Egg Banner

Egg Banner, originally uploaded by Tea Potty.

Happy Easter! Enough people liked the Valentine banner, I thought I'd do one for Easter as well. Please don't use commercially.

I've got so many other Easter projects to do still, but this one was the easiest to get out of the way first. I'm going to print off a few vintage Easter images, cut them into ovals (using the EGG banner ovals as template) and string them on ribbon to make a horizontal banner this time.

Emergency Tea & Cake Fund

Emergency Tea & Cake Fund, originally uploaded by Tea Potty.

I got tired of searching through my purse for spare change yesterday, so I came up with this solution. I took a tiny tin that I've had for ages and created two stickers. Presto! Introducting my new Cake, Tea & Parking Meter Emergency Fund. I hereby swear to always, always keep enough change in here to afford the aforementioned.

Yes, I know that is what a coin purse is for, but if you saw all the copper in mine you would understand. I can never find the correct coins exactly when I want them. The euro system uses way too many coins. Why do they make a two cent coin anyway?

Thanks to Graphics Fairy for the fantastic images!

Back at square one..

Back at square one.., originally uploaded by Tea Potty.

I was going to wait until I had a few more squares done, but I'm too geeked about this to wait. I recently discovered 39 Squares. This project is so me! It is exactly what I was looking for when I started embroidering last summer -- something that I could learn on and practice on, but is still creative, meaningful and quick.

As I'm not terribly confident at freehand embroidery, I put some planning into my squares before starting. I've decided that I'm going to use this on a pillow and that the squares will be a bit bigger than an inch by an inch. I also decided that the squares should be about my family, so I made a list of symbols using the 39 Squares flickr group as inspiration.

Then I used the table function in Word to create a table of 5x5 squares at, or close to, full size. I sketched out my ideas on this table using coloured pencils (keeping in mind my chosen colours). I rearranged the squares a few times to balance out the colours, patterns and shapes as I wanted to avoid repitition. I know I won't stick exactly to the layout, especially as I'm sure to run into problems with my more difficult images. I do have a few back-up images in case.

So now I've sat down with my floss, buttons, beads, and trim and am busily stitching away!

I've also finally finished Mariana by Monica Dickens. It really shouldn't have taken me so long, but at the moment most of my evenings are dedicated to embroidery. The book was OK. It would've been a much better book with some harsh editing. The second half is much better than the first. My next book is Nightingale Wood by Stella Gibbons, who wrote Cold Comfort Farm.

March hares, scones and chocolate eggs

March Hares, originally uploaded by Tea Potty.

At last the snow has given way to mud and my spring flowers are coming up. Spring is here for sure now. The robins have returned and the fields are alive with rabbits, deer and pheasants.

My other half returned yesterday bringing back a small hoard of British goodies, most notably Cadbury eggs and clotted cream. Both are luxuries that we don't indulge in very often, but we haven't had either in a long time. I'm sure we'll make messy pigs of ourselves. My daughter hasn't had a Cadbury egg before, so I'll be forced to share one with her. I honestly prefer some of the other Easter candy a bit more, but beggers can't be choosers.

While I type, I have a batch of scones in the oven -- an incentive to keep me from staying on the computer too long. For traditional British scones, try here. Standard scones don't have fancy flavours. Plain is best, though the odd raisin or currant is acceptable. Eat them hot if you can, but you must eat them fresh. Go on, force yourself, there aren't many in a batch anyway. They're a good excuse to break out the teapot and have a tea party.

As for toppings, expect to find clotted cream and strawberry preserves at a good tea room. Real whipped cream and strawberry jam do nicely too. All this being said, I have seen my husband scoff down dry, stale scones smeared with butter and apricot jam.

I do have a recipe for clotted cream, but I have never made it. It is so bad for you that we don't eat it very often and I didn' think it was worth the trouble. If I find it, I will post it.

While my husband has been away I've been crazy about rabbits, or is that, "mad as a March hare"? I've finished a rabbit hand towel made of recycled linen, a softie and an egg cosie. There are great rabbit shapes on LollyChops and a good rabbit egg cosie template at The Yvestown Blog. The softie began life as an egg cosie, but I quickly realised he was the wrong shape and his had was too big.

As for current projects, I'm in the middle of embroidering another t-shirt for Rose and a nautical terry cloth towel (an experiment to see how it works). I've stared a cameo project for Rose's grandmothers -- check out a great tutorial on Petit Debutant. I have yet to start Rose's felt Easter basket and a set of tea towels for a friend's wedding present.

That's my timer. I think I'll have to pry my husband and daughter from the oven door. First, I'll wipe the drool off my keyboard --- mmmmm, hot scones dripping with cool melting clotted cream and jam...

An interruption in service...

Just a warning that I will be computerless (GASP!) for the next two weeks. My husband is off on a work-trip tomorrow and he's just told me now that he is taking the computer with him, the fiend. At the moment I'm trying frantically to print off a few patterns that I need over the coming weeks just to keep me busy. When normal service resumes I should have a few pictures of my felt rabbit egg cosies. I am obsessed with them at the moment. Check out Martha Stewart for a chicken version and Lucy Kate Crafts for an owl one. I'm also going to re-attempt homemade white bread (for a laugh).  

Free Rose and Vase pattern

Rose and Vase pattern, originally uploaded by Tea Potty.

I hoped to have this available before Valentine's Day, but I was side-tracked with other projects and a bad cold that won't go away. Despite the cough and stuffed nose, I had an industrious (if not romantic) Valentine's Day. See my Flickr stuff on the right.

Now that V day is behind me, I've moved swiftly into a springy frame of mind. I'm ignoring the foot of snow outside and am thinking lovely, sunny thoughts -- or at least that is my mantra for the week. So I've dug up some wonderful embroidery patterns with rabbits and cupcakes and a few vintage egg graphics and am itching to get crafting! I do have three serious tasks to tackle first -- practice my satin stitch for a wedding present; create alphabet flash cards for my daughter (which I will post if they are any good); and spring clean.

It is carneval time here. Although my husband and I haven't attended any celebrations, my daughter has, as a pink princess of course. Try as she might, she couldn't convince me that pink princesses don't wear turtlenecks, cardigans and leggings with their ballgowns. I told her they do when the weather is below freezing!

Spring is out there, somewhere...

Valentine envelope, originally uploaded by Tea Potty.

This is how I have been surviving the January blahs -- with lots of sewing projects! With the hope of Valentine's Day and Easter on their way I feel more springy (as long as I don't look outside). I am just putting the finishing touches on my Valentines for my husband (see above) and my daughter. My other half now eyes me nervously as I sit in my sewing chair every evening, rocking back and forth, stitching frantically. Maybe he believes if he sits still long enough, I might start embroidering him! Or maybe he'll finally pick up that I've got cabin fever and need to be sent somewhere sunny and warm.

I should mention that the envelope was made using Lucykate Craft's terrific tutorial.

Perhaps I don't really have cabin fever. It could be just chocolate withdrawl. I finished off the last of my Christmas truffles on Sunday. My husband better have a box of chocs ready on Valentine's Day, that is all I have to say. I'll survive 'til then by staring at the bouquet of tulips that I purchased in a fit of self-pity!