Monday 3 February 2014

First one..............


Hello everybody, and thank you for your visit and comments on my last few posts! 

I'm not sure quite where the last week has gone, but I was busy out and about with friends which always seems to make the time fly, as well as the usual chores, a bit of sewing and a bit of reading.


On the creative front, I am chuffed to have made my first Etsy sale! Someone has purchased one of my hand-embroidered hearts made from vintage wool.

This came as a huge surprise as I had only stocked my shop for the first time before Christmas with Christmas stock, and had just been thinking that as I had missed the opportunity to have a January sale I may as well remove the mostly Christmas themed items.



But I had completely forgotten the potential for Valentine's Day gifts!  Many of my listed products are hearts,  made from vintage mangle cloth, linen and wool, and not all are purely festive, and so I should have jumped on the bandwagon a little earlier and listed some other items that would fit the bill as a gift on Valentine's Day. 

I shall try and list some of these lavender stacks in my Etsy Shop in the next few days, as they would make a sweet scented gift, and not just for Valentine's Day. 




Should anyone be interested in purchasing one before then, please email me for details.



In the evenings I have been enjoying these enchanting novels by Sarah Jio. 

I'm not good at book reviews, but to give you some idea they are mainly set in the Seattle area, and are written in a way that makes it hard for you to put down. One is set on an island ( The Violets of March), one in a waterfront floating community - think Sleepless in Seattle! (Morning Glory), and one in a beautiful old English manor house (The Last Camellia). They are beautifully descriptive, and so the settings in which they take place become easily imaginable in your minds eye as you read - you can envisage being there. These all  have a flower link running throughout, as suggested by the titles, but are foremost stories with a mystery to unravel from another generation, of life and love, of chance, sadness, dreams and missed opportunities, of tragedy and of lives interwoven across several generations. 



Each one I found hard to put down.


Each one I was sad to finish.



When I've had the chance I have been plodding on with my reverse applique cushion.



Having found the reverse applique fiddly and time consuming, I am now enjoying making it!  

I have added stitching around the leaf shapes in dark yellow, orange and red thread, and am in the process of embroidering little white French Knots.




Just embroidering what is in my minds eye rather than having a design on paper.



Logan lies behind me whilst I sew, as this is not only the best place for watching the world go by, but it also provides the best light for stitching by, especially on the greyer days.


To cheer up the grey days, more pretty primulas have somehow found their way inside the house, this time into the bathroom.




And whilst I ponder on what design of blanket to make with the yarn shown in my last post, I am reminded several times a day when I pass the little crochet corner on the landing, of the unfinished bright granny squares blanket waiting in my basket.



But it's not all unfinished works around here! 


When on my last crochet roll, I did manage to make and finish a little denim blue beanie hat just before Christmas. Using a pattern from one of the Nicki Trench crochet books, probably the Cute and Easy Crochet one, it turned out well and fits beautifully. 



Wishing you all a happy and creative week!


20 comments:

  1. Congrats on your sale, I have been failing badly to make anything to sell!
    I love your cushion!!! It has an anthropologie feel to it, well done!!

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  2. What a lovely, bright and cheerful post! Congrats on your Etsy sale. I love your lavender sacks and would be sorely tempted except for the fact that lavender just makes me sneeze and sneeze! Have fun with those French knots and hope you find another good read soon - always sad when a great book is finished...
    x

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  3. Wow,congrats on your Etsy sale. I also had an Etsy shop but did not sell anything ..... Love the primulas.

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  4. Congrats on your sale Gill, I know only too well how pretty your hearts are as I have one hanging in my bedroom and my daughter has one hanging in her house too.
    Your cushion is looking lovely. :)
    Pretty primula and (as always) a handsome Logan. :)
    V xxx
    P.S. Thanks so much for your lovely comment over at mine!! x

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  5. Congratulations on your first Etsy sale. Onward and upward.
    Jean x

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  6. Hi Gill, congrats on your Etsy sale, may there be many more! I like the little French knots on the cushion and the crochet is lovely (I think that might need closer inspection!). Have a good week.
    Jane xx

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  7. Congratulations Gillian, everything looks so nice and I am really happy for you!
    Logan looks so relaxed!
    I'll have to check The Violets in March (island did you say near Seattle?...sounds familiar!)
    All the best (going to buy a Primrose today...need some sweet reminder of Spring...unusual lows in temp this week here!)

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  8. Just great Gilly! Well done, your Etsy shop gives you satisfaction! Wonderful post filled with colors and bringing a spring message to us!Thank you and warm greetings from me!

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  9. Hi Gill,

    congratulations on your first Etsy sale! I hope many more will follow! The things you make look very pretty. I love the beanie and your beautiful plaid. The lavender bags look very sweet too.

    Wishing you a happy week.

    Madelief x

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  10. Congratulations on your sale, I hope that they keep coming in at a good pace for you!! Your cushion is looking lovely and I really like that you are taking it as it comes to you, so very creative and what you are producing is really pretty! xx

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  11. Logan is gorgeous! lovely craft work its all so lovely. The primulas are so colourful x

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  12. Well done on your first sale!
    Those primulas are such a pretty colour, very Springlike!
    It's very satisfying when you find a new author whose books you can get lost in.
    Lisa x

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  13. Yay for your sale! Isn't that Logan the smart one, taking the best seat in the house!

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  14. Great news about Etsy! You are so creative - this post is chock full of talent and craft! Please consider linking up your lovely stitching appliqué to my stitch-a-long to share? Chrissie x

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  15. Love your lavender stacks, they look so sweet sitting together in your basket. Your reverse applique cushion looks lovely too. My daughter has used this technique before on a few small sewing projects. Quite fiddly but great end results. Your primulas look so bright and cheery. They can really make a difference this time of year bringing some well needed colour into the house and garden. I might buy some today as I need to replace the Heather in the pot that sits on my front doorstep. Well done on your first Etsy sale, that must have felt great.

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  16. Lovely lavender bags, your cushion is wonderful, lots of hard work but well worth it! :) x

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  17. Well done on your sale! I really like your crochet hat.
    Marianne x

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  18. This post is so pretty. I especially like the granny square blanket. You pick the loveliest colors.
    Is there anything you can't do? You're so talented.
    Have a wonderful day.
    Your blogging sister Connie :)

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  19. A gorgeous, colourful crafty post, Gill! Well done on your sale, I am sure there will soon be many more. Thank you for mentioning the books, I will look out for those. Love your pretty crochet hat and lovely flowers. I thought of you this week when I was painting a piece of furniture!
    Helen xx

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  20. Congratulations on your first sale! I love that your home is filled with handmade and crafty stuff, It looks like my ideal home!
    Best wishes.

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Thanks for visiting and for taking the time to leave a comment - I love to read them!
Gill x