A long overdue trip to meet the Oakshotts

November 24th 2013

It has been all quiet on my blog front and I am shocked to see that my last entry was November 6th.    As a result of a trip to the UK I haven’t any new sewing pics or tips to share but I can tell you that at last, after a few years of collaboration, the Oakshott family and I finally met for the first time last week.   We can’t even remember the date of our first e mail exchange or when Michael, out of the blue, sent me a big box of samples that blew me away with delight.  We think possibly about four years ago…

It was a complete thrill to meet Julia, Michael and Rose and to see bolts and bolts, fat quarter upon fat quarter of shot cottons (and silks too!) glowing from every nook and cranny.  Wow.  What a beautiful stock room – I could have spent hours and hours just rifling through the lot, old stock, new stock, very exciting new samples.  Just bliss.  Incidentally if any of you were worried by the recent notes in the Oakshott diary (as I was) about the new machine loomed shot cottons in lieu of hand loomed I can assure you that the new machine loomed fabrics are every bit as lovely.  No worries there then.    I spent a few hours with Michael, Rose and Julia and it was great to get to know each other a bit after years of e mails and the odd phone call.  I learned a lot too about thread, dying and weaving.  All in all it was a great day.  

Here is a picture of Julia, who started it all!

and a group pic of the four of us.

Now I’m back in a rather windy Montreal and hope to have some time to get some sewing done before Christmas activities threaten to overwhelm my intentions to finally finish the applique of my purple quilt.

 

Acorns and Oak Leaves

November 6th 2013

 

I have abandoned everything in favour of this project and am just having a blast with oak leaves and acorns, both of which I love to pieces.  I realise it’s a while since I have been totally high with the joy of a new motif because I’m zingy with it today.  I love these silly oak leaves and acorns.  I love the stripey/plain combo, the too big acorn cups – it all works beautifully to my mind.  It’s funny how these things leap up out of the blue – I started this just to check the pattern for the central wreath but now I know it’s going to have to grow into a full sized wall hanging with another border after this one.  It’s precious too because the striped fabric are tiny samples from Michael from years ago, since discontinued I think.  The browns of the oak leaves are all from the Oakshott Earth collection.  The thread is a sulky 12 – colour 4006.  (It is delicious.)