Video needle book course!

It has been a long time since I posted anything, times has flown by! I hope this post finds everyone well and happy! 

Finally I have prepared my first online course! In this course you will realise a beautiful needlebooks completely hand sewn.

This video course will teach you how to make these wonderful needlebook from scratch. You will learn how to:

-collage your fabrics
-how I approach colour and texture
-how to create your base with invisible stitches
-further embellishing your pieces with laces and embroidery
-how to construct the needlebook
-ideas for future projects using similar techniques.

No sewing machine is required, just a needle and thread. 

Both beginners and advanced sewers will enjoy this course, you can make the needle books as simple or as embellished as you like.

This course is nearly 3 hours and has been divided into segments of approximately 30 mins (give or take) so you can easily complete this project at your leisure. Picking it up and putting it down as time permits.

Introductory video is here

Thank you so much!

Christmas sewing ebook

My new ebook 'Christmas Fun: Inspirational projects for Christmas' is now available in my shop on Etsy! Pop over and check it out!

Love creating at Christmas, check all that apply:

- you're busy at Christmas, overwhelmed and lacking inspiration but still want to create new decorations and unique gifts for friends and family
- you love making new decorations each year for your home
- you're looking for new ideas for gifts to make
- you're tired of patterns that give you vague instructions and are hard to follow
- you're looking for cute projects to make for your local Christmas fair, shop or online store.

If you checked or said 'yes' to any of the above this book is perfect for you. It's a one stop shop for your Christmas projects, the book includes 79 pages with:

- 9 inspirational projects and ideas to make, some with variations so in reality there are many more than 9 patterns 
- patterns include tree decorations, table runner, hanging tree decorations, Christmas wreath, gift cards and tags, gift bags, garlands and gift wrapping ideas
- table of contents so you know where to find things 
- explanations supported by process photos to help you visualize the explanations
- printable templates, placement drawings and embroidery designs
- where I buy my supplies 

Plus you will receive a BONUS 2 Christmas patterns which you can download instantly when you check out! That's great value for money! 
 

The patterns are super fun and easy to make so don't hesitate put on your favourite Christmas music and start sewing! You won't want to stop at making one but a whole bundle of these projects to give away or sell at your local maket!

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Thanks for reading!

Folding fabric tutorial

I don't know about you but one of my biggest challenges has been how to fold my fabric so it always looks tidy!

No joke this is typically how my shelves used to look most of the time!

I've always wondered how those people with super tidy fabric shelves and drawers do it!

It's easy to fold your fabric when you first buy a fat quarter or meter of fabric and haven't cut into it yet, but what happens when you start using it and have uneven bit hanging off it everywhere???? This for me is when the mess begins!

With no system in place it's a tiresome task keeping fabrics tidy and even when they were tidy the piles were always uneven with bits hanging out. Plus when they are mess I can't find anything! Does anybody else have that problem???

Well I found a fabulous method on Pinterest (here) that has revolutionized my shelves! You must try it, I promise you won't look back! 

I mean seriously look at those shelves now!!!!

 Now with this new method even when they are messy they are not like before. In this photo you can see a neat pile on the left and messy pile on the right! Not too shabby!!!!!

I thought I would share the tutorial putting it into practice so you can see the results for yourselves!

First of all you need to prepare a cardboard template. I wanted 3 piles on my shelf so I made my template slightly smaller than the space designated. Mark your width and height. I have different templates for drawers, shelves with 3 piles and shelves with 2 piles for bulkier fabrics.

Always start folding the width

Make one fold

Then remove the card, place on top and fold again

Continue this process until you reach the end

Now start folding in the height direction. When you reach the end you can slide the card out.

Tips and tricks. Some fabrics are tricky as the have bits hanging and are not rectangle or square. Here you will need to see which way is best to start and try to fold so those tricky end are folded inside.

Any little ends I tuck inside and not over the outside.

Finally for larger pieces of fabric start with them already folded in half.

Messy pile and neat piles

Oh and coffee/tea is a must!

Messy drawer with now neat bits! Yay!!!!

Summary this method is garanteed to work. All your fabrics will be folded the same size, lay flatter and will be less creased! 

The downside is when you have to overhaul your whole fabric stash it's time consuming! I do a little at a time so as not to be overwhelmed. 

When I'm working I just throw the fabrics in a pile and then when my project is finished I take out my template and fold!

Let me know if you try this method and how it worked for you. I'd also love to know any different fabric folding methods that work well too!

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Thanks for reading!!!

Paper, old lace, trims and vintage fabrics

What materials are you using at the moment???

Right now I love paper, old and new, coffee dyed paper, old lace and vintage/antique fabrics.

If you read my previous post you'll know I'm loving sewing paper. Ideas are flying around in my head, what type of book shall I make next, and how can I incorporate textiles into those books???

Since my last post, in between orders, I have made another book (technique fom MAM's 'Stitch Bookery' course). I'm really excited about this one! I'll blog about this in a few weeks as it's not quite finished and needs to arrive to it's destination first! Here's a sneek peek though to give you an idea!

I have other ideas for these wonderful stitched books and am itching to get started! Some special travel journals as a gift. Many images have come from Pinterest! Maybe I will be able to work on these this weekend??? Orders first , then I can play!

Back to my main passion, textiles both old and new! I'm always looking to create new items with these wonderful pieces and give them new life! Recently I made these cushion for a market I participated in. They are so florally and feminine! They will be going in my shop in the next few days.

I recently revisited some other items I used to make for little girls. Sweet pillows and girlie totes. These too will soon be listed in my shop. I'm a little slow at keeping things up to date. I keep getting distracted!!!

Finally, the weather has cooled to the mid to high 20s, thank heavens no more high 30s, I couldn't take it anymore! This my favourite time of the year, the weather is perfect! It's an inspiring time to work!
 
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Fabric and trim packs + FREE tutorial

Fabulous fabrics and trim packs are now available, it's time to destash! 

SIGN UP to my mailing list to receive your FREE pattern/tutorial to make a gorgeous cushion like this with one or 2 of these gorgeous fabric packs.

 Subscribe to our mailing list here to receive your free tutorial to make a beautiful cushion and receive your discount on any purchases!

You can make all kinds of wonderful items with these packs. There are fabrics, buttons, trims, old and new fabrics, appliques and so on. All carefully put together to co-ordinate and inspire. 

To make the above cushion front I used one pack and had left overs which can be used to create something else.

You could also make bags, table centers, pouches and so much more with these. Or collect a few and make something larger like a duffel bag or picnic rug!

There are 5 packs available each one with different colour put together to inspire you and help you build your stash! Here are just a few.

 

 

Don't forget to sign up to receive so much more! And please message me on Facebook to share your wonderful creations! I would love to see them!

Fabric wall art finally finished!

My fabric wall art piece is finally finished. I started this piece before I went away to Spain and wasn't quite sure what it was going to be - a bag, journal cover, pillow, wall art! The break gave me some clarity and instantly when I looked at it I knew what to do! It has to be hung on the wall! It is available in my shop

To create this lovely piece I hand stitched a nine patch with beautiful antique French fabrics. I then hand quilted them here and there with embroidery floss. At this point I thought 'now what???'. Then it came to me I wanted to do a vase of flowers!

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Wall art

Lately I have taken to making sweet stitched wall art. I greatly admire the work of Marna Lunt, Mandy Pattullo, Jessie Chorley and Jude Hill. I love the way they mix mix dofferent textiles and techniques to create new, original pieces.

For the market I participated in May in San Marino I deicded to create some pretty wall art to hang on the wall or place on a mantel. I bought vintage frames from a bric-a-brac shop and proceeded to work on my pieces.

Here they are in stitching phase!

This was the first one I completed. It's mixed media I love this technique mixing old pages with old fabrics, buttons and trims. 

I didn't like the brown frame so I decided to paint it an elephant grey which I liked a lot more!

This picture turned out to be very colourful, one of my favourites!

Finally I made this larger one using antique English eiderdowns for the base of the stitched part and then mounted on antique book pages dating to around 1898. I also added a little dimension to this one using some wire work as something was missing! I love this technique and will definitely explore it further. I still have to put this in my shop! Hopeless I know!

I have some more in progress so will have finish them and blog them later.

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