Patchwork Progress

Here is my latest patchwork work project, I started calling it our summer quilt - because I wanted something light to throw over us on warm evenings. But today as I sit sewing the edging into place, I wonder if I need to change it's name as already the weather is changing, right now it is pelting hailstones against the windows, ho hum! Ah well I'm sure it will be ready for next summer!

F-Troupe Style

I met up with Mick Hoyle and friendly team at his fabulous shoe boutique 'F-Troupe' in Soho. He has asked me to make up some of my animals using the Harris Tweed remnants that were left over from the shoe making process for the footwear below….

These are from his  Women's Autumn Winter 2014 Collection. I am thrilled to have been asked and am enjoying sewing with such wonderful fabric and I'm really looking forward to seeing my creatures alongside Mick's fetching footwear! I will keep you posted on my progress.

New Bag In Town!

I've been looking for a handbag of the right size for a very long time with no luck, and I now have a selection of bags from oversized to mini and every size inbetween! So I finally decided to make my own bag with a handle long enough to fit over my shoulder with or with out a coat on, but not so long as to drag along the floor when held. It's big enough to hold keys, purse, mobile phone, make up bag, kindle and all the other essential stuff you may need at a moments notice (including snacks!). I also gave it a strong zip to keep everything safe inside. Thanks Hellie for modelling!

Available on my Etsy shop here……...

Knitter Knatter

Here is my latest knitting project) I'm also working on a cardigan and a knee rug for my mother!. 

I was given a beautiful knitted cushion for my birthday a while back from lovely Ellie and on seeing it knew that one day I would learn how to knit that pattern. That day arrived when I came across an abandoned knitting project of mine from years ago (a grey cardigan with just the back completed), I decided that I would use up that wool together with some sparkly brights to make a little blanket. Ellie provided me with the pattern, which as she told me is very addictive!. And as you can see I have made a start, I had made up a few squares to practice, then on reflection I thought I'd prefer making strips of knitting rather than loads of squares that would need a lot of stitching up (the only part of knitting that I find tiresome!) I will keep you posted on my progress, it may take a while.......

Table Tennis Trials

I was recently asked to make a cover for a friends well loved table tennis bat. I was provided with an outline of the bat and its old cover to work from.  We had a 'fitting' after my first attempt and thought that the cover needed more of a handle to it for a better grasp. So here it is in the last photo……. . . . 

Strung Along

My studio pal came in the other day with a gift for our kitchen. - a hand knitted dishcloth made with the softest vintage cotton I've ever felt. I'm sure I would've learnt how to knit sooner had we been given such delightful yarn instead of the practical and sturdy string that we fumbled with(or maybe not! Ha ha!). 

Button Up!

I recently became the owner of this jar of fabulous buttons. The previous owner took good care of these treasures by sorting them into sets and by sewing them together into bundles. I have much to learn, my buttons are thrown into jars and tins at random!

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Sale Sale Sale!

It's the last Mangle Studio Sale at the end of this month, I'll be rummaging in my studio for old stock and samples to sell on the day. So if you're near Bethnal Green on Saturday 28th June pop on over, it would be lovely to see you! There'll be loads of bargains to get your hands on from past and present members of a great studio that will be closing it's doors for the final time this month. Including ……click on names for info….

Dan Holliday

Hazel Nichols

Lovenskate

Lilli Cowley-Wood

Rob Ryan

Zip It Up!

I bumped into Rachael - Queen of all things knitting of PYF fame a while back. I showed her some of the miniature patchwork that I had just started experimenting with, she really liked what she saw and asked if I could run up some knitting needle bags for her. After a few trials I came up with what you see in the above photos. Rachael liked the design and I have given her a few of them for her lovely shop in Bethnal Green. I have also put a couple for sale in my Etsy shop too.

Signing Off

I finally finished the missing letters of the alphabet bags! I will get them all together for you in one photograph.. . . .  

BFR Bag

I made this laptop bag for our Barbara's birthday (thanks for sending the photos over!).

Car Booting

And we're off! Yes, the car boot sale season has started and we began by going to two car boots in East Sussex The first was behind 'The Cock' pub in Peasmarsh, it gets the prize for being the smallest car boot sale I've ever been to! It had four tables! Mind you I did manage to buy a set of drinking glasses with the words 'Gotta Lotta Bottle' printed on the side. If you're my age you may remember the drink milk campaign with the catchy song……….

And in complete contrast the next sale in Icklesham was ginormous, it must have had about 80 -100 tables. The other half managed to get some tiny railway/sign metal miniatures and Samuel Pepys' diaries. I got a bundle of denim and from one table I bought the above, some sewing knick-knacks - a huge box of pins, a stitch ripper, needles and a pair of buttonhole cutters.

Cutting Edge

This is how I start doing my miniature patchwork, I start by cutting strips of denim into squares. For half squares and rectangles I stitch together contrasting denims, then use squares cut out of (American) kitchen paper as templates. The kitchen paper becomes sticky when you iron it onto fabric, once adhered you can cut out your shape then peel off the paper. The paper can be re-used several times!

Letter-retrospect or Lettrospect!

….more bags from my ABC series….

Jumble Sale News

Well, not only was it a good jumble sale, it was also a bright sunny day! I bought loads of denim, a hand knitted scarf, some plant pots, a 60's men's shirt and an Orla Kiely top.

There's Gonna be a Jumble in the Jungle!

I'm still working on miniature patchwork - getting to grips with new techniques and battling it out with unruly sewing machines! Tomorrow I go to a jumble sale, which I'm very excited about and also a bit nervous too. Excited because I haven't been to a jumble sale for months (years?) and nervous incase I will be disappointed. Ho hum only time will tell, maybe I will report back to you on events!

A Letter To You

I've started making these miniature patchwork bags with inbuilt initials, I started off with my family's initials…… coming soon - A, C, D, E……………..

After trial and error I have mastered inserting zips into awkward spaces!! Here is a zipper bag that I made for a friends birthday - I hope he'll like it!

Undercover Kindle

Of course I had to try out the interfacing technique using denim! 

I got this little Kindle for Christmas and thought I'd make a cover to protect it from the daily battering it has been receiving on my commute. It's a snug fit made snugger by the big snaps/poppers (thanks Maggie!). I'll try a zip closing next time………. 

Big Patch to Little Patch

I've been thinking about making smaller pieces of patchwork for a while now. I enjoyed making the denim crazy patchwork quilt (see previous post), but man, it was hard work on my neck and shoulders! So I looked into miniature patch working techniques on good old You Tube and came across a brilliant technique that enables you to sew up patchwork in no time at all. I tried it in some printed cottons and here are the results……

First I attached the patches to fusible interfacing.

Next I stitched one set of seams,

then I stitched the remaining seams.

Here's the finished result!

Mmmmm I wonder if it would work with denim?