Happy Birthday!

Our friend's mum Iris turned 80 years old recently. I made her a miniature patchwork piece as a gift. In honour of her age I made it 10 squares x 8 squares.

Iris is very creative, she makes quilts in the Suffolk patch or yo-yo style. When we go up north and visit next, I will take a photo of her work to show you.

Happy 2017!

Our Christmas card for 2016 was made using this photo of patchwork done earlier this year. As always I used glitter to decorate the zig-zagged edges!

All Change!

Well, it's been a long time since I lasted posted on 'I Love Denim'. Many changes have taken place and sad things have happened. But I'm hoping that now I'll be able to settle back into a routine of sorts and start making again.

At the end of July I moved out of my studio, it wasn't easy but we knew it would happen sooner or later. Our landlord is planning to develop the building so I obliged by packing up. Here is the empty studio, ah well I had nearly ten good years there!

So I now have a 'Sewing Room' at home. 

Thanks for putting in my computer table Rob!

It's a fresh start, I'm excited and nervous at the same time! My plan is to pick up on the miniature patch work I started a while back. Although I still love denim, I have stopped working with it as working with such tough fabric has taken it's toll on my shoulders and back. Instead I'm using dress weight fabrics that have been worn, loved and washed to a lovely softness.

Christmas Is Coming!

You are welcome to our one day sale and open studios. Get your unique gifts, created in the heart of Bethnal Green . On offer will be organic cosmetics, unique ceramics, artist rubber stamps, soft toys, denim creations, and artisan greetings cards. Artists include: Ali Cooke, Andrea Garland, Stephen Fowler, Steve Smart, Lorna Ryan and hopefully some past residents. Get to see where we work and join us for some Christmas cheer!

Denim On the Go

As I travel around london, I often spot denim delights, two good examples of which you can see above.

All Bagged Up

I recently made this bag for a friend, it's a copy of her favourite handbag but given my denim patchwork treatment! I think she likes it! Hooray!

Lambears

I couldn't resist buying this sheepalookalikey faux fur and just had to make a bear or two from it to see what would happen. Well, I'm quite happy with the first two 'Lambears'.I think I'll experiment with other patterns to see how they turn out.

Hi Honey!

I found an online shop that sells loads of great teddy bear fabrics….

https://www.mohairbearmakingsupplies.co.uk. 

I chose this honey coloured faux fur and adapted one of my patterns to make this little fellow. I machine knitted a scarf, but it just wasn't looking the part so I hand knitted the one that you see above. I like working with this fabric, it was easier on my fingers, hands, neck, shoulders and back,. Next!…….

Happy New Year!

Hello, it's been a very long time since my last post, nearly four months! I've been busy working with my husband and also taking a little break from my studio work. But hey! It's a new year and things have quietened down at my other half's studio now so I'll be able to crack on with my own experiments and projects and hopefully have time to write some blog posts. I thought I'd try using more 'traditional' fabric to make my bears here are two for starters…….

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!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

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….