Holding Hands....

Hello my lovelies...

how are we all?

My weekends wouldn't be the same if I didn't say hello...

I do love hearing from you all on here. 

Since I started blogging back in 2007 I have made SO many crafty friends

and I always love hearing your comments...

Us crafty folk are such happy peeps don't you think?

We love sharing our skills, our knowledge and our creative projects.

The blogging community is vast these days; so different from when I began writing my little ramblings all that time ago and yet it is still a happy family unit.

I know many of you enjoy the inspiration I share on here so knew you will also like to know about this fun idea of sharing a little love amongst fellow bloggers....

Crafting Is My Therapy Linky

Each month at Me, You and Magoo there is a link with other bloggers to see their work in progress.

You can read all about the idea HERE

So, having decided to join in with the party I thought I would share some of my slow stitching 

this month...

Away from the cameras. away from the hustle & bustle of teaching or even away from

the nine to five of daily toil I adore being left alone with a basket of threads.

They always soothe my soul...

I get to paint with colour and texture using my doodles as inspiration.

I call it slow stitching simply because that is what is it...

nothing is rushed.

It is simply about being in the moment and enjoying the process of holding the needle and thread between your fingers; watching the stitches perform their dance in front of you and indulge in a little 'me time'.

For centuries women have held a connection with cloth and thread this way and in our modern society of hum drum business we seem to be losing that connection a little.

I am working on a design for a book cover at the moment with this beauty as my starting point...

I want to cover a boring old plain notebook that nestles in my bag everywhere I go to capture a doodle here and there on my travels.

Maybe by next month's link I will have decided how to include it into my design!

Watch this space....

In the meantime do pop over and say hello with my blog link and tell them I said Hi!

Toodle-ooh for now...

Inspired by Grandma's Apron...

Hello my lovelies...

Monday always means a little snippet of Tilly Rose ramblings so 

grab a cuppa, put your feet up for five mins and indulge in a little

nostalgia with me...

Many of us celebrated Mother's Day here in the UK yesterday.

Sadly my Mum, Mum-in-law and two Nans are no longer with us to have a chat and catch up...

I do so miss them dearly.

I do so miss their kind words, their wisdom and everyday gossip

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

Yesterday for me was a day full of memories so I thought I would share a little snippet...

One thing that all of those special ladies had in common was that every day of their lives they wore an apron whether they were doing the housework, expecting visitors or even a visit from the Queen!

As many of you know I am busy getting ready for a small exhibition focusing on the connection of women with cloth and thread throughout time here in the Fens and so many times the subject of an apron has appeared in my research...

A few years ago, a lovely American friend of mine sent me this snippet which

totally sums up the use of this item of everyday wear...

Although it obviously refers to an American lifestyle it still

reminds me so much of my Nan...

The History of Grandma's Apron

I don't think our kids know what an apron is.

The principal use of Grandma's apron was to protect the dress underneath because she only had a few and because it was easier to wash aprons than dresses and aprons required less material.

But along with that, it served as a potholder for removing hot pans from the oven.

It was wonderful for drying children's tears, and on occasion was even used for cleaning out dirty ears. 

From the chicken coop, the apron was used for  carrying eggs, fussy chicks, and sometimes  half-hatched eggs to be finished in the warming  oven.

When company came, those aprons were ideal hiding places for shy kids.

And when the weather was cold, Grandma wrapped it around her arms.

Those big old aprons wiped many a perspiring brow, bent over the hot wood stove.

Chips and kindling wood were brought into the kitchen in that apron.

From the garden, it carried all sorts of vegetables.

After the peas had been shelled, it carried out the hulls.

In the Autumn, the apron was used to bring in apples that had fallen from the trees.

When unexpected company drove up the road, it was surprising how much furniture that old apron  could dust in a matter of seconds.

When  dinner was ready, Grandma walked out onto the  porch, waved her apron, and the men folk knew it  was time to come in from the fields to  dinner.

It will be a long time before  someone invents something that will replace that  'old-time apron' that served so many  purposes.

Send  this to those who would know (and love) the  story about Grandma's aprons.

REMEMBER:

Grandma  used to set her hot baked apple pies on the  window sill to cool. Her granddaughters set  theirs on the window sill to  thaw. 

The  Govt. Would go crazy now trying to figure out  how many germs were on that apron.

I  don't think I ever caught anything from an apron  - but love...

I still wear an apron every day.... whatever I may be doing...

How about you lovelies?

Am I the only one?

Do tell...

Toodle-ooh for now....