Squares and Crafts and Needle Boxes

 Last night after our delicious tea, I was able to sit for a while and do some more work on my scrap squares.  I cannot afford to buy the wool for the green and white blanket at the moment to finish it off; hopefully will be able to do by the end of the month.  Sometimes you have to save up for things to make you appreciate them all the more.

Here are some of the squares I have been working on for the scrap blanket.  Please note that I work all the ends in at the end when I join everything together.

I am inching my way through them little by little and when I have the wool to add in and blend in with the worked colourways so far.  At the moment I am working four squares in any one colourway, and then four in the opposite way on colourway, so I am trying to mix things up a bit.  This is going to be a long project; one that is worked ad hoc when I have the spare wool.  I know I have a lot more wool yet, but it is accessing it.  At least this way on I will eventually have a stash of useful homemade blankets.

It is my birthday in May.  I have asked OH if he will pay to have my Great Aunt's sewing table repaired and restored.   We had a bit of an accident where the body of the table got caught and fell; one of the legs dropped off and the satin pleated lining all fell out and the box part of the table needs securing back together again. I was mortified about this as although not an expensive table it was hers, plain and honest and one of the few things that I have that belonged to her. I have asked for this restoration for my birthday present.  OH has agreed in principle.  It is a bit of an odd present, but the table belonged to my spinster Aunt, Great Aunt Ivy who produced lovely needlework for the family throughout her life, notably beautiful lace crochet mats and I have some of her pansy ones that she did. She never had very much, was a staunch Church goer but gave an awful lot. She was the daughter who stayed home to look after her father after my great grandmother passed. I always remember her as being in a neck-brace; a tiny lady in height about the same height as me (she always seemed so tall when we were so tiny).  Great Aunt Ivy was riddled with arthritis from about her forties and always walked with a stick however she had a very naughty sense of humour.

My china doll "Topsy" the pot doll with the beautiful brown eyes was hers as well.

She passed when I was 10 years of age after being suddenly admitted to the hospital with an infection.  She never came out.  I remember it was the first family member who I had known to pass and I was furious that Mum and Dad would not let me go to say cheerio. I was refused on the grounds that I was too young.  I was doubly furious when I found out that my seven year old cousin who was younger than me had been allowed to go.

So I am hopeful that come May my Needlework table will be fully transformed and ready for use again.  Fingers crossed.  Then when the front room is done out, it can go in there for safety's sake.  So am going to have to make some enquiries of local restorers.  The value for me is not in the box but in that it connects her love of needlework and crafting with my work all these later on.

Catch you soon.

Pattypan

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