Sewing update....

It's been a different sort of week for me this week. I'm guessing a lot of my customers are on holidays this week with it being school half term holidays round here 'cos there has been a lot less 'traffic' through my door. I will say though I am never idle and have been working on some of my longer term projects. I have made 3 'waistcoats' each one a little different to suit different needs and am now onto the leather version...a rather bigger challenge but I'm sure I will get there and at some point I will show and tell [just not yet]. :-)

The little chair I am working on with my neighbour is getting there too. We have had 2 afternoons working on it but as a 9 mth little angel had to be involved it has to be done in stages. It's looking pretty good though and really just needs steaming and finishing off now so maybe one more session will see it finished.

I have also finished one of my felt embellished bags too and thought you might like to see it. I have had lots of interest in them and am really loving making them so please shout if you fancy one to go with that special outfit. I would aim to match colours as requested.

WIYWW [what's in your workroom Wednesday]...

I spent yesterday working on 'the waistcoat'. We think we have a final design with pockets, zips and rings all carefully measured before stitching in place. Yesterday I cut out and started to make two so I have threads and bits everywhere. I will finish making these this morning but as you are aware I am unable to show and tell them in detail because of the possible pending patent. Watch this space :-)

When these are finished I will be moving on to upholstering this little chair. I am working on it with my neighbour. She is married to a soldier who is in the middle of a 9 month stint out in Afghanistan. They have a 9 mth little girl and this chair is being covered for her in the pretty pink check fabric that is hanging on the back of the chair in the photo. It's a lovely project to occupy the mind for us all. Little A was only 10 weeks old when Daddy left and he has only been home for one week since then. We dearly hope he gets home safely for her first birthday.

Felting fun....

Yesterday was another quality day with Twiglet. I was up early and had done all my customers sewing, all my ironing and had even done all my business books up to date before she arrived. This is my plan now for a Monday morning [she always says she likes doing my ironing but that's not what we should be doing in the quality time we spend together so it has to be done before she arrives!]. We set our machines up one each side my work room table and we spent the day embellishing :-) Customers came and went and lots of interest was shown in what were doing. As you know I have sold the first bag I made and now I have possible orders for 2 more and a definite order for yet another one. The orders are coming in before I can finish them. I am so excited as I am really enjoying creating them. I managed to finish the embellishing on the fronts of two more yesterday. Each one will be different [cos that's what I do]. I don't mind working to colour schemes but I rarely make two of anything the same when it comes to creative crafts [unless i am specifically asked to of course].
So here's a show and tell....



.....this is one with blue flowers that will be put on the front of a turquoise satin bag.....

.....and this is a maroon design that will go on the front of a black satin bag.

The Gruffalo....

I was asked for photos of my gruffalo daughter so, with her permission, here is a photo of who will be teaching a class full of 5-7 yr olds today. I am so proud of her for all the effort she puts into everything. There is one very lucky class of kids to have her as their teacher 'cos she was born to teach and is really brilliant at it. [Am I just a little bit biased?....well who wouldn't be?] I have a feeling there is one class of children that will never forget today that's for sure.
I just hope she can get the face paint off later though 'cos it's my birthday today and all our family are off out for a big family meal and I'm not sure they let Gruffalos into the restaurant :-)

The Finished bag...

I have had requests to 'show and tell' my finished felt embellished bag so here is a photo. The main bag is turquoise satin and is fully lined and the front is embellished with hand felted flowers and beads. I'm not very good at putting colours together so I got my inspiration from the colours in the wool that I used to make the strap with. I just love the finished result. Not sure the photo really does it justice but it's the best I can do.

..........And what makes it even more special is I may well have a buyer for it already :-)

Happy to take orders :-)

WIYWW.....

Well!! This is an honest start to my day. First confession...we were late getting up. Not like us 'cos nornally we are all up at 7am without fail. It was nearer 7.30 when the bathroom was eventually free for me [the others all have to go out to work and I just have to be 'available' for customers at 8 so not such a rush for me. I do aim not to greet them without drying my hair but what the heck :-) ]





Second confession...This is what my floor looks like after a day's sewing. I'm a very messy worker so aim to hoover every day to keep it to a minimum [and it's all clean and tidy now 'cos I had to make that my first job of the day]. It does of course mean I had a busy day with sewing yesterday so that is a good sign. :-)










Third confession....the reason my floor was sooooo bad this morning was because I spent time embellishing and finishing off my bag instead of hoovering it up at the end of my working day yesterday :-) A girl just has to have some 'play' time.
As it happens I am enjoying my new machine very much and may already have a buyer for my first bag although, as yet, I haven't made the fastening for it. I am so excited.






This is my bead box [you can see it on the back of the table]. I just love the colours and spend a lot of time chosing the right beads when working on a project like this.

What it is to be a Mum.....

My daughter came home from school yesterday with the news that it's 'that' time of year again. It's Book Week and on Friday they all have to go dressed as their favourite book character! Last year it was 'Sponge bob square pants' the year before it was 'Cat in the hat'. This year it just HAD to be 'The Gruffalo'! :-) Well, as you will possibly know by now, I love a challenge so we set to. A brown fur fabric tabard had purple sharp spikes stitched on the back. A hair band was covered with brown felt and had ears and horns stitched to it. A pair of slippers had brown paws stitched on the front with sharp white claws glued on each toe. A pair of black shorts for modesty and a pair of brown tights had to have wrinkly grey knees stitched to the fronts of each leg. Then it was on to the face paints....orange eyes and a purple wart on her nose were drawn on and fangs and teeth will finish the look. Her hair will be back combed for the 'wild look'. Wow she looked perfect.....AND SHE IS THE TEACHER!!

Embellishing....

I just love my new machine. The scissor sisters have had another fab day creating with our new machines. I have sat in the evenings doing some hand felted flowers and have then worked with them on my machine to make the front of an evening bag. I know I still have lots to learn about the embellishing machine buy I am really enjoying learning.



This is the front of the bag so far....















.....and this is a pansy I've just made that will probably end up on the front of a card. The photos don't really do them justice but I thought you'd like to share them. :-)