Saturday 27 February 2016

Poker Work

The Victorians were very fond of a craft known as pyrography - poker work.Wooden ornaments were decorated by burning in a design using a hot poker. These days you can buy electrical gadgets similar to soldering irons for the same purpose. I have two pieces of pyrography - a box on my desk, which holds stamps [a gift from my cousin Gill] and in my sewing box, a small screwtop needlecase [a gift from some Baptist Ladies from Bulgaria]

I needed a poker - now we are frequently enjoying looking at the flames and feeling the warmth of our open fire, a poker seemed important.

Bob, being Bob, went off to the garage to see what he had in his Great Stash. We used to have, till it died, a metal clothes drying rack like this...
When it collapsed beyond repair, Bob used his bolt croppers to cut the metal rods into re-usable pieces.

He took one of these, fixed a bit of old broom handle to the end - and voila! we now have a poker. And it works.


We think we have found a solution for our crumpet dilemma - once the helpful lady at Cozy Stoves contacts us to say they are in stock, we shall have a toasting fork too!

Yes, you can buy TFs through the internet - but by buying it from her, we pay the same basic price, do not have delivery charges- and we help a local business. Win-win all round.

5 comments:

  1. The box and needle case are beautiful. L once had ago at this craft when she was in Brownies. A small wooden disc which we hang on the Christmas tree every year.
    Carolx

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  2. My mum's best friend does pyrography-she's v good at it. My mum commissioned a wedding present for us which we have.x

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  3. the woodburning is beautiful! My husband loves crafts such as this -- maybe I can get him to make me a box!

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  4. Years ago one of my girls had a woodburning set. I wonder what ever happened to it.
    I know you have read a number of Margaret Forster books and I was wondering if you have read "Over". I finished it today and I must say it was the most depressing book I've read in a long while. So far the books I've read by her have been anything but downers but this one left me feeling gloomy.

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    1. I have not read that one- it has had mixed reviews. Not sure I want to read about 'family tragedy' right now. Isnt it disappointing when you turn to a favourite author and then find the book is a let down?

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