MORE BUZZING WITH THE SEWING MACHINE

 

 

Last week's episode of the sewing bee was on an international theme and one of the challenges was to make a dress using West African wax print fabrics.  If you've ever seen the 'First ladie's detective agency' series on TV you will have seen some of these vibrant prints worn by the characters.

Last weekend there was a 'Foire au tissus' in our village and when I went to see what it was all about I was thrilled to find a stall selling these amazing fabrics.

 

 

Of course I had to buy a couple of metres and when I got home I sat down with my pens and made a few sketches in my favourite frocks sketchbook and came up with what you see at the top of the post.

I have a favourite pattern that I used to make a simple summer dress as anything too complicated would have got lost in the patterns on the fabric. I'm really pleased with the result and now all I need is an occasion to wear it to!

 

 

There was a bit of fabric left over so I decided to make a new summer handbag and a tiny pouch for lipsticks and tissues.  I had also bought some extra stiff interlining at the foire which is indispensable to give the bag some shape and body.

 

I lined it in deckchair fabric and made sure to put in pockets on both sides to hold my sketchbook and pens as well as the phone and other bits and bobs.  I used an old chunky zip and two straps from my stash to complete it.

 

 

Do you remember my sketch from out Tenerife trip with the design for a sarong?  Well I finally got it made recently.

 

Here it is made from two sarongs and I'm very pleased with it, a very comfortable dress to wear on hot days when jeans and t shirts are too restricting.

 

 

There was enough fabric to make a long scarf too using the fringes at the ends.

 

And finally a glimpse of my re-organised work space.  I changed everything around when I realised the computer was getting too hot with the sun shining through the window, so now it's on the left of the work table at the end of the pine dressing table which is now much easier to use as part of my work surface.

I'm working on a new sewing project now so watch this space!!

HAPPY CHRISTMAS

 

 

I went to an art expo last week at Ploumanach to see an interesting display of textile inspired cards sent from around the world and of course I was inspired to have a go myself.  First I had to think of a theme and surprise, surprise, as I was in the kitchen and looking at my mushroom picture it came to me straight away!

 

I came home and had a rummage through my fabric stash looking for suitable scraps.  This piece of duster was perfect to depict the canterella and I used my writing programme on the sewing machine for the lettering.

 

This one was inspired by the inktense picture I drew a few weeks ago.  I used some of Luba's samples from her designing days, the black has lovely bumpy texture and the mushrooms are shiny satin with a bit of inktense added for the shading.

 

 

A handful of delicate mushrooms growing in the grass down the lane, already sketched and now depicted in satin and damask with some straight stitching for the grass.

 

 

This is my favourite, originally a sketch inspired by a photo taken by my sister in law Trish last year of an Amethyst deceiver.  Luba's fabrics came in handy again for all the autumnal colours, stitched onto satin and enhanced with some inktense scribbles.

We're off to England tomorrow for the holidays so I'll wish you all a very happy Christmas and a peaceful and prosperous new year.