old friends and upcycling...

what to do when your trusty sewing machine isn't very well, for the first time in 20 years and you have  to take it to the machine doctor...

and then a 'Making in The Studio' workshop is happening and we are a machine down as someone's machine has come without a foot...

it's time to call on Singer and Jones...sounds like a double act or a firm of solicitors...but no, they are my old friends...

this is Mrs Singer...such a wonderful machine...smooth and well-oiled...daughter mine loves the smell of her!! 

 
and here is Miss Jones...a hand worked beauty with a lovely action and a tiny spindle-like spool hidden in her depths...both are gilded ladies fit for a fancy drawing room or front parlour...

sewing using a hand machine is soo soothing...clink and chink as the handle goes round and the needle smoothly moves up and down...

Victoria arrived equipped for anything...and brought a friend...a lovely Mollie Makes doll which she had made...and a fab pincushion...

Sandra did a show and tell ...a beautiful crocheted rug she had made and  gave me a gorgeous gift of a crocheted bowl, to which I added a lovely button and filled with threads...isn't it a gem?

I do soo love it when people bring things they have made to show...or send photos of items finished after they they go home...

Sandra's busy here sewing on to the front the pretty leaves which she had embroidered with beadwork...

  
Helen came with her cute little basket of goodies...

Sandie got to use Mrs Singer and enjoyed herself no end...and did hand sewing and then got on to making a corsage...looking good! She had made her pretty beaded bracelet by the way...so many talented makers here today!

and after a day of hard work and fun and concentration and sewing and cutting...and tea and cake...4 beautiful bags appeared...Sandie's has a bit to go to be finished as she made hers slightly differently but here is Helen's with pretty suffolk puff decorations...

and a later photo...thanks Helen...love the covered button...

and Sandra's gorgeous soft green bag with beautiful embroidered beaded leaves...

and Victoria's messenger bag...with fab flower in just the right fabrics after much debate in the studio...

Ladies I salute you! You have all made gorgeous handmade handbags...hard to tell that when you arrived these beauties were all old wool jumpers!

I soo love doing workshops and meeting wonderful creative folk who take a making idea and run with it! You are all an inspiration!

making....a difference

to two battery hens has been a joy...think they were one of our best Christmas presents ever...such asmall thing to do but such a big effect to them...here they are after we went to pick them up...sad and scrawny...

and now...feathered up...plump...fluffy bottoms...smart tails...happy pecking about just like the other girls...so friendly they love nothing better than pecking your feet and chatting to you...its amazing how they just know how to be proper hens! tho' friend Phil's girls had to be taught how to go up a ramp to bed!

...just little brown hens but they give us such pleasure...and delicious eggs...here's Isabella

 and Emilia..she's the chatty one

making a difference...doesn't the lovely weather do just that? sun still bright and sunny here...but colder...got my socks and woolly hat back on...the garden looking more green with each passing day...with flowers to delight and cheer...bit of a yellow theme...spring seems to be mainly yellow and blue to entice the insects I guess...I love bulbs...they're always a surprise because I forget what and where I've planted them!

  
making a difference...DON'T FORGET we can all make a difference to the earth by turning out our lights tonight at 8.30pm if you're in the UK...get the candles out and snuggle up on the sofa...support WWF's Earth Hour tonight...

and I'll be making a difference to my studio this weekend...workshops starting again verry soon so I need to get ORGANISED...hip hooray for making and creating and getting other people to get in touch with their creativity too! lots of lovely NEW workshops to tempt...come and get creative in a beautiful Cumbrian village! for more info go to Making at The Studio...and in the meantime have a wonderful weekend xx

 

i

it's Friday night and I'm loving....

the lighter nights creeping slowly towards spring...when I left work tonight it wasn't quite dark...and it was only raining which is better than the sleet of Thursday night!

  

that we've had sunshine and crisp frosty days this week to brighten life up, it lights up the branches and berries as it lights up hope

that there may be winter still to come but there are buds on branches, and the first snowdrops and primroses are appearing nestled under the hedgerows...

that my machine embroidery workshop at Making...at The Studio on Sunday was fantastic...I had three very talented stitchers, who went away inspired...and who inspired me! it makes me so happy and is so satisfying to help other people to get creative...thanks to Gill, Helen and Ursula for making it a wonderful day...

 

Gill's lovely bunting...

 

Helen creating delightful delicate hearts

Ursula sewing beautiful textured seedheads...

and last but most especially that my dear friend Chris gave me THE most wonderful handmade jumper for my birthday (some kind of special one!!) which must have taken many months of knitting and is utterly gorgeous and I can't stop wearing it! thanks a million Mrs B! I love it! You are soo talented...

it'sMonday morning and I'm loving...

that hooray!!! we have internet connection and a working landline again after 3 days...sorry if you've tried to ring...we weren't ignoring you! actually it was weird without it..but so peaceful and you have loads of time for other things...

that daughter mine has enjoyed her birthday and her party ...and now she's fourteen and feisty... and we can move into Christmas mode...

that Grandma and Grandad made it here safely on the train on Thursday despite the awesome windy weather... I was glad of the extra weight (heavy suitcases full of all those birthday presents...) in the car on my way home from work after I picked them up at the station!

that we've all shared a lovely birthday weekend together....

that I put lots of dried fruit in  bowl last week and sloshed quantities of sherry over it( someone has drunk the brandy...) and one day soon it will magically transform itself into a cake, ready to ice somewhere around Christmas Day...

that I have actually MADE a lot of my Christmas presents...been knitting and sewing quite gently...trying not to panic...and I might even be ready...in some small way

that we had a fantastic Christmassy Open Studio evening party at Phil's with friends...here's a taste...sorry we ate all the mince pies...

 

that we had an email this week from the rehoming Hens lady...and we're off on Saturday to get some more battery rescue hens which would otherwise simply be surplus to requirement which really doesn't bear thinking about ...if YOU think you would like to help too then read the message below...the best Christmas Present you could give a battery hen...

that it's not snowing or blowing a gale out there, cold and clear, the stove is lit and I'm off to the gorgeously warm studio (air source heat pump and underfloor heating soo worth all the chaos and confusion earlier in the year)... to do a little light stitching and making....and playing with fabrics... bliss!

that my studio is nice and tidy...cos Steph was in on Saturday with a wonderful workshop with lovely people and I HAD to make it tidy for her!! there are lots of advantages to 'Making in The Studio' being in MY studio...

that we are going to get some Christmas lights and decorations up tonight to start getting in the mood...now where did we put the living Christmas tree...somewhere out in the garden...or veggie patch...orchard...or...hope the donkeys haven't eaten it!

and it's sooo verry nearly the holidays...huzzah!

Have a lovely Monday....

Hen Rescue... CAN YOU HELP to re-home some?

As you may be aware - the regulations for caged hens are changing in January 2012.  All battery hens who are currently sitting in barren cages will be send to slaughter - with the new enriched cage system coming in the new year.

We  have  hens available on SATURDAY 17th DECEMBER - to be collected from STOCKSFIELD   NE433 7SB

   

All desperately wanting a new home for new year.  If you feel you have room to offer some lucky hens a happy retirement, please give the re-homing team a call on 01769 580310  Mon to Fri 9am - 4.30pm, or respond to this email.

 

Please be aware though, you would need to keep any new hens separate from your existing hens for the first week or so - ideally so they can see each other, but not actually get at one another.  We will be happy to offer any merging advice you may need.

Many thanks

Wendy

Wendy Reynolds
Tel: 01769 580310 / E: wendy.reynolds@bhwt.org.uk / www.bhwt.org.uk
British Hen Welfare Trust, North Parks, Chulmleigh, Devon EX18 7EJ

• Careline:            bhwtcareline@smallholderfeed.co.uk / 01362 822904
• Charity Shop:    www.bhwt.org.uk/shop/index.php
• Facebook:          www.facebook.com/BritishHenWelfareTrust
• Twitter:              @BHWTOfficial

The British Hen Welfare Trust is a national charity that re-homes commercial laying hens, educates the public about how they can make a difference to hen welfare, and encourages support for the British egg industry. Its ultimate aim is to see consumers and food manufacturers buying only UK produced free-range eggs, resulting in a strong British egg industry where all commercial laying hens enjoy a good quality life.