Some random slow stitching ...

I do love doing some random stitching, I am not a good pattern follower, preferring to intuitively stitch something. 

This week was such a week when I caught up with podcasts on the ipad as I got out a selection of fabrics at the little desk upstairs. 

I have an all day gentlework sewing day next weekend with the lovely Christine & there are some stitches I want to perfect ahead of the day. I have some favourite stitches but find changing threads on the blanket stitch is not as neat as I would want. 

I have done several workshops with Christine - she is so inspirational. 

So much fabric & choices 

Our Gentlework is all complete 

Picking up pieces of fabric 

I find lettering to be challenging too but like to include it at times. However, it takes me ages to do it because I find it does not always look how I want it to look. Who else has this issue & what tips do you have for me? 

I worked on a vintage cloth for this one - in muted colours that went well together with just a pop of colour in the pinks. However, I used 3 strands of embroidery thread when I think 2 could have been neater. 

The second piece was this one two hearts. Some years ago I bought some silk panels from a local person whose work I greatly admire. They were the type used in vintage dressing table sets, the ones under the glass on mirrors, brushes etc. Viv had some she was selling off. I also used her bunny outlines when I sewed a tribute to our bunnies. 

However, I remember putting them with some other bits I had bought from her & for the life of me I couldn’t find them. 

This week while tidying up my fabrics, there they were. I used some on the front & back, they add a delicateness to the pales fabrics. 

The front is very pale, the reverse fabrics are still neutral but darker. However, they go together rather well.

Definitely pleased with this make. 

While folding the fabrics I came across some bright fabric I liked & thought - why not. 

I cut out elements then rearranged them in a new pattern, looking for ways to unify the elements. 

I used colours that matched the sections & used a variety of stitches, mindful they would be back to back so needed to work together. 

I am not wild about this one but it was a good time to work on unifying stitches, fabric composition etc

Time passes quickly when you are busy with things. I added a few beads to this one. Beading is haphazard for me but my lovely neighbour has arranged tea & bead time so I hope to get some tips from her. 

I think I am more inclined towards the muted fabrics for my Gentlework workshop. 

Christine will have a pack for us to work from but I like to improve techniques (lettering, beading, edging etc) so I can use my time well in her workshop. 

These are some of my vintage threads in the muted colours that favour. 

I have a good selection of embroidery threads too, I just find these easy to use, especially for edging. 

What is keeping you occupied at the moment? My thoughts must turn to festive ones soon. 

Thank you for stopping by, you are always most welcome. 

Dee 🧵📍🪡🧵

Time for an Autumn sideboard change ...

 

I love my conservatory sideboard; it works hard all year round with things we use at Easter, Christmas, summer entertaining etc. We use things straight off of it & it is a great backdrop to our various meals or entertaining in that space. 

It is changed several times a year . 

However, my pocket watch TIME plates have been on there too long. Much as a really love them, it was time for a change. 

While out in the woods yesterday afternoon for a walk, the same woods we gathered at in June to watch the eclipse, I picked up some beautiful autumn bits - very prickly conker shells & conkers, delicate branches with changing leaves, curly bark & some banded stones. 

I am a gatherer - I love to be in nature & to pick up little bits. 

This  reminded me that the sideboard needs a change. 

Some years back I bought a few of these Spode Woodland side plates from their factory shop in Stoke on Trent. The traditional wildlife design is instantly recognisable but I feel just these few suffice as we use them as side plates or for cake. 

I see they now have the most adorable Spode Woodland accent plates to go with the plainer ones I have. 

Be still my crockery loving heart, they really are cute ... 

Once the sideboard was cleared, the autumn selection came out of the other sideboard, the one in the dining room. 

I do like to mix things up so the red platter with the beaded insert came out - a gift more than 20 years ago from my sister in Africa. 

The woodland plates made an appearance, along with 2 yellow deer plates with their floral details. 

I was pleased that the new square platter with its bright autumn colours could go with this too - it came from a local market, new but useful for nibbles.  

The darker nights lend themselves to using more candles so I moved around some candleholders from the kitchen windowsill where they are en masse. 

What is Autumn without our windfall apples that like the coolness of the conservatory? 

The change in the seasons comes slowly, almost unnoticed until you have to put on a light earlier in the morning when you get up & suddenly realise the 4 minutes a day change in light is catching up quickly.

I hope you are also leaning in to which ever season is upon you, thank you for stopping by.

Dee 🍎🍏🍁🥮

Variation on an apple theme - apple citrus loaves ...

We still have a glut of apples at home, mainly thanks to hubby & the windfalls at the golf course. 

There are several trees, all different so the bag that comes home with him has a real mixture of them.

The little red ones have quite a tough skin but are less prone to bruising. 

The ones that show marks / bruises after a day or so are cut up for the grateful blackbirds & the squirrels seem to have a liking for them too. Better they are eaten up by us & the wildlife than wasted under the trees.

This morning, I decided to make apple cakes again, the third weekend in a row. However, a grapefruit was on the side ready to be eaten so I thought - why not, variation on a theme. Apple & citrus go well.

I washed then zested the whole pink grapefruit, lovely pink strands of peel. I only juiced half a grapefruit & put the zest & juice in a dish. I peeled about 8 different sized apples, cutting 6 in to smaller cubes this time. The cubes were tossed in the juice & zest. 

The other two slightly larger apples were sliced in to thin slices, I left the peel on the red one. 

I made up a double mixture of cake using the same recipe as before.

Below is for 2 apple loaves 

Preheat oven to 160c

Mix 300g of light brown butter with 350g of butter until fluffy. 

Beat in 6 eggs, adding some of the flour if the mixture curdles slightly.

Mix in 400g of self raising flour, 2 tsp baking powder, spices to taste (I used vanilla & cinnamon.)

Fold in the apple cubes as well as the juice & zest mixture with a large spoon.

Spoon the mixture in to 2 lined loaf tins.

Arrange the cut apple slices on the top of the mixture, lightly pressing them in. Sprinkle with some demerara sugar & then bake for 50-55 min in the centre of the oven. Check with a sharp knife after about 45 min, then bake until it comes out clean.

Cool slightly on a rack, pop on the kettle & enjoy. 

This time, I cut the apples smaller & they did not sink as much in the batter, they were more evenly spread out. 

This variation is rather delicious with just a hint of citrus & not as sweet. Really worth a try if you have lots of apples about. It could easily be served as a pudding with a dollop of cream, custard or ice-cream. 

Thank  you for stopping by, it is always appreciated.

Dee 🧑‍🍳🥯🍎🍏

Using the leftover creative pages - creatively ...

 

I shared my workshop doing mixed media work for a nature inspired collage. I left it overnight to dry on the table at home. 

This morning I looked at it with fresh eyes & truth be told, I am happy with the arrangement. 

I added in a seedpod from my plant pot next to the conservatory door because the colours & triangular shape fitted in well. 

I glued it on to of the curved bark that was somehow lost in the design.

I decided to stamp 'AUTUMN' on one of the papers & that was added. 

I looked at the black thread & needle but do not feel that it needs anything additional, at this moment in time. 

It feels finished to me. 

I looked at the collection of marked papers we had made to use & then I decided to cut some in to strips & do a paper weaving strip with them. I laid them on a thicker card on a plastic mat, arranged them & then taped the top down at the top to form the warp base. 

The remaining papers were woven through as weft threads, mixing them up to create a pattern that was pleasing to the eye.  The sepia pages were quite dominant in the weaving so I mixed them with the clear or lighter ones where possible. It did not take many sheets but it was good to use some of the pages in a different way. 

It might end up as just random paper work. 

I also made a little collection of fabric & paper from the stash as a simple tag to perhaps go on the woven papers. 

An interesting interlude just for the sake of playing with the papers we made marks on.

Thank you for stopping by, do leave a comment, 

Dee 🖼️🖌️🎨🍂🧵

An afternoon exploring mixed media nature collage ...

 

When I stepped away from a lifetime in various educational settings in July, I set my mind on doing more of the things that interest me. 

I am a firm believer in lifelong education. 

I have always been a creative person, filling my time with activities that interest me or advance my skills via workshops.

A local one came up for mixed media nature collage. I have not done a lot of mixed media, this one in covid times was interesting & I enjoyed it. 

I am always happy to just have a go at new things, taking advantage of the skills of the tutor to guide through the processes. 

I have visited this shop recently which is how I came to know of her courses. She has only been open since the summer but her varied workshops appeal to me. 

I  arrived & the work table was set up for 7 of us ladies. We settled in with a cup of tea & some biscuits, before getting down to the guided workshop by Netty. Most of us had limited experience in mixed media so we were without expectations that hold you back.

We prepped our canvas to work on the inside of it as a frame - gesso & matt medium mixed with plaster of Paris powder to give it texture. 

These were set aside to dry while we explored the lovely selection of papers, card & fabrics in our pack.  

Using paints, pens & selection of objects, we covered the sheets in marks that would be used in our final collage. 

I restricted myself to just black & white paints & markers so I could concentrate on the marks rather than colours which can be distracting. 

We then used plaster of Paris & gesso with the lace on our marked sheets to give a texture. Some of our  sheets were a little wet but it worked fine. We used our sheets to make banners / strips around twigs / make paper beads to use in our nature collage. 

Then came the assembly / artistic part. We looked at Netty's examples for guidance but I do tend to overthink so I got to it, tearing, gluing, arranging my papers, twigs & paper beads in a way I liked. 

Because I had limited my colour palette, I found it surprisingly easy to arrange the mixed media in to a design that I liked.  

The gesso base was tacky so the papers stuck & this meant I had to be decisive in the placements which really helped to galvanise the thought process. 

We overran time wise, soon 3 hours was past & I must say, I am rather pleased with this first effort using these techniques. 

The table certainly showed our creative efforts with things out everywhere. 

What I always find fascinating in workshops is that we all started with a very similar pack of papers & fabrics, yet the finished items are always very different. 

It really shows how creativity works. 

I will still add some accent stitches on once the canvas is completely dried. 

This will need my awl to pierce the canvas - another decisive move because you have to be certain where you want the hole. 

That helps to combat analysis paralysis that often happens. 

I am already eyeing up some of the other workshops. 

However, I have two very different ones booked already for October elsewhere ... 

Lifelong learning continues, as it should. 

Thank you for stopping by, it is always appreciated. 

Dee 🎨🖌️🖼️🍁🍂🧵🪡

An unexpected Whistler glass engraving ...

 

I shared the beautiful glass engravings I visited in the church of St Nicholas in Moreton, Dorset, where the two Laurence / Lawrence's are celebrated. The church where Lawrence of Arabia, TE Lawrence worshipped & was buried from & it has the beautiful Laurence Whistler window engravings that are a stunning sight on the 12 windows. It is strange, to me at least, that the two Laurence name variations collided in this small unassuming Dorset church.

While out in the Shropshire countryside, visiting small villages connected to my Shropshire born great great grandfather Thomas, we revisited the church in the village where he was born. 

Lydbury North is a small village, near a big manor house of Walcot Hall. 

The Walcot's have their own side chapel in the church. 

The church is dedicated to St Michael & All Angels & there is a stained glass window to this effect behind the organ.   

In 780AD Egwin Shakehead was the owner of the parish. 

There was a parish in Lydbury in Saxon times.

The oldest part of the church was built in the time of the Normans & William the Clerk was the priest at the time of the Doomsday Book in 1086.

The church is in the shape of a cross, the central part is made up of the nave, choir & chancel. 

To the north is the Roman Catholic Plowden Chapel, to the south, the Walcot Chapel. 

The beautiful carved pews that line the central part are Jacobean,.

There is an oak Rood Screen near the Altar with the painted words of The Creed & the Ten Commandments. 

They are signed - Charles Bright, Churchwarden 1615. 

There was once a Roode Loft in 1623 above the screen but the door to the screen was blocked off at some time. 

The heavy oak church doors is supported by a beautiful pair of 15th century hinges. The door has holes thought to be made by musket balls or shells about that time. 

An information note near the door says that the door bears traces of bullets, probably from the civil war.

I find the history fascinating in these spaces. These sacred spaces survived through centuries, the floors worn by the footsteps of all those who have trod the same path as we did today. 

They sat in the same carved Jacobean pews we admired, passed under the same oak rood screen then knelt at the same altar we photographed. 

This unbroken line of time is humbling - we are really insignificant in the greater scheme of things. 

On the door to the bell tower, there is a glass engraved circular window panel up above the door. 

To my horror, my photo of the details did not come out clearly due to its height, so the postcard I purchased will have to do. 

Once home, I looked carefully at the details & the name Simon WHISTLER came up as the engraver. 

I immediately researched to see if he is connected to the engravings I had seen in Dorset & it turns out that he was the son of Laurence. 

Simon's Times obituary online is a fascinating insight in to this very talented family. He was not just an engraver, but a talented musician too. This is a good overview of his fascinating life. 

This is the door in the church with his engraving on it, and a postcard of the engraving.

Thank you for stopping by, I hope this has been of interest .I must return to the church to view it more closely, 

Dee 

Exploring layering & hands ...

I participate in the online Making Zen retreats several times a year for the inspiration & new techniques it offers over the week of the 30 workshops. 

I always look out for the ones I think will be of interest & just glance over the ones that are not my thing. However, there are some techniques I have never tried that are worth watching just for the background on them. You never know if you will like something until you try it.  

Several tutors are regulars on the platform & I have got to know which ones I align more with so I look out for their workshops. 

Last year, I experimented with the reverse applique technique taught by Rebekah Johnston 

Her Making Zen workshop looked at using reverse applique / cut away technique then using hand outline in positive & negative outline. 

The background is made up of layered fabrics on  a  background fabric, stitched in lines through all the layers.

It is then cut between the layers to reveal some of the layers underneath, varying the depth of the cuts gives different effects through the layers of fabrics. 

When laying down the initial layer, you are conscious of the colours that are in the various layers - this is where you can be quite creative.  

As you can see at the bottom, my machine did not like all the layers but that bunching up was cut away so it was of no consequence. 

The initial preparation took longer than I thought because of looking at various fabrics, weights, colours, textures etc until I decided to just get on with it. 

It is too easy to get bogged down in the prep rather than start. I turned the top layer to the reverse because it was fitted in better, the colours were more suited to the overall colours.

These layers were sandwiched under a top layer, pinned, & trimmed to the back layer size. 

I marked sewing lines on the top fabric, I should have made them slightly closer but they worked fine. 

The lines were machine stitched as the holding shape between all the layers. 

Then for the fun part - using an embroidery scissors, I cut between the sewn lines - some through more layers, others just through one to reveal the colours underneath. 

The cut pieces were brushed - I used a bone flattener for paper to brush across the surface to open up the layers. 

My top layer frayed a lot & I had to pull out lots of threads & bits to neaten it up. I trimmed some of the open layers a little to reveal the lower layers better. 

I traced my left hand on some freezer paper that was then ironed on to the fabric I wanted to use for the hand. The benefit being that it was firmer to cut to get a neat positive & negative shape. 

The negative cut out shape was tricky to pin because it was quite wobbly in places but I used the freezer paper of the positive hand to reshape it as I pinned. 

This pinning stage is important if you want a clean outline that is not too distorted. 

Because some of my background layers were greens, florals, purples & yellows, I opted to cut out my hand in a batik  fabric that had those colours too so it worked across the whole piece. 

After pinning, I used tiny bits of hemming web in places on the negative outline to give it a bit more stability - just very little pieces that held the outline firmly in place when ironed. This certainly helped. 

The positive hand was whip stitched along the outside edge, easier to sew this hand because of the good shape. 

The negative - cut out hand shape, was straight stitched in 3 strand embroidery cotton which worked well. The edge of the outline shape also had a row of running stitches, just smaller ones & further apart. 

Once completed, I think it is an interesting use of cut away / reverse applique technique & it has opened up many possibilities to use it again. The background is made up of layered fabrics on  a  background fabric, stitched in lines through all the layers then cut between the layers to reveal some of the layers underneath, varying the depth of the cuts gives different effects through the layers. The effects could be changed by layering horizontally, or by stitching in closer lines, or by having the design drift off the background layers. The possibilities are exciting. 

I rather like having my hand immortalised for posterity. 

As always I am extremely grateful to the Making Zen tutors who inspire us to step out of our comfort zone & try something new. 

Thank you for stopping by, I hope you are inspired to try something different too. 

Dee 

Preparing honesty for vases at home

 

I mentioned on a blog post earlier this year, that I grow honesty to use as dry branches in various vases around the house. 

Their iridescent, translucent seed pods of lunaria are much prized & they fill spaces nicely over the darker months when they come in to their own when backlit by low lights. 

The large green glass vase in our kitchen window has a generous bunch of these lovely stems. 

At night, the string of lights gives it an ethereal feel, the delicate seed pods let the light through. 

However, don't you love that word, to get the beautiful iridescent pods, you have to rub off the outer pod on each side. 

If they stay outside long enough, the wind will often loosen it, but then the delicate pods are often damaged by the wind. 

Mine were dry with the pods a dirty brown but the hot summer has given us good stems & lots of pods so I cut the stems & brought them in to the conservatory.

It is one of those very time consuming jobs because each pod must have the 2 outer pods gently rubbed or picked off. I lit a candle, put some things on you tube & settled down in the conservatory over several afternoons to do this. 

The seeds are contained in the outer pod disks so I saved those each time I took off the outer shells. Some pods had 2 seeds, others had 5 or more. Any pods that were damaged were cut away to tidy up the stems. 

The effort was worth it because I have a very good stem with lots of pods & some smaller ones from less impressive plants. 

The tiny pods look good in low light, amongst festive greenery & backlit in windowsills. 

I need to plant some seeds in the patio pots because honesty is a biennial plant - they only form the pods in the second year, after their stunning purple blooms. 

Who else grows these for their pretty flowers but more importantly for their seed pods? Thank you for stopping by, you are always welcome. 

Dee 🪴🌺

A delicious apple cinnamon loaf cake ...

 

While browsing some of my regular Instagrammers, I saw a recipe this morning for an apple cake by Claire who is known by @mrs.wilson_iloverecipes. apple cinnamon loaf cake

I decided this would be our Sunday treat. 

There are a few good apple trees on the local golf course that hubby plays at & the chaps pick up a few apples when passing so they don't go to waste.

Hubby brought home 3 nice ones, I do not know the variety but they were unblemished & unbruised so it was sensible to put them to good use. 

Preheat oven to 160 fan, the loaf will bake for about 55 min.

175g soft butter 

160g light brown sugar, 

3 egg200g self raising flour

1tsp baking powder

2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp allspice

1 tsp vanilla

2tbs milk

2 -3 apples - about 200-250g (I did not weigh mine)

Beat butter & sugar till pale, mix in the eggs one at a time, beating between each one.

Fold in the flour, bp, cinnamon, allspice, & vanilla. I used bourbon vanilla gifted by my friend Liz. 

I did not add in the milk as the mixture did not seem to need it. 

3 apples peeled & cubed - I did not weigh it. I do not know what apples they were as they were from a tree on the golf course & contributed by hubby.

Put the mixture in a lined loaf tin, sprinkle some demerara sugar on top (I did 2 tsp).

Bake at 160 until a knife comes out clean. Mine baked for 50 min in a fan oven.

Cool on a wire rack & enjoy. 

We had ours with Greek yoghurt while the cake was still warm. It was absolutely delicious. 

I will definitely make it again, especially as hubby says there are loads more apples on the golf course.

Thank you for stopping by, do visit Claires Instagram. Her recipes are varied & very useful.

Dee 

Light & darkness meet evenly at the Autumn Equinox

Yesterday was our Autumn Equinox, the time when day & night shared equal lengths & from now, the night takes over & the light retreats each day, bringing with it shorter days & longer nights.

The equinox is a barely discernible difference in light but it soon will be noticeable. The air is cooler, you suddenly notice your breath in the morning air & scarves come of of the cupboard to wrap around the neck. 

The light is softer, more gentle, especially when seen against the vibrant colours of the changing leaves. 

After our hot summer, we will have impressive autumn colours of russet, chocolate brown, oxblood red, rich gold, burnt orange, soft plum, fern green, golden honey, buttery tones, muted earth, and rich jewel tones in the hedgerows - they all sit quite happily together. 

I love raking up the maple leaves from our tree. They are raked under the hedge where they breakdown to rich leaf mould but they also give homes to many over wintering creatures. Blackbirds love scattering them for bugs to eat & the visiting hedgehogs will gather them for nests.

I love walking the local woods in autumn, picking up pine cones, noticing the wonderful light through the tree canopy, finding a few conkers from horse chestnut trees. 

Spiders are supposed to avoid conkers.  I pop some in  corners at home but our spiders seem to happily ignore this & appear anyhow which is not welcome.  

I wish the spiders would find someone else to ambush & terrify. 

It is the time when cobwebs are persistent in corners of the house & garden, most evident outside with morning dew shining on them. 

My long duster is never far away in autumn, clearing the cobwebs so the house doesn't look like a Halloween  prop ... 

I notice that the shortening days brings a settling too when you want to be more cosy, have candles & books about, a fleece at hand on the sofa to tuck your feet under. Hot chocolate becomes more welcome, a warm mug to wrap your hands around while reading. 

We are busy in the garden, tidying up, final moving of any plants while the ground is still warm, cutting back & staking plants before the winds pick up and of course cutting the long stems of our honesty plants before the winds damage the much prized seed pods. More on that in another post ... 

It is also the time my thoughts turn to some crafts & indoor activities. I like to do some little sewn gifts to go in my Christmas cards & this is the time to start because they are labour intensive. 

Autumn also brings a subtle change in foods - richer foods, more root vegetables, hearty soups & generous baked puddings start making the menu. 

It is a different rhythm of life that we settle in to, preserving energy to appreciate nature more so we can tune in to the changing season. 

We hold on to the summer but gently give way to autumn to enjoy the change, the coolness, the different pace of life. 

Autumn invites us to gather our thoughts too, to be aware of what has changed - relationships, friendships, situations, experiences. We can gently release the ones that no longer serve us or match our energy. 

The change is part of life & we are part of the rhythm of nature, we just need to follow its lead. Have a blessed start to Autumn, 

Dee 🥮🍂🍁🪾🌲

The Tolpuddle Martyrs connection ...

 

During our trip around Scotland in 2024, we stopped at the New Lanark World Heritage site near Glasgow & were surprised to see reference to the Tolpuddle Martyrs. 

They were connected to Robert Owen whose mills these were. 

The site referenced his efforts to uplift his workforce through education, better working conditions & rights to be treated well. 

Hubby is connected ancestrally to the leader of the Tolpuddle Martyrs, George Loveless. Three of the six men were Wesleyan preachers  and were guided by their faith to be fair in all they say & do. 

While showing visiting family around the Dorset places of the ancestors, we stopped at the little Museum (unfortunately closed on the day we visited) and then at the Wesleyan chapel nearby set up in their memory. 

The booklet gives a really good summary of their convictions to their cause & the punishment they received. 

Their actions was the start of the Trade Union movement, fair rights for workers. 

They were all transported - taken by ship to the far flung corners of the empire, mainly Van Diemens land. 

However, they were later pardoned & returned to England. However, several then left for the Americas. 

It is an interesting story, worth researching & remembering that the rights workers enjoy today were a hard struggle & a huge cost paid to stand up. It is worth respecting the memory of those who fought for the rights.

I hope this has given you food for thought, thank you for stopping by. It is always appreciated. 

Dee 

The joy of proteas ...

Proteas are the national flower of South Africa & they have always been special to me. 

I blogged about them after a previous trip to South Africa - proteas in many guises. 

I have them at home too, a reminder of my roots. Daughter had them at her recent wedding too …

I have a generous vase of faux silk proteas in the living room, they look real with the red & silver foliage branches too. 

I recently sewed two cloths with proteas, as well as doing them as my glass painting design. 

In this blog post, I shared buying some unique wire & bead proteas I bought at a craft market in Howick, Natal, South Africa. 

I had previously visited the same market with both my parents & revisiting brought back memories of my parents choosing a hand crafted picnic basket there that I still use. My now late Dad chose the beaded proteas with me & they are a reminder of that shared experience. 

The 2 vases are in the same space, the beaded ones on a side table next in the corner by the clock, the faux ones on a console table along with the assorted drinks etc. 

My good friend Ellie messaged to say she had been out browsing & had found 3 large wire proteas like the ones I have & she immediately bought them as a gift for me. 

It is special when friends know your home well enough to know your likes. She came by for tea this week & brought them over. 

They are a perfect match to mine - slightly larger but perfect. 

I am naturally delighted but then realised the vase I have for them will not be able to take another 3 stems because the beaded ones have chunky stems. 

I switched the faux & beaded ones vases but that did not work out either. 

On my travels today around a local market town chunky vases were on my list to keep an eye out for. 

I struck lucky when I spied a generous vase in passing one of the charity shops. It was not as heavy as the ones I have but a more generous size & at only £4, I had to have it. 

Once home, it was washed & then I tried out the vases - the heavy jug shape vase that had the faux proteas could hold all the beaded ones - now a weighty 10 stems. 

The charity shop vase could hold the 9 faux protea stems as well as the red & silver foliage too because the neck was wide enough. 

It will need some weighting down with pebbles in time, but that is a minor adjustment to this elegant new vase. 

The previous narrow necked vase (left) is replaced by the heavy jug shaped vase to hold the 10 stems.

 

After faffing with the various protea stems in the two vases, they could be returned to their 2 spots in the living room & they look impressive with their generous stems.

What a thoughtful gift that goes well in my space. The curtains will soon change from the neutral creams to heavy berry coloured ones for winter to keep out the chills & the proteas will hold court with their elegant ways. 

Am I the only one inclined towards certain flowers & colours. Tell all. Thank you for stopping by, it is appreciated. 

Dee