Ally Pally Crafting for our Well-Being

Good morning my lovelies!

How are we all?

Today is a lazy daisy kinda day after spending last week working my little socks off at

the most amazing 'Knitting & Stitch Show' at Ally Pally in London.

I had the most A-maz-ing week surrounded by cloth, thread, yarn, embellishments,

vintage gorgeousness, and even handmade chocolates!

I've been in crafty heaven to say the least............

BUT

Do you know what really made me smile?

The daily taxi ride to Ally Pally through the back streets of London looking at the beautiful Edwardian architecture maybe?

The fabulous Indian restaurant I managed to discover?

The fantastic  plethora of wonderful inspiration on offer from so many talented people?

No.

The answer lies in human compassion...

Whilst at Ally Pally I have been overwhelmed by the beautiful warmth and kindness generously gifted towards me whilst demoing free motion embroidery on the Create & Craft TV stand

Your words and comforting smiles have all made me feel so humble in knowing how you feel I am able to offer you all a little inspiration and help with tips & techniques at times...

You've all shared your stories, your projects and your crafting worries and it has been lovely.

As you all know I am a textile artist who also appears as a guest presenter on TV at times.

Crafting for me is completely all about well-being, friendship and a gentle sharing of skills.

I know for many peeps crafting is often the only little ray of sunshine that helps to keep 

them smiling at times.

And I know through personal  experience when my husband was undergoing chemo treatment for bowel cancer, that sometimes you just need something like some gentle slow stitching, the hum of a sewing machine or the rhythmn of a pair of knitting needles to help to take you away from the harsh reality of life into a warm gentle happiness if only for a few minutes.

I am blessed to be in a very fortunate position of doing a job I absolutely adore and being able to walk my way through life in a gentle way sharing skills with so many others through crafting.

Hearing from so many of you; your stitching tales, your yarn rambles or your thread journeys and how they help to make up your own life's patchwork has been so inspirational and hugely rewarding.

Life often brings you riches in a variety of ways and sometimes not in a financial way.

You just have to decide what you consider is actually valuable in life...

A huge thank you for all of you who took the time and trouble to come and say hello.

Toodle-ooh -for-now folks!

My Love Affair with Ally Pally...

Hello my lovelies!

how are we all?

So as I write this, I am looking at a suitcase filled full of clothes, stitchy goodies and my train tickets... ready to venture off on my next little crafty jaunt.

Where am I going???

Well...let me tell you a little snippet of gossip...

I am trundling down by rail to the big smoke..aka London, for a fantastic event held in

a fantastic venue....

The Knitting & Stitch Show 2016

I fell in love with this event over fifteen years ago and have always loved it ever since.

I am SOOOO excited :)

So, what am I going to be doing?

Well...I am going to be spending the next five days working my little socks off chatting with viewers of  Create & Craft TV, other artisans, craft companies, bloggers, publishers, crafty peeps and many textile students.... as well as hopefully meeting loads of inspiring people with loads of crafty smiles.

My first visit to Ally Pally (of course officially termed as Alexandra Palace)

introduced me to a world of so many ideas alongside the crafts I was doing at the time.

I was enthralled by all the many designs on offer in so many different fields of craft.

Even if you are an amateur crafter I can guarantee you will find something that will bring a smile or two...or three or four.... you get the idea!

There are loads of retail opportunities to help stock up your stash of goodies as well as loads of exhibits, workshops, demos, free shows and tons of inspiration everywhere you look in every nook and cranny.

You will NOT be disappointed!

I shall be demoing on the Create & Craft TV stand with a fabulous Singer machine showcasing some

Free Motion Embroidery, decorative stitching and hopefully sharing some of my very easy tips & techniques for making your sewing journey a little easier...

Do come and say hello if you are visiting...

I'd love to meet you all!

Toodle-ooh for now...

Saying Hello to Autumn....

Hello my lovelies!

Gosh I've missed saying hello...

Where did the time go???

I always think it's that time of year that seems to be full of change when we welcome the door to Autumn.

We close our album of summer memories and holiday smiles....

to embrace the coolness of a new season debutante taking her first bow...

Children start a new chapter in their lives, students venture into the unknown and our thoughts start to stray towards that 'C' word.....

As much as I love to welcome Summer in for a cuppa in June, I do have to say I am quite glad to say goodbye to the heat she brings with her visits...

As a sufferer of Fibromyalgia you would think I'd welcome the heat but I struggle to control my temperature in both extremes; so, in summer I'm wishing for a bucket of ice to jump into for most of the time and in winter I'm found snuggled in blankets wishing warmth would grace my weary bones.... you just can't win can you!

So...back to September smiles for me...

September brings SO many!

birthday celebrations, golden & olive hues beginning to grace my garden, misty foggy mornings with dewy spiderwebs, crochet blankets in the wash, and scrumptious blackberries...

What's your September smile?

So, with the evenings closing in on us my mind is wandering towards those crochet hooks, stitchy projects and romantic girlie films!

Dear September, I am so looking forward to sharing my evenings with you catching up on your  gossip, slobbing in my PJ's, snuggly slippers, and getting to grips with tidying my stitchy basket full of threads nestling next to the crackling fire...

Before I can hang up my stitchy boots for the year so to speak,though  I do have one more major event to visit....

For anyone wanting to have a lovely stitchy chat with yours truly... 

I shall be at Ally Pally at the Knitting & Stitch Show showcasing free motion embroidery on the Create & Craft TV stand....

Do come and say hello!

In the meantime, I can be found in my kitchen digging out my dusty slow cooker and checking out some old favourite Autumnal recipes...

So excited as I LOVE casseroles...and apple crumble puds!

Happy Autumn my lovelies.....

Enjoy....

Changing The Tide...

Hello my lovelies!

Gosh what a long time since we last met....

I really must apologize for my quietness of late!

I don't think I'll ever receive 'Blogger Of The Year Award' but be assured I am back in the saddle as they say and ready to face those dark evenings of Autumn & Winter with great gusto...

and lots of my little ramblings to hopefully cheer you all!

So where were we?

Ah yes....

The last time we met I was busily chatting about letting crafts into your life and helping to rest your weary souls from the toil of our busy lifestyles...

It has been so fabulous to catch up with all your gorgeous makes in my weekly

Friday Showcase over on my Facebook page.

Crafting at all levels bring joy to so many people in so many ways...

gifts, treasured heirlooms, designs, small businesses, personalised items etc

It has been a joy to hear you all sharing your thoughts and helping each other to continue with your designs!

For those wanting to join in with our weekly get together simply click here for more details

~~~~~~~~~~

Sadly our summer of sunshine bliss has nearly left us and the golden hues of Autumn are beginning to slowly emerge...

Moving forward to those darker evenings I've already mentioned above, I am going to focus in a little more on some basic tutorials via my YouTube Channel.

You can subscribe here 

I only have a few videos at the moment but watch this space folks for some more inspiration!

I shall be covering a variety of techniques including crochet, sewing, patchwork and much more.

I do hope you will join me...

I know so many of you lovelies would love to visit my workshop and live so far away so 

hopefully this will be the next best thing!

In the meantime you can catch me on Create & Craft TV offering my little ramblings amongst the stash of fabric and yarns....

Do say hello and send in your queries and I will try and help in any way I can!

Well my lovelies, I'm off to enjoy a much needed cuppa now and share a catch up gossip with the delicate butterflies in my garden whilst I still have some sunshine to savour.

Wishing you all a beautiful day...

Keep your comments coming in folks...

Toodle-ooh for now my lovelies!

Tilly

xxx

Keep Calm and Carry On....

Hello my lovelies!

I hope you don't mind but I'm offering something a little different today...

It's taken me a very long time to consider whether to write this post but hopefully you'll understand the reasons to why I have?
Earlier this week I received the best news ever..

Two little words....

"all clear"

*****

A year ago my world turned upside down, inside out and completely off balance when my hubby was diagnosed with bowel cancer.

For a year since, our lives have been on autopilot, both for different reasons... hubby to face all the treatment thrown at him and me because I was the stable one in the equation as often us ladies are...

Every one has their own set of troubles lurking behind the smiles we all offer to each and every one we meet each day...

Some people are very vocal and will tell all and others like myself are very quiet and just get on with things in a stoic true British spirit.

So why am I telling all now?

I want to let everyone know how crafting is so very good for keeping you grounded when all is not stable at sea...

I have crafted since a young child.

It is part of me.

I learnt a long time ago that

I need to dabble each and every day to keep my soul singing...

Up until the diagnosis I had been running my own workshops, craft sessions, offering 1:1 lessons and supporting local schools.

Eventually I have had to put all of that on hold.

My priorities lay elsewhere. 

The same week we found out about my hubby I was contacted by Create & Craft TV to attend a screen test with the view to becoming a Guest Presenter.

Complete pants for timing!

Despite the many pleas from family and friends especially hubby, I put it on hold until eventually I caved in and agreed to give it a go... 

I continued to sit for hours and hours looking at sterile hospital clinic decor whilst accompanying hubby during his chemo sessions and re-designed in my mind each and every corridor Tilly Rose style!

After I had read every crumpled old magazine provided and tackled many books on my Kindle, I decided I needed to take action.

I started to fill my little wicker basket with a riot of colour threads, needles, various fabrics and loads of embellishments. 

I soon began to get a reputation as 'the lady with the basket'!

For every hour spent sitting in hospital armchairs I stitched my little heart away!

I needed to stay in a happy place for part of my day despite the surroundings.

I'm a firm believer in creativity being so good for the soul...

Nurses began to show an interest in my projects, other patients asked questions on how to do something and I even managed to show a young girl how to start embroidering whilst waiting for her Nan!

After hubby's chemo, we faced major surgery, followed by many sudden dashes in ambulances to our local casualty unit never knowing the outcome

Each and every time my little basket accompanied me with some crafty delight nestling inside to keep me busy.

Whilst all of this was carrying on I had started guest presenting..... to say I was a bag of nerves the first time doesn't even hit the mark!

But I persevered, trying to inspire others to 'give it a go' hoping I would eventually work out what to say at the right time and look in the right direction at the right time!

(not sure I'll ever look the professional!!)

Roll on a year...

With the wonderful news that hubby is now 'all clear' we can now look forward....

The reason for this post?

It is simply to say...

"Walk Your Life Towards Well-Being"

Allow creativity in your heart and you will always have a smile

Tilly

xxx

Vintage Fabric,Threads, & Cowslips...

Hello my lovelies!

Gosh it seems ages since I sat and wrote a little post...

I'm missing our hellos :)

I'm actually away on my hols at the moment and so finally I have some time to sit and doodle, and chill....

It's only been a week since leaving my little studio and Vintage Workshop and yet I feel 

I am getting withdrawal symptoms already from my crafty goodness!

Yesterday, I was lucky enough to visit a fabulous fair full of crafty loveliness that helped me re-connect again.

I wasn't even put off by the Cornish drizzle that continually drips like a tap as I ventured out into the countryside down the meandering lanes. 

The rain came sweeping across in front of me and at one point came lashing down so fast as though someone was throwing buckets of water at my little car like they used to do on Bruce Forsyth's Generation Game!

(You'd think coming from the Fens I would be used to being wet and damp but Cornish weather beats the Fens hands down!)

So, to say I arrived like a drowned rat by the time I had walked into the actual fair was not fair wrong!

I definitely needed cheering up!

I needed colour.

I needed fabrics.

I needed threads.

I needed crafty happiness...

I was met with smiles all round from the stall holders.

I was SO excited to meet up with my lovely friend Donna Flower 

Her stall was as beautiful as ever offering customers a range of gorgeous vintage goodies...

Whilst chatting to Donna, a lovely lady came and also said hello and completely made my day...

She explained how she watches me on Create & Craft TV and loves my way of designing and sewing which was lovely to hear.

but she went on to explain how she had recently lost her dear Mum and wanted to make something that would help preserve some of her precious memories and had been so inspired by my take on things that she was going to make a photo album cover.

I was very touched...

You see sewing really isn't just about necessity with repairs, or creating couture designs. 

It's not even about producing hundreds of cushions or a perfect patchwork quilt...

For me, it is about creating something very personal that means something to you or the person who may be receiving it.

It is always about making something that is designed and then made with a handful of love.

Something that comes from the heart...

If you create with your heart rather than your head, however good or bad your designs or stitching may be, then in my eyes you can never go wrong.

The very first memory album I made was a few years ago now when I was working in school.

I had been supporting a young girl, who I will call 'Mary',who at the time was eleven years of age.

She was a little darling who always had a smile waiting for me every time I saw her.

Sadly, she had a diagnosis of a degenerative condition that would prevent her seeing adulthood.

I worked closely with the family for many years and during that time worked with 'Mary' on many tactile books to help with her sight. 

We collected memories throughout our days together and created her own stories from her experiences each day.

Sadly she passed away and I was asked by Mum to help her put together an album of all Mary's work along with photo's etc

I decided to make a fabric book holding loads of memorabilia that only Mary's family would appreciate.

Of course I added a little Tilly Rose style in the form of fabrics from Mary's favourite clothes and between us we produced a memory album that I know her family will treasure dearly.

I hope the lovely lady I met at the fair has the same pleasure from making her memory album....

I was so touched to hear that she felt inspired simply from watching me ramble on.

How lovely...

I'll be back again soon my lovelies but in the meantime

I'll leave you with these beauties that I saw at the fair...

aren't they a beautiful colour?

I just adore the way the drizzle is clinging onto the petals!

Toodle ooh for now!

Tilly 

xxx

Fun in a Doncaster Marquee!

Hello lovelies!

Wow...what a lovely weekend!

I have just returned from a weekend in Doncaster FULL of crafty loveliness!

I've been surrounded by fabric, threads, buttons, different yarns, shiny gems, stamps and so much more... in fact I have been in craft heaven (if there ever was such a thing!)

It was so busy but I did manage to have a quick look around before anyone arrived which was a real treat!

I thought you might like a quick nosey?

This was my first actual major event with thousands of people all wanting to say hello!

I was doing a 'Make & Take' workshop for 100 people as part of Summer Crafts at Doncaster.

The event was organised by Create & Craft TV.

It was wonderful to have the racecourse all to myself (well several hundred as well) early in the morning...

I felt I was trespassing as it was SO quiet.

The sun was so hot even at 8am in the morning but that didn't dull my enthusiasm 

( I don't like the heat at all)

It was the first year that Summer Crafts have ventured into offering customers fabric, haberdashery and yarns as a tester.

The crowds just LOVED it!

So many people said how much they loved the crossover from paper crafting with sewing which is music to my ears....

Sewing is no longer JUST dressmaking or home decor.

Mixed media is becoming very popular as well as collage work and introducing sewing into making cards and scrap booking.

My 'Make & Take' table was offering crafters the opportunity to make a gorgeous vintage heart corsage Tilly Rose style...

Was I nervous?

Well yes I have to say, just a wee bit.... but boy did I have FUN!

I really wasn't sure what to expect...

So many lovely people took the time and trouble to come and find me to say hello and tell me how much they've enjoyed my TV shows which was just lovely.

The night before, I had actually said to Mr T. "what if no-one wants to visit my table?"

I do worry sometimes!

Needless to say I was a very happy bunny when some lovely ladies turned up!

It was fab to see a variety of ages, abilities, a mixture of friends, family and different generations all sharing a love of  being creative... and all leaving with happy smiles :)

So many hearts were sewn!!!

Everyone had the same kit to start with and yet we had 100 different variations...

how wonderful.

I met so many lovely peeps during the event and made loads of new crafty friends.

I am so very lucky to be able to 'work' doing what I love and to be able to share this with everyone over the weekend was simply bliss for me...

A very BIG thank you to you all for making my first show a success!

Here's to next year....

Tilly

xxx