Some silk cushions are needed ...

As my regular visitors know,  I am happy to run up some things on my sewing machine.

A Wondering Star daughter recently arrived with some fabric she had fallen for while out shopping.

Gorgeous colours & she needed some cushions for her bed or window seat.

Gorgeous bright colours in her fabric bag ...

I decided to use the patterned fabric for the cushion fronts & the coloured fabric for the backs. I started by turning the centre seams for the back envelop sections ... 

The silk was quite slippery to work with my easy does it ...

Such fabulous colours ... 1 cushion done, 3 to go ... 

Two pairs of a small & larger cushion made, ready for them to go to their home in the trendy Jewellery Quarter in Birmingham 

These photos were all taken by A Wondering Star with the cushions in their apartment 

A very good choice of fabrics, they look lovely as accent cushions on their bed, perfectly suited to their lovely apartment ... 

A fab find of lovely fabric & a lovely result which is a good thing. Do you find random fabric & see how it can be used for something in your home? 

Thank you for stopping by and taking the time to comment. 

Dee ~♥~

Is it possible to declutter books?

Hello friends & fellow bloggers

I know many of you will empathise with me here - is it possible to have too many books?

Our home fortunately has a small study which is very well used & it is generally tidy or ordered but since it is a private family space, it does get messy as I am a self employed tutor who is in & out, working on the computer or editing photos.

Unfortunately, since the study was built in, the room no longer has a door, it needs to be kept tidy without piles of books lying around.  Some of the changes involves how we use the space - should the open shelves hold hoards of books or trophies & photos? Which books should be kept out? The leather ones that look lovely or the ones used most often?

One thing is obvious - we have loads of books that we love & so the challenge is to decide if we are keeping them all or thinning them out?

The angst ....

I read this declutter site for inspiration but am not sure I can be that ruthless with my books, many of them collectable vintage ones so smart storage will be the answer.

How do you store your books? Do you part with the ones you are finished reading or do you hang on to them? How do you arrange them? By colour, topic, size?

Some of the leather books even make their home on our sideboard alongside other things because books are part of our life ... 

Books, paintings, vintage items ...

Books are part of our home, alongside travel memorabilia, photos & everyday items ...

What about the trend for turning them around & displaying the page side rather than the spine? It might look good but can you imagine looking for a specific book? Somehow, I know that our books will remain imperfectly part of our life - no turned spines or piles waiting at the door to be rehomed.

How about you? Do you still like turning the pages & getting the scent of ink of errr dust?

Dee ~♥~

So I can find my way ....

Hi everyone - Spring has sprung with some welcome brighter weather.

I recently heard an interview with one of my favourite singers - Enya.

She explained that her inspiration for 'So I could find my way' was a tribute to the influence of her parents for their guidance & how they wanted the best for her ....

So I Could Find My Way 

A thousand dreams you gave to me

You held me high

You held me high

And all those years you guided me

So I could find my way

How long your love had sheltered me

You held me high

You held me high

A harbour holding back the sea

So I could find my way

So let me give this dream to you

Upon another shore

So let me give this dream to you

Each night and evermore

Yet only time keeps us apart

You held me high

You held me high

You're in the shadows of my heart

So I can find my way

You held me high

You held me high

So let me give this dream to you

Upon another shore

So let me give this dream to you

Each night and evermore

A thousand dreams you gave to me

You held me high

You held me high

And all those years you guided me

So I could find my way

So I could find my way

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

A thousand dreams you gave to me ... You held me high ...  so I can find my way 

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

How lovely is that? Our children carry the dreams we dream for them & the ones they dream for  themselves.  I hope that they can always find their way through life.  

A beautiful thought & a beautiful video of the song 

Thank you for stopping by, 
Dee ~♥~

A relaxing afternoon learning a new skill ....

Hi everyone,  another week has passed & Spring seems to have gone by the wayside too.

This morning I chanced upon an afternoon course held locally.  I am a great advocator of lifelong learning so, being my day off, it seemed just right to learn how to decoupage properly.

I have used some techniques while making over some of my various bits, but I was won over with taking advantage of someone else's expertise to learn how to do it properly ...

4 ladies at the session & we were each given a set of coasters to decoupage.

We had a lovely selection of papers to choose from - so much choice, so many lovely ones but I settled on some lovely summer florals with pretty blues & pinks ...

Papers cut & the shapes all glued with Modge Podge ready to work on ...

I am please with the choice of paper ...

All done with lots of drying in between each layer ...

Very pretty work all around the table ...

Helen drying my efforts between the sanding & working. She is a fountain of knowledge ...

These were some of the other pattern choices used - all very pretty & summery ... 

This pattern reminded me of Old Country Roses ...

I always use coasters at home under cups so this pretty set I made will definitely be used

The pretty little holder is perfect for keeping them all handy on the table ...

Mmm this was a lovely opportunity to do something different & I really enjoyed it.  I know I will be thinking of other short courses / workshops to keep learning new skills - it is one of the main reasons that I keep Friday free - to be able to do things that I find interesting ... 

I hope I am not the only one who loves learning new things? What workshop would you love to do? 

Thanks for stopping by & taking the time to read & comment, 

Dee ~♥~

For the love of cranberry & ruby glass ....

My regular visitors will have spied some of these vivid cranberry & ruby glassware on my sideboard over time.

Ms M, my friend & sister in law, & I bought a sugar shaker & bowl a few years ago & we both love the vividness of the glassware. Neither of us are experts on the glass & I do not properly understand why some is known as 'cranberry glass' & others as 'ruby glass' because the colours are so similar to my eye.

Ms M surprised me on my birthday with a most generous gift of 2 of her great grandmothers vintage cranberry custard cup glasses. She remembers them being used decades ago with a very large matching punch bowl & only a few glasses remain now ...

Sadly, she only has 5 remaining ones & she generously gifted me 2 of them because she knows how I love it. How special is that?

It is only fitting that it went on display as soon as I got it home; I love the little footed custard glasses.

This is some of my other cranberry / ruby glassware, taken out to join my new glasses ...

I have teamed it up with this pretty tea set I often use often because it accentuates the pink / red colour. This sugar shaker is the the original purchase we each made - Ms M has an almost matching one.

Delicate, thin cranberry glass looks so lovely teamed up with thin china ...

 The sideboard with the vivid glassware & the delicate vintage china & some china jugs I love ...

I admit to also loving vintage coloured cutlery - this set is an old one that I use for teas ...

The details on the cutlery add an elegance to it. These smaller knives & 3 tined desert / cake forks are perfect for tea & cakes - they are too pretty not to be used often. Their handles are a lovely ruby colour with a silver collar - they epitomise the attraction of vintage & coloured cutlery ...

You will have seen this set several times before - it is thin, delicate & very pretty ...

A favourite Rosenthal candle holder (again one you will see often as it is a favourite) makes an appearance again because it is white & gold. Do you have favourites that come out often?

Vintage pink glasses & decanter in case you want something other than tea ....

My lovely Godsons gifted me a modern scented candle in a lovely ruby coloured glass which is perfect to join this display - thanks lads x

I love the bright accents from the cranberry / ruby glass - My sideboard shows things I love & use - that is the best way to enjoy your things ...

“Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful.” 

― William Morris

Can you see my new cranberry custard cups in front of the plain platter? They are a wonderfully, thoughtful gift - thank you Ms M, I love them ...
Dee ~♥~