This week I’m putting the finishing touches to things and I thought I’d practice arranging all my creations ready for Thursday evening. I put this display together in half an hour before I rushed off on the school run, but you get the idea! As you can see, I got the bunting bug last week and made some more out of scraps of fabric from our bedroom (Romo Quadra Dahlia and John Lewis chevron in sulphur).
I guess it isn’t a coincidence as I’ve made lots of things from the same fabrics, but it does feel like gilhoolie has some kind of identity now don’t you think?
My next task is to take some more professional looking photos so that I can sell gilhoolie things on-line; I might need some little models to pose on the beanbags and pouffe!
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
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!
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!
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
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!)
