Crafting, Plans and some of my Collections

Well I did not get to the fringing on Sunday afternoon for three of my UFOs and when I sat down last evening despite good intentions I never picked the knitting needles up.  Decided that was tired and that I would have a night off the knitting and perhaps get back to it tonight/Tuesday night.  I might bring the fringing forward to tonight, just to get those three projects out of the way.

I am despite promises plotting and planning for certain projects when I can afford it, which like everyone else at the moment it could take some time.  Some of this centres around some Cross Stitch Sampler kits.  One I have had on the go for 40 years.  

The other, as (I have mentioned previously), is that I had been given a Cross Stitch Chart by my late sister-in-law which I want to make).  That one is in the pipeline and I will gradually collate the materials together bit by bit and that one is definitely on the list and a project I would like to work through the winter months. This hopefully will then be my project for Winter.

I have been browsing since then and there are several more that I would quite like, (not all Samplers) and I have noted where they are from in order that I can cherry pick the ones I really would like.  Now I need to organise myself so that I can get to a point where I can craft each day, whether that be finishing up UFOs, or starting a new project.  First things first though UFOs including the 40 year old pre-printed Cross Stitch Sampler (once I have located the threads or been able to match up with other threads).   I have a large box of mixed vintage threads that I have picked up here and there.

Needless to say though, when I start researching something I end up falling down a Rabbit hole, finding even more things that interest me. However, even if I do buy kits or materials, first I am continuing to have a purge on my UFO projects as I seriously want these out of the way with or as many as I can get done to ease things up a lot.  There are a lot of knitted things that I have yet to finish.  Yet again though, there are lots of little projects that have taken my interest as well.  I shall never go to heaven!

There are however a few things that might be interleaved between those projects as I have recently come across Crochet hat patterns and bags made with a raffia yarn.  As I need a hat, I thought it might be fun to have a go at working one and also work a bag to go with it.  I do not at the moment have an everyday general bag.  I had bought one last year from the Charity shop for £5 which I loved, but that fell to bits and I really need to replace it with something.  I noted that there are several pattern links on Pinterest at the moment which I am going to look further into.

And now for some of my collections!

Gradually over the years I have managed to gather things together to create beautiful table settings and complimentary items to set a scene. A lot of these are vintage which I have found quite reasonably priced or next to nothing.  Sometimes just being in the right place at the right time pays dividends. I have found beautiful table line exquisitely worked for next to nothing. Sourcing items to make it look lovely is how I started collecting vintage glass and pottery as I could not find really nice fruit dishes brand new and it was cheaper to source from the Charity shops or flea markets; plus the items were much nicer than what was available to buy new at the time.  Another Rabbit hole!

My biggest collection all round is my Christmas decoration collections.  This is a really large collection of items. Many boxes full of ornaments and anything Christmas associated including music box and German wooden automatons, Nutcrackers etc.  That is just on the decoration front! 

I also have a large collection of whiteware server ware, the majority of this being the M & S embossed white fruit sets that they sold.  I have carving dishes, Tureens, Rum Sauce dish, Christmas pudding plates, serving platters etc.

I also collect the Colclough Ivy China dinnerware as well which goes well with the M & S whiteware.  The Holly and the Ivy Christmas themed!

I also have an extensive vintage glass collection, crystal decanters, glasses. punch bowls etc. to go with this.  There are also further china and crockery collections which will be a post for another day.

Why so much.  Christmas has been the main celebration in any given year for our family.  I was bought up in the time where you kept nice things to bring out to use when entertaining guests which was a common theme in my childhood from all my relatives.  There was always a house full and they were always happy and jolly times filled with love, good food and laughter.  Happy days.

There is also an Easter collection which is far smaller but which I have been adding to bit by bit. Geese Egg Cups, Chicken egg cups, novelty Easter based crockery; bunny rabbits and hares! No set plan, just built up with things I think will go with the colour scheme based on Spring colours and my Johnson's Summer Chintz tea table and dinnerware.  The plan is to have a comprehensive Easter Tea collection at the end of the day.  This particular collection though is not there yet, but gradually creeping there.  

I am working on an Autumn collection as well.  There are several projects that I would like to do for this.  They will not be achieved this year. I have a collection of patterns and plans, but no actual items as yet, apart from some little orange battery tea lights and some string lights for this collection. This collection is therefore a WIP as well; yet again though will be added to as and when.  There is no specific china collection for this as yet.

I also collect the BHS Blue Brecon pottery; (I believe that this was produced by Denby on behalf of BHS - I may have this wrong but it is certainly sturdy tactile crockery.

This is used in my kitchen. I also have some of the large blue crocks for food storage however would like to add on more crocks if I can.

These are just some of the items I have available to me.  Some of the collections I have not mentioned, also blend in well with one another and can be mixed in and used alongside each other.  I may do another post covering them in due course.  

For mid-day we had a big bowl of French Onion soup with lots of cheese to keep us going.  Tonight we have egg, bacon and sausage for tea.  Good simple food that goes down well.

Hope everyone has a lovely evening.

Off to my fringing.

Catch you soon.

Pattypan

x

Back to this evening though, I am not up to knitting tonight so fringing it is.