A little stitchery

Just a few little pieces to show you this week. Last week I went to York for the day - a very beautiful, and very old city - even though it rained all afternoon.

I spent a long while in the Quilt Museum looking at two fascinating exhibitions (no photographs allowed), one of the different reasons why people have made quilts through the ages, and the other of woven tapestries, which was, if possible, even more fascinating.

I also visited Viking Loom - a wonderful embroidery/quilting/beading/craft shop, where, of course, I was tempted and, weak-willed-woman that I am, bought this lovely little embroidery kit designed by Josephine Storey.

Entitled "It's Windy Through the Garden Gate" and stitched on hand painted silk fabric. Sweet isn't it? I think I shall make a box for it to sit on top of.

For Christmas last year my daughter bought me a bundle of Liberty tana lawn scraps and I've been gradually piecing them together to make a table topper for my glass dining table (or it may be a lap quilt depending on how cold the winter becomes).

The pieces are just stitched together at the moment - they still need to be quilted. I love the randomness of this little quilt.

This year I returned to the Highlands of Scotland for my third holiday on Rannoch Moor. This is the hotel where I stay - just at the point where the road ends by the railway station.

 I love moorland and Rannoch is my idea of heaven on earth - nothing for literally miles around.

The path through the forest, which eventually leads to the mountains...

... and the loch - a perfect spot for sitting on a pile of rocks and thinking, or for just sitting and enjoying being alive in such a beautiful place.

The moors inspired me to make a little needlelace purse

I stitched it in many different shades of purple for the heather and the mists on the moor,

and lined it with gold coloured silk for the sunshine...

and on the back a patch of wild flowers and some needleweaving for the trees through which I watched the sun rise from my bedroom window.