Blog - Page 116 of 171 - Arnolds Attic

14th April 201730th June 2018

A Gift of Vintage Treasures

A visit to my Auntie’s home always involves pots of tea, biscuits and lots and lots of chatting. Occasionally she gives me gifts – finds from her car boot hunting or from her own stash. On my last visit I came home with some amazing treasures she had saved from Arnold Papworth’s home, the gentleman who inspired my blog name. More treasures from Arnold’s Attic. She knows me so well, I love them.

This is the most exquisite wooden date box full of old beads and lined with paper which I just have to open and read.

It’s a little bit of temperance history – and it’s got handwritten notes on the back too.

Another gorgeous cigar box for my collection.

Buckles galore and a charm bracelet of ballet dancers in various poses – I’ve lots of projects in mind for these.

I just love this chap.

A tiny vintage wooden spool and plenty of finds to play with.

These are the tiniest purses I’ve ever seen.

Lots of amazing goodies that will keep me happy for hours. Thank you Auntie.

12th April 201730th June 2018

Natural dyeing with Jenny Dean

Jenny Dean‘s fabulous workshop was a Christmas present from my Dear Husband.

The Ditchling Art and Craft Museum, is a beautiful venue for workshops.

The brilliant Jenny Dean is an amazing tutor and so generous in sharing her experience of natural dyeing – so many colour variations are possible using plants from our very own gardens.

We started with pots of water, added lots of plant materials – Weld, Cochineal (beetles!), Prussian Blue and Madder – then some wool yarn, stirred and waited.

red hanks of wool being taken out of pot

Lots of rinsing later and we had some lovely yarns drying in the sunshine – look at this stunning rainbow of colour!

A colourful end to a wonderful day. My head was buzzing all the way home.

10th April 201730th June 2018

The Making of a Quilt Charity, a Group Project

What makes a perfect evening – Fabrics, sewing and good company. This was me at my quilt group.

We’d had a wonderful talk on scrap quilts then we were set a task – to make a quilt block by hand in an hour – making blocks for the quilt pattern above.

If you’d like to make one, this is how to do it.

Start with Cream fabric and Pink fabric cut as follows – 4 x two and a half inch squares and 4 x two and a half inch by four and a half rectangles.

Draw a pencil line diagonally on the wrong side of the square blocks, pin onto the rectangles (right sides together) as shown above, then stitch using running stitch, as shown below.

Trim, finger press the seam open and stitch the blocks together as shown below using a quarter of an inch seam allowance.

Then stitch the pieces together to complete the block.

My own eight and a half inch square block is for a charity group quilt for MacMillian.

Have a go yourself x.