nice things

Today is my birthday. I have been enjoying so many Nice Things recently. Here are just a few of them.

1. New fabric with swallows. You can find it here.
2. FRRS postcard. Hurrah! I met Felix!
3. How nice to see an old finished object again. I stitched this cushion.
4. Lemur birthday card made by my niece.
5. Chadwick’s Black Pudding (the highlight of any trip to Bury Market) Tasty!
6. Robyn’s necklace
7. Dad’s flourishing greens
8. Ma stitching
9. Sashiko gift dress. I can wear it. Cor.
10. Old OS maps. The contours are shaded!
11. Vogue patterns. Oh my.
12. Dryad handicraft leaflet.

This last — which illustrates a paper cutting entitled ‘birds in their nests’ — is the tip of a mind-boggling iceberg. So good — I have been making odd yelping and cooing noises since I got it. It belongs to a volume containing 150 instructional leaflets, kindly bequeathed to me by my Ma. Dryad Handicrafts are the MOTHERSHIP of British crafts, and these leaflets treat the reader to the combined wisdom of Harry Peach and all the other makers and teachers of the Midland’s arts and crafts movement. There are careful instructions on making everything from leather gloves to wooden toys. . . book binding, embroidery, weaving, spinning, lino printing, marbling paper, felting, smocking, hat making. . . Ye gods! It’s absolutely wonderful. I haven’t even started skimming the surface of whats on offer in these leaflets — what a fantastic resource they are, and what intriguing insights they afford into the history and practice of a whole range of British crafts across the last century. Thanks Ma!

My niece’s birthday lemur did not come out well in the mosaic — so I really must show it to you again.

How good is that? All her own work (well, her and the spirograph).

I have three finished things to post about and will do so later this week. Now, for some birthday fun . . .