So far it’s been a very wintery winter here in our part of Virginia. Some of us are loving it, and some of us (me) are freezing. I must say that looking through my photos from the last few weeks, it does give me a nice, cozy, wintery feeling. I just have to ignore my icy fingers.
I was at the ironing board the other night, pressing some fabric intended for a pencil pouch and Jonny made a comment along the lines of, “When my wife is struck with an obsession and can’t stop making pencil pouches.” He’s been there, done that, with various things over the past couple of decades. I do tend to get obsessed and a little bit single-minded. However, in recent weeks I have realized that pencil pouches are missing from the lives of many people whom I love and I feel it my duty to try and remedy that, one pencil pouch at a time. For those who have asked, here are some details: The pattern I follow (minus the tab) is HERE. The zippers (Amazon links are affiliate links) are THESE. And I typically include one fancy pencil, and a pen. I have been sewing them mostly from fabric I already had on hand, namely a bunch of Heather Ross fabric that I bought many years ago because Jonny and I wanted to sew a quilt together. (We never did.) I was asked where I buy fabric, and I don’t have one particular place because I haven’t bought any in many years. However, I did need to get a bit of fabric recently for pouches, so I searched ‘Heather Ross fabric’ and then shopped around. I am not a Heather Ross purist, but I do like her prints and that search was a good starting point for me.
One of the fabrics I purchased recently was a pretty pale pink linen blend with warm brown asters and I made a pouch using that on the outside and one of my older Heather Ross prints for the inside. It’s very cute, and I’d like to give it to one of you. (I wish I could give pencil pouches to ALL of you.) Beatrix and I went shopping for a used book to go with this giveaway and while she lobbied hard for Jane Eyre, I settled on this pretty copy of Middlemarch. It’s a wonderful and very long book. Perfect for getting through the rest of winter! I will confess that when I read it a few years ago I alternated between the book and the audiobook and that helped me get through it faster. However, it’s not a slog, and you may be just fine with only the book depending on your stage of life! I will also include a bar of goat’s milk soap and a tin of calendula salve.
**Thanks to everyone who commented! The giveaway is now closed and the winner (selected using a random number generator) is Heidi, who commented, “Your photos here remind me of the Little Women movie which is my favorite. A sort of haunting and cozy stillness. Beautiful. And as always, love your makings. Stay warm!”
p.s. Here’s an affiliate link to the pretty book pictured above (From Laurel Hill to Siler’s Bog). I am reading it now amongst other things. And I hope you noticed how my yarn matches the latest issue of Bird Watcher’s Digest! That was a total accident. Also, that winter blooming shrub in the top photos is witch hazel. It’s one of my favorites!
p.p.s. There is a soap sale going on in my shop as I make way for new soaps!
Thank you Ginny for the chance to own a lovely pencil case AND the book., It looked like a Winter Wonderland outside your house. I love all the pictures but I especially love the birds. Thank you for sharing with us.
I haven’t had a pencil pouch since I was a kid and I’m 50. Thanks for doing such a nice giveaway. Good luck everyone.
Hello! First time commenting, I think, but I have been enjoying your blog for a few years now. I love your photography and hearing about things you are making and reading. What a beautiful giveaway!
I love the pouches and books! A lovely way to make it through the rest of winter!
How very nice and thoughtful thank you so much. Those pencil pouches will be great for other things too.
I love your bird photos! I generally like winter and live a bit north of you so we have colder weather longer but I too have trouble with cold hands and feet. Wearing wool socks and wool slippers helps the feet but it’s hard to do stuff with cold hands, and fingerless gloves often get in the way. Ah well, this too shall pass!
While winning a prize is always nice, I would really very much like to know what are the benefits, assuming there are some, of calendula salve? I have recently started growing calendula and love them but haven’t used for anything.
And where did you get the beautiful yarn? Thank you.
Pencil pouches are great for organizing my fabric pencils, water erasable markers, glue sticks and pens al used for sewing and quilting. Love your fabrics.
I’ve had Middlemarch on my list for a long time, and your pencil pouches are so cute!
Your posts are always so inspiring and a feast for the eyes. Thanks for offering up such a thoughtful giveaway!
How sweet is this? Thank you so much for a delightful giveaway! Thanks for all your beautiful words and reflections–I just love your blog! Hope you have a cozy day!
What a delightful giveaway, Ginny! Your handiwork is a treasure and I hope I’m not too late to enter. We’ve had a proper winter here in WNC too and I’m enjoying it so much.
I could probably make one of the pencil pouches, but I do not have the lovely fabric you have (nor the discipline at this phase of my life). And I would love a copy of Middlemarch!
Ginnie, Lovely obsession. It has been quite a winter, even here in the middle of the country.
Oh Ginny i go from one mania to the next and i drive my husband and children crazy in the process, so this is all highly relatable. I made five loaves of gluten free bread last weekend, because I woke up and decided i was going to learn how to make a decent glutenfree loaf. I started out with something looking quite ok and edible, but my loaves got worse and worse and the last one was a ball of glue. I felt so defeated that i baked a glutenfree cake on Sunday evening, which turned out perfectly. I don’t know why, but i find gluten free cakes and cookies so easy while any kind of bread, with or without gluten, fails.
We had snow here in Flanders (yes that one, “In flanders fields the poppies grow…”), which is not so common, but makes you feel like it’s actually properly winter, rather than an immensely long grey fall turning into an immensely long grey spring. We don’t have a lot of sun hours in this part of the world.
I absolutely love all your posts and all your quirks because it makes me feel a little less weird and embarassed about myself. Thank you !! Lots of Love.
We really enjoy Pamela’s GF bread mix, just following the recipe on the back! It’s everyone’s favorite in our household, in case that helps you.
It is always fun to dream about winning your offerings, thank you.
I think an obsession of creativity is on the A-Okay list. Won’t make you fat, or alcoholic, or drug-abused. So it’s all good!
I think y’all in the south have had more snow that we have here in the Northwest this year! Thanks for your generous giveaway! A pencil pouch would come in very handy!
Thanks for the opportunity to own one of your beautiful pouches! Long time reader of your lovely blog…I’m not too far away in Richmond, VA! It’s been very wintery down here as well…looking forward to some warmer temps this week!
What a sweet pencil pouch. Love the lining! There is something so heartening about breezy laundry on the line to dry.
What a generous idea. Thanks for the opportunity. Your photos are lovely.
Ginny, how very generous of you!
Love the pencil pouches and although I could make one myself, I am terrible at picking out fabrics. Your’s are so pretty. Thank you for the opportunity. I’ll add Middlemarch to the read/listen to list.
Those pencil pouches are really sweet. Would you consider selling them in your I think they’d be useful for so many things.
God bless your week,
Melisa
It’s so fun to see all of your bird photos! My family and I love birdwatching, but we live in a very different part of the country, so you show us all kinds of birds that we don’t get to see at home. 🙂
I love the photos of the red birds, I live on the other side of the country and we don’t have them here, it seems wonderful to be able to look out the window and see a red bird! Am I too late for the giveaway? I love the pouches. Rebecca
I love that you get obsessed with making different things. The pencil pouches are adorable!
Lovely photos. A I do not mind paying for shipping. I enjoy your blog very much.
Marion
Shaw