My favourite things

I have that Sound of Music song rumbling round in my head !! Hence I thought you might like a close up of my favourite things ie fabric and stitches. I have been described as a dimity girl who just loves natural fabrics. OK I confess to loving cotton, wool,tweed and cashmere. I relish wrapping up in layers of wool skirts, jumpers and tweed coats ( I have a few too many!!) My characters have been evidence of this love of pure old fabrics with nothing man made or silky in it, I also dont really do beads and sequins but love the pureness of natural fabrics. Country Living Magazine has the most wonderful fashion spread for January with tartans and checks and wonderful rustic style headresses by Emma Freemantle or Worn with Love. This just appeals and already I am deciding which tweed skirt to wear today with woolly scarf of tarten hues on top of my herringbone jacket even the names do it for me! So having established my desire for simple rustic  fabrics I also like very simple stitches. My two favourite stitches are a simple straight running stitch,  loved after many years quilting and  a beautiful blanket stitch. Both of these stitches I tend to do with wool, I collect old tapestry wools cast out by people who never managed to finish the Penelope tapestry of a cottage in the woods! I have made various bits of furniture adding to terrible old wooden pieces. The wooden pieces became bases and were added to using card then papier mache, to finish they were painted waxed and drilled so I could add what I consider my signature a heavy wool blanket stitch. Blanket stitch appeared on edges of outfits , samples for Paris, and in costumes on animals. Lovely red straight stitch also appeared  reminding me of the red flannel petticoats once worn for warmth... so here is a taster of stitches enjoy and dont forget the humble blanket and straight stitch where would we be without them !

 top edge of a dresser stitched with wool

 the stage is set..blanket stitch tops the theatre

green blanket stitch

stitched pocket

red wool blanket stitch and straight stitch