Ah, the internet. Such is the plethora of blogs, about any subject you’d care to imagine, it can be quite difficult to know where to start. There seem to be so many beautiful, white, tasteful homes, elegantly arranged with homemade goods and absolutely flooded with natural light that instead of inspiring, I can find them a bit disheartening. Of course, no one’s life is perfect; and few of us will chose to photograph the crayoned wall or peeling woodchip wallpaper. (Both of which I have in abundance, as well as peeling paint, although I tell myself this is quite rustic chic a la Toast catalogue) But there are certainly blogs so overflowing with gorgeousness and self-contentment that I struggle to remember their edited nature sometimes.
I was worried that a new one I’d found, Flossie Teacakes, would send me down the same glum route, but it hasn’t at all. Not because Florence’s sewing blog isn’t full of beautiful photos of beautifully made things -it certainly is- but because her writing is fresh and honest and fun. Her forays into English paper piecing and hand quilting are both stunning and humble, and a bit awe-inspiring: she mentions her frustration at becoming neater at hand-quilting as she goes along on a quilt and of forcing herself to unpick previous rows to re-sew. I have felt that same frustration but never the compulsion to re-quilt! I suppose it is this dedication to perfection that leads to beauty such as this wall hanging:
She offers patterns for sale as well as free pdf ones to download, and has several informative tutorials on piecing and the like. I am looking forward to trawling through her archives for further inspiration and have her to thank for my introduction to Oakshott fabrics. These blues would go wonderfully in my sea-themed quilt- their richness and lustre far more appealing than the not-inconsiderable quantities of blue fabrics I already have…
Food for thought !
Thank you so much – what a lovely post. I’m incredibly flattered. x