If a tree falls during Me Made May and nobody blogs about it, then...? Whatever. Would you like to see a lovely nautical thing?

Um yeah, so I'm doing the existential version of Me Made May. The one where I wear me-made clothes almost every day and take NO PHOTOS. Like a tree falling out of earshot in a forest, etc etc - does it really matter whether it makes a noise, if there's no-one listening anyway? No. But I've been quite contentedly playing outfits with my self-sewn garments, without being that bothered about showing them to anyone else. Plus I was on holiday with - the horror! - no internet access for TWO WEEKS. It was wonderful. I read lots of books. I shall tell you which ones soon, because they were all great.

Back at the screen, I now discover that I have a fair few unblogged things to show and tell. And it kind of seems right to start with the one that I didn't make myself.

 



A little while back I signed up for House of Pinheiro's International Craft Swap. My first ever! I've done a lot of 'first ever' things since starting this blog - sewalong frock fests and such - I guess I just needed to give myself a reason to bother (just like my over-enthusiastic 'participation' in Me Made May, ahem). Anyway, this swap's theme was what grabbed me: Nautical. Who doesn't like a bit of nautical?

Obviously, once paired with my swap partner, the talented and lovely Vicki, I was seized with paralysing indecision and a complete lack of worthy inspiration. I slightly nervously hope she liked what I eventually came up with. As for me, I'm a little bit in awe of what she did ...

 

 

CONFESSION ALERT: I do not know how to do any hand embroidery. Not even  running stitch.

 

Isn't it wonderful? I mean, the whole cushion is wonderful, not just the embroidery, but that's the bit that really blew me away, because I just can't imagine doing it. And, extremely serendipitously, it goes beautifully in our otherwise pretty bare living room.

 

 

We've lived here for five years now and still consider it a work in progress to the point of not having hung any pictures or updated the boring old cushion covers. (On the opposite wall is a daring feature that strikingly resembles a bunch of wires where you'd expect a light fitting). I was waiting for an idea. And now, well, it's like a little scheme just landed in my sofa lap.

 

Flaw in the plan: we can't often actually see the cushion because T immediately adopted it.





It's his launch pad into the black hole of TV oblivion. To be honest, that's a pretty serious compliment.

Thank you very much Vicki! And of course a big thank you to organiser Rachel too (is there anything this indomitable woman can't do?? I don't think so!)