nice things

Today is my birthday. I have been enjoying so many Nice Things recently. Here are just a few of them.

1. New fabric with swallows. You can find it here.
2. FRRS postcard. Hurrah! I met Felix!
3. How nice to see an old finished object again. I stitched this cushion.
4. Lemur birthday card made by my niece.
5. Chadwick’s Black Pudding (the highlight of any trip to Bury Market) Tasty!
6. Robyn’s necklace
7. Dad’s flourishing greens
8. Ma stitching
9. Sashiko gift dress. I can wear it. Cor.
10. Old OS maps. The contours are shaded!
11. Vogue patterns. Oh my.
12. Dryad handicraft leaflet.

This last — which illustrates a paper cutting entitled ‘birds in their nests’ — is the tip of a mind-boggling iceberg. So good — I have been making odd yelping and cooing noises since I got it. It belongs to a volume containing 150 instructional leaflets, kindly bequeathed to me by my Ma. Dryad Handicrafts are the MOTHERSHIP of British crafts, and these leaflets treat the reader to the combined wisdom of Harry Peach and all the other makers and teachers of the Midland’s arts and crafts movement. There are careful instructions on making everything from leather gloves to wooden toys. . . book binding, embroidery, weaving, spinning, lino printing, marbling paper, felting, smocking, hat making. . . Ye gods! It’s absolutely wonderful. I haven’t even started skimming the surface of whats on offer in these leaflets — what a fantastic resource they are, and what intriguing insights they afford into the history and practice of a whole range of British crafts across the last century. Thanks Ma!

My niece’s birthday lemur did not come out well in the mosaic — so I really must show it to you again.

How good is that? All her own work (well, her and the spirograph).

I have three finished things to post about and will do so later this week. Now, for some birthday fun . . .


Discover more from Kate Davies

Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.


Comments

19 responses to “nice things”

  1. wazzuki Avatar

    wow – that vintage sewing site is amazing

  2. jeannette Avatar
    jeannette

    http://vintagesewing.info/1950s/50-hmg/hmg-02.html#patterns

    oh my god. don’t you love the intarnets?

  3. jeannette Avatar
    jeannette

    many happy returns of the day.
    i want the leaflets, though. i need to know how to make pleather gloves.

  4. Happy birthday! The lemur is splendid!

  5. happy birthday – enjoy your nice things

  6. Happy birthday!

  7. My birthday is today so there is only one day’s difference between us! I love your nice things mosaic and I wish you many happy returns for yesterday. Big birthday joy from the Felix XXX

  8. Happy birthday, sounds like you got some real treats and that spirograph drawing is just great.

  9. Happy Birthday! And yes, nice lemur.

  10. Happy Birthday! That Lemur is super-spiro-special! And the Dryad instructional leaflets sound SO wonderful. Enjoy the rest of the day!

  11. Happy Birthday!! May the year ahead bring you many more textiley treasures. Love Helen

  12. Happy Birthday to you,
    Squashed tomatoes and stew,
    I saw a psychedelic crazed spiraograph lemur…
    And I thought it was you.
    x

  13. Happy birthday! It looks like you’re having a lovely day :)

  14. Happy birthday!!!

  15. Happy Birthday!

  16. Lemur! I love it! Happy birthday :)

  17. happy birthday! Glad to see it’s been filled with so many nice things. The end of June is the perfect time to have a birthday I think. I mean… not that I’m biased or anything… mine’s tomorrow ;) haha, I suppose I just enjoy discovering when people’s birthdays are near/the same as mine. Lovely mosaic, I especially love the fabric and the lemur!

  18. Happy happy birthday! Cancers unite!

  19. Happy Birthday YOU!! That spirograph lemur is such a treasure, the eyes indeed convey some maniacal birthday fun:)

Leave a Reply to Kirsty Hall Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *