comfortstitching

hula hoops and bookworms

 

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Right before market, here in the UK we had a burst of 'not-seen-very-often' unseasonably brilliant warm summer sunshine weather.

It was glorious, from what I could see indoors, stuck as I was sewing for market.

As soon as professionally possible I hatched a plan to get outside and sit in the sun with several iced coffee's update my embroidery patterns with some new apple varieties.

These are what I came up with, a hul-lula-looping girl with a pink jacket on. Modellled on both my daughter's and their hula hooping ways.

And a little girl with curly hair reading a book, who I have now decided looks like she should be named Bella.  Modelled on my littlest daughter who is a bit of a book worm and used to have curly hair that grew straight (but is not called Bella).

As well as some clothes (modelled on some of my youngest's favourite satorial styles).

This little lady you know already from last week.

This is how I spent most of last week, lightbox and pencil sharpner at the ready putting the finishing touches to some new patterns.

Which you can find in the shop (not listed yet but will be soon-ish)  Done!.

from seed to fabric

Everything has a starting point, a particular flashbulb moment when a seed is planted and an idea is born.  In the case of 'little apples' that moment occurred when prompted to design a new fabric line, I began to look for that starting point.  Looking involved flicking through my sketchbooks, most of which are notebooks really, where I jot down my idea's in picture form quickly before I forget them.  Most of the time, these idea's occur when I am busy washing the dishes or meant to be doing something entirely different, so if I don't do a quick squiggle somewhere, the idea is lost as soon as it has been found.

The above detail from one of my sketchbook pages is a real case in point because I do not even remember drawing these little trees with apples for eyes or scribbling down the phrase little apples but when I came across it on the 'flicking for idea's to design a new line of fabric day' I was immediately drawn to it because my mind started coming up with idea's and images galore.

I started sketching a little more whilst I narrowed down the idea's and formed a theme in my mind.  Almost mindlessly I turned an apple upside down and turned it into an a for the word apples. I think this was the exact moment I knew I HAD to call this group little apples because I knew that this little mindless doodle would make a great little selvedge.

And I know I am very heavily biased but I kind of think it does.

So now I had a name, I just had to come up with the actual designs!  The stories behind which will have to wait a day or two.  

sherbet pips 'pups'

Today seemed a good day to bring you the third instalment of the design story behind 'Sherbet Pips'.  I have already told the tales behind 'Scoot' and 'Girl on a tree swing' and today I bring you a bit of background to the 'Puppy dogs tails' print.

Once I had completed the two lead prints, I began to think about turning elements from those designs into co-ordinates that would work with them. The idea behind creating co-ordinates is to create designs that work in their own right AND work well with the lead prints.  Co-ordinates need to contrast well with the leaders in terms of scale, colour and simplicity and also to continue to tell the 'story' that began in the main designs.

When designing these simpler patterns, I think about how I would use them in my own quilts.  For co-ordinates, one of the functions would be that they could be used as sashing, border and binding fabric when putting together the quilt,  so I try to create designs that work well here.

Going back to using elements from the main prints, of course, it seemed more than obvious to take the little pup from 'Scoot' and give him his very own design.

In the Scoot print, my fictional puppy is seen hitching a ride on the back of the girl's scooter (which originated from my scoot embroidery) and also running dashingly alongside the scooterers.

For the new design I wanted to show a bit of action, puppies as we all know are always up to something and I wanted to bring across a bit of puppy personality into the pattern, something the viewer could look at that would remind them of a pup they knew. I took the running puppy idea and changed it up a bit to turn it into a pup chasing a ball.  Then I drew up a second pup and this one just had to be walking along leaving muddy foot prints.  I was very concerned whilst drawing up the design, that the footprints did not come across as resembling dog poo!   So I put a lot of effort into those footprints.

For puppy number three, I went back to an older spoonflower design of mine also called 'Puppy dog's tails'.  The idea behind this print came from a reader of mine at the time who suggested I try my hand at a few spoonflower 'boy' prints along the theme of 'slugs and snails and puppy dogs tails'.  The above pic shows the original illustration I scanned to make the design and some scraps of the fabric it created.

This design shows a puppy whose tail is shaking as he has come across a bag labelled 'puppy dogs tails'.  I thought this was a far less squeamish way of illustrating the rhyme than drawing up a few chopped off tails...

For the 'Sherbet pips' version, I decided to leave out the chopped off tails idea altogether and decided to add in something that has startled mr puppy in some way.  I thought a cat seemed too obvious, so with my thinking cap on came up with the idea of a clockwork or wind up mouse whizzing around and intriguing the puppy.  

One of the 'KEY' things I love about how this design turned out is that it can be easily cut into strips and squares and will almost always have one whole pup or more in there.  This is something that pleases me greatly as it means you don't have to waste time 'fussy cutting'.

Something else I absolutely love is how it involves a kind of trickery because there are only three different pups in the design but because of the way they are repeated it seems like there is a lot more going on than there is.  This illusion is key to making the design looking action packed whilst still having the look of a simple co-ordinate.

So, I hope you have enjoyed today's little tale and have learned something you didn't know before!  

Back soon (with more little stories to tell).

 

DIY fabric transfers tutorial

 
As requested, here is the tutorial if you fancy giving this technique a go.

To make your own fabric transfers, you will need some TAP paper.  TAP stands for Transfer Artist Paper, it comes in A4 sheets and allows you to transfer drawn or inkjet printed images onto fabric.  You can actually use it to transfer images to pretty much any surface including glass, metal or wood but here I am talking about what I know which is transferring to fabric.

This is what the paper looks like.  From left - back of TAP paper, Front of TAP paper, silicone release paper (this came with the paper and is used for protecting your fabric from the heat of the iron).

To make your own fabric transfers, just draw your images onto the white side of the paper.  Do not press down too hard with your colours or you will scratch into the coating.  

Here are the pens I used to make the images - ordinary kids felt pens (these are washable colours) and fine liners (which are permanant pigment ink markers).

I then cut out all the images I want to use with a thin border around the image (as above).

With a hot iron, place one of the cut out images drawn side down onto fabric, cover with the silicone release paper (to protect fabric from being scorched by the hot iron) and press down for about 10 - 20 seconds.  I find you can happily move your iron across the images as you press, the cut outs stay in position and do not move.

Carefully turn up the corner of the cut out and if it removes easily, it's done.  If it is still tacky and doesn't come away easily, press a little more.

After transferring, I washed the fabric in a bowl with a small amount of washing powder and hand hot water.  I squeezed and scrunched up the fabric as I washed for a couple of minutes.  I then rinsed it and ironed it with a hot iron.  I ironed right over the transfered images without the silicone paper.  The pictures above and below show the fabric after washing and ironing.  I am pretty impressed, particularly as the felt pens I used were washable!!

So, I can see lots of potential in this technique, particulary with decorating kids t-shirts and clothes, mixing the technique with embroidery and applique for fun little pieces and for making labels for quilts (any writing would need to be written back to front, so it appears the right way round after transferring).

What do you think?  Is this something you can see yourself trying?

Let me know if you have any questions, I can answer them in the comments below.

playing with new stuff

Yesterday I had a longlonglong list of things to do.

But I wasn't in the mood for half the stuff on it.

Instead, I decided to go with my need to do something fun and playful and ended up drawing my own fabric transfers and then ironing them on to fabric. fun. easy. playful and totally unecessary whilst being completely necessary in a creative kind of a way.  

The images I used were all my 'current' drawing obsessions - clothes, shoes and kiddy bits and bobs.  I drew them using a fine liner and my daughters' felt pens.

When I was at college (before the kids, the marraige and the rest) I studied design for printed textiles.  This kind of thing was what I did daily, found a fun little product and played around with it until I liked what I saw.  

To make these transfers I used something called TAP paper - it's so easy to do, just draw your image and iron it onto your fabric.  A fun way to indulge your inner fabric designer at home.

Today I plan to do a wash test and check out that crucial washability factor.

If anybody else is interested in trying this technique, I'd be happy to write up a quick tutorial. 

Just - you know - let me know - below ;)

 

a little red cover up.....

Just finished.........

A little red riding hood quilted sewing machine cover, with.....

  

a raw edge appliqué-ed  little red....

carrying a basket of apples.......

 

whilst watched by an embroidered blue bird sitting in a tree.

 

 

framed in much coveted and highly prized cute fabric squares.

And backed in a little bit of bliss.

If you were my partner in the urban home goods swap on flickr, would this tick all your want-y boxes???????????? 

Be-witched!!! (plus a mini giveaway)

 
On Friday, I got an uncontrollable urge to stitch up a cute little witch on a broomstick....

I don't know why this happens but from time to time, an image will appear in my head and continually whisper ".....stitch me.....".  Eventually the whispering increases to a shout and I give in.

I get out my sketch book (this is actually the lined paper book you see in the bottom right hand corner) and sketch, draw and doodle a few practise imagess.  

Then I go for it on a nice clean sheet of A4 paper and draw the whispering/shouting picture I see in my brain and finally the whispering/shouty stuff stops, phew!

Then comes the nice, calm exciting bit where I transfer the image to fabric, hoop up and pretend to be an edwardian lady, gently stitching my way serenely through the day (except edwardian ladies most likely didn't stitch girly whispering/shouting/ girly witches.......or did they?)

A few details.

I couldn't bear to give my little witch a green face or a wart or a cackle, instead she sleeps on her broom with hair gently flying in the breeze...

With dangly legs....

and a cute little mouse for company.  I thought I would ring the changes instead of the more usual kitty as that is what imagination is for! 

The pattern is now available in my shop...............but

Now the fun bit!!!!!!

Would you like to stitch up your very own sleepy cute witch and her mouse flying off on her broom????

For free???

To thank you all for managing to keep those comments nice and high for the hopefully happening scrap giveaway next week (as long as this weeks comments stay over the magic 45 number).  I am going to be giving away TWO copies of the 'Be-witched' PDF embroidery pattern!!!!!

To enter - 

Leave a comment below, letting me know your favourite halloween ritual (mine is making Slime soup for my kids to eat (it's actually pea soup with 'hidden mozzarella' but don't tell them that!!)).

For a second comment, add yourself to my 'follow' feature which should be pretty much to the right of this post in my side bar (adding yourself to this should allow you to follow this blog in your google reader/dashboard) if it doesn't you can click the +google button to do this instead. 

For a third comment, add me to the blog roll in your blog's side bar.

EASY.  For an extra heaped spoonful of fun the very first person who enters this giveaway will automatically win a copy of the pattern!!  (IMPORTANT - Please note, when you post a comment, even though yours will display straight away on your computer.  Other people's comments won't display for about 5-10 minutes, so if you think you are the first commenter please check back to be sure).  This will be an additional prize to the two up for grabs.

Lasly - I would just like to remind you that this pattern will be sent by PDF to your e-mail address.  Please make sure you enter your e-mail address when commenting or include it in your comment).

Giveaway ends 4pm(GMT) on Wednesday 25th of August.  Winners will be announced shortly afterwards.

GOOD LUCK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

COMMENTS ARE NOW CLOSED

Little red appliqué sneaky peek!

As requested by my readers yesterday by an overall majority, I bring you......

...little red riding hood in a raw edge appliqué make over style! 

This little sweetie is being put together as the beginnings of a ???????????? for the Urban home goods swap on Flickr for my partner who goes by the name of ??????????? ( I can't tell you because it's a secret swap and there's every chance my partner might be one of you).

As usual my raw edge appliqué style is super messy and pretty calamitous but doing this kind of appliqué for me is akin to riding a rollercoaster with my sewing machine on my lap trying to keep my stitching neat all the while.  I can't say I enjoy it much when I'm doing it but I love the look of good raw edge applique done by other people so I will keep trying (and giving my efforts away - why am I always giving away all evidence of my raw edge efforts?) until I get to be that good.  It's a long road readers but it has to be travelled.

The starting point for this little miss was this little doodle in my not so tiny sketch book tentatively titled urban home goods swap lest I muddle it up with all my other swaps and doodles.  Obviously regular readers will remember a very similar little red I embroidered (and gave away!) here.

That little doodle become this slightly larger doodle and the slightly larger doodle became a series of templates (which I forgot to turn into mirror images hence the reason miss R is facing the opposite way in the final piece).

In case you are wondering, I completely chickened out and hand sewed the features on her face because I like to live dangerously just not THAT dangerously!

I hope you enjoyed my little tour through my creativity this afternoon/evening/morning!  There will be more!!

In the meantime, let me know, would you like,

• An ironing board makeover (includes tutorial!) or
• A new quilt top  

next????????

The choice is yours readers!  Do let me know!

boats for quilters

Today, I was hoping to show you the big quilt I made with these fabrics BUT silly me - I forgot to make use of the sun's rays for the last several days to do the photo's and today it is of course raining.

So instead, I'm bringing you the little quilt I made with the scraps.  A sailboat with a patchwork sail made up of the highly lickable 'Dream on' by Urban Chiks for Moda.  Warning! these fabrics are made of pure sugar.

The story behind this quilt because EVERY quilt has one.................

Before I ever owned a house or was married or had kids, before I had a mobile phone and even before I had made ANY quilts, I bought a boat.

Not a sea worthy sail boat but a quaint little riverboat called Stroller, all river boats you see must have their very own unique name.  My boat was a Dawncraft (it slept 4, had a fridge, toilet, table and sink), made in the 70's and one day I shall own one again.  Just so I can make some lovely little quilts and things especially for it.

Things I found fascinating about owning a river boat.  You do not need any kind of license to drive/steer one.  People riding boats around the river thames frequently do so with a glass of red in hand, it is it seems perfectly acceptable.

 

Something I really loved about having the boat was painting pictures of it, above top.  And painting pictures of other boats whilst sitting and dawdling on my boat, above below.  I hardly ever paint these days, the acrylics have been replaced by fabric and thread.  Expect a few more little fabric boats from me to come. 

WINNERS of Thurdays giveaway - In order to aplogize for taking my time, I've decided to have 2 winners instead of one, 

they are 73 -Kaye Prince!!!!!!!!!! 

and 7 - Molly!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Congrats to both of you, I'll be emailing you shortly!!

I really reallllllly reallllllllllllllllllllllly enjoyed all those car stories!!  I'll bring you a post soon about the reasons behind the car interest, once I've made a quilt to accompany it of course!

More sooooon!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

winner!!!

The winner of Monday's giveaway was....................

number 35 -Michelle Kumar!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Congratulations to you!!!! and thank you to everyone else for playing nicely and leaving me so so many warm and wonderful comments, I LOVED taking part!

Today, I have just a couple of sketchy pictures to show you......

I'll be back tommorow for the Blogger's quilt festival (click on the button in my sidebar to find out more).  Come and see which quilt it shall be !