5. I love the idea of Alice-inspired socks..let us know what she goes with! Lovely words at the end too. Very happy-making! :)

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  6. That fabric for your summer dress is wonderful...very vintage looking and just fabulous. Love it.

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  7. What a wonderfully cheerful post and I love the fabric for the summer dress.
    Those hexagon flowers look great, really like the ones with embroidery on. Have you seen the ones on Jane Brocket's blog. They will give you motivation if you feel like giving up.

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  8. I love your grandmother's hexes. That pattern was the very first one I used to make a quilt, I made it over 30 years ago and it graces my photo id and also can be seen on my blog pics. Isn't it grand to be able to make something from the reusable parts of things that are worn in the past, a scrap of a favorite dress, a piece of a baby dress, grandma's apron....love it! The great thing too is that you can sit and watch the tv while stitching and kill 2 birds with one stone. If I was Alice I would want to fall down a soft rabbit hole of yarn, I would either crochet or knit myself right out of it and love every minute while doing it, lol
    Keep warm, have a great day...
    Susanne :)

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  9. Hi Penelope, love your hexies...made with lots of scraps , just as they should be :0) If you want some hexie inspiration check out Marmalade Rose's latest post...if you haven't seen it already.
    I saw those workshops and would love to do one...sadly there were none near here.
    Jacquie x

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  10. What a fun quilt it will be, full of little fabric jewels. That appliqued and embroidered patch is beautiful.

    I have been dreaming of knitting a scrappy vest for years now. Great inspiration.

    Love the little verse at the end! Perfect for the weather in my neck of the woods.

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  11. Hexys looking good! Your gonna be sooo proud when you finally finish the quilt.

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  12. i'm feeling an itch i know i'll need to scratch...the hex patchwork is calling my name...did you see jane brocket's large hex's, and now seeing yours made with fabric from your daughter's clothes and tea-towels...brilliant!

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  13. Now I'm inspired to try my hand at some hexagons. Love yours and that Noro yarn colorway too!

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  14. The quilt is AMAZING! I especially love the one you put the little flower on. You go girl! Have a cheerful week!

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  15. I haven't tried patchwork like that since I was a child - I don't think I had the patience for it then, so I doubt I would now! I always think it looks beautiful though and I kept back some of my daughter's little dresses so I could do something like this with some of them.
    How are you getting on with 'never let me go'? I watched the film adaptation the other day and thought it quite good.

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  16. Oh my, I am SUPER jealous of your Cath Kidston patchwork workshop in Feb!! How utterly wwonderful...I cannot WAIT to see a post all about it when you've been.
    Your patchwork hexagons are really beautiful... You have made me want to raid all the fabric I can from around the house (and possibly my mothers house too) and make some for myself. Looking forward to seeing more progress pics soon. And you are absolutely right about the hand sewing, I too find it so soothing.

    xxx
    Louise

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