Friday 29 June 2012

Rainy Days, drawing and sewing

butterfly and fern in acrylic ink

 We have had more than our fair share of rain here in Cumbria.  We didn't let it put us off going to see the Olympic torch, standing in the pouring rain everyone was soaked but the young man carrying the torch through Kendal looked very happy and it was a proud moment for him.  It was probably the wettest day ever, as last Friday put down a months rain in twenty four hours!

 During these wet days I have found some time to finally do a little sewing.  I wanted to make something useful with my hare fabric so I decided to make myself two tea towels.  I made them from natural linen and then added my lovely hare drawings in the corner.  The one sitting upright was stitched with linen thread with straight running stitches and I always love the textures it creates. You can also see my pincushion I made last year and stuffed with sheep wool I collected on the shore.  I am very happy with my handmade tea towels and enjoyed my sewing days.
You can buy this fabric with my hare drawings on it at "Peony and Sage" .
I am going to enjoy using my own handmade tea towels,  my hare drawings  look so nice.
                                  There is a link to the "Peony and Sage" website in my side bar.

I have been drawing another  butterfly I found.  It is a little damaged but then there is no wonder in this terrible weather we have been experiencing.  I put it with the piece of fern I picked which also was damaged and curling,  they just seemed to go together.   I used my acrylic inks and a paint brush and also my dip in pen for the sepia drawing of the underside of the butterfly.
I have been thinking about the swan and wondering if she is safe,  because I do have some lovely news to share.  I don't know if it is the same swan but we have a family,  two  parents and three beautiful young cygnets.  I hope they have found somewhere safe to shelter,  we had such a terrible thunder and lightening storm and heavy rain yesterday.  We saw them earlier in the week on a fine day as we took a walk on the shore.
I will leave you with this gorgeous photograph taken by my husband.  I hope you like the drawing and seeing my drawing and sewing together too.  Hope you all have a good weekend.
Thank you for the lovely comments.                                                                Millyx

23 comments:

Vicki Lee Johnston said...

Hi dear Milly .. I don't always comment but I always read your posts and enjoy your beautiful artwork ... butterflies are so precious and I love these works. The teatowels are lovely too, I must get back to sewing - it is very therapeutic. Love the photo your husband took - proud mumma swan and her babies. Very best to you xx

Susan Scheid said...

You have had the wet weather, haven't you? We are about to come over to England (Shropshire and Norfolk), and we're definitely bringing our wellies! Funny thing is, I visited Wales (lots of posts over my way on this), if you're interested, and had 4 days out of 6 flat out sunny. Can you imagine?! Anyway, your drawings and the photographs are gorgeous, as always. I find it endlessly amazing that you are able to see so much in what others might simply pass by.

Carol Creech said...

Hi Milly - what a beautiful drawing of the ferns and butterflies! The colors and shapes do go well together. Your tea towels are beautiful. Have a great weekend,
Carol

Pondside said...

Your hare fabric is so very pretty - on my way over to have a better look.

Dreaming Woods said...

Hello Eileen, your towels and that pincushion is lovely. i so much like those fabrics you designed, especially this hare one.

hopefully sun will appear to you also. every time it rains, i think it is an English gardening weather! the bluebells which you gave to me have been flowering and have seed heads now.

p.s. my sister was accepted for a year in a university in Southampton! she will move there in September. I can not wait to travel there in this autumn, and see Winchester.

Anonymous said...

Glad to hear that you found some time for sewing, the tea towels look beautiful! And I love the butterfly and fern too, the orange of the butterfly and the green of the fern compliment each other so nicely.

Frances said...

Milly, your rainy weather would be welcomed by lots of folks here in the States that are experiencing such horrid dryness and heat...and fires, in some States.

Your combination of the dancing fern and intricately patterned butterfly has made such a beautiful painting. Many compliments to you!

I also very much like your sewing results. Adding those terrific little hare images to the linen towels has created something quite special...and useful, too.

Please also let your husband know how much I like his splendid photo of that swan family. Yes, hoping that they have sheltered from all that rain!

xo

S. Etole said...

I always enjoy the creative beauty you share.

Windsongs and Wordhoards said...

What a stunning painting! I looked for a moment and thought, which butterfly is real and which painted, then realised they were both painted! I love the fern too, such beautiful shapes...
And how nice to have a whole family of swans - a fantastic picture by your husband by the way. Hopefully you'll be able to watch them grow and spread their wings :)

Acornmoon said...

Your tea towels are far too beautiful to use! The hare design looks perfect with that combination of fabric and stitching. What a lot of rain we have had, there seems no end to it!

Lynn said...

We've also had a huge amount of rain here in Munich lately. Last Friday was crazy here too, with us waking up to an atypical thunder storm.

Your tea-towels are lovely as are your paintings. I love how you've done the fern (a favourite plant of mine).

Beautiful work, as always.

Diana said...

HI Milly, love your fern and beautiful butterfly. You capture the grace of nature so beautifully. Your dear Hare is wonderful but I'd be tempted to just look at them instead of use them my tea towels get so worn so quickly. Beautiful. So gorgeous Milly. I always feel refreshed after reading your posts. love to you,Diana

Anonymous said...

Beautiful drawings! We have not seen as many butterflies yet, think the very wet conditions have messed them about. It has been dry for 4 days now, so maybe they will appear soon.

Jarnie Godwin said...

Hi Milly, you have got some really good projects on the go here. Love that fabric. We get the torch relay next week! How nice to see those gorgeous and healthy little cygnets with their proud mum!

suz said...

Love the painting - they are both so delicate in their own way. Your tea towels are so sweet. Thanks for letting us know about Mama Swan. Here in Boston we have a large public park in the middle of the city - Boston Pubic Gardens - and in the center is a very large pond. In the summer, swans come (or at least they used to - I haven't been there in a while) and I recall as a little girl watching the signets and finding the swans totally enchanting. Hope they are all okay and that your weather gets better.

Lyn said...

lots of beautiful things ib this post, I love your hares.
xxx

Debbie Nolan said...

Milly your drawings are so wonderful and your hare tea towels are so delightful - you absolutely should not dry dishes with those lovely linens. Thanks for sharing. Have a great week.28

Feathers said...

Wonderful idea to make those tea towels using your own fabric, though how could you bear to soil one??? :-) Love the butterflies and fern too. The arangement on the page works so well, and each is so delicately done.

Melody said...

I'm so happy your swan has a family! (assuming it's the same one of course) You're fern/butterfly are lovely; I think ferns are so delicate and pretty... but require much patience to draw! You're hare fabric is great ~ not much of a sewer myself, so I greatly admire your stitching skills too!
Hope the sun graces you with its presence soon!

Michelle Palmer said...

Your posts always make me smile!

Teresa said...

Hi Milly,

Enjoyed reading your post (always do). How lovely to be able to use your own hand made dish towels.. with your own design! They're beautiful.

Sarah Melling said...

Sitting here on a hot day in California, I was very happy to share your cozy rainy sewing day via your post. I would never have thought of running those stitches through the rabbit image...it's beautiful. And the photo of the cygnets is lovely!

Kim Henkel Creations said...

Beautiful drawing ... as always - butterflies will always remain a favourite of mine. The tea towels are gorgeous, and how very special to have YOUR drawings on them. I also love the hand stitching. beautiful work. Sorry to hear your weather is so rainy with the Olympics being held so soon. It has been very wet and cold in my part of the world too (Northern Canada).
Thanks for sharing your work.