The rare occasion of a quiet afternoon is such a treat. There is something so peaceful about the house in winter, with no TV, no radio, no hustle and bustle; it is rarely this way. I am not a napper -- in fact, I probably haven't taken a nap in the afternoon since toddlerhood, but I wish I'd thought of it today. Instead, we finally got out to see Pride and Prejudice. We are unabashed fans of the genre. Andy loved the movie, and appreciates such different details than I do -- the long, patient shot that starts on Lizzie, moves through the house, touches on all residents, then comes back to her, peeking into the house; the sturdy responsible-ness and apparent business acumen of the petulant Mr. Darcy; the sound of birds in scenes taking place indoors with open windows. It was really a lovely film, and has taken the lead on his list of 19th-century English novel-films. My fave is still the highly addictive Wives and Daughters by Mrs. Gaskell, but I am totally crazy about Justine Waddell (who plays Molly Gibson, the main character), which might have something to do with that. I prefer the film to the book, actually, but if you haven't yet caught either, I highly recommend both.
In 19th-century novels, every time Our Heroine refers to embroidery as a sort of insipid, ridiculous occupation for a woman, I feel a bit hurt, I must admit, though I understand this attitude is quite forward-thinking for Her. But I'm not much good at recognizing the political context of any of my little occupations. I just like pretty things, and I like my initials on stuff, and I love birds. The embroidery part just keeps me out of trouble. But Trouble is usually Our Heroine's middle name, no? That's why we love Her so much.
I love your embroidery! Did you design the pattern yourself? It's so lovely! I'd love to attempt something similar myself, and any advice re pattern design and transfer would be so much appreciated. And of course thank you for your wonderful blog :)
Your embroidered pillowcase is perfect. I embroidered some in a similar way that are now on my daughter's bed, I love them so. And may I just say how lucky you are that Andy has a love for movies like "Pride and Prejudice". Peter would never go for it, which is fine with me...then I get all the popcorn. : )
love the embroidery. i also presume it is your own design? it looks lovely on the bed.
Thanks, and no, it is a couple of patterns put together from Aunt Martha's iron-on embroidery pattern collection, I think, available at most craft stores. As far as transferring goes, these just iron right on no problem. You can also use an embroidery transfer pencil to trace something that you don't have a pattern for (in reverse) and iron it on that way. Directions are included with each when you purchase them, and I usually just follow them very carefully. Not fun to mess that part up, so I really take my time when figuring out the center, etc. Good luck!
That bed looks so inviting. All those beautiful linens. Be glad I'm not at your house right now because I probably wouldn't be able to stop myself from crawling in there and taking a nap!
I love embroidery and the needle arts too. But if I were only allowed to pursue those and other domestic interests, I'm sure they would start to feel oppressive. For me, they are a respite from the hustle and bustle of my professional life. Just to say...it might not be the embroidery, she hates as much as not having a life outside of embroidery!
I love the embroidery, especially the colours. I've been wanting to try it out for a while (I have a secret yearning for monograms too), and this is good inspiration... It looks lovely.
how is it that you didn't always have a blog?? I can't tell you how much I am enjoying your posts. a whole lot.
Have you seen the BBC 6-part dramatisation of P&P? It's even better than the film as it goes into much more detail and of course, it has Colin Firth. Loved the colourful feel of the recent film but personally prefer the BBC series. If you haven't yet seen it, enjoy!