I had some fab comments on the last post including a suggestion by a dear friend that I book an eye test :o)
Another dear friend said the robin reminded her of "The Secret Garden". I love that idea. I still have my childhood copy of this cherished book, softly handled, nicely ageing, but it's in the attic so I'm going to get up there and find it this week
Last night, I didn't feel so well, so I went to bed really early (8 o'clock) with another favourite childhood book "The Willows in Winter" about ratty, badger, mole and toady
Don't you think the picture reminds you of my inglenook and dresser, although the chairs are in a different place ...
The mole sat toasting his toes in front of the fire. The winter wind howled safely outside, sending occasional flurries of soot down his chimney. He was thinking that things were nearly perfect, but not quite ... but he couldn't bring himself to say what he would like, which was to be left alone and snug in his cosy home, free to potter through the winter evening, not just for this evening, but for every evening to come!
The wind blew suddenly more violently all around the outside of his house, which was snug among the roots of a fallen old oak tree, and the doors rattled, and an ember of the beech log that was burning brightly on his fire crackled and shot onto his rug and smouldered there
"Don't worry!" said the unwelcome guest (his nephew) "I'll move it"
"I can do it myself, thank you very much" retorted Mole in a grumbly way, quite unlike his normal good-natured self
The mole thought perhaps he ought to try and make the best of things ...
"Well, I suppose if you have nothing else to do, you could make me a nice hot sloe and blackberry drink" he muttered ...
I only managed to read two pages before falling asleep. Must have been the thought of that hot sloe and blackberry drink
Speaking of blackberries ...
I couldn't wait any longer to see how the blackberry dye was doing
You can see, with time, that it's turned more purple than red in the tub
Actually, I couldn't have left it any longer as the tiniest spots of white mould were starting to appear. After thoroughly washing and rinsing the fabrics there was no trace of the mould at all
I was really happy to get pinky red mauves
and also heather purples and truer purples with a slight blue tone (think Violet Beauregarde after she's chewed the blueberry pie chewing gum!)
I've left the fabrics drying on the airer. I'll show them again when they are dry. They are such pretty shades :o)
Well, considering this is meant to be a textiley stitchy painty blog it seems just lately I've lost the plot and it's turning into "The Country Diary of a Rambling Person"
So I thought I'd better show some stitchy stuff. I think I've shown this before, probably on the other blog, but it's a mixed media piece I made a couple of years ago called "Copper Leaves"
It's scrim on a calico base with painted Tyvek, heat distressed sheers, leaves and stitch
Thank you for visiting and reading my rambles!
♥
Now, according to Good Housekeeping from the 1950's, I am required to go and lie down for 15 minutes so I am fresh to hear all about my husband's day, touch up my lipstick, put a bow in my hair, tidy the children, have a gin and tonic handy and make the home a calm sanctuary for his homecoming!