I’m all in a pickle trying to get things ready in time for tomorrow’s Spring Fair at Glory Days in Holt…I’ve hurt my wrist (actually it’s been painful for a while and the sensible thing to do would have been to rest it but oh no, I kept sewing and now every stitch is at tortoise speed) so I seem about two weeks behind where I really wanted to be…..at the moment the air is all lavender scented as I’m filling little hand sewn sachets with lavender…I’m keeping an eye on the door as Bernard loves lavender and keep expecting him to jump up and scatter lavender everywhere……
Everywhere round the house are dotted small piles of items I’m planning to bring along with me…I don’t know if it’s a really good business plan but I only really make things that I’d like to have myself….I love pincushions, and find I can never have enough…..these ones are stuffed right full of tiny snipped pieces of fabric scraps and hold pins really tightly, they’ve also been hand pieced together over papers.
Each time I make a batch of needle-cases I always end up falling a little in love with them and find myself popping one into my work box for myself (I now have needle-cases for every type of needles under the sun)…these ones are patch-worked with some hand embroidery detailing over top…
I’m also bringing along some embroidered peg bags…..these are all fully lined with vintage fabrics.
These tiny flower posy brooches are one of my most favourite things…I’ve made them to match most of my wardrobe, and last year “hunky Hugh” (a big burly policeman who wears the most brightly coloured socks) commissioned me to make him one to match a beautiful tweed coat…..each posy brooch is crocheted with the backs being covered in pure wool felt……
I’ve still got a couple of bird tea cosies left, these have been hand appliqued using pure wool felt. They’re double lined with some extra thick vintage blanket used as wadding….these cosies keep your tea super hot…I’ve also got some cup cake ones which I’ll be taking along too.
I made these glasses cases out of some beautiful vintage tweed fabric, and they’re lined with lovely thick velvet to help protect your spectacle lenses.
Some of the most popular items I’ve made have been these bunny faced child sized coat hangers …the hangers are made from beautifully soft vintage blankets filled with local Norfolk lavender…the bunnies are hand sewn using pure wool felt and even those little pink cheeks are sewn on by hand.
Along with the above items there’ll be some new embroidered items which I’m hoping to write about in the next few days.
Time for a cup of tea and back to filling linen sachets with lavender and roses.
My friend Sasha will also be at the Spring Fair where she’ll have the most colourful stall full of beautiful handmade toys, cushions and general gorgeousness. She doesn’t sell on-line and all her pieces are unique and one of a kind so it’s well worth the trip to see what she’ll have there this time.
ericka eckles 