Finding wellbeing and peace in the forest

As it’s Mental Health Awareness Week (in the UK) next week, I thought I’d write something about the work I do, rather than one of my customary blogs about patchwork quilting.

As some of you know, my day job is working for a nature conservation charity on a project that encourages people struggling with mental health issues to come out onto our nature reserves, get involved in practical conservation work, go on nature walks and, on occasion, do a nature-based craft.

There is plenty of research to show that these sorts of activities can be beneficial to your wellbeing and can help reduce levels of stress and depression. Although I am mainly office based – providing the background support to make sure the project runs smoothly – I quite often go out with the groups. Needless to say, I LOVE those days!

And yesterday, was one such day. We went to a small forest north of Swindon which has been established on what used to be a landfill site. It’s amazing to see how nature has reclaimed this once unloved patch of land and how it’s now teeming with wildlife.

Our base for the day was a small clearing in the woods where logs had been laid down in a circle to provide a seating area, and as we sat down to drink our teas and coffees – made with the Kelly Kettles – we had a swarm of dragonflies dancing above our heads and a little smooth newt poking its head out from within a crevice in one of the logs to join our company.

After our drinks we got down to the task in hand, which was making mallets from a small tree we had cut down earlier. After some simple instructions we all got working on our pieces, some in groups, some on their own, some chatting, some keeping to themselves. Some made mallets, some made mushrooms.

At the end of the day we all laid down our creations – and what a wonderful display it was! It’s amazing to think that all of this was done from scratch in just a few hours, within a supportive group setting, with people who have become friends. Everyone can go home feeling proud of what they have achieved, and feeling good about themselves.

It was a lovely day, and I feel very fortunate to have such a special job. (I also got to drive the minibus, which I was very excited about!)

But the day did not go by without a reference to sewing. A few days ago I ironed my work trousers. Bad mistake. The setting was too high and I somehow managed to melt the water repellent fabric. Not wanting to throw away what was otherwise a good pair of trousers, I decided to put my creative sewing skills to good use and covered the offending hole with some pretty hand-made flower patches, which caught the attention of some members of the group!

Next week I’ll bring you an update on how I’m progressing with various quilting projects, including completing the instructions for ‘Through my Window‘ and updating instructions for my ‘Child’s Nautical Quilt‘ – which I created back in 2012 when I used the metric system. I’m updating these to include measurements in inches (!) – it’s what I’ve been doing for most of today and all the number crunching and conversions are driving me a bit bananas!

Here’s hoping you all have a great weekend!

Mel x

 

 

My ‘creation’

A small den in the woods

In the woods

Flower patches on work trousers

A work in progress

Driving the minibus

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Working on a Friday? That’s foreign to me!

I don’t usually work on Fridays – as you know, because it’s my sewing day and I mostly write about my sewing exploits – but today, I did.

And it was for a good reason: to help promote a new Wellbeing Project we are running in the military town of Tidworth, south east Wiltshire. This is what I do as my day job – working on a project that provides nature-based activities for people struggling with mental health issues. A colleague and I met with medical professionals to explain what the programme is about and how they can refer patients to us. The project was well-received so we’re hoping to get lots of referrals in the coming weeks.

Of course, this means I have nothing sewing-related to write about today! So instead, I’m posting below an abridged version of the blog I wrote for work this week about the work we’ve done in the market town of Devizes, central Wiltshire, which gives you a taster for what the project is all about! (You can view the original blog post with photos here.)

As always, I love to read your comments, so if you have any thoughts you’d like to share, please do by writing a few lines below.

Here’s wishing you all a happy weekend!

Mel x

A Year at the Orchard and Old Cricket Field with the Wellbeing Group

The wildflower beds in their full glory – photo by Wellbeing WWT

It’s amazing what a team of dedicated people can achieve. Across the county groups of volunteers are hard at work all year round to ensure Wiltshire Wildlife Trust nature reserves are in tip-top condition for wildlife to thrive. And it’s not just Trust nature reserves where these efforts are being made.

Just over a year ago, the Devizes Community Area Board gave the Trust some funding to manage the old orchard and cricket field on the grounds of what was once Roundway Hospital which – since closing in the 1990s – is now a collection of flats and houses.

The grant gave the West Wiltshire Wellbeing group the funding needed to transform the site into a wildlife haven. Project officer Nick Self had a clear vision from the start – to manage the orchard and to sow wildflowers on the old cricket pitch so both would become attractive habitats for wildlife, and to generally make the site a more inviting place where visitors can stop and enjoy nature.

Thanks to the group of dedicated participants – who were out in all weathers, come rain or shine – the old cricket field now boasts a wildflower corner bed, sown with seeds from the Trust’s flagship lowland grassland nature reserve Clattinger Farm. Seeds of corn cockle, corn chamomile, corn marigold and field poppy were planted, and it was amazing to see last summer how this once plain corner plot was teeming with bees and butterflies soon after the flowers had emerged.

The flower bed is neatly framed by low-lying hazel hurdles which were also constructed and installed by the group. To the side of the field, by the trees, there is now a beetle bank which the team created using the turf that was removed from the pitch to make way for the flower bed; this is now home to all sorts of wonderful creepy crawlies. The remainder of the cricket field will be kept as open space for local people to enjoy.

In the orchard, participants have been replacing diseased trees with Wiltshire varieties such as Roundway Magnum Bonum. The team have also installed two picnic benches, both wheelchair friendly, which they assembled and installed and which will provide a welcome resting point where visitors can sit down and enjoy the surroundings. Orchards are fantastic and important places for wildlife: pollinating insects explore the flower-rich grass between the trees; butterflies like the brimstone, orange-tip, red admiral and tortoiseshell feast on nectar in the fruit blossom; old trees and areas of dead wood provide homes for lichens and beetles; whilst apple windfalls provide essential meals for redwing, fieldfare and fox in cold weather.

Last October, the team held an Apple Celebration event, where local people were invited to come along and help pick apples for juicing and bottling to make the Trust’s very own apple juice (and also take some home for themselves!). Up to one-third of the crop was picked, leaving plenty of apples to provide winter feed for wildlife. The day also featured activities like apple pressing, dipping apples in chocolate and peeling the longest peel competition – all of which proved to be very popular with the youngest visitors who came along to the event.

As well as celebrating all things apple, the event was very much a celebration of what had been achieved on the site by the Wellbeing participants. The Wellbeing Programme has been running in Wiltshire since 2008 and provides nature-based activities for people struggling with mental health issues.

We all know the saying ‘an apple a day keeps the doctor away’… but in this case, the whole orchard is providing a source of immeasurable benefits, not just for wildlife but for people’s wellbeing too.

via ‘Foreign‘ on Daily Prompt: Foreign

In awe and wonder…

It’s been a heavy-going week at work. As some of you know, I work for a wildlife charity on a project that encourages people struggling with mental health issues to get involved in nature-based activities.

I am not a mental health professional, and neither are my colleagues. Our backgrounds are more in wildlife conservation and project management. But over the years, we have all received training to become more aware of these issues.

Last year I attended a Mental Health First Aid course, and this week I attended the two-day ASIST course. For those of you who don’t know, ASIST stands for Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training. Going forward I hope I never have to put into practice what I have learnt this week, but I feel more confident now than I ever did before that I will know what to do in such an eventuality. In fact last year, prior to this training, I dealt with such a situation, and looking back now, without knowing at the time, I had actually put into practice all the skills I have learnt this week.

All participants had the opportunity to introduce themselves and say a little bit about what their experiences were with regard to suicide. It was very emotional and I shed a number of tears as people recounted their stories. Whilst I’ve been sat at my sewing machine today working on my Blue Leaves quilt, I kept thinking of the people I met this week. I am in complete awe and wonder at how strong these people are, to come through such difficult situations where they thought there was no other way out, and to talk so openly and honestly about their feelings and experiences.

It goes to show that we can never tell what someone is going through, or what they have been through, just by looking at them; it’s reemphasised for me how important it is to be less judgemental and how we could all do with a little bit more patience, understanding, kindness and respect.

Phew! Sorry for the heavy-going post! I’m hoping that by next week I will have finished my quilt and will be able to post some pretty pictures of the finished item! And on that slightly-more-lighthearted note, I wish you all a good weekend!

Mel x

 

Blue Leaves quilting in progress

 

And the quilting begins… if a little slowly

Today my plan was to get going with the quilting on my new quilt Blue Leaves / View from my Window (title still undecided!). First however, I had to decide on what quilting style would suit my quilt; I thought this would be an easy process and that by mid-morning I would be well on my way to – at least feeling like I was – completing my quilt.

Not so… Most of my morning was taken up with trying out various stitches, first by hand and then by machine; different lengths, different styles, etc. I’m sure many other quilters are conversant with this problem… but sometimes you just have to try different things just to find out what works. And sometimes that can take up a lot of time.

In the end I’ve decided to ditch hand quilting in favour of using my sewing machine. I’ve chosen something quite simple: straight lines, both horizontal and vertical, in small but clearly visible stitches. Given the design of the patchwork blocks within the quilt, I think this quilting will emphasise the parts I wish to highlight.

It hasn’t been the most productive of days… but on the plus side, I now know what I’m doing and I’ve managed to… (ta-dah!) complete one block… Yay! Now I ‘just’ have the other 18 to do…

I’m hoping to steal a moment or two this weekend when the family are busy doing their thing to do a bit more sewing… It’s been one of those long weeks where my head has been full of thoughts and worries, so carving out a little ‘time out’ – in this case in the form of some sewing time – can only be a good thing. Do let me know if you have a ‘time out’ activity and what you do – as always, I love to read your comments, so please share your thoughts with me by leaving a comment below.

Here’s wishing you all a pleasant weekend.

Mel x

 

Blue Leaves by Melanie Vincent – quilting in progress

Blue Leave by Melanie Vincent – quilting in progress

Blue Leaves – quilting detail

Blue Leaves quilting detail

Blue leaves (and a bit of sewing therapy)

Friday is my sewing day as it’s my day off from work. I always look forward to it though that’s not to say I don’t enjoy my work. I absolutely LOVE my day job.

I work for an environmental charity on a project that helps people struggling with their mental health. The programme offers people the opportunity to get involved in conservation work and it’s the mixture of being outdoors in nature, keeping busy, doing something purposeful and being supported by a friendly group that makes it work. It’s something, I think, that everybody could benefit from.

We’re hearing a lot in the media about how getting involved in various activities can help improve people’s mental well-being – like singing in a choir or joining a sewing group for a bit of sewing therapy.

Today, I think, my sewing was more therapy than creative work. I’ve never really thought of it this way as it’s something I’ve always done since I was a little girl. Whereas most Fridays my strategy is to try and squeeze in as much sewing as possible, in-between the school drop off and pick up, today is not turning out to be one of those productive days.

This morning my mind kept wandering back to events that recently shocked and upset me, and after a long walk in the piercing cold air (where I had to blink a few times to relieve my eyes) following the school drop off, I was grateful to have a quilt project on the go to get stuck in to and to divert my focus.

I’ve managed to finish a few blocks, but I know it’s going to take a while to complete the whole quilt. I already have a name in mind and I’m thinking of ‘Blue leaves’ – I think it works well with the fabrics I have chosen, but given today, the name seems really apt.

Well, that’s my sewing done for today. I’m going off for another long walk before the school pick up which will hopefully lift my mood so I can enjoy my weekend with the family.

Do let me know what you think of my project so far! I’m always grateful for comments!

Here’s hoping you all have a good weekend!

Mel x

Check out the progress of this quilt on my other blog post ‘A sewing room with a view’. 

 

Blue leaves quilt (and a little bit about sewing therapy) – block close up

Blue leaves quilt (and a little bit about sewing therapy) – selection of blocks

Blue leaves quilt (and a little bit about sewing therapy) – interlinked blocks

Blue leaves quilt (and a little bit about sewing therapy) – fabric selection

Almost over…

2017 is almost over… I say this with a hint of sadness as this year has been a good one for me. I’m blessed that my family are in good health and happy. I’m blessed to have a job where I know I’m helping to make a difference to people struggling with their mental health. I’m blessed to have some great friends with whom I’ve shared many special and happy moments. I also feel very lucky that this year I’ve been abroad with family, sang at music festivals with my choir and had one of my projects featured in British Patchwork and Quilting magazine (Yay!).

So it’ll be with sadness that I say goodbye to 2017, but it’ll be with a great big smile that I welcome in 2018. I have no idea what it’ll bring, but as long as I have my family and friends nearby, a job I feel passionate about and a few creative projects on the go, I couldn’t ask for more.

Wishing you all a peaceful 2018. Mel x

“Serenity” quilt – designed by Melanie Vincent, featured in British Patchwork and Quilting magazine (January 2017)

 

via Daily Prompt: Almost

Cozy quilts on a cold winters day

I love the word cozy. To me it means snuggling under a patchwork quilt, with a loved one by my side, in front of a roaring fire. In winter, of course.

A few years ago I designed a patchwork quilt just for that purpose – it’s a double-width lap quilt featuring pieced hearts, one of which has a secret pocket where little tokens of affection or love notes can be placed to surprise your loved one…

As the icy winds chill the air outside, I can think of no better way to spend these winter days than keeping cozy under that quilt with my hubby.

Hope you all have a peaceful winter and a happy new year.

Mel x

 

 

Quilt designed by Melanie Vincent (Melony Patch).

Hello! Welcome to my blog!

Hi! So I thought I’d start a blog… I’ve been meaning to do it for a while but for whatever reason never got started and kept putting it off. Anyhow, here I (finally) am, and here is my first post. Not sure how it’s going to turn out, but hey ho, I’m sure it’ll be fun!! And if you find it fun too, please join me in my journey – like and comment on any posts or just say ‘Hi!’.

So a little bit about me. My name is Melanie (you can call me Mel) and I enjoy designing and making patchwork quilts. I have always had a passion for fabrics and sewing and I now design and make patchwork quilts in my ‘spare time’. I say ‘spare’ in quotes because just like many other working mums, I do not have much spare time. Some of my designs have been published in British Patchwork and Quilting magazine, and I have an Etsy shop Melony Patch where I sell some of my kits and patterns (as well as some of the yummy fabric I love to work with).

As the strap line above indicates, I am also very much into wellbeing and wellness (my day job is working on a project that provides therapy through nature for people with mental health conditions) so every now and then I may wish to write a post on that subject. And I’m also a mum and love all things family and homely, so you may find the odd post about that too, and perhaps a recipe or two.

Well that’s it for now – I’ll be back in the New Year with more blog posts. For now I’d like to wish everybody a peaceful and happy 2018!! Cheerio! Mel x