Never refuse work ...

however bizarre it might be.  My window cleaner spotted my sewing machine, over a year ago now, and asked if it would be possible to sew patches onto a boat canopy.  I said yes and then forgot about it.  Until this morning when he texted me to ask if he could bring it over.


Here it is, draped fetchingly over my settee (I don't think it will catch on as a throw somehow) and you can see where it has torn on the piece next to the cardboard leg of my cutting table.  It is made of cotton canvas laminated onto a waterproof inner layer.  It did have waterproof coating but Window Cleaner jetwashed it and stripped it all off !!!  He was a bit annoyed with himself, but it was a happy accident as I think the sewing machine might have struggled to get through the proofing. 




I made a couple of triangular patches from spare canvas he supplied and then came the fun part ....  attaching them to this 6' by 5' ish canopy.

 Cue involvement of my daughter, Amber, as canopy model and human sewing machine extension table.  Even with her help it was hilarious, long winded and detrimental to anything within reach that could be knocked over or spilt.  It took a fair amount of logistical magic and the odd swear word or two to get it stitched, but we got there.  I am totally amazed with my machine, even with the jeans needle and the walking foot, I thought it would struggle but it sewed through 4 layers of fairly gungy boat canopy without any problem whatsoever.  Even when Amber accidentally pulled the material, the needle didn't even bend !!!  Than goodness.  It's bad enough when a fine needle snaps, goodness knows what would happen if a sturdy jeans needle snapped.

Here is Amber modelling the repaired canopy.  I think she might have a future in boatwear modelling.  The patches are still proofed and you can see how much jetwashing damaged the original.  Still he says he can recoat it. 

I got my windows cleaned for free (he normally charges £10 for the whole house) So something for everyone.  I just hope no-one wants a liner version doing cos I think that might just be beyond me.



I'm developing a range of beaded and machine embroidered butterflies, currently on hairclips, although they could be clipped onto anything.  I thought I'd run them past you and see what you think of them:

Here is one resting briefly on my nicely varnished handmade sewing extension table.  (2 days and 8 layers of varnish)  I've taken a fair few photos of them adorning various plants in my Mum's garden.  No point doing it in mine as it still looks like an accurate re-enactment of the Somme.  Now I just need to get round to putting them on Pinterest.

I'm also looking into buying a folding cutting table.  However, the Horn HiLo, which is the only one I can find that does what I want, is the best part of  a grand !!!  That will take a huge amount of teddies and pump pouches.  So does anyone out there know where I can get one cheaper, or second hand?  I want a cutting table that is higher than normal (avoids bending and backache) with the ability for the table top to fold flat so that you get your floor space back.  They seem to be like gold dust.  I can find any number of fixed top cutting tables but they take up too much space.

 
 
 
 

Embroidery on felt

I have spent most of today happily engaged in felt embroidery at The Sewing Space in Hythe, Kent, with none other than Nancy Nicholson as my tutor.  She of the wonderfully colourful folk art embroidery kits

http://www.nancynicholson.co.uk/

Unfortunately my phone died and I forgot my camera, which was annoying, but c'est la vie. 

The other two ladies in the class were a mother and daughter who had travelled from Holland today, especially to take the class.  They had been looking for classes with Nancy for some time as they had come across her work in Country Living, and were really inspired by it.  Inspired enough to start out at 4am our time to get to the class at 10am.  That's dedication  :)

We were making embroidered felt wristlets.  Nancy had prepared instructions, which we hardly needed as she is so good at explaining things and was incredibly helpful and kind.   I haven't done much proper embroidery for some time and it was a challenge to remember the tricks needed to produce the more complicated stitches.  But Nancy was very patient and encouraging and I would really recommend her classes.

Big and little man had gone off for the day, to the beach, feed the ducks (and seagulls) and to the pub to meet a friend for a game of Pool.  Apparently Pool players have to be over 18, so they cheated and played it with their hands so Alex could join in  :)

This is the finished wristlet.  Photo taken at home as soon as the phone had charged enough  :)  Great fun and very rewarding.

http://potterjotter.blogspot.co.uk/

Hopefully the link above does work.  This belongs to Potter Jotter who makes the most amazing ceramic ware, and will make it to order as well.  Definitely go and take a look. 

I've posted the above comment on my facebook page as well.


This is one of the things that make the early morning commute to Folkestone so worthwhile.  Sunrise over the Channel at Sandgate (taken through the car window admittedly)  This barely does justice to the amazing light shows we get treated to on a regular basis.  If you look hard enough you might even be able to see France on the horizon as well.

Teddies galore again.  These were for a brave young lady who lost her father four weeks ago.  Although they all look the same from a distance, each one has it's own personality and I'm told, that she sat them all on her bed and invited her relatives to claim the one that called to them.  I so love making these teddies.  However, I would love to make some from wedding dresses or bridesmaids dresses.  Or even the grooms waistcoat.  Baby clothes, old clothes that are no longer wearable but are still loved.  Even the back fabric off an old sofa that has gone to the big DFS in the sky. 

Christmas is rushing up fast, must get knitting.

Chaos, chaos and yet more chaos

Well we've moved ten miles down the road, which for my other half, is the first time he has ever lived this far away from his parents.  It's practically foreign shores for him  :)  The house is nice but smaller downstairs due to having the garage integrated into the front which allows us to access it from the kitchen, but takes a lot of space.

I no longer have an understairs cupboard, which means that we have suddenly realised just how much stuff I have.  So I'm working my way through it all to make craft fair goods and Christmas presents.  I've even had to consign my large dining room table to the garage and make do with a smaller table for sewing and knitting.  Mind you it does make me much tidier as I have much less room to dump stuff now  :)

I'm currently working on a fairisle sleeveless pullover in Excelana 4ply.  Knitted in the round until the sleeve shaping, it took ages to knit the 1x1 rib but it is going faster now that I have moved to the 3mm needles and the stranded colourwork.  2 x2 rib is nice to work, 1x1 hurts your hands, but it does look nice.  I guess quality comes at a price for the knitter as well as the customer.  My customer for this, is a wonderful lady who appreciates good quality and would rather spend £120 on a handknitted garment made from British wool, than £20 on a manmade yarn from China.

I've also just finished five teddies made from two sweaters and three brushed cotton shirts.  I'm going to make each one a waistcoat and dickie from one of the shirts as I could only include a little of them as ear linings and paw pads, because the thicknesses were so different from the sweaters. 

Introducing ..... ClaireBears

I realise that I have not blogged now for a very long time, but I have a very good reason for it.  I have been beavering away creating my new business which is all about making beautiful things.  Mainly Teddy Bears, specifically what I call Memory Bears.

I create these bears from clothing that holds a special place in the hearts of my customers.  Baby clothes, garments worn by members of the family who have passed away, and other garments that may hold special memories, perhaps wedding clothes or clothes worn on a special holiday.  Even clothes that have finally passed their use by date but you don't want to get rid of them because you love them so.  I turn them into displayable memories for you.

So far I have only made teddies from these clothes, but I do intend to increase my repertoire as soon as possible.  I am also making rabbits, gadget cases and other small items to sell at craft fairs.  Two under my belt so far, another one this Saturday and one at the Leas Cliff Hall in Folkestone on November 1st.  (Hopefully so long as I remember to send off the booking form)

This was my very first Memory Bear.  Made from baby dungarees that were about 20 years old.  The lady who commissioned them wanted the bear for her daughter (who's daughter wore them) who was coming over from Australia.  She was so delighted with her bear and so was her daughter.

I had a bit of a gap between orders, but then a gentleman came with a bear that he had bought in Liverpool years ago that was dressed and holding a mop and a teddy bear with a board around her neck that said:  "I hate four letter words; cook, dust, wash, iron"  He wanted a bear made in a similar fashion for a friend's birthday.  This was a challenge but I rose to it and he was happy with the result, so I was too.

Then I got two commissions to create several bears out of clothes belonging to family members who had passed away.

I felt privileged to be allowed to create these bears and their recipients were so happy with them, even to one lady telling me that she felt she could always hug her grandad now whenever she needed to.  Reading that made me feel so good.

I have a range of bears now from small to large and I am hoping to build the business up to provide this service nationwide.  So if you have anything you would like turned into bears, give me a shout  :)

https://www.facebook.com/ClaireMemoryBears?ref=hl

And I'm still knitting commissions as well, and we're moving house week on Friday, so it's all go here.

Introducing Theodore Edward Bear

Here he is, all 17 1/2 inches high.  He has been made from a faux suede and fleece child's gilet that Ivan found at the bottom of his work ragbag.  He had to be handsewn, as the sewing machine flatly refused to have anything to do with it.  His head and paws have plastic joints in them, so that he is posable, and he was incredibly good fun to make.

His little waistcoat has been made from the offcuts of Harris Tweed Tartan that I used for Ivan's tablet case, and has been lined with a all over rose patterned red cotton quilting fabric.  The buttons are mother of pearl and there are snap fasteners stitched underneath.

I'm really pleased with him, and he is going to be the first item in my Folksy shop, once I get it set up, I hope, fingers crossed. 

Now all I need is to find other pre-loved fabrics that I can turn into Teddies.  I'm considering making one from leather, although it will have to be the very old and soft type.  Watch this space.

Teddy Bears

This is Victor Wilfred Bear, sporting his natty red ribbon tie.  He is currently sitting in the shop window at The Sewing Space in Hythe, Kent.  His sister, Jessica Bear, turned out to be camera shy (forgot to photograph her)  and is sitting at the back of the shop in amongst the display of beautifully patched and quilted baby quilts made from the same brushed cotton material.  Lovely stuff to work with as it has a little bit of stretch that makes it easy to manipulate on the fiddly bits, like sewing the head and body together via the neck edge which is about an inch wide, making it tricky going on the sewing machine. 

Ivan, has a ragbag at work (painting and decorating technician at a local college) and the tutors often donate outgrown children's clothes to it.  He was given a very nice suede and fleece look child's body warmer, far too nice to chop up, so it has made it's way back to the recycling emporium that is my home, and will be turned into a much larger teddy, hopefully, so long as there is enough fabric.  If not I can see a nice suede effect bag appearing.