The highlight of last week...

... We've been to Barcelona this past week and it has been a lovely break. We stayed in wonderfully luxurious hotel - four poster day beds on the roof terrace and chocolates on your pillow at night!! - and wandered around the city marvelling at the modernista buildings in the sun, and until the last day of our holiday, I thought I would be sharing all of this with you.

However, on our last morning in Barcelona we went for a walk and stumbled upon something which totally made my holiday...

After wandering through the narrow alleyways of The Raval district we came to a palm tree lined open area where Spanish locals were setting up tables for a crafting session... I don't know if this is a daily occurence or just once a week like a WI meeting, but I loved it!

Tables lined this little Ramblas with ladies - and one man - making all types of lace, whilst having a catch-up with each other in the early morning sunshine...

I couldn't get over how complicated it looked navigating all the pegs and pins... I had never thought about the process of lace making and I was truly captivated by the process.

There was one stall set up selling patterns for the crafters...

Here is the lone man in this crafting group, quietly sat at the end making a beautiful piece of lace.

This little discovery on a walk through the old narrow streets of Barcelona was a complete eye-opener for me; I will never look at lace the same again. It ties in very well with what we were discussing in the last post about lost traditions and dying art. Here in the bright sunshine is evidence of a community where the art of lace making has not been lost yet ...





I wonder what the butterfly will be made into?

I loved all the funky hats...

Each pad is personalised with badges and brooches



I enjoyed wandering up and down these tables so much last week, soaking in the atmosphere and marvelling at this skilled work, and I hope I have been able to bring a little of this wonderful find into your lives today. I was so annoyed with myself as I did not take any crochet on holiday with me; I would have taken great delight in asking to join this group for a morning! Wonder what they would have thought about my work?

Wishing you all a week filled with happy times x

P.S.  Naihte has informed me that the ladies and gentleman at this gathering are from a very small town called Camariñas (Galicia, Spain). They are known as "palilleiras". They went to Barcelona to promote their crafts, so it was very fortuitous to stumble upon them!

Read Naihte's comments as they are very interesting... she is from Galicia.

Here is some information on the lace and the tradition:

CAMARIÑAS LACE


This fine lace is made with thin threads which are sewed using needles and sticks ("palilleira" could be translated as "stick-user"). Threads are distributed and held with pins on a pillow over which is placed a picture that is used as a pattern to get the final lace.

The ‘palilleiras’ are the artists on Camariñas lace craft. They elaborate with same doses of patience and skillfulness every kind of patterns and items of this intricate art.

This typical handcraft is especially prolific in the Costa da Morte (Coast of Death) –where the village of Camariñas is- but elaborated all over Galicia.

The characteristic lace activity of Camarinas, previously restricted to the domestic self-production, has acquired great fame in Galicia and in some international markets.

THE ORIGINS

Many legends run about the origin of this fine craft as that of an Italian ship which wrecked near Costa da Morte. To thank the people in the area for their help with food and shelter after the shipwreck, an Italian lady travelling on the boat taught the women in Camariñas the secrets of this art, which later spread along all the Galician coast. But the truth is that already in XVI Century there are documents that report on the existence of this exquisite art that had been probably inspired in the lace Italian and Flanders ships carried. Since then, it has passed from one generation to another.

http://patchwork.ndk.nysa.pl/index.php/articles/show/144

Gems of days gone by...

Over the past week I have found - and bought - six exquisite embroidered linen tablecloths. I couldn't resist; each one is a work of art. They made my heart race when I saw them at an estate sale and no-one around me "gets it". You see, these are no ordinary table linens; they have been crafted by very talented ladies. They are quite simply stunning, right up my street and I know many of you will "get it" too!

I have looked at them every day and marvelled at the craftsmanship and the complete labour of love that they represent. Two cloths that I bought had crocheted edging sewn into the edge of the tablecloths.

Five of the tablecloths I have bought recently appear never to have been used. The linen is as bright and stiff as the day it was bought.

This cross-stitch is like a watercolour painting... the craftmanship is beautiful

The day will come when these cloths will stop turning up in estate sales and junk shops because they are a dying art in my opinion... so when I see one, I feel like I am buying a piece of history.

I enjoy thinking about what their provenance might be and I enjoy seeing them in our home.

the cross-stitch came with six matching
napkins

Of course the voice of reason in my head says in a very firm voice "you only have one table... why do you need a dozen vintage tablecloths?" It is not a disimilar voice to that of my husband, come to think of it. I tell both that I may repurpose them... make cushion covers and pillowcases out of them. Oh, but the truth is I cannot bear to take the scissors to them... I can't run the risk of messing up the sewing.

So, they remain in one piece. I have put a few in my Etsy shop, to let someone else have the chance of owning a work of art from days gone by. This can be found at the top of the sidebar.

I like to think that when my crochet blankets end up in an estate sale, they will make someone's heart race and they will go to a loving home...



I hope you enjoyed having a little look at the embroidered cloths... enjoy the weekend x



Crochet tea cosy pattern...

Here as promised is a "sort of" pattern for the easy peasy tea cosy I made the other week. I'm rubbish at writing patterns and I've done the best I can, with a little help thank goodness! I did a little search on the internet and discovered that a lady has made a Youtube video tutorial on THE SAME style tea cosy. So I would firstly recommend you have a look at this and then have a read through what I have to say...

YouTube tea cosy tutorial part one

YouTube tea cosy tutorial part two

I've finished mine off slightly differently. I made a button loop instead of having a drawstring fastening at the top.

So, let's get going!

One teapot.... mine is a 4-6 cup teapot

Hook: 4.5mm

Yarn I used:

King Cole Baby Comfort dk in lilac 579, purple 586, rose and turquoise 577 ( I don't know if they sent the wrong colour because this is definently aqua not turquoise). Stylecraft acrylic dk in Spring green and white.

I used a rose button which came free with an issue of Mollie Makes magazine...

Measure your teapot from the base to the lid and then from the handle to the spout to find out the width. My teapot was 7.5 inches high. Create a chain which measures the height of the teapot.

For my teapot this was 40 chain stitches.

The stitch to be used is single crochet (US), double crochet (UK).

Round one consists of sc/dc to end of chain, ch 1 then turn and sc/dc to end. Then change yarn colour. Once you have added the new yarn colour you sc/dc into the BACK LOOPS only of the previous round. This is shown in detail in the Youtube video.

see the ridge of stitches at the
bottom of this photo

When you look at the reverse of your two rows you will see a ridge of stitches at the top. Work your sc (US dc) stitches into these raised stitches.
This technique creates the ridged effect on the front. When you get to the end of the row working in the back loops only, chain one and turn your work. In the next row work dc/sc as normal in the top loops.

Continue until your work fits across the width of the teapot.

Make a front piece and a back piece. My finished panels measure 7 inches by 7.5 inches.

On the bottom edge before you sew in the yarn ends, sc (US dc) in a contrasting colour along the edge. This will be at the bottom of the cosy.

The next step is to make a button loop. Choose a button and sew onto one corner of the bottom edge of a panel. On the other panel choose a yarn colour and attach the yarn into one corner. Chain approximately 12, ch one then sc (US dc) back along the chain.

Slip stitch into the beginning chain stitch and sew in the ends. Then bring the chain around into a loop shape and slip stitch to the tea cosy edge to form a loop. Check it fits around the button.

 Ok... still with me?

The next step is to thread a needle with yarn and double the yarn. Leaving a 3 inch tail, do a running stitch around the top of the cosy - about a good inch from the top and again leave a 3 inch tail at the end.

Put the cosy on your teapot. Pull the thread as tight as it will go and knot the thread. I want the top of the cosy to sit ON the lid handle, NOT around it for the design I'm doing.


This is the result, seen on the right. Now you may find this makes your cosy too short at the bottom. I added another two rows of sc (US dc) to the bottom and then a frilly edge in a contrasting colour.

For the frilly edge, start at one corner of the bottom of the cosy and chain one. Sc (US dc) in next two stitches.

In the next stitch loop do the following:
sc (US dc), htr (half treble) (US hdc) , 2 x tr (treble)(US double crochet), htr (US hdc), sc (US dc). Then a sc (US dc) in the next two stitches, then repeat the above pattern for the remaining edge.

Sew in the ends around the top of the cosy and all the ends at the base of the cosy.

Now for the good bit.... embellishing the cosy!

I made three peonies using this
Sew Ritzy-Titzy pattern
and stitched them around the tight gathered top. If you know how to do treble/double crochet stitch, then you will be able to make these ruffley flowers....

.... and this is how to create a rather lovely tea cosy...

Happy hooking!

I wish I was a punk rocker...

I've been at home quite a bit this week, and I been casting a critical eye around our home. I came to the conclusion that it was far too "granny chic" and I've been contemplating paring things down. Things are getting a little cluttered around here... you may need to brace yourselves... I even thought there was just too much crochet everywhere. Recently things have gotten out of control; embroidered tablecloths, crochet tea cosies, blankets, cushion covers, crochet wall-hanging and even crochet lampshade covers. My recent purchase of a large doily for the coffee table tipped me over the edge and I felt it was time for drastic action - the granny chic mania had to be toned down.

Then the other day I bumped into a friend who happens to be a bit psychic and she said that ever since we had been talking she couldn't get the song "I wish I was a punk rocker with flowers in my hair" out of her head, and did it mean anything to me? I was familiar with the song, but it didn't have any significance and so she told me to go home and look up the lyrics because there may be a message within the lyrics for me. I think the line in the song that struck a chord was " I was born too late into a world that doesn't care" and whilst I believe there are alot of caring people out there in the world, it was the sentiment of harking back to another era that was pertinent to me. Sometimes I do feel I was born in the wrong era.

It dawned on me whilst looking at these lyrics that there is nothing wrong with nostalgia and having a homemade home, even if it is a little cluttered.. so I left everything as it was and got my hook out to make a simple tea cosy...

Today is a grey day, so I did the best I could with the photographs. I am rather pleased with the result; I ummm and ahhhhhed over embellishments and I may create something and then again I may leave it as it is.

So, details... well I saw a picture of a 1950s tea cosy on google images I think and I thought I could replicate it. I have made a loop and button fastening instead of creating a cord for a drawstring top, but otherwise it is the same as the one I saw on google.

Do you like it? If you would like me to create a mini tutorial, let me know... it is easy peasy lemon squeezy. The only "mistake" I made was using a 4mm hook when I think it would be better with a 4.5mm hook.

I'll leave you with this picture from our garden... no it wasn't taken in the Autumn, it was taken today! What does this say about me? Well, I'm not one for doing much weeding... my argument is that this style of gardening is much more beneficial for the mouse family, frog and blackbirds that frequent this border... the empty snail shell is testament to that!

Something bizarre has happened....

... I woke up this morning and had the desire to get my sewing machine out before starting work!

Regular readers will know that I am not on very good terms with my sewing machine usually, but today I woke up and wanted to make a new shopper tote for myself...

I always have a years old gold handmade shopper tote in my handbag so I don't have to use carrier bags, and when I go to the supermarket, one male checkout assistant always says to me, "got your snazzy bag again". Trouble is, it is not snazzy anymore; rather shabby in fact. So I've made a new tote using a Cath Kidson pattern, a remnant of curtain fabric and two pieces of vintage linen... the total cost £1.50!

...and it doesn't stop there.... seems I am on a roll... when I finish work later I have plans to make another tote using an old pink tablecloth I came across in my stash. The only snag with the bags I've made, is my husband won't be seen holding one, so I end up carrying heavy shopping if I use it in town. The gold one was "too girly" apparently, and I have a sneaking suspicion this one with a pink crinoline lady embroidery will be labelled the same... I may need to make a denim "man tote" this weekend!

Today I...

... saw my first swallow of the year! It is now officially Spring...








 

... enjoyed blue sky

... had the time to stop and photograph little roadside flowers in the sunshine...

... felt happy to find a 1970s Cornelia James scarf in colours that complimented....

... the vintage rose tapestry I bought a few weeks ago...

...hyperventilated when I found a retro pink flower double bedsheet in a charity shop... an item I've coveted for quite some time...

...bought yet another tapestry picture...

... and yet another embroidered tablecloth...and a super large white crocheted doily which fits perfectly on top of a 1960s coffee table which I wasn't loving until I found the doily ( I have forgotten to photograph this - sorry. I'll leave it for another post)...


... and generally enjoying pottering about on a day off from work.