Autumn or Not

Coming from the north of Scotland and always being a wishful thinker I have classified September as part of the summer.   When others have donned their duffel coats and furry boots I have continued to go coatless and sockless for as long as possible.

I have often been rewarded with good weather and this year was no exception with a trip to Perthshire that demanded that coats and brollies were left in the car! 

However on returning to Derbyshire I was met with rain and mist and autumn seemed to have sneaked up on me.  And my poor garden was looking rather brown and sorry for its self. 

However one bright spot was my favourite clematis which was still flowering its socks off.  It’s colour is so intense, a lovely iridescent purple which never fails come sun or rain, unfortunately photos do not do it justice.  

So this inspired me in my next make.  I was already looking for something small and low cost for my next craft fair as well as something that would appeal to adults and youngsters so why not have a go at making flower brooches?

I wanted something that had the long petals of the clematis but was not too fussy.  I also liked the idea of crochet but still being a beginner I had to keep it simple.  So after a bit of trial and error I came up with a design that combined gingham petals and a crocheted and gingham button centre, stitched with embroidery thread.   

I have now made quite a few and the crochet continues to vary on each one, which I hope gives them charm as well as making each one unique, roll on the next Craft Fair!

Folksy Summer School 2013

Last weekend I attended the Folksy Summer School, it was held at the Discovery Centre in Ecclesall Woods, Sheffield, a lovely setting and the weather was with us.

Unfortunately I was unable to attend the second day but thoroughly enjoyed the first day.  As well as a great goodie bag we had talks from makers and experts, demonstrations, good food and “nice people” (a Mini Moderns joke)!   

Luckily I took a big notebook as there was a lot of information to take in.  It certainly gave me lots to think about but three things really stood out.

Tell a Story:

• Not just what you do but why do you do it
• Tell people about the journey your projects take, the good and the bad
• Tell people about yourself 

Branding:

• It’s more than a logo
• Use contact opportunities to reinforce your brand, goes back to telling a story
• Reinforce your brand with existing customers

Identify What You Enjoy:

• Look at all elements of the making journey
• Look at expanding into other aspects such at teaching or demonstrations
• But don’t forget you still need to do the boring stuff!

So as part of my forward plan I will:

• Review my online profiles, more "why” not just “what”.  
• Look at the information I send out with my items, make it more personal.  
• Start a “To Do List” making sure the boring/urgent items get done as well as the nice/non urgents!  

And finally this blog, the summer school made me realise that I enjoy writing as well as making so I will be putting aside time to improve it, post regularly, tell the story........

Everyone Needs a Drawstring Bag

Finally I have completed my first collection of drawstring bags.  My excuses have been the weather, being distracted by the need to rescue my garden my doing lots of watering and trying to avoid any ironing!

It has been lovely sitting outside under a parasol doing the hand sewing but the conservatory, where my work table and sewing machine are set up has been peaking at 48 degrees!  Sewing when you are "glowing" is not a great idea!!

However this cooler patch has allowed me to get them finished and I am very pleased with the results.  They come in a range of colours and sizes and I have used vintage embroidered table runners, tray cloths or seat backs to make them, with the usual trademark gingham.  I also managed to source some lovely matching gingham ribbon to use as the drawstrings.  

 So why do you need a drawstring bag?  I have come up with the following list and no doubt you will have lots of other suggestions:

• Prettier than plastic bags when packing shoes or other items you want to keep separate
• Great for laundry, especially in a spare room hanging behind the door
• Smaller ones are good for jewellery, especially if you have a lot of large necklaces
• Haircare bits and bobs can be kept together, I use one for my straighteners and brushes when going away (But please make sure they have fully cooled down)
• Ideal for storing fabric scraps that are too small or odd shaped to fold
• Will keep unmentionables away from prying eyes in the bathroom

My bags are now on sale at my Folksy shop please take a look!

Warm Weather and Wash Days

As much as this warm weather is a pleasant change from the cold and rain I'm afraid its just a bit too much.  All my best intentions of getting out into the garden have fallen by the wayside as even with a hat and keeping in the shade I have been left feeling like a wet rag and have had to retreat indoors after half an hour.  

So instead I thought I would have look through my linen collection and get a batch ready for my next sewing session.  Also I had a few lurking at the bottom of the laundry basket needing some special treatment which I really couldn't ignore any more!

So here is my method for preparing and cleaning vintage table linen:

• First I unpick the seams, this makes it easier to flatten after washing.

• I then repair any damaged embroidery and darn any small holes in the fabric

• Then spot treat any marks starting with good old Vanish, a soak in the powder is usually enough but sometimes I will also give it a rub with Vanish stick if it looks like a tough one. 

• If this doesn't work or the fabric is delicate and you would rather not use a chemical cleaner then a paste of baking powder and lemon juice is also worth trying.  

• If all else fails then I revert to my grandmothers tried and tested method, sunlight!  I put the item out in the sun making sure the mark is prominent. You can hang them on the washing line but I found it works quicker by lying the item flat, your lawn will do fine!  If the weather does not allow for this (!) folding the item so the mark in upper most and putting it on a sunny window sill will also work but may take 2 or 3 days. 

• Then I end with a gentle machine wash using a good quantity of a basic fabric conditioner to remove the stiffness out of the linen.  I have found the cheaper the better!

I love going through my linen collection as there's always so many I've forgotten about and seeing them side by side on the washing line is all the inspiration I need to start making my next collection!.