One-and-twenty button-holes of cherry-coloured silk!

Sometimes I like to think that nothing happens by chance and everything is down to nurture and your entire life depends on what happens in the first ten years or so. But, only sometimes.

This time, I’m thinking about The Tailor of Gloucester. And I’m thinking about how we had an animation of it, and about how the sound of the narrator (who we were led to believe was Beatrix Potter) saying “taffeta” used to send shivers down my spine, and how now every time I heard the word “taffeta” I am filled with a sense of comfort, belonging and love. Then I think – maybe that’s why I chose to do textiles? I have very few other explanations, my mother was never a seamstress, we never cared for fashions or for fine fabrics. So, why not? The entire reason I like textiles now, is The Tailor of Gloucester by Beatrix Potter.

I am exaggerating, of course. But I must say that my mother giving me The Tailor of Gloucester, this time in book form, to me for Christmas, must’ve been one of the best thought out presents ever.

Now, today is the last day of 2008. Two years ago, a friend of mine vomited down my bedroom wall after drinking too much to celebrate the passing of 2006. It was a different wall to the wall relevant to this story, I just like to bring that up occasionally to embarrass him. This wall is stained also, but less with vomit (said wall has been cleaned since) and more with blu-tack thanks to art history revision notes. Anyway, being the lazy person I am- I chose not to give this wall the proper de-blu-tacking treatment, and instead to just paint something distracting over the top.

And, for a reference, the penultimate illustration from The Tailor of Gloucester:

(image via the V&A website)

Tonight I am spending New Years cross stitching Amy Karol’s free holiday giveaway pattern. I am hella excited and eager to get going.

Finally stitching again

So, college has been mad. Ucas (uni applications) are mad things. Deadlines are mad things. Projects about immigration into britain are mad things (so I guess that’s my own fault for choosing it…), but it’s mostly over now.

I’ve finally been able to do some ‘me’ stitching again. Although, as usual, it’s for someone else. Someone else who adds to the hecticness of my life and the increasing difficulty in making blog posts. But, he makes it kinda fun. So I made him a mix CD. And the most important part of the mix CD? The cover.

Machine embroidery and hand embroidery on calico. I lined it with a shirting fabric that I stole from some fabric bins at college, but I forgot to get a snap of that. Just imagine a nice blue and white stripey fabric. The duffel is because we both wear duffel coats and it’s cute. And the cassette, well that’s just because I miss mixtapes.

I tried out my new fabric pen on the back, for the tracklisting.

Is two Geraldo tracks too many?

Also, because that doesn’t count as a Christmas present, and because he unexpectedly bought me on (Tsk!) I did a ‘quick’ knitting project for him.

It’s not just maroon and cream, it’s also got some navy blue and some black in there.

And the stitching pattern is pretty hot, right? It’s just stockinette stitch with some YOs passed over.

It’s the Boombah Scarf which is a free pattern on Ravelry.

I hope to see more of you in the New Year. Merry belated Christmas. xxx