Miss Trissie

This is the real Miss Trissie. She was my grandmother and she was born in 1900. In this picture I think she about 15 years old. I love what she is wearing, and although it would seem otherwise she was born in Coventry in the UK. Perhaps this little bodice and shirt was the fashion then. Her name was Emily Beatrice and everyone called her Trissie.

Trissie loved to sew and when she was 18 years old she was given a sewing machine for her birthday. This wonderful Singer sewing machine has been looked after by her, then my Mum and then me and works really well. I love to use it and the sound it makes as it sews. I had it serviced a couple of years ago and it was given a tune up and a clean and it's just like new! Incredible for a machine that must be about 100 years old.

I use it all the time when I sew my cushion covers, one day it will be other things, but for now it's cushions. I have called this sewing machine Miss Trissie and I think she would like that.

Both Miss Trissie's sit happily with me in my craft room, one by the window and the other on my desk.

I do use an electric over-locker, which is a whizz of a thing and a new thing for me. Great for finishing off the seams.

One day I would like to try some free-style applique and also work out how to use the different feet that come with it. I must be brave and try them out!

How about you,

Are you using a sewing machine?

have you ever used an old Singer machine?

  

my chair

Can I show you my chair? It's the photo I forgot to include in my last post. This is the chair in my craft room. It's a carver chair which originally belonged to my Grandma, I called her Nana! This small hexagon blanket was inspired by Lucy at attic24, and there's is a great tutorial for it here. Lucy's blog was one of the first blogs I ever found. I really wanted to learn how to crochet and although I had brought a book on it, I still couldn't quite work it out. In my quest to find out I googled it, and the rest as they say is history! I had grand visions of this blanket covering a whole double bed, and I think it would have been truly magnificent. In the end so many projects were begun that I decided to call it a day and make it a finished project. So A border was added and it is now a baby blanket size. Now I don't have a baby and not being quite able to part with it, it's making my chair look pretty! and I love it.....

prayer flags from vintage sheets!

yesterdays hour.
that's all I had,
one hour before I had to pick up my son,
it's so rare to have anytime at home alone at the moment.
I knew I had to go and make something in my craft room,
I had to use the sewing machine!
something small and simple had to made....
what to do?
this was my simple answer!
a very easy mini bunting,
hanging in the sunny window,
helping me feel happy and grateful for the time spent making,
it really is therapy this crafting that we do.......
cheaper too.....!

I tried hanging it different places,
but I liked the light through the window best.

the lovely desk belonged to my mum,
as did a lot of the things around,
I like having them about.

this summer I tided my craft room,
and when I say tided,
I mean I moved my piles around.......!
I imagine a sleek, de-cluttered space,
but I'm actually quite fond of my things and how it's all landed,
 without much thought,
and I've always had collections of bits and bobs!

so I'm enjoying my prayer flags.
needing to stay hopeful about the return to school.
a difficult issue for us......
it may mark the beginning of lots of making and crafting,
if all works out.
I'm hoping this new school will work for us,
if not, we will find another way that does,
and the making and crafting will have to work around that!
but we won't know unless we try.....

hope you are doing something nice today,

thank you.....

first off I just wanted to say thank you,

this week and my last post has been a hive of activity,

it's been so lovely to read your comments and I've met some lovely new folks,

so a big thank you for all the support, especially my early followers!

these pink roses I planted this year in front of my balcony,

they are called compassion,

I hope they will climb and ramble as far as they can!

***

.......well, I've checked the calender and we have only two weeks left of holiday,

I'm trying not to feel panicked!

I feel like we have hardly done anything or been anywhere really......

except for the olympics of course,

it's just been a hanging out at home kinda holiday.

so what have I been doing?.....

well here's a few snipits,

eating juicy blackberries from a very brambly patch in our garden,

feeling very healthy.

I told my son these were natures happy pills!!

all those anti-oxidants......it's got to make you feel good, right?

reminding myself that I do know how to cook, at least a bit......

this is 'omelette with whatever you fancy',

I added cooked onion, peppers, courgette, tomato,

 indian cheese (paneer) and a good load of smoked paprika,

I had to finish the top off under the grill,

yum!

I have been chatting to the cows on the common,

there has been a mutual moaning about the weather!
although there have been some sunny days too,

I've been renewing my appreciation of dappled sunlight,
 appearing through shady woods,

not so keen on the squelchy mud though......

and slowly making more cushions,

I realise I simply have to finish all these cushions and do something with them,

I have been sitting and wobbling on the fence of indecision for far too long........

reading this little message left for me a while a go and remembering this is true,

even when other terrible teenage things are said........!

and today I am sorting out my craft room, I was up until late last night beginning, finally.

so my mission of the day will be this, it feels good to remember what I was doing, 

what I was in the middle of, 

what my ideas were.....!

so this is me this summer.

******

and I must also remember to thank Caroline of  scraps of us for awarding me with the liebster blog award!

The word leibster means dearest in German.

 This award is given to blogs that have less than 200 followers,

as a way of raising their profile and to encourage new bloggers,

how nice!

Anyone receiving the award can pass it on to 5 other blogs that they enjoy/admire,

and with less than 200 followers,

......if they would like to,

so I would like to award this to:-

Deborah of  happilicious...when your so happy you can taste it

Janie of  beeswax & broomsticks

Sassy of  muddle puddle

Trudy of  playing in the attic

Lizzie of  the pea pod

I hope you get a chance to pop over and visit them,

  have a good week,

Heather