Crafts (spring)

Inspirational stitches

Posted on 09 March 2015 at 2:27pm

Generations of girls in my family has quite possibly led to the ever present enthusiasm for developing skills in needle crafts. We are quilters, embroiderers, knitters, crocheters, and cross-stitchers. Between us, we have wool and silk stashes enough to rival any market stall and drawers full of everything from samplers and pillow slips, to hand stitched quilts and beaded confections; the latter destined either for a Christmas tree or a door handle.

The promise of a long and very wet afternoon, whilst staying with my mum one holiday, prompted my own renewed interest in embroidery. The rest of the day was spent drinking tea and practicing a variety of stitches, after she pulled out boxes of brightly coloured silks and a scrap of old pillow slip. Since then, my own preference for simple white bed linen has been given a distinct air of opulence, if not a touch of the vintage. Embellished in cottons and silks, plain fabrics, in particular, take on a new dimension; moreover, there is an element of satisfaction seeing them put to use on a daily basis. There is something quite luxurious about getting into a bed that has been made up with monogrammed pillow slips, or cosying up with a hand knitted, pure wool throw and a good book.

Welcome then, to the craft section of Peacocks in my Garden with needle crafts being just some of the things we like to busy ourselves with. In addition to these, we have a budding cake decorator in our midst who often likes to share her achievements in all things cup-cakes, birthday cakes and the transformation they can under go with deftly applied icing sugar!