wildwood shots...

 i was thrilled yesterday to see some of the pieces i had made with wildwood, dashwood studios latest fabric range photographed so beautifully.

dashwood had photographer yeshen venema in to take some studio shots of all the items that i and others had made with wildwood.

it was quite an honour to see things i had made photographed so stunningly.

i am thinking i may need to call on yeshen's services to take some shots of my other work.

in the meantime check out all the other lovely work others have made with wildwood here.

they all look amazing.

:: wildwood ::

 i am setting myself up for a bit of a fall here now with 2 posts in 2 days...

don't worry i am sure it will be as many weeks before you hear from me again.

this week i have been working on a few pieces for dashwood studios with their most recent collection wildwood.

this collection is a case in point where things look so much better in real life. 

if you looked at this collection you would think it definitely wasn't me. it is more twee and busier than i would ordinarily go for.

having said that the thing that stops it being overly twee is the colour scheme. the rustic colours (that orange is much more rusty red in real life...i'm not sure what my camera was playing at) are just spot on and make it quite a sophisticated whimsical collection.

i am totally in love with mr fox. placing the taupe toadstools with it is genius making it a really versatile fabric.

i really enjoyed making a small quilt with the collection. i based the design on one of the first quilts i ever made way back in 2007. simple piecing was called for and i think this does allow all the detail in these wonderful fabrics to be shown off.

making the economy block cushion with solid outer sections had the same effect too...pops of colour but no clashing distraction.

i think my final piece for dashwood is going to involve some wonky star blocks with mr foxy positioned in the starring role of each one.

he is rather handsome don't you think?

a week in pics...plus the odd word or 2...

 what a week...and it's still only thursday!

it all started with Ruby's Bat Mitzvah weekend which went brilliantly.

i had been very anxious about it for weeks partly due to how much work i have on at the mo and how on earth i was going to have time to prepare for the batty as well and partly due to not having dad with us. i have been very emotional about that for the weeks leading up to the batty and was worried i wouldn't be able to keep it together...

i did keep it together...

for most of the time...

well, some of the time.

we had a truly wonderful weekend and one thing it did teach me was, whilst it is beyond sad that dad is no longer here to share these occasions with us, it is so important to build new happy memories.

the work side of life has had to fit in alongside. it couldn't stop altogether due to the up coming xmas fairs and other deadlines.

the newly discovered silver brussels linen was made up into cushions and napkins. i can't tell you how much i love this fabric. it's so soft and smooth and of the most exquisite colour and i blame that for my little sideways distraction of piecing it together with some of my printed pieces. i haven't quite decided whether this is destined to become a quilt or wall art...time will tell.

then things got a bit more colourful...

selvedge needle books for the xmas fairs...

ruby's horse printed onto vintage fabric that is destined to become famous...

printed fabrics for a new exciting commission...

a play around with lotje's gorgeous pattern for this week's big city girl QAL...i couldn't resist...it's so cute!...and besides my new love kona fern had arrived and i just had to find something to sew with it...

and then finally, not made all this week, my screen printing table drop cloth... 

it could just be the colours but i'm thinking it would look great framed as a piece of art...or maybe not!

another mad week in my mad and hectic world and looking at the calendar it isn't due to get any less mad this side of 2014 so you may just see photo mosaics cropping up regularly just to keep you up to speed with what's going on around these parts!

i love a week that...

finishes with an extra unexpected bit of sewing time.

i don't get to spend a lot of time sitting in the living room watching tv but being the French Open this week meant i had crept in there a little more than usual...

...long enough to notice an old scuzzy looking cushion cover in there that needed addressing pronto. it was only a little cushion and only needed a simple cover so it was relatively easy to creep off for an hour and produce something new and clean that was no longer offending my sensibilities.

job done, satisfaction achieved and a week ending pretty much as well as it had started...

as long as you ignore the fact that the boys have just chased each other into a glass door and shattered the glass to smithereens all over the landing...

maybe not such a great week after all.

a Glimma of a giveaway...

 Have you come across Lotta Jansdotter's latest collection Glimma yet?

You may have seen sneak previews posted around the internet recently.

It is to die for.

 Maybe I am seeing it with rose tinted spectacles, as it is no secret that Lotta is my absolute idol in the world of fabric design. As far as I am concerned everything she does turns to gold.

And I defy you to disagree.

The new collection, due to be released by Windham Fabrics in April next year is even better than the 2 previous collections we all fell in love with.

The colours in this collection are a little more subdued than both Echo and Bella and I think that is what I am liking.

As well as the collection being crammed with her trademark quirky Scandinavian designs, there are also some coordinating solids, which I think will make the collection as a whole a real hit.

 I have been lucky enough to get a couple of charm packs of Glimma and have been having a great time playing with them. I have decided that this year's Christmas hand sewing project will be using Glimma and at the weekend picked this design using Lynne's Lozenge template.

 It is a really pretty design to use and I think Glimma is shown off beautifully with it. The only trouble is the rate I am going I don't think there'll be much left to do with it over Christmas.

 Being the impatient soul that I am where beautiful fabric is concerned, before I had decided on the above EPP project I just had to have a quick play with just a little piece of Glimma. I had to double check I liked it. You know, just to be sure.

It's ok I do...

If you read the title carefully by now you will be itching to know what the word "giveaway" is doing in there...

as a thank you for all your support throughout the year following my blog and leaving your lovely comments (I do so love reading your comments) I am giving away to one lucky reader, wherever in the world you may live, one of my precious charm packs.

That's how much I must love you ;-)

All I'd like you to do is leave me a comment telling me what you would do with the charm pack should you win. Oh and please make sure I have a way of contacting you to let you know you have won.

That is all. I will pick a winner on Friday in the hope that you have half a chance of receiving the pack in time to join me in having a play over the holidays.

x

cushion kits...peut-être?

 This week is all about... 

1. keeping up with the last flurry of online orders...

2. getting Chanukah/Christmas/teacher thank you gifts sewn up...

and 3. being distracted by new product thoughts.

 I have been working on some more adult oriented kits (hey, less of that you!) of late and whilst making this cushion for my In Laws, the lightbulb overhead went on.

How would a kit for an HST cushion be with everything you needed to make your own quilted cushion be? 

The kit would come with all the Thangles you needed - you gotta love Thangles - the front fabrics, probably my screen printed fabrics, to keep it unique, full instructions etc etc.

What do you reckon? Is this something you would be interested in for yourself? as a gift? And also would you want the backing fabric and wadding included or provide your own to keep costs down?

I'd be really interested to hear your thoughts if you have a mo, imbetween what I am sure is an equally busy week for you.

countdown...

I am 10 days away from having a stand at my biggest fair to date...and I am bricking it!

I have absolutely no idea what to expect.

In just 10 days Blueberry Park will be at Country Living Christmas Fair, which is in Harrogate for the first time. 

This is the first time too that I will have done a retail event that consists of more than just a table top display.

I have a stand that is 3m x1m, no great shakes in CL terms but since I normally have a single 1.5m at most table, this is one hellava space to fill.

In an attempt to make it as eye-catching as possible, both in decor and items to sell and have some more larger "in your face" pieces I have designed my Pompom Cushion range of Gerry and Steve, to hopefully catch people's attention as they sidle by.

I am also aware that people will be after little stocking fillers and little extras while they are at it, so have also come up with another new item - a trio of xmas tree decos, screen printed on warm fluffy felt.

I am still none-the-wiser how I am going to display everything and still have a vast amount of stock still to make, but hopefully I am there in terms of which items I am going to take.

And to be quite honest with just over a week to go, let's hope so!

If you live in the vicinity and fancy a little excursion, the fair runs from Thursday November 29 until Sunday December 1. I am on stand C60 and would love to see you there!

ps don't forget about the fab Green Bee Pattern giveaway from The Village Haberdashery that I am running until next Weds...enter before it's too late!

Oakshott...

 I was very glad to hear that I am not the only Starter Non-Finisher amongst the group...

although if I'm not careful I'll be getting myself a reputation for being a finisher too...

Nah, probably not!

 I received a bundle of Lipari Oakshott a couple of weeks now and in all honesty I don't think I have been as bowled over by a bundle of fabrics EVER! 

If you haven't got on the Oakshott bandwagon yet, you must! The shot cottons have the most incredible jewel like quality. i have to admit when I first saw images of it I wasn't 100% sure. The camera does not do this fabric justice. Not in any way. 

It is very hard to capture the effect that the black shot (I would use the technical warp and whatnot but I'd only get it wrong) running through these subtle colours has on each colour. You will just have to take my word for it...oh and try some out for yourself.

 I decided on a couple of projects with the fabric (you can see the start of the second one here...) and since we were away last week the hand stitching hexie project seemed a good one to start with.

Do you have a plan when you start out with a project? Often I don't (that probably doesn't surprise you). I have a vague plan...as in it will incorporate hexies or whatever, but what shape or form this will take is anyone's guess at the start...and pretty much through to the end.

 I made all the hexies up last week and then started to piece them together. Again, I wasn't totally sure how this was going to be...flowers? coloured rows? random? Yes, definitely random! The jewelled colours seems to spring to life the more random the pattern.

I got about half way across the width of the cushion when i decided enough was enough and thought a little more randomness was needed to added a bit more personality to the cushion.

A few individually grouped hexies and a little sashiko embroidery later and the front was complete.

I just need to point out at this point that the back was getting me all inspired...I could feel a screen print design coming on...well I could, until someone pointed out on Twitter that it looked rather phallic...hmmmm, maybe not then.

Reining it back in...here you have my Lipari Oakshott Cushion made from the truly wonderful colourful shot fabrics ethically sourced from master weavers along the Malabar coast of South West India. These really are beautiful cottons to work with.

I'm thinking the Ruby Reds may need trying out next...

hexie heaven...

 I am a great starter...

I am a crap finisher...

There I've said it!

In an attempt to rectify that I am setting myself little goals to complete WIPs.

I really don't mean to be so rubbish at finishing things but it is just that I get so distracted by new things coming along.

Take the rainbow cushion below for instance.

This was a Christmas project that I started 2 Christmases ago. With the third Christmas imminent, I felt pushed into a corner to finish it.

What amazes me most - and a lesson I wish I remembered - is how quickly projects are to finish once I actually set my mind to them.

Do you think I will remember this lesson in a couple of years when I get around to finishing my Oakshott Lipari Hexie cushion?

Probably not...guess I had better tackle this one whilst it's fresh.

Friday already?? Where on earth has this week gone??!

I have no idea what happened to Monday and Tuesday, but Wednesday and Thursday I was in London at the NOTHS Meet Up, which was fab.

It is always wonderful to meet up with virtual friends and when you are listening to inspirational talks and given a free lunch, then all the better!

 I am consequently left today feeling rather pooped to put it mildly and politely!

I have just about enough energy to show you my Bella cushion created from the other half of the charm pack.

 Again, I kept it simple and let the little pieces I had shout from the rooftops.

Man, I love these fabrics!

The colours, the designs, the whole combo is just way too perfect. I've a feeling I'm going to be buying whole bolts of this range!

I finished off the cushion making an envelope backing in a bright turquoise solid.

Looking at it I could almost convince myself that the rain isn't lashing down and my heating isn't on and it really is summer time here in the UK...

 It's always a good Saturday when you can get a bit of sewing time in as well as hanging out with the family.

I'd had this cushion commission for a new baby that I was supposed to have had done all week but it didn't quite happen.

I bribed Ruby with choosing some of my fabric and having a play on my machine while I was working on it so I didn't feel quite as guilty working on the weekend.

I've done a fair few of these cushions but this one is a little different. 

It's made entirely from my own fabrics.

I feel I've come a long way in a relatively short time being able to use just my own designs in my work.

I'm going to have to rethink things a little for the boys' version however as looking at this made me realise that most of my designs are definitely geared towards being more suitable for girls.

The Kite Strings would work well, but a couple more neutral designs are needed I think. Perhaps miniaturising my Euro Wonders and using that would be good.

Another new little detail is putting my screen printed name as a label on the back. 

At the moment I have just printed these as a selvedge strip on my fabric pieces but I'm definitely going to print up a whole load of them.

So a fun Saturday was had by all...well by Ruby and me anyway ;-)