Colour #2

This scarf was a charity shop find that attracted me because of its bright colours. I thought I might chop it up to make something, but it somehow didn't seem suitable for that, so I thought I might wear it, but it just didn't quite work somehow.

Then on a trip to Anthropologie I saw a beautiful scarf that was edged in bobble trim. It was out of my price range but gave me an idea. A quick trip to MacCulloch & Wallis (intimidating shop staff, great range of products- less scary to shop online!!) and I picked up this vivid blue trim.
After an evening of hand-sewing I now have another colourful wardrobe addition- it almost makes me want the weather to get cooler!

Colour #1

Last weekend I went away, without children or husband, to visit my sister in London. It was an unfamiliar rush of freedom, tempered of course with missing them all and thankfully I seemed to have retained enough of my old 'London head' to cope with the crowds, even if the swiss cheese effect of motherhood has left large gaps in my memory of Tube lines and street names.

There was inspiration to be had in a completely contrasting landscape and 'peoplescape' to the one I'm now used to and overwhelmingly the heat and sun drenched weekend seemed to be saturated with colour, whether flashes amongst the city greys...


...Or pops of brightness among the iconically familiar.



Making a long awaited pilgrimage to the Victoria and Albert Museum I was so disappointed that all of the fashion, textiles and tapestry rooms are closed for refurbishment, but you can never complain of not finding treasure there. Once again, colour caught my eye, on this amazing French bed-hanging, which had far more detail of delicately sewn on pieces of fabric and threads than this picture can show...

...to the intense blue background of this tile- although I have to admit that it was the impressive beard that first caught my eye!


The energy of all this colour has become inseparable in my head from the energy and rejuvenation of having this break in the city so I've decided that I need major, bright and clashing colour around me to carry me into the greyer months that I know are inevitably round the corner, even if our summer holidays are by no means over yet.
Maybe that explains my choice of present for M from the Tate Modern gift shop: Peep Through Shapes by James Brown:



It definitely has something to do with my choice of cobalt blue for some new jeans I bought (part of the reason for the weekend was to update my wardrobe with some clothes that fit my slimmer, post-baby figure and are not falling apart from old age) and my renewed enthusiasm for working on my grown up 'Queen Bess' sweater in heavenly pillar-box red...

More colour scheming coming up soon...