Seaglass ...

Just over a year ago, when I was on my honeymoon in Overstrand on the Norfolk coast, we were located right next to the beach.  We often walked along the beach into neighbouring Cromer and it was lovely to beachcomb along the way ...  I found an aqua coloured piece of seaglass one morning and have kept it ever since.  I recently found a jeweller who made pendants, earrings and bracelets from seaglass.  I asked if she could make a pendant from my piece and she willingly did!  Here's the beautiful result ....

I now have a lovely reminder of my honeymoon week that I can wear.

You can see more exquisite creations here, all at a very reasonable price:


https://www.facebook.com/seawavejewellery/

The Girl with the Cherry Smile

Lots of things have been going on in my life since finishing my hand knitting City & Guilds.  Working working full-time and getting married!  This dress has been on the go for some time now. Plans first formulated in my head during international pattern swap at The Monthly Stitch, when I received the Sew Over It 1940’s Teadress pattern, as explained in an earlier post.  I wasn’t sure that the shape of the dress was going to suit me at first but I thought I’d give it a try as my first sewing project for a long time.  I’d seen the perfect fabric for it at Croft Mill but couldn’t get my hands on it first time round.  I was lucky when they re-stocked -  it’s called, ‘The Girl with the Cherry Smile’ and works really well with the pattern.  My new sewing companion likes it too ... 



To ease myself back into sewing, I took my time and decided to enjoy the whole process rather than rushing anything, hence the tea and cake. 

The pattern cover said that the dress was a close fit and as I’m between sizes at the moment I made the larger one.  This was a mistake for me – the bodice did look a bit loose on my new dress form, but as I hadn’t used the form before, then I gave it the benefit of the doubt.

When it came to actually trying it on though, it was huge …  I actually ended up having to re-make the whole of the top section.  That was tiresome and tricky but I stuck with it and it was worthwhile in the end.  The second learning curve was the insertion of an invisible zip which I’ve never done before.

I found the zip in the right colour and length and was ready to sew it in with an invisible machine foot I’d been given when I found the foot wasn’t compatible with my machine.  Aaargh!  My patience (and dress!) was nearly in tatters at this point …  I had to do an internet search and managed to find one for a couple of pounds that would fit my trusty 1980’s New Home.  I nervously fitted it when it arrived and my heart did a little dance when it worked!  I was very proud of my first attempt at sewing the zip in.

The rest of the dress went together comparatively smoothly, apart from forgetting to sew rear darts in the skirt section in my haste to get it finished.  I did unpick the skirt and included them though it was tempting not to.

A couple of months had passed and I was still doing the handstitching at the beginning of October on the facings and hem.  I had a feeling of triumph at finishing and persevering!

I wore the dress on my honeymoon on the Norfolk coast.  The weather was great for this time of year.

I am confident enough to make another of these dresses now, but I think I’ll try something simpler in the meantime to get my sewjo going again ….

Signs of Christmas

In the little town in Norfolk where I live, we are fortunate to have a sewing shop - a fairly large one in comparison to all the other surrounding stores.  It is now under new management and has undergone a lot of changes, making it contemporary and fresh.  Now named The Sewing Room, there is a Christmas window under construction.  I went for a short walk yesterday evening and stumbled upon it ... it's very inspiring ...

I love these little bags ...

New Dress!

I am actually sewing ... yes, you did read that correctly!  It isn't that I haven't been thinking about it ... oh, I've read all the blogs and magazines, have all the pattern giveaways and have watched the latest series of Sewing Bee.  I even took part in an international pattern swap at The Monthly Stitch.  I think that having a break has done me good though - seriously.  When I did Sew Weekly in 2012, although the experience was enjoyable to start with, I did start to feel a bit jaded towards the end of that year and 50 makes.  I was starting to 'throw things together'.  My sewing started to decrease gradually in the following years until I stopped completely for a while and concentrated my energies on other things.  I now find I am taking my time, making sure I do things properly and it's becoming fun again!  

As we are experiencing the rarity of a heatwave here in the UK at the moment, I've found that my wardrobe is lacking in some summer basics - dresses for work and home.  Actually, the dress currently on my sewing table is one for my honeymoon in October, though it might have an outing or two before then if it turns out OK.  I am using the 'Sew Over It' 1940's Tea Dress pattern that I received in the swap during Indie Pattern month at Monthly Stitch.

I found the cherry print fabric at Croft Mill.  I've always wanted some 'proper' cherry fabric after seeing all the retro dresses on various blogs and when I saw this in the current catalogue (they still have it! - sadly no longer, all sold out since end July) I ordered some straight away.  As you can see, I don't sew solo any more ... I have my little 'helper'.  Although Oscar has a whole house to wander around, there is nowhere quite like the area where I am working ...

  

I think I may have been influenced in my choice of dress style by a 1940's day I went to here in Norfolk about a week or so ago.  A gloriously sunny day where individuals wandered around King's Lynn in 1940's dress - I took loads of photos.

They all looked so smart and such a contrast to current day dress.  I hope to achieve something similar ... I have a whole week off work at home next week and sewing is high on my list of priorities.  More dresses I think!

Country Totes

Another simple sew ...  I made these for the local Country Market.  They didn't take long and I delivered them this morning.  A nice day weather wise and it's the Easter weekend, so fingers crossed they should sell. The aprons are already going well ...

Christingle in Norfolk

A Christingle consists of an orange representing the world, a red ribbon around it representing the blood of Christ, dried fruits skewered on cocktail sticks pushed into the orange to represent the fruits of the earth and the four seasons.  A lit candle pushed into the centre of the orange represents Jesus Christ as the light of the world.  The base of the candle is usually wrapped in tinfoil.  The Christingle has its origins in the Moravian Church.  In 1968, John Pensom of The Children's Society introduced Christingle services to the Church of England, where the custom spread quickly.

My affinity with the Christingle Service goes as far back as High School, which had Moravian origins.  Every Christmas we would attend the Service at the neighbouring chapel.  I am so glad to be able to carry the tradition on in my current home town this Christmas Eve.

Village Lights

Just some of the Christmas decorations I see on my way home every night ...

Mr Fox on location - or Christmas is coming ...

Went to Sandringham Country Park today, all dressed up in Mr Fox.  His colours go great with navy blue things and the landscape!  We met a huge wooden squirrel ...

Well, I called this post 'Christmas is coming' too because I had my first dinner of the season in the Sandringham Restaurant with family.  Wow, what a treat - I do enjoy my food, so much so that I forgot to photograph it again before I ate it - all apart from Christmas pudding with brandy sauce and redcurrants!

Check out this gingerbread house decorating the place - I had a go at making one of these myself once but it was ready for demolition before it could be used for anything else!  There's a knack to getting it to stand up ...

More beautiful decorations outside ...

... and reflections of trees in decorated windows ...

Captured the setting sun on the way home through the car window ...

Aprons - The Latest Collection

I put the finishing touches to a batch of aprons I had on the go, ready in time for Christmas on the Country Market.  I only had a little bit of hand sewing to do on the ties and neckbands.  Anyway, I can keep my little stock topped up now, by just replacing what gets sold on a one at a time basis ... everything I've made so far has gone ...
Sorry about the creases by the way ... didn't have much time to photo things before I had to get them on the stall!

Only in Norfolk ...

... would you find a little stall like this outside someone's house, with an 'honesty' box for collecting money ... or maybe you know different??? On one of my rare days off today, doing chores such as arranging a service for the car and jobs at home, I found I had to walk to the garage to collect my car and was glad I did really or I wouldn't have stumbled upon this ... A lady came out to chat with me too and explained that she had had to give up knitting now as she was too old ... I think she was pleased to find someone so enthusiastic about carrying the craft on .. So nice to take time out and just connect with people ...
 

There are even little samples of how the yarns look knitted up!

Memories of summer ...

On this cold and rainy autumn day, I've been looking through some unused photos from this past summer. First up, this year's Scarecrow Festival at Wolferton. A gloriously sunny day and some great exhibits. Can you spot me and the Roll's ...

Where else would you find Evil Knievel and Wills and Kate in the same setting?!

A Norfolk Village

This is Wimbotsham Village in Norfolk and I painted the border of the green there a while ago as part of a sketching day course. All the students sat around the village one sunny Saturday.  I enjoyed working outdoors and the immediacy of the pen work and loose wash technique.  It's something I'm comfortable with and I really need to get into doing more ...

Poppies

This blog is a place for me to share my creativity, beginning with one of my favourite painting subjects, poppies. Their papery petals suit my watercoloury style of painting and they are abundant here in Norfolk.  I find it very hard to use opaque paint and always want to water it down to achieve a certain effect ....