50's Block printing

 After trying to unsuccessfully win several pairs of 50's curtains this month , I finally decided to have a go at printing my own.
I had varying successes with this but after a day of paint samples and lots of failed ideas I settled on some abstract fish which proved to transfer from my drawings to the finished product well.

This is such good fun I think more people should try it. Just goes to show that you don't need any fancy printing equipment or much space to produce a bit of home grown textiles.

 The blocks are just coloured foam sheets, the sort you cut up for card making or kids foam masks.
 I drew my designs on, cut them out with a craft knife, and supper glued them onto a bit of wood from a pallet.
The paint is just wall paint which as you know will never wash off fabric if you have ever ruined a pair of jeans whilst painting.
The paint dried a little stiff but for upholstery fabrics this is fine, if I was going to make fabric for clothes I would use fabric paint.
I think the stiffness will wash out too so overall I'm quite happy.

The finished fabric 

 I also won these plates which I will hang on my wall. I love these flamingos, although the plate was allot smaller than I had realised.

I also love the homemaker print plates at the moment, think I will try to collect a few more pieces

Peter and Jack have been enjoying the sun we have been having this month . Peter has found a favourite spot under the chimney and Jack is getting fat on my herbs, even though they both have no front teeth they can munch there way through a favourite plant pretty well. may have to build a run.

Spring Shoots.......Whoopie

This month I have been putting together some fabric bundles for my shop. I thought they would go well along side my patterns and I can never resist little parcels with tags all neat and colourfull, especially filled with vintage fabrics. hopefully customers will feel the same.

 And I was very excited to see my first seeds of the year coming through. It always makes me feel as though the summer is finally here.
I usually get very excited at this point, get dressed in some lovely summer dress and cardie go out the house  and freeze, not to mention get a few crazy looks from passes by.

 I have also been making some textile art cards instead of my usual illustrations. I seem to collect so many nice little bits of lace, ribbon and what ever my magpie eye finds so thought I should start putting them out there for others to appriciate.
I recently won on ebay one off those 70's textile string art panels, and I guess that most have sparked off this venture. I will post a photo off it when it arrives.

jack and peter doing well thankfully, although peters sticky bum issue may need vet attention (let me know Eileen if you think that I should take him in) pressure of looking after a friends bunnies may be making me a tad paranoid,

First design samples

I finished a couple of designs today and had to share them with you all.
The first is this knitted jersey shrug.
I have had this fabric for ages and after cutting and sewing the pattern together I have been crocheting the cuffs and edge for the past few nights.

The Second project to finish is this origami necklace. I finished it off with some glitter varnish as it's just made of stiff paper, hopefully this will make it a little more hardy. I will be putting these in the shops for summer I think,  and maybe the shrug tops. Have to see if I can get more fabric first.

Third project was this skirt, again the fabric was from my stash and the previously old curtain fabric is now a cute skirt with side welt pockets.
Looking forward to wearing it hopefully this weekend, just have to fine a nice top in town to go with it.
I have some great French Connection coral heels that will suit it perfectly.

New Season Sketch book / Mood boards

 I thought I would put down some of my new ventures/ ideas/ projects. As i mentioned in the last blog I have started on my new sketch book for my clothes. I have decided to go long and big this time. I have always had handbag size books for portability but my wonderful sister made me this great carry cover for an A3 pad so i am using it length ways so that my fashion sketches double up as mood boards as well. i can hang it up let the pad drop down and reveal my thought pattern as a mood board. It also means i can carry it to my various suppliers and have a mini presentation to hand when selling my new season range.

Other random stuff this month, I found this tray for 50p in town today.

My new bedspread is underway for my bedroom. And my mushrooms have finally started to grow.

Jack and peter are still happy bunnies, enjoying the warm evening sun on the conservatory sofa.

Late start

OK, First i have to apologise "sorry" for such a long absence in my blogging. I have been having blogger issues with internet explorer but thankfully I have a very geeky husband who has fixed the issues.  They were not "picnic" I am relieved to find out ( problem in chair not in computer ) as he would say, but with IE.

He has threatened to start his own blog called living with a blog geek now!

I have been doodling in a new sketch book which is always hard to get the first committed marks on the crisp white pages. I have been putting it off as I was quite attached to my old one but its bulging size was getting stupid and i could not stick another thing onto it, in it or whatever, it was totally maxed out.

So here i am in the virgin pages wondering what it will be like at the end of the year.
Merryn has finally reach the age of preschool so i now have a whole day free to myself and at the moment the excitement of it has stopped the constructiveness. i am so used to snatching time here and there for my various design exploits that i am a bit lost with a whole day.
 I have started looking at bigger ventures and have started designing adult clothing  along side my kids range which i have been longing to get back to since finishing my fashion degree.

 Anyway i will leave you with a few snap shots for now and hopefully have a few fashion sketches done for the next post.

how cute, these two photos are for my friend Eileen, I'm looking after her boys jack and peter while she gallivants off around the world travelling.
They are loving listening to my old crackling radio and the rain on the conservatory roof. they are house trained little dudes and are very sweet.
jack is the one with the cool beard he also has a big frilly bum, a very camp bunny. Peter is more of a dog and loves sitting on the sofa with us of an evening and is getting good at parkour.
miss you Eileen , hope the travelling is all you expected see you soon x.

today I made a mobile

Christmas workshops and a few stalls along the way, ho ho ho !