I was asked if I could make a new alter cloth to replace the rather disreputable Victorian one that Christ Church Scottish Episcopal church in Lochgilphead, currently uses.

The embroidered medallions, although worn in parts, are still rather lovely, the embroidery silks and appliqued fabrics have faded gently.

The tasseled silk edging was apparently made by hand in France and now cannot be replaced in this exact pattern.  We will have to choose a new one.
Can you see the fren knots dotted around the cord spirals, almost like little bees.

You can see the french knots more clearly here, and some of the many darned patches.

The central panel, below.  This is going to take a while to unpick & restitch!

This strange goldy brown fabric of the side panels was once green.

We have asked a local curtain maker to make the frontal and I will be unpicking the embroidered pieces for transferring on to the new cloth.   Not sure yet when I'll be beginning this job.  I think it will take quite some time!
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are gathering, weekend offs have been arranged, routes planned, picnics packed.  I would like to join the throng, but I also wouldn’t.  If we went to any of our favourite spots today they will be busy, full of adults and children being happy and I don’t want to be around people.  Being bright and breezy is beyond me.  I have no energy to smile and be cheerful.  I just want to sit and write, or sew, or best yet sleep.

But even the sight of the Daz white lambs didn’t lift my spirits.
So, we came home and, I went to bed for an hour. 
The glums are staying in residence today.  Hopefully they’ll move out tomorrow.

Even after my lovely day, or perhaps because I had had such alovely day, I had a bit of a difficult evening last night, as I said on my Facebook page;
"You know that way when you've a lot to do, a lot you want to do, a lot you need to do, and you don't know where to start so you keep standing up and turning around then sitting down again then your brain fires off another idea or remembers something unconnected but you need to do that too and then you go outside to call the cat in and it's lovely and sunny and you'd like to do some gardening but actually you've got backache from too much tension it's almost time to start making dinner and then there's washing to do and you come back in and can't breathe any more.
Well, you know that... That's me that is!"
I really was in a bit of a panic about how much there is to be done, I daren't write the list.  I had lots of lovely supportive comments from people saying how they felt the same way and wishing me lots of love, luck & hugs.  It made me feel much less alone.
​
This morning I did feel a bit better and although I didn't get up as early as I wanted to, (I will keep reading until the early hours!) getting out for a longish walk first did help.  A bit of mind calming before the storm of the to-be-done stuff.

​When I got back to the house the postie had been and my new organic calico had arrived.  Really looking forward to seeing how this behaves with my painting as it is a bit heavier than the fabric I’ve been using until now.  It’s a really lovely quality and the palest biscuity buff colour.   I might use it for making clothes.  Once I’ve washed some and found out how much it shrinks first!

This morning began with pots of tea and fruited flapjack at the @thecrinanhotel with the lovely Carole from @lazysundaycatering and as usual wiiide ranging discussions from parents and family to writing (we're both working on books & writing projects) through painting and food, memories and recollections to realising that the morning had passed and we do have work to do.

I popped back home to pick up Rosie and was delighted to find a parcel waiting for me. It had my first order from Firain inside. I came across @Firain after reading the newsletter from
@jessicarosewilliams in which she mentioned oatmylk soap-on-a-rope that she had bought from them. A quick surf later and I was following on Fb and Instagram and had been shopping on their lovely website.
I got some  @soapdazedevon  Ginger&Mandarin with exfoliating poppy seeds soap-on-a-rope with no plastic packaging, and the 'Jwrnal'.

I squeaked with excitement!  What a gorgeous publication! I aspire to make my Needlesmith Journal look like this one day. I am really looking forward to reading it this evening. Probably after a shower to use my new soap!
Totally inspirational, recycled & recyclable packaging, a sprig of Rosemary and a beautifully hand written thank you card from someone who has checked me out and also thinks Rosie is adorable!
This has absolutely made my day.
​Thank you Jo at Firain
Small businesses are wonderful!

 Oh my goodness!  Where does time go… ?
All I seem to write in here are ‘updates’ because I haven’t written anything else recently, this is a sadly neglected blog!
Here we are in April 2019 and the last time I officially showed up in here was September 2018.  SO much has happened since then that I’m not going to try and write an update and  instead of feeling guilty and harassed and giving myself a hard time about what I haven’t written I’m just going to draw a line under it and start again.
I’ve back dated a couple of posts, and added some poems, I’m not going to promise to show up in here every week although I will promise that it is my intention to make it here at least once a month….. however, you can find me a little more regularly on Instagram and Facebook.  And I am writing the second edition of The Needlesmith so there will be more in there.  (It's now on Issu and will open as a magazine if you click the link)

I am ab-so-loot-lee certain, that there are no longer seven days in a week.  I keep reading articles, blogs, listening to podcasts about a simple life, slow living, slow travel.  Maddy from aslowadventure.com, Kayte at www.simpleandSeason.co.uk  endorses simple business plans,  Jane www.Snapdragonlife.com  is going to be having a quiet month experiment, Becky Cole www.beckyocole.com focuses on slow natural living...
... sometimes I think they must all have extra days in their weeks to be able to live slowly.  As I feel that I am at least three days short in a week and often 4, it can be a bit frustrating!
However, I do prefer to be busy, and at the end of a difficult week, a cup of tea with a dear friend this afternoon, an hour and a half of talking about anything and everything, writing, and things we’ve read and listened to, seems to have gently cleared the blockage and my fingers are itching to write & type and paint & sew again.  To Get ON!  So I’ve made a start this evening with this piece, and some plans and a couple of outlines of articles for the journal.  I’ve ordered some fabric tonight , oh and some handmade in Wales soap-on-a-rope from Firain www.firain.com as recommended by Jessica Rose Williams www.jessicarosewilliams.com in her newsletter this week, so I'll be sitting on the doorstep waiting for our grumpy postman soon!
 
Well, until next time I pop in, may your needles stay sharp and your thread not snap.
With love
Kx

PS. Talking of sharp things.... my brother has been over from Glasgow this week with his 6 month old ferret called Dora such a pretty wee thing but boy are her teeths sharp!  Further sharpened on my index finger and dad's thumb!

She also climbs....... fast!