Sunday 18 April 2021

Things that say WOW!

It has been an entire month since my last post and I have to say I have no idea where that month has gone! I have also recently received notification from the blogger platform to tell me that after July the email subscriber service will disappear so that might mean you no longer receive an email to say I have posted. I have read how I need to activate a new system but to be honest right now my "chemo brain" can't digest it all.......at least there are a few weeks before July but the way the year is going it will be July before we know it! We are puddling along with life here but I thought I would devote this entire post to something I saw recently that filled me with that wonderful feeling of WOW, WOW and WOW! I am sure we spend way too long browsing the net but when one comes across craftsmanship like this it simply has to be shared! It was on instagram that the feeling of WOW struck me.....a site from the UK by the name of artyrat7 on instagram. I immediately contacted Ruth to get permission to share her photos and I was so thrilled when she said yes....thankyou so much Ruth! 

And then I discovered that her partner Michael Meakins is involved with making this exquisite work too and you can visit his etsy shop HERE to purchase some of it for yourself. I am waiting to see when he next lists the miniature thread spool holders so I can have one (and a few friends that I know would treasure one too!).... 
So begins this WOW, WOW, WOW journey of incredible Arts & Crafts splendour starting with a miniature William Morris rug............
This just took my breath away.....a reproduction of William Morris' bed complete with embroidered bed hangings.........absolutely incredible and those of you who have been to Kelmscott Manor will recognise it all..........








Just so you can see how amazing these reproductions are I have found some of my photos taken on one of the many Morris tours we shared with Helen of Whitecroft Tours in the UK.............



Back to the miniatures and the small Cotswold stone house.........


And I could never get enough photos of the real views from those beautiful windows at Kelmcott.......
And of the house either.......it makes me feel quite sentimental seeing it all again and I feel so blessed that I have actually been able to visit Kelmscott Manor eight times and all the way from Australia! 

Oh how much I loved sitting in the garden........
I love this teeny tiny Strawberry Thief tapestry cushion...........
There is even Rossetti's painting of Janey Morris done in tiny cross-stitch on the wall........
And here is the real life photo I took of that very painting in Kelmscott........
Looking at this truly feels like one is walking through rooms at Kelmscott Manor and we need reminding this is all done in miniature.......
and I adore this image with what looks like sunlight coming through the door.......just so hard to believe this is still all in miniature.........
That image reminds me of the time I stood next to William's coat hanging on the back of the door like he had just come inside from the garden.....a moment I will never forget.......
And more miniature Arts & Crafts furniture.......



With my final image of the real thing in one of the rooms at Kelmscott......
I cannot begin to imagine the skill required to work such tiny pieces and I am thrilled to have stumbled across it all. Thankyou so much once again Ruth and Michael for allowing me to share your beautiful work with others. Closer to home we have our own skilled Miniature specialist that I came across by accident. It was many months later that I actually discovered it was in fact my editor Anna Scott who worked with me on my two William Morris Appliqué books. She has a mutual love of all things Morris and in fact Anna's latest creation reflects all fo that. You can buy the kit on her site HERE but I noticed she only has two kits left.....
I have always known Anna for her exquisite embroidery so you can imagine my surprise when I stumbled across her "where small things live" page on Instagram........


Anna has also created tiny stitched rugs as you can see here......what patience!.......

Anna has also built her own dolls houses and furniture and the interiors are so detailed even with a Christmas tree placed at Christmas time.........





And you can see that teeny tiny cushion above on the couch now below on Anna's hand to give some perspective.......


But I am one very lucky girl because I too have a piece of Anna's beautiful miniature stitched work........a gorgeous little cushion and I've placed a pin on the seat so you can see the real size..........
I do hope you enjoyed that as much as I did. I am not sure I would ever have the patience to produce such amazing works of art so for now I will continue to follow and admire it all. Thanks for dropping by x