Tapestries (Elizabeth Bradley)

For some years I've been making what I've always called my 'heirloom'. I've been trying to think of how many years I've actually worked on it off and on and have given up after counting past 12. Although some bits have taken me just a year to complete, others have taken up to 4, but at least they get there eventually.

In that 12 odd years I have actually completed 2 separate pieces though, one of which was a present and is framed and hung - an achievement in itself.

And this one,  my first actually (this one did take 4 years on and off) but what to do with it now, frame it, make it into a cushion or leave it in the drawer with the others for another 10 years and check for moths now and again? Probably the latter option ...

My aim was to produce a rug as the ultimate final piece with 6 tapestries from the same  range, Botanical Garden, but I'm not so sure now that will happen, what with constraints on the financial strings etc etc. However I did purchase the final panel a few years ago and have got this far.......

Impressive isn't it, 3 or 4 years work, no wonder not a lot gets done around here!  It's going to be the Lily as per the pattern below- one day anyway. But at least its out of the drawer now and thats a start isn't it?

But here's the five completed blocks....

Rose

Crocus 

Daisy

Pansy

Auricula - and my favorite

So once I finish the lily I've still got the borders and corners to purchase, complete and have made up. Why an heirloom? Well for a small rug it would end up costing over £1000...... And if it was ever finished would I allow people to walk on it or even touch it? Would I hell!

So I have been thinking that a cheaper and more practical option is to have them all framed and to be honest I do prefer this idea now, especially once I get my house in the country (see how I keep bringing this up)! And it's definitely the better option to leave behind (not that I plan on going anywhere for a long while by the way), but at least they could be split equally between the three children, except Emily has already told me she would rather have a ring!!

This one was done by my mum and given to me a couple of weeks ago. Strangely enough although finished years ago she hadn't done anything with it, see where I get it from? This one is definitely going to be a cushion, its smaller than the above tapestries, about 14 inches square, whereas mine are 16 inches. 

So pretty, I love it.

An afternoon at the seaside

Emily has come home, for what seems a short stop before she is off again, after 4 months of volunteering in Worthing.

So yesterday we took Bertie to collect Emily for her first seaside experience. I've never been to worthing before, only ever getting as far as Brighton. It's an old fashioned town, but nice shops and what seems to be very nice people, oh and the most sweet wool shop I've ever seen, Emily and I spent quite a lot of time in it (twice) to the point where they offered Roy a coffee as he was sitting outside with Bertie (The wool bar, how I would love to own a tiny shop just like it).

Anyway the actual beach is pebbles but with great banks if seaweed and the weather when we arrived, after heavy rain on the motorway, was very overcast and dull. No matter less people around!

It has a pier

and a pavilion

Little rocks to climb

and as I mentioned before the banks of seaweed. Oh the smell underneath all that seaweed was unbelievable! Unfortunately it did mean that Emily now also smelt terrible!

The sun made an appearance a bit later on and so it had be to chips on the beach

And Bertie didn't seem to mind the smell, too tired to care I think!

The deck chairs came out, people appeared, the tide came in

and it was time to go home.