Christmas has come again!.......

Or a Zombie apocalypse. I'm not sure which. I got four packages in the post today, two of which were my last two fabric orders. Odd given that they shipped 10 days appart. It's just the time of year I guess.

There is zombies, body parts, a very big brain print which will be great for the lining on zombie bags, a couple of B-movie prints and a morbidly cute woodland print. Perfect for Frankenstitchery! I also got a pannel to make a doll.

I was playing with the filters on my phone XD She is a beared lady and is very cute. I have all the parts sewn and stuffed. Just got to sew up the openings and sew her together.

I've been on holiday for nearly a week. I've got a few embroidery samples stitched out for work but I still need to come up with more projects for my classes and make up samples. I have a few ideas but I need to think about them a bit more and figure them out. So much for just doing my own thing over the Christmas holiday.

Just what I wanted for Christmas........

......A cold  ¬_¬

I got all my pressies finished and they have all been given out. I'm a little nervous about them to be honest. It's the frist time I've tried to make most of my presents. I'm happy with them so that's a good start.

This is the toiletry bag I made for my boyfriends dad. He goes away on photography trips so I thought this was a good idea.

I also made this Christmas light bunting out of felt for the shop window.

I was really pleased with how it turned out. Think I'll make some for myself next year.

The shop stays shut over Christmas and New Year so I'm off work for nearly two weeks. I have a lot to keep me busy though. I have samples to stitch out for my embroidery classes and I need to come up with projects for my kids and beginners classes.

Anyway, Happy Christmas everyone!

Holiday - Day Eight

It's the last day of my holiday. Back to work tomorrow, then just eight work days left till the Christmas holiday XD

On Saturday and Sunday I did mostly hand sewing, then yesterday I went to Glasgow with my boyfriend and one of his mates. We went to the European Christmas Market. I was good but my feet were sore by the time we got back.

I have one more Christmas pressie to finish. Well, one that's needed before Christmas anyway. Won't see my Nephew till New Year so I have some more time there.

In other news, my second fabric order arrived! Yay! Here's the first and second together.....

What can I say, I like Zombies  ^_^  I was planning a handbag using these two prints, but I think the brains might be a bit too big for it. There is a yard of each, so I guess there is plenty to play with and I can always order more if needed.
 I have two more ordes coming, each containing four different fat quarters.......most of which are Zombie related XD

Holiday - Day Four

Yesterday I started making another Christmas pressie. A toiletry bag for Adam's dad. I now have the outside parts made and embroidered but I need the waterproof fabric I ordered for the lining to come before I can do any more of it. I also stitched out a sample for an embroidered hoodie for Adam to give to one of his friends. I now have the machine chugging away at the real thing as I type.

The postman was good to me today. He brought me my new wellies. I've not had a pair since I was a kid. These ones are way better.

He also brought the sewing book I ordered.

It's a lovely book. A little too pretty pretty for my taste but there is some really nice things in it that can be adapted. I just love the angel dolls. They kind of remind me of the Boudoir Dolls of the 1920's. I want to make a flapper one :) No doubt there will be a zombie or a Frankensteined one too XD

I got the things I ordered for my boss for Christmas a couple of days ago too. I better not post pictures just now in case she should see it, but they are lovely and I think she will love it :)

Holiday - Day two

Yesterday I started making a Christmas pressie for my boyfriends sister. She comes to my sewing classes at the shop and instead of carrying a big bag about, she has a little wrist purse in the shape of a handbag, which gave me the idea for this pressie. She also likes purple and dragons, so this was the result.

It looks a bit pink in the photo but it is actually purple. It's also lined in purple and has my black and silver "special edition" Frankenstitchery label in it  :)

I also made this mini purse for a friend of Adams. She likes purple and cats.

I used the same purple fabric to line the dragon purse. It has a swirly dotty print.

I finally got the first of 4 fabric orders I've placed. They are all coming from America so at this time of year it's taking a while. I was going to post a photo of it but I think I'll wait till I have some of the others, or at least the second one cos I bought it specifically to go with the first. I can't wait to make something out of them!

Holiday...........again

We've had a little bit of snow where I live. Not much, but my boss lives about half an hour away and she's got 5" of snow. I'm on holiday for a week again so it can snow as much as it likes. I don't usually get holidays this often but I never got round to taking them through the summer and I need to take them before Christmas.

Speaking of Christmas, that's what I will be doing while I'm off. Making Christmas pressies. My list of people to get for has increased somewhat since I met my boyfriend. I know what I'm doing for 3 of his lot and he asked me to do something for one of his friends. Then I have my lot to do. Though I won't be seeing some of them till New Year, so that gives me more time.

I made this kitty purse last week and posted a picture of it on my Deviant Art page yesterday.

This morning I had a message from someone asking to buy it  ^_^

A Visit

My sister and her lot came up from England for a quick trip this weekend. They had a look through the stuff I had made and really liked it. It was good to get feed back from the different age groups. My nephew is 12 and he left with this keyring

and my niece is 8 and left with this

I embroidered them both a hoodie each. Tom's had crossed drumsticks with a tribal pattern and Melissa's had a blinged up bunny rabbit and said "Hippity Hop" on it. I didn't like the design but her mum had picked it out for her. Anyway, they both loved them, so that was good.

I was meant to be having some stuff on a friends table at a craft fair today but it turns out she didn't have enough space. Another time maybe. I'm still waiting for some supplies to come. I hope I get something in the post tomorrow. Fingers crossed.

Santa came by the shop early

I work in a fabric shop on the west coast of Scotland. We just got in nearly 40 new craft cottons. They are so yummy! I couldn't wait to cut into them so I've started making mini bunting for the shop using some of the pinks and lilacs.

The shop facebook is here -->  https://www.facebook.com/SewMaterialisticAyr

"Lets Start At The Very Beginning...."

"A very good place to start."

My beginners hand embroidery book arrived today.

There is some really cute designs in it but unfortunately there's no transfers like there was with some of the other books I was looking at. It's a nice book though and really good for the price. No doubt I'll be doing zombie versions of some of the things in it XD

Necklace

I bought this necklace a little while ago.

My brother thought it was Clark Gable, but no...as much as I love Mr. Gable, it's Vincent Price. I have the Clark Gable and Vivian Leigh dolls by Mattel. I should post some pictures of my doll collection at some point. Anyway, this is currently my favourite piece of jewellery. I bought my friend the Morrissey one for her birthday and she loved it.

 In other news, I have ordered some awesome fabric and and some of it has shipped. I'm excited. It has zombies on it X3  I've also ordered a hand embroidery book for beginers. As much as I love my machine embroidery I want something to do in the evenings when I come in form work and can't be bothered to start at the machine.

I need to try and get some more stuff done for the craft fair next weekend. Not really sure what to do.

Holiday - Day 8

Yesterday I was doing some computer stuff and umming and ahhing about what to make for a while. I try to plan ahead but it never works. So, in the end I did a couple of patches and a third one today.

I also made a plushie felt moustache brooch

and then I made the felt zombies I did a few months ago into brooches by sewing pins onto the back of them.

So, it's back to work tomorrow. I'm happy with the things I made while I was off but I was hoping to get more done. I need to plan my Christmas holiday better. I've ordered some supplies which should start arriving in the next week or so I will be able to get on with my plans [insert evil laugh here]

Holiday - Day Six

Yesterday I made a coin purse out of two of the fabrics I got in Glasgow on Friday.

I also finished of a gents toiletry bag.

It's lined in red oilcloth which was a little bit too stiff. Think I'd use ripstop for a waterproof lining next time.

Today I designed a simple clutch bag and made a start on it,  but I don't have a zip for it so it's on hold for now.

I've got two more days off before I go back to work. I need to plan my time caferfully to make the most of it.

Holiday - Day Four

I went to Glasgow yesterday to see one of my friends. On my way home today I went to a couple of the big fabric shops. I didn't leave either empty handed.

More leopard print, yay! and Liquorice Allsorts, yum! Thought I'd have a go at hand embroidery too, so I picked up a hoop.

Holiday - Day Two

Finished the Zombie Bunny I started  ^_^

I even sewed one of my labels in.

Holiday - Day One

I pulled out my cotton stash and had a look through it for inspiration.

I should start working through it and get some stuff made. Instead, I buy more.....

I'm so looking forward to doing something with these but I'll have to have a think about what I want to do with them first.

Anyway, today I decided to make a little bunny plushie. A little zombie bunny plushie XD I've finished the making the bits and doing the detail. Just need to put him together.

Then after diner my big computer decided to conk out, so looks like a trip to PC World is on the agenda for tomorrow.

Not had chance to make much recently but I did get another necklace made.

I'm off work for a week now and have a long list of stuff I want to make  ^_^

Ms Allsopp

Just sitting watching Kirstie's Handmade Britain. She is quickly becoming one of my idols XD. She was the face of Jamone for a while. The shop I work in is a Janome agent so we had posters with her on them. The first time she did free motion embroidery she said "machine embroidery is the crack cocaine of the craft world.....and I'm addicted". Well, the shop toilet was starting to look a bit drab so we started putting up the spare pattern book posters up in there. After she made her comment on tv I printed out a big speech bubble with the quote in it and put it up with her poster XD

Mr X Stitch rocks! I only found out he was British a few weeks ago.  I had kinda assumed he was American. I've never been a fan of cross stitch. I think it was the memory of the ones I used to see in my old aunt's house that put me off it. Very traditional. Flowers and kittens. A map of Scotland etc. I'd like to have a go at doing hand embroidery, maybe not cross stitch per se. Need to wait till we get some more hoops in at the shop before I can try.

She won! Well done Kirstie!

Weekend At The Machine

This is my weekend off. I was at the sewing machine for most of yesterday and this is the results.

A hoodie to wear to work wich combines my love of sewing with my love of old monster/horror movies.

This is why my favourite embroidery site has the top spot on my list! I did the eyes in glow in the dark thread XD

And a staked Vampire heart also on a hoodie.

I made these necklaces today

Steampunk Softies

I got the book I ordered today  ^_^

It's by the same people that did the Zombie Felties book I got a month or so ago. There's a bit more to these though. It will have to wait till I'm on holiday from work and have a bit more time. Having said that though, I really need to be getting on with making things for Frankenstitchery and Christmas pressies. In the mean time though I shall start gathering little bits and bobs for making them.

Yay!

The fabric I ordered arriverd today  ^_^

Not sure what I'm going to use it for yet. I'll most likely do a purse and make-up bag or something. Might see if I can applique a skull on to something too. I have some time off work in November and I can't wait to get sewing on my own things.

Birthday Boy

My boy Barney is 2 years old today.



Mwahahahha!

I got the lables I ordered to put on the things I make.

Now I just need to find some time to start making XD

1980's here we come!

It's one of my best friends 30th birthday at the weekend and she's having an 80's party. I'm going New Romantic. I made some stuff a few years ago for an 80's night and thought it would just be a case of pulling it out of a draw but I can't find it anywhere, and I saw it not long ago. Anyway, today I sat and made a satin scarf with gold fringe to tie round my waist and found some lace to make a cravat. This is what happens when I tidy up. I can't find anything!

Tweet Tweet Tweet

So I finally got round to setting up a twitter account. I don't really get it yet but work has one and we're trying to build the followers so I thought it was about time. I'm @FrankNstitchery (do I need @ there? Like I said, I don't get it.) To have it written properly was too many letters so I was inspired by Frank N Furter from The Rocky Horror Picture Show :)

Weekend Off

This has been my weekend off but I've had a lot of stuff to get through for both work and for myself. Yesterday I made some things to go in with a few peoples Christmas presents, finished another zombie feltie and did some prep for a class. Today I did some computer stuff, printed patterns, a bit more class prep and started adjusting a pattern to make my boyfriend a pair of spats for Halloween.

Here's the feltie I finished

All in all a fairly productive weekend.

Busy busy

Today I had two classes at the shop. Bunting with beginners in the morning and monsters in the afternoon with the kids.......well, kid. There was only one of three in today.
Here is the four I've made so far

I work in a fabric/sewing shop and we run some classes. Tomorrow I have my kids class. We're going to be making monster plushies. This is one I made a few months ago.

MOUSTACHE!

Today was my boyfriends birthday. I made his present about a month and a half ago and I've really been looking forward to giving it to him. We met in May so we haven't been together that long.
He has a moustache and goaty and likes oldtime circus sideshow stuff, so I made him a cushion......

.....in the shape of a curly moustache  XD  I also bought him a moustache comb and wax. He loved it. I'm so glad. We went to Franky & Benny's for diner with his Dad. It was only the second time I've met him. It went well.

Zombie Surfer

I got another zombie made  ^_^  Still need to make his board though.

No sewing machine

My baby is away to be serviced. I have a Janome Memory Craft 11000 and because of the type of machine it is the engineer that comes to the shop had to take it with him. He has a contraption that calibrates it but doesn't carry it with him. Fortunately he said he should be back in a week as opposed to his usual fornight. In the mean time I have the weekend off work and no sewing machine! Oh noes! How will I cope!

.....Well Halloween will soon be upon us. A few weeks ago I bought this book

and this is what I've made from it so far

I have a small selection of felt ready and waiting, though not the right colours to make the one I want, typical. So I shall have to start on one of the others first. There's probably pattern work I should be doing to.

The first post is always so hard to do

The first post on a new blog is always so hard to do. I never know what to say. An introduction perhaps?......Well, at 7 years old I decided I wanted to be a "fashion designer" but I ended up training to be a goldsmith when I left school and then couldn't get a job when I finished college. While unemployed I started sewing thanks to my Gran giving me her old Singer. I ended up going back to college to do Fashion Design and Production, then went on to Uni and did Clothing design and Manufacture at Heriot-Watt. Oh how I miss the days of driving around Galashiels while my flatmate complained about my choice of driving music.
Anyway, I started collecting Barbie dolls when I was about 20, then later other fashion dolls but I kinda jumped ship when I discovered Asian Ball Jointed Dolls. I bought my first one in 2005 and I now have 13. When I have time I make them clothes and occasionally I do commissions for other people, but time management is not one of my strong points so it doesn't happen often.

I think that's enough for now, but before I go there is one more introduction to do.....
This is my whippet, Barney  ^_^