It's been a quiet week

It's been a fairly quiet week, my friend's funeral went off as well as any funeral can and we all felt better having said our goodbyes to him.   I've been friends with Ann and Ken since I was 15, many moons ago, and even if we don't see each other when we do meet its as if we seen each other just the day before.   Some friends are like that - for life - other can be more transient but I enjoy them all.   Ann's gone off to the Lakes this week with her daughters and their families and I hope she really relaxes and enjoys the peace and quiet.   We off on our 'jollies' on Saturday and I'm really looking forward to it.

I did manage to get some sewing done this week.   I was persuaded to enter the Reticule (shop in Kendal) cancer charity exhibition.  For a £5 entrance fee you were sent either a fat quarter of fabric or a bag of Texere yarns - I chose the yarns and when it arrived they were all shades of pink.  This is what I made:

I used the pack of yarns and my embellisher to make a fabric which I lined and turned into a small evening bag.   The flower was made from wool tops which I wet felted and cut out two rough flower shapes.  These were then beaded, tasselled and sewn in place on the bag.   There is a small internal pocket.   I had several shades of pink and purple ribbons but none that matched well, or were too short to bind the bag.   So despite having told myself I was not going to buy more ribbons  I did.

This is a close up of the flower, I really should have rotated the photo before I imported it.  Never mind you can still see it clearly.  I will take it with me when we go to the Lakes next week as the shop is in Kendal and hand it over.  It'll give me an excuse to browse in a shop I understand is packed with goodies.

I don't think I told you that a few weeks ago a lady I'd not met before emailed me and asked if I would sell one of the houses I made for the Textilechallenge group swap.   It was the Hen House.  As the group no longer exists I didn't want to sell or part one of  my set of houses.  However we came to an arrangement, I made her her own Hen House and she sent me one of her handmade gifts and this is it.

These last tow photos are close ups of a couple of the panels on the tea cosie - its much to beautiful to use.

One other thing I've been meaning to show you.  When we were decorating my sewing room and sorting out all the stuff I had scattered throughout the house I came across this Elizabethan sweetie bag.   I had made it some time ago at one of the Embroiderers Guild workshops.   We drew the flowers, painted the centres and used goldwork threads and silks to embroider the rest.   I'd completely forgotten about it until it came to light.

I forgot to take a photo of the back of the bag which is quilted into small diamond shapes with a tiny sequin and small bead in the middle of each shape. Not at all sure what I'm going to do with it but its been put away again and will probably be another decade before it sees the light of day.