Thursday 16 June 2011

But everytime it rains, you're here in my head, like the sun coming out...

Hello dear friends,
thank you for all of your thoughts on who should come away with us to France soon, the jury is still out!
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I have revisited my bird design here and have been screen printing onto fabric, adding Suffolk Puffs and lots of embroidery, as ususal...
 I am happy with the free machine embroidery I used with this...the black stitching picks up the screen printed bird.   I have used hand embroidery too.
 I shall be using this design a little more in the future...I like making it.

 Running the machine over the old, worn patchwork is really pleasing.
Talking of Suffolk Puffs, I bought these from gertie   They are very old, gently faded, with the most lovely prints and I feel so happy to have these...pop over to Gertie if you can...she is the kindest, sweet lady and has just relocated, with her family to Portscatho, Cornwall from Germany, a huge undertaking for them.   It's great having them here.
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 I also had a commission to make recently, for another lovely lady Fee, who celebrated a special birthday, her husband is a 'one of a kind' and I have been very happy to be a small part of the celebrations.   Fee lost her Daddy when she was small and I was asked to incorporate a copy of a photo of him.  Fee also has a 'thang' for shoes.   She has the most beautiful and happy blog, I urge you to pop over when you have a mo.

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 Moving on and a very odd twist of subject.  We are very priviledged to house a maternity roost of Pipistrelle bats every late Spring.   We sometimes have the odd bat fly around a room but normally they do not bother us and we certainly do not bother them.   A few years ago, however, the weather had been dreadful and many of the babies were abandoned and started dropping through the cracks around the loft door...fortunately, I made a very good contact, a local couple who hand rear orphaned bats staffordshirebatsgroup ...a few of the babies were bought back to us a few weeks later and reintroduced to their fellow Bat kind.
Well, the night before last, 10pm to be precise, I heard the current husband announce 'oh spiffing', which was very restrained! I just knew it would be a Bat, as we had counted 90 mums out, watching from the garden, the evening before (90 mums + 90 babies = 200 or so Bats) and I knew we would, at sometime, have an escapee.  Sure enough, there was a baby hanging from the loft door, oh heck.
Below, next morning, when I opened loft hatch,
 three day old Pipistrelle.
I gave 'Hammer' a drink of water from a cotton wool bud...
 I was on the phone to the Bat group before you could say Christopher Lee.  
Thankfully, they were able to take over and took 'Hammer' off my hands.  
Thank heavens for dedicated and passionate Bat loving rearing folk.
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Well, we are off to the beautiful Loire Valley soon and I shall say au revoir. 
Hope to catch up with you very soon.
photo: Pinterest: Erika Riggs 
photo:Pinterest:Szabina Szathmari

ps:   If you haven't joined up with pinterest yet...go on, it's great!
Thanks for stopping by. x

23 comments:

carole johnston said...

What a beautiful memory you made for your dear friend, your work never ceases to make me smile with joy.
I will pop over and look at the 2 blogs you mentioned.the bats are cute..from the dictionary cute...ugly but loveable...guess that says it all lol xx (mersi is the letters for my comment to be posted...thats almost French lol)

Twiglet said...

Great post - so many lovely things. Lovely little bats. Enjoy France!

fee @ chipper nelly said...

Viv I LOVE this post - and not just because you gave my little blog a mention! (doesn't my picture look wonderful?!)
Liking the idea of you making more of what makes you happy.
And the bats? how amazing. Not so much the idea of baby bats falling through the cracks (did i get that right? if so that's the stuff of nightmares!) And people who look after them - who'd have thought it?

the map of The Loire brings back happy memories - we've had some great camping trips both in the centre and on that coast.

As for Cleggy being 'one of a kind' - too funny. You're right of course.
have a fantastic holiday - you more than deserve it
fee x
(love a random post!)

fee @ chipper nelly said...

oh (as if my comment wasn't tawdry enough!) I meant to say i love that Kate Bush song and will be sure to visit Gertie
x

Anonymous said...

I've only been following your blog for a short time but I'm so happy you realize the worth and value of the bats.We need bats in our world but so many are fightened of them,, this action tells me you are responsible person as well as a very gifted artist,

lettice leaf said...

Blimey! It's gonna take you ages to get there if you're going on those very stylist green bicycles. Have fun dear pal, LLX

Any time soon I expect bats will creep into your beautiful sewing.

andrea creates said...

oh how fun-i grew up in the loire valley :) have a great trip!

i didn't know you called them suffolk puffs -here they're yoyo's-i learn something new every day :)

love your free motion stitching!!

FairyCastleFarm said...

Wow! what a great post! You have been a busy lady. Fantastic work with the little bat. I know it's not easy to help needy critters especially bubs like that little guy, well done!

Jamie said...

That little bat is about the cutest thing I've ever seen. Good for you that he is being taken care of! Have a wonderful trip to France! Jamie V in MT - US
http://rem-nants.blogspot.com
amzanioli@yahoo.com

Nelly said...

Hi Viv,
Your products are just too gorgeous. I had complete gift envy at Fee's tea party for her birthday last weekend,

You are a very talented lady indeed,
Nelly xx

Annie said...

What a cute little bat. Lovely creations too. Have a great time in France.
A x

Tammy@T's Daily Treasures said...

Your work is so detailed and lovely. How wonderful to find all those pretty puffs. The perfect addition to your work. My 12 year old would be running for the hills if he saw or heard bats. We saw them by the hundreds hanging from trees in Sri Lanka. I found them fascinating. It is so nice of you to make sure they are taken care of. Most people would not be so kind. Blessings, Tammy

Erica said...

So many lovely things. Have a great trip!

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Joanna said...

Such an interesting post, I love it all. Your sewing is very beautiful, and that dear baby bat is so sweet, I'm pleased you were able to help him/her out (200+ bats, that's a lot of bats!).

Enjoy your holiday.

x

Trixie@ the vintage bothy said...

I love this post Viv and have just looked you up on pinterest and your work is just beautiful.
T x

Cowboys and Custard Mercantile said...

Now tell me why that Meatloaf song has been going round my head all day..
Having talked to you on the Bat phone earlier about my aversion to these little flying mice.. I have to say that your little escapee had my heart strings twanging.
Bon voyage mon amie et bon vacances..
A bientot.
Michele x

Sheeprustler said...

I love bats!!! When we lived in England we used to get them flying around our garden at night. Here is Australia we sometimes get huge great fruit bats that make a very loud noise audible even to middle aged ears. Have fun in France :)

Victoria said...

Your work is absolutely beautiful ....... afraid your new little 'friend' made me shiver! x

sea-blue-sky & abstracts said...

Such lovely stitching Viv! And the bat photos are great - it must be reassuring to have someone close by to take charge of the little things!

Have a wonderful holiday. Lesley x

Mrs Mac said...

LOL you called it 'Hammer'! LOL!

WOW how wonderful- yet must be weird- to have so many bats close at hand! I feel both honoured yet also slightly picked on when the sparrows come back to do a nest in the soffits. But 200 bats?!!!!

I love the way you used a cotton bud! I was told once to use a small paint brush dipped in water, when I was trying to save a wee bird... didn't think of a cotton bud...

Found my way here via Land Cuckoo's blog, btw. Lovely to visit!

Hope you have a lovely holiday!

Starfish Studio said...

I've only just found your blog and I really love this latest post!

The baby bat is soooo sweet, and the name 'Hammer' was a stroke of genius!!

Looking forward to reading more in the future and seeing more of your lovely creations too.

Kate x

sharon said...

I'll say it again, your work is so truly remarkable! Beautiful creations!
Lovely things you do with the bats!

Anonymous said...

What a beautiful post - and I just love your new blog header (you can tell I've been absent, I am sure.) Bats - we have them here, such aerial wonders when they are flying). Have a fantastic time in France.