Sun Dried Chicken anyone ????

Since the calamity with our chickens last May with Mr Fox we have been taking extra special care with the new girls.  On days where we can thrown open the French doors and keep an eye on them we have been letting them have the freedom of the whole garden.  This morning they strutted their stuff as usual and then as I was putting some washing on the line they went over onto their sides and basked in the midday sunshine .... it looked so funny so I had to grab the camera.

Ruby was keeping a watchful eye and Molly was soaking up the sun outside her master's shed door.

I've been having a rather productive week ..... swap parcel completed and posted, letter cushion orders completed and posted, some new items to place in Country Matters tomorrow completed and I have started to organise what stock to take to the Originate Vintage Fair on 30th April.

I've also been making some upcycled cake stands with the vintage plates I purchased at the auction last week and some glass candlesticks.

and finally a group of ladies on the SCC forum are knitting The Royal Family to raise funds for the Japanese Tsunami Effort .... here is my Prince Charles

Enjoy the glorious sunshine xx

Job done ....

At the beginning of December I took a look round my little sewing sanctuary and decided it was about time I used some of the vintage textiles that I have accummulated.  I scoured my book collection, websites and blogs for inspiration and finally settled on the idea that I could recycle or upcycle quite a lot of them into a quilt.

Today I am proud to present my circle quilt

Apart from the new polyester wadding inside it everything else is vintage.  The white squares were a damask tablecloth in a previous life which had some stains and holes but still some very useable fabric in it.  The circles were from table mats, runners, tray cloths, seat covers ...... some hand embroidered, Sanderson print, vintage oriental bird .... a multitude of colours all complimenting each other.  The border fabric is very old and was a door curtain from a children's home.  The backing fabric in a gorgeous Liberty print called Corsham was a pair of curtains.  The sewing thread came from an old cantilever sewing box acquired last year too.

I can honestly say I have never felt such satisfaction in one of my makes as I have with this one.  Made with love and I hope you will agree that it has given a new lease of life to some wonderful textiles that most people would bin.

Now comes the hard bit ..... it would make a lovely heirloom but not for this family .... I have decided that this one will be for sale but I haven't decided where or for how much yet. 

I hope I have inspired some of you to try something similar and for my next project I have decided to join Loft Creations No Strings Attached challenge.  Go on give it a go .... you know you want to ;-)