i’m an old fashioned girl at heart.
i love antiques, period dramas, old teacups (i collect them!), anything with a history and a story. for this reason, i have been wanting to take up quilting for a very long time. it’s one of those creative practices that is so deeply steeped in tradition and history.

it’s also so wonderfully practical. there are few ideas so appealing to me as that of curling up with my honey, under a cosy quilt that i have made with my own two hands, or seeing one of my lil kitties reposing peacefully on a handmade quilt at the end of my bed.

so, i have decided that i am going to have a go at it! i’ve done some reading, i’ve gained masses of inspiration and ideas from various blogs (see my blogroll to the right for specifics!), and i’ve bought myself a really lovely pattern.

then the real fun began! yesterday, i went to foothills fabric and threads and selected some beautiful fabric (it was so much fun, and there are so many amazingly beautiful colours and prints to choose from), and now that i have it home, i am in the process of cutting my pieces to size.

i’ll let you know how the project unfolds!
in the mean time i’d love to hear about your adventures (successful or otherwise) in the realms of patchwork and quilting - just leave a comment!

til next time,
essie xoxoxo

it might be warming up in the northern hemisphere, but down here in australia we’re heading into my favourite time of year - winter!

i love the colder months. i love the grey skies, the scarves, the coats, the boots, and the pure pleasure to be derived from curling up on your bed with a cup of tea and a good book or project. and there’s something about having the odd fuzzy companion that makes this whole picture just that much friendlier and more welcoming.

there are four such fuzzballs here at penelope waits headquarters. beatrice is a tiny dog, with so much enthusiasm for everything in the entire universe that her help often means that craft projects end up looking a little…. experimental?

this is what beatrice can do with a ball of sock yarn and some pure, hand-dyed mohair. magnificent, no?

next we have ioan and niamh, the twin black kitties. ioan loves to eat anything long and skinny - string, thread, yarn, ribbons - if it’s sold by the metre, he tries to swallow it by the metre. niamh is much more dignified, and limits her mischief to occasionally batting at my pens and pencils - and who can blame her when they make such a marvellously satisfying clatter as they tumble to the floor?

the only four legged beastie who doesn’t interfere with the creative process is josh. he’s the oldest and crankiest of our pets, and if he knew i was saying nice things about him in the internet he would grow opposable thumbs, start his own blog, and tell you all what a liar i am. but deep down, there’s nothing josh loves more than curling up at the end of the bed, and keeping his humans company on a cold, grey day. in his crotchety old heart, josh is just a big softie!

can a cat sue for defamation?

incidentally, if you are allergic to fuzzies, or it is not practical to have on in your house right now, the book josh is sleeping on has some awesome patterns for making plush alternatives to the real thing, and the writers have a cool blog that’s worth visiting because it’s full of great ideas and fun projects.

and finally, if you want to see just how creative our four legged pals can be, may i strongly recommend you have a read of ‘hey, pais’ - the internet’s only comic written by a cat!

til next time!
essie xoxo