Christmas Pockets

Here's something to get stuck into for Christmas ... all a little late but it has been a very busy month, Here I have tried to design something simple to make, three little Christmas pockets which can be made singly or in multiples to make an advent garland. You can download here 

News coming up of new kits and NEW WEBSITE with the invaluable help of Kirsty from SOSWEB! Any day now ... Lovely new photos too by my chum Vanessa at Pixel Kitchen and last week (Feels a lot longer we moved the studio to a proper premises away from the cottage ... so I have my living room back and a very much more efficient work space int which to pack orders and keep the ever increasing stock levels from overwhelming my home. Now I come home to relax a bit (still no internet at the studio so office and admin have clung on at home). More in a day or so ...

Embroidered Felt Cat Family

It has been a very busy few months here ... I have been working on a book for David and Charles, which will be coming out in November. It is called Modern Folk Embroidery, by me. And I think soon you can pre-order it through Amazon but will post details when I know. Soon I can promote it too with taster photos of the projects. 

But while doing projects for the book I designed this Felt Cat Family as a download. It all began with a folk doll made for the book and then I found I just had to try the same (ish) shape for a cat toy too. Muma came first then as the pattern can just be scaled up and down at will ... came Papa and Kitten ... I could have gone on and on and may well do when I have more time. A white one next with hot pink and reds and oranges (my default colour setting) ...

So you can download this Cat Family HERE which is a very simple felt toy to make, and uses a few simple hand embroidery stitches to great effect. The great thing is it is open to your own creativity regarding the stitch combinations, you could go stripy, spotty, zigzaggy ... endless possibilities!

While you are on the WEBSITE have a look at the other downloads we have.

The Whole Cat Family, a group shot

Muma and Kitten

Papa cat

Muma Cat

Kitten cat

Christmas Bauble Tutorial 2014

I had to do this ... after several trials with felt and cardboard I discovered the craft foam ... I had bought some about 10 years ago and it was lying in my paper stash drawer since then waiting for this moment. What could be better? felt, craft foam and thread, oh an a hand operation on my right hand. I have probably delayed recovery by stubbornly making these, but I had already promised I would design some new ones this year and felt duty bound. My operation was for a trigger release on my middle finger which I have needed for months. It has made doing what I do very very hard for all that time, getting increasingly painful and stiff. All I have now is a small healing wound and hopefully less pain and more agility in my hand, before the next operation on my pointy finger on the same hand ... sorry index finger. So the execution is not perfect but I did my best ...

Enough moaning! This tutorial is now available on the website and is for all four decorations with full instructions, stitch library, templates, and stitch guides. 

It has been a busy month too ... Christmas orders are rolling in (thank you to all who have toiled for me while I have been less able!) 

And I now think I can reveal that i am supplying THE NATIONAL TRUST! Yes it is true! Or have I already said ... anyway do let me know if any of you spot one of the kits or Interactive Stationery in a NT property near you! I don't get out much you see ...

ALSO! I am shutting up shop on DECEMBER 10th, so no orders after that date. 

Thread ... and NEW EMBROIDERY KITS

We had such a happy time at Thread in beautiful Farnham. My lovely assistant Amanda was a complete hit with everyone and handled sales and friendly chatter as if she'd been doing it for years! Only 19 but ready for whatever the world has to chuck her way ... very proud surrogate mum (I borrowed her from my dear friend Bobby to whom she really belongs!) We were so impressed with the whole event, organised beautifully, even down to the frequent passing round of chocolates for the stall holders ...

And the first evening saw us living it up at Cote Brasserie in the town and I have to say it was so fabulous I want to recommend it. Apart from the wonderful food we had such wonderful service by the very lovely staff ... 

And after much hard work I can say that the new kits went down so well ... Thread was their official launch, and they are as follows ... 

Birdie 1, Birdie 2, Birdie 3, and a lovely Celebration Cake. They are not available in the shops for at least a month from now. So here they are with some details but go and have a look at them on the website. To follow very soon is a new teapot, well, a re-design of the older one ... to go with the cake of course.

Celebration Cake Embroidery Kit ... designed with Birthdays and Weddings in mind, or any occasion worth making a fuss about!

Yes, it's those lovely Spider's Web Stitches again

Celebration Cake detail ... showing some of the new stitches you can learn on this sampler ... my stitches are a little wobbly as I was in such a rush to finish the samples for the show.

Another detail ...

The three new Birdie embroidery kits ... from left to right ... Birdie 3, Birdie 1, and Birdie 2.

I have framed them in embroidery hoops but you can just as easily pop them in a standard frame, or use the finished panel as a cushion centre piece ... might try that myself later.

Detail of Birdie 1 ... lovely Buttonhole Wheel Stitch for the border

Birdie 1

Detail of Birdie 1

Birdie 2 framed in an embroidery hoop

Detail of Birdie 2. This one is especially good for a beginner

Birdie 3

Birdie 3 Detail, French Knots, Fly Stitch, Lovely simple Running Stitch and Detached Fly Stitch

"thread" a festival of textiles 2014

Very busy this glorious early autumn with preparations for "thread" ... I am running a WORKSHOP ... details here and will be bringing some exclusive designs as yet unseen and soon to be on the website.  It would be great to see you if you are in or around Farnham 26th and 27th September. I will have all the kits and if I get time some of the interactive stationery too, the new cushion kits and the old favourites and as I said NEW ONES! My dear chums Vanessa from Hoop and Amanda who is a fab and wonderful part time girl friday are helping me out. Very happy to be part of this great event! Looking forward to my workshop, and seeing the other stands ... some great names there ...

It has all been rather intense this last few weeks as I have also been approached by the National Trust and now find myself supplying them too! A slight nightmare ensues as the volume of the order has meant going up a gear with my stock, the, up till now, humble production line. So an essential trip to IKEA for MORE little boxes to put everything in ... who can resist them? Managed to only spend £90 ... a small miracle in itself and only came away with one or two oddly named tea strainers and kitchen gadgets.  My obsession with storage and my inability EVER to actually achieve perfect order is a life long mystery ... it's ok, I know I am not alone. Anyway it all has to go SOMEWHERE before it is delivered to NT! And I am trying.

So Please come along and say HELLO! 

Sunday working in the garden

It has been beautiful, hot but a lovely breeze, all very well if it does blow all your newly packed label all over the garden ... but just to prove that all the kits are assembled if not by my own fair hand then by my much appreciated helpers ...

Here you can see what I have been doing today, making the needle cases and pulling thread for the new cushions. Some of these colours are for the yet to be assembled Stitch Cards (sorry they are taking so long but I am working on getting them die cut).

But the effort is worth it with an order going off to America tomorrow ... to The French Needle so if you are in US and want to buy a kit do go along to visit this lovely site. They will soon have the new cushion kits in stock.

Also some other news ... have a look at Creative Bloq for a little piece about some of the entrepreneurs on the School for Creative Start Ups course, including me.

So have a look at the the process ... it's not a bad place to work!

Gorgeous colours ... thread just arrived on the cones, ready to be pulled.

 

Vanessa could not wait to start!

Threads and first one off the roll ...

Making Needle Holders and Labels for Cushion Kits

Thread packs ready to go into the bags

The Cottage garden this late spring. A bit of a tangle ...

New Embroidery Kits sneek peak

The new embroidery kits, four of them, are not quite ready but can't resist showing a couple of details. These are just home photos and nothing flashy, but some flashy ones are one their way ... of all the new things. If you would like to order one of the new kits please email me so I am aware of you and can give you priority. Once they up loaded onto the website we'll be in business, but because of Makegood preparations we are a few days behind.

I will be doing some online tutorials on the cushion kits so look out for those. Right now, the van is packed and we will meet them in London to put up the show tomorrow. So time to relax for the first evening in weeks, some lovely bream and new potatoes, watercress salad, telly, no embroidery! Or crochet.

Long Tail Bird Embroidery Cushion Kit Detail

Pigeon Embroidery Cushion Kit Detail

Makegood Festival

I have neglected you all ... but it is only a week now till the Makegood festival

Please do come if you can as it is going to be quite brilliant! An amazing showcase for 200 creative businesses many who I can say are very cool people indeed as they have been my fellows on this journey we all have been taking at School for Creative Startups. This all reminds me so much of my degree show and I still have nightmares about that! The lists are everywhere, and today is the last day I have in the studio to get the last things packed and ready, then into the car ... on Sunday we will drive there to put it up (there will be photographic evidence) and then it starts on Thursday for us with Press and VIPs coming. Open to public on Friday! YIKES! As I have barely had time to look after myself this last two weeks or more ... I am a little worried about the bloodshot eyes and lack of smartness when meeting the press. I don't do "smart" very well, even when I try really hard.

The photos below are of the work in progress. New embroidery kits which came in huge great rolls which I can hardly lift, mad frantic stitching to complete samples for the show, the colour dilemma, choosing threads for the kits. Many early mornings and late nights.

And I still have inappropriate shoes to wear to this event! I long to wear my Birkenstocks but not sure it would be right. That will be worth a visit if nothing else, to see what I finally manage to cobble together to wear and whether I have had the mental where with all to brush my hair and not put mascara on only one eye. Seriously I would be chuffed to bits to meet anyone who reads this blog. And here I want to thank any of you who have helped with the frantic stitching of samples ... you know who you are ... THANK YOU SO MUCH!

New kit ... Little Bird No.2

Detail Long Tail Bird Cushion kit

Little Bird No.2 new kit detail

New Kits on the roll!

Long Tail Bird and Pigeon Cushion Kits on the roll