Addison Embroidery
at the
Vicarage

A feather-topped darn

In the breaks between bigger embroidery projects I try to pick up a mending job. This cashmere Jigsaw top is one of daughter No 1’s favourite weekend jumpers and at some point it has been pasture land for 3 moths (or 3 meals for 1 moth – impossible to know which). Soft to handle and soft of tone she’d have probably carried on wearing it holes or not – but pointed out  that darned holes would be nicer and that perhaps it would be even nicer if I could scatter a few embroidered flowers over the darns.

Jigsaw jumper with feather embroidered over darning

Well flowers didn’t grab me but a little feather did. However, I thought three feathers randomly placed over the random moth chewings didn’t work aesthetically either, so I’ve left the jumper with 2 darnings and 1 feather.

In the photo above, one darning appears as a creamy patch on the grey wool just in from the shoulder seam and is not very visible in spite of it being cream on grey.  Let good honest darning speak for itself, I say.

Whitework initial B with rambling roses (hand embroidered by Mary Addison)

When I was young I was a great one for wrapping presents up beautifully with carefully chosen paper and matching ribbon. The advent of 4 children  6 years and under put an end to such refinement as Christmas Eve would be spent furiously wrapping the children’s presents and stocking fillers until the larger of the small hours – and by that time I’d be thrusting several little nothings into one wrapped present in the interest of getting at least a modicum of sleep. (I always reasoned that if Father Christmas was bringing the presents, I could scarcely have them sitting gift wrapped on the top of the wardrobe as recognisable Christmas paper would immediately give the game away – unless you spun the story F.C and I frequented the same shops.)

Embroidered rambling rose on B monogram

I now give far fewer family presents, at least some of which I have made – or rather am still making, as unfortunately my estimation of production time is more tinged by optimism than sound judgement. Somewhat pathetically this means that at least one person per year is handed a half finished, creased and crumpled piece of fabric to which a needle is still attached and which will  be immediately taken back for stitching to continue. This year the unfortunate recipient was my son’s girlfriend. I only hope she doesn’t regard this piece of bad planning as some sort of perverse initiative test.

Embroidered rambling rose on B monogram

I always think I make masses of presents each year but when it comes down to it, I realise that this year I made 3 monograms (this one and the recently blogged K and E, both of which were for someone else to give away) and 4 hand hemstitched men’s handkerchiefs (one of which was left behind in pyjama trousers that stay here ready for the next visit). I’m sure I must have made something else, but apart from a half knitted baby jacket for my husband’s newest grand daughter, nothing else is coming to mind.

Embroidered rambling rose on B monogram

My son’s girlfriend is very fond of roses – on bedlinen and crockery to name things that immediately come to mind and while she’s more of a pink rose or a red rose sort of girl, I was going with a white on white theme, so opted for a few sprays of an obviously clambering variety say Rambling Rector which is off white and when up and running has a profusion of flower heads and a  wonderful scent. A friend gave me one a couple of years ago and as we won’t live here for ever, I sent it down to London to perfume daughter No 1’s garden. (Note to self:  the white I used was DMC Blanc which always ends up rather creamy on white linen.)

Embroidered rambling rose on B monogram

I think I might frame this with a slightly squarer frame than my usual and I’ll add a photo of it when that’s done and the mounting has smoothed the wrinkles out.

26 January 2015

Framed initial B with rose wreath (hand embroidered by Mary Addison)