Artists

sunday treats

I escaped! For one weekend afternoon and evening I left the trappings of family life behind and boarded a train to happiness. Some people if asked what they would do if they won the lottery might suggest buying a mansion, maybe an exotic holiday and nice as those things sound not me, if I had unlimited money I would sign up for weekly workshops with interesting people and sit with like minded souls and make things, all sorts of things and that is just what i did the other day! I went to this.  The very lovely Alexandra Smith of Lola Nova blog was in London giving a workshop to celebrate the release of her new book Simple Sewing with Lola Nova.

Here is lovely Alex helping and encouraging and generally giving us all lots of insight into how she works.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It was very difficult to remember not to call her Lola but it is so nice to meet in person someone you have followed online. She came with a lovely assistant, the wonderful Jane from Flaming Nora who helped out and brought lots of lovely fabrics for us to play with. They worked really well together and had a few tales of their London wanderings to tell us too!

We all got to rifle through a stash of fabric, ribbons, buttons, ric rac, bias binding and more, oh how I love another persons fabric stash.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

She got us to work on her patches project from the book so we played with colour palettes, textures and generally made our own thing! Look at that pretty fabric spine notebook, Alex made us all one for the workshop.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It was so lovely to sit and sew and pin and chat and meet some lovely women. Here is the group, minus Nora who stood in for David Bailey at this point.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And here are some of the nearly completed pieces we made.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Such a lovely evening and I just have 1 button to sew on, I was slightly tempted to ‘borrow’ (ahem) the whole set of these buttons you see on my piece for one of my button brooches but I was restrained and proper! I also learnt how to sew bias binding onto a curve so I came home very happy indeed.

So check out the lovely Lola Nova blog if you haven’t already and put Simple Sewing on your Christmas list now. So when you next see a flyer for a workshop you fancy book it up and have some fun!

Bluebird xx

PS I promise I will show you some lovely pages from the book soon but it is evening and my pics will look horrid under artificial light so i will keep you waiting!

new baby sewing

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sewing, sewing, making, making! Is there anything more relaxing than making something!

Although my sewing machine at home is still in a box as the room I shall inhabit for crafty things is still full of boxes and 16 sash windows awaiting installation I needed (yes needed) to make something for the brand new baby of my best friend.  So I used my workshop to cut and stitch and sneak a use on Sue’s sewing machine.  The pattern is from Lotta Jansdotter’s ‘Simple Sewing For Baby’.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I love Lotta Jansdotter books and fabrics and I have just found out that a local sewing shop has just started stocking her fabric, so far I have resisted the urge to run over and buy the whole lot but i can feel my will power diminishing and I expect to snap up some fat quarters before too long. Also how happy would I be to go to this, bliss!

By the way, how cute is that Miffy money box in the top pic? It was 20p in my local charity shop and is missing a base to hold those pennies safe, but I have plans to turn it into a night light one day soon.

How many projects do you have stored up for ‘one day soon’?

Bluebird xx

Bunting Boutique’s New Website!

Newsflash…… Bunting Boutique’s brand new website has now gone live.

It’s taken us a wee while but we have finally got there. There are still a few tweaks to be made and we are still working away on the all-new shop, but there’s still enough changed to merit a little peek if you haven’t seen the site for a while!

So why not head on over to Bunting Boutique -  you can browse our gallery, get inspired by our bespoke services, see how our Bunting can add the perfect touch to your Wedding, or just take a peek into the studio where all the action happens.

SPECIAL OFFER ALERT!  Leave a comment on this post with your email address, and we’ll reward you with a 10% discount code to use at the Bunting Boutique Etsy store, valid until the end of this month.

We really hope you enjoy the new site!

BB x

 

 

 

 

DIY tietastic!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Another week and more happiness as sewing is being completed and things are getting made. I had planned to post this last week as it is a project I finished a few weeks ago but a favourite blog of mine posted a similar tie tutorial so thought I’d better hold off, but I really wanted to share this as I have been planning on making a tie inspired by this post (see pic below) at Wayward Daughter for months, so I throw caution to the wind and am posting anyway!

 

 

Loved this tie when I saw it but wanted a thinner one for my intended outfit, here’s how I made one.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I used scrap paper and wearing the blouse I wanted it to go with I snipped at paper till I had the shape I wanted. Check out the pic above for how I made the fabric tie.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pin the tie in place around your blouse while wearing and judge where you want it to cross, pin in place.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Open your button box and spend a ridiculous amount of time choosing which button will be most pleasing.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sew your button in place, now I have been sewing for most of my life but buttonholes for some reason fill me with dread and horror so yet again I took the easy option and used snap fastenings behind the button to keep it closed. You on the otherhand may be more fearless in your sewing so go ahead and make a real button hole, once you have done this please come round to my house and show me how to use the button hole feature on my machine and I will make you tea and cake in thanks!

Sit back and admire your new tie with a smile on your face.

Happy sewing!

Bluebird xx

What shall we make today?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hmmmm, well as New Years resolutions go I like my ‘make something every fortnight from one of your craft books’. Of course I hadn’t counted on packing away all our books for selling the flat! This has left me lacking in books to craft from so instead today I will show you how I made some cute pincushions.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

You will need some little metal cases for baking tarts or madeleines in. I got mine at a car boot for pennies!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

gather some supplies

Fabric, stuffing, fabric marker, needle and thread & cute little tart cases and a glue gun.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Choose a lovely fabric and mark out a circle on your fabric and cut out. My case is 9cm across and I cut a 17cm circle of fabric, so basically I almost doubled my diameter.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Use an over sized running stitch around edge of circle, and gather up fabric.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fill your gathered circle with stuffing and keep placing into metal case until you have desired height and plumpness, then oversew a few tiny stitches and knot off thread.

 

 

 

 

 

 

With your glue gun run glue around edge of case about 1 cm from lip and add a generous amount in the base too (I took my photo before adding glue to base by mistake).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Place your gathered puff of fabric into case and place a nice sturdy book on top until glue is fully set. I picked up the closest book to hand,  you can see  my favourite book at the moment!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ta Da! Finished pin cushion of lovliness! Thanks to Sue for that lovely off-cut of fabric!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I have had a little madelaine tin with 6 segments for years now and it is quite apparent to me that I am never going to bake into it so I made a little sewing tidy instead. How cute is that? Check out the buttons in the front from this post.

Bluebird xxx

 

 

 

 

simple start to a crafty year

This little project is so much fun I can’t believe I don’t do it more often! Why aren’t all my cardigans and coats adorned with wonderfully clashing or contrasting buttons. Why do I keep all the boring, staid, cheap buttons on clothes when I can make my own super buttons and feel creative too.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So here is how it goes. You are sitting at your desk wondering how long you can put off the clean up and tidying that your desk needs. A small pile of to-do jobs are winking at you but somehow you decide to make some buttons from that fantastic fabric that appeared on your desk this morning (thanks Sally).  I will make something like a bag with most of it but the pictures are so cute I knew what to do immediately.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I love picking up sewing bits and bobs at car boots and charity shops and I have collected a number of these self covering buttons along the way.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I choose my button size and got drawing with my wash away fabric pen.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

You can see in the pic how big a circle you need for even a tiny button but there is a chart on the backs of the packaging so you don’t go wrong.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Although the strange rubber button covering tool isn’t necessary it really, and I mean REALLY, helps and they are super cheap. In the pic you can see how you need to squash the rubber sides over the button edge so the teeth grab the fabric. Pop on the back and the other side of the rubber and with a satisfying click you pop out a button.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Brilliant! Now just stop yourself before you have more buttons than you and all your friends could ever need! I managed to stop at 3 but the nagging tasks of paperwork were calling again.

Bluebird xx

 

pinterest sunday – tried and tested

I have quite a few different boards on Pinterest and it is really useful for keeping track of templates and tutorials I have tried out. The images below are either direct tutorials of were springboards to trying things out for myself. My favourite is a toss up between the wonderful Et Laine bib and the Sweetfancy tea party.

 

 

This bib is definately the best ever pattern you can find, they look good and you get complete coverage and I make mine with old 60′s towels and then you don’t need to line the bib either!

 

 

I adored this idea as soon as I saw it and have made a couple for friends little ones, I really love making the biscuits and I make lavender filled tea bags for playing at making tea.

 

 

I have to admit that I printed off a free online pattern for a dress very similar to this one and have made a few but this is not the pattern I used, it was pre pinterest and of course I cannot find the link anywhere. This looks good too and very similar. I tried calling it an art smock and putting my son in one but he just looked like he was wearing a dress so now they go out to friends with daughters!

 

 

This fabric dollhouse is so cute and you can change to a farm or forest or anything that fits the child, but be warned a good solid day of sewing is involved!

 

 

Hello Sandwich is always a riot of colour and ideas and I have just made a few tissue cases for little xmas pressies but wish I had had some pom pom trim to add to mine.

Try some of these projects out and if you have only time for one then make some bright and cheerful bibs!

sneaky peek – new work on the bench

As Open Studios are fast approaching I have been thinking of making some new work for this year, making sure it priced perfectly for gifts! I have had some Formica sitting in a box waiting patiently for me to think of how to use it. Inspiration struck and I finally made some brooches based on military medals (something I’ve had rattling around my head for years). As always I got my trusty piercing saw out and cut out lots of shapes so I can play around with colour combinations.I have kept it nice and simple and added lovely new and vintage fabrics and they will be selling for around $20. I will be adding them to my shop next week. Now the tricky problem of how to package them!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dottie Angel week – part 3

This post is about shopping less, not that easy close to xmas but maybe something for the new year. You can read all about Dottie Angel’s Challenge of the Utmost Kind, she gave up shopping new for a whole year and promised to only buy handmade or secondhand for a year and asked people to join her. I stumbled upon this challenge of hers one day and thought I’d tell you about a new years resolution I made a few years ago. I decided to try to go 3 months and buy nothing, I just purchased the general stuff we need, like food, toiletries etc. I decided to go hardcore and ban clothes, knick nacks and even charity/thrift shopping, this was the biggest horror of all! After 3 months I lengthened it to 6 and in the end I tried a year. Now I made exceptions and throughout the year I did continue to buy other people birthday pressies (it was amazing how much fun this became) and i did buy 2 vests and some sunglasses. I certainly didn’t go frugal and still went out for tea and cake at my favourite cafe and when we went on holiday to France I gave myself a break for those 10 days but it is amazing how out of the habit of shopping you get. So I would say give it a go for 3 months and see how you do. I am now going to take a leaf from Dottie and try to buy more handmade items.

I have to add a foot note to this post, I now am back to car booting, flea market frequenting and fabric shopping but I think for a least 3 seconds before buying stuff and certainly am more discerning about my purchasing, although other half may well deny this! In fact I am not a goody two shoes (or is it too shoes) and am trying to expand my fabric stash, take a look at some pics of Dottie’s thrifted collection.

 

dottie angel week – part 2.2

At the risk of you and I overdosing on Dottie Angel loveliness, not possible I hear you cry! I would like to post a few pics of the loveliness that Dottie has/had in her shop. I have been waiting for the shop update for a week or so and it seems like I missed out as most of her new lovelies sold out pretty speedy. But let me show you a handful of my favourite things. The wrap aprons are fab but I love, love, love the reversible apron. I have started wearing old second hand aprons as dresses and my collection is growing, maybe I’ll drop some hints to my other half as I have a birthday soon. Anyhow feast your eyes on these wonderful pics, all pictures are from Dottie Angels shop and taken by her. Check out her shoes in the first picture – I am in love with these so they go on the birthday wish list too!

 

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