Tablecloth with bird applique - stage 1

A small success - I have completed the edging on the tablecloth I am working on.

The tablecloth is a length of cotton sheeting, which I cut to size for my dining table.

To add the edging, I followed these steps:

I hemmed the raw edges of the cut sheeting to prevent fraying.  This was probably not strictly necessary and if I ever carry out this project again I would think about missing this step.  The picture shows the "wrong" side of the tablecloth.

I wanted to use a mix of fabrics for the edging, so I cut small lengths of fabric which I then joined together to create one long strip.  I pressed the seams and also folded and pressed the edges.

This is a picture of the "wrong" side of the tablecloth taken after I had sewn the strip of edging to the "right" side of the tablecloth.  I did this by placing the strip of edging, right side down, on the right side of the tablecloth.  I then used my machine to sew these together (the top line of sewing in the picture), folded down the edging to reveal its "right" side and ironed along the sewn line.

On the back, I hand stitched the edging, sewing along the fold to create a neat edge and making small, hidden stitches.

I am pleased with my neat corners.

The next stage will be to add the birds (a few of which are pictured below). You may recognise the shape - I used the same Cath Kidston template on this cushion and as a basis for my Christmas robin.  I used Bondaweb to help attach the wings; it's easy to use and I am pleased with the results.  I'll be using Bondaweb to help fix the birds onto the tablecloth.  And of course I will share the results with you as soon as I am done!

Creating a better mood

Lemon drizzle loaf cake: easy to make, and the combination of lemon zest, juice and sugar provides a sweet, zingy lift to any day; it's a joy to prepare as well as to eat.

"They say baking soothes the soul" 

Interesting article in the Guardian last week about whether baking can improve mental health.  Journalistic hyperbole?  Quite probably.  However, the benefits of creative activity helping your mood is not new. Alys Fowler has written recently about how gardening can have a positive effect on mood.  Monty Don is another gardener who talks about the pleasure of gardening, and has written that "Gardening should, first and foremost, be a pleasure.  If you are not enjoying it then you can be pretty sure that you are doing something wrong".

I try to take the same attitude to the things I do; that when sewing, baking or whatever activity it may be, I am doing it for my own enjoyment.  Once it stops being something that I take pleasure from and instead becomes a source of frustration and failure, it is time to take a break.

Maybe the benefit comes from focusing the mind (similar to the technique of mindfulness).  There is also a meditative quality that comes from the repetitive action of sewing or stirring ingredients together.  It is an opportunity to slow down and focus on what you are doing in that particular moment.

Knitting can be a way to find calm after a busy day - counting stitches instead of sheep!

The words "slow down" are important.  I enjoy baking when I can do it at my own speed, pottering about the kitchen with the radio on in the background.  I think this is why I like baking but find cooking horribly stressful - a meal has to be ready at a particular time, and all the elements have to be ready.  You can take as long as you want to make a cake, it's not going to spoil, and is not normally being done to a particular deadline (I make most of my cakes the night before they are going to be eaten).

And let's face it, creative activity can also be about positive reinforcement, an opportunity to think "wow, look what I can do".  I'll be the first to admit I haven't always been good at recognising my own achievements, but I am trying to get better at this.

There is one big proviso though - it doesn't matter if what you try doesn't work. Baking, sewing or any other activity will never be an aid to improving your mood if you start your task expecting perfection. But pausing to enjoy the process can be its own reward, regardless of the results.  The best thing we can create is a calm mind and a sense of contentment.

Ok, so this is a little bit decadent, but sometimes its nice to spoil yourself - chocolate cupcakes topped with my favourite chocolate?  Oh go on then...

Knit one, purr one

Oh dear, more than a week on since my last post and still no new finished project to bring you I'm afraid.  Not that I haven't been busy; here's a sneak peak of a tablecloth I'm working on...

My most exciting news from the past week is that I have a new house-mate - a black cat called Leonard.  He was abandoned by his owners and lived as a stray for a while before ending up at Battersea Cat Rescue, which is where I met him.  He's a really soppy boy, who loves his food and being fussed.  Having him in the house really makes it feel like a home.

He's getting quite comfortable, and loves sitting next to me on the sofa, curling up on a dining chair next to me as I work, or getting comfy on the armchair.  I don't have the heart to discourage him, but of course the downside is the hair he leaves behind!  So I'm covering everything in old towels and blankets.  Which reminded me...


At the end of last year I started knitting small squares to practice different knitting patterns.  The arrival of Leonard has prompted me to get out my knitting needles again - my plan is to make lots of patterned squares which I can then join together to make a blanket for Leonard to curl up on and which will hopefully protect my furniture!  However, there is a flaw in my plan - well, have you ever tried knitting with an inquisitive cat nearby?

I'll keep you updated on progress...