Cloud Nine

Hellooooo!!! Monday afternoon already, yikes where do the hours and days disappear to?
Did you enjoy a lovely weekend? Ah, we did, it was a really happy weekend here at Attic24. Lots of pottery weekendy stuff like baking buns, sitting in the sun drinking coffee, losing myself blissfully  in magazine Wonderland (the latest CL mag, such bliss!), and of course indulging my affair with BigBlankie, affectionately known as BB. 
We also had out of the ordinary weekendy stuff in the form of the towns Annual Gala, which involved a street procession and a large, noisy  fairground in the park (Dodgems, carrousels, hook-a-duck, candyfloss, goldfish-in-bags). Yes, we now have two new small Golden coloured, rather nervous fishy residents at Attic24. Say no more.
The Gala day was rounded off at 10pm with a big firework display, and amazingly the Little People managed to stay up until this time buzzing with energy and excitement (no doubt fuelled by all the sugar from the candyfloss). It was a lovely, if full-on day.

So I've been up here in the Attic today, enjoying the peace and quiet. Having a little tidy up, re-aquainting myself with my little sewing corner, looking through my coloured sewing threads and stroking my brightly coloured cotton fabrics. You know, gently contemplating the business of cutting and piecing, stitching and creating.

Following on from my last post on Friday night where I tentatively offered up my textiles for inspection and consumption, my life has suddenly taken quite a turn. To be quite frank, I didn't really think things through very well there, it was all quite spontaneous and very slapdash wasn't it?
Find a few little pieces of work lying around.
Photograph them.
Stick them on the blog and offer them for sale.
Wait a week or two, then if they don't sell, try them on Etsy.
Nothing to lose.

But what actually happened was so unexpected, that I have had that feeling all weekend of floating on a cloud. Thank you all SO VERY MUCH for the tremendous response to my work. It has been the very best antidote to the rather odd low feelings I've been suffering from of late. And I thank you enormously :: its rather nice up here on Cloud Nine!

So yeah, what actually happened was that all seven pictures sold over night within 10 hours of being in cyberspace. And there have been many, many more of you all wishing to give a happy home to some Attic24 Stitchy Goodness.

I'm in the process of working my way through your emails, so if you did wish to purchase a little Stitchy Picture and have emailed me, you will be hearing from me very soon. I think I'm going to be a busy bee making lots of new stitchy pictures, and I am more than happy with that.

This is my trusty, beloved Bernina, I thought you might like to see her. She's a solid old metal thing and I love her dearly. I bought her in 1992 after I graduated from college, with money very generously given to me by my Grandparents (I was so poverty-stricken in those days, I could hardly afford to buy food, let alone a bit of Swedish machinery). I am eternally grateful for their generosity. It was my Mum who actually found this Bernina for me through a small  local dealer In  Dorset, I am her third owner. I also have the original case and instruction booklet for her too, she is roughly 50 years old. She has no fancy stitch patterns, just does straight stitch and zigzag. But ooohhhh she loves free-motion embroidery very very much!

I found some of my little designs yesterday look, drawn out on scraps of paper as and when ideas and images have sprung to mind. It's how all my  pictures start out, as simple line drawings in black pen. I use these drawings like "patterns" to help me cut and assemble the collage of fabrics which make up my little pictures.
When I am drawing them, I never know quite how they are going to turn out, how the colours will work. That bit comes when I begin snipping and piecing the fabric itself, when I start playing with colour, hopping from foot to foot having heebie jeebies over it all.

So I shall love you and leave you for today, I've got quite a lot to be getting on with up here on The Cloud.
Oh, I've just had a thought...if you'd like to see a little more of my textile work, there are a couple of archive Attic posts here and here.
See you tomorrow my lovelies

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PS I'll be sharing my trip to Bruges with you soon I promise, I've not forgotten xx

Comments

[Sarah]

Just bought myself a Bernina 707 on ebay! Is this what yours is? I'm really looking forward to doing some free-motion stitching...I already have 2 machines, but neither can do the free thing. Fingers crossed the new one's a good one!

[Fred]

Oh, what a fun ! My mother has nearly the same : the same buttons except the working-table. She bought it 45 years ago and it still works !

[greedy nan]

Just catching up with your blog entries and I want to cry! You are just so talented - not just, but only, and then more ...

[Michelle Schartner]

I love Bernina. I have that machine too. She is actually a Swiss made machine, and if you look at the first two numbers of the serial number on the back.. that is the year she was born!

[Susana Alves]

Such beautiful colors!!! How can we feel depressed? NEVER!!!! What a therapy!!! :)
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www.omeumundoacores.blogspot.com

[Lucy]

Ru Ok? Missing your blog hugely and hope you are back soon.
Lucy

[Tania McCartney]

Gorgey gorge gorgeous!

[Eileen]

Hi I love your site. Started making a hexagon blanket today with left over yarn laying around the house. Will be interesting how far I can go before wanting more colors.
Your home looks warm and cozy. And your work is beautiful
Thanks for blogging
Eileen

[Emma - Dotty Mays]

Hi - Missing the updates - feeling like tomorrow never comes!
Emma ... Dotty Mays

[Sarah]

I'm worried that cloud nine may have taken Lucy away. She's been ever so long! No, I'm sure she's just got her priorities right and is busy stitching away up there in her attic. I must go outside and just check though. haha

[Anne]

Hi Lucy
I am writing by way of thanks, I found your blog and am crocheting a baby shawl using hexagons not in bright colours like yours although I love what you do, I just don't have that sort of confidence! Four colours baby cream, pink green and mauve-we know it is a girl Now trying to work out how to put them together, should the colours be in rounds, rows or random-I think I am going to try random (I tried the other two last night and was not happy so have undone!) HAve you considered writing a book; you are so good at this crochet stuff and colour and I loved your applique pictures and photography. THANK YOU FOR SHARING. Best wishes Anne

[susan]

your little stitched pictures are so lovely. every time i come by i feel quite refreshed afterward. thank you so much for being here :)

[Allie]

Hi Lucy,

This is Allie, who recently moved to Portland, OR. Just wanted to let you know that I am using your technique for joining granny squares as they are being made, and it's working like a dream! Thank you for your help and clear pictures-- as well as the beautiful colors and inspiration I take regularly from you blog. Thank you!!! So glad you're enjoying sewing and getting positive feedback. Also love your Bernina-- just bought myself a vintage New Home machine, which I love so much and am looking forward to using often-- but my crochet called....

All best and checking regularly!!
Allie

[tiennee]

They are beautiful Lucy. I'm sure it's a very rewarding experience. Wishing you all the best of luck:)

[Rachel]

Sorry, I mean't pleased!

[Rachel]

So plesed you sold your little stitcheries!
Well Done Lucy!
Rachel x

[Linda Knadler]

Lucy - I'm not surprised your work sold so quickly; the pictures are just gorgeous. I think that you're way more talented than you realize. If it weren't for the strict budget I had to put myself on, I would have bought one myself.

[emy]

Oh my goodness!

They are just so amazing! Your fingers work wonders!

[julia]

Your work is beautiful, Im sure I can imagine it in a gallery somewhere seaside-y...you know the kind of shop I mean! Lots of luck to you with your sewing projects and well done on a flying start!

Julia xxx

[Anna]

Your such an artist, I love to stop by your colourful life!

Anna x

[pattie]

Beautiful Stitchery!! You're so talented!

[Jill]

I love the boats and harbor pictures and the colors are wonderful, so vibrant! The people who purchased them are very lucky.
Haven't heard anything about the bathroom lately, is the remodel and decorating done? Any pictures of the project coming our way?

Jill

[Mel.Cordell]

Hi Lucy, I just wanted to pop in to tell you that I LOVE your blog!!! I have been following it for a little while and am always excited to see another post from you. Your beautiful crafts always make me smile, you are very talented! I was extremely happy to see your sewing machine too, as a beginner sewer I find all of those new fandangled contraptions very scary. I love my old Godfrey-Sterling machine, it's very heavy and very solid and very straight forward. The best thing about it though, was that it was free, I found it dumped on the side of the road needing a home. It had some tension problems, but with the internet by my side we soon fixed her up :D
I am so very glad that your pictures sold overnight too, I never had a doubt though, they were gorgeous, I just wished I could afford one, maybe one day!

Also....because I love your blog so much....
I have awarded you the 'one lovely blog award' on my blog http://theowlandthemonkey.blogspot.com/

Thank you for sharing your crafts :D
x Mel

[manuela]

Have you never seen this blog?
http://sarahlondon.wordpress.com/
bye bye
Manuela

[jp]

Hey, I'm so glad i came across your blog! I am a fellow crocheter/knitter and love your wonderful creations! I remember looking around for an etsy shop but couldn't find one, I'm glad that you plan to start one up again. :]