As I
start this blog I feel that I should explain a few things, how I came about to
craft and what I love about it (I might even try and find a few pics to go
along with it).
I
have always enjoyed the creative side of me. Much more than the super anally
organised PA side of me (my full time job) and I have recently got back into
creating in a few ways. Back to the beginning though.
I
was raised by my paternal Grandfolk in Sunderland, something which has
influenced by life in countless ways. Unfortunately my Granda is no longer
about but my Nana is still going strong at 87 (88 this year!) and I try and see
her as much as I can.
Nana & Me at my wedding 2007
I do
speak to her every Sunday without fail though and sign off on the phone with
this line “love you Nana, kiss hug, kiss hug” to which she replied “you too flower
and many of them”. I have been doing this since I moved to Cheshire when I was
7 and far away from my Nana. I am not
ashamed to share this with you as it’s one of the things I treasure in my life.
My Granda always used to answer the phone to me with “hallo my little chickadee”
I miss this so much, even 18 years since he’s been gone.
Granda & Me 1985ish
Due
to my being brought up by my Nana , I have picked up the following skills:
- Embroidery
- Knitting (better on a machine, I can hand knit but it takes me FOREVER and I haven’t picked up any needles since I was a teenager)
- Baking
And possibly
unhealthy obsessions with things being tidy and clean (although this massively
slipped in my teenage years).
Embroidery
I
used to spend my summers with Nana and Granda when I was a teenager, they had a
caravan in Teesdale and if I wasn’t outside messing about in the river with my
mates I was inside with a needle, silk and hoop stitching away. My Nana was
brought up not to sit and do nothing and it’s something she’s passed on to me.
I
have recently started to embroider again ad I’ve fallen in love with it all
over again. The last time I picked up a needles was when I took my now husband
to meet my Nana for the first time and she asked if I wanted to finish off the
tablecloth she’d started as her eyes couldn’t cope with the fine work which was
around 9 years ago.
I
have inherited a box of vintage patterns and have started adding new ones I
have discovered to it.
Knitting
I
have yet to start knitting again. The last thing I made was a hat for Tim a
while back now, and I have a machine and tonnes of vintage patterns just
waiting for me. It’s something I plan on doing soon. My Nana is giving me her
full on knitting machine which can do fancy patterns (and I adore fair isle) to
replace the travel one she passed onto me a few years back.
Baking
Baking
is something I love to do and always have done. I strive to be like my Nana who
doesn’t need to measure anything which I find pretty amazing! I haven’t baked
for a while. Mainly due to these things:
1.
When I get stressed I bake. A LOT. The
great cake push of 2009 when I got made redundant has not been forgotten by me
or Tim.
2. I
joined slimming world a year and a half ago and have managed to get myself back
to a dress size 10 again and am more than happy to keep it that way.
I do
make four Christmas cakes for the family every year. It’s something my great
Nana Wilde used to do and I thought I’d try and keep up the tradition, I enjoy
it and it’s nice to give something to my north easterly family when I don’t seem
them on Christmas day.
I am
going to start again this year though and try for once a month and see how the
weight gain/loss goes!
There
are of course other things I would like to achieve this year and from now on
and I thought it might be nice to document this in some way. Mostly as every
time I make something I’m overly impressed with the fact I could do it in the
first place.
So
this is my list:
- Bake once a month
- Embroider til my heart’s content
- Knit some jumpers/hats/mittens for this winter
- Learn to Draw
- Learn Ballroom all over again
- Do some mini craft projects and design a few of my own
- Write More
As my husband is now at Uni and I am trying to pay off my debt I am hoping the above will come in rather handy with presents/cards for birthdays.
Apart
from the dancing, that’s for me only. I danced when I was younger and it’s
something I’ve wanted to do for years. I’ve been to two classes and I love it
and have surprisingly not forgotten what I’m doing!
Anyhow
if you do read this I hope you enjoy it!
