I have spent this weekend at Mater's, communing with cats and making a start on the curtains for the barn. Large check red gingham with a small check matching red gingham bottom border. Sewing projects at Mater's require the use of The Sewing Box which is one I used to use when I was but a littl'un. Behold.
The applique was my first attempt at such a thing having been reading a seventies craft book in wide eyed amazement at what could be achieved with needle and thread. The fabric, I fondly remember, was from a pair of pants that had lost their elastic. Embroidery thread was something to be had from the market for something silly like 10p a skein and I used it endlessly for both embroidery and friendship bracelets and for darning pairs of tights and jeans and anything else that needed two bits holding together. At one point a friend of my Dad's declared her embroidery days were over and I almost passed out with joy as she handed me a carrier bag full of tangled skeins she had dumped out of an old drawer. Parts of many of them still reside in the box.
Even at that fresh age (maybe 9 years old?) I was leaving UFOs in my wake. These were destined to be pin cushions but never got made.
But when it comes to UFOs I didn't just keep them small.
This doesn't really give you an idea of scale. The hoop is about 9" across. I spent hours working away on this. Sadly the chart has vanished in the 20 years or so since I picked it up so if anyone knows how to get hold of a copy please do seriously get in touch. It is labelled "WM Briggs and Co" and must have been from around 1988. I seem to remember buying it with birthday money when I was 11 but it could have been earlier. WM Briggs is part of Coats whose website is clear in saying they do not keep an archive so I am not sure where to start looking. I do still remember doing my favourite bits first. For instance the staircase.
And the footman in the dining room.
It would be nice to finish it one day but would be fairly hopeless without the chart.
On the subject of cats I finally got to meet and stroke Dudley, or Mr Dudley as my mother refers to him. He moved in next door some months ago and was very polite but had a definite look of sadness on his little face.
I was prepared to be friendly but my Dad tells me he suspects Dudley of bullying our resident Artemis (cue gratuitous Artemis picture from the archive).
And even of causing her bodily harm when she came in with a cut or scratch on her head. I would like to think Dudley looks sad because he has realised the error of his ways and misses the old times. But perhaps on the inside he really is a vicious brute. That's the trouble with cats. You generally can't tell until it's too late whether they are angelic buckets of purrs or demonic hatchet men.
