We’re having a rain storm …

a tropical rainstorm – well, a cold tropical rainstorm. So we stayed at home and did stuff.

Like assemble a book. I say ‘assemble’ because all the constituent bits were lying around waiting for their purpose to be revealed – I just introduced them to each other.

The cover was an experimental bit of quilt-and-then-shrink I did months ago – I lined it with some [wall] lining paper left over from something else and then added some pages, either stuff I’d painted previously in a spirit of experiment, or various bits of drawing paper.

After owning it for at least 12 months, it has dawned on me that the bindings in Keith Smith’s book ‘1, 2 and 3 Section Sewings’ are perfect for fabric backed books. The clue’s in the title, really. This is the ‘running stitch’ sewing [eagle eyes may spot there are actually 5 sections.] The added doodads are spacers from a long demolished charity shop necklace [the necklace, not the charity shop] and purely decorative, although I am telling myself they may help to stiffen the spine a bit.

And because the weather has been foul all day – I also made a bag. [I should point out that today was W’s day to cook, although I did make a cake for our visitors tomorrow. Melting method. It’s quick.]

After I’d made the Sock Sack I decided that if I made a bigger one it could be a fluffy pastel and white cardigan sack – so here it is with aforementioned cardigan.

Not for me or W. of course.

I forgot to mention yesterday that I’d drifted into our local Oxfam shop and found that they were selling crafty stuff – shisha, glittery bobbles, pachworky bits – and these. Carved wooden stamps – for £1.49 a pop. Bargain! I‘m not sure if all Oxfam shops are doing this, but worth a look if you like that sort of thing, and of course it’s all in a good cause.

And finally – just to reassure myself that rain doesn't always drench down in torrents – a petunia in a shower at Whitchurch Silk Mill.