Pears and new prints

 The run up to xmas has been pretty frantic and so I've missed out posting these new designs. The first is a larger version of my Pear Print design with a gorgeous mustard background.

 This handprinted ModFlowers is normally on a bolster cushion but putting it on a square creates a greta banded effect.

and finally this is a neutral version of a ready made Swedish fabric that I use which is going down a storm over on Dawanda.

As we head towards xmas I'm counting the days till eldest is home from Uni (8 as of today) and praying that the snow we've had doesn't grind everything to a halt and block our journey.

I hope those of you that still read my blog are safe and well and looking forward to your own celebrations wherever you are xx

What's new....

These are my latest items to find their way into my etsy shop and I am unspeakably excited with how they look. It's a great way to develop more complex designs by using digital printers and I'll be adding to these as time goes on. 

 Elderberry in Blue

 Elderberry in Green

 Moonlight tree


In the meantime I'm still handprinting and will share whats new there another time.....

Dawanda bestsellers

After the wondeful publicity last week I am on the Dawanda newsletter today as one of the bestselling shops! I'm really thrilled as Dawanda is a great site and can be viewed in German French and English making it accessible across Europe. It has taken a good deal of work to get this shop established but I do love the dawanda site. very stylish and some great sellers as you can imagine I don't just sell on Dawanda.

You can visit my shop here

Happy customers

I have had some very happy customers recently and really appreciate how many take the time to write and tell me how pleased they are with my cushions. This cushion has been selling at an amazing rate overnight and thanks to another customer I was able to find it featured here

Such a fantastic picture too don't you think? It has been selling from my Dawanda shop but is also available on Etsy and Folksy for international and UK customers

Edited to add: As of lunchtime today I have sold out of this design! I am waiting on some more fabric so fingers crossed they will be back in my shops soon, I'll keep you posted x

Just a peek

Putting the finishing touches to some work for a new gallery opening at the weekend. The eagle eyed will spot that the purses need their second side fixing and I also have some other works to add to my display. Overall I'm liking how this is all looking, it's coming together.

new cushions in my etsy shop, the top one is a rare David Parsons fabric called Kite Strings

Cushions in Copenhagen

Today some shots from a customer, Tina Fussell, who purchased some covers from me and kindly sent me pictures, which are also featured on her blog Flying House by Traveling Mama
There are lots more beautiful shots of her apartment in Copenhagen on her blog. Her home is a beautiful mix of old and new, it is effortlessly stylish, but most importantly it is a real lived in home, and that is so good to see. Not only can you see her home on her blog but also super style blog Decor8 who have a feature on her apartment (and yes my covers are there too! eeeek!)

You might also like to check out Tinas etsy store where she sells cards and jewellery and also here where she and her husband collaborate in the most beautiful photos.

I am hoping to set up a gallery on my blog of home shots with my covers in as I have quite a few squirrelled away. If you have photos you would like to share let me know, I would love to see them, it is a real treat to see how my covers look in their new homes!

Purses getting made.
New cushions being listed

So busy right now with new purses and fabrics and custom orders.........this is usually my quiet time of year! not this year apparently, I guess everyone is re decorating rather than moving house.

Etsy in Pounds!

Blogging has certainly taken a back seat lately while I keep up with orders and fairs in the run up to Xmas. The weather has got soooo cold so I am glad of the new heating we had put in earlier in the year it is toasty warm in my workroom.

You might notice a difference in my etsy shops, in that everything is now in GBPs! Lots of UK customers have found my etsy shop and hopefully those of them that were new to etsy and worried about paying in dollars will feel that bit happier to shop. I like the way it looks to see all the etsy shops adopting their own currency, it really is exciting to be able to shop globally and support individual makers and designers around the globe.

So very silly

Just a selection of items from my etsy shop where you can now find 15% off during the silly sale!
This is only on this weekend and when they are gone they are gone! I will not be relisting this weekend so get in quick for the ones you want!

Revival - John Lewis

I have finally got my hands on some of the new range of fabrics from John Lewis. The Revival range has been designed in house, but using the archives at John Lewis which feature designs by the likes of Lucienne Day and Terence Conran.
The results are stunning and I especially love the sulphur yellow and grey combination.
They work brilliantly with my vintage fabrics too as the top photo shows, with a cover in a classic Marian Mahler design.

Just in case you were wondering where on earth I have got to, it has been snowing here........

no not the white fluffy kind, but orders for cushions. I have been working flat out lately and had to employ Laura to overlock 30 covers for me. Sales from my ebay shop have been non stop although they finally seem to be easing now, which is double what I was doing last year. On top of that I've done two fantastic fairs with the girls at More than a Mama. Thankyou to everyone who came to both fairs they have been so well attended and the evening one was absolutely jammed at one point, we had so many ladies trying to shop at once.

Yesterday we put up our tree and Laura made gingerbread, and today we are going for a bit of Xmas shopping, mixed in with dress shopping for Sarah.

Vintage fabric love...

I have been working with some great vintage fabrics this week. The anemones above have clearly influenced Cath Kidstons Pop Flowers fabrics.

This find is by french company Bourrac and is called Parade circa 1950

And finally my favourite, and another french one, a company called Wiart, the colours of this really lift me and I love the combination of blocks of colour and the black and white detail. The fabric itself is woven but really soft and makes such a comfy cushion, one has already been sidelined for our sofa.

Thankyou for all your lovely comments about my cushions. I am having a lovely time whizzing them up and now have the added use of a new overlocker so they are super professional. I really didn't understand how people could rave about an overlocker, they do, they get very excited! but now I have mine I can kind of see what they mean. It thunders along chomping through the fabric and oversewing with its four threads, however I really need to come up with a solution to the waste which at present drops into a box at my feet, having deposited a great deal of fluff all over my legs. You can buy chutes apparently which collects it neatly, I must go in search!!

Life here has been pretty frantic and stressful but now the strees is going and we are just left with frantic!! I am so busy with my ebay shop, sales of my cushion covers have been wonderful, and am also trying to keep stock back for a couple of Xmas fairs that I am doing. Blogging has very much taken a back seat.....sorry :(

sarah and I had fun making some leaf images in the back garden (not sure how the colours will show up for you at present as I am on a new laptop and have to sort the colour settings yet)

I made this LOVE cushion the other day and used four of the Pop Flowers colourways from Cath Kidston. I just don't get why this was discontinued it is the most popular Kidston fabric I use.

and for a bit of a Tadaaa! look at this vintage Magic Roundabout fabric I got, a perfect match for the blue spot, so I made up a pait of small cushions which are now in my ebay shop.

Must get around to sorting my Etsy shop which is looking very sad, and restocking Folksy too!

So much to do and so little time!

xxxxx

Still here....still sewing!

Such a long time since I have blogged, but life has been all over the place here and it has had to take a back seat. I still have my youngest at home but we are hopeful that all will soon be well again, her energy is definitely returning and so therefore is mine.

Sewing has been constant the cushions I showed you in my last post are proving really popular as are the ones made from Orla Kiely fabric.

Last Saturday Laura and I went to the Knitting & Stitching show at Ally Pally quite a trek by train, but sooo worth it. I was so pleased to find this fabric which I have used before with a black background. We had a go at extreme knitting on 2 foot long needles using yarn that is the offcuts from the woollen mills up north, in fact we loved it so much we bought some.

I have been brightening the grey days with some purses this one uses a Michael Miller fabric which I may need to get some more of. So far the rotten Royal Mail strikes haven't put off customers, but I have a couple of Xmas Fayres to look forward to.

Had you noticed I hadn't mentioned the builders?.......they should be doing my house by now........I am staying calm but Xmas may not be very stylish or comfortable this year...I'm staying calm..I'm staying calm.

Something simple

Life has been really busy latelyand I have been making up plenty of stock for xmas as I am not sure if I will be able to do much sewing in October and November as we are having work done on the house (fingers crossed). Today I needed something simple and effective to do and so I used some bolder prints to make up some simple cushions and backed them with some bright colours on the back.

I then set up a little photography corner in an effort to improve my photos and I am pretty pleased with the results.

I tried so many colours on the back of this green one but went for the white in the end as its crispness just lets the green sing!

All of the above are listed in my ebay shop which is busy as usual despite the postal strikes.

I have also come by some lovely Orla Kiely cotton which I am going to be using for more cushions tomorrow, however if you would like some I have listed a piece on ebay too.

Tweet!

Super quick post to show you some more applique cushions, the birds turned out really well.

I am taking these to the fair tomorrow any not sold will then go into my shops, my Folksy and Etsy shops will be on vacation for the next 24 hours to try and make some space for some new stock.

Will post some pictures of the fair hopefully the stall should be nice and colourful.

Applique cushions

This has been a seriously busy week, but I have managed to get on with the cushion designs that I have had lurking in my head and I am so pleased with them. The Bumps Babes and Beyond Fair that I am doing on Friday has been the perfect incentive to get them done and hopefully thay will be popular.

I have also been building up plenty of stock of purses and doorstops, to make a really full and colourful display. I am really itching to make some more cushions as I have designs for birds to do as well.

Have to go to the sewing shop tomorrow as I got through 4 bobbins of cotton on the sewing machine today!! I will try not to but fabric but I ... might.....just...take...a...little....look? :o)

Fabric shopping

I have been off today buying more fabric as stocks are getting low, the above fabrics are from Cath Kidston and the one on the far right is a real find as it is now discontinued, I managed to stop myself hugging it inthe shop, I did get very excited!

And I have been playing with these Laura Ashley ginghams this afternoon for a customer who wants some western cowboy themed cushions! YeeeeHaaaaa!

New stock

Listed this Miffy cushion cover today over on Folksy

Hoping to get some sewing done tomorrow I haven't made any bags in some time so I may get on with those!