Churning them out.....

 

....by making better use of my time and adopting a "production line" approach.

.......cutting out several fronts and backs at the same time, then assembling them in batches

...and it's much more satisfying finishing off several things at a time as well as being quicker over all!

 

 

 

vintage white linen and vintage sheets cushions above

 

covered journals and diaries


 

 

 

 

Antique european grain sack cushions

more journals and diaries in ticking, toiles and ginghams with a french shabby chic feel


 

 

and a few more antique linen mangle cloth hearts, some large stuffed ones and smaller lavender filled ones

 

mild panic sets in every now and then, but I think I'm gradually getting enough stock now for the first fair in two weeks time, and am making what I want to be making using a mix of vintage and antique fabrics and new materials.

***
It's a bit chilly here in the south of the UK today so a good day for sewing!   I got a bit of head start this morning forgetting the clocks went back and not forwards.

So I was up at 9am (old time) thinking what a lazy lay-a-bed I was, at it was really 10am wasnt it?

Then tried to get everyone else up a bit later saying how late it was, until my daughter said I was two hours ahead! So my "up at 9 thinking it was 10 when it was really only 8 "  left me looking a bit silly - and I could've snuck back to bed for a while!

Still, I got several more journal covers made and felt quite smug, if not a bit silly. My family won't let me forget this for a while ;(

Thanks for your comments on my last post, and welcome to some new followers!

Enjoy the rest of the weekend!


 

Still here.........

 

 

 

....but just been busy churning out enough pretties for the first fair in less than 3 weeks now....eek!!!!


 

Lavender stacks tied with pretty ribbon.......lots and lots (these are the first few), mostly from vintage fabrics and vintage sheets, a few from some pretty Japanese Zakka floral linens and newer fabrics

 

lots more of these 30s repro fabric cushion covers (shown here in unfinished state) in various different colours, some with embroidered hearts

 

 

antique mangle cloth lavender hearts.....

 

 

backed in vintage linen

 

 

 

and some larger hearts also from antique linen mangle cloth

and other vintage and antique fabric cushions and things not yet finished and not yet photographed.

Sorry I havent visited you recently in the last week or two, but am hoping to catch up with you soon now that I'm feeling a little bit more comfortable that I will have some things to sell!

Logan has been my constant sewing companion these last few weeks, although he keeps his distance from the cutting table since I  accidentally dropped a pair of scissors near him last week - poor boy, he did jump!

I was terrified they'd landed on him, but he was fine. But now he lies either in the door way or up on the chair well out of harms way!

Thanks for all your comments on my last post, look forward to visiting you soon!

 

Flapjacks, a skirt makeover, and some ruffles

 

 

 

 

 

Another Monday already - this year seems to have flown past, and I find it hard to believe it's early October already.

Outside it is very autumnal today - grey and wet, and the lanes around here are slippery with the autumn leaves which seemed to appear overnight after one blustery evening last week.

Despite the fairly dry weekend, we spent most of yesterday indoors. We had the wood burner alight this weekend for the first time, and both Saturday and Sunday nights were spent cosied up in the sitting room blissfully dozy and lazy with the warmth - it was almost too much effort to get up to go to bed!

Despite that, I managed to drag myself out of bed early(ish) Sunday morning, and before breakfast was wearing a "new" wool above-the-knee skirt.

I transformed an overly long and out of date lined wool skirt into something that I will wear, simply by laying out a favourite length skirt over the top then cutting very boldly thru both layers of wool and lining - no finesse here! No messing around with tape measure and pins!


 

I allowed about 1 1/2" for a generous hem, then turned the wool fabric over once inside and machined the edge using a darning stitch which both bound and secured the hem so that it hardly shows on the right side.

 

I then hemmed the lining in the usual way, turning it under twice.

And voila!

A "new" old skirt in less than an hour.


 

There is also enough fabric left over to make my daughter a mock wrap-over version too, although hers will be more of a mini than my more sedate above the knee length!

I would show you the photo I took of me wearing it with winter tights and boots, only when I looked at the photos this morning it appeared my knees were covered in bits of thread picked up from kneeling on the sewing room carpet - not a good look!

As it was so wet and miserable when I came back from the school run this morning, I decided to make some Blackberry and Almond flapjacks.

I used a recipe I adapted a year or two ago from a Rachel Allen recipe, and I usually use frozen raspberries but had to substitute frozen blackberries today.

These make lovely soft and sticky flapjacks!

RASPBERRY AND ALMOND FLAPJACKS

(my recipe based on basic recipe from Rachel Allen)

350g (12 oz) butter

2 generous tblsp golden syrup

175g (6 oz) soft light brown sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

75g (3 oz) plain flour

375g (13oz) rolled oats (ordinary porridge oats)

Handful or two of frozen raspberries (or blackberries)

Small handful flaked almonds

***

1.     Pre-heat oven to 180c (160c fan, 350F)

2.     Place top 4 ingredients in large saucepan and heat gently, stirring continuously to prevent burning, until a smooth sauce is made.

3.     Remove pan from heat and stir in next 2 ingredients thoroughly, then stir in the last two ingredients, crumbling them by hand as added.

4.     Spread mix onto a pre-greased swiss roll tin or flat tin approx. 15” x 10” (38x25cm),using the back of a spoon or a spatula to spread evenly.

5.     Bake for 20-25 mins in middle of oven until golden brown, then remove and allow to cool in the tin.

6.     When cool cut into squares or wedges taking care not to damage your tin!

Optional Chocolate Topping

Melt 250g (9oz) plain or milk chocolate by chopping and placing in bowl over pan of simmering water – do not let bowl touch water.

When completely melted and smooth, spread over cooled flapjacks then cut into square or fingers when cooled and place in fridge for 1 hour to set.

**

Note : These are seriously good with blackberries, sort of fragrant and almost scented - very moreish - am just munching loads one as I type!

By the way, the pretty red and cream mug here is one I picked up at the American Musuem in Bath gift shop - it's by Gabriella Miller Designs and is my current favourite coffee mug!

Yesterday I made a couple of ruffled cushions for the sofa in the sitting room.

I wanted to have some warmer colours in the sitting room for the autumn, and used some of the gorgeous raspberry red vintage floral linen fabric that I bought a few months ago at the Decorative Living Fair (mentioned in this post.)

The other ruffled cushion I made from a brown and white cotton gingham.  I shall make two more of these as I am so happy with them, as they give a cosy, cheerful, country feel to the room, so I shall then have another pair for the other end of the sofa.

 

Hope you all had a cosy weekend too!

French Style Cushion

 

 

 

The vintage linen hearts I showed you in my last post are nearly finished, although there are still a few left to fill and then more to make, but I have been making a cushion this morning for a change.

 

 

Made from natural cotton osnaburg fabric, which is soft and has an interesting flecked appearance, and printed with a French style graphic from The Graphics Fairy, it is backed in a soft black and cream ticking.


 

I have been asked if I would like to have a stall at another Festive Fair, this time closer to home but also only a few weeks away.

I therefore decided against doing the second fair that I mentioned in my last post (a bit too far away and only a week apart from the first fair) and so am just going to focus on preparing some good stock for the other two. This latest Fair is a Luxury Festive Fair with hand-picked stalls (invite only so I feel rather chuffed at being asked!) so there is no overlap of goods and no competition, so I shall have to make sure I can offer a good selection of cushions.

Nearer the time I will give out details as to when and where the Fairs are in case there is anyone who lives locally who might like to go.

In the meantime I have lots of sewing to do!

It's this stage, the designing, planning, sewing and making, that I most enjoy, but when it gets close to the Fair I curse myself for having committed to doing it as I'm quite a shy bod. Once I'm there I'm fine, and I really enjoy it - I just get cold feet and nerves in the week before!



 

Below is the graphic I used from The Graphics Fairy - she has some wonderful images on her blog here, and is constantly adding new ones.

 

Wishing you all a Happy Weekend, and thank you so much for visiting and leaving a comment - I really do appreciate and enjoy reading them.