I am Lily - stitcher and part time bookseller. Mother to my gorgeous girl, Abigail and wife to Julian. I make time each day to let my imagination potter and add quirky prettiness and handmade comfort to our home and lives. You can email me at lily(at)blockaday(dot)com
a bit of procrastination
There’s so much on my to do list - finish Abigail’s birthday present, finish Christmas presents for her teachers, finish gifts for the Christmas swaps I’m participating in (I keep forgetting to tell you about them!) and of course finish off my quilts and decorations for Christmas.
So what do I do with a long uninterrupted six hours at home today! Nothing useful that’s what :0
I stitched a decorative linen band from one of my French cross stitch books to make Abigail a birthday pillowcase …
That seemed like a really good idea at 10.30am - especially on the remnants of an Irish linen teatowel I found in one of my fabric boxes - beautiful linen but unbelievably irregular and tiny weave so each stitch has to be carefully counted over 16 stitches. Aargh! Still stitching the last of the blue border at 10.45pm.
And - besotted with Nanette’s little houses and trees, I flung down the cross stitched linen mid afternoon, and made some of my own trees from the gorgeous Marimekko fabrics my lovely Finnish friend Anne sent me a few months back - in my box was the PERFECT tree fabric …
I folded the fabric over to cut double and drew each one by hand so as to have “bespoke” trees. I ironed a piece of light weight pellon to one side, stitched them up with a narrow ribbon at the top for hanging, a felt trunk at the bottom, and after turning them out, gave them a good press and then embroidered them through the three layers with little red Mill Hill beads.
I’m very pleased with them - thanks Anne and Nanette - and have plenty more cut out and some houses too! But tomorrow I refuse to be distracted - well, after I sew up Abigail’s birthday pillowcase that is :-) I’ve always wanted special birthday pillowcases for each of us …
25 November, 2008 at 12:51 pm
I immediately printed out the little house pattern when I saw Nanette’s post. Love your trees.
25 November, 2008 at 1:58 pm
Those trees are wonderful! I love the green fabric, but then, Marimekko is just fantastic isn’t it? I have plans for the fabric Anne sent me, but I need to get the Christmas sewing out of the way first :)
25 November, 2008 at 2:50 pm
Abigail´s birthday present looks so lovely! My mother used to make almost similar for me, when I was a child! I am happy to see you can use those pieces of Marimekko fabrics. Let me know, which colour you like to get next! I´m here like a donkey between two haystacks (sewing and painting)!! When is Abigail´s birthday?
25 November, 2008 at 3:19 pm
What adorable little trees! And yes, that is the perfect tree fabric. I just love your cross-stitch, too. It’s always so fresh and cute.
25 November, 2008 at 9:00 pm
Beautiful. I love the photos too, they create a mood!
25 November, 2008 at 9:12 pm
What a fantastic, fresh take on a traditional cross stitch. I’m in love. Can I send you my birthday details? (wild laugh)
Gorgeous work.
25 November, 2008 at 11:32 pm
So looking forward to seeing Abigail’s pillowcase finished - just gorgeous and I appreciate all the long hours you are putting into it! Lovely little tree decorations, too!
Hugs - Lurline!
26 November, 2008 at 12:08 am
I love the cross stitch - but I would go blind, even with a magnifier.
The trees are so great! I love the beads you added.
26 November, 2008 at 10:46 am
Yes.. the trees definitely look a lot more enjoyable!