windows, their shadows and their sills

 

Ever since being an art student I have been captivated by windows.  I love how they frame a 'still' from 'life', how you can people watch through a cafe window, how they capture the weather from the mottles of rain to the rays of sun trapping shadows on the curtains.  I love how they change through the day.  Working from home in my studio my window tells the time of day, by the position of the sun and the routines of people as they pass by my window.  Most importantly I love the stillness of the morning, I like to be the first to rise, to enjoy the first hour of the day, before the blurring of a family routine in a morning breaks the silence.

 And lastly, I like to place arrangements on their sills. The garden cuttings of summer, the dried seed heads of autumn or a simple cup of winters hot chocolate while I sit at the window and wait for the snow with excited children....

click on an image to reveal its credit.....

I am back in the land where my sanity can rest...

 ...a bit of a testing week so far....The Linen Garden store was supposed to re-open (after its re-stock with loveliness) on Monday morning.  Due to too much static in the air and someone in PayPal land not having enough fruit and fibre that morning - it all went a little wrong and I had to shut the shop down - very strange things were happening. 

Now for me this is a little frustrating, mainly because I get a little anxious when technical faults happen - 'out of my depth a little'  but I tell you what the most frustrating aspect was - not being able to speak to someone about it.  The company that hosts the stores server are based in the US and although they publicise that they operate world wide they actually only operate their support during US times.  No phone number available so that I could cry my panic down a phone line, just had to send them an email...and wait.....and wait....and wait.... but I am finding life is starting to get more and more like that....so if you stop by this blog be so kind to leave a comment so I don't feel as if I am talking to myself here too

xxxx(h-e-l-l-o-!)

So now happy times, after sourcing, cleaning, dyeing, styling, photographing, listing and general tidying; after many a paper 'anxiety' bag being breathed into, end of pens chomped, and I now have a swear box in the studio...I am back in the land where my sanity can rest....so the shop will re-open tomorrow morning (30th) at 7am (UK time) - filled with lots of pretty vintage haberdashery including these hand made ribbons that have been assembled here in the studio. Lots of pretty pastels to entice your making into the summer season...

GIVEAWAY - hand stitch your own Love Brooch

 ...here is a little project to warm you up this winter...a little new arrival to The Linen Garden store from Monday..'DIY hand-stitch Love Brooches'....they will come with a little note on how to make them as well as a photograph to suggest the design layout, but you may want to create your own with the cut flowers and lace.

...so do you fancy being the new owner of this little heart???...all you have to do is become a follower of this blog (scroll down to see FOLLOWERS to the left hand side - this part doesn't apply to those of you who are following already xx) and leave a message below stating why you would like to win this 'love brooch' - my favourite answer will be selected on Friday 1st February.  

...and don't forget you still have the chance to win a pretty sewing case, made in the studio, by purchasing something from the new Linen Garden store.  Details are here...

Everyday, remember to tell someone that you love them...

…well, let me be the first to congratulate you all on braving the weather and let me send you a welsh blanket kind of hug…we either stay indoors and hibernate or embrace the white talcum covering with the glee of an excited child.  I did the latter. I found myself stood on the top of a hill, watching my girls whizz down an icy slope (occasionally joining them when I was allowed).. glancing all around at the country side, the industrial landscape of Teesside, the sea in a faded haze in the distance and I felt all - dare I say it - ‘Julie Andrews… yes, I could have spun round and round in my wellies and sang ‘the hills are alive' and they were indeed alive with clusters of happy families…tra la la la…

The atmosphere was amazing. I hadn’t felt that exhilarated since the last time I went sledging …

It also concreted a resolution of mine to have one ‘total complete day off’ in the week…so bring on next Saturday for a day of pure indulgence...

 ...here in Redcar the snow has almost gone (it is flat and coastal) even though 3 miles away, as the crow flies where North Yorkshire starts, people are being snow ploughed out of their houses.... Keep warm lovely people....here is a spot of decorativeness from the studio tables to bring you warmth on a cold January.

..and remember to tell someone, everyday, that you love them...

tidy, decorative, clutter

 ...at this time of year we spend far more time in our houses hibernating than any other month.  Mainly because of limited daylight, a little bit of limited funds after the fleeting moment of festivities and in good old British fashion it does tend to have alot to do with the weather.  Dimly lit rooms, lamp light, throws, cushions and little projects and hobbies come back to life.  Knitting started two years ago, the hexagonal patchwork that you started and now wish after many a year you had opted for the square version, winter diaries unfinished, resolutions never kept.

 I have found January to be a rather frustrating one on the homefront side of things.  We began the year with the 'need' to de-clutter and re-create our 'clutter' room into a den for the girls - another room for them to 'hang out' in as they currently share a bedroom.  So I now have a tidy, only because it is empty (soon to be a den) room and the other 6 rooms in the house are now in total chaos - because at the end of the day we couldn't part with any of our clutter and it is now crowding the rest of the house.  This has now left me with the 'need' to empty the house, for the sake of my sanity, and start all over again.  Do you ever get that feeling when you just want to move 'everything' and 'everyone' out of the house and slowly introduce them back inside only, and 'if only' they have a purpose, a function, (even if it is purely a decorative one).

So stand back while I charge my way though every cupboard, every box, every wooden chest, every pocket and bag and place my head of sentiment to one side.  This three bedroom 30's semi can take no more 'stuff'.  The other reason (secretly between me and you) is that 'car boot' season starts in approx two months and I have to de-clutter to re-clutter all over again.  There is definitely method in my 'de-hoarding madness' and I leave you with pictures of  'tidy, decorative, clutter'....

image credit - please click on the images to link with there original pinterest source

The doors are now open....

www.thelinengarden.co.uk

The Linen Garden store

 ...I am writing this on a Sunday evening after just straightening the last of the products on the shelves of my new on-line store.  I have spent a long time deliberating whether to take this step as an avenue to my business. Many hours talking to myself, many hours making lists and notes.  You see not only do I make my own stationery, gift and homeware products but I am a terrible hoarder.  I love nothing more than spending my time searching for vintage linens, materials and haberdashery to make my collections.  Quite alot of the time the studio becomes literally a garden of linen.  Not a surface uncovered, not a space of wall bare. 

  I also receive a lovely collection of weekly emails asking me where I source my materials/components from.  So I decided one Autumn evening to open up a small on line store to sell to you some of my findings, gatherings and hoardings.  So from tomorrow The Linen Garden store will be open to you.  A shop with aisles and shelves full of haberdashery and fabrics most old, some new.  Awaiting all of you makers, potterers, and creative souls.  It will be open all of the time, so you can browse at leisure and purchase at ease.  Please do note though that as these are products with age and history, may have been antiqued or hand made they will not be available again.  Quantities are varied between items.

 I have 300 spaces for products, so as items are sold I will replenish weekly and keep it as an inspiring place to shop for you.

Each month I will also be holding a little giveaway.  Something hand-made here in the studio.  Every time you purchase an item your name will be placed into my little flower tin.  Purchase three items in one transaction and your name will be entered three times and so on..... This process will happen every time you pop back and buy.

 So here is the first little giveaway...a pretty linen sewing case/book from my Vintage Drawer Collection - it has a few bits n bobs enclosed, but it also has space for you to add your own sewing tools too...

'Sew' I look forward to seeing you over at the store, pop over anytime you fancy, I am always open.  If you have any questions you can either message me over on Facebook or email me at info@vickytrainor.co.uk

....and it would be lovely if you keep popping back here as I have lots planned for the The Linen Garden ... and a few little DIY projects up my sleeve....

two thousand and twelve - album two

 ...and oh my to add icing on the 2012 cake my little hoop that I specially made for Se;lina Lake's new book is featured in Mollie Makes 2013 calendar.  So when you turn to March you can think of me 'all' month xxxx

Happy New Year to you all - hope it is filled with lots of Floral Love.....