Some LOVEly hearts ...

The shops are once again filled with all things Valentine - it has become, or perhaps it always was, a huge commercial thing. 

Some previous posts about Valentine's day 

What is love? 

A funny little thing called love

Roses on Valentines day

True love is not just one day 

I heart Valentines day 

The love we don't always see 

Love is what you do 

Tiny needle heart books 

I had previously made some of these little heart needle cases for friends & they were so cute & useful too. 

This year I wonder if I should make some hearts, similar to these Scandinavian ones I made previously? 

Perhaps some new drawer knob hangers for the conservatory? 

The conservatory sideboard has had the gentle colours of the pink countryside china since Christmas, along with the understated creamware of the Spode Chelsea wicker pattern. 

I added my well used Rosenthal  heart candle holder & two pink heart shaped bowls. that is enough I think ... 

I decided to do some hangers for the drawer knobs, I first did two rectangular ones but the middle drawer looked lost so I did a quick heart shaped one for there so the 3 drawers look good together. 

I used the same map fabric & ribbon. That will be my nod to Valentine’s Day I think - maps, stamps & travel. 

What is not to love. 

However you observe Valentine's day, enjoy it & remember, true love is the little things you do consistently for those you love.  Love is often unseen, it is felt in the things people do for you & you for them. Thank you for stopping by, your visits are always appreciated. 

Dee 🩷💕❤️🧡💛💚

A nod to Scandinavian decorations ….

Is anyone else doing some sewing ahead of putting up decorations? I did quite a lot of handsewn decorations last year.  I saw this in one of my many books & it reminded me of making them decades ago. You need two fabrics ... 

I did  similar little woven hearts were with my Mother & Grandmother as a child but they were with paper which was probably easier as it was firmer. I came across the pattern in one of my many sewing books & decided they would look rather sweet as a decoration this year.

The little template is an easy shape with 2 cuts making 3 parts. You need two of these for each heart as they are woven together to make a heart shape.

I was out of practice & had to pull them apart a few times & redo them.

Once they were woven, I attached them to plain felt shaped hearts, then using my favourite blanket stitch all around the edge. A length of white cord was stitched in to the top so they can be used as a decoration.

I might make some others, perhaps using a stiffer fabric.  I might even do several different colours & make them to pop in to Christmas cards as a gift. 

What are your festive decorations looking like? Tell all & inspire us ... 

Thanks for stopping by, do comment & share please

Dee 🧵🪡

The love we don't always see ....

 Most of us are surrounded by love we feel but not always see. I have shared various Valentine sentiments several times 

This past week I sewed two little needle book hearts which I will gift to friends, a little reminder of how much I value their friendships. 

Our sideboard once again has roses on it - Old Country Roses by Royal Albert 

Some previous valentine posts - 

a little thing called love ...

True love is not just one day 

I heart Valentine 

What is love? 

Love is what you do 

This morning I saw this post by a cousin and it really struck a chord with me 

We do not fully appreciate the often unseen love that sustains us when we need it? 

Life is hard at times, it can toss us on the waves we did not see coming & we need a safe haven to rest in; the kitchen table we can cry at, the hot tea that revives us, the listening ear which helps us to make sense of the world. These friendships are not celebrated enough.

I treasure the love of my late Dad's sisters on my whatsapp group whose messages wait for me when I wake up - they are 2 hours ahead of my time & they surround me with their love & care. I awake most mornings to messages from friends & family scattered across the continents with wishes for the day, little things they want to share. These are some of the unseen people & their love ... 

I decided on the spur of the moment to try to visualise the love of the many unseen people who are there for me - I love symbolism & so I used a fairly coarse backing fabric & cut outlines of people from a very earthy colour which I arranged first on the square. The coarser fabric represents the earthy side of people, the raw, real side of us that we show to those we trust explicity .... 

The hearts which cover this are in various shades of red, blue & cream, some of the patterns cut in half, some blue hearts, some small, some large, some pure - all powerful symbolism for the ones we encounter. 

I wanted these outlines to be without features - the faceless ones who are there for us. I machine stitched them to the fabric then covered the whole image with a very fine clear lace / gauze I had to indicate the almost invisible nature of our support system, the hearts there but unseen ... 

The thicker lace pattern at the base represents how this love grounds us as it reaches upwards towards this hidden group & their hearts. 

I will probably do a hand stitched border but I am happy with this creative visual which represents the shadowy love we enjoy. 

I am especially grateful for the deep love of my husband -  this love is rare where people have space to grow ... 

Have a lovely Valentine's day & remember to appreciate the ones in your life, 

Dee 💕