Purl and Seam

handmade in Lancashire

Ehrman Tapestry Cushions and selective crafting!

Ehrman flora and fauna

What seems like a million Christmas’s ago, both Ma and my in-laws bought me an Ehrman tapestry kit. The first cushion is Three Tulips Blue. The second is Beautiful Sheep.

Inspired by my second cousin, I really wanted to make some beautiful tapestry cushions for our home. She has made it her life’s work to furnish her church with beautiful tapestry kneelers for each pew.

Her work is stunning. Sadly I don’t have pictures I can share with you. But needless to say, I wanted a little piece of the action.

A flying start

So the kits were unwrapped and a beautiful stitching frame ordered. Off I went with wool and needle in hand to create my own mini masterpieces.

Only I faltered and dawdled. Shilly shallied and procrastinated.

Time passed and very little was done.

I started with the sheep cushion and felt a huge sense of achievement if I completed one section. But each section took an age.

I set goals to try to motivate myself to get them done, but nothing worked.

A lightbulb moment

And then it dawned on me.

Whilst I love the finished pieces, I don’t actually enjoy the doing of tapestry.

It’s fiddly. And faffy. And the multitude of different yarns required are more difficult to manage than a basket of kittens.

You have to have really good clear lighting to be able to differentiate between the colours whilst stitching. In my corner of the world that is daytime only (mood lighting, dontcha know) and possibly every 3rd Wednesday if rain stops and the clouds lift.

The Room of Abandoned Hobbies

And so tapestry is going the way cross stitch did before it. Into the Room of Abandoned Hobbies, probably never to be brought out again.

I love to embroider and hand sew treats such as Luna Lapin. I don’t like managing 10 colours of wool or embroidery floss at a time. And whilst I love a good slow project, which is why I knit, the time it takes me to complete a tapestry or cross stitch project is ridiculous.

Mainly because I don’t find them fun!

I’m cool with that. Because I only have so much time in the day and when I do have time to be creative, I want to be working on something that makes me relaxed and happy.

Selective crafting is a thing. And I’m narrowing the field every time I try something and find it’s not the thing for me (lino printing and pottery on the wheel are also in the Room of Abandoned Hobbies).

The million dollar question

So I suppose that the only unanswered question is….if I find the stitching so uninspiring, who did complete these lovely Ehrman tapestries.

Ma came to the rescue. She kindly relieved me of the wools and canvases, and returned two beautifully stitched cushion fronts that I quickly turned into cushions that add a gentle pop of colour and warmth to our sitting room

Thanks Ma!

Stash Stories – February 2018 : A Year of Finished Projects

After spending so much time last year building a beautiful sewing room, clearing down my stash and cataloguing the remaining fabric, this year is all about Getting Things Done!

I have a pile of beautiful fabric, a smaller collection of beautiful yarn, and a surprising number of more crafty projects, all waiting to be turned into finished items.

This year I’d like to get at least 50% of stuff in my stash turned into garments, gifts or beautiful things for the home.

To do that I need to be a bit more organised, or it’s all going to be far too overwhelming.  And I do love a good plan!

The first thing I did was download the lovely, and free, Sewing Calendar from Sew DIY.

I’m sure you’ve already come across these planning pages, but if you haven’t, they’re just the prettiest, and simplest way, to get some order for your sewing plans for the coming year.

These have been cut out and pasted into my sewing notebook…a cheap, spiral bound artists sketchbook.  The thicker paper means you reduce the risk of bleed through if using coloured pens, and you can sketch, make notes and add swatches to your hearts content, without the restrictions of someone else’s ideas of what you need to note.

Next I made a list of outstanding knitting/crochet/craft plans.

It’s longer than I’d expected.

I’ve already added the current UFO, plus the dance wear that’s needed by the 18th March to the planner.

Next up….sheep.

I’ve had a tapestry cushion on the frame for forever now.  I’ve had the kit for at least a year….possibly even 2?  That’s not good.  Last year I only completed two squares.

Sheep are herd animals.

These lovely ladies don’t even stand next to each other.  I’m sure they’re lonely.  I need to crack on.

So every month this year I shall complete 1 square of the sheep tapestry, so that by the end of the year this one will be ready to turn into a cushion for my snuggler!    Already this month I’m half way through the third sheepy square!

So…it’s a start.

It would be way too ambitious to think I’ll get the whole of the stash cleared this year, but it would be really nice to halve it.

This month is time pressured as I’d like knitted mice and a crocheted pug for Easter gifts.  I also need to sew a new dance shirt for the wee boy and a dance outfit for me, as I’ve been roped into a dance competition!!!

Wish me luck!?

THEME BY ECLAIR DESIGNS