unruffled, and beaded

When my sister and I were young we used to make beads by winding long triangular pieces of paper (usually cut from a magazine page) covered in messy glue around a knitting needle. Ah, we had to make our own entertainment in the dark ages...

For some reason that popped into my head the other day, and I wondered if I could do something similar with fabric?

Here are my first attempts, and it turns out to be an addictive hobby!

I've already made a bunch of them, which might eventually turn into a necklace or maybe just a bracelet...

Some are more tatty than others, but I think that's part of their charm. I wound the fabric round and then sewed (randomly) through the layers with perle 8 cotton whilst they were still on the knitting needle. I like the effect, which makes me think of the kind of utility quilts that women in India make for their families. Although no doubt if you were a neater person than me you could work out a pattern for the stitching.

They are brilliant for using small strips of fabric, even the patterns you don't like much, as you just get the colour but not the pattern showing.

They make me think of silkworms, or maybe they could be the chrysalises which patchwork quilts hatch from?

I've also finished another ruffled top, but (spot the difference) this one has no ruffle!

I made this one from 'ordinary' quilting cotton, rather than from a more textured fabric like the previous two:

http://molebags.blogspot.co.uk/2013/08/ruffled.html

http://molebags.blogspot.co.uk/2013/11/russet-tan-sludge-mud-prune.html

and as I suspected the ruffle wasn't 'ruffly' enough, even after it had been through the washing machine.

But ruffled or unruffled, I'm looking forward to wearing it over a long sleeved black top over Christmas. And maybe in the new year I should try a different pattern in my Japanese pattern book?

hand made christmas

The Handy and Divine Christmas shop is popping up again soon. If you are near Midhurst, do come by and say hello!

New for this shop, eggcup pincushions (for tiny sewing projects..)

painting with fabric

I have been doing a bit of 'painting with fabric'... (this picture with a little help from photoshop)

This quilt:

http://molebags.blogspot.co.uk/2013/01/ditzy-prints-updated.html

has been in the back of my mind, and the back of the cupboard, for ages, so now we've got the room re-organised, I've decided to just slap the blocks up on the wall, stop looking at the fabric neatly folded up, and cut it up! That's what its for, after all. And any bits that don't fit in here will no doubt fit in somewhere else..

Its very freeing (is freeing a word??) to allow the right side of the brain to play, taking advantage of one of my favourite things, serendipity. Bits that come together by chance are sometimes the most successful.

Thinking about Howard Hodgkin, or Matisse paper cutouts- pure blocks of colour, rather different from the muted browns in my last post.










I'm also not worrying about how I'll join it all together- in fact I'm thinking there will be some raw edges that will fray over time, no doubt influenced by the ruffle-necked tops I've been making. (A third one nearly finished- I think I'm addicted!) 

..and I have also been applying the law of serendipity to some tiny landscapes on christmas cards, which may find their way into the next pop-up shop!

russet, tan, sludge, mud, prune...

If you asked me what is my least favourite colour (after the dreaded BEIGE, of course) I would probably say brown.

But lately I seem to have developed rather a fancy for brown, although maybe I should call it more poetically russet, tan, hazel, taupe, sludge, mud, or prune...

(Which reminds me of some deeply trendy Biba eyeshadows I bought in the early seventies called Greige (a sort of greyish beige) and Poon (a dusty purple/prune colour). I wonder if anyone else remembers them?)

Do colours take on more glamour if the name is more romantic? The colours of an old watercolour paintbox- viridian green (a glittering poisonous snake), Naples yellow (chalky-faced old villas on a sun-dazzled hillside), French ultramarine (Jean Paul Gaultier looking saucy in a sailor suit), rose dore' (a hand tinted photograph of a Victorian beauty with rosy cheeks) are so much more descriptive than mere 'green, blue and yellow'.

Maybe its the lovely bright autumn weather between the showers which has revived my taste for all shades of brown? We are lucky to be able to walk straight out of our back door into the field and through the woods, and we always find inspiration in the colours of the countryside.

So on a brownish theme, I recently bought the perfect fabric in the Eternal Maker, to make another ruffle-necked top. I was so pleased with the first one I made:

http://molebags.blogspot.co.uk/2013/08/ruffled.html

And now I keep spotting likely fabrics to make more. You can make this top in an afternoon, and its so versatile for layering. I love the way the ruffle frays into a lovely texture.

I've also recently bought a brown cardigan (more romantically described as 'Gingerbread' on the label). 

So brown looks like being a new part of my autumn wardrobe. It needs a bright flash of colour though, also inspired by the glorious autumn leaves.

I couldn't agree more with Marigold: 

http://marigoldjam.blogspot.co.uk/2013/10/autumn.html

...that autumn and winter is the best time of year, when you don't need to feel obliged to spend all day outdoors, but can stay indoors by the fire and revel in creativity. I am so pleased with our redesigned studio space, and now can't wait to get making  again.

(I had a lot of assistance when taking these photographs, from the ever helpful Ruby. At least she's colour- coordinated!)

putting things in boxes

Since Mr P started working from home, our 'studio' or spare room has become increasingly full of STUFF. A couple of weeks ago he said 'why are we keeping the sofa bed in this room, now that we've got so much in here that we can't open it out?' Good point.

Sometimes it takes ages to change things, and sometimes it all happens suddenly- within three days a friend had claimed the sofa bed, and three sweaty men in lycra manoeuvred it out after Mr P's weekly Tuesday cycle session.

Suddenly, wow! Room to move around!

Then we decided that we needed a cupboard to swallow up all my bags of fabric, art supplies, etc which were lurking on the floor in carrier bags. This involved a visit to IKEA, which for Mr P is second in popularity only to having his fingernails pulled out.. but he managed to Man Up, and we decided on the very storage solution.

Flexible storage space with lots of lovely big boxes to conceal things better hidden, and to display things we like to look at.

Of course one thing leads to another, and the old curtains came down (next sewing project- make a new blind) and new spotlights went up. Now we just (just!) need to give the walls a fresh coat of paint...

The only members of the household who aren't pleased with the new arrangement are the cats, who did enjoy the occasional snooze on the sofa, and of course now nobody can stay overnight unless they bed down on the inflatable mattress. But we need the room every day, and one day when we're rich (!) we'll be able to convert our old wash house into a studio... well we can dream!




ps. The Handy and Divine exhibition went well, and my teacup pincushions proved popular, and now (once I've made the new blind) I'll be able to get back to more creative sewing. I love the feeling of having lots of ideas in the back of my head (and sometimes on paper or half-finished bits of sewing), and looking forward to picking them up again.

hand made

Following our success with pop-up shops in Midhurst, the Handy and Divine creative group 'pop up exhibition' at the Oxmarket Centre of Arts in Chichester is now in full swing-we have managed to fit a lot of different beautiful hand made things into the gallery.

Here are some of my teacup pincushions, looking dead posh in a glass cabinet

and sharing the same case is this delicate silver jewellery cleverly made from real leaves and seeds

I love these colourful wallets in supple leather and suede, made by Jeanette Sutton, especially the one with the foxes inside!

http://jeanettesutton.co.uk/wordpress/

Somebody asked me which item I would buy if I could only choose one, and it couldn't have been an easier decision- this magnificent journal, made by Gaynor at the Blue Door Bindery:

http://handyanddivine.co.uk/wordpress/?p=154

It has a wonderful organic look, as though it could get up and trundle away. (Maybe that's why its tied up?). Anyway, I'd love to own it but would feel obliged to think of something very special to write or draw in it.

Its equally beautiful on the inside:

These slightly less prehistoric ones are lovely too.

And this intricate bowl just takes my breath away!

Its inspiring to be part of such a talented group, and its fun to meet the people who come to admire, and hopefully to buy too.

The event continues this week, Tuesday to Sunday, 10am to 4.30pm.

Vintage haberdashery and fabric

In between the day job and getting ready for the Handy and Divine exhibition next week, I have been helping the Macmillan charity shop in Midhurst, West Sussex get ready for their vintage fabric and haberdashery sale!

Lots of clothes and other fabric are donated to the shop which for one reason or another can't be sold as clothing, so we have been collecting all the good stuff to make tempting little fabric bundles (only £1.50 each!)

Pop in if you are in the area for lots of lovely fabric, wool, patterns, buttons, workboxes, even a vintage sewing machine!

The shop is in the High Street in Midhurst, but hurry before its all gone! A brilliant chance to find some unique vintage sewing stuff, and to support a wonderful charity.

(please excuse my reflection in this picture of the window display..)

Now back to last minute preparations for the exhibition next week, the last few teacup pincushions to finish...

French inspiration, and Goodwood Revival

We had a lovely few days in France last week, and visited the Bayeux Tapestry, which must be one of the world's oldest cartoon strips. I can just imagine the 11th century women who embroidered it slipping in little stories of their own along the top and bottom borders:

'Ethelred would like to get his big red hands on Guinevere, so he tries to impress her with his great strength and hunky muscles, and by fighting the shaggy bear of Bayeux....'

It was inspiring to see the embroidery close-up, especially all the centuries-old darns and patchings. You get a very real sense of the hands of the makers.

France was at her September best- I especially love the municipal flower displays on every verge and roundabout, and almost every windowsill in Normandy has a pot of geraniums. 

Then we were home in time to go to the world's biggest fancy dress party at the Goodwood Revival last Sunday !

,http://www.goodwood.co.uk/revival/about/about.aspx

What a fantastic atmosphere- everyone dressed in the fashions of the 1940's, 50's and 60's, and how sophisticated everyone looked, especially the men in uniform. 

There were ladies in hats and furs ,

Mods and rockers,



Men in suits and spats, a whole class of St Trinian's schoolgirls, policemen, land girls, mechanics, and men who dig the road up..

Oh yes, and beautiful, immaculate cars and motorbikes, racing with passion on the old Goodwood circuit.

Some of these cars must be literally priceless but its great to see them being raced as they were intended to. The most wonderful day out, and the sun shone on us too!

lovely things made by local people

Its been rather quiet here lately because I have been preparing for this:

Its the latest venture by the Handy and Divine makers group. Following our two 'pop-up' shops in Midhurst last year, we are presenting a cross between a shop and an exhibition at the Oxmarket Arts Centre in Chichester.

http://oxmarket.com/

I am busy making more teacup pincushions, and I have even dragged some paintings out from behind the sofa! Looking forward to seeing what everyone else has made too.