Helen Cowans ~ Designing - Creating - Inspiring

Northumberland is truly stunning and makes up for the fact that we are 50miles from “anywhere”.

Finally made an official start on the book – lots of appliqué, beading and embroidery.

  And colour of course.
 

I used to live in a cottage at the foot of Yeavering Bell, one of the most wonderful historic places I’ve ever lived.  It’s a hill with the largest hill fort in Northumberland (and one of the largest the UK) and at the base a settlement that was, at one time, the centre of the Kingdom of Northumbria (which is not the same area as Northumberland – Sky News and BBC take note).

From the official site

“For over 5000 years people have been drawn to the prominent plateau of sand and gravel lying between the foot of the largest hillfort in Northumberland, Yeavering Bell, and the River Glen. They came for religious ceremonies, to live and bury their dead and to meet their rulers.”

On Saturday the Gefrin trust displayed some of the finds from the area in the village hall.

This is how the site looks today.

The view towards Yeavering Bell.  Note the beautifully carved gate post.

A few weeks ago I saw a hare in the garden, DH saw one last week and yesterday there was a baby hare in the field outside our window.

I make no apology for lots of baby hare pictures.  I have a soft spot for any animal with long ears – from lop-eared rabbits to Suffolk sheep.

Hares have a great place in mythology – surprisingly common throughout the world.  They are linked with Goddesses (often moon goddesses such as Andraste), witches and all things pagan.  Here’s a good link.

On the recent London trip a highlight was a visit to the Liberty store. 
Today I sorted out all the Liberty fabrics I have collected over the years.  Some from London, from Ebay, from “worn and washed fabrics” and some are over 20 years old – I made two pairs of shorts when I was on my “student placement year” aged 20, no sewing machine, just hand stitch – though I was only a size 10/12 then, so less to stitch!  Somehow I managed to retain some scraps all this time and through… let me count….8 house moves.

Ready for Liberty indulgence? 

I can’t do chocolate these days….. lets do Liberty fabrics and books (yes there are a few more additions this month.  No, I am not going to admit how many!)

Question is……. exactly what to do with them.  Precious fabrics are never a good idea……its daunting to make the first cut.  I’m thinking about the Pink Paisley fabric (pic above this one) being a large centre piece, with smaller blocks around – lots of different prints- and then borders of magenta and teal prints.  I did have the money to order a metre or two, but I blew it at the Plumo sale (I’ve had the Rajasthan cushions in my sights for a while).  Oophs.

P.S.  The French books – I got them made at Blurb, easy to use software, great quality – use Premium paper for printing.

Before the second moving day I cleared and tidied up – its dangerous work you know.

Old clothes got the chop and sorted into boxes – this was a “cocktail” outfit – long skirt and scarf to match, worn in my corporate days.

The Gorilla Pod was installed in the studio for photos.

And this is how it looked after 6 or so car trips. 

It didn’t look any better from the other side

!

However I DID calculate the storage  space correctly and everything did fit.  I even found a few favourites….a present from a friend ….

Installed back  in its rightful place next to the machine….

I didn’t purposely plan to line them up in height, it just happened.

Order and calm restored. 

Following the holiday in France I had two books published.

Firstly “Inspirations from France”, the boys teased me so much about taking pictures of doors and shutters.  Hoping this will inform future art work.

And the family holiday book.  So much better than the old style photo albums don’t you think?

Horn Cutting mat 60×40 inches / 152×101 cm. 
Selling because I have two and only one big table these days!

Almost new – £75 (dealer price £99) collect only (north Northumberland) – postage not an option please don’t ask!

http://www.hornfurniture.co.uk/hilo.php