Light Box Tutorial and a bit of online shopping...

I have been wanting to photograph my makes for quite a while now to upload to my Etsy and Folksy shops.

Finally, the sun was shining and I took my wares out in to the garden and photographed EVERYTHING.

I followed a great tutorial from Pinterest to a lovely blog by Flax and Twine about how to build a lightbox (click here or on the image below to see how to build one yourself).

 

I got some much better photos than I had managed to previously...

Resin Brooch with vintage image of Paris - SOLD on Folksy - my very first shop sale, I was rather chuffed, I can tell you. 

Typewriter cushion - screen printed by moi, available on Etsy and Folksy

Audrey Hepburn Resin Pendant 

Vintage resin brooch

Marilyn Monroe Lavender Bag

Handprinted Butterfly Cushion

Marilyn Monroe Screen Printed Cushion

Lavender Bag

Then I uploaded some of my bits to Etsy and Folksy!

If anyone has online shop tips they would like to pass on, I would be delighted to hear from you!

Marie :)

Free Motion Embroidery and the Homeless Project

I have been neglecting my sewing machine in recent times, so I felt it was overdue a bit of a run out.  I have always enjoyed free motion embroidery and really wanted to 'marry up' a bit of art work and some sewing.

I chose some images that I really like, and then copied them on to fabric.

This one is based on a Tamara De Lempicka painting

I then added some fabric paint to give it some vibrant colour.

This bird has silver fabric paint, although this photo is quite dark :(

I have made a bag so far and planning to make some cushion covers too.

Recently, The Worthing Homeless charity have an ambitious project for the summer.  They want 500 artists to do a portrait of a homeless person, based on a brief description of their circumstances only; in any media you wish. This represents each individual homeless person that the charity have had through its doors in 2012.

My profile told of a man who is British, in his 60s, used to live in Florida and has round the clock medical needs.  Due to various issues since he came back to England, he is now homeless.

I decided to portray my gentleman in embroidery, and lay his life (as I know it) on to a tea towel, depicting his move from Florida to Worthing where everything is 'Sunny' and 'lovely' by the sea.  In the midst of this, is a man who is almost invisible to everyone else.  I liked the 'tea towel' concept as it is something we all generally use but have little regard for; it just 'is'.

My sewn 'invisible' man

in situ, on a vibrant background of sunny postcards of 'ideal living' by the sea

close up

Later in the year, all of these artworks shall be displayed as part of the Worthing Open Houses, and then auctioned off to raise money.

Earlier this year, artists were invited to chose artwork they would like to go on Worthing Pier for a year.  I was very excited as I had two pieces chosen.

Saturday was the grand unveiling, but it must have been about -4c and was FREEZING.  So the pictures I took are not the best, but as soon as that sun comes out, I shall be straight back there to do a better job.

My lino print

My landscape image

This was a great event organised by Creative Waves (Vanessa Breen and Nadia Chalk) of Worthing.  It sure does brighten up the pier!  If you are ever passing by - pop on the pier and have a look - the art work looks fantastic!

Marie 

Teresa Down Under's Tote Bag Tutorial

Teresa Down Under's beautiful bag

This patchwork tote was made following a really lovely tutorial that I found online. (Click here)

It's not often I have found tutorials as easy as this one to follow, but I honestly think if I could manage it, anyone could!

To make the bag yourself, you can either use up some of your own fabric squares for the patchwork top (5" x 5") or use a charm pack.

I just used bits of what I had left over from older projects, and an old bit of green curtain I had got from a charity shop!

I loved my finished bag, but maybe you wouldn't want yours to look quite so garish!

My finished bag :)

Marie x

Crackle Effect Using Glue!

Beautiful and easy crackle effects using glue! Fab!  Click here to follow the link!

This is another great tutorial I found on Blogger, courtesy of Make The Best of Things blog.  It features lots of other great ideas, too!

Marie x

Brighton Creative Stitch & Hobbycraft Show

Saturday was the first lovely day we have had (weather-wise) for a rather long time.  Great day to be in Brighton!

My initial impression of the show when we first went in, was a bit of a disappointment, to be honest.  My main interest was to see the sewing loveliness and all I could see were stalls and stalls of beads and paper crafts, which of course are great, but not what I had been hoping to see.

Beads, beads, beads...

But hark!  Another hall! FULL to the brim of sewing, stitching, quilting...

I first found the Madeira Embroidery Competition - "Best of Blighty" - WOW

Jennifer May Lehm - Denmark

Sally Wilson

Claire Wood West Yorkshire

Close up of the larger piece above

Close up of the swimming part of the larger piece above

a bit more detail

The overall winner - Michelle Blower, Staffs

I then came across a stand featuring an outstanding piece of work by Karen Casper (click on her name to take you to her blog) who is a Mixed Media Textile Designer, the most amazing dress with soooo much detail in it.  She happily told me it took about 200 hours to do!!

and this is just a TINY part of the detail this dress features!

Byron-inspired work by Barbara Taylor

Beautiful work by Barbara Taylor

And a rather lovely chair by a student at Portsmouth College (sorry - no name!)

Beautiful Quilt by the Quilter's Guild

So all in all, a rather outstanding day! There was so much inspiration around...oh, I almost forgot - a gorgeous machine-embroidered piece by a local designer from Hove called Wendy Dolan (www.wendydolan.co.uk)

Wendy Dolan, textile artist

Marie x

I be making a dress...

MY PATTERN BOOK

I have had this book for quite a while now, Girls World by Jennifer Paganelli.  (click here to read a review)

I have been quite nervous about actually attempting any of the lovely things in it... until now.

The dress I have chosen is called the Mary's Fancy Sash Dress. 

THE CHOSEN DRESS

It is going quite well so far, I have traced the pattern, chosen my fabric and cut the pattern pieces.  My daughter is very excited and impatient for me to get on with it!

BODICE PIECES

SASH MATERIAL

I'm off now to do some of the sewing bit (the best part!) and will update my blog with my progress!

Marie x

Dress making!!

I've been wanting to learn dress-making for ages and ages... fortunately, there is a new sewing shop local to me that's running such a course!  Whoop! www.moresewing.com

Last night was my first session, and I've chosen to do something that's meant to be quite straightforward, although it's not that easy for me, yet.  A girl in the group is being slightly more ambitious than I, she's making her prom dress - must say, it looks like it'll be amazing!

My Skirt Pattern

When I've mastered this, the plan is to make the girls some summer clothes that they will hopefully want to wear!

The material I'm using is a fabric remnant I picked up for £2, no sense in wasting good material for a practice run...

Un-ironed!!