The Dormant Bookworm

An electric current is zapping around my brain, my imagination is buzzing...there may very well be smoke coming from my ears, all because I’m finishing a brilliant book and have rediscovered the Joy of Reading!

Mind you, I have always been a keen reader (the family story goes that the very young, pre-school-age Chrissie was sobbing with grief, storybook in hand, and when asked what on earth was wrong, replied with a wail, “I CAN’T READ!” So yes, I took to reading quite early and quickly), but life gets in the way...for a long time I only had the energy to read children’s bedtime books, magazines and cookbooks. I read a handful of books last year, but it was all rather haphazard and sporadic, even with a really good book on the bedside table.

But over the Christmas holiday I sunk my teeth into this behemoth of a book, The Goldfinch, and devoured it! I have about 50 pages left, and let me say, I’m typing as fast as I can so I can go finish it! (Yes, it’s that consuming; if you’re a fan of Donna Tartt’s other novels, you will not be disappointed!)

I feel so much more alive when I’m reading a good book, my brain feels active, I know at the end of the day, after relaxing with some craft, I can enter a world that keeps my imagination alive. I want to keep the momentum with reading, so to that end, I am joining with Circle of Pine Trees and her inspirational Year in Books.

Laura at Circle of Pine Trees emphasised that the goal is to ensure that we find time in our busy lives to read, and also to discover and share wonderful books. It’s a brilliant idea – read a book a month, and we don’t all have to read the same book. I can choose anything, or I can see what others are reading and join with them. 

So after The Goldfinch, I have a few novels that are very nearly finished...

The Last Runaway is a new one recommended by a friend...then there are the books that I started when I still had Baby Brain and could barely get my head around The Gruffalo let alone something meatier:

And during those months when life gets in the way, or when I’m just too busy to pick up a novel, I will share a cookbook or craft book, or just read what everyone else is up to.

I am rather happy about all this, the Dormant Bookworm in me is waking!

Chrissie x

The return of Stitching Sundays

Although I don’t make a specific list of New Year’s resolutions, I start a new year by taking stock of where I am with things and make adjustments as needed...and some adjustments are certainly needed with my embroidery.

I decided to re-launch Stitching Sundays so that at least one day a week, and preferably more, I will give time over to my needle and thread. I absolutely love embroidery, but so often I find myself reaching for the crochet hook, because at the end of a long day it’s easier for me to crochet than it is to concentrate on small satin stitches...but honestly, I think I’m just being lazy. I only find crochet easier because I’ve been doing it so much longer than embroidery.

I just need to keep my stitching supplies to hand, preferably sitting atop my crochet hooks, and I know I will make good progress with embroidery techniques. The concentration helps me to forget about all else going on, which is ultimately very, very relaxing.

If it's written on a mug, it must be true

I have a WIP list a mile long, and I want to clear away some of these projects before I take on anything new (and of course I have a mile-long list of new things I want to stitch, too!).

Luckily, &Stitches is hosting a Finish-Along for the month of January!

I’m now a contributor to this wonderful site devoted to all things stitchy, and a little part of me is wondering if they introduced this FAL topic just for me...and Sam-I-Am...

I know they are fond of my Dr. Seuss embroidery, but the poor fellow has sat waiting for so long, I’m sure they really would love to say, “Get on with it, woman!” but are being polite...

I needed a break from this because I wasn't happy with the black outline of that letter 'H' - it's just sloppy, and I got ticked off that it wasn't working out as I planned. I knew I'd have to rip out part of it, so I put it away for a while. 

I’m joining in this FAL so that I devote more time to Sam, finish up his green ham and eggs, and then I can move on, because I have some ideas swirling in my head that I’m excited to share with you! Do you have an embroidery project needing some TLC? Link it up to &Stitches and finish it with me!

Please also join me as and when on Stitching Sundays – you might be curious to take up some fun and simple embroidery (click on the relevant words in my ‘Looking for Something?’ section on the right for inspiration), you might have a detailed project languishing in a drawer, you might want to add a personal touch to a quilt or item of clothing – share it here! I have some interesting topics to share in the coming weeks.

Link up below, and don’t forget to grab the button on the sidebar...

Happy crafting!

Chrissie x

January blahs

My, my, my, I am finding it *very* hard to get back into the swing of things. The deflating combination of jet lag, dark and dreary January mornings and missing family and friends back in the States has left me less than inspired to get much accomplished today. (I know I’m not alone in the doldrums, so many of us are battling the blahs in Blogland...)

I shall remedy this with a blog post and an evening with the village craft group, which meets at the local community centre once a month. Hopefully I’ll recover my crafty mojo!

I’m still getting my head round organising the house and putting new purchases away, so rather than show you what I’ve been working on, I want to share something very special with you, glimpses of my grandma’s sewing room:

The far wall, with a display of sewing machine music boxes.
My great-grandfather made the little shelves.

Grandma took over a narrow little anteroom of her house decades ago to serve as her sewing room. Mom found the charming sewing-themed wallpaper and transformed a bleak storage room into a cozy nook for Grandma to sew into the wee hours (which she still does to this day, she's a true night owl!).

How sweet is this wallpaper?

She has things just how she wants them, with three machines – an embroidery machine, a serger sewing machine, and her good ol’ Singer that might very well be older than me:

It is built into its own sewing cabinet, with handy-dandy storage cupboards on either side. I want one!

Spools of thread are showcased on the walls on display racks specially built for her by my uncle:

Ah, a work of art in its own right...

Another rack for smaller spools, plus a three-tiered caddy on the table for current project needs.

I was so happy to see the little gifts I’ve made for Grandma dotted around the room – including the sewing-themed cushion, the crochet teacup pincushion and cookie needlecase.

Inspired by Grandma’s room, and fuelled with the desire to sort out life from top to bottom – a common feeling this time of year, methinks – I returned home determined to get all my cluttered cupboards organised and make myself more dedicated craft space.

But jet lag and January blues come and go in waves, so the effort has stalled a little. Never mind. I know not to push myself, just do some quiet crafting and wait for the next burst of energy!

In the meantime, why don’t you link up to the Crochet-A-Long below and show me what you have been working on? I hope to join in next week...

Chrissie x