Postcard Swap

The image on this postcard was taken from an old transfer I don't know how old it is. I hand embroidered it with stem stitch back stitch and blanket stitch while watching tv over Christmas evenings. I thought the programes on the tele over Christmas were not up to very much. This is for a swap in the magazine Stitch I may do another one as they are not due till the end of January.

Tag Swap

This is a tag I have collaged for a swap I am hosting at mixedmediauk it was made with painted tissue and shapes cut from left over paper fabric. We are doing this for three months and will finish by making a book.

Christmas Cards

Silent night holy night. All is calm all is bright, round yon virgin mother and child, holy infant so tender and mild, sleep in heavenly peace

This tradional carol was originally written in German by Father Josef Mohr. I understand the slow melody that is sung today is different to the original that was more upbeat. It was first performed 191 years ago in Austria. I love this beautiful carol and it has been translated into many different languages. I would like to know if the readers of my blog who are from many different countries sing this. A happy and holy Christmas to you all.

The card is a paper collage.

Christmas Cards

We'll walk the land with hearts on fire
and every step will be a prayer
Hope is rising, new day dawning
Sound of singing fills the air.

Not a traditional carol but a modern worship song written by Graham Kendrick who is a well known British writer. He also wrote Shine Jesus Shine the most popular modern worship song in this country I love singing his music.
The card was made from a strip of material machined and hand embroidered cut out and glued on sparkly paper I made about 20 of these cards.

Christmas Yahoo Swapping Wreath

I have seen a lot of Christmas wreaths or rings about this year so I decided to make my own having seen a sophisticated red and black one in Sew Hip. I thought I would make a red and green one as I have plenty of these colours. I started of with strips of material and tying them to the ring then a few flowers. I was getting a bit bored by now so cast my eyes about to see what else I could add and there in front of me was a shelf full of swaps from the yahoo groups I'm in. Its a far cry from the red and black one but its my design and I'm pleased to display all these lovely things over Christmas. I think this will be one to put away and bring out for a few years. I am now beginning to feel like Christmas.

Christmas Time

Come thou long expected Jesus born to set thy people free
Charles Wesley 1707 - 1788 A great English Preacher and hymn writer

I was searching for something the other day but never did find it what I did find were these Christmas cards I must have made them some time ago and not posted them. I thought you might like to see them along with some words from traditional carols. I will post one each week till Christmas maybe it will bring seasonal feeling if like me it dosnt feel like Christmas maybe because its so mild and raining again. This card was made with textured wall paper painted glittered and machine embroidered.

Colour for the Start of Christmas

This lovely Christmas Cati is spreading good cheer around my conservatory with its lovely red flowers telling me that its time to start buying Christmas presents. I have been trying to ignore the fact that it is only about three weeks away. Apart from my husband who has stashed away the drinks for Christmas and I have a few Christmas cards nothing has been done. I have attended a couple of craft fairs where I sold a few things but not as much as I would have liked I am on a learning curve to pick the right venues the one I attended last Saturday my table was next to the teddy bear tombola with five tickets to the pound it was hard going.

Ciarans Monster Ghost

On Saturday my grandchildren came to stay over for the weekend. The afternoon was cold and grey so we decided to do some sewing. Ciaran drew a picture of a ghost and Nan traced it onto material and he sewed around the picture. Ciaran is only six years old and he spent a long time concentrating on this project.

His sister is now doing the same but is taking much longer as she was slow to get into the mood.

Sew Hip Doorstop Mouse

She or maybe he comes from a pattern in Sew Hip Magazine it was very easy to do. There is a big garden stone inside to weigh the mouse down the pattern suggests a bag of sand but that I would have to go out and buy so out into the garden I went. There was a cloth ball on the end of the nose but thought this would be too tempting for the grandchildren to pick up and swing about so he has an embroidered nose. I stuffed the end of him with a cut up old jumper and finished off with toy stuffing he probably isn't as smooth as he should be but he has character and maybe he is getting on a bit like his maker.

I enjoy this magazine it has a variety of projects including patchwork dressmaking and toy making what I really like are the articles in particular the stories of the blogs I love to visit. There is plenty to read even if you don't want to make a project. That's good advertising maybe they will send me a free copy sometime.

Fabric Birds atc

Atc cards were made for a swap at mixed media uk yahoo group. I havent made any for sometime and found it very confining to work in this small space again. They are birds of bling the middle one looks as though he is about to take off.

Christmas Banner

I made this banner for my church about two years ago its one of three of mine that are put up every Christmas. This picture shows the main part of the banner and has been chosen for the church Christmas card this year. Although it doesn't show there is quite a bit of glitter that I

enjoyed using kings must shine. I had to stretch this around a board to illiminate any wrinkles in the fabric for the photo but the banner was edged in fringing and hung from a small pole.

Pretty Cloth Bags

A few bags I have been making from pieces of material and lace I have collected

that haven't cost very much. Isn't it funny that we collect so much stuff to add to our stash

and then I know I am reluctant to use some of it in case I might need it for something else. We cant take it with us or on second thoughts maybe we can. I thought they would be good to sell with the idea fill these with pretty things for Christmas. The bag standing up I have quilted which is not something I do a lot of and the blue embroidered panel is a pattern taken from Stitch.

Art from Plastic Bags

The panels of this bag were made from fusing plastic bags together then cutting out shapes from different colours and fusing them on top then I randomly machine stitched on and around the shapes. This first panel went on reasonably flat but the second one which was slightly heavier didn't lay quite so flat.

I used the usual sandwich of baking paper and an old iron so if I caught the iron on the plastic it didn't matter. A mask should be used to do this but I stood by the open kitchen door and it doesn't take very long if it is all planned before you start its not something I do very often.

I made the butterfly charms with left over plastic bits cut several shapes out and sewed down the middle. If good plastic bags were used not thin supermarket ones shapes can be cut out without any fusing then machined together to make brooches the bottom layer could be fabric to make it easy to fasten a pin on the back. I shall try this when I have some spare moments.

Ballerina Doll

I did enjoy making this doll the clothes are from my pattern the skirt is a circle of material with net underneath to hold it out with little felt shoes. I have had to hide her from my granddaughter as I want to take her to the craft fair if she doesn't sell she will have a home to go to.

Ooooops did I slip or did I do it myself

Ascot Ladies

Here are my Ascot Ladies waiting in the wings for my
craft fair. They smell good too as they are full of lavender from my garden.

The Story of Doris and Bertha

This is Doris the Dancing Queen she is made just like a doll even her fingers are wired to dance. Doris is made from recycled clothes and stuffed with straw and rags the only thing new is her wig from the pound shop. Her body is made from an old sheet and her face hand embroidered. Like me she loves to dance.

This is Bertha her Mummy you have met her before on my blog she was made in a similar way to Doris excepy her face is machine embroidered.

There is a sad tale to tell about Bertha and I only hope its not a case of like mother like daughter

Bertha only likes to come out of the shed her home when the sun is out, the bottle is out and she can smell food so just read on

Here is Doris and her Mummy in the garden on a lovely English Summer day but see what happens when I am not keeping my eye on her

This is how it all started at a birthday party in the garden and someone gave her a drink

This is how it ended. Poor Bertha she will have to behave now her daughter has come for a holiday.

A Few Cloth Dolls

I haven't been blogging very much but I have been sewing I love these Annie dolls they come from a free pattern at Oh Sew Dollin which can be found in my links I did try to put it in this post but lost it all because I didn't do it properly I'm sure its quite easy to do but I don't seem to get the hang of it

I thought I might try selling my dolls at a craft fair this season so far Ive only tried my church craft stall. The local community center may be having one before Christmas and as I'm on the organising committee I should have a go. I did find another local one but by the time you have all the insurances they ask for an awful lot of dolls would have to be sold to even cover the cost

I thought I might call her Comfort she is made to love and be loved. She comes from a pattern in the magazine Sew Hip but I have changed her arms and legs making them shorter and stuffing them instead of leaving flat I also changed the face I don't always like dolls with the closed eyes. I wonder sometimes what the designer thinks when a pattern gets changed.

Tilda Dolls

Do you know the Tilda Books by Tone Finnanger who lives in Norway. I came across her books a few months ago I particularly like her dolls I have Springtime Crafts from which these are from I have her latest book Sew Sunny Homestyle that has an angel and several others based on the same pattern. These are the bunnies I think they are cute and I don't usually like cute bunnies hedgehogs teddies etc. I love the hats. In the book they are all made from linen which is on the expensive side so I have made them all from cotton some of which I have dyed.

These are the good witches a tradition in Scandinavia at Easter.
I like these as they are a bit different quite easy to make but the photo could have been better

Embroidery Guild Regional Day

For the lectures we had Phillipa Turnball talking about Crewel Work in Castles and Country Houses. Maggie Grey on Layers of Stitch and Straps Maggie is quite a personality and has a voice that projects without using a microphone her husband accompanies her and is in charge, well sort of in charge of the film strip well directed by Maggie. Maggie also had a display of her work and I asked her about the catalogue, visitors to her blog will know all about it, and she immediately sent her husband out to the car to retrieve the one she had left which was the Madonna one she let me have a look at this and it is quite hard to the touch. She told me she sold the first one and only for £20 as she had already described the
making of it and didn't think she could charge anymore for a catalogue left out in the rain. She also told me how surprised she was at the interest that was shown in USA and Europe. The photo shows Maggie being introduced by Nodeen.

Embroidery Guild Regional Day

We had a very good day at the Eastern Regional Day hosted by my guild about 270 people attended including two ladies who got on the wrong bus I cant remember where they were supposed to be going but they said they had a good time anyway. I am second right behind the sales table we made a good sum of money. All the goods were donated by the members from their stashes and made into packs we also sold kits, books, cards among many other things. On the tombola we had many items handmade by the members. We had competitions in which my guild came second and a large varied display of my guilds work and of course we had trade stalls. Why is it I was buying all this stuff when I have a room full at home. It is a lot of hard work organising this event it has been ongoing for about a year and all thanks go to the committee and to Pauline our Chair for all the commitment and work involved.

Flower Festival

These flowers arrangements were all done at the Flower Festival I was involved in at my local church at the weekend. The choir sang the organ played along with other musical instruments
the lovely light came through the church windows and with the perfume from the flowers it was a magical time or should I say heavenly. The theme was the Benedicite Oh all ye works of the Lord,bless ye the Lord, there is some amazing talent tucked away in local churches.
The arrangements were mountains, heat, wind, clouds, animals, birds snow and ice to mention only a few. Several of the local schools joined in and added collages models and pictures with the tiny tots growing plants from seeds

Craft Stall

You might like to have some craft stall ideas sometimes its hard to think what to make. We only used material and supplies we already had and these items were made quite quickly so we kept the prices very low. We also sold lavender bags tea cosys handmade notebooks cards bookmarks among other things. We sold most things and the money we made went to church funds.

These are knitted finger puppets with embroidered faces placed on to a cardboard cutout hand. Read the verse we put on the packet I think this helped sell them

Healing Dolls

Knitted ducks with choc egg

Mrs Dolly Peg and Baby Peg

use only small scraps of material

Silk Flowers made from left over material can be pinned to top, hair handbag or anywhere you like

This is the Secret Keeper first cut out in paper to fashion the figure then I used old jumpers stuffed and embellished. Various little rhymes were printed and attached to the packet.

Fashion Doll

This is Fashionable Freda the doll who likes fashion. The pattern comes from Mimi Kirchner and her felt dolls take a look at her lovely dolls on her website, see my links. I made mine in cloth being the cheaper option. I did adjust the pattern by making the arms longer and cutting out two for each arm I shall thin these the next time the hands were quick and easy to do.The clothes are my own patterns I was inspired by the book Fresh Fruits by Shoichi Aoki it is full of photos of Japanese girls dressed up in all sorts of fashion taken in Tokyo on a street closed to traffic on a Sunday. All sorts of combinations much wilder than mine I must try harder next time.

Tea in the Garden with Nostalgia

I have been caught looking at all the blogs with vintage stuff on them I especially like Nostalgia at the Stonehouse, see my links. There are so many lovely photos and pretty things on the site I find them so inspiring and would like to own some of these things myself but wait a minute I do have a collection of vintage china with pictures of crinoline ladies and a few with the thatched cottage along with various ornaments and jugs. I just haven't thought of them as vintage just things I like. I live in an ordinary modern house maybe I'm hankering for an old cottage in the country. A week ago when the sun was out I had a tea party in my garden with all this lovely bone china and wait for it, I made a Victoria sandwich cake, haven't made one for ages. Time I think for photos
more later.

Flower Book Pages

Two more pages for the book page swap I am hosting at Mixed Media UK. I have used a transfer from the magazine Prima 1992. This took my eye when I used to buy this magazine it was originally for a table cloth but I don't think I would ever embroider the whole of this far too boring so I have started cutting it up. I like hand embroidery and this was quick and easy to do.

I have noticed when the photo is enlarged the transfer markings are showing but they cant be seen with the eye.

New Doll Finished

Here she is all finished. I have called her Rosy May her colouring is not as bright as the photo shows she is a more faded pink-peach colour. I have decided to give her as a birthday gift as she has turned out quite well.

New Dolls

My local church is having a flower festival with an art and craft exhibition in July so I have been busy making things for the craft stall. This is a simple rag doll the pattern for the doll is not mine, the clothes are. My husband thinks she looks like an Audrey Rose.

This is one in progress not yet named I'm not sure how I want to do her face. I don't like trying to paint a face on this sort of doll as I'm not that good at faces and there is only one go I'm sure to mess it up. I'm much better at embroidering a face at least if it doesn't work it can be unpicked. I'm also not sure what I'm going to charge as customers at church craft stalls don't like paying realistic prices but I did make it quickly with all the materials from my stash.

A Windy Wedding

I haven't posted for a while as I have had to stop sewing for a family wedding. We had relations to stay so I had to spring clean, its a good reason to clean if someone is coming I didn't go near my sewing machine for over a week. I now feel refreshed and ready to go again. The wedding took place on a very windy day as you can see in the photo confetti everywhere. We all had a great time the evening group was very good we danced the night away with a few drinks and a good laugh. Yes that's me filling the grooms pocket with confetti I don't think he will be very pleased with this face pulling photo.

Another Ruby Doll

Meet contemporary Ruby the Queen of Black and White. Made for a swap on Mixed Media UK I thought I would make a sophisticated doll this time. She was great fun to make. I have a lilac/purple one cut out, my granddaughters favourite colour.