Stitching Old Things To New Life

I grabbed this one in the library on the way to the
checkout machines, it was on the end of a shelf and I liked the cover. But I never looked inside till I got home. And found it to be a lovely read! How serendipitous is that? 

Molly Martin tells how her favourite socks wore out, and her Mum showed her how to mend them 

using a darning mushroom. And she loved the idea of reinforcing the thinning stitches, restoring the socks to a new life. She has been stitching and mending ever since. She became an artist and textile repairer, and now works with the company TOAST to teach others to mend. 

This book is a distillation of all she has learned about mending, told through the garments which have been restored. 

Mollie brings the global vocabulary of mending to us - Japanese wabi-sabi [beauty in imperfection] 

and boro [tattered] where patches of fabric are stitched, layer upon layer

to make stronger, padded garments. Mottainai [not to waste] Then there is the Sanskrit word kantha - layering old saris and dhotis to make quilts. The old English word hussif - a contraction of housewife meaning a portable sewing kit [first on print in 1749] These were  used by men as well as women, 

notably soldiers across the world - from the American Civil War, through the Crimea, WW1 trenches and the Vietnam War.  And back to Japan again for sashiko ['little stabs] a reinforcing technique - and to Levi Strauss, who realised that adding copper rivets to his jeans meant they would last longer and could be patched and mended over and over again.

Her book is filled with stories of special garments mended by herself, or by friends. It is beautifully illustrated, and she devotes lots of pages to describing tools and techniques, so others can do mindful mending. And this slim volume is peppered with great quotes about repairing and restoring. I have copied them all down in a pretty notebook Kirsten sent me, and will be sharing them with you sometime. 

This book is a joy - learn about Mindful Mending - the history, the vocabulary, the techniques, the pictures, the stories. Even if you do not sew yourself, reserve it from the library to enjoy the read! *****

Restored!

 Bob spent £2 on a pair of chisels at the fête on Sunday. They were in dire need of restoration [my word for this year] The blades were blunt and rusty and the handles were grubby. One side read "Marples", the other "Wm. Marples & Sons, Sheffield, Eng,." with a shamrock logo.

Bob had recognised the brand when he first saw them, and did further research when he got home. Marples were reckoned the foremost tool manufacturing company in England for 200 years. 

These ones are from the mid 1950s and feature the distinctive " split proof" red and yellow plastic handles introduced then. If you really want to know more about the company, this site will tell you every minute detail! The Hibernia Works were amazing. 

Bob cleaned and sharpened the chisels, now they are useful again

A before/after shot. The guy selling the stuff [cleared out of his late uncle's garage, he told us] clearly just wanted to get rid of things. He asked if I minded my husband picking up old rusty chisels and things? Did Bob have to conceal such purchases, and hope to smuggle them home unnoticed? 

I said no, I have no problem with it. I know he will fix things then find a good use for them himself, or give them to other people who will use them. And furthermore, as I have four sewing machines, and associated equipment, I cannot  complain!

My embroidery machine is being serviced at the minute, but my main one has been in use this week. Pictures will follow! 

A Drink Of Water

I have been aware for the whole of June how blessed I am to have fresh water freely available - it started at the end of May when the water main burst - but we were able to fill our bottles from the tap at Liz's cottage.  The following weekend I waited in A&E for 5 hours for treatment [I'm OK now, don't ask for the gory details] it was hot and crowded, and my bottle of water was so important. The Dr impressed upon me that it was essential I stayed properly hydrated and drink lots of water. And then it got so hot -stiflingly hot [the old word round here is swullocking]🥵
A guy came to the door on Tuesday collecting for a hospice charity. I explained politely that we already supported our local hospice, and asked if he knew about Dame Cicely Saunders. He didn't, but promised to google her later [every day's a schoolday at Cornerstones!]

"Would you like a drink of cold water from the fridge?" I asked "And what about your mate across the road?" He was genuinely surprised at my offer. "We are not allowed to ask for a drink, but if someone offers one, we may accept" he said. So I gave him two paper cups of chilled water to take and share with his colleague. "Pop them in a recycling bin when you have finished with them" 

I try to avoid disposable cups, but if I do get one, I bring it home, and wash it very thoroughly and carefully. Here's my stack. Then I can happily give it away. This past week, I have offered water to any of the workmen or delivery guys who are out in the Close.
It is a small thing, but an important aspect of my faith [Matthew 25 "I was thirsty and you gave me a drink"...]

This was my birthday gift from Steph - she was on a work trip to Amsterdam and went in the Good News Coffee shop. She knew how much I would love one of their flasks. It is brilliant - easy to carry, and it keeps coffee hot, and cold water really cold for hours. 
There's a Bible story about refreshing water in the middle of a hot day...good news indeed

Jesus, tired out by his journey, sat down by the well. It was about noon.  A Samaritan woman came to draw some water, and Jesus said to her, “Give me a drink of water.” The woman answered, “You are a Jew, and I am a Samaritan—so how can you ask me for a drink?” (Jews will not use the same cups and bowls that Samaritans use.) Jesus answered, “If you only knew what God gives and who it is that is asking you for a drink, you would ask him, and he would give you life-giving water.”

“Sir,” the woman said, “you don't have a bucket, and the well is deep. Where would you get that life-giving water? It was our ancestor Jacob who gave us this well; he and his children and his flocks all drank from it. You don't claim to be greater than Jacob, do you?” Jesus answered, “Those who drink this water will get thirsty again,  but those who drink the water that I will give them will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give them will become in them a spring which will provide them with life-giving water and give them eternal life.”  “Sir,” she said, “give me that water! Then I will never be thirsty again”
[words John ch 4, The Good News Translation, picture from GNT by Annie Vallotton]

Utter Fabrication!

The phrase means "a lie -  totally made-up". But the other week, Bob and I visited an utterly fabulous exhibition of fabrics from all around the globe. Entitled "journeys" and displayed at Blickling Hall, our local NT property, it was just a part of a lifetime's collection of fabrics, amassed by Karun Thakar. Born in Kenya, growing up in Delhi finally settling in the UK, this man has been obsessed with textiles since childhood. There is a helpful explanatory video here [I'm putting KTs quotes in red.]We began in the entrance hall- KT says "the hall has a lot of portraits of men...so we wanted to bring the presence of women's work into the hallway"

We saw  kanthas, and baghs - the former , bedquilts made from saris or repurposed fabrics, the latter, head shawls worn at festivals and weddings. A riot of colour, a diversity of stitching- representing the realities of rural and local life. 'In the textiles, needles became tools of agency and remembrance for women'

In the Brown Drawing Room, KT chose to display lots of Indian textiles. in 1938, Philip Kerr,Blickling's last owner, invited Jawaharlal Nehru and his daughter Indira Gandhi here, to discuss the future of an independent India. A Kashmir shawl, Gujurat hangings and a palampore [block printed cotton wall hanging] The British East India Company [founded 1600] exported Indian fabrics to Europe, and they became instantly fashionable. I was sorry that no reference was made to the Norwich Shawl [a number of reviewers have picked up this point!]

The prints in the Print Room were mostly collected  by an earlier owner of the Hall, John Hobart on his travels in Italy. John had eight children, four of whom died very young. He never recovered from this loss. KT chose to display this unfinished Italian silk-on-linen embroidery to represent their unfinished lives..."I am fascinated by unfinished textiles because they represent all sorts of possibilities...a thing of curiosity that leaves the gaps for the viewer to fill in"

In the South Drawing Room, KT reflects colonial trading power. The East India Company brought in the chintz printed fabric in the 1600s but this affected English and French producers. The Calico Acts were passed in the 1700s - and European textile production, like these French toile du Jouy designs flourished, whilst increased colonial activity in the subcontinent decimated the Indian industries.

In the Upper Ante Room Blickling has a collection of Japanese object - here KT displayed some of his kimonos [the guide told us he has thousands in store!]

In the Peter the Great Room, there were, unsurprisingly , many robes from the Russian Empire - " I want to show the diversity of people living across Russia in the 1800s...ikat robes, and Arabichi coats

The Long Gallery and Library housed some fabulous African printed fabrics - kente cloth made from silk and cotton traded across the world as early as the 1500s/

The whole thing was a riot of colour, and beautiful stitchery. As I went from room to room ,there were many other visitors [mostly women], admiring, discussing, comparing the textiles. It was good to talk with other people who share my passion for working with fabric, restoring old materials, reclaiming forgotten techniques ....

It is a good, worth seeing. But Bob and I both felt the information panels were a little short on facts- which places in Russia were represented by those robes,  how did the designs link across the world? Where are they telling the story of how the boteh motif of India appearing on the Norwich shawl, and then on Paisley shawls and now often called a Paisley Pattern? what was the symbolism of the different colours used?  I did feel sorry for the volunteer NT guides, because many of the visitors were asking these questions, and they were not sufficiently equipped to answer them. 

But that deficit means I only award 4*

One Step At A Time..

 
Not sure they are appropriately dressed for climbing a snowcapped mountain, but I like the sentiment. It reminds me of the 'Serenity Prayer', which was written almost a century ago by the German-American theologian Reinhold Niebuhr. 

This little token is one produced by Alcoholics Anonymous, who adopted the prayer as their own in the 1940s, to help those struggling to reach sobriety and restoration.

Hope, Courage, Serenity. and Wisdom - all good virtues to which we should aspire!

Will I Be Shot For Treason?

Julian gave me some little resin models of Sir David A to guard my orchids in the bathroom. On his birthday, [David, not Julian] I decided to move them all to the top of their sticks in celebration. 

But disaster struck. I caught my sleeve, on my favourite one [seated with the butterfly]Is decapitating a centenarian National Treasure a capital offence? Fortunately Bob came to the rescue. DA is restored. 

Sadly no restoration possible for my fabulous moth orchid - shown here in May 2022. Over the winter it just...died. But good friends Rick and Angela who visited recently brought me another plant. There are now four plants, all in shades of pink/purple, all in bloom. Beautiful. And the mended Sir David is carefully seated on the new one, low down!

These look good photographed against the white tiles - but they cannot stay there, on my glass hob. I have carefully replaced them in the bathroom.

Orchids have become my favourite houseplants I think.
Which houseplants do you enjoy?

Bosom Buddies

Not very much has been done at Cornerstones this week. 

Bob's cough has kept us both awake at night, and he has been pretty poorly. He's been sleeping in the daytime, and I have felt very dozy too. He was able to get an appointment with the GP, who has prescribed strong antibiotics. They can can cause photo-sensitivity, so he must keep out of the sun for the next 5 days [even if it is cloudy]
He is calling them his Vampire Pills!
I did mend my neighbour's bra. I carefully cut the straps on either side of the chewed section. Then I practised machining on the spoilt part to enable me to plan my repair. 

I butted the two edges together and then tacked a strip of bias binding behind.
I zigzaged across the join, then machined around the edge of the repair section, and did a strengthening diagonal cross in running stitch.
Fortunately there was enough spare elastic in the 'adjustable' strap at the back. Garment duly restored

This is not a good picture, the colour of the bra was a very pretty pale green. The stitching looks white, but actually it was a fairly good match and almost invisible from a distance. Not that anyone is likely to see her underwear under normal circumstances.
When I took it round, she invited me in for a brief chat - I said Bob was poorly, and she's going to make him a cake to speed his recovery! He hasn't been able to keep anything down [except water] since Sunday. I think just the thought of spongecake is good medicine!

I Am Biased

I have been much involved with sleeves recently. I've taken the 'cuffs' off my blue summer dress, it's much more comfortable over my 'bingo wings'. I simply hand stitched some navy bias binding, and turned it to the inside.

The other challenge was my friend's shirt. She said it was a favourite shirt, but too tight on her upper arms. Like me, I don't believe she ever plays Bingo, so I don't know why we both have the 'wings'! The shirt had already started to rip.

I removed the sleeves. It was a fairly loose weave fabric and frayed badly. I trimmed the armholes., and then machine stitched some white bias binding all round. 

It is amazing what can be achieved with a bit of bias! Two more bits of restoration

Where did Napoleon keep his armies?

Up his sleevies!

Apologies for the joke, which I learned when I was about seven [Along with "Where is Felixstowe?" "At the end of Felix' foot"] 
I really must see if Rosie knows these.

Quiet Waters

 Norfolk is the driest county in England- but still has a lot of water - with seven main rivers[ Ant, Bure, Chet, Thurne, Waveney and Wensum] plus the lovely Norfolk Broads, and a very long coastline, from Kings Lynn and the Wash, all the way round to Yarmouth. 

This week I visited the Taverham Mill Nature Reserve, managed by Anglian Water, and went for a walk with a friend, beside the still waters. We enjoyed the sunshine, and talked of God's goodness and faithfulness [even when life has difficult moments]

On Friday morning, as I drove to the Hospital for my Volunteer Visiting Session, I switched on the Radio. The programme was 'Soul Music' which features each week a different piece of music which has special memories for people. It is usually classical, or pop - but this week it was a hymn tune. They were playing The Lord's My Shepherd, to the Scottish tune "Crimond". This is my favourite setting of Psalm 23. I was singing along in the car "He leadeth me, the quiet waters by" and reflecting on the quiet waters at Taverham. I was grateful to God for the peaceful moments. But then I was grateful too for the availability of fresh clean water - so many people across the globe walk miles to collect their water, and so often it is filthy, and carries disease. 

Here in Norfolk. because it is so flat, there are problems with water pressure - so we have lots of water towers across the county. Old redbrick Victorian ones, and at the end of the 20th century more modern concrete ones. Often they stand out on the landscape and can be seen for miles. Many of them are now listed, converted into 'dwellings'. Just down the road from the hospital, Dereham's old tower stands right alongside the 1960's "mushroom" at the highest point in the town.

As I drove into town on Friday I was aware of a huge crane beside the tower. I pulled into a side road, and got out to take a photo.

I have no idea what the three men in pink hi-viz vests were doing. I couldn't have worked so high up there. I am grateful that our water supplies are being maintained. And truly grateful for the living water that Jesus gives us, reviving our souls [John chapter 4:10 and 7:37] Psalm 23 - He leads me beside quiet waters, he restores my soul.

Thank you to Christians in the Chet Valley, South Norfolk for this hymn 

I've Got Some Nice Legs!

Said Bob. It was during the great pre-retirement downsize, I realised that one thing I did need at Cornerstones was a small table in the back bedroom. I had hoped it would be a worktable for my craft activities, and a place for visitors to put their stuff. That was why Bob mentioned his nice legs [!] and that he had a piece of wood, a short length of kitchen worktop retrieved from our neighbour's skip in Dorset when they had a refit. The legs were red metal [IKEA bargain basement, £5, years ago] and had remained in his stash, stuck together with parcel tape. He promptly screwed the legs to the wood and there was my table. It has been in use ever since. But he never actually finished it properly. I put a tablecloth on it when we had overnight guests.

Here it is, this time last year, stacked with food and jars during the kitchen refit. The top is grubby, it had sharp edges and corners, and the base of every leg [hidden in this shot] is a mess of half removed brown parcel tape. More recently my worklamp has been clamped to the edge, and the table has been covered with sewing projects.

On Thursday, I had been tidying the bedroom, the tabletop was clear. Bob leapt into action, and took the table outside. He removed the legs, and while I set to work with solvent to clean off the sticky tape and goo, he rounded the edges of the top. He sanded everything and finished it off with a coat of Osmo. It looks so much better now

Clean, shiny and no sharp corners! This will count as a restoration project, another of my #word365 activities. Thank you Bob. I shall refix  my lamp and I'm 'good to go' again

I'm A Frayed Knot!

It is just 6 months since Norwich Castle re-opened after the multimillion£££ restoration. We were delighted to have early view tickets, because we hold annual passes. I was blown away by everything there was- not just the phenomenal embroideries, but also the bright colours, and the wooden furniture, and the ironwork on the doors. I knew that I wanted to represent this project on one of my two-by-two patches. It has taken me till now, the very last patch, to actually do it. I have been planning this for weeks and weeks...

Historians discovered that the medieval castle builders used lots of bright colours, and although we are used to dark oak church doors, when first installed they would likely have been glorious primary hues, with black ironwork. This new door was designed by a Norfolk company, and the ironwork created in the forge at Holkham. 

It is the Bigod Door, named after Baron Bigod, first Norman Earl of Norfolk in the 12^th C, when the castle was built. This door is oak, covered in gloriously bright blue leather. I was amazed by the way that strips of metal were twisted and knotted, similar to Celtic knots and then riveted to the wood. The metal work forms hinges, handles, and general decoration.

I copied one particular knot last autumn and decided to recreate it with fabric and thread. It proved quite a challenge. I abandoned the idea of satin stitch, then thought about couching down some cord. Perhaps a black shoelace on blue fabric? It didn’t look right. I did have a book of small linen samples. I opted to use a neutral colour for the patch, with the knot in a bright blue cord.

Having worked out the knot – under/over/under/ over I pinned it to a piece of corrugated card and adjusted the loops as best I could, then transferred cord carefully to fabric and stitched it down[blanket stitch] with two strands of floss [blue/ lilac/ purple random dye]
Then I added NORWICH CASTLE, REBORN 2025 in back stitch in plain purple floss.

The first one, on darker linen, had the ends of cord going over the edge, and the lettering was perhaps a little too close to the fold. And in the wrong light, you couldn’t read it anyway! There were problems with the cord ends fraying too. So Kirsten is getting the lighter one  which I consider to be better of the two!

This knot was hard enough to create with cord, I am in awe of a blacksmith who can make such a knot with hot twisted metal – whether in 1100 or 2020!   

Notes:

• The knot is the one at the top of the vertical decoration which runs up the centre of the door.
• Baron Bigod is now remembered in the wonderful Brie style artisanal cheese, made at the Fen Farm Dairy in Suffolk
• This is my last patch. Kirsten's should arrive very soon and we will get on with stitching the 'rubric' and making up the project. Hoping to be done by Easter.
• I'm becoming quietly obsessed with ancient needlework, but equally fascinated by the technological developments which mean my new sewing machine can do so much more than any I have ever used before...It's all about finding the best in both disciplines I think.

So Very Grateful...

Back to the dentist for a follow up appointment. Good news, everything seems to have responded to the treatment [antibiotics, saline rinses etc] It was an infection in the gum. No need for root canal work etc. In and out quickly, there was no charge for the visit. Return in the autumn for routine check up. Hallelujah!

Home via the ward where my old school friend is in hospital. She's been away from home since November, this is the 7th different bed she's been in, the 4th location. She is looking forward to getting home. I'm so pleased to see her looking brighter, and healthier. I got home at 1.15, Bob was making sandwiches

We'd just finished eating when Craig at Vision Express rang. My replacement frames had arrived. We popped into Dereham. It is wonderful to be able to see properly again, and only need one pair of specs.

I did try to do some 2x2 hand stitching on Tuesday, but it wasn't right, and I ended up unpicking it. I hope to get the bulk of the two patches done soon. Plus I have some sewing jobs lined up for three friends. Glad to able to see clearly enough to sew straight!

All in all a good week, thank the Lord. Much restoration! 

Act Justly, Love Mercy, Walk Humbly [Micah 6:8]

I try to avoid getting political on my blog. But the words of the prophet Micah are good advice in these days - especially to the leaders of the nations.
In 2018 I went up to London to meet Liz and join those who were marching in protest of the arrival of a certain person. A number of people told me I was wrong to do this. That the President of another nation deserved respect. That as a Christian I should be loving and accepting, even if I disagreed with someone.
My answer then was that I believed that my responsibility was to speak for the poor and the marginalised, to speak in defence of those who could not speak for themselves. To uphold people's right to life and liberty. I have not changed my position on this issue.

Are You A Bag Lady?

Specifically, do you have an analogue bag ? [nb if you read TikTok, you may spell it analog] I came across this term recently. The idea is that many people would benefit from less time doomscrolling on their screens, and participating in activities which do not require a screen has positive effects on mental health and wellbeing.
So in order to do this, you prepare an analogue bag which you keep with you throughout the day, or leave by your armchair in the evening, so you always have a positive activity ready to hand. I first read about it here.

What's in your bag? well it could be a newspaper or paperback to read, a book of sudoku or crossword puzzles, a sketchpad and art materials, a piece of knitting or crochet, a small embroidery or quilting project... you get the idea. This will help prevent screen burnout.

The name comes from analogue as opposed to digital. Slow technology. I'm all for this idea - but I imagine many of you are reading this and muttering "this isn't a new thing, I've done that for years..."

I always take a book along when I am going to see the Doctor or Dentist. They call it the waiting room after all - so it is good to use that time doing something fun. Similarly long train journeys go so much better when you can finish your knitting or do some stitching. I know Kirsten and others make use of portable art kits. 
When the girls were small, they knew Mummy usually had a boredom bag to hand - containing a storybook, some paper and crayons, a couple of finger puppets, a toy vehicle, a small canister of bubbles. Liz and Steph have done this with their children. You do not need a large tote bag - just a few things inside a small zip bag, enough to work on a little project, rather than get out your phone and start tapping away.

We were given a lovely food hamper at Christmas, and I am thinking of designating that as my 'analogue basket' for the lounge. I've found a longterm knitting project I would like to work on. To have all the components tidily stored there, ready to bring out when I want to knit [and later in the year, carry outside to work in the summerhouse] would be useful. Such activities definitely contribute to the restoration  of a good state of mind, helping us to unwind, leaving the stress behind for a few moments. And because they are easy to pick up and put down again, this works well for those snatched minutes. We cannot all go for an hour's calming walk in the forest, or randomly take an afternoon out to work on the sewing machine - but these little interludes of creativity and joy can do so much good. Really old blog readers will remember that black and white film of a potter's wheel which the BBC used as a filler between programmes [you can find the whole 'interlude' series here] OK, that was on a screen, but it was a good 'time out' interval.
Do you have anything like an analogue bag already? 
What would you keep in it?
What would you put in a bag for the children?