Just about bordering on odd, I see things through different eyes.The heading says it all - I live, I love, I craft, I am me...

25/10/2020

Spinning a web of threads and yarns

I could hear the rain and the wind before I even opened my eyes. The room was filled with a dim grey early morning light, making me bury myself even deeper beneath the duvet. 

It took a determined small cat and a large mug of tea to make me surface. Pepper who - when let upstairs first thing in the morning, takes it upon herself to ensure every last person, still in bed, is awake. She is so persistent that even the most lazy-lie-in will give in and sit up.

Sipping my tea, watching the world through the window, as the wind thrashed the trees back and forth,  did nothing for my 'get up and go', preferring to stay wrapped up listening to the radio, however, tea drunk and Himself and Pepper ready for breakfast made me drag myself out of the snug warmth of the bed.

Breakfast eaten, washed up and put away - we went grocery shopping - oh I was so glad to be wearing a mask, the wind and rain whipped around and my face felt safe and warm behind the blue batik fabric. Once home the weather really upped it's bad behaviour, so we gave up all outside thoughts and chose to be warm and dry by the fire. We planned quiet things, reading and listening to music, sewing and chatting, resting and unwinding. Not things we often do.
However. It did not take long for me to get 'itchy fingers' so I started my slow-sewing.

 A small hand stitched Ted. Teeny tiny stitches to hold together teeny tiny pieces of fabric. He was stuffed with snippets of cloth and trimmed off waste thread from all my recent mask making.
Although not finished yet - needs eyes and a nose - I am rather pleased with the end result. I even managed to 'joint' his arms and legs so they move, making it easier to sit or pose (will do a 'photoshoot when he is complete).
With trimming off the final thread - I realised that I had generated more little snippets of fabric and ends of threads - so decided to make a little fabric 'tub' to hold all the little pieces that seem to come with sewing. A quick rummage in a pile of left over fabrics revealed a long narrow piece of upholstery material - perfect.

A break to do some baking - we needed something to help brighten the still rather dreary weather....... a batch of fruit scones slathered in butter and grape jelly with a piping hot mug of tea....
Bliss. Strangely (or not) they did not last long and I managed to hide a few in a tin to have later.
The fabric tub - a mix of sewing machining and hand finishing kept me quiet for the afternoon. 
I am looking forward to filling it with all the snipperty bits whilst I am sewing. (there is a proper name for one of these little containers - if you know what it is - please let me know). ****
By this time Himself was ready to eat again (he has hollow legs!) so again a break off from crafting while we went into the kitchen to start supper.
A friend messaged me asking if my Halloween window display was finished .... finished? finished? I have not even started it yet! So I raided my stash and laid it out on the table to see what I could make with what I had.
This year's trick and treating - like everything in 2020 - is different, windows are decorated and children, accompanied by their parents, wander around the village following a map hunting for the pumpkins. Instead of the little mini monsters and princesses knocking on the door for sweets, they are given by the parents when the decorated windows are found.  What I had not realised was the displays are to be up all week to give parents and children space to walk around the village in safety. 
Which means my window had to be up and ready by midday on Sunday - So ...... I crocheted the quickest (and let's be honest) scruffiest spider web. 
Bit of denim and hessian, four pipecleaners and suddenly there was a spider. Two bats out of black paper soon followed, some leaves and fairy lights finished the inside display.
Outside I quickly hung some black bunting and added a small pumpkin - grown by Eldest in the greenhouse before he and his lovely gf moved. Just a simple face and for contrast - black paper inside to make the eyes and mouth show up. Final addition was a salt lamp to give that lovely orangey glow. I was, I have to admit, a bit disappointed in the final result and was in a bit of a grump for a while.
If anything - I felt like he looked - :(

Then after a really good (and tiring) afternoon walk, when we returned, I lit candles, switched on lights and the window display suddenly looked a whole lot better.

So - that was our weekend - it flew by faster than a bat on a mission..... The display has to remain up all week, hopefully little grumpy pumpkin face will last that long.

Hope your weekend was good :) Here is to an equally good Monday xxxxx

***thread catcher - seems there is a whole world of patterns and ideas for them out there - whodathunkit?!

19 comments:

  1. Love your window display & of course the spiderweb was wonky after all that wind,(giggle) though I thought it immaculate. I so wish I was artistic & your creations always have me feeling so inadequate. I think your little tub may be a scrap bin/tub, but not sure as different countries seem to have other names for them too. A lovely idea for your village to keep the kids amused for halloween & keeping them safe at the same time. We sort of do halloween out here, but it's a much "newer" thing & we don't do anything for it, though I do keep sweeties for the children who have come in past years. Seems it is mostly Christmas goodies already on display in supermarkets, which seems ridiculous. Hope you had a lovely weekend. We lit the fire again as it has turned wet, windy & cold and it's late October. Weird........ Take care, stay safe & huggles.

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    1. Thanks Susan - we have both Halloween and chrimbly stuff in the shops here too - ridiculous isn't it?

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  2. Thanks Susan, my little display pales in to insignificance compared to some fantastic designs elsewhere in the village but having seen it lit up at night, I'm happy enough😊🎃 we've got our fire going too x

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  3. We always call it a thread catcher. I don't know if that's the proper name or whether we just couldn't think of a better name!

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    1. Thanks Eileen - I put in 'thread catcher' and found a whole raft of links and images I never knew existed :D

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  4. Love the idea of 'slow sewing' and what a great idea to have a pot for all those little bits of thread and material. (Not sure what I'd do with mine, though!) The spider's web is all the better for being wonky (not that it is). x

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    1. Even if you never needed to use the waste threads and fabric snips - it helps keep the sewing space clear and is easy to throw away in to a larger bin when you are finished :) Thanks for kind comments of the wonky (and yes it is) spider's web x

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  5. I cross stitch and safe all my ORTS (old raggety threads) in my ORT jar each month which then gets transfered into a large jar which sits on one of my sideboards to make an everychanging ornament. Love your window time well spent.

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  6. I agree with Eileen, a thread catcher. I use a small plastic waste bin! Only cut off threads go in it and it is nearly full. Might try and do some sewing on it all..... I bought a pumpkin to cut out a face or something and put it in the kitchen. A few days later I noticed a funny smell and saw 'pumpkin' juice running all over the counter top and around the hob and.... it had started to rot! So I threw it outside for the birds to enjoy but I've not seen any pecking at it! As usual your window is a delight. x

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    1. Ewww... rotting pumpkin juice!! I am surprised how much end of thread and snipperty bits I generate so was glad to use it as Ted stuffing. Interested to see what you do with yours xx

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    2. Forgot to say love little ted! Still can't get my head around the fact that you are sewing...

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  7. Your window looks amazing. Arilx

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  8. Love your window. 🦇 Very effective!!! Little Ted is gorgeous. I agree with Threads....you getting so much pleasure from sewing is strange. 💓 xx

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  9. I have been using a plastic box from the kitchen as a thread catcher, but I rather like the idea of a jar of them or a little fabric 'bucket', might just have to make one of those myself....

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    1. Ooh if you do - do share your make, would love to see it :D

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  10. Absolute rubbish!!! Not the display but you thinking it wasn't so good!! It looks wonderful and of course much much better when it is lit up!! The children will love it. I so like your initiative and your obvious creative personality at work under pressure!! I think the pumpkin is brilliant!! Love Little Ted too :-) keep well Amanda x

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    1. Aw Amanda - thank you :D Amazing what I can do when under pressure (ha ha ha ) I can suddenly hear Freddy Mercury singing!

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