Category Archives: recycled fabrics

November 7, 2012 · 9:52 pm

New Stitched Tweed Flowers.

The layered, stitched flowers that I made for the Summer were very popular, so I wanted to make a Winter version. I made these flowers this week.

Instead of cottons, I layered tiny scraps of recycled tweed over felt to make the petals. I thought the various black and white tweeds were a great contrast with the bright coloured felt.

They have shiny, faceted black beads for centres which were taken from an old necklace.

Layering the black and white tweeds reminded me of layers of newsprint when working with papier mache.

I think these flowers go really well with my felt poppies, they`re both perfect for cheering up a black Winter coat.

My first wee batch went straight into Flux in Leith, but I`m going to make lots more, including some more muted coloured ones. It`s been a while since I`ve had time to make anything new, so I really enjoyed making these.

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July 9, 2012 · 9:02 pm

Bee Brooches.

I had such a good response to my little bee embroideries that I decided to do some more and turn them into brooches.

Tiny, layered scraps of black and yellow cottons and lots of scribbly stitching make up their bodies and they have hand-embroidered little legs. The bees have been stitched onto recycled linen furnishing fabric in shades of blue. My favourites are the ones on the dark, indigo blue fabric.

I think insect brooches will sit well with all my flowers and are also quite an edgy contrast. I`d like to try other insects, maybe butterflies or ladybirds, I`ll start with some drawings then work from there, I think the embroideries definately work best that way as it keeps them looking free and hand-drawn. I`ve got lots to catch up with next week, but if I get time in between making more fascinators and brooches for my stockists then I`ll start sketching, hopefully in the garden- if it ever stops raining!

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June 17, 2012 · 8:03 pm

Daisies.

I always think that daisies must be the most cheerful and friendly of flowers. I love seeing a sweep of grass studded with little white daisies. The last time I cut the grass I couldn`t bear to cut the daisies so I left a little island of long grasses to enjoy them for a bit longer.

My favourites are wild Ox-eye Daisies. I would love to grow them in the garden, but in the meantime I have Marguerittes, Swan River Daisies, Bellis Daisies and Osteo Spermum.

There is a patch of Ox-eye Daisies growing on a nearby roadside and earlier in the week I brought a few home to draw.

Inspired by my drawings, I made these little brooches.

I`m really pleased with them. They are appliqued and machine stitched onto recycled linen furnishing fabric. They have some hand embroidery and a few seed beads in the centre for extra texture. I really enjoyed making them and I like their `hand drawn` look.

I`m looking forward to making more of these over the next couple of days, I want to send a wee supply to all my stockists (I think they are the perfect brooches for summer!). Then I`d like to try some larger daisy-inspired embroideries.

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May 4, 2012 · 5:13 pm

More Little Heart Brooches…

I`ve been happily making more of these little stitched hearts all week and I`m so pleased with them! My first batch was delivered to Flux and the Lucie Fenton Gallery today and I was almost sorry to see them go! I really enjoy making them and they`ve been inspiring me for future projects. I like the subtle blend of the different colours and patterns and the way the stitching gives them an almost faded look. They`re quite delicate and much smaller than most of my brooches. I`ve enjoyed looking out my tiniest shell buttons and vintage pearls to finish them off.

I`ve been thinking of other ways of using this technique and in between sewing the hearts there`s been lots of doodling  going on… Looking forward to starting some new work, but time for a few more hearts first!

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April 24, 2012 · 9:44 pm

New Little Heart Brooch.

I made this little brooch late last night and I really love it! I`d been making more of my new daisies yesterday and in the evening I couldn`t stop thinking about the technique, wondering how else I could use it. I went back into my sewing room before bed (or I should say climbed in! It`s really messy just now with lots of cotton fabric strewn everywhere and my sewing machine is at the centre of a giant nest!) and fiddled around for an hour or two, and the result was this wee brooch.

I`m really pleased with (in fact I wore it all day today!). I keep thinking up lots of ways I can use the technique, but first I`m going to make more little hearts. In fact tomorrow is going to be a daisy and heart making day, even though I had planned to get started on more papier mache work. Oh well, go with the flow!

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April 23, 2012 · 2:11 pm

New Daisies.

These are some new little daisy brooches that I`ve been working on this week.

Tiny scraps of vintage cottons have been layered on to felt to create the petals. I seem to be working this way more and more, layering and blending fabrics the way I do with papers. I like the way that the paper side of my work has naturally started influencing the fabric side. I love the collagey, fragmented feel that it gives to these flowers.

The daisies are finished off with a vintage shell button at the centre. They are deliberately asymmetrical to give a cute, quirky look.

I`ve become a bit addicted to making these flowers over the last couple of days, it means I can dig out my collection of cotton scraps and have a good play, mixing and blending colours and patterns, something I really enjoy doing!

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April 10, 2012 · 5:36 pm

Busy Days

I`ve just had a busy two weeks, making stock to top up Flux, the Lucie Fenton Gallery and Miss Katie Cupcake, plus working on a collection for a new stockist, The Wild Thistle in Braemar.

What a complete contrast the two weeks were! The gorgeous first week felt like we had by-passed Spring and gone straight to Summer. I spent long days in the garden, sewing in the sun. I love sewing in the garden, surrounded by birdsong with my trusty radio at my elbow (radio 4 all day!).

I made owls and birds;

cotton rosebud corsages;

more embroidered brooches;

tweed heart brooches;

the tulle and lace brooches and finally, rosette corsages;

Then last week I was huddled next to the radiator, watching snow falling outside! I made a huge batch of decoupage brooches. Sticky fingers all week!

I`ve been using a lot more stamps with this batch.

I made some using Queen`s head stamps to celebrate her jubilee. I even did a version of red white and blue. The Queen looks so beautiful in these 1950`s stamps.

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March 19, 2012 · 2:38 pm

More Fascinators!

My new mini fascinators have been in Miss Katie Cupcake for a week and have been selling so well I`ve had to make more! Hooray!!

I`m loving the mix of gorgeous silks with vintage tartans.

Katie has definately helped with sales as she looks so great while modelling one!

I`m growing my hair a little longer again so I can wear it up and pop a little fascinator in at will!

A visit to Miss Katie Cupcake is definately advised just now as she has recently got lots more lovely stock in and her beautiful shop is absolutely crammed with gorgeous goodies. The fascinators are £24.

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March 2, 2012 · 10:46 pm

New Hairbands!

My last batch of Jaunty Jim caps inspired me to have a go at some new hair accessories this week. I`m really pleased with them!

Not quite fascinators, these hairbands are quirky little cheer-up accessories for every day.

They are made from 100% recycled fabric and as with my caps, I`ve used a blend of tartans, tweeds, toiles and my favourite fabric just now, vintage ties!

I`ve really enjoyed making them, layering all the different colours and textures was a bit like painting with fabric.

I`ve used some tie fabric to cover a button which adds a finishing touch and they are backed with recycled felt.

I think they have a slightly 50`s feel about them, the ribbon-covered metal hairband sits quite invisibly in your hair and leaves the stitched panel looking like a little curved cap. They make a nice companion to my Jaunty Jim caps. I`d love to see a couple wearing his `n` her headgear!

I`m really happy with my new hairbands, it`s so satisfying when an idea works out well, and the fact that they are so enjoyable to make is a bonus! I`m pleased too that, apart from the band, they are made from 100% recycled fabric.

Looking forward to popping one in my hair when I go out tomorrow!

 

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