Spring Sprung

The trees are bearing boughs of blossom, chicks are chirruping outside my window, and I have been experiencing a flowering or rebirth of interest in things stitchy. I went through something of a creative dry spell, and it was difficult to keep up a craft blog while I wasn't making anything to post about. There's nothing like a real, pressing need to do some work on my PhD to  make me engage in a variety of displacement activities, from knitting, to running, to putting together outlandish outfits, to emptying my penny jar (it contained £1.58). 

The weather was truly glorious today, so I dug out some crumpled summer clothes and took myself off on a promenade to soak up the Cambridge. I found my sandal-ed feet inexorably drawn to this fine fabric shop, where I managed to resist the temptation to buy, but did daydreams about handmade sun-dresses. I'd dearly love finally to befriend my sewing machine... perhaps this will be the summer of sewing.

Un'uccellino fa sempre piacere

This little vintage bird brooch fluttered into my hand in a shop overlooking the Rastro a few months ago in Madrid. I had been in the city for a couple of weeks and was beginning to pick up the scantiest smatterings of Spanish, but it was still a struggle to ask basic things (and then understand the answers), so I was delighted to detect a strong Italian accent in the owner of this bric-a-brac shop; it was such a relief to be able to switch into a language I do speak, albeit imperfectly.

Like most purveyors of vintage goods, this one was crammed with random stuff in all varieties of condition and quality. I was sorely tempted by the above telephone bag - think of the comedic potential! 'Hello, taxi for one, please?' etc. I'm so glad I went with the bird, though: as the shop owner pointed out , 'un'uccellino fa sempre piacere', which might be loosely translated as 'a little bird always goes down well.'

I love his quizzical blue eye, and the alert curves of his wings and crest. I didn't notice when I bought him (and indeed, hadn't noticed till this afternoon) that these clear stones are set in a flower shape. I'm such a sucker for details - check out those little toes clinging to his perch.