An Heirloom of the Future.

I have something very special to show you today.

Isn't this beautiful?

This is Blackwork. Yep. I know it's red, but it's still called Blackwork.

Last year after exhausting his interest in Hardanger embroidery, my Dad discovered cross stitch embroidery. (He has to have something to keep him occupied in the winter months when he can't get out in the garden or in the garage.)
Well after a year of stitching the most beautiful traditional cross stitch samplers I decided he might like a new challenge, so I bought him a Blackwork book for Christmas.

I know it's only been a couple of months but I've already lost count of how many pieces he's finished. So on his last visit at the end of January I happened to mention that I would dearly love a Blackwork sampler to hang on my wall, hint, hint.

I was allowed to choose the parts I liked from the sampler charts in the new book
and the colours in which the piece would be made.

Hey Presto, a couple of weeks later my beautiful heirloom arrived.

Complete with the obligatory name, year it was made and his age.

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Thank you Dad, for a true family heirloom.

Made and received with love.

xxx

A New Hat

"I have a hat. It is graceful and feminine and has a wide brim with a red ribbon around the band. It gives me a certain dignity, as if I were attending a state funeral or something. People are generous in their compliments. Someday I may get up enough courage to wear it, instead of carrying it." From "Women Who Wear Hats Stand Heads Above the Rest" (by Irma Bombeck)

"A hat is a shameless flatterer, calling attention to an escaping curl, a tawny braid, a sprinkling of freckles over a pert nose, directing the eye to what is most unique about a face. Its curves emphasize a shining pair of eyes, a lofty forehead; its deep brim accentuates the pale tint of a cheek, creates an aura of prettiness, suggests a mystery that awakens curiosity in the onlooker." (Jeanine Larmoth)

"You cannot hide in a hat; you will be noticed, especially by men. To men, you become a lady when you don a hat--one who they rush to open doors for. To women, you become an inspiration, reminding them that they have a closet full of hats they have not had the courage to wear."

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Aren't these 'hat quotes' wonderful? Maybe there is some truth in them too, I popped out in my new hat this afternoon and had a gentleman smile and step aside for me to walk in font of him! I'll maybe have to start wearing one all the time. lol

I crocheted this one in a single evening, making a basic beanie hat but adding a partial brim a bit like a bonnet so that it wouldn't get in the way of a scarf or collar at the back. I was after something close fitting that wouldn't be whipped away by the wild hilltop winds, but with a small brim to stop the icy rain from going in my eyes.
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I originally bought the wool (Twilleys Freedom Spirit 100% wool) over a year ago with the intention of crocheting a cloche hat and then felting it in the washing machine but doing it this way is a bit hit and miss as the wool shrinks so much.


So in the end I used two strands of yarn together and just crocheted the hat and then made a fleece lining for it, to stop the wind whistling through.

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And it's luuuuuuurvely, sooooo snuggly and warm.


I surely needed that cosy new hat when we visited Sedbergh, where I visited this little shop.

Would you like to go inside?

A little treasure trove of vintage pretties.

books and crockery

kitchen ware and thing-a-ma-bobs.

eiderdowns and linens.

bits and...

bobs.

Oh, I nearly forgot; apparently the word fettle is an old Yorkshire word meaning to mend.

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Right I'm off now, there's fettling to be done.

love fi x

Shop, Shop, Selling.

Here it is, my little craft stall at the Vintage and Collectors Fair last weekend. Thanks to all of your best wishes I had a good day even though it didn't start quite how I expected and I was very nervous being a craft stall virgin and all!

It doesn't look as though there is much there but golly it all took a long time to make!

Actually... if you think, I created every item on that table then...yeah, I suppose there is quite a lot there for 5 weeks prep.

Lets have a little walk around the room, it won't take long as it was only a small room. The big hall was already in use for the usual monthly auction, so space was extremely limited but hopes are high that it will expand over the next few months.

This is Keith with all of his goodies.
I especially liked the three black and white prints of Whitby.

Paulines table with some beautiful shell purses.

Here's the lovely Jenny's stall, well half of it,

here's the rest, look at all of those scrummy fabrics, very tempting indeed!

Can you see that gorgeous floral tapestry dangling at the front, swoon!
I must say a big thank you to Jenny for looking after me so well.

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The fair went down very well even though the weather misbehaved itself very badly indeed. Gales and horizontal rain with lots of local flooding.

Actually it's no better today so I've spent the day uploading some pretties to my

Folksy shop.

Elegant white lavender bags made from vintage linens and lace.

Hippety hoppety embroidered bunnies.

A rosey round cushion


and a lovely one off piece of vintage embroidered linen, now a plumptious cushion complimented with a bit of 30's style border.

And the very popular Springtime Bags

And this...

Well temptation got the better of me...

The most wonderful length of vintage paisley eiderdown fabric just happened to float over from Jennys stall to my shopping basket.

Don't know how it happened!

Honest!
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Thank you for all of your encouragement.

I'm glad to have you along on my crafting journey.

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love fi x

Lolloping Along

Things here in the MarmaladeRose household are lolloping along at a rare old speed. Well for some of us they are! Others like to take things easy. Can you believe that after 3 unsuccessful attempts at getting on the sofa (she's not allowed) Sneaky Dog winged to go out of the room. I thought she need to go out for a wee but no, she took me over to the furry bean bag in the kitchen and rested her chin on it, meaning 'I want to lay on this!'

So here she is on what is now HER furry beanbag in prime location in front of the fire in the sitting room! Anything for a quiet life.Back to lolloping.
In 3 days time I'm taking part in my first ever craft fair, well actually it's a Vintage and Collectors Fair. By the way, you are all more than welcome. Hence the amount of frantic crafting and lack of blogging of late. (v. sorry)
Yes Friday is D day, and Saturday too as it's over 2 days.
This is a new fair and monthly booking have been made throughout the rest of the year.

So these are my little vintage style brooches; see everything I'm making has a vintage vibe as I don't have anything collectible to sell only my vintage embroidered linens. Is it all slotting into place now?

Good.

This one is my favourite.

Lots of hand stitching.

But back to lolloping...

Hmmmm can you smell it?

I've been making my own bread for the last 2 or 3 months the old fashioned way by hand.

Needless to say I've been eating most of it too.

With lots of real butter.

Well it would be a crime to put anything else on homemade bread wouldn't it!

Back to life lolloping along...

Sneaky dog knows when we're out on a walk she's not allowed through the squeeze gates before me but she just can't help herself. If only you could watch her trying back out of the tiny opening, turn on that narrow top step and then squeeze back past me coming up the steps, it's soooo funny.


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Back to life-a-lolloping

Special events have taken place.
Where does the time go?

#2 decorated the cake, would you believe her first time with the piping bag!
We think she did an excellent job. Hmmm...who's birthday is it next?

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loll op, loll op,

much stitching of... bunny ears
hoppity lollop.

More Springtime bags...

still with a vintage vibe.

limp, limp, lollop.

And lastly...

Hens... getting a bit to daring for their own good.

They've decided to wait in the porch at the back door for us now.

Luckily I spotted them just before I let Sneaky out!

Sneaky would like a hen!

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Yep, life's lolloping along at a rare old speed.

till next time.

fi x