Champagne Lace and Damask

Still working on my new vintage collection this time a beautiful bag made in cotton canvas for body but overlaid with a heavy guipure lace, adding faux leather handles in a dark brown.

As you know not making a lot atm but loving what I am doing, feel back to how I used to feel when stitching, happy and content not to mention confident that doing something I love.

Damask Monogram Lavender Sachets

These are for an order for a group of ladies who sew and natter. Damask monogrammed initial lavender sachets, made in ivory linen and filled with lavender, delicious. Will be adding these to my website as think they fit the vintage collection perfectly.

The last fair of the year for me was on Saturday at Headley Village Hall, fun, music, laughter and visitors looking for a perfect gift for Christmas. This event is always so happy maybe because organised to raise funds for the hall and not an organiser. I did so well and from the comments the ladies who bought were happy as well. One thing I have learnt over the years at this sort of village fair is to sell and make low ticket items. This year I had sale items but if I feel the need to use up odds and ends with low prices this is the time to do it. 

All goods packed away in the stock room now, which frees me up to decorate the house with glitter and baubles. Love Christmas and our tree goes up on Monday. Then Tuesday relax with a good film, a Chinese courtesy of M & S, maybe a tipple, exchange our cards, what could be better than the 1st day of the festivities. Not forgetting to open day 1 of our Jacquie Lawson advent calendar. I buy one of her calendars every year and also send one to a couple of friends, just love them.

Have a good week and hope you all did well at events this weekend and any future bookings for 2015.

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Back to Vintage and a weekend fair

I am really back into Vintage and although again should not be making, with a workman messing around in the utility room had to do something! Well that is my excuse. A bag, simple design, made in natural linen with lace from my stash box (have no idea where I got it from) Vintage wording embroidered onto pale rose print linen and edged again with crochet lace trim from my bits and bobs box. Faux silk ribbon bow, love this ribbon and stronger than the silk version. Button from MIL's tin.

Measures approx 9" X 9" with a 26" strap. Lined with a pocket and tied together with more of the faux silk ribbon.

'Liphook Village Market'

Started off with this event this time last year and did well, April good, June and September dire sales = £0, so my expectations where not high. However, as I did my Inventory sale and no new stock did okish. My main aim was to move the old stock. Have one more event to do at Headley on 28/11 and will do the same. I know I have made some new things for Christmas but would rather shift old stock and keep the new on my website. Sadly this will be my last Liphook event unless I want to have another sale next year. It has changed from an Artisan fair to a village market and not sure that a large fruit and veg stall mixes with handmade very well, plus allowing in 'Hallo Vera' now, certainly not handmade.

Check out the other stalls at Lucy Blossom Crafts

Same place and time next week for more tales of daring do, lol

My machines were calling

Okay I had said was not going to make anything until next year but after the Home and Vintage fair last week felt inspired, plus my machines were sitting looking so lonely and just called to be plugged in. A vintage inspired make, these lavender sachets are done in white linen and silk, the cutwork design is done on my embroidery machine. The cut areas can be left open but I thought a touch of shell pink silk looked so vintage in styling.

A stitch artist sent me another cutwork design and decided to add both green and pink to this one, a bit fiddly but got there in the end.

When clearing MIL's home there were a pile of vintage linens that I just had to keep. Made some lavender sachets from the hankies. The buttons were also in various tins belonging to MIL and know some came from her Mother, so quite old. That was the time when all shirts and tops were never thrown out without taking off the buttons first.

My sewing room smells delicious with the french lavender from the Chateau de la Gabelle, Provence. Must order another kg as think going to be using this a lot.

Check out the other blogs at Handmade Monday

If only this rain would go away and we could go back to the crisp but sunny Autumn days of long ago. I love the colours of Autumn but sadly with this murk and mist not seeing much of it.

Research and now a published Stitch Artist

Last week I posted about my first craft fair and this week about a bit of research I did on Saturday by visiting a Antique and Artisan fair. Digressing slightly funny thinking back to when I first started this crafting malarky there was no internet, you had to find events in the local paper and actually visit or write if you wanted a stall. No mobile phones, no web to do your research, had to haul the yellow pages onto the table and trawl. The only way you could apply for events was to visit and make a note of the organisers telephone number. How things have changed, someways for the better. So easy to go to a keyboard but think how much we are missing by not visiting events to get our own unbiased view of how they are run, layout of stalls, number of duplicates, quality etc. Now I am not knocking the internet as Waitrose and John Lewis do very well out of me and my bank balance, lol, not to mention the fabric shops that I otherwise could not get to because of distance but nothing like feeling the cloth for real and using our eyes plus the exercise with the walking round and event is good for us.

Back to the fair it was fantastic and would love to display here. Vintage and Artisan mixed together comfortably and the stalls were so interesting. Think that Vintage/Handmade is for me. Could have spent hours but with DH hovering in the car park (parking was a slight issue) had to be sensible.

Published Stitch Artist

I have tried to keep this as quiet as possible but know a few of you know that Haute Handbags approached me in March to submit some samples of my work, chose the 3D flower and dragonfly silk clutches. Well the publication is now on the shelves and the best part is have got paid for my tutorial. This has given me confidence to try a few publications in the UK, not as prestigious as this Stampington one as they produce craft magazines of the Tatler and Vogue of the crafting world.

I have sorted my 5 drawer chest in my workroom this week, my sewing room is in a bit of a mess as have 'things' that unsure what I want to do with them yet or should I say where to store them, used my sewing room for the sorting as more room, well did have!!!!!!. Think this is going to be a slow process. Getting bored now think need a break.

Check out the other blogs at Lucy Blossom Crafts

Same place, same time next week. Not sure what is planned this week but making sure I drag Lee out and about