Stress buster

I have discovered a brilliant stress reliever. Some people may find what I am about to tell you a bit bonkers and definitely very anal. I have spent a happy half hour sorting out my books and lining them up according to the colour of the spines.Now the colours flow beautifully and I find the look of it, scarily satisfying.I get the same thrill from looking at yarn in a wool shop all the lovely colours sitting side by side in perfect harmony. Yes, I need to get out more! Enough said.

Busy,busy busy...Tired,tired,tired....

Why ,why,does everything take so much longer to do than you imagine? I have been far too busy sorting out months of accumulated stuff which is now camping out on all four landings and stairs,decorating my bedroom which does look really nice but the resulting chaos that abounds whilst doing any job is very depressing.
Why also do I start one job (decorating said bedroom) then in the middle decide to start moving downstairs furniture around and washing suite covers

and curtains to fnd that we are now in the throws of some mini tropicical climate which entails monsoon -like rain every few hours?

And a bit more

Embroidery

Jan has been very kind and written a book about her embroidery designs so that we can all have a go!!

It really is so beautiful and they are the heirlooms. I wish I was that good.Im more of an instinctive stiticher, influenced by Janet Clare and Janet Bolton.

And a little bit more

More Jan

Jan Constantine

I love all of Jan's cushions. Yes they are quite expensive but they really are so beautifully crafted. Its like having a work of art on your sofa . These have just arrived in the shop and the small credit cruncher Union Jacks are also on their way. Tomorrow I will show you her fabulous embroidery book.

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Home Sewn

Sewing Sisters, I have to draw your attention to the most beautiful book ever published.

I was whiling a good half an hour away one very rainy day last week in Waterstones. I was waiting for thirty book tokens to be scanned when I spied a rather comfortable looking chair sited right next to the craft books. So I just had to linger awhile and that was when I saw this and fell in love. Home Sewn by French General. Oh joy! Oh rapture! In the front is a beautiful envelope full of patterns and each page has a scanned image of the original french vintage fabrics used for the projects. I may never make anything but the quality of the book is amazing and all for £14.99. Put it on your wish list girls.