Stoneleigh Abbey Easter Craft Fair

Sunday 20th March 10am - 3pm . In the former Abbey Riding School at Stoneleigh Abbey, near Kenilworth.

I'll be at this event so would be great to see you if you're in the area. I'll be selling my usual range of embroidered, hand felted and crochet items.

http://www.stoneleighabbey.org/

Craft Fair at The Tree House Bookshop

If you're local to Kenilworth then come and see me this Sunday - 6th December at the Tree House Bookshop Craft Fair, 11 - 4pm.
Plenty of unique handmade gifts for Christmas presents. For the booklovers I've got some handmade books (see photo) and a variety of textile covered books. Lots of gorgeous textile brooches in gift boxes, Christmas decorations, doyley/coaster sets, pincushions and needlecase. Christmas and other textile cards.
I'm happy to take custom orders for Christmas



Handmade books



Hand felted merino wool brooches

Kenilworth School Shopping and Craft Evening

 

I have a stall at this event selling my handmade items - lots of lovely gifts for Christmas, so if you're local to Kenilworth then it would be great to see you.

If you see something you are interested in on my blog or facebook page, then let me know and I can bring it along to the event. I'm happy to take orders for Christmas especially if you would like something in a specific colour.
 

 

 

Christmas Shopping and Crafts Evening

Thursday 12^th November 2015

7pm til 9pm

Kenilworth School Upper Hall

Tickets    £3           (£1 Under 18)

(to include free glass of prosecco or soft drink if booked in advance)

Email: Roote@btinternet.com to book tickets



 

Crochet Christmas Tree Decorations

I’ve been busy crocheting these Christmas Tree decorations to sell at Craft fairs or to whoever wants one!

Christmas Tree Hanging

Christmas tree decoration available as single or a pair

They are made with Patons 4ply Cotton yarn using my own tried and tested design. The single tree decorations are approx. 15cm in height. Each hanging consists of 5 trees and measures approx. 67cm including the hanging ring. I can crochet a tree in about 40 minutes, so I reckon each hanging takes a good 3 hours to make. The beads are threaded on first and are incorporated into the design as I crochet. I’m selling the hangings at £8.75 – bargain for the time they take but I enjoy making. The single tree decorations I’ve been selling at £1.85 for a single tree or £3.50 for a pair.

Having made a few in traditional Christmas colours I thought people would probably have other favourite colours or want them to match their décor or alternative Christmas colour themes. I’m always happy to take orders for specific colours.

Look out on my blog or Facebook page for the Craft fairs I’ll be attending this year or contact me if you are interested in any of my items.

I buy my yarn from www.purplelindacrafts.co.uk as they have a good selection of colours at a reasonable price.

Heraldic Designs

September entry for Travelling book (Leamington Spa and District Embroiderer's Guild). Inspired by the architectural designs on the porch entrance to Lord Leicester’s Gatehouse at Kenilworth Castle. The ermine cinquefoil and the Ragged staff represent the badge of Robert, Earl of Leicester.

The Gatehouse was built around 1571-2

 

I have used transfer paints onto cotton for the background, printing the cinquefoil design on using a handmade block and acrylic paint. The architectural features have then been created with hand and free-machining. To give depth to the design a ‘quilt’ effect was applied using wadding and free-machining.

Wired butterfly - Entry in Travelling book for August 2015

This month the travelling book I received the owner (Lucy) had requested a theme for all the entries if possible. I had been using Kenilworth Castle as my theme for each entry up till now, so instead I decided to stitch a butterfly. Inspired by the technique learnt on the Embroiderer’s Guild (Leamington Spa and District) Summer School August 2015 with Pauline Verrinder ‘Wired to Form’



Wired butterfly prior to beads being stitched on for the eyes

Using cotton covered wire to form the outline shape of the butterfly and dyed scrim. Free machine embroidery in zig zag is used to cover the wire and give detail to the butterfly. I have used a brightly coloured variegated silk thread to give the bright colours to the butterfly.

www.paulineverrinder.com

www.leamingtonembroiderersguild.blogspot.co.uk

Embroiderer's Guild Travelling Book

As a member of Leamington & District Embroiderer's Guild I'm taking part in the Travelling Book challenge. Basically we each (13 in my group) started off with a blank sketch book in March 2015. We each had to cover our book, have a signing in page and then make the first entry. There is only one rule..........the page must contain some stitching..........but you can hand or machine stitch, paint the page, use fabric, paper...........infact do anything! as long as it contains some stitch. The subject matter is your own choice. Then at the beginning of each month you pass the book onto the next member in the group to complete the next page. After the book has done the full circle of the group you get you own book back to keep complete with 13 different embroideries in it from each of the members.

  July entry for the Travelling book. This was inspired by the architectural design on the porch entrance to Lord Leicester's Gatehouse at Kenilworth Castle. The ermine cinquefoil represents the badge of the Robert, Earl of Leicester.
 

Layers of organza have been used over fabric dyed using transfer paints. The cinquefoil motif has been free machine stitched and then the surplus organza has been removed to reveal with orangey background fabric.

 

The ermine detail on the cinquefoil has been hand embroidered. The large cinquefoil has been formed with some wadding to give a raised effect and then has been hand stitched using stem stitch.

 

 

Leicester's Gatehouse, Kenilworth Castle built around 1571 - 2.

http://www.kenilworthweb.co.uk/what-to-see-do/kenilworth-castle/

Tree House Craft Fair

I'll be taking part in the first Craft Fair at the Tree House Bookshop in Kenilworth on the 6th September 2015, between 11am and 4pm. 
There will be limited space at the Fair so I may not have all my items available. Please email me if there is anything you are interested in and would like to see at the fair so I can ensure I bring it.

https://www.facebook.com/TreeHouseBookshop

William Morris commission

I was asked to make a 60th Birthday Card for someone who liked William Morris, here is the outcome.

I have used Art Nouveau paper for the background. I decided to use natural Honesty seed cases as I felt this fitted in with Morris' use of natural objects.  I coated dried Honesty seed cases with several layers of acrylic wax to enable me to free machine stitch a design on them. These were stitched onto a lace ribbon backed with thin card.
I'm now making a range of these cards in various colours for family and friends..............and a few to sell.

Sewarty - Warwickshire Open Studios

As part of Warwickshire Open Studios I'll be at Sewarty in Kenilworth with a selection of some of my work. So if you're free come along and see me and have a chat, I'll also have items available for you to purchase. If there is something you see on my blog and are interested in seeing then best to email me so I can make sure I bring it along to Sewarty.
My work will be there for you to see on the following dates:
 Sunday 28th June 2-4pm, Tuesday 30th June 2- 5pm, Friday 3rd July 2-4pm and Sunday 5th July 2-4pm.
Otherwise come and see me in the shop on the days I work there - Mondays and alternate Saturdays. If you don't know Sewarty  you can find us at 67 Station Road, Kenilworth. CV8 1JD. Opposite Wilko's.

Crochet Christmas tree decorations

Have been crocheting Christmas tree motifs for my Christmas Cards, have been experimenting with different colours and yarns, but like using a 4ply thickness variegated yarn (have previously used this to crochet Christmas bells - see gallery pages for pictures) that has a metallic thread in it to give it a Christmassy theme. Have added pearl beads to the edges and still trying to decide what to put at the top of the tree, have crocheted a small star for some,stitched on a pink star buttons for the pinky ones  but still searching for other ideas! 



For my cards I've attached a brad to the card to hang the decoration on, after Christmas it can be removed from the card and hung on the tree next year.

 

I've now decided to make some Christmas bunting using the tree motif, I'm using a green crochet cotton and a 2mm crochet hook to give a delicate tree motif. Using a smallish crochet hook gives the motif a firmer finish so it will hang better

Get the Sewing Bug NOW!

Had a bit of fun making a new range of Needlecases for those of you with the Sewing BUG.

Using needlecord material with a colourful lady bird design I've hand embroidered the words ' I'm a Sewing Bug' onto the front of the needlecase and embellished the spots on the ladybird/bug with blanket stitch.

The needlecase cover is stiffened with interfacing and has been lined in a co-ordinating siky type fabric. It contains three pieces of cream flannelette fabric giving six 'pages' to hold needles or pins.

And if you're not into sewing perhaps you know someone who is that would like one of these.............I'll have them to sell at the craft fairs I'm attending else you can email me.

Christmas Craft Fairs I will be at in 2013

Saturday 30th Dec, 10 - 5pm. St Philomena's Craft Fayre, Philomena's High School for Girls, Shorts Roads, Carshalton. SM5 3PS

Sunday 1st Dec, 11 - 4pm Denbies ShopFest, Denbies Wine Estate, London Roads, Dorking. RH5 6AA

Sunday 8th Dec, 11 - 5pm Sutton Women's Creativity Weekend, St Nicholas Shopping Centre, 1st floor - by Elegant Nails & Super Cuts, St Nicholas Way, Sutton. SM1 1AY

Lavender Bags Galore

During August I've been busy making various lavender bags to complement my embroidered ones. I remembered making Lavender Handbagsas a child and thought these would be quick and fun to make! Well, I had fun making them as they're made in pretty coloured print fabrics (which made a change from the usual lavender colours!)but they took me as long to make as my embroidered ones. I've also made some heart shaped ones in organza/voile fabrics as I know everyone loves hearts! You can see some of my embroidered lavender bags in my gallery page


Lavender Handbags




Handbags were made from a circle of fabric, cut in half and lace stitched to the straight edges. I've used a mix of modern nylon lace and some cotton vintage lace I had.




Beads in co-ordinating colours were threaded to made the strap for the handbags. A gathering stitch was made below the lace and pulled tight after being filled with English lavender. I had a good supply of lavender in my garden this year but unfortunately I was too late and it had started to flower before I had realised so I had to purchase some lavender for my bags! Next year I won't make this mistake, but at least the bees enjoyed the lavender in my garden!




I decided to use several layers of organza/voiles to give varying colours for these heart lavender bags, and again I thought it was nice to have a range of colours and not just 'lavender' so people could pick a colour to match their decor and taste. I created the heart shape using one of my metal baking shapes (not used for baking!) and my soldering iron, so the edges are sealed. They were finished with handstitching, a button or other detail and a co-ordinating hanging ribbon.



St Raphael's Hospice Spring Craft Fair

I will be having a stall once again at the St Raphael's Hospice Spring Craft Fair on Saturday 25th May 2013, between 11am and 3pm. Please come along and support this worthy cause.
I'll have a selection of my items for sale, all handmade and designed by me.

It's held in the St Bede's Centre, St Anthony's Hospital, London Road, North Cheam, Surrey. SM3 9DX

 http://www.straphaels.org.uk/News_and_Events/forthcoming_events.asp

Christmas Craft Events 2012

I will be at the following Christmas events:

1st December    1- 5pm              Epsom Methodist Church Hall - Xmas Market. KT18 5AQ Unfortunately the organisers have cancelled this event.

2nd December        12 - 4pm            Tolworth Girls School - Christmas Food & Gift Market. KT6 7LQ
   
16th December     10 -3pm              
Denbies ShopFest, Denbies Suite (upstairs), Dorking RH5 6AA

Buy unique handmade gifts for Christmas

• textile brooches to keepsake cards •

 • sewing gifts to fabric covered books •

 • embroidered, hand felted and crochet items •

• Custom orders considered •

St Raphael's Hospice Spring Craft Fair

I will be at St Raphael's Hospice Spring Craft Fair on Saturday 19th May 2012 from 11am to 3pm.

I'll have a selection of my items for sale, they are all handmade and designed by myself. So please do pay me a visit if you are in the area.
An ideal opportunity to buy unique gifts for friends and family, Father's Day or maybe just for you.

http://straphaels.org.uk/News_and_Events/forthcoming_events.asp

Scola Spring Craft Fair

If you would like to buy any of my items I will be at the Scola Spring Craft Fair in Sutton on Saturday 25th February 2012, between 11am and 3pm.
I'll have a selection of my items for sale, they are all handmade and designed by myself. So please do pay me a visit if you are in the area.
An ideal opportunity to buy unique gifts for friends and family, Mother's Day or maybe just for you.

http://www.scola.ac.uk/index.htm

Epsom Enterprise Market - 27th November 2011

Things are rather manic at the moment hence I've not been very active on my blog spot or at my online shop................reason being is that I'm taking part in the new monthly Epsom Enterprise Market so am busy getting things ready.

It is on Sunday 27th November 2011 between 10am and 4pm in the market place in the centre of Epsom.

I'll have a selection of my items for sale so if you're in the area please come and see me. As this will be the last Enterprise Market before Christmas I'll have handmade items to buy that will make ideal Christmas presents. You'll still be able to buy items afterwards from my online shop, and also I will consider taking special Christmas gift orders at the Market.

Here's hoping it will be a dry day!

Embroidered English Lavender Bags - more designs

As I purchased a large bag of English Lavender I'm working hard on a number of different designs to embroider onto the bags so I can use up the lavender!
Design 2 and 3 have been completed and I've made up into 5 bags of each design. Design 2 is now available on my online shop along with Design 1.
I'm currently working on Design 4 which will be in hand embroidery.
                                                                 

My Lavender designs in hand embroidery

   



These will make ideal gifts for family or friends or just for you.