OneChurchillsGreen

A poignant post.....

.... it's Mother's Day here in the UK and I have been lucky to share the day with my two wonderful children and my mother. This is the second year that I have been confronted by my mother's battle with cancer - one that, for now, she seems to be fighting head on with as much energy and determination as she can muster. After a week's pause in her treatment we are back to chemotherapy tomorrow. None of us know what the future holds and it seems life has it's own plan for each of us. My thoughts today are with my friends and loved ones who have lost their mothers, may the wonderful memories bring you joy and happiness amidst your sorrow.

And now it's time to confess. With regular, sometimes daily, hospital trips I have been absent from my blog. I have so much to tell you, I'm not even sure where to start! My wonderful trip to London to meet the fabulous Mr Finch? The Red Nose Day Dolls' lunch 'chez' Ros Badger (knitwear designer extraordinaire)? Too much, too much!!! So, until I can do any of the above justice, maybe just a quick summary of what's making me smile right now...

A delicious Mother's Day breakfast in our 'new' kitchen courtesy of The Sicilian and his two little helpers!

My magnolia 'stellata', nestled beautifully in the bed at the foot of our spectacular wall in the 'new' garden - once again, thanks to The Sicilian who transplanted it so tenderly.

Violet enjoying the sun streaming through the 'new' bay window - I told you she'd settle in quickly!

The beautiful spring flowers on our 'new' drive to school each morning!

The wonderful daylight streaming into our 'new' kitchen, perfect for all my new spring crochet projects - judging by my threads, the cottons have made an appearance!!!

And I'll share some fresh, new projects with you soon, as well as tales of Mr Finch and Ros Badger - but one last quick thing. You might have heard me go on about these Red Nose Day Dolls - amazing little things, complete with accessories made by truly gifted makers. Well, they're up for auction on Ebay. If, like me, your numbers haven't come up recently, you can make a donation to Comic Relief via Emma Mitchell's 'giving' page (Emma from 'Silver Pebble', together with Ros Badger, masterminded the whole project) and £5 really can make the difference between life and death with the purchase of a single mosquito net. So, whilst I have never asked for donations or contributions for free patterns or ideas I have published here on my blog (I just love sharing my crafty ramblings with whoever will listen!), if you can spare just a small amount I know it will be much appreciated. Times are hard and I know that we all do what we can, so maybe a financial gift isn't an option and there is absolutely no obligation ;-) xxx

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A little dolly's dress....

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Here is the little dress for Blossom, one of the Red Nose Day Dolls....

A beautiful sunny day yesterday gave me the perfect opportunity to take a quick snap (or two) - seen here hanging on my magnolia stellata! Whilst I had most of Blossom's measurements, I'm not privy to them all (a girl's gotta keep her modesty after all), so the dress will definitely be long enough but it might be a little large around the middle, so all that is left is to thread a pretty satin sash around the waist which can be tied in a pretty bow to fit. And with spring on it's way (the first primrose is out in the garden), I thought I'd add some tiny blossom...

...and what doll's dress would be complete without a birds eye button to fasten...

I only hope Blossom likes her new dress, and more to the point, I hope the Red Nose Day Dolls raise a smile and heap of cash for Comic Relief - keep an eye on the Comic Relief auction website (and the Red Nose Day Dolls Twitter and Facebook pages to see all of the other gorgeous handmade accessories being created). Every time I make a little crochet dress, I dream about making a 'grown up' version one day, definitely a project for the future! xxx

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A little dolly's dress....

Over the next few weeks I will be sharing the 'Red Nose Day Dolls' project with you, and more specifically the dress I am contributing. The rather brilliant Ros Badger and Emma Mitchell hatched a plan to make some lolly for Comic Relief - handmade dolls kitted out in the best the craft world has to offer, silver tiaras and all. You can read all about it over on the Red Nose Day Dolls very own blog, you can follow said dolls on Twitter (@rednosedaydolls) and you can spread the word about the dolls to anyone who'll listen! The ultimate fate of the dolls will be to appear on the Comic Relief auction website where they will find a new home with the highest bidders!!!
The task ahead for me is to come up with the prettiest, cutest little crochet dress made to fit one of these discerning little ladies. So with the dress I made for Olympia bunny as my guide, I've been working up swatches to help me decide on colour and stitch pattern. I'm going for a bit of 1950's glamour with my shape (I might even add a few layers of soft tulle to give volume to the skirt of the dress), but I'm thinking simple, cute and lots of fun to dress up in!!! If you can think of anyone who would just love to own a bespoke, handmade doll then send them the link ;) xxx

And then there were words!!!

Wow, the sun lasted longer than I'd anticipated! Not to mention a busy few days at the cookery school. This morning I was determined to make it to the Wool Workshop for another Dorset button workshop with the quite brilliant Marion Howitt. So, after piling through some paperwork, I nipped off, just in time - although I was several stages behind everyone else, I almost completed one button, so have returned home full of creative energy! And part of my creative process is this blog and the 'blogosphere' in general. In fact, I've been out of sorts for a while and have found sanctuary in the musings of others - whether it's just the comfort of knowing I'm not alone in my hazy muddle of daily life, trying to squeeze too many things into too few hours, or finding images that make me smile and remind me of the things that I love in life (hence my new fascination with Pinterest!). The reality is, I find pleasure in simple things, the Sicilian and I live a very straightforward life, having chosen not to pursue highly paid careers in exchange for quality time with our children and time to enjoy this beautiful corner of Dorset we have elected to call our home. It probably all sounds idyllic, but even this level of simplicity comes at a price. We rent our little cottage, so we rarely have anything left over at the end of the month for luxuries, we have to work every moment even if we're under the weather, not to mention any holidays being unpaid. But, I wouldn't swap it for the world. This lifestyle choice defines much of what I do, even an impromptu al fresco lunch on Father's Day.  

In a hunt for flowers for a clients lunch party, I stumbled across these peonies on the market in Dorchester - not the right colour for the client's theme unfortunately. But for just £5 the lot, I couldn't resist! It was late on a Friday and the flower seller didn't want to return the next day (or that was his story anyway!). I've been nurturing my tiny cutting garden at home, to avoid being tempted by shop flowers, but with only one peony bud at present, I gave in to temptation. So, with work out of the way, and the sun shining on Sunday (which also happened to be Father's Day), I set about putting up the trestle table on the grass for lunch. My pile of cotton doilies is growing by the day and the intention being that one day they will become a table runner; so with this in mind I laid them out on some cream linen, just to see how many more I would need. Then the peonies, in all their pink and yellow splendor (I know Sarah, they almost seem too good to be true!), dotted about in old jam jars. To finish it off, some pale blue napkins I'd made from a gorgeous linen I picked up in Daisy May's (total cost for the four napkins, approximately £6, plus an hour or so on my trusty Janome), some old French wine glasses I'd found in Smith's Vintage in Swanage (again, about £2 each, so £8), little oak leaves hand cut from watercolour card to tie the napkins and, of course, a delicious lunch the Sicilian had prepared earlier. So, in times of austerity (which is pretty much all of the time in our household), home made and hand made really does pay! Apart from the peonies, which have now faded away, and the lunch, which was enjoyed by all, everything else can be used again and again and hasn't cost a small fortune to create or collect.

And as for Violet, my very special pussycat, she just can't help herself, which is why I included the photo of her. As soon as I'm setting a table or laying out a sewing or crochet project, or even just rummaging through work papers, she comes and sits in the midst of it all, as if to say 'I know you're busy, but just take a moment to step back and enjoy it, and tickle my tummy whilst you do it!'. It almost looked as if she was winking at me in this one ;) xxx

Royal Wedding fever

I have tried to get excited about the upcoming nuptials of William and Kate, but I'm afraid I've been lacking fervour. However, as Royal Wedding fever gathers pace, I've finally succumbed to my own little bit of patriotism - inspired by the red, white and blue bunting I need to make for the children's school, I thought I'd make my latest clutch a 'royal wedding' one. My mother was clearing out her fabric chest last week and handed me this gorgeous woven fabric in royal blue - combined with my red clutch handle and some red and white crocheted flowers (I can't resist getting the hook out!) and here we are.......

I even watched the tail end of the program charting their romance last night, maybe I will finally give in to the excitement of it all?! By Friday I'll be throwing my own street party and hanging the Union Jack out of the upstairs window - or maybe I'll just be sitting down for a glass of bubbly in the garden, toasting the happy couple and enjoying peaceful country life!

Watch this space - I finished the bunting for the children's school and couldn't resist hanging it on our gate, just for a brief moment! How exciting....