March Catch Up

 The weather has been glorious in the Forest. This is the River Wye at Redbrook.

 Not all events have been happy this month sadly. My stepfather George passed in his sleep from small cell lung cancer. I made an angel to go in his coffin. He was in the Merchant navy in his youth, so the dress is of the ocean and the background glitters with stars. A little bird symbolises Scotland as Bonnie Prince Charles couldn't be referred to by name during the Jacobite Uprisings, so he is a bird in many songs.

 An art shop in Ross where I buy my £1.99 hardback journals is closing down at the end of the month. I bought up all I could and made covers for them.  Yep I've stockpiled! The other places seem to want £7.20 or more for the same sort of thing. 

Laurel Burch was one of my favourite designers. I really enjoyed using some of my long term stroke-ables as book covers. 

 I finished the 100% 4 ply black lambswool cardigan at last! 

 Its from a vintage design and due to the fine yarn became known as the Cobweb cardi. It has taken ages!

 Daughter has learned how to crochet granny squares. With EDS Fibromyalgia and something else I can't remember, her joints swell easily, so she was finding knitting tough. 

 So I made her a little nautical bag which can fit in her rucksack enough for a 100g ball project. 

 And a matching roll to put hand friendly crochet hooks in. 

 Another lady with arthritic hand issues saw her hooks at the craft club she has started running, and tried them. She has ordered a set for herself. I do like it when something as simple as a non slip wide handle can help a crafter to carry on doing something they love. Do any of you have any fav tips/tricks?

 The nest of tables I shared before now has a couple of mats for those meals in front of the TV in an armchair evenings. I used a wadding suitable for oven gloves so no heat is transferred to the wood. They came from offcuts from the curtains and guitar amp covers, in 2 Country Diary of an Edwardian Lady fabrics.  

Some presents have been made this month. This folding needles/ scissors/ pens, and pins case is from a Sue Spargo design. 

 Stylecraft Life is 25% wool so warm and wont go stringy like a 100% acrylic yarn will. It was a pleasure to make this set. A little leather key ring seemed the right accessory.

 Sorry about the bad photos, but these penguins and snowflakes are in the correct colours here. I folded the quilt to get all the little guys in one family portrait.

 When I placed the single bed sized quilt out in the garden, the photo unfortunately was very lilac. 

 I almost forgot about this vintage coat and beret in a vintage charity shop yarn! They are aged 4 so will go into the One Day Trunk. 

 Looking forward, I want to make this  vintage re-released blouse in this French General fabric. It is one I have adored for years, so I felt very lucky finding somewhere which had some meters of it. You may recognise it from the Valentine Quilt outer border in the last post. (Those were left over strips from a previous star quilt.)

It feels like a strange time for me right now. I've been in limbo for the 3 weeks between George dying to him being buried. It shouldn't take that long yet somehow English funerals do these days. It's made me consider what should happen when it's my time. I don't want the pomp and ceremony or being stared at in death any more than I would in life. I don't think the children would cope with all the arrangements expected by those who stand to make money from the rite of passage. When I read about a "straight to cremation" option, it felt right for me. Our family is little and private. The children being able to take my ashes to the places I've been happiest and then go for an informal pub lunch is far more our style. I know that everyone is different and there are a myriad of ceremonies available for every religion/school of thought. It just surprised me that there was an option for a quiet individual in an age where so much (like this blog) is public. 

I keep thinking of the colour blue.

The Tom Denny window in Gloucester Cathedral which bathes the little side chapel and you in blue light.

Blue woad dye.

Blue sea/marine life.

Blue gems and beads.

Blue moods.

Blue denim.

Blue stocking and other expressions. 

I think an idea is brewing among that assorted lot!