Summer babies

There’s something about new babies that seems to get people knitting. Maybe the tiny size makes a project seem achievable, or maybe little ones just bring out the granny in us all. Certainly, knitting hats is always my quick and easy go-to baby gift. This works great, provided people have the good sense to have their babies in the winter. Come June, covering a little head in merino doesn’t seem such a great idea. So, inspired by this beautiful book (which is worth putting on your wish list right now) I attempted something a little more seasonal for my friend’s little chick. This bird doesn’t look quite delicate enough to fly, but the sentiment is there. Knitting hats is definitely easier.

Messy pieces

After years of spilling boxes of pins and cursing my lack of a pincushion I’ve finally got around to rectifying the situation. Years of procrastinating resulted in only minutes of stitching. I’ve spent longer digging pins out of the carpet than I did making this; I probably should have got around to it a little sooner. But, I am a procrastinator and these fabrics have been sat in a pile on my desk for over a month.

So today I threw out the tape measure and rotary cutter in favour of wonky lines and speedy completion. I love the haphazard appearance of Denys Schmidt‘s designs, although I suspect her patterns are a result of a little more planning than this. A little order and tidiness is great at times, but there is also a lot to be said for a project that is finished in the time it takes to bake banana muffins.

Patchwork pieces

It’s been a while since I did any patchwork quilting. The fiddly pieces of fabric and worry over matching up corners puts me off a little. And unlike knitting, there’s no way you can do it on the bus or in front of the telly. But making this gift at the weekend got me back in to the swing of things. Ever since, I’ve been pulling quilt books off the shelves and revisiting favourite Anna Maria Horner fabrics and Denyse Schmidt designs. I’m not sure I have the attention span for a whole blanket at the moment, but I’m sure I’ll be stitching a few more patchwork pieces soon.

Mothering

In one of my favourite songs Alela Diane sings of her mama giving her melodies that she will one day pass on to her own daughter. I love the thought of sharing and passing on the things we love best. I have many happy memories of baking and sewing with my mum as I grew up, and many more of us exploring new places by bicycle. So it seemed fitting this Mother’s Day to meet my mum at a favourite cafe, mid-bike ride, and give a hand-sewn gift.

Bikes, stitching and cake; three of my favourite things. And only a few of the marvellous things that my mum has passed on to me.

Chichester stitches

I’ve spent this sunny afternoon sitting in the garden and mulling over these new fabrics, found yesterday at the eternal maker. I travelled up to Chichester to visit my friend Kate, who introduced me to this treasure trove of fabric, buttons and trim.

I have often bemoaned the lack of any really great fabric shops in this country. Very Berry did a marvellous job, posting this comprehensive list of fabric sites online, but I still missed the inspiration of wandering through a place, touching the fabrics, and flicking through patterns. Whenever I visit Fabric Temptations, in my Grama’s home town I end up having to buy a larger suitcase for the journey back to England. So, you can appreciate my delight in finding a real-live bricks and mortar fabric shop (relatively) close to home!

The eternal maker could have claimed commission from Kate’s three-year-old daughter who led me round the place with delight and excitement in every button, zip and ribbon. We marvelled at the robot quilts, butterfly buttons and felt-sewn garden tools. Stacks of gorgeous fabrics fill this building, including Japanese prints in rich colours and thick cotton. I refrained from any big spending, but couldn’t resist these few bright prints, to add to the ever-growing list of Things To Make Next.