A fine week

I hope you’ve all had a successful week getting back into autumn routines! We had fun, but I’m a bit wiped out, so pull up a chair and have some tea and cookies with me...

You deserve a treat after this busy week – these are Chocolate-Strawberry Thumbprints (though I popped a raspberry on top of one, diced strawberries on the other) and you can find the recipe here. They are delightful – the chocolate cookie has a sandy texture and deep chocolate flavour, topped by a creamy dollop of sweetened cream cheese, finished with a juicy burst of berries. Like a cheesecake petit four (and yes, I would have made these for this past week’s Great British Bake Off, they are that yummy!).

And do you like the cake plate and teacup? My grandma sent a set of these to me a while back, she was clearing out her cupboards and knew I’d love this vintage set.

You can see the shape, but I think you’re missing the pink squiggle design on the glass with the white fabric, so check it out with a darker background

I love this set! Tea and cookies taste better when served in pretty cups and plates, you know...

I made a batch of the cookies for my village craft group, which met last night. Lots of sewing, crochet, cross stitch...and I finished Grandma’s iPad cover! I came home and blocked the sides overnight

Then crocheted it together and finished it this morning

I based the design on the pattern in the new Granny Squares book, but I shortened it by a row of squares so that it would fit the iPad Mini. All that’s left is to wrap in in some pretty paper and send it on its way!

I sent off another craft project earlier this week – a simple embroidered napkin.

I stitched the little bee and hive for The Napkin Project, which is a joint venture between the artist Deirdre Nelson, Brunelcare and arts consultancy Willis Newson. The project aimed to provide hundreds of embroidered napkins to care homes to stimulate the creativity of those living with dementia. 

Research showed that textiles, such as an embroidered napkin, “can offer an immediate visual field, a source of tactile pleasure and engagement” to someone with dementia. Contributors were each sent a white napkin and had the freedom to stitch whatever they wished. I was inspired by the beautiful summer sunshine and bees buzzing around my garden.

I didn’t draw the design, I just went for it freestyle – French knots in a variegated yellow-white floss for the centre, then lazy daisy petals.

I had fun stitching the bee’s little trail from his hive

I very faintly drew a little dome for the hive, then just backstitched the design. I like the simplicity of it; I wanted it to look a bit hand-drawn and not perfect like you’d get from a machine-embroidered piece. The teeny weeny bees were most fun, one strand of floss and a tiny needle! I hope that whoever holds it finds it sweet and calming.

But I want to make my own beehive now, which is why I included my ‘hive sweet hive’ doodle in my Stitching Sundays post – are you ready for this Sunday? We’ll talk about how to transfer designs and start stitching...I hope those of you who are joining me will post about your progress, too!

Have a happy, restful weekend!

Chrissie x