Rosie

This is a tribute post about Rosie my little cat who died last night from kidney failure. She would have been 8 years old this April, no age at all for a cat.
She was a happy go lucky friendly little thing who always trotted up to other cats to make friends. She usually got a swipe for her efforts but it never deterred her. She did have one catty friend in Pansy the tabby and went on several play dates with her.
Rosie was a rescue cat, well kitten actually. Our local cat shelter had rescued a pregnant feral cat and Rosie was born shortly after. The first picture I saw of her was actually with her back turned to the camera as she was concentrating with her brothers and sisters in getting a good position for her mother’s milk. So I fell in love with her without actually seeing her face. When I did go to visit her this is what I saw



A naughty face that just spelled trouble!



But she could be endearing, especially with those beautiful odd eyes.



Everything had to be tasted and chewed just in case



Exploration featured pretty high on her list too



Sometimes life left her a little bewildered



But she always found time to be cute and adorable



She never let stardom go to her head even when More Than Pet Insurance chose this picture of her to feature in one of their TV ads



She still liked to be normal and make friends wherever she could.



I’m really going to miss my beautiful girl.
Rest in Peace Rosie xxxxxx

Ta Da!

I’ve been working on this scarf for a while. You can see a video of it being embroidered on yesterday’s post. Now it’s finally finished and in my shop!

I think it looks almost Harry Potterish. I have a thing about Knotwork designs, must be my Celtic roots! I’ve got another secret design on the boil as well, a sort of a cross between St. Valentine and Gaelic design. Should be able to do the big ta da reveal tomorrow, that’s if I get enough natural light to photograph it. It is so grey and dark these days I literally just have a small window of about an hour a day in which I can get any useful light. Even adjusting the white balance for tungsten lighting I’d much rather have lovely natural daylight.

As I’m typing this I’m listening to BBC Radio 4 (for non UK readers this is one of the most interesting and fascinating radio stations in the history of the world, ever!). I’m listening to it on a DAB digital radio acquired today for £10 from a charity shop! Fabulous audio quality. I’ve been wanting one for a while but could never quite justify the expense. This one is an Elan DX20 and seems to retail for about £50.

 

I love it when something that’s been on your wish list is found for a fraction of the original cost!

Sláinte

Linda xx

An Ode to Scissors

I’m in love with my scissors! They’re not just any old scissors, they’re the love of my life!

A couple of months ago I decided I needed a new pair of dressmaking shears. I’d been using the ones I’d got from Ikea which were brilliant when they were new but when you use them for cutting your hair and as a poking device their useful life slowly ebbs away. I did a bit of research mainly on Gertie’s Blog for Better Sewing as that lady definitely knows what she’s talking about when it comes to dressmaking. She had recommended Kai or Gingher scissors. I added Merchant & Mills scissors to the list as they were made of classic Sheffield steel and manufactured in UK. As I was going to the Stitching Show at Ali Pali I was sure I’d find at least one of these 3 brands there.

For such a big show there weren’t that many haberdashery shops exhibiting. Up and down all the aisles I went getting little filips of joy when I spotted their scissor sections. Only to get disappointed when the only ones I could find were those dreadful ones with the orange plastic handles. They were everywhere in their nasty plastic bubble wrapping. What I couldn’t understand was there were so many people buying lovely (and expensive) fabrics, then cutting them out with any old pair of scissors. Why weren’t there people at the stands loudly demanding better quality scissors!!!!!!

Anyway I’d given up on my hunt having resigned myself to an internet purchase. After a consolation coffee and huge sticky creamy bun (I needed a lot of consoling) I headed for the exit. I was almost outside when I noticed a small room to my left which seemed to have a lot of people in it. Off I went to have a look and found it to contain mainly college and dressmaking school exhibitors. I turned round to go out when I glanced down an aisle and saw at the end……wait for it……… a pair of these!!!




I pounced straight away. It was sheer joy to hold these beautiful scissors, the craftmanship just amazing. These are scissors that will outlast me, my children, my children’s children etc etc. I was one happy bunny on the shuttle bus back to the tube. Probably not the best thing to be doing, sitting on the top deck of a bus waving 10” steel shears around but I was happy. and I still am, they are an absolute joy to use and they have turned fabric cutting from a pain to an experience the equivalent of demolishing a plate of cupcakes!

Embroidering a Celtic design on my Singer Futura XL400

Sláinte
Linda xxx

Pattern weights the frugal way!

There are many tutorials on the net for making your own pattern weights. This one is one of my favourites. I was tempted to make my own but instead I’ve been using these.

I pick them up in charity shops for between 50p and £1.50 and I’m sure I could get them even cheaper at jumble and car boot sales (note to self – add to my wish list for when car boot sales start up again in the Spring). The round ones all have a green felt backing so there are no rough edges to tear the pattern tissue.
Actually I could see myself becoming a bit of a collector of these things. I had a bit of a trawl around Google and I would definitely like to get my paws on these two!


They are really pretty.
I was going to post a video of my embroidery machine Helena (my machines have names – my vintage Singer is called Persephone) working her way around my latest creation for Valentine’s day, but by the time I remembered she had finished. Never mind. I will video the Celtic design I’ll be sewing tomorrow.
Sláinte,
Linda xx

Finally……

We’ve arrived in 2013, it’s stopped raining and the sun’s come out and there are blue skies! I can see loads of happy dog walkers on the Downs. I’m taking that as a good omen for the year ahead.
It’s amazing that even in the deepest, darkest depths of winter you can go out and still find colour in gardens and hedgerows. I found this lonely pink rose bravely blooming it’s little heart out this morning. I wanted to photograph it so it’s efforts would be rewarded by being on the ‘net for all the world to see!

Even more colour around……

Purple Hebe flower.

Red berries for the birds
And waiting in the wings for their turn to bloom


Even the trees are still colourful and interesting


And finally my favourite winter flower the Hellebore……

Indoors I’m working on a lovely black glitter scarf for myself, the pattern was generously provided by this lady

And Dalek bibs and knitted tea cosies seem to be very popular in my Etsy shop right now. My embroidery machine is whirring away and my knitting needles are clacking!!
Until tomorrow,  Linda xx

New Year Restitutions

I never make resolutions, I make restitutions! I reckon that resolutions are really made to fix up what’s not gone right in the previous year. So what are my Restitutions for 2013. Well here they are and as they say on Strictly they are  in no particular order………….

Travel more but not necessarily to foreign exotic climbs. I’d quite like to become a tourist in my own country or even county. When I’m out driving about I pass so many interesting looking places that beg to be explored. I usually think when I’m passing, “I must go there one day” but by the time I’ve got home and parked the car I’ve forgotten where it is I’d like to visit. I suppose the best thing to do would be to get out a tourist map of the county and also a local history book from the library and to plan a diary of visits to the quirky, the beautiful and the historical places all around me.

Take the guitar down from the wall and get strumming. I’ll never be the next Clapton but I would like to learn a tune or two to delight and amaze at parties.

Finish off all my UFOs (unfinished objects) that are currently languishing in drawers, backs of cupboards and tops of wardrobes. I could restock Hobbycraft single handed!

Get to know my beautiful embroidery machine inside out and be able to rethread my overlocker/serger blindfolded and with one arm tied behind my back. It took me a whole evening to work out how to thread it when I first got it. I’d like to improve on that.

And skills, need to practice my crochet, sewing and writing skills. They say it takes an amount 10,000 hours to achieve Master status at something.

So in 2013 if I never slept or ate I would be able to get 8,760 hours under my belt. So I could almost reach Master level, I would be knackered but what the hell. Must put a few large jars of strong coffee on my shopping list for next time.

HAPPY NEW YEAR! XXX

Winter Sale

My winter sale has started in my shop!

http://www.etsy.com/shop/CrystalMoonCat