Slower Autumnal days ahead...

Hello lovelies...

Gosh what a blustery 'ol weekend.

Storm Brian seems to have had his say on things as he sped by here in the Cambridgeshire Fens. The flat landscape surrounding my little home is a perfect place for fast spiralling winds and howling gasps that are often so ferocious they can take your breath away as you step outside.

At this time of year things should be slowing down a pace or two but, with all the storms and hurricanes of late, we seem to be in a continual whirlwind of daily life battling with Mother Nature.

As the days start to begin to get shorter concentrating on slow living is more appealing.

It's a time of year to take stock of what is happening all around us, what I want to 

get done in the following months and a  good way of filling my days with sunshine 

in a creative way.

As the crimson autumnal hues line the Fenland horizons they help to bring us a

beautiful ombre of golden gems that sparkle in the dimmed evening light.

A glory of gold

And russet and grey

The tree-tops old

Glow in the day

And, one by one

The dry leaves fall

And the Autumn sun 

Smiles on them all

Every Autumn, I usually like to have a few things 

on my 'To Do' list to keep my fingers busy over the dark grumpy months ahead.

Alongside my usual slow stitching that keeps my little Fen digits tingling 

I love to have a couple of warm snuggly yarn projects on the go at the same time. 

I'm a lover of both crochet and knitting. 

I'm quite excited as this year,

 as I thought I'd re-visit a style of knitting that I loved doing many years ago 

when my boys were young.

Fair Isle Knitting

Fair Isle knitting is a magical world of glorious designs

dating back to a golden vintage age.

If you've never dabbled in the world of Fair Isle you'll be amazed

at the beautiful patterns on offer.

Intricate patterns closely woven together with just two needles

create a gorgeous marriage of colour and textures..

The secret ingredient is patience...

So as time is slowing down,

 my mission for Autumn is to find some beautiful vintage patterns to use for inspiration

and create a few snuggly designs with all the wool from my stash.

I find myself purchasing the odd ball of yarn here and there,never knowing what project they will end up in and at times they seem to gather nothing more than house dust,

but, every now and then I get a burst of enthusiasm to get

started again on a new project...

Is anyone else inspired by a love of Fair-Isle knitting?

I'd love to hear your tales...

What projects do you like to create?

Did You Know?

Fair Isle is named after Fair Isle, a tiny island in the north of Scotland, 

that forms part of the Shetland islands. ... 

Watch this space to see how I get on...

I wonder if I'll actually manage to get something finished before the 

harsh wintry weather sets in?

I will let you know!

Will chat again soon my lovelies.

Do leave me a comment below if you have five mins

as I'd love to know who pops by my little door!

Toodle-ooh for now...

Speak again soon

Tilly 

x x x

Fenland Misty Mirrors

Hello lovelies...

November already?

Where does time go?

My poor neglected blog mirrors a very loyal friend who I return to when time allows and yet faithfully awaits my return for my next story...

As I am writing this post I am surrounded by the most beautiful Autumnal sunshine...

the sort that tricks you into thinking it may still be a little summery

out there but in reality it really is quite a shock to the system!

Spidery frost fronds decorate my garden with so many of Mother Nature's gems glistening in the sunlight.

Yes indeedy...Autumn has definitely set out her stall.

She is here to stay for a while so it is time to dig out those snuggly jumpers, tights 

and crocheted blankets. 

The array of colour, texture and smells delight my Virgo soul.

It really is MY time of year and for a couple of months I feel in vogue...

For me, Autumn has always been a reflective time of the year.

A time to start closing the door on life earlier in the day to snuggle under the warmth of home with my loved ones.

As usual I have a whole host of projects on the go to complete during the darker months which

will probably still be sitting there come Springtime but the intention is always good...

I have been working away from home alot this year doing various events and shows 

so it is extra special this year to be slowing down and putting my feet up a little more.

As much as I have absolutely loved doing all the events, exhibiting some of my work,

selling my kits, demonstrating various crafts and meeting so many beautiful people 

from all walks of life....

In truth, I am such a home bird...

My Fen roots are so strong that the feeling of nesting at home with my family whilst the

wild Fen winds blow all around me seep to the edge of every cell of my body.

I yearn for the simplicity of life.

Is that just a Fen thing or just an age related obsession?

So, with harvests all now in, flowers slowly fading, leaves finally falling 

and children already writing their Christmas lists it is time to wish everyone  

Happy Samhain

Samhain is a Gaelic festival marking the end of the harvest season

 and the beginning of winter or the "darker half" of the year.

Samhain allows my Fenland soul to rest her weary bones for a while and simply enjoy

the beauty around.

Don't get me wrong...

I don't enjoy the darker side of our year for so many reasons

but we must all embrace things in our lives that are often not our choice.

So with that in mind I welcome the dark into my life for a while

as best as I can...

As our rhythms of life begin to complete their full circle for this year we shall soon be moving on to the next circle.

Reflection...

2016 has been a very enlightening one for me.

I took a huge gamble at the beginning of the year to change direction slightly

and concentrate on projects I really wanted to do rather than was expected to do.

It was definitely a new direction to travel in, a scary one at times 

but none the less a very inspiring one! 

In allowing myself the freedom to explore through my much loved cloth and thread, my world of creativity has expanded immensely.

I've always enjoyed exploring and experimenting but lately

I've so enjoyed throwing loads into the mix of a textile collage, and just like watching a Victoria sponge being baked in an oven,

 watch it evolve right in front of my eyes.....

Capturing my ancient landscape with vintage cloth is just so beautiful to do.

I'm so pleased I haven't lost that 

well known dogged Fen determination deep in my genetic make-up to go against the grain... 

if anything I think it is getting stronger as I get older!

Either way it is making my soul so very happy.

"each new day is a path of wonder,

a different invitation..."

John O'Donohue

Until my next story...

Toodle-ooh for now 

September Equinox...

Morning my lovelies!

How are we all?

Today celebrates our September Equinox which welcomes Autumn with all her beauty... 

a change in the seasons...

Evenings will become slightly darker soon, curtains will need to be closed to keep in the warmth and  our gardens will turn their thoughts towards closing their eyes for a little nap as Winter waits at the front door to be let in.

For me, Autumn brings such joy....

Having had a very busy summer working at a variety of events around the UK this year, I have to say I am really looking forward to getting back into snuggling up on the sofa with a good book or sitting down to blog. doing a little slow stitching or even crocheting...

It is also a time that I feel I can re-connect with Mother Earth a little more...

I always think Autumn allows us time to slow down a little to notice those treasured snippets of beauty.

We are only here for a fleeting moment on this beautiful earth and are often so busy simply getting through our daily lives that we miss Mother Nature's gems. 

We need to nurture our planet with human warmth and kindness.....

often a walk in the woods, a glimpse of a deer saying good morning, blinking at a flock of birds migrating or listening to a Robin's chorus can bring us those happy smiles.

These are just some of the ways we can chat with Mother Earth...

to keep us grounded with what is real in life.

What really matters.

We are simply keepers of this land until a new generation comes along and each season reminds us of our own walk through time.

Instead of feeling down about it we should be rejoicing in all of our new seasons with a warmth for the ever turning tides of history.

how many times do we hear or even say "gosh I'm getting old, time is slipping away too fast..."

I hear it all to often on my travels.

My answer is always the same.... 

enjoy today

enjoy minute by minute

simply enjoy...

Celebrate Autumn with a little love in your heart for this beautiful time of year...

Let her hold your hand and guide you through the cooler evenings,

She's only stopping by for a short time before she visits her next family.

So enjoy her company, relax in her glorious golden tones 

and simply 'borrow a moment or to' from her to add to your patchwork of special memories

however happy or sad those memories may be.

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....

Creating an Autumnal Design - FREE TUTORIAL

Hello my lovelies...

Following on from my last blog post, as promised, here is my tutorial on how to use Mother Nature's inspiration to help you with designing a project....

The number one question I am always asked is "As a textile artist, how do you know where to start when designing?"

the answer is simple... I don't!

I'm a firm believer in letting a design evolve in an organic way and apply this philosophy

to all my designing but I know that many crafters find this concept quite hard to follow.

If you love stitching, by hand or machine, you will want to experiment with colour, texture and of course think of your own designs.

Once you have gained confidence in your actual stitching from using a pattern you will want to move on and start designing your own projects.

I've previously written a tutorial on how to gain inspiration from Mother Nature to help you get started which you can read here

Today I am showing you how to use those ideas in the next stage of your designing...

Using elements from Mother Nature...

I hope you will gain some ideas from the following tutorial....

Creating an Autumnal Design

Last week I collected these leaves on an early morning walk not knowing quite 

what I wanted to do with them.

I simply loved the colours, the smells, the shapes and the textures!

I wanted to capture their beauty for future projects.

So, how to get started transforming them into a design?

Start by photographing each leaf in turn to show more detail and finer points to include in your design.

 Take time to look carefully at the colours, the shades and how the pattern emerges together

The next step is to capture your leaves actually onto paper for future reference.

You do not need to be an artist to do this....

Using a normal HB pencil and piece of plain white paper, simply trace a fine line around each leaf in turn to help you become familiar with the shape of each leaf.

Please do not worry about being exact because you can add a little more detail once you start shading.

You may want to only use the outline of your leaf for a particular design rather than a full leaf so try experimenting with ideas.

I like to use Derwent Artist's drawing pencils but you can use any medium you prefer.

You may prefer to use felt -tips (for a firmer outline), charcoal or even watercolour pencils

that you can later add more detail to.

The process is simply to take things back to basics and look at the shape of the leaf

and how the shading alters the actual look of the leaf.

Allow yourself permission to take time and focus on the leaf itself.....

These doodles will form the foundation of your designs however you decided to use them.

You can keep them as a visual reference and if you combine them with your original photos

you will have a choice of designs.

I chose a few of my leaves to combine to compare shapes and designs....

Here are a few questions that may help you decide what to look for when doodling...

Do you want to capture the glossiness of the surface?

Have you looked carefully at the leaf veins?

How many colours will you need to use?

Don't forget you DON'T have to use the exact colouring...

It is your interpretation.

You are simply using this as part of deciding how you would use your leaves in your design.

There are no right or wrong ways!

Even if you have no idea of how your leaves will be used in a design as yet you will have your doodles in your reference library that you can use time and time again....

You may want to use them for 

- hand embroidery

- free motion embroidery

- machine embroidery

-applique

- mixed media collage

- card making

I have used my designs on a piece of calico with some free motion embroidery

which I may make into a bigger piece of textile art

You can see that I have used the actual size of the leaves but you can of course reduce or 

increase your sizes to suit your project.

I often draw with my enbroidery threads creating shading as I work but you may want to work on top of your designs if you have maybe painted them onto fabric.

Of course, you will need to make sure you use washable markers if you intend to launder your actual project.

If you would like some more inspiration for Autumnal projects you can check out my Pinterest board

here

I hope these few simple rules will help

when starting to design...

I would love to see some of your lovely projects...

Happy stitching...

Tilly

x x x