Wishing Health and Happiness for 2016

I see from my stats  that I still receive visitors from all over the world so thank you and best wishes for 2016.
I do very little journaling on this blog nowadays but I use Pinterest for sharing and finding inspiration for my hobbies and style, I also keep adding to my Textile Art Blog  when the creative juices are flowing ....

( see side bar for my Textile Art Blog)

So Adieu to you and you and you and keep crafting.

Happy New Year to you all. X

Lemon and Roses

I seem to like the colour lemon as much as I like pink, and looking about my home there is actually quite a lot of it.
I love  lemon against florals, especially roses.

I bought a lovely soft fluffy wool shawl from Laura Ashley this spring to keep on the end of the bed for cuddling up in and it fits in beautifully with my collection of quilts.

I collect a few things, Quilts being number one, closely followed by dolls ( but that's another post).

The trouble is how to store the collections, I have to be careful of sunlight.

 Many are housed in a dresser.

I have found a great way of storing my eiderdowns. I have a wall of them in the alcove of my bedroom, the effect in the real is quite stunning, which I am not quite capturing with this picture, but you get the idea. 

 I freshen up my hand stitched quilts by washing in the machine on 30 or 40 degrees, and add softener which holds the fresh smell beautifully. Giving them a spring clean also lifts the quilting up so that you can really see the patterns in all their glory. English Durhams, or North Country Quilts wash very well, I have to be  careful with my Welsh Quilts as they tend to be made with wool filling and if washed on too high a setting the wool will felt and pucker and ruin your quilting, with wool fibres coming through the fabric, I wash Welsh quilts on a 30 degrees wool wash.

On a lovely sunny breezy day my quilts dry in no time on the washing line. 

This quit below is  a French Boutis quilt, the fabric is quite grainy, a heavy cotton, compared to the high cotton silky content in Engilsh and Welsh quilts, but equally as beautiful.

 Eiderdowns are feather filled and a lot more care is needed when washing. Firstly I would check out for any repairs especially looking for holes in the corners. I wash them at 40 degrees and use the tumble dryer to ensure that the entire quilt and feathers are dry, to really get a great effect I would put 3 tennis balls in the tumble dryer to ensure an even and plump quilt.

What do you love about your home?

Originally posted on Blog in 2007 - 
This was the question posed by Karla at Karla's Cottage. she is inviting everyone to post something about their home that they love and then pop over to make a comment on her blog- she also has a giveaway too.

Well I love lots of area's of my home but not at the same time, I'm really fickle about it. The minute I have made something look lovely then move on to the next area the previous area has been taken over by the lovable gang and is in shambles.

But I suppose the bedroom might be the most tranquil place most of the time.

The bed being the most comfortable place to be, piled with quilts and cushions (which I change around all the time). But the minute I need to look for something and time is limited the whole room is turned upside down again, with the bed piled high with half the wardrobe, and anything else that got in the way. Yep behind these curtains is my wardrobe. These linen curtains were originally sheets. I love the embroidery and especially the monogrammes, and it is always nice to pull the curtains closed so that I don't have to be reminded of the bedlam behind:)

I love this old french mirror with all the black lines where the mirror has oxidized.

Then there is the lounge, well once I have plopped up all the cushions and arranged the throw pillows just so it can be a lovely place to sit, but then in come my lovable gang and through themselves amongst them. The bathroom - such a delightful place to soak away the hours, candlelight, beautiful aroma's .... oh that's if you don't have a que waiting outside the door, desperate for the loo. Yes we don't have an en suite, this house was built before the British understood the need for such luxury, ooh by gum those were the days, outside loo and tin bath by the fire. Oh how we have all moved on. Well some of us have and I'm not complaining. We do have a bathroom with a lockable door, I just have a que outside every time I want to pamper myself. How I imagine bathtime but often isn't:) card handmade by The Wright Little Card Company....... on ebay.) The dining room is such a dark inner room that is walked through to get to the other rooms. So dear dining room I only love you at Christmas (I'm so fickle).

The kitchen, well you will be loved soon don't fret.

New floor,new ceiling, work surface and sink what more could a kitchen want. But in the meantime don't even go there!

Well moving swiftly on, my workroom.. eeuuuw ... too bad to be photographed, but it looks out on my garden deck which I love..... so it's not all bad :)

But I suppose once the dark nights set in and the candles are lit, probably my most favourite place to be is curled up on the sofa and the phrase ~ there's no place like home ~ finally rings true.

Well what do you love about your home:)))))) XX

Getting ready for the Summertime Blues

Originally posted on Blog 2007.

Years ago I read in Victoria magazine (remember that one) about how to make seasonal changes in the home . Well one of the biggest changes to our lounge at this time of year is when I swap the slipcovers over.

I love the deep red in the winter with all the metallic candlesticks and votives and a roaring fire it is lovely and cosy.

Even the valentine fairy felt quite at home.

The window sofa is covered in fluffy throws.

The cat lovessss ....zzzzzzz it here in winter.

WELL ITS ALL CHANGE FOR THE....

....................SUMMER TIME BLUES.......................

Lets take a closer look at Niki's rag doll http://nostalgia-stonehouse.co.uk )

Look at her cute blue button brooch and those little buttons in the design of clovers on her feet.

Well now that big job has been done I am off to create - here are some pics of card I made and sold very quickly last year. I love butterflies and they inspired these cards.

Think Pink

I love this shade of pink, I completely adore the outfit and yet I wear very little pink, preferring black and grey and leather which make me feel cosy, strong and confident with a sense of direction. 

Colours have an effect on us, pink brings out the delicate side in me,  I like to have touches of it around my home albeit a vase of flowers, textiles, quilts, or paint and wallpaper ... But not too much of it and it has to be pale vintage pink. :-)

This is what I have found on the subject of pink

PINK.
Positive: Physical tranquillity, nurture, warmth, femininity, love, sexuality, survival of the species.
Negative: Inhibition, emotional claustrophobia, emasculation, physical weakness.

Being a tint of red, pink also affects us physically, but it soothes, rather than stimulates. (Interestingly, red is the only colour that has an entirely separate name for its tints. Tints of blue, green, yellow, etc. are simply called light blue, light greenetc.) Pink is a powerful colour, psychologically. It represents the feminine principle, and survival of the species; it is nurturing and physically soothing. Too much pink is physically draining and can be somewhat emasculating.

A visit to Southend on Sea, Essex, England.

Once upon a time Southend on Sea was for many Londoners one of the great British holiday destinations of the South. Situated at the very end of the Thames estuary as it opens up to the sea it was an ideal spot to take in the sea air, the Victorians loved the place and would head off out of the grime of London in their best outfits, corsets, pantaloons, huge skirts and hats and take in the seaside. They might venture in for a paddle too, and for many years families would head off for this annual getaway with great anticipation and thoroughly enjoy themselves. The trend continued long into the 50's and 60's and am sure my father spent a few much enjoyed holidays in Southend when he was a lad.

Royalty even took up residence here, 

When I was young  places like this got passed over for the sunnier climes, cheap holidays to Spain and Greece,  anywhere that sunshine could be guaranteed. 

This place like many seaside resorts in this country became lost and neglected.

I found myself here 3 years ago as my daughter began her uni years and my first impression was that it seemed a little bit worn but with a thriving University was brimming with people. There are signs that It seems to be on the up again and now that my daughter is in her final months at Uni I decided to come and stay for the weekend.

I found this beautiful Boutique Hotel called the Hamilton at No 6 The Royal Terrace and is next door to what was once the Royal residence.  It seems that other buildings along this terrace are being refurbished which is refreshing to see as the grand buildings are beautiful.

The Hamilton is the middle building here. My room was 2nd floor ( with the blinds) and I had a view of the fair and the pier which in its self is a landmark at over a mile long and the longest pleasure pier in the world.

My picture taken on a cold February Sunday, the pic below is from the website in better conditions.

I loved my bedroom.

Below is the view sitting in my bed, all in all great views of an iconic seascape.

Breakfast was fantastic. Full English, sausage, bacon, eggs, , baked beans hash brown  ( should be fried bread to be completely authentic English, but who's splitting hairs) plenty of toast, jams tea a coffee and juices.

I will definitely return to Southend on Sea :-D