A Spring Purse - part 1

Hello Dear Readers,

It's a lovely spring day here in England. Very warm for the time of year and I am now thinking what can I carry my sunglasses plus other bits and pieces around in as I will no longer be wearing a winter coat with deep pockets!

So today I picked up the purse I started making last year.

I'm making it up as I go along.

On the front some simple embroidery, Suffolk Puffs and a few hexagons.

And on the back more obligatory embroidery, shisha mirrors, and 1" patchwork squares.

There is an elasticated pocket for mirror or notes and a pen pocket inside (sorry no picture). 

Initially I was going to finish it in the same way as the tiny purse (ie stab-stitch round 3 sides) but now I have decided to add an oval base - just testing here to see how it will fit.

I hope to finish this project soon, but there is still work to do and a zip to add to the top.

Have you had time to make anything over Easter?

Bye for now, Barbara xx

A walk in the English Countryside (Can anyone help me with Blogger Margins please?)

Hello, Happy Easter everyone.

I'm afraid I'm asking for help again!  Although I've recently worked out how to change my margins now my pictures and my gadget column are a bit too close, would anyone be able to tell me what amount they need to be set at to be neater?  I currently have 1000 for the main column and 260 for the gadget column.    Any ideas would be gratefully received.

I thought I'd just share a couple of views from yesterday, when, although it was very chilly, it was a nice bright day, so d.h. and I took a quick walk in the countryside.

On our walk we passed this lovely Dew pond, overlooked by some old houses which look a little ecclesiastical. Possibly old alms houses?

About a year ago local residents formed a working party and restored this lovely Dew Pond.   It's looking really healthy now and if you enlarge the picture there are lots of daffodils. 

Locket Key Purse

Hello Dear Readers,

We went walking yesterday and spotted these wild cowslips growing nearby on the chalk downland. They are the first we have noticed this year, but with some warm weather they will be out in all their full glory soon. The wild flowers are due to the City of London Commons management system, whereby they don't cut the grass but allow sheep and cattle to graze on the Common which in turn allows a spectacular display of wild flowers to flourish, including orchids, primroses and violets, during the spring and summer months.

That will be a picture worth seeing!  Watch this space.......

Now, have I mentioned that I like to make small things, and love to add embroidery?  The tiny purse I showed recently is one of a group. And I guess you could call this one a locket. I made it to carry my keys during the summer, as many of my summer clothes have no pockets.

The flowers are, from left to right: Sussex Puff with button and beads, embroidered shisha mirror again with beads and woven stitch with french knots in the centre, stitched on Osnaburg (which is described as a utility" fabric, used for tea-towels for example - well, it's cheaper than linen and I like the look and feel of it!).

The back of the purse is patchwork, made up from scraps of patterned cotton fabric, and embroidered with Perlè cottons.  The stitches are: feather, running, long stitch and french knots;  and the front and back are joined with stab stitches to appear to be running stitches.  All these stitches and more can be seen in Sharon Boggon's Stitch Dictionary "In a Minute Ago".

Sharon is on a break at the moment but has been blogging on Pin Tangle for 11 years (mainly about Crazy Quilting and Crazy Quilting stitches) and is also responsible for the brilliant "Take a Stitch Tuesday", which has held the attention of many of us over the last few years.  I, myself, have found her a great inspiration which indeed led me to starting this blog.  (Thank you very much Sharon).  I was hoping to join in with the Take a Stitch Tuesday "event" but unfortunately I was too late as Sharon started her break at Christmas and I started my blog just after that!   If Sharon's lovely blog is new to you, let me assure you you will find lots of wonderful stitching interest there!

I hope you all have a lovely Easter.

Barbara

(I have no affiliation to Sharon and the views expressed above are my own!)