Sewing Bee

I've been watching "The Great British Sewing Bee", as most people interested in sewing probably have. It's been really good for us at http://sewmaterialistic.co.uk/ . The day after the first episode I sold a bias binder maker, cutting mat, ruler and rotary cutter all because the woman had seen them on the show. Sold a second bias biner maker the next day too :) Nearly everyone that comes into the shop has been talking about it, though a lot of people are saying that they were disapointed that it is just dressmaking. Here's a link to episode 1 if you missed it http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p0165nv7

We've just got lots of new fabrics in at the shop which you can see on the shop facebook page https://www.facebook.com/SewMaterialisticAyr We've already sold out of 3 of the tiny polka dots and one of the other prints [gives Ann a wave ;) ]. Some of them are sewing prints so I made a sewing case out of a couple of them. The lining has little pins on it.

 

 

I've been using The Sewing Bee as motivation to do some hand sewing while watching tv at night. This is the applique on the project I'm doing just now.

 

"Can you guess who it is yet?"



I've umm'd and ahh'd about the fabric for him. I started with grey patterned fabric and was going to stitch in black. Then thought, well, he really should be black, so changed it to a black patterned fabric, then a different black patterned fabric, then plain black. Now I'm thinking maybe I should do him in leatherette. I'm hoping to finish it before the end of the serise.





 

I also embroidered this polo shirt recently with a tiny zombie :)



I Moustache you........

Today I made a Valentines card.

Hand stitched with a felt moustache glued on. My fingers are still sore. Just hope he appreciates it XD Now to think of something to write in it.
Not really had much time for anything else this week, though I did manage to get a headband made. Will post more on that another time.

"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

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]

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!

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.

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.

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.