Miniature makes

One of my aims for my sewing this year was to do more experimental and fun sewing, and also to sew some practical household items - it seems that I’ve managed some of both of those already without seemingly trying. While each of these have a practical purpose, they’re also a lot prettier than what I’d been using before.

You know what I’m like with scraps and since I made the Scandinavian Star before Christmas, the offcuts of the two bright fabrics have been on the side in my craft room staring at me. Eventually I cracked and wondered what on earth could I do with the small pieces that were left.

It turns out quite a bit.

Pairing those small starched strips with some of the green leftover from the backing of the Essex Linen kisses picnic blanket, some blue shirting, and a bright pink zip I made myself a teeny tiny mat and a business card sized pouch.

Asking why is a valid question. A pouch because, well pouches - and it is one of those smaller ones that I wanted to try. It’s already come in useful for holding my blog business cards for my day at this year’s Garden Press Event, and I think it’s longer term home will be to hold jewellery when I’m away from home.

The teeny tiny mat, which also gave me the opportunity to test out some decorative stitches on my machine, also has a practical purpose. It has replaced a very unglamorous, but functional, paper towel which I’d been using to make sure my turmeric massage oil didn’t stain what it shouldn’t (it never has, but you never know…)

I don’t even care (too much) if the turmeric does stain the teeny tiny mat, it’s pretty much turmeric coloured anyway!

While I was at it I decided to knock up a couple of slightly larger 4 inch square mats to use in the kitchen to stop the oil bottles leaving an oily mark on the worktop. The turquoise edged mats can be washed, and are made from remnants from my Mystery Block of the Month quilt, so it’s nice to see those fabrics in a different setting.

Though I can see mats becoming a new obsession!

This one I made cutting some fabric from my stash while I was working out how to assemble my Flying Geese tote. I’d not sewn with soft and stable before. This one started out as a test for that and quickly morphed into another small mat, which is the perfect size to go under my newest small succulent.

And then there was a special request.

We often have a cup or whatever next to the kitchen sink, often soaking to remove the tea stains - and so having a mat that we can use there, that was smaller and better looking than the functional reusable kitchen towels I’d made from surplus quilt blocks and old towels would be a win.

And it is a win. It’s been in use since it arrived by the sink, and is easy enough to wash or to store when we’re in a clear worktop mode!

Actually I’ve realised that I ticked off three things from my sewing list for this year: small pouches as well as the experimental/fun and practical household items - but I’m sure there’ll be more as the year goes on. They’re not really “once and done” goals are they?!

Touch, sight, natural light and enhanced wellbeing - Liz Tomes and Amelia Wylan

I’ve already shared two of the four graduate showcases from the Harrogate Knit & Stitch show (see my earlier posts showing Kiara Johnson’s and Emily Cox’s work) and planned to do the same for the graduates I’m sharing today, however I only have a couple of photos of their work and much more to share from the show, so instead I’m sharing both in a single post.

I wish I had more photos as their work was amazing, and no less amazing than those I’ve shared previously - so it’s annoying in that respect. But anyway.

Liz’s work takes an exploratory approach looking at the intersections of material, language and touch. She works across embroidery, weave and print creating textural fabrics which just draw you in - and makes me want to touch them, which of course I didn’t (even though I really wanted to!)

GRADUATE SHOWCASE: LIZ TOMES

I loved the colours, I loved the texture and the apron in the photo above - or Convergent Frequencies to give it its title - investigates how rhythm and repetition can behave like sound. She says ‘this collection takes influence from tartan, houndstooth and her Hungarian heritage’ and was inspired by an photograph of embroidery threads strew across her studio table - I definitely know that feeling!

GRADUATE SHOWCASE: LIZ TOMES

I also really love the the design, texture and colours of the fabric with the rust/yellow embroidery hanging on the lower rung of the ladder, which is part of the Auspicious Haptics collection. She says ‘there is an irony in their visibility - they are first seen, yet they invite touch’ and yes, I was already sitting on my hands (while standing up!) viewing this work.

It’s absolutely fascinating to me.

Equally fascinating, but entirely different is Amelia’s work. She too chose embroidery as the specialism for her degree and learnt how to use a wide range of industrial and domestic embroidery machinery as well as techniques to manipulate fabric.

This is textural in a different, almost sculptural way - the green and cream pieces (which are brooches) on the grey fabric are part of her ‘Wisps of Light’ collection which ‘explores the connection between natural light and enhanced wellbeing’ with inspiration from photographic blueprints and more.

GRADUATE SHOWCASE: AMELIA WYLAN

The piece that really caught my eye though, was the olive green hanging in the centre of the picture below. It’s the type of piece that while I’m not sure exactly where it would hang, but one I would happily make space for. The naturally dyed silks are given textural elegance, and the shapes appear fluid but still able to retain their structure.

GRADUATE SHOWCASE: AMELIA WYLAN

I’ve no idea how she’s made them, but I appreciate the end result and the colours used - they’re calming and tranquil, and I can see how these really could contribute to enhanced wellbeing. Which sounds a bit woo, but there you go.

In future posts from the show my plan is to share more from some of the galleries, which both inspired and amazed as always.

The Potager at Scampston Hall

It’s been a while since our weekend in Malton and I’ve been meaning to share more from our visit to the Walled Gardens and Parkland at Scampston Hall. I took many photos (no surprise there) and so I’ll be sharing a series of posts from our visit finally - it’s a great place to visit with a fab cafe too, so if you’re close by and considering a visit, then definitely go.

The Walled Garden was designed by Piet Oudolf in 1999, and while Oudolf is often now imitated this garden remains his largest private commission in the UK. There are twelve sections to the walled garden, and you know how much I love a potager, or a vegetable garden, so that’s where we’re starting.

Along with the cut flower garden, the vegetable garden supplies the house and cafe with a range of fresh flowers and vegetables. As with any productive garden the planting schemes change regularly, but isn’t that what we love about gardens?

Any gate inviting you to come in in a garden is a welcome sight, and this one especially so with it’s modern block design by local craftsman Peter Coates. I seem to have cut my photo off though, so it’s not easy to see that it contains the word Yat, which is the Yorkshire dialect for gate. A gate with meaning, as well as good looks - yes, I’m definitely coming in!

Wow. I so love a productive garden, and when we visited in September many veg plots are at their peak, so it’s a great time to visit.

Just look at that Ruby Chard, I’d forgotten how beautiful and structural they can be - I definitely want these in my garden, even though they’re one of the veg that MOH has been known to turn his nose up at, though thinking again that could be due to the sheer volume of chard we grew when we had our allotment!

I found two of my favourite pumpkins here too, this Turks Turban and the bluer skinned Crown Prince. The third that I’d add to my favourite pumpkin list is the Red Kuri or Onion Squash which I have managed to grow in my previous garden. I’m not sure if I’ll find a space for pumpkins here - they ramble a lot - but if I can I will.

There’s nothing better than fresh sweetcorn on the cob is there, and none can be fresher than these - I can’t wait for the local sweetcorn this year, though there’s a good few months before I’ll see these in the farm shops, let’s hope there’s plenty of sun this summer to make them extra sweet.

I was pleased to see the red chicory growing in a Yorkshire garden - we’re a bit further south, so by rights that means we should be able to grow them too. I love their colour and structure, and I also love them in a blue cheese risotto which MOH makes - it’s the best flavoured risotto, most I can give or take but this one I’ll always have, thank you very much. Many years back I remember we scoured our part of South London for a red chicory without a huge amount of success, but times have changed and I see them much more often now, but to grow my own - and have that risotto almost on tap - now that would be the dream.

I’m also a sucker for photographing cabbages with their characterful, and clearly very tasty, nibbled leaves. I’ve long given up on my long held dream of growing many varieties of cabbages in perfectly straight rows (as once seen at the Lost Gardens of Heligan in Cornwall), and would settle for a couple of slightly less nibbled ones that could end up in the kitchen at some point!

The Walled Garden has so much more to see, and not everything that you’d expect to see so look out for further posts in the coming weeks to see what else this fantastic space has to offer.