Going Back To Bed

Hello Friends!

Ohh deary deary deary me. I really shouldn't watch the craft shopping channels. I really shouldn't but I'm not having a good day, so I'm just sitting here watching a demonstrator make one mistake after another. I'm wondering how they get away with it.

Truth be told, I'm not having a very good time of things at all. My tremors are getting worse. I'm doing everything I can not to let it get me down but it isn't easy to keep one's spirits up as one's health and mobility deteriorate, knowing that there is no returning to how things used to be, and things will just continue to worsen. There is no help coming from any quarter. I've been on Social Services waiting list now for over a year. Just this week they told me there is no sight of me getting help for a very long time to come. I really don't know how much longer I will blog for, unless they find me something to reduce the tremors.

Back to the presenter with her mistakes. I don't claim to be an expert, but I have studied the history of patchwork and quilting and have a fairly extensive knowledge base of methods and practices, in many countries, but in particular the origins and names of block patterns. I have given talks and demonstrations on the subject and have taught informal classes, so to sit here and watch a relative newcomer to a craft that is millenia old virtually rewrite the history books is painful to say the least. Not to mention that she is giving out the wrong instructions which will inevitable end badly for some.

I have no energy, I don't have the focus this morning to read, so I was harmlessly {as I thought} channel surfing and came across the craft shopping channel HobbyMaker where I've just witnessed a so called expert/demonstrator who has just renamed at least two traditional patterns {Churn Dash and Tippecanoe}, giving them new made up names. She has also redefined the definition of patchwork as the stitching together of squares of fabric. Explain that to the school of English Paper piecers, or exponents of Victorian Crazy Patchwork stitchers.

I am about to despair as she now recommends stitching your patchwork together with rounded corners. How on Earth are you supposed to achieve those crisp pinpoint corners for accurate pattern placement? Accuracy is probably the single most important factor in producing a good, clean lined pattern. The human eye will swiftly pick out those mistakes in a repeat pattern. A 1/8th inch error if repeated multiple times will result in a much larger or smaller block than planned, or garment if you are making clothing. Think of a 4 panel A line skirt. One eighth of an inch to either side of the stitching line on each seam = 1/4 inch variance per seam = 1 inch over the entire garment. I shall stop now before I get too technical but an inch is an inch and can make that skirt waistband too tight or too slack.

Moving on . . .

I drew this rather lovely {if I do say so myself} hare with the moon in graphite with gold paint.

I have started a second one with three rabbits which I will share with you very soon.

If the debacle with the patchwork and quilting "expert" wasn't enough to drive me back to my bed, the weather most certainly is! Gale force winds, another named Storm {Katherine} with torrential rain falling on already sodden ground, and thunder and lightening. Heigh ho!

Until next time

Stay safe, Stay well

Debbie

Easter Blessings

Hello Friends!

Happy Easter

Pasg Hapus

above decorations made by me on my Scan and Cut machine

Please eat your chocolate sensibly.  All in one sitting.

Until next time

Stay safe, stay well

Debbie xx

Cards for Easter and More . . .

Hello Friends!

I'm afraid I haven't felt much up to blogging lately, but I thought I'd share with you some cards I made recently.

I've used a mix of Mirricard, matte metalic card, and American Crafts card. I made them using the Entwined Cross collection of dies by Leonie Pujol. I have had them for quite a while. They were still in their sleeve, unopened, when I went to use them this week. They were a bit fiddly and faffy to stick down, but I got there in the end.

They started out as Easter cards. However, looking at them, they would make suitable cards for baptism, first communion, sympathy, even wedding cards. As a result, I've decided not to put a sentiment on them and to leave them blank inside. It's always useful to have multi purpose blank cards on hand.

 

This one had a slight mishap while glueing in place . . . 

so I resorted to the old trick, if you make a mistake stick a butterfly on it . . . 

The top card here didn't cut out quite good enough so I trimmed it to even it up and to make it useable.  After all, Mirricard is not cheap!

The crossbar should have the same flourish as the top and bottom

but if I hadn't pointed it out, would you have noticed?

As always, I am well behind in posting, so must get a wriggle on today!

Until next time

Stay safe, stay well

Debbie xx

Horsing Around

Hello Friends!

Just popping in quickly with the latest outcome in my online art group Drawing Magic Circle.  

Graphite pencil, graphite block, tortillon paper stumps for blending, and subtraction using Tombow fine eraser and kneadable putty eraser.

If you had told me two years ago I would be competently drawing and painting animals on a regular basis I would have laughed in your face!  Just shows what you can achieve with regular daily practice.

Until next time

Stay safe, stay well

Debbie xx

In Celebration of Saint David's Day

Hello Friends!

Dydd Gŵyl Dewi Sant Hapus

Happy Saint David's Day

Today, March 1st, is Saint David's Day. David, or Dewi Sant, is the Patron Saint of Wales and today he is celebrated throughout Wales, and across the world where many Welsh communities exist.  I have written previously here and here if you would like to read more.  Typing is wearing me out these days, so I apologise for the brevity and for referring you to previous posts.

Here is a selection of photos from my library in celebration of Saint David and of being Welsh.

Two pictures of the Shrine of David, restored, at St Davids Cathedral

 

The Bishop's Blessing on the Cross Square 14th century prayer cross.  The then bishop, the Rt. Rev Wyn Evans is giving the Blessing, ably assisted by the then Dean, the Rev. Jonathan Lean, the then Mayor, Cllr. John George, and finally the then Canon Dorrien Davies who has just been consecrated as the 130th Bishop of St Davids.  This year it will be Bishop Dorrien leading the ecclesiastic celebrations. 

Two views of the Cathedral in the Valley of Roses where David established his monastery and it has been a centre for faith and pilgrimage for 1,500 years.  One only has to set foot inside the cathedral and the energy of one and a half millennia is palpable.

Various views at St Non's where David was born

Shrine of the Blessed Virgin

Healing Well said to have sprung up when David was born

Stained glass depiction of Saint Non in St Non's Chapel by the Sea

St Non's Chapel by the Sea, early 20th century chapel at St Non's Retreat

Stained glass depiction of Saint David in St Non's Chapel by the Sea

Chapel interior

Early Celtic Cross

Examples of traditional Welsh woollen tapestry, Dyffryn Mill

Tapestry cape Melin Middle Mill

Hand knitted Welsh costume doll

Tapestry floor rug Tregwynt Mill

Some Welsh souvenir textiles 

Our Dear Friend Tiny Tartan from Across the Pond also celebrating the day!

A copy of a rare treasure, the highly sought after Twr Y Felin Guide, second edition, and a vintage pamphlet on pilgrimage to St Davids

No celebration would be complete without daffodils, the national flower of Wales!

And now for tea time treats!

Bara Brith

Welsh Cakes

and finally . . . 

editing to add that two of my photos were selected for the Western Telegraph's St David's Day online edition HERE!!!

Until next time

Stay safe, stay well

Debbie xx

The Moon Shines Bright

Hello Friends

The sky is clear and cloudless on a crisply cold Winter's evening. Birds are singing cheerfully, chirruping a clarion call of hope, a promise that tells us Spring will soon be here as surely as the dawn will rise again. Sweet voices in the silence of the coming night, there's something in that sound, as it echoes across this quiet twilight corner of the Shire that stirs my spirit at it's very heart. The Snow Moon looks down and smiles, and moonbeams dance so bright and full of hope . . .

What do you see when you look up at our one and precious beautiful moon? Do you see the Man in the Moon? Did you know there are two men in the moon? Or, do you see the Hare or Rabbit in the Moon? For years I only saw the Man in the Moon, then one day I found the other one, and then I found the Rabbit! Our moon, with her many moods, is full of magic and secrets waiting to be found.

Until next time

Stay safe, stay well

Debbie xx

One Day . . .

Hello Friends!

Just playing with adding words to my photos . . .

and a gentle reminder of my book giveaway HERE.  I will be drawing it on March 1st, next Friday.  Thank you, to those who've entered so far, and Good Luck Everyone!

Until next time

Stay safe stay well

Debbie xx