Stitching in circles

Today I learnt something ridiculously simple but at the same time really brilliant, and that is how to sew a perfect circle on a sewing machine with some masking tape and a pin.

 

I already have hundreds of ideas of how I could use this, unfortunately I fear this could really be something that distracts me from my uni work within the next few weeks!

Works in progress

The last couple of weeks have been frantic! Work has been started on the final designs for my degree show collection (Eeek! Scary!)

Some work in progress digital stitching

Now, these pieces have just to be finished, that is to say, all stray threads cut, backing paper removed and the majority are to have hand stitched beading added, which I am forseeing as a rather painstaking business but luckily I have a great deal of patience for that kind of thing! :)

Completely unrelated but very lovely, blossom trees photographed on my way through Bute Park this morning :)

Working space

Here is a peek at my studio space at uni, this is where a lot of my work is done, I find I'm much more productive here than at home where there's too many distractions! :)

Are you bored yet?

(I wouldn't blame you!) :P



Fabric

Yesterday I went to London and visited what was, quite frankly the most amazing fabric shop I have ever seen in my life. It was Joel and son fabrics which I came across a while ago when Jane Brocket wrote about it on her Blog. Literally piled floor to ceiling with the most beautiful silks, satins, lace and velvet, I wish I'd thought to take a photo of the inside of the place but I didn't.

Having requested some samples from them a few weeks back and having been treated with really great customer service (unfortunately not always the case when you mention you're a student) as well as beautiful fabric, I decided to buy all my fabrics for my final collection there. They were friendly, helpful, had absolutely everything I needed in the perfect colours, and packaged my purchases in a gorgeous bag (i'm a sucker for good packaging!) so much so that I didn't mind spending what for me is an extortionate amount of money!

I bought silk satin, silk duchesse satin, silk tulle and silk chiffon. The quality is great and the fabrics are beautiful, it's hard to get perfect colour reproduction in photos (particularly on such a grey day) as the colous are so subtle; shades of ivory, blush, oyster and champagne. I can't wait to start work on my final designs, if I can ever bear to take a pair of scissors to such expensive fabric that is!

This week I have been mostly...

...pleating, embroidering, beading, designing, drawing. More of the same really but somehow, thankfully I'm not yet bored of it. Tired and stressed, yes, but not bored. :)

Fabric hoarding

One thing I find really great about being into textiles and being somewhat of a fabric hoarder is that people tend to donate things to you. Things that to them might seem worthless but to me is absolute treasure. This weekend was one such time, my boyfriend's family were clearing out a relatives house and I was given a huge stash of fabric; mostly table cloths, really good quality linen and damask, and there's absolutely loads of it!

 

 Some of it I'll bleach and keep as it is but the rest I'll cut up and use for lining or backing and there's a lot of beautiful bits of hand embroidery and lace, to me it's like Christmas! And I know for a fact it's not just me that's so fortunate.

 In her book 'Stitched in Time', Alicia Paulson definately mentions that she has been donated precious materials too after mentioning her love of them so I urge you, if you like to sew and collect fabric and notions, make sure people know it, you never know when a stash of treasure might come your way! :)

Crochet

One of the goals on my to-do list is to learn to crochet

{All images found on Pinterest }

I think crochet is beautiful, I'd love to make a huge blanket, although perhaps I should start off with something a little less ambitious!

As I don't know anyone personally who can crochet I figure I'll have to teach myself, so if anybody knows of any good online tutorials or books please let me know! :)



Cupcake cookies

Last night I decided to take a break from working and bake these glitter and sprinkle covered cupcake shaped cookies

Delicious! :)

Summer dress

The beautiful warm weather we've been having this weekend, coupled with my new found sewing enthusiasm spurred me on to making this summer dress.

I've had the fabric since last summer but just not got round to doing anything with it, I used this pattern which I have had forever and pretty much all my dresses have been made from it. It's easy, super versatile and I know that it fits and suits me well, although I do think this year I will push myself to try something new and a bit more adventurous :)

This is definitely a dress to wear on a warm summers day for a picnic. I can imagine myself in it, lying on my patchwork picnic blanket in a field somewhere with a wicker basket full of sandwiches, cupcakes and pink fizzy wine (such things being staples of a picnic in my opinion :) ) Oh I can't wait!