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
the many versions of bliss
I pause, still my hands and my mind, and notice that Bliss has settled alongside me. She is many things. Warm and cosy, cool and fresh, spicy and fragrant. Sometimes she is busy and focussed. Other times dreamy and relaxed. She may have a needle in hand, a book on her lap, or a dear child curled up and loving. Right now, despite tired bones and sore feet, she has a hot cup of raspberry tea by her side, a freshly baked oat and chocolate biscuit in her tummy and warm felty slippers on her feet. And it is a lovely version of bliss :-)
Thank you so much, dear folk, for your well wishes last week. My first week of work was wonderful! The bookshop is a lovely place to work - the owners delightful, colleagues very nice company, customers friendly and funny, and the books. Ah all those lovely books! My first morning saw the arrival and unpacking of the latest Skulduggery Pleasant novel - Abby was beside herself with glee when she called in after school. She’d been waiting for this treat for over six months and declared the bookshop the PERFECT place for her muma to work.
Now, here we are, a week later and we have settled so well into this new routine that it is as if it has always been. And there’s been time for stitching too! Abby attended her first birthday sleepover on the weekend, so, naturally, a handmade present was in order. The birthday girl especially wanted a bag and look what came with this month’s Country Style …
A plain grey felt tote. “But muma! It says Country Style!” Not for long dear. Rip, rip with the unpicker. Then six hours of another version of Bliss. Abby drew the picture. Julian scanned it into his computer, smoothed its edges and turned it into the perfect sized pattern. Abby chose the fabrics and I stitched. And stitched. And stitched. And then I stitched some more. I couldn’t stop!
I love every element of this applique - there’s nothing I would change :-) There’s beautiful Brown Sheep worsted wool couched around her face.
A sweet little embroidered pocket.
A tree that only stopped growing when I ran out of bag!
Some whimsical grass.
So many wee stitches. Hours of bliss. Many, many more pictures in my head, slowly making their way into felt and wool and onto hoops and bags and pillows and scarfs …
The bag is loved. Abby had a marvellous time. And all that I love - my child, my husband, my cooking, my stitching, my reading … it’s all fitting in around my new job just right. Yet another version of Bliss.
1 March, 2010 at 11:54 am
That is the cutest bag! I am sure that it is extremely well loved!!!
1 March, 2010 at 12:05 pm
I knew you’d love working at the bookstore! Glad it “fits”! This bag, hmmmmmmm, it’s pretty incredible. You are amazing! I want to be just like you when I grow up - clever, creative, motivated!! At 55, it better happen fast cuz I’m running out of time:)!! Thanks for sharing and for the inspiration. ~karen
1 March, 2010 at 12:40 pm
I was blissed out just reading about it all! I am so happy for you and once again your talent has taken my breath away! Abby is such a lucky girl!
1 March, 2010 at 1:00 pm
Delightful! Thank you for telling us that you couched around the sweet face because I was thinking you had pleated it in some way because you are known for feats of magic with the needle. And the bag shows many feats of magic. So glad the bookstore is fitting — it sounds fantastic!
1 March, 2010 at 2:21 pm
What a lovely bag!!!! I think you could design some bags for the bookstore to carry books home! You are so talented!
1 March, 2010 at 2:38 pm
You are truly a master stitcher. That is just wonderful. I love all of the stitching around the face - how you got it to puff and wrinkle just perfectly.
1 March, 2010 at 8:14 pm
I’m so glad to hear that you enjoy the new job. And that Bliss has caucht up with you again. Her travelling time was probably just a bit longer than yours…
The bag is lovely, and even more so from having been created by the combined talents of the three of you. No wonder it is loved!
1 March, 2010 at 9:54 pm
Wow Lily! That bag is beautiful. You certainly have a great gift. I too have worked in a bookstore and loved every minute of it. (Well maybe not the holiday season with cranky customers but you know what I mean.)
1 March, 2010 at 10:49 pm
what a delightful update!!! i *knew* you’d love the bookstore!!!
~erin
1 March, 2010 at 11:07 pm
What a fantastic bag. All of the colors and textures. She did an incredible job. It’s not a surprise, however, after watching you all of these years. I’m so glad your job is going well. I use to work in a bookstore and it was bliss for me as well. Have a great week. Be well.
2 March, 2010 at 3:26 am
Bliss spills over into everything, doesn’t it? Congratulations on being blissful. The bag is so wonderful—I can’t imagine receiving a treasure like that! The birthday girl must be thrilled. You and Abby did a lovely job.
2 March, 2010 at 11:27 am
Happy birthday my darling girl!!
2 March, 2010 at 12:44 pm
Just beautiful, I can’t believe you gave it away, I don’t think I could have.
But on the other hand, if I was the receiver, I would be mighty pleased!
2 March, 2010 at 3:38 pm
How happy to hear from you! I’m very glad your job is a good fit. And how lovely your bag turned out. Did you dye it too? Looks like it changed from a grey flannel to a beautiful blue flannel. What a lovely present!
2 March, 2010 at 6:19 pm
Happy Birthday to you dear Lily!
2 March, 2010 at 7:25 pm
Wow just dropped by from England via Farmama’s blog and to say Hi. what a wonderful blog and so inspirational. I have been busy making tote bags from recycleable fabric, but yours is just awesone.
thanks for sharing and I willdrop by again.
2 March, 2010 at 9:52 pm
That’s such a cute bag!! I love everything on it! You’re very talented!
2 March, 2010 at 10:13 pm
So incredibly cute. I love it. So much personality.
3 March, 2010 at 2:45 am
How lovely! What a lucky, lucky little girl!
3 March, 2010 at 12:00 pm
What an adorable bag! Her expression is so sweet :)
4 March, 2010 at 12:08 am
lily, i just love seeing your embroideries. the yarn embroidery is totally blowing my mind - i’ve never seen this technique! lovely lovely lovely!