Tag: sewing

Interior Design · Sewing projects · Soft Furnishings

Promises, promises…

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Bunting and beanbag
Ahhh!

I had lots of fun a couple of weeks ago taking photos of my friend’s beautiful little girl sitting on a gilhoolie beanbag and pouffe (with some bunting in the background). Thank you so much Sandi, I may ask again if that’s okay!

I know the model looks gorgeous but I’m also hoping these photos show my products well enough to start selling on-line now. I must admit I did get a bit carried away and didn’t always manage to get the whole of the beanbag in shot, oops! Ah well, I still have lots to learn. Thank you also to James for playing around with the photos in Photoshop; I think they are very professional and just the look and feel I was going for.

It’s taken a bit longer than I expected to set up my folksy shop but I think the photos are incredibly important. I’m going to take some more of my lampshades this week too as I’m not happy with the ones I already have. When you work for yourself it’s easy to not set deadlines and just go with the flow but I promise these will be on folksy by the end of the week, cross my heart and watch this space for details!

pouffe
Just chilling!
Interior Design · Sewing projects · Soft Furnishings

Birds, owls, hearts and bunting…

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Birds, owls, hearts and bunting
Birds, owls, hearts and bunting

Like I said yesterday, I’m nearly there now and even made some bunting today to go on my stall to make it look pretty. I used scraps from the other things I’ve made so it all ties in together and it was the easiest thing to do. Honest, if you like bunting (which I do) then there aren’t many easier things you can sew; all in less than an hour; so satisfying!

The birds, owls and hearts are all filled with lavender (took a while to do, thank you Caroline for donating the lavender!) Again, that was a bit of a family activity at the weekend as the boys enjoyed pulling the heads off the dried lavender plants in between painting their chalkboard signs and riding round the garden on their bikes!

Interior Design · Sewing projects · Soft Furnishings

Two pouffes and a bag…

Julie Gardner1 Comment
Two pouffes and gilhoolie label
Two pouffes and gilhoolie label

I’ve been busy making things to fill my stall next Thursday and  I think I’m nearly there, thank goodness. Here are two of the gilhoolie pouffes. The bright one on the left is made from Amy Butler fabric (I have some left over so will probably make a lampshade with that) and the one on the right is made from fabric I already had from our hall curtains and cushions. I’d like to be able to make them from the fabrics I have in stock for lampshades as well as bespoke to match an existing colour scheme, perhaps in a living room or child’s bedroom.

gilhoolie bag
gilhoolie bag

Also, some of you will be pleased to hear…. I made another gilhoolie bag. This time I went back to the simpler design but I incorporated some of the details from the Tabitha bag I made last week with a coloured trim and patterned inside of the handle. I had a play with making flowers and bows to decorate the bag but ended up going back to the covered buttons to keep the look simple. The bows and flowers are always an option though as they did look pretty.

Now that’s all done I’m ready to start putting some things on folksy ready to sell, well almost. I just want to finish off the birds and hearts I started making last week and some bunting to decorate my stall, oh yes and a gilhoolie sign. We had lots of fun at the weekend, James cutting MDF and myself and the boys painting the boards with chalkboard paint; they even have one each for their rooms, one in the shape of a car and one a guitar!

Sewing projects

Bags or not?…

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Tabitha bag
Tabitha bag and cross-stitch picture

I’m still not entirely convinced about making bags but as this blog is like a diary I thought I should put this on here anyway. It’s a ‘Tabitha bag’ and the pattern is by Flossie Teacakes. I like the end result but boy did it take a long time to make! There are 20 pattern pieces, some with interfacing hence just cutting them out took a couple of hours and I’m not sure I have the patience to do it again, in fact I definitely don’t! However, it was really good sewing practice and now it’s done I’m glad I persevered. The pattern itself is brilliant and incredibly easy to follow with great diagrams all along the way. I really like the patterned fabric in the pleats and the handle so I could incorporate these ideas into an easier bag at some point.

The blue flower picture in the background is a cross-stitch I completed a month ago by the way. Again, I love the picture but it took an awful lot of patience to finish; I’ve decided I much prefer projects that can be completed in a day, life is far too short!

Interior Design · Sewing projects · Soft Furnishings

‘a’ is for…

Julie Gardner2 Comments

Alice, Amiee, Asha, Amelia..

Matching gilhoolie beanbag and lampshade
Matching gilhoolie beanbag and lampshade

I made a beanbag yesterday in indigo denim fabric with a personalised pocket. The idea is you can choose a fabric and your letter to have sewn onto the beanbag. The beanbag itself is a pyramid shape with a square base and a handle at the top (plus a zip in the bottom for refilling and the seams are all top-stitched for extra strength). I made them for my boys earlier in the year and they (and the cat) are always on them so they must be okay!

I’m pleased with the result but in the middle of stitching on the ‘a‘ and struggling to go round the corners, I did think it would have been much easier to start with an ‘l‘!

Ah well, it was good practice and I think the pocket goes nicely with the adorable lampshade I made at the weekend…

Sewing projects

Tweet tweet…

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bird and lampshade
tweet tweet!

No I haven’t started tweeting on Twitter (yet?), but I did make a lovely bird today to fill with lavender. Oh yes, and a matching lampshade all handmade from Amy Butler fabric.

I went to a craft fair on Saturday and decided I need to make some small items as well as lampshades, beanbags, bags and pouffes. I loved making this little chap with an appliqued wing and button eye even though it was a bit fiddly, lampshades are so much easier!!            I think I’ll make some hearts too.

It feels good to be back behind the sewing machine but I think I have a lot of work to do if I’m going to fill a stall at my first event (20th October – mini pamper and shopping evening run by Alwyn and Courthouse PTA), the next few weeks could be very busy!

Interior Design · Sewing projects · Soft Furnishings

A quick update…

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Just thought I should put a quick update on gilhoolie as I haven’t blogged for ages, I’m still here! The last couple of weeks have been spent doing lots of screen-printing (some prints more successful than others, arghhh) as well as lots of behind the scenes preparation for getting started on selling things. I’m hoping to have a stall at a shopping evening at school next month so I’ve been concentrating on that by putting together some marketing materials and thinking about how to display everything. I also want to start selling on-line on folksy before then, so I’ve been writing a biography to set up a gilhoolie shop. So you see I have been quite busy really!

I’ve made some lampshades from my own designs (shown below) but also just ordered some pretty fabric to make some more. I’ve decided to not just make things exclusively from my own hand-printed fabric but instead to experiment with any other fabric that catches my eye. I’ve also ordered more denim fabric for making beanbags and bags. The designs will be made to order with a choice of fabrics for bag linings, beanbag pockets, pouffes and accessories (buttons and bows on bags). I’m really looking forward to receiving the fabric I’ve ordered as I’ve missed sewing and I’m getting impatient to start selling soon!

I’ll let you know as soon as my folksy shop is set up, watch this space…

folksy logoBusy, busy!

Busy, busy!
Interior Design · Sewing projects · Soft Furnishings

Simple pleasures…

Julie Gardner2 Comments
gilhoolie pouffe
gilhoolie pouffe

I really like the shape and style of traditional Moroccan pouffes and thought it would be good to have a go at making one. These will eventually be made from my screen-printed designs but I thought I’d practice on bought fabrics first.

This one is made out of three fabrics: John Lewis Chevron in sulphur, a plain natural coloured linen, and grey cord as the top and bottom. Can you spot the gilhoolie label in the seam? (Seeing them attached to something I’ve made makes me smile!)

I really enjoyed making something a bit different from standard cushions. The question is, what to make next?….

….well, I realised yesterday I’m not happy if I don’t have my next project at least in my head, but the next ‘project’ is to clear out the utility room and try and set up a workshop so that I can start screen printing. Not as much fun as making stuff but it has to be done. Hopefully I’ll be posting pictures of my first prints soon!

Sewing projects

Bags and buttons

Julie Gardner1 Comment
gilhoolie bag
gilhoolie bag

This is my second attempt at making a bag and I’m really pleased with the result, thank goodness. (Yes, I am a perfectionist but I think that’s a good thing when you’re sewing; straight, neat lines are good, right?!)

gilhoolie bag detail
gilhoolie bag detail

I used remnants from the denim beanbags and geometric cushion I made, so it  didn’t cost much; just thread and a magnetic clasp to fasten the top of the bag.

I loved covering my own buttons with fabric; it’s so easy to do and adds interest to the exterior of the bag. I found a pack of self-cover buttons in my Nan’s old sewing box I inherited. I’ve been told she was a good seamstress so it’s a shame she can’t see what I’m up to but I’m sure she’d be pleased her sewing things are being put to good use.

So all in all I had a really successful day. The lining will eventually be made from my own printed fabric to make it an authentic gilhoolie bag. (Spot the gilhoolie label stitched into the seam!)