Spring sunshine & colourful bulbs

 I am always keen to enjoy colourful spring bulbs after a long, grey winter. Our grass verges & hedgerows burst in to bloom & it is an absolute delight to have a 'host of golden daffodils' (to quote the poet Wordsworth) 

We popped by The National Sports Centre at Lilleshall - it is the home of archery in the UK & several Olympic sports were held there when we hosted the games.  

This entrance is very dramatic with the gate tower & the two large lions. 

I have attended some evening black tie events there too, it is an elegant setting in beautiful grounds, generous patios & immaculate gardens. 

                    

The entrance lions are not the only ones there, these were probably the original ones that now occupy the space under the terrace in the zoo like setting with a great view over the formal gardens... 

                      

There is a dramatic row of ancient trees nearby, if they could only talk ... 

The fountains were not on but the garden was laid out with the most gorgeous hyacinths in bloom. The terrace had several huge planters filled with  the most fragrant hyacinths in beautiful pinks & purples with a pop of other plants, so lovely to see it replicated across the various spaces of the gardens. 

Open spaces & greenery is perfect in spring sunshine, accentuated with bright pops of colour. It is the little things that matter ... 

Thank you for stopping by & visiting with me, 

Dee 💐🌸🌺🪻

The importance of Mothering Sunday ...

 The UK is almost unique in that it celebrates Mothering Sunday in March, unlike Mothers Day across other countries when it is in May. Why is this? 

It is tied to LENT & traditionally falls on Laetare Sunday. the 4th Sunday of Lent, half way through it where Lent promises were not followed on a Sunday. The date of Mothering Sunday, like Easter,  is not set, it depends on the lunar calendar. 

Mothering Sunday has religious roots. In the Middle Ages, Mothering Sunday was a day dedicated to the Virgin Mary, also known as Mother Mary. People were required to visit their main church where family members had been baptised, a return to their roots. 

In times past, children as young as 10 were often in service - working in large houses as housemaids, kitchen maids, stable hands, servants or tending the farms & gardens. They would live away from their families for long periods of time so Mothering Sunday was a unique opportunity to return home, meet up with their family, attend church together & spend precious time away from work. 

Flowers were often picked on the way to church as a gift for their Mother, or a small homemade gift was made to be given in appreciation. The tradition of giving flowers remains to this day with fresh of potted flowers sent or given as a gift. Because it is Spring, daffodils & other early woodland blooms have become synonymous with Mothering Sunday. 

Laetare Sunday is exactly 21 days before Easter Sunday so Mothering Sunday is tied to the religious observations of Christianity, even if it has (like Christmas & Easter) become more commercialised. 

However you observe it, I hope it is a peaceful Mothering Sunday. 

Thank you for stopping by, your visits are always welcome,

Dee 🪻🌸🌺🌷💐⛪️🔔

Gold work embroidery

 I love courses & learning new things - the educator in me believes in life long learning. 

When I saw a Goldwork Landscapes course at our county museum I signed up immediately, glad it was when I could fit it in. To be honest, I would have probably shuffled things around to fit it in. 

 I admit that goldwork is not something I have much knowledge of as a form of embroidery & yet I always admire the intricate gold embroidery work on garments & decorative items. 

The details said - everything included - which meant there was no planning or buying things that may or may not be applicable. My friend Ellie signed up too; it has been over a decade since we did a Gentlework course together, again in our county town, &  more recently we did a felting course together. It is a good way to share experiences. 

The course details for the goldwork was vague saying landscape goldwork with this description 

Goldwork couching is a beautiful needlework technique, steeped in history. This workshop will introduce this ancient craft, once known as “Opus Anglicanum” or “Work of the English” into our local landscape. Combining the playful intersection of lines within a map and the slow-stitch approach to embroidery, to produce a unique and individual artwork.

However, with all materials provided there is no preparation with was good because I didn't really know what was required.  Our places were ready with an embroidery hoop, some needles in a felt fabric, tracing paper & the background sheet on goldwork. 

After an introduction & some background, we selected maps from the good selection & had to find something to trace. The suggesting was the main lines & how they intersected each other as that would give opportunities to use the lines in different ways. 

I selected a Shropshire bit that I had a family connection to but with hindsight, I should have selected something with a river etc for contrast. I might just add one anyhow as it does not have to be correct.

We selected a background fabric for our embroidered piece, hooped it ready for the tracing stage. 

      

After tracing the lines we wanted on the tracing paper, holes were pricked in the tracing paper with a toothpick then pouncing powder & a pad was brushed over in circular motions for the powder to come through the holes & give an outline.  This had mixed results for some of us, but enough to pencil in the lines anyhow. 

However, the technique was to couch gold, silver or bronze threads on our lines or use with the large selection of embroidery thread. 

I wanted to get an understanding of how the threads worked when manipulated, bent or couched over each other so loosely following the map part I had selected, I used single or double over threads to follow the lines. 

Couching is an easy technique which lays threads on top of the fabric & soon everyone settled in to a comfortable rhythm of chatting & stitching, with regular trips to the table to get threads etc. 

Time passed really quickly with tea & a short lunch break & soon it was time to wrap it all up. 

A really interesting few hours because we all started with the same items on the table (map, threads, hoop etc) and each one was unique in the details & interpretation. That is the fascinating part of these workshops for me - how individual it all is. That is my experience with all the courses I attend ... 

I had researched goldwork online & I will order in some of the threads & try another one in my own time, especially as I have a better understanding of the technique. Goldwork is a specialist technique & there is a lot to learn to become proficient, but  this introduction has been interesting & unusual, just how life long learning should be. 

We had time for some shopping in our buzzing county town where several events were on & the sunshine brought people out in their droves. Wonderful seeing it all busy & vibrant. Our county town is not short of beautiful buildings or spires from the many churches. How lovely they looked in the spring sunshine. 

     

I hope you have enjoyed this post, thank you for stopping by, it is always appreciated. 

Dee 

Making some fabric baskets

 I had a lovely sewing day with a friend in South Shropshire last week & we made a sewing basket & some other bits. It is inspirational to bounce ideas off other creative people, especially as she is commercially minded.

 How lovely is my gifted pocket mirror? 

I helped by passing the scissors .. 

I love my fabric basket we made together. It has been some months since I did fabric basket & this refreshed my technique which was helpful. 

I decided that I wanted to make another one while it is fresh in my mind. I looked through my fabric stash & found some pieces of this blue Frieda fabric so I decided to do what I did with the red Frieda fabric previously. I joined the blue fabric in to a strip, adding in some matching plain blue fabric to make up the shape for use. 

I decided to make this one more rectangular with something in mind. It was lined, turned through & pressed. Since this is entirely for my own use, I did a decorative machine stitch around the top where it will be turned over. 

These two fabric bowls are going next to my sewing machines - one for the orts (all the snipped threads from hand & machine sewing) and the larger one for all the snipped fabric bits which will keep the sewing table neater. Orts

A great sewing project using up bits of fabric from my stash for much needed items. 

Is there anything on your sewing table? Tell all & thank you for stopping by, it is always appreciated, 

Dee 📍🪡🧵

Pure & beautiful snowdrops ...

In the midst of the frosty & cold winter, suddenly, the snowdrops poke their pretty heads out & it feels like Spring is on the way. 

No snow to go with them at the moment, but their translucent blooms really are a joy in woodlands & especially in church yards where they often appear en masse. 

The Shropshire church of St James in Shipton always has a magnificent display of thousands of snowdrops & yellow aconites. The solid stone church with its square tower is the perfect backdrop to the delicateness of the tiny snowdrops that are at about 15-25cm tall. 

The church is 11th century and it is a grade 2 listed building so it is always an interesting visit. 

HISTORY: Shipton church is first mentioned c1110, and was probably a small 2-celled church until the tower was added at some time in the medieval period, and which contained 3 bells by 1552. The chancel was described as a 'great ruin' in 1553 and was replaced and rebuilt at the expense of John Lutwyche of Shipton Hall in 1589, as recorded on a brass memorial plaque in the chancel. The new chancel was probably built on the ruins of the old, with openings in the same position. The south porch appears to have been part of the same works. The exterior walls were rendered by 1789. The C18 gallery and C17 pews were removed in 1905-6 when a major re-ordering took place, at which time the walls were stripped of plaster and the present pews were installed.

On a fresh day of just 2C, we made the trip to see them. Brighter skies after several grey days is perfect to set them off against. 

The weathered headstones again providing the contrast that is needed to photograph them against. 

  

The church contains a memorial to the four More children who did the perilous trip on the Mayflower to America. Their story is in a previous blog post - do read it.  

The beloved British poet William Wordsworth's Daffodil poem - I wandered lonely as a cloud - is well known but he also paid tribute to the pretty snowdrop being the harbinger of Spring ... 

How can you not be charmed by the purity of snowdrops on a frosty day? 

The creamy white against the green foliage is a delight, a promise of new life emerging ... 

It is always a delight to see masses of snowdrops, Spring & blue skies might be on the way, 

Dee