Lock down has certainly given me lots of time to play and get back into things that take a little time, like machine embroidery. I love combining drawing with little tiny stitches, attaching pretty fabrics as I go. I start by drawing in my sketchbook in pencil. I'm lucky to have a garden and fields… Continue reading How to – Machine Embroidery
Category: Sewing projects
A little machine embroidery lesson…
I love drawing but always feel as though I should take up painting or go back to screen printing or something to bring my work to life and give it colour and depth. The only problem is I think I'm a bit too lazy to get the paints out and I don't really have a space dedicated… Continue reading A little machine embroidery lesson…
My first attempt at dressmaking!…
A couple of weeks ago I attended a dressmaking workshop at the lovely guthrie & ghani in Moseley, Birmingham. I had booked it as a spur-of-the-moment 'thing' when I was inspired by the amazing people on the Great British Sewing Bee programme. I really didn't think about the (nearly) 2 hour journey to get there… Continue reading My first attempt at dressmaking!…
Something new…
Okay, last night, unlike most nights when I go to sleep as soon as my head hits the pillow, I really struggled to switch off. My head was buzzing. Firstly, because I just watched the brilliant Great British Sewing Bee - and then promptly booked myself on a course led by Tilly Walnes from tilly… Continue reading Something new…
Lotta lampshade anyone?!…
Okay, so I recovered the 1980s St Michael Tiffany lampshade yesterday. It only took an hour or so and I really enjoyed having a bit of a play, for once without hundreds of pins. However, I'm still not sure I have somewhere I could hang it (hence the hanging basket shot in the garden). I… Continue reading Lotta lampshade anyone?!…
Practice makes perfect…
It's been all about practicing this week. I finally stripped my old lampshade frame yesterday. I think I had been putting it off because I was worried about what I'd find and there didn't seem much point until I had chosen some fabric to recover it with. Amazingly, the horrible, faded, dusty cover came off… Continue reading Practice makes perfect…
Our house is becoming a gilhoolie gallery…
I keep telling myself it won't be long until the sun's shining so that I have an excuse to buy some new clothes, have a barbeque and sit in the garden sipping a nice cold glass of Pimm's... well you have to dream don't you?! At least I finished this machine embroidered picture today, oh… Continue reading Our house is becoming a gilhoolie gallery…
Recipe competition – win one of my tea-towels!
Ana from Granada in Spain recently ordered one of my machine embroidered cup of tea tea-towels from my Etsy shop. I found out yesterday it is going to be a prize for a recipe competition on her blog Cazarecetas. You can read the English translation here. It's not a brilliant translation but gives you a… Continue reading Recipe competition – win one of my tea-towels!
Streetly stitch? Never heard of it!…
Well, I hadn't until ten days ago. It's a stitch used a lot in making hand-stitched lampshades and now I have finished making my first one, I can (almost) streetly stitch like a pro! I attended the second day of the bespoke lampshade course at Homemade London on Sunday and I have only just recovered.… Continue reading Streetly stitch? Never heard of it!…
Handmade little present…
I decided to make an egg cosy for a little girl's birthday present this week. Okay so it's not the latest expensive girly toy but it's hand-made, personalised and I had fun making it while the boys played with their friends... It's good practice for next week too, when I'm planning on machine embroidering my… Continue reading Handmade little present…
