The Glastonbury Effect!

Posted on 21 July, 2013 by patchworkfairy

Well sorry I missed last week’s Handmade Monday but I was away with my DH having a much needed break! We have been in the Forest of Dean for a couple of days and then spent 5 days in a cottage in Glastonbury! Plenty of scope for coffee and cake adventures!

I love Glastonbury and used to come here 3 or 4 times a year with friends, but because of health issues I haven’t been for 3 years now, which is why my lovely husband suggested it as a holiday for us! Glastonbury always had a recharging/de-stressing effect on me when I came here touching me spiritually, deepening my sense of oneness with the earth and my ability to tune into the magical/otherworldly realms. Since becoming ill and having to take pain meds I have felt a loss of connection to my spiritual side and even an inability to enjoy meditation as I used to do, so I was very much looking forward to experiencing a rekindling of these lost attributes by being once again in Glastonbury.

We had a view of the Tor from our bedroom window! Sadly I can’t walk up it any more but maybe one day I will manage it again.

Glastonbury Tor

Well I enjoyed my time away, I feel rested and more relaxed, but I didn’t experience the ‘Glastonbury Effect’ – not any of the ‘connections’ I used to feel at the sacred sites such as the Goddess Temple and Chalice Well. I drank the well water and walked through the healing pool, I enjoyed the sensation, but it seems that nothing can get through the blanking effect of taking heavy drugs long term, no tingling excitement or special awakening occurred. I did read some very interesting books though which the hosts left in the living room and from these I remembered some of what I used to do naturally. So now I will be working on reawakening my chakras, trying to reconnect with my higher self and deepening my connection to natural world around me to see if I can regain some of my sense of goddess spirituality.

The cottage was wonderful though, comfy bed, interesting garden with a raised patio in the garden overlooking the Abbey grounds. We had some nice cider and wine sitting up there! Not much intake for me though – another consequence from taking the drugs 🙁

I took my sewing bag with me, expecting to have plenty of time to do some knitting, crochet and hand sewing to make things like the hexagon patterns for quilts, but didn’t actually do any! Amazingly, it was too hot to sew or knit or crochet!!! Everytime I sat down in the garden recliner or on the sofa to read or craft I fell asleep! They had amazing garden rolling recliners which are the best thing I have found for back/neck support in a comfy reclining position. They were so good I ordered one online which my son picked up and had waiting for me when we got back last night!! The holiday ones, Tuscany Recliners, were from Greenfingers online store but they have sold out so I got a Malibu rolling recliner from Argos which is very similar. If you have any back, neck, knee or hip problems and can’t get comfy outside I really recommend trying one of these! http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Search/searchTerms/ROLLING+RECLINER+.htm

Floral binding and Rainbow Wool!

I did also manage to feed my fabric addiction in a beautiful little craft shop in Lydney, and a wonderful emporium called Sew Vintage in Wells. Here is the ready made quilt binding I bought and some lovely wool I just couldn’t resist.

So now I have even more of a stash and haven’t made any progress at all with making things!! Oh well, par for the course for fabric fanatics!

Now I’m back home I have decided to make some summer resolutions!

make time for daily meditation and mindfulness
work on my craft projects whilst listening to some beautiful music
keep my craft room workspace tidy but have some pretty things in there to uplift my soul whilst working
keep up to date reading craft blogs and writing my own

That shouldn’t be difficult, should it?!! Think I’ll start by popping over to read the other blogs at handmade harbour!!

Sewing Caddy and Visit to London

Posted on 19 May, 2013 by patchworkfairy

Well this week has been a catching up and making useful things time as I have been on a little trip which took most of my energy! I went to London overnight with my daughter and two grandchildren to see my son-in-law -to -be getting an award from work as he has been ‘down there’ on a training course for 8 weeks. Here we are on our sightseeing day!

Granny and Max outside Buckingham Palace

Although I had a lovely time the only energy I had left for sewing was enough to make a very small thing – a caddy to hang from under my sewing machine to keep my scissors and seam ripper always to hand!. I had been promising myself a sewing caddy for ages as they don’t take very long to make really. I used a fat quarter which had cats and kittens neatly depicted in little squares just the right size for pockets!

After heming the cat fabric I sewed it on to a plain calico background and then sewed straight lines to make separate pockets. On the top I sewed some little loops of bias binding for my tweezers etc and to the right I made a little pocket, stuffed it with left over fabric strips and used it as a pin cushion!

Sewing Machine with new Sewing Caddy

So that was my week, what about everyone else over at Handmade Monday? Why not take a peek at what they have been up to!!

xxAlixx

Creative Craft Show in Manchester

Posted on 5 May, 2013 by patchworkfairy

Creative Craft Show in Manchester! Oh what can I say except it was FAB FAB FAB! It was a crafter’s dream day out. Good friend, craft stalls and good coffee! About half the show was card making and scrapbooking which I like but am trying to stay from away from due to need to do some housework occasionally… We drooled over some lovely fabric (not literally!) and chatted to some really nice stall holders about their craft. I now badly want to learn how to use the Lucet! I will even hold a workshop day in my house if I can get 9 others to join me and pay a max of £25 to cover the tutor and associated costs!! If you’d like to come please let me know!!

One lady who we particularly talked with was Lesa from Natural Leigh who seemed very empathic to my friend’s recent troubles and put her hand on her arm in unspoken support. I sensed the healing touch even standing next to her, my friend was quite moved. Before we moved on this lovely lady cut two pieces of her newest charcoal design in the lovely French chambray she sells and gave them to my friend to make herself something! She then cut two more and handed them to me saying that I ‘must have gone through it with her’! We walked away a few minutes later with our fabric scraps and some sweet smelling hemp rope as well! We felt quite moved and blessed.

So at home this weekend I wanted to make something special from my fabric pieces. As I turned it round and round in my hand an idea took shape!

French chambray fabric pieces

Can you see what I have started to cut it into?

It’s so lovely and soft to the touch I very much want to order some and make something for myself! I am going to treat myself to the rose pink fat quarters I think!

I am also going to see when the next Creative Craft Show is taking place and plan another road trip, but for now I am going on an online trip round the fab craft blogs at Handmade Monday.

Bye for now!

Wonderwool Weekend in Wales Yippee!

Posted on 28 April, 2013 by patchworkfairy

What a lovely birthday weekend, DH agreed to go to Wonderwool Wales with me! We set off Friday night to Llandridnod Wells and found we had been upgraded to a suite from a double room – big comfy bed and our own little sitting area with couches, TV, DVD player and music centre!It was so relaxing after our drive – we had a jacuzzi bath as well – so we relaxed in comfort with a nice bottle of birthday wine while I planned how to enjoy the next two days!

Saturday we browsed round the book shops and the vintage shops in Hay on Wye. There was a lot of vintage lace and embroidered cloth in one place which wasn’t for me but would have been a fab find for someone! We also managed to find a coffee shop with home made cakes and another with home baked Cornish pasties! Oh I do know how to enjoy myself!!

Anyway, on Sunday after a very satisfying brekkie, we arrived at Wonderwool just after it opened. It was already bustling and there was some very unique and interesting clothing – and that was just the customers! Weird and wacky outfits- knitted, crocheted, felted, sewn or spun – it was either for sale or being worn by a customer or stallholder!

If you love wool you should really make time to visit one of these shows. There were lots of balls or hanks of ready to use wool and even more piles upon piles of wool tops for spinning. You could get plain (raw?) wool tops or some that was already dyed. Some of the colours were enchanting, I watched a demonstration of how to blend wool rovings into a swirly mix of purply pinky loveliness!

Up till now knitting and crochet have been my thing but what really inspired me today was the art of spinning with a wheel. I would very much have liked to have bought a wheel right there and then and sort out how to use it afterwards! However, I managed to be sensible and resist and instead listened to the advice of a lady in the Spinners and Weavers Guild who suggested learning how to use one first and trying some out before buying, then looking on eBay once I knew what type suited me.

She also told me some Guilds lend out Spinning Wheels to members for as little as £5 a month and that would be a great way to find out if Spinning is something I will continue to enjoy doing. My mission now is to suss out a spinning workshop or course which is within reasonable travelling distance of Wirral or somewhere with accommodation (little spinning holiday!!) If anyone else fancies learning and is near enough to split traveling costs I’d love to hear from you!

So what did I buy? Well a lambs wool cutoff to ease the dog’s arthritis by lining it’s (memory foam ) bed! It really is comfy and warm – I know cos I have my feet on it now while travelling home (I’m not driving obviously!)

A pack of dyed felt with some orange and turquoise pieces to make some additions to the sewing bag I started last week. The felt is on one of the lambs wool pieces.

Lovely felt!

These dyed silk hankies – not sure for what yet – I just love the colours.

Dyed silk

Over now to Handmade Monday – see what you have all been up to!

Airport drama!

Posted on 12 February, 2013 by patchworkfairy

Gosh I am wiped out today! Yesterday started really well – Daughter, grandson and I set off for Manchester airport to pick up one of my sons who has been living and working in Australia for the past year. We found the car park easily and made our way to ‘Arrivals’ where the board said his flight was ‘on approach’! Woohoo – just time for a coffee before the big reunion!!

Airport cafe waiting for Jon!

So we had our coffee (and HUGE slice of Victoria sponge cake between us!) and watched all the goings on. (I can thoroughly recommend Joe’s Cafe at the Arrivals area at Manchester airport – good coffee, lovely home made cake and very pleasant and helpful staff!)

So far so good! Then it all went horribly wrong – basically we waited an hour with me breaking into smiles, and even on one occasion Wayhay-ing, at every young man who had short brown hair and a rucsac….. none of them was actually my son… 🙁

DD went to talk to the enquiry desk lady who told us all British Passport holders had gone through although there were two people detained in customs. At this point my mind went to Mars and back… all the awful stories of people having stuff put in their luggage unbeknown to them were now presenting as scenarios and I was in tears.

So to cut the misery short I will say that after a trip to the airline desk we discovered our Jon was not arriving till the same time tomorrow!!!! I had got mixed up with flight times and time differences etc and there was nothing we could do but drive back home – me as a wet rag – and DD upset that she wouldn’t now be able to see him arrive as she works on Tuesdays!

Now I am sitting at home waiting to repeat the adventure, though this time fog has descended and his flight is delayed 2 hours! Yesterday the flight arrived 20 mins early.

I just hope he doesn’t fall asleep and miss the flight call!!!!