Here, there and everywhere

Life has been a whirlwind lately, with outings, excursions, rehearsals, clubs and lessons...all lots of fun, but oh! trying to keep up with it all!

On Monday a friend asked me what I was up to Friday afternoon, because she rang and I wasn’t at home. I stared at her blankly. I couldn’t actually remember. Do you ever have moments like that? It had been such a busy week, I got to the point where I would simply look at the calendar on the wall and do what it said to do.

But I have some lovely moments to share with you...

Last Thursday was so indulgent – I had planned for months to go to the Royal Academy of Art Summer Exhibition, and Thursday was my day. I asked my lovely friend Jooles to come along, sweetening the invite with a promise to go to lunch and Liberty for her birthday.

I didn’t have to twist her arm! The train ride was so fast – it is remarkable how much quicker commuting time flies when you’re chattering away about all things crafty! (And it also helped that Jooles brought along an amazing dulce de leche cake...yum.)

The Royal Academy of Art was wonderful. I love the Summer Exhibition, so many styles of art, such an incredibly varied show...it really does have something for everyone (including a Pimms bar!). I only took a few photos with my iPhone

Of course I have my eye on a few pieces

I wonder how many crochet workshops I can run to buy one?

We had a little break for lunch at my favourite Japanese diner just around the corner

Simultaneous iPhone snapshots

then it was off to Liberty!

It was the final week of an Arts & Crafts exhibition there, which is the main reason I wanted to visit – we tracked it down to an upper floor, it was a small exhibition but had many treasures. These are three embroideries from early 1900s, so detailed and so rich in colour (but alas, two were behind glass, making photos difficult...).

Jooles took far better photos than I did, of the whole day – see them here (and read her version of events!). We both left with Liberty bags, mine small, hers BIG (it was her birthday, after all!).

Thank you, my friend! 

The fun continued into the weekend. On Saturday I went to the Lurgashall Fête. The weather had forecast torrential rain, so of course the sun came out and summer officially arrived! But the best part was shopping at a very special stall at the fête – none other than Sarah Moore, of Sarah Moore Vintage!

 

Okay, so I didn’t stand outside her lovely tent snapping pics, and I didn’t ask her for a photo, that’s just not for me. But I did have a lovely conversation with her about fabrics and textures and sewing and embroidery! And I bought some goodies for a real bargain

This little enamelware bowl, perfect for the cherry tomatoes that my girls eat every day;

a lovely zinc florist’s vase and some French linen;

and some more fabric – but this isn’t just any old fabric...

...it is an old curtain that belonged to Sarah’s granny! Yep, that’s right, I’m crafting with Sarah Moore’s granny’s curtains! tee hee

It must be fate, because you may remember in this post that I had bought some gorgeous hand-dyed embroidery flosses of various types. The colours of one skein match these curtains *perfectly* - and they aren’t even my “typical” colours!

What to do with these harmonious materials? Any ideas?

After a few days of crochet workshops, I’m hoping to pause, take a breath and let life slow down a bit this weekend. Enjoy the rest of your week!

Chrissie x