Mantua Maker

Pop up studio!

2012-01-13T16:09:00.000Z

Yes. I won! Thanks to all who voted for me in the Haymarket Big Idea competition.

I'm really pleased to say that I will be opening Ruth Singer Studio at the Haymarket Shopping Centre in Leicester on 29th March. I'll be there for a month running masses of workshops and events.

I'm still working on a final programme but here are some of the fun things coming up

Opening night party : Friday 30th March 4-7pm

Lampshade restyle workshop 1^st April

Easter holiday activities for children 5^th April

Open studio & Craft Cafe 8^th April

Fabric manipulation Masterclass 14^th April

Dressmaking classes 15^th April

After school activities 18^th April

Handbag making workshop 22^nd April

A day of activities for local schools 25^th April

Customising clothes workshop tbc

PLUS

Coffee & Craft Mornings

Free regular Learn to Sew taster workshops

Sewing machine hire by the hour

Private hire for groups

Sign up for my mailing list on my website for up to date info on the studio

If you can't wait that long, there are plenty more workshops coming up in January -March including trapunto quilting, dressmaking and more learn to sew full-day workshops.

Making with others

2011-12-13T13:09:00.000Z

I worked out that in the last 2 months I have done about 5 minutes sewing... this is NOT RIGHT on so many levels. Frustrating in the extreme. What I have been doing a lot of is helping other people to sew, create & make. Luckily I like this nearly as much as making things myself - helping others make is pretty damn good.
I am slowing cataloguing all my numerous projects on Flickr, both school workshops and stuff for adults, community groups and suchlike. I'm in the middle of two really exciting school projects as well as running my own stuff for adults (and 12 year olds upwards) at weekends.

Primary school work

Samples in development for school workshop.

My next round of workshops for adults in Leicester start in late January and full details can be found on my website. There's a few more to come in the spring as well as some historical textiles study days in Nottingham & Northampton in March.

Workshop at Unit Twelve

Learn To Sew - Sunday 29th January

Customising and Revamping Clothes - Sunday 5th February

Intermediate sewing - basic dressmaking - Sunday 26th February

Experimental quilting and stuffing - Sunday 11th March

Lampshade Restyle - Sunday 1st April

Trapunto quilting (11th March)

A brilliant year

2011-12-12T22:37:00.000Z

A year ago this little treasure arrived here. Snuggly, cuddly & adorable. She looks grumpy but she's an absolute sweetie really. Even when she stands on me in the middle of the night, all 5.5 kilos of her.
Happy birthday Maya!

My Big Idea

2011-12-09T18:31:00.000Z

A few weeks ago, I blithely applied for an opportunity to win a free local shop unit and some start-up funding for new business ideas. I plan to open a craft workshop teaching space next year anyway, so I thought I might as well throw my hat into the ring and apply for this opportunity to kick start my big plans.

In brief, my proposal is:

My Big Idea is to get Leicester sewing and making. I want to run a create and make workshop where anyone can learn new practical and creative skills and be part of a crafty community. I want to share my experience as a professional textile designer-maker and author of two sewing books to inspire the people of Leicester to rediscover the pleasure of making things themselves. Sewing and making workshops are popping up all over the country -- it is time the creative city of Leicester had one!

And I got through to the next stage - Dragon's Den style pitch to a panel - with about 36 hours notice - in the middle of a MOUNTAIN of teaching work. eek. But I did it and got through to the last four - amazingly considering how tired I was!

It went in the local paper too.

And I had to make a terrible video (totally unprepared, waffly & embarrassing!)

The winner is to be chosen by public vote, so I need your help!

To vote you need to click on the video above to go to the YouTube page, then you need to log in to Google or YouTube (you can make an account pretty quickly with any email address) then to actually vote you click the LIKE button under the video. If it has worked you will get offered the option to share on Facebook & Twitter. If you don't, it hasn't worked.

Daft, over-complicated system, I know. But it really is worth it because I promise you, if I win, I will do something really fabulous & you are all invited!

Fabric Manipulation Workshops

2011-10-31T11:28:00.000Z

Do you fancy learning how to do this?

Stitch & Gather Masterclass on Saturday 19th November in Leicester City Centre, 10-4. £50 including materials.
An intensive day exploring contemporary gathering techniques, including smocking, shibori stuffing, Suffolk puffs (and variations) and all kinds of ruffles. Many of the techniques have been developed by me inspired by historic textiles.These techniques can be used in quilting, fashion and embroidery projects.

Or this?

Reverse Applique Masterclass, Cambridge, Friday 11th November 10-4. £50 including materials.
This is an experimental, exciting workshop exploring applying and cutting away fabrics to reveal layers beneath, using transparent and solid fabrics and a variety of stitching methods to create pattern and texture. You will create a series of samples which can be developed for use in fashion, embroidery or quilting projects.

Email me to book either of these workshops ruth (at) ruthsinger (dot) com

Suede stool

2011-08-31T16:58:00.000+01:00

Way back in December last year I embarked on a small, quick (ha!) upholstery project in an evening class. I finally finished the piece a couple of weeks ago. I had 95% completed it but then it got abandoned in the chaos of 15 million other things I needed to do more urgently. But now it is done and even photographed, and has been out in public - so it is time to blog!

I've done a few bits of upholstery before, mainly as a vehicle for showing off handmade fabrics. I have ambitions to do more, and would happily make bespoke fabrics for other people to upholster with - I love the upholstery part but it takes FOREVER. I completely understand why traditional upholstery costs a fortune. This stool took one class to strip down, then I had to sand and paint it.

The layers of the seat, during strip down. Getting nails and staples out is hard work and old chairs contain a horrible lot of dust & dirt.

Putting the seat back together is more fun.

Hessian. Stitching. Horsehair. Hessian. Stitching. Horsehair....

Then cotton wadding

Then calico

Then I had to make the fabric - I used an old suede skirt cut down to make the main fabric, which is embellished with hand-stitched felt pebbles made from recycled wool felt. Hundreds of them are hand stitched onto the suede before attaching it to the stool.

I spent ages trying to come up with a suitable trim - commercial upholstery braids were definitely not what I wanted. Eventually of course it came to me - individual felt pebbles tacked on with tiny black nails all around the edge. The final touch was to nail on extra felt pebbles down the leg of the stool. I took it with me to the Festival of Quilts where it was much admired - and I somehow managed to bash the paintwork so it needs a touch up.

It has probably taken 30hours or so. A labour of love. And love it I do!

Traditional Costume

2011-07-29T21:44:00.000+01:00

This battered little book turned up at my Uncle's house when my family were clearing a few days ago. It must have belonged to my Auntie who was my fashion inspiration when I was young.

I have a small collection of illustrated books of traditional / peasant costume and love them. I'm really fascinated by traditional clothing and these old books with beautiful illustrations are wonderfully inspiring for shape, colour combinations, patterns and decoration.

A few years ago I made this apron

inspired by this illustration

in this book

which eventually became this apron in Lark Books Pretty Little Patchwork (although they missed the pattern out of the book...)

and then it became this

paper apron by Jennifer Collier based on my design (I showed her how to make the design out of fabric first).

I'm running an apron-making workshop, with fabric manipulation, at Jennifer's studio Unit Twelve, on Sunday 4th December.

Festival Of Quilts 2011

2011-07-28T10:39:00.000+01:00

Rather too close to the wire (2 days from deadline), I completed my red & white quilt and sent it off in the post to the Festival of Quilts. I've entered two pieces in the open competition.

This quilt - Polonaise.

It has taken weeks to make - each circle of stuffed shibori takes hours and hours of hand sewing, then all the quilt construction has taken a week or so, as it is all hand stitched except the front side of the binding. I fully intended (in January) to make this by early June. If only I didn't have a living to make....

This was the first quilt like this I made - a tiny one for Whip Up Mini Quilts a couple of years ago, which itself was based on a cushion I used to make.

The red & white colourway is one of my all-time favourites so I thought I'd use it again, but in reverse. The gorgeous wool fabric was from Clothkits (although it was an oddment) and the stuffed shibori (bobbles) are made from organic cotton voile. The binding is organic cotton sateen sheeting.
You can't really see in the photos, but the actual quilting around and between the cut-out circles is all hand stitched circles.

I've also entered this cushion for the quilted objects category. The pattern for this cushion is appearing in the latest issue of Stitch - the really good American sewing magazine.

Also appearing at the Festival of Quilts... ME.

I've got a stand booked, a small cosy space filled with my work. I'm on stand Demo B, which, as the name suggests, is a place where I will be doing demonstrations. Each day I'll work on a different fabric manipulation technique (although I've not decided which yet!) and I will have lots of my work for you to see first hand. I'll also have a stack of books - both mine and others I have contributed to and new kits and patterns using innovative & exciting fabric manipulation techniques as well as my beginner-level sewing kits using recycled wool felt.

I'm also going to be promoting my new courses in Leicester, Stafford & Cambridge from beginners sewing right through to fabric manipulation masterclasses for all levels. Scroll down the website - it needs updating... there's Autumn workshops at the end and I've got a few more to add soon.

I'll post a lot more about the courses soon. Life's been a bit hectic with family stuff recently, but I'm back on track with blogging now, and will keep posting new & interesting things once or twice a week.

The Joy of Frocks

2011-07-07T19:55:00.000+01:00

I love clothes. Always have, always will. I spent a happy couple of hours on Wednesday in the Fashion Gallery at Snibston Museum with a school group, looking at frocks, frock coats, shoes, suits, corsets and crinolines. For a short while, it was like my old life, working at the V&A. Lovely. After the main teaching sessions were done, I offered to take a group of anyone interested around the fashion gallery to explore some more. About 8 little girls signed up & we had a happy 30 mins pottering around, looking at 18th & 19th century clothes. It was such a treat for me to do that, I really enjoyed it. I really wanted to nurture those wee girls with a love of old frocks, because that was me, 30 years ago, nose pressed to the glass, fascinated by the patterns, textures, shapes...

I've working with Snibston Fashion Gallery for the last year with four schools and I am delighted to be getting to know the fashion displays properly. They really are fantastically well done - great selection of clothes from 18th century to 21st and really nicely displayed with posh mannequins and good labels. They do a free-entry deal on a Wednesday afternoon too, which is well worth it. Hmm. Maybe I should organise a trip. Anyone local fancy it?

I'm in the midst of a really busy week with much too much happening workwise and personally, but I have been carving out late evening hours to work on a dress to wear to my friend's wedding on Sunday. I am ridiculously excited by this dress and have loved making it. It is still only tacked together & no doubt more tweaks will happen, but it looks pretty convincing in the (blurry) photo.

Full details of the design & making once it is finished!

Quilt

2011-07-02T23:06:00.000+01:00

I tend to be a bit cautious about showing work in progress online and as I write this I am pondering exactly why this is...

Is it not wanting to give away my techniques?
Is it not being confident that the finished piece will work?
Is it jealously guarding my creative process?
Is it that I don't think it looks very interesting at this stage?
Is it because I only like things finished?
Is it because I am worried about negative feedback?

I suppose it is a bit of all of these things. But it is what you do, in this online making world. You share, you take people into your processes, you involve your audience. And that is what I love about the online making world, so that is what I do. Albeit in a *very* contained way. I'm not exactly giving a lot away with this photo, but that is mostly because this is the tiny piece I've been working on today and the rest is exactly the same. And cream doesn't photograph all that well.

So really what I am saying is: here's a bit of the piece I am working on for the Festival of Quilts. I'm doing stuffed Shibori bobbles densely on organic cotton voile - similar to this piece. Indeed if you click this link I hope it will take you to a Flickr search of all my pieces using this technique which I call Polonaise (for reasons related to 18th century dress).

I've done about 7 or 8 Polonaise sections all of varying sizes which will be visible through cut out circles in red felt, inspired by this cushion I designed years ago but a *lot* bigger.

Fingers crossed the whole thing works! I'm part way through the last circle now so will have to start construction - very scary - in a week or so. It has to be posted to the show organisers in about 3 weeks time. Last year I promised myself I would have it finished way before the deadline this year. ha ha.

Luckily I have a week or two longer to prepare myself for the actual show which happens 11-14 August. I have taken a demonstration space in the show this year - a stall where I will be showing my techniques, selling books & things (more anon) and hopefully signing people up for (drumroll....) my fabric manipulation workshops in the autumn! Oooh I've got a lot of work to get done before then. gulp.

Six years....

2011-07-01T22:58:00.000+01:00

Today I am celebrating six years of working for myself!
One of the things that got me inspired, excited, invigorated and engaged in my first lonely couple of years working alone was blogging. In the last couple of years that has really tailed off, to the point that I have hardly blogged at all this year. I miss it. Facebook & Twitter seem to have taken over my online life, but neither have replaced blogging, reading blogs, sharing photos on Flickr & joining in with all the wonderfulness that blogging communities hold.
So I am BACK! Determined to blog regularly about the things I'm up to, the things other people are up to, things I like, my house, my cat.... all sorts really. And hoping there are still some readers out there who haven't given up on the little world of Mantua Maker.
I need to do lots of renovations on the blog (much like my house) - sorting out the links, blogroll, get some labels on the old posts and make decisions about how to take it forward. But for now let me tell you about what I've got coming up....

Stuff I've make
New courses I'm teaching
Exhibitions I've got stuff in
House renovations that rumble slowly on
Fabulous vintage purchases (and lots of them)
Pictures of my cat. actually, why wait for that. Here she is:

Awww.

Back soon, folks. I promise!

Sewn Up

2011-04-21T09:29:00.002+01:00

Edit: I've got a similar, smaller piece on display at Craft House Concept, Edinburgh until 17th July.
Also I'm running a workshop making Christmas decorations from folded recycled papers on Saturday 10th December in Leicester. Full workshop programme here
About nine months ago, Jennifer Collier said that she wanted to do a first anniversary exhibition at unit twelve of work just in paper (as per the first marriage anniversary gift tradition). I immediately piped up that I had just started working in folded paper and offered to create something for the show.

When I started working in paper, I wanted to use not just pretty recycled paper, but something with real significance to me, something personal.
This piece, Sewn Up, is made from 665 folded squares cut from the proof pages of my book Sew It Up, which was originally called Sewn Up (and that is what these pages say in the corner). This book was so significant to me in so many ways, and is now enjoyed all over world (wow) and I wanted to create something new from it. So after months of labour creating the book, I have re-assembled bits of it into something new.

Although I only started it about a month ago, it has actually been part of a long process of developing my ideas and techniques working in paper, starting way back in 2007 when I first started playing around and developed considerably last summer with these samples. Things take a long time to fruition when I am busy with other stuff.
As with all my work, it is very tactile and almost fabric-like. It is 70cmx130cm, so apart from the quilt I did last year, it is the biggest piece I have ever made. The centre folds are flexible, so can be folded in or opened out, as in the bottom left of the photo below. Hours of interactive fun!

What I have done in paper is very much derived from my previous work in fabric, exploring folding. I love crisp folds and tessellation, which is actually a bit of a faff in fabric and much easier in paper!

Taken from the inside. I have a long-standing fascination with light, shadow and holes in things, so this works on all those levels.

Another sample on the way to creating this piece - made as a Christmas present for my brother.

Since then I've done quite a bit of teaching of paper folding & tessellation with school groups including a project with a primary school which I started last week. Really good fun!

I must also credit the lovely Phiona Richards of Rare Notions for inspiration after I attended her Kusudama origami workshop. I've got thoroughly into making my own variations of traditional techniques and one of these days will go back to working in fabric with the ideas I've developed in paper. Phiona is also exhibiting a piece at Unit Twelve in the same exhibition.

The crumbly wall I've photographed it on looks like something fancy from a proper styled photo shoot, but is merely my undecorated front room. Normally this wall makes me miserable but it really worked for this piece. Sadly there is a big blob of new plaster right in the middle of it which rather spoils the effect, so it will be papered over soon. Though it does make me wonder if in a few years time, photos of crumbly plaster and paintwork will seem terribly out of date. It is just a fashion. But it is one that will last forever in my house I think!

Wearing aprons

2011-02-26T15:38:00.000Z

I've currently got aprons in my mind a lot. I'm working on an exhibition of aprons for Unit Twelve later this year which we are hoping to tour to other galleries. I'm co-curating and also making at least one new narrative apron for the show. Or at least I *will* be making one, I've not actually done it yet!
In the meantime, I thought I would share an apron I made years ago. Inspired by Jenny Doh's Art of the Dress challenge, I have photographed myself wearing the purple pockets apron as an overskirt as I love to do.

I designed this way back in 2005 and first made it in white cotton organdie which is utterly impossible to photograph. This version came about in 2007 and always gets lots of comments (mostly positive!) when I wear it. But it doesn't photograph well on a hanger... better on me, messy (but matching colour) bedroom included. The deadline to join in with Art of The Dress Apron challenge is 1st March, so quick - photograph yourself, blog it and add to Jenny's post. I would *love* to see someone wearing an apron from one of my patterns, there's a few out there...

This one from Sew it Up

There's one in Sew Eco made from a restyled skirt.

There was sort of one in Pretty Little Patchwork but the pattern never made it in. It is a real shame because it is a fabulous apron. Maybe it is time I issued the pattern myself.

This one is in A is for Apron and Lark's new booklet of apron designs.

There's one in Making Stuff. You can even see the project page on the amazon large image links, but it isn't inspiring (terrible photo...). The apron is nice though.

(although this detail shows the rather wonky stitching, how embarrassing... I've improved in 5 years, that's all I'll say!)

My first sewing machine

2011-01-27T13:02:00.000Z

Scrapiana has published a very nice account of my early sewing experiences on her blog. It was very strange to think and write about all the people in my life who helped me start sewing, in roundabout ways. Times have changed to much since I was a dressmaking teenager. My friends thought I was really eccentric to sew my own clothes. They probably still do. I have always aspired to eccentricity anyway.
It fills me with delight to think that my work, teaching and my books, and maybe this woefully neglected blog, inspire other people to sew too. That really is amazing.

The namesake machine, rescued from my parent's loft, specially to photograph.

Industrial sewing machine for sale

2011-01-18T11:42:00.000Z

Having moved out of my vast studio, I no longer have space for my Bernina Industrial sewing machine. I am sad to part with her, as she is brilliant. But I have no excuse to keep her anymore and must make space.

The details:

Bernina Industrie 850, approx 15-20 years old (but I really don't know) I've had it about 5 years and have used it very little.
Good working order, includes instruction manual, a selection of feet, a vast amount of heavy duty needles, bobbins etc. It has been serviced regularly, but not for a couple of years as I haven't been using it. Standard old Bernina feet fit this machine as far as I can tell (I have another old Bernina, not a new one).
This type of machine comes with the table stand just seen in 2nd photo. It has a HUGE motor which is attached to the table and the machine itself comes out of the table to move / service. It needs 2 strong people to carry the table but it is stored on the ground floor currently. It will fit in a medium-sized car, although a van would be easier to move it in.
The machine itself is really powerful - it will stitch much faster than a domestic machine and through thicker fabrics - these machines are commonly used for curtains & soft furnishings. It will also sew through lightweight leather quite easily. These machines are also favoured by machine embroiderers.
The machine is £400 and will require collecting from Leicester.

Any questions please email me ruth (at) ruthsinger (dot) com.

Fabric flowers workshop

2010-09-13T18:17:00.000+01:00

I'm running a fabric flowers / corsages workshop in Oakham on 22nd September.

I missed Summer, I was in the bathroom

2010-09-05T17:47:00.000+01:00

To make up for a looong blog absence, I am going to talk about my toilet. You may have wanted sewing stories, but no, you get bathroom diy.

When I bought my house back in April, the bathroom looked like this.

I know. Lovely.

It's now like this.

This room has taken masses of work, probably more than any other room. But it hasn't taken a massive lot of money. I thought about replacing the suite, of course I did. But when I looked at bathrooms I could afford, I soon realised that I have expensive tastes, where toilets and basins are concerned. I didn't like any of the cheap ones. What I really want is refurbished antique stuff. Which I can in NO way afford. So instead I decided to stick with refurbishing the 1980s burgundy horror. It was almost a challenge. If i can make this vile bathroom look good on a budget of next to nothing, I will be pleased.

Sorting it out was my first task when I got the house keys, making it bearable to live with in the first few weeks.
Out went the underlay, down came the roller blind, off came the woodchip wallpaper. Off came quite a lot of the plaster as well. Ho hum.
I decided to keep the tongue and groove ceiling, airing cupboard and badly boxed-in pipe arrangement, simply because I couldn't afford the work of removing and replacing them - and I needed to keep the bathroom functional. Same for the tiles, vile though they were.
So it went like this:
Clean
Remove wallpaper
Clean again
Have the wall above the bath replastered
Clean again
One-coat tile paint. Which required 3 coats. But it worked. Eventually. This was a labour of desperation.

Removed all the old silicone sealant around the bath which was a slow and unpleasant job involving a stanley knife and my trusty scraper tool which has been used for almost every project.

Sanding the ceiling. Varnished pine is not a look I am fond of. Sanding the ceiling is not a job I ever want to do again. I borrowed a small electric sander from my dad which completed the job and then died. I don't blame it. Then I bought a new electric sander which is about a quarter of the weight and would have been infinitely easier to sand the ceiling with. Oh well.
Sanding all the woodwork
Stripping the paint from the door frame and smidgen of original Victorian skirting board under the door. This is almost the only original feature left in the house, so I wanted to clean it up. It's not finished. There is also a bit of lurid green skirting board behind the bath. Oh god, under the bath - sweep, hoover, hoover again. And then hoover a bit more. Almost clean.
Get rid of disintegrating underlay (there was nothing on top of it when I moved in) & replace temporarily with the lovely turquoise carpet from the bedroom. It was better than the ruined floorboards, marginally.
Remove all the carpet grippers from the floor. I have removed approx 78 million miles of carpet grippers from this house. Hateful spiky things. I should have had a bonfire with them.

Had new taps fitted buy plumber. I say new, they were 2nd had from ebay & my plumber couldn't decide whether to be impressed by the price or annoyed at having to fit 2nd hand taps.
Either way, buying them on ebay meant I could have nice taps at less than the price of the cheapest crappiest basic taps he offered me. It took some time to get the ones I wanted, but it was worth it, even if they don't match. Chrome basin taps were £7 inc post and the bath / shower set cost a total of £20, compared to £100ish for similar new ones - and these are good brands. I got to be a bit of a tap geek. Just you wait til I get to the kitchen one. Wow. Bargain of the year. Top tip for old baths - also replace the plughole and overflow pipes - it looks so much better and there is none of the ick plughole grimness to deal with. The whole set cost £1 on ebay. And I have a gold bathplug, which is slightly hilarious.

Paint the ceiling. This took 4 coats of white satinwood. Sarah did 2 of them and for that I am eternally grateful. It was a nightmare job.

Paint the remaining woodwork - airing cupboard in slate gray to match existing furniture and rest of it in white. The white took 5 coats to cover the mahogany varnish on the pipe boxing.

The floor. Oh the floor. The original floorboards were covered in black sticky glue and bits of old vinyl tile, nails, bits of carpet and all manner of crap. And were full of holes and stuff. Not good. It took a while to work out what to do with the floor. If the floorboards weren't so damaged I would have hired a sander and taken off all the crap and varnished / stained/ painted them. But they were not good enough for that. So after going round the houses many times, I opted for covering them with chipboard as a base for vinyl. I had actually seen the vinyl I wanted in a local carpet shop just around the corner at a bargain £5/m. Normally I hate vinyl flooring, it is plastic and crappy and generally very ugly. But I couldn't afford anything better or more eco, so having spotted some I actually like, I decided to go for it. And so the black flooring helped set the slightly goth theme along with the red suite. By the time I got around to buying it, all they had left was 2 remnants - close shave. So I had to buy rather a lot more than I needed, annoyingly. But still. Black flooring secured. One roll lived in the bathroom for months, the other in the living room alongside the skirting boards I bought months ago in some fit of enthusiasm.

And the chipboard. My mate and I spent an entire day battling the stuff. It was not fun, in any way. I really, really, really hated that job. It took hours. It cost a lot of money (relatively - about £50) and it was hard work. And I paid my friend to help. But it worked! It is flat, will be squeak-free soon, and is flat, smooth and insulating. Hurrah! (no more toilet noises audible from downstairs).

Then comes a hiatus of several weeks / months while I did up my bedroom & studio so I could move into my bedroom and out of the to-be-studio in time to move out of my rented studio in June. That was fun. Then another hiatus over the summer while I have been stupidly busy with work.

Then the bank holiday, the traditional DIY weekend.
Painted the walls. Finished the wood work. Re-did the silicone sealant around the window frame and around the bath. Also used it to fill the weird gaps in the ceiling that leak loft-crud through. Nice. Painted again. And again. SO many coats of paint, the bathroom must be several mm smaller than before.

And then wallpapered the airing cupboard doors, to match the existing refurbed bedside cabinet which I made for my first ever trade show in 2006.

It's Laura Ashley Erin wallpaper in charcoal. I wanted to buy the fabric for curtains, but it's silk and massively too expensive for even a tiny bathroom curtain.
But back to the wallpaper. It's fab. I think i will use it to cover the bath side panels when i get them. And I will also use a length on the wall above the loo between the oak doors.

And then finally, yesterday, I laid the flooring. I was sort of dreading this job. And then once I started, and had lugged the massive roll up the stairs, I thought it was actually going to be fun. It wasn't. I am not good at cutting vinyl, it doesn't behave like fabric at all. I very nearly cried. It's a bit rubbish in quite a lot of places and I have had to fill some gaps and colour in the edges with a black pen. But it works. I finished it last night as was feeling just about happy with it when I dropped the electric drill and made a hole in it. Fabulous. Black felt tip to the rescue. Also did that with the loo seat which had a small chip in it. Sigh.

Laying the flooring

Then I drilled holes in my lovely lumpy walls to hand mirror, cupboard & shelf. And late last night I decided to make a curtain, and then couldn't stop with the decorating, styling, arranging dust-collecting nick nacks, faffing, whatever you like to call it.

I've run out of steam and will shut up now about my bathroom. There is still more I intend to do, like some frosting on the window, decorative doodahs and a new light pull. Oh and a new door, we still have the crappy plywood one for now. New (old) one is in the shed, awaiting dad visit.

Final few photos below and the whole lot on Flickr with notes about all the bits and pieces, what they are, where they came from and how little I paid for them. Maybe you can play guess what the most expensive single thing in the room was. Which was also the first thing I bought specifically for the house.

Apron making

2010-07-21T10:33:00.004+01:00

I'm running an apron making workshop on 31st July at Unit 12, Jennifer Collier's lovely little gallery in Staffordshire.

Unit 12 is based on Jennifer's parents' farm and is a glorious rural setting, complete with friendly dog and sheep to look at. I love visiting. To celebrate the launch of Sew Eco, I am running a workshop where you can restyle an old skirt to make a fabulous new apron.

You can make one just like mine (above) from Sew Eco or based on another of my designs, or using a vintage apron as inspiration. You can of course create your own design. I will be providing all materials and equipment, fabrics for embellishment, vintage trims and lace and of course expert guidance. All you need to bring is an old skirt to transform.

Finally some house photos!

2010-07-20T23:50:00.000+01:00

I've at last uploaded a huge amount of before, during and (some) after shots of my house decorating adventures on Flickr. Do go and have a look at the photos themselves as I've added a lot of notes and comments on the process and the work still to do. Seeing the before shots next to the in-progress ones is making me feel like there is a real change here - I still have loads to do but there is movement!

Here's some before and afters:

View from the front door when I first went to see the house. Previous owner's furniture.

Work in progress! This was a few weeks ago, but now this room is full of boxes and not much has changed otherwise.

Back bedroom as it was when I moved in.

Bedroom now, complete with mess. I am not tidy and there is no point pretending!!

I went to London and I...

2010-07-15T22:45:00.000+01:00

...went to shops, more shops, a couple of galleries and more shops. I sat in cafes and parks and watched the world go by.

I FINALLY went to Prick Your Finger. It was nice. But very tiny. And mostly sells wool. Good wool from happy sheep, mind you. I had a chat with the nice women who run it and hopefully they will have Sew Eco in stock soon!

Alas I failed to take in that there is / was a launch this evening of embroidered loveliness by The Glass Pingle which I really wanted to see. Should have gone this evening not at lunchtime. DAMN. But I did admire a few of her bits of homemade-dashery which was utterly wonderful. And I bought this book. Looked like something I ought to read. And I will. Then I will tell you what I make of it. One day.

I did lots of other things too. But they will have to wait.

Unit Twelve

2010-07-13T12:12:00.000+01:00

Unit Twelve is a fantastic new little gallery in Staffordshire run by maker extraordinaire, Jennifer Collier. Jen a good mate of mine - we met while both Makers In Residence at Bilston Craft Gallery a few years ago and have stayed in regular gossip contact ever since. Twice we've been at Origin on the same aisle and shared many a moan, gin and chocolate. Times have changed a bit, but we have still managed to meet up regularly to whinge / celebrate usually in equal measure. And the celebrations have been big recently with her opening Unit Twelve in May. I've got work in the current exhibition called Second Life -focussing on recycling - which you will of course know is my big thing. I've got 3 large pieces in the show and a set of 3 small hoop pieces, plus a whole load of brooches (modelled by Jen's lovely mannequin) and some purses and cuffs - in the frame on the centre left of the photo. I LOVE seeing my gold-framed Betty piece displayed on Jen's fabulous dress-pattern tissue wall. Jen is a genius with paper. Absolute inspirational genius. Go visit! And go do workshops - I'm running one in a few weeks (31st July) on making aprons from old skirts.

Granny furniture

2010-07-12T12:25:00.001+01:00

It's waaaay past time I started talking & showing a bit more about my house. I've been (and will continue to be) stupidly busy working on the house for many weeks. These photos are ages old, probably from my first few weeks owning the house before I even moved in (back in April).

When I bought the house, I owned the grand total of about 5 pieces of furniture: bed, dressing table, dining table, chair and bedside cabinet. I had a few other bits and pieces that were in the studio, either in use (oodles of freestanding shelves) or waiting for a new life (dining table which had been my sewing table of old). But really I didn't have a whole lot of practical stuff. No sofa or armchairs for a start. Not good. So the first thing I bought was a china cabinet.

And a Lloyd Loom chair to go with it (or, more likely, a fake). My grandad's house has almost exactly the same two pieces, and many more. And indeed, I have since inherited some pieces from my great Aunt's house including a second china cabinet (which I am going to collect this weekend!). Good, proper, solid, pre-war granny furniture.

I'm not sure I ever realised my grandparent's house was such a design influence, but somehow it seems to be. Having said that, I grew up with tatty Victorian furniture and would love to have more one day. But for now, 30s basics are pretty cheap and they will do just fine.

Around the time I moved, my mum found out about Lost World Salvage in Leicester - architectural salvage yard - which has since closed down. This is probably just as well as I could have quite easily bought a number of stained glass windows, chimney pots and slabs of marble for which I have NO use whatsoever. Likewise these oak cupboard doors. No use. Just love. They needed rescuing. £10 the pair. Oak. Doors. Lovely. You understand, yes?
Well, I had hoped that they could be used for rebuilding my meter cupboard, but alas they are too wide. I have pondered making them into shutters for my bedroom, and indeed may do one day, but for now they are lurking in the bathroom (like a lot of things!) and they might even stay there. One day I will have cupboards made for the studio, so they could end up there. Who knows.

In front is an amazing 1930s chair I got in a local junk shop for £5. FIVE POUNDS! for an un-restored 30s gem. I kind of find it ugly, but couldn't leave it there. Junk rescue service for unloved granny stuff. That's me. So I might re-cover it (preserving the old fabric) or I might ebay it, or I might just leave it as it is. At the moment it is buried under clothes in my bedroom.

The ones that got away - things from Lost World Salvage I wanted to have but really couldn't justify at a point when I didn't own a cooker, fridge, sofa, front room floor, functioning boiler etc. Ho hum. One day a new (to me) lamp will come my way.

And maybe I'll find a clock that works.

But I do wish I had splashed out on the oak cupboard, seeing as I am woefully undersupplied with storage.

You see, storage is a problem, despite the vastness of this house, now that I have moved my studio in here too. Still surrounded by heaps of boxes!
However, before long there will be more pics and details of the ongoing house work and I promise I will show you lots more of the pretty stuff I have been rescuing and filling my house with.

Blue 50s dress (with lots of details for the sewing people)

2010-07-11T20:04:00.001+01:00

Making clothes properly is no easy task. It's time consuming and quite difficult - at least when it involves re-fitting a pattern to someone else's body. Making things for me isn't so bad, but making for other people is a challenge and a half. But I do love it.
Helen asked me to make her a dress to wear for her brother's wedding. She wanted something really special and was more than happy to pay for it (yay!). She chose the pattern and the fabrics and came to me for fitting and sewing.
The pattern is a Vintage Vogue (2902) and really pretty. Big circular skirt and closely fitted bodice - just perfect for Helen's slim but curvy figure. She chose applique tulle for the skirt which was wonderful fun - but really heavy and slightly stretchy which was a sewing challenge! The bodice is in heavy weight silk satin which was a dream to work with but also shows every pin hole and snags really easily. ARGH.

The whole thing is lined in silk taffeta which gives it good body and supports the weight of the skirt - before I attached the bodice lining to the skirt lining, the weight of the skirt completely distorted the bodice. Somewhat alarming! I think the taffeta is a bit stiff for the bodice lining but hopefully it will sit smooth. If I'd been with her buying the fabrics, I would have gone for a lightweight satin or heavyweight habotai silk like I used in my (not-so-little) black dress.

Theoretically this is a fairly simple dress to make. The only fiddly thing in the pattern is the neck bands and shoulder straps which are made in one piece, turned and hand stitched to the dress. This isn't particularly difficult, just time consuming and hard to make it look neat. The challenge came in getting it to fit. I did 2 toiles for the bodice and still had a bit more tweaking to do after the second fitting - hence terror that it wouldn't actually fit. I had to change all the bodice darts, particularly the side upper bust one, and ended up completely revising the neckline and shoulder straps too. Half way through I realised it would have been easier to draft a pattern from scratch. Hindsight is great.

But otherwise, it all went together well and Helen is going to look STUNNING in this dress.

Technical details:

Fabrics from Cloth House and MacCulloch and Wallis
Invisible zip inserted into side seam (getting it neat and not catching in the tulle = faff). I also decided to extend the zip right to the underarm to be absolutely sure she would be able to get it on over her shoulders. Not the neatest solution, but practical. I like that 50s patterns expect side seam zips, not ugly up the back ones. Putting in an invisible zip was easier than a normal one and looks 100 times better. Well worth it.
Neckline decoration - this is just tacked as I expect Helen will change it herself, but it's just made from gathered scraps of the skirt fabric.
Skirt back is cut with a seam to save fabric. Bodice used barely half a metre. I think there were 3m of lining, which was all used.
No interfacing required in the pattern which was good. I was all prepared to use silk organza but none was necessary. I faced the shoulder straps / neckbands with the silk taffetta for strength which worked really well, although a bit of the blue kept peeping over the edge of the silk at the neckline. That is the one major peeve that I was annoyed I didn't get quite right.
All the pressing done with tailor's hams to keep the curves and always covered the fabric with a silk organza pressing cloth and used steam more than pressure.
Skirt tulle isn't hemmed - it didn't seem worth the hassle and hangs beautifully without it. I could have used the bias-cut strips of organza method, but really, I think it is better without. The skirt lining just has a zig zag stitch hem which isn't beautiful but saves times and it won't show.

Detail of the skirt tulle

Inside out showing taffeta lining and waist stay

Weird photo showing side zip, waistband of net petticoat

(made for me when I was 11! (it needed new elastic..) and waist stay.

I'm now pondering what to make for myself and wondering where on earth I will find the time (as per usual). I want a new dress too, even if I don't have any weddings to go to.

The dress fits...

2010-07-08T23:19:00.000+01:00

Those who follow me on Twitter (where I am @RuthSinger, funnily enough) will know that I have spent a lot of this week urgently making a frock for a friend to wear to her brother's wedding this weekend. I finally handed it over last night and at last, at lunchtime today, got confirmation that it fits! I had a 4am panic that it wouldn't and was contemplating crying off work to drive to Scotland to fix it. Not good. But yay! all good. Phew.

Technical (sewing geeky) info on the dress will be produced over the weekend, once I have swept up the pretty blue tulle snow off my studio floor.

Not only is this dress done and fits, I have had lots of things to smile about today... in no particular order:

Hot air balloons over the M40
Hollyhocks
Being with my Grandad to celebrate his 94th birthday
A very good meeting
Ginger beer sitting in the sun after the meeting
A *free* copy of Jane Brocket's super flowery book The Gentle Art of Quiltmaking
Long cut on the drive home through pretty countryside
Pony and trap spotted on that country long cut
Fresh strawberries, blackcurrants, lettuce, peas and potatoes from Grandad's garden scenting my car on the way home
New Living Etc and World of Interiors to read in bed
Coming home to my lovely little house after being away overnight for the first time in a couple of months
Being amazed how good life is just now and hoping, wishing, it can stay this way

Contemporary tassels workshop

2010-06-21T13:07:00.000+01:00

I'm running a workshop in the wonderful Hampton Court Palace later this summer - what a treat!

Contemporary Tassels and Braids
Date: Thursday 5 August
Time: 10.30 - 16.30
Cost: £45 / £40 HRP members

Taking inspiration from the wealth of historical trimmings within the palace, experiment with making braids, cords and tassels using historical and contemporary techniques. Led by designer-maker Ruth Singer, you will use a range of recycled fabrics, threads and other materials to create original and contemporary tassels for your home. Please feel free to bring threads, beads, buttons and ribbon if you have them, although all materials will be provided.

This workshop includes light refreshments and day entry to Hampton Court Palace.

Booking info here

Hibernation announcement and some housekeeping

2010-06-18T09:37:00.000+01:00

I am reluctantly going to admit that Mantua Maker is in semi-hibernation. I am overwhelmed with house renovation, studio move, a commission, an exhibition piece to make, a book to launch, a freelance job to do and a business to run! So I think this blog is going to be less than busy for a few months - as indeed it has been for a few months already. You will find me over here on Twitter and the new book site is in development, ready for proper launch at the end of June.

Part of the great studio move also involves the grand clear out of stuff, including my Bernina Industrial sewing machine (wail!) which I don't have space for any more. There's a mannequin and a sewing box, as well as a copy of Selvedge going on ebay right now (last chance today on the sewing machine!). And there will be masses more as I work my way through photographing and listing: vintage and new fabrics, haberdashery, packaging & display materials, all sorts of sewing stuff and some random household things too - oh and a lot of clothes!

I really want to share some of my house renovation progress and a lot of my junk shop finds but time is against me, if I am to get the work done as well. So I will be checking in here more often, I promise - and once Sew Eco is launched and happy, I'll be back here more often. Until then, keep sewing!

Fruits of workshops

2010-05-10T15:24:00.002+01:00

In between house renovation works and much needed holiday, I've been running workshops, as per usual!

Recent ones have been
Corsages and Fabric Flowers

10 people, a whole day workshop and masses of beautiful flowers produced!

I also ran a ruffled cuffs workshop at Catmose Gallery at the end of April.

This is one of the almost-finished pieces, a bit of a mad dash in a 2-hour workshop, but we had fun and made some great stuff.
Next week my workshop there is making bespoke pillowcases.

I'm running another corsages session at Catmose Gallery in June and then in July we'll be making trapunto covered notebooks. More workshops coming up in Staffordshire too, in the summer and autumn. Busy!

Make, Do and Knit

2010-04-16T12:20:00.000+01:00

I am very very late in posting about Make, Do and Knit, which was at the end of March... I had a lovely time. Here's my stand / jumble sale. I decided to launch some kits at this event, which went down a storm.

Mr Mouse almost sold out and I had to make up new brooch kits a couple of times. Hurrah!

I'll be launching the kits online later this year.

Vintage fabric destash - the remaining ones will be up on ebay in a few weeks.

I couldn't resist a few things for myself. I've wanted one of these mill bobbins for ages so finally indulged, ready for my new house.

And these pretty fabrics are organic cotton by Cloud9. I have been after these for a while and was delighted that Raystitch had them in stock. I have a project planned for these, sooner or later.

Pickford's House Museum & other exhibitions

2010-04-12T21:19:00.002+01:00

I've got a few pieces of work on display at Pickford's House Museum in Derby, in their new exhibition on silk. My work is on the left of this case - a Polonaise Panel, a scarf, a small framed piece and one of my organza neckpieces. The dress on the right was part of their Common Threads Project, which sounds fabulous.

I've also got a lot of work on exhibition at Borough Museum and Art Gallery, Newcastle Under Lyme, Staffordshire, for a couple more weeks.

A little catch up and some chairs

2010-04-12T20:47:00.003+01:00

Well not surprisingly, I've been engrossed in a lot of house decorating - or at least paint, wallpaper, carpet and general filth removal. Most of this has not been particularly nice to look at - I have only just started getting paint on walls, and even then only in one room.

BUT I will be in the studio this week so I will be pulling together some blog posts about what I have been up to and what is coming up, but for now, a chair-thought

New chairs awaiting refurbishment to go in my dining room. The seats are really worn out so I will be reupholstering them and covering them in some kind of fabric-y goodness. Probably some applique felt, I think. I have a chair-seat refurb workshop on 24th April in Oakham- scroll down to find it, although do take a look at the others on the way.

These are a couple I have done before and there are a few more in progress.

Chairs are one thing I will *not* be short of in my new house. I think I have about 10!

A fresh start

2010-04-03T00:03:00.003+01:00

I am engrossed in cleaning and decorating my new house and have very little of interest to say, except perhaps that I have the world's finest shed. Sheds have such a strong association of happy memories for me, having spent my pre-school years pottering around in the shed with my dad. I had my own tiny workbench and my own carpentry tools and I made stuff. Making stuff in the shed with my dad, albeit carpentry not fabric, set me on the path to where I am now - happily making stuff and having a love of sheds and workshops and a love of the smell of woodshavings and oil. I am ridiculously lucky that now I have a sewing workshop and a shed. What more could I want?

*totally unrelated pics of snow in the woods a few weeks ago*

I am a bit behind schedule on the whole blog thing, so forgive me. And I don't have photos of my shed yet.

Paper

2010-04-01T23:29:00.008+01:00

A few weeks ago I saw these paper sculptures in a shop window, somewhere on Camden Passage in Islington, London. We were rushing by, on our way to by yarn and cake, so I just too some quick snaps. I love the textures and boldness of these. I wish I knew who made them. Anyone know anything about them??

There's a whole post, or indeed several, to be written about people who work with paper. Please add your suggestions in the comments, I would love to find some more.

Tenuously related - I ran a series of workshops for children with learning disabilities recently and ran the first session using scrap paper. I have worked in paper a few times before, mostly in a teaching context, but keep being drawn back to it for my own work. One of these days I will make something in paper but for now I need to explore what is already out there, as I know I could very easily be accidently influenced by existing stuff and I want to be sure my work is original, as far as possible. I've had a look at Paper: Tear, Fold, Rip, Crease, Cut and keep meaning to buy it. But in the meantime, I will continue to enjoy working with kids with paper - exploring the kinds of folds and pleats I love making in fabric combined with the simplicity and crispness of paper. Magazines are printed on such nice paper, glossy and highly coloured - I love using them.

I am also running a series of workshops over the summer for a community group including paper and collage, so have started a stash of interesting scrap paper, which is really inspiring me.

So what with quilts, paper, a new commission (more anon) and a new range of brooches to finish getting ready, I am, as always, far too ambitious. And there is the small matter of a tiny house I am impatient to finish too. I have plans for a paper-based piece to go in my house... and suddenly I am thinking of keeping some of the scrapped wallpaper to use. Exciting! Although sometimes I wish ideas wouldn't come at midnight, it does make it hard to sleep...

Work by the kids at Craftnoon Tea, Leicester.

Their group piece on display in the local library. I had a very proud moment, seeing this up. We also had some pieces in the street-front window which was fantastic.

The little house

2010-03-31T22:47:00.003+01:00

Yes, two posts in one day... it is some kind of miracle.

I just wanted to pop in and say CHEERS while I am slowly working my way through a nice bottle of Blanquette de Limoux in celebration of home ownership.

So here is my little house. Old, narrow and somewhat unloved in recent years, she is going to have a transformation and a half. Never before has so much fabric been crammed into so small a house. I will be moving the studio in there too, eventually, so it will be quite literally FULL of fabric. Heaven. Although there will also be space for some (a lot) of yarn, books, crockery, food, tatty vintage furniture, weird and random things and I hope friends, family and pussy cats.

I get the keys tomorrow morning and I will be cleaning, stripping wallpaper, painting, sorting, cleaning, painting, cleaning, sanding, tidying, cleaning and more painting over the next couple of weeks. There's a lot to be done. I will be learning some electrics, plumbing, flooring and tiling along side the painting and shelf-building that I fortunately know how to do. And eventually I will get to the decorating, arranging, tweaking, creating, crafting, making, playing and generally turning this rather sad little house a wonderfully Ruth-some place. I literally can't wait. I'm not sure I will sleep tonight, I am so excited!!

Lampshades galore!

2010-03-31T15:18:00.005+01:00

Last week I ran one of my new workshop options at the Catmose Gallery in nearby Oakham.
Alongside the launch later this year of Sew Eco, I am running a number of recycling / refashioning workshops where you can learn how to revamp and restyle things for your home. The first was Lampshade Refurb last week and it was fantastic fun.

I've got several more workshops coming up locally in April - June and will post the dates and suchlike asap. I've been a bit over-stretched recently and the poor old blog has suffered. However, I will be back soon, with house-renovating stories galore, alongside the usual.

EDIT: The course I offer is refurbishing lampshades that are already covered - so basically trimming and decorating rather than complete recovering. I *might* be able to do recovering one day, but I've never tried.... In the same vein I want to learn to re-cover vintage umbrellas. One day, one day...

Quilts quilts quilts

2010-03-18T12:54:00.004Z

2010 is without a doubt the year of the quilt.

The V&A has just opened it's hotly anticipated quilt exhibition - and curses I am not there to see it yet... Maybe next week. Quilts and related things are chugging through my creative brain pretty constantly at the moment and I have a quilt in progress - an exhibition one which is going to take a LONG TIME and a lot of hand sewing. And that is not including the actual quilting process. Crazy fool I am. I'm also working on a conceptual piece which may or may not result in something kind of quilty. We'll see... assuming I ever get time to get back to it again.

Quilts have been uppermost in my mind for community projects as well, and I am delighted with the one we made last year with Craftspace. More ideas like this are ticking over, although the current project I start next week will be cushions. Sort of patchwork cushions with other quilting techniques thrown in for good measure.

Anyway, in the meantime, there are two new books of mini quilts coming out this year which I have contributed to:

Pretty Little Mini Quilts by Lark Press. I have two pieces in here, one teeny tiny doll quilt made of silk and one larger lap quilt in organic cotton with leaf applique. I've just got my copy of this and it is lovely! My urge to quilt just gets stronger all the time.

Later in the year the really fabulous Whip Up Mini Quilts published by Chronicle, will be out. I have seen proofs of this book and it really is stunning! Can't wait to have it in my hands.

*photos are unrelated to any of the projects mentioned here but that might change, now I come to think about it*

Fabric Flowers workshop

2010-03-12T12:28:00.005Z

I'm running a workshop here in Leicester in a few weeks time.

Fabric Flowers workshop

Saturday 17th April, 2010
Leicester
10.00-4.00
£30 & £15 concessions
Suitable for 12 and over with basic sewing skills.
All materials will be provided.

Learn how to make fabric flowers of all shapes and sizes, using traditional and contemporary techniques. Try out felt and recycled leather along with a wide range of fabrics.

At Embrace Arts at the RA Centre,
Leicester University
(formerly The Richard Attenborough Centre)
Lancaster Rd, Leicester LE1 7HA

For bookings please contact
0116 252 2455
arts-centre@le.ac.uk

Community quilt

2010-03-03T21:43:00.002Z

***On Monday 8th March I am running a workshop at Birmingham Town Hall 2-6pm making Suffolk Puff brooches, as part of this project. ***

Late last year I ran a series of workshops for newly arrived and refugee women in Birmingham for Craftspace & CIP (Community Integration Partnerships) on a project aimed at starting up a craft-based social enterprise, which is explained here.

I wanted to develop a project around hand sewing, with each person who came to the workshops contributing to a large finished piece, with the idea that this would be a metaphor for us working together to integrate and support refugee and newly arrived women. It was almost inevitable that I wanted to work with Suffolk puffs, as I love them so much. I wanted to use the idea of working together on a quilt, with all the associations of community, nurturing and women working together.

I also wanted to try out some new ideas, using Suffolk puffs in more conceptual ways, by incorporating personal stories into the individual Suffolk puffs. The fabrics I chose were re-used clothes, bedlinen and curtains, all with a history of their own. The centre of each puff is filled with a digital transfer printed photo of foodstuffs from around the world, taken in my local market; plantains, chillies, guavas, herbs etc. Each woman who made a puff chose a foodstuff she identified with and printed a circle into the centre of her chosen fabric. I also encouraged incorporating words or symbols of meaning into the Suffolk puffs, by writing and / or embroidering the words into the fabric of the puff. When the puff is stitched and gathered, the image printed on the inside becomes almost invisible, and the words written on the fabric become distorted and unreadable. By making the chosen images and words unidentifiable, we make the personal aspects of the puff almost secret and private, so when the puff is added to the whole quilt, it keeps those personal secrets in, while being part of the group piece. I felt this was strongly symbolic of a newly arrived person integrating into a new culture.

This is a shortened version of an article due out in Popular Patchwork, May issue, which will include lots more images of the workshops in progress.

Making it your own

2010-03-01T21:18:00.008Z

Making things for a living is hard work. Designing new things is particularly hard work. Ideas come all too often, turning them into reality is much harder. But sometimes it clicks and the vision in your head turns out just so on the fabric. You love what you have made. You show it to other people. They love what you have made. Great joy!
You show it to lots of people. Either on the internet or at shows, galleries, exhibitions. Lots of people love what you have made. Some people buy what you have made. More joy! Some people want one without having to pay for it. So they go home and make one for themselves, more or less the same. Well, fair enough. Inspiring people is good, although I (we designers) would rather they were inspired to make something original, not something pretty much the same as someone else made. But they are making it just for themselves, so no harm is done.

Sometimes that inspiration gets lost in a whole mess of many inspirations and someone making things makes something that looks just like something someone else has made before. Something we may have seen, once, somewhere at a gallery or online and forgotten about. Sometimes none of us know exactly where we got our inspiration from and whether or not someone else had the same idea before. Again, fair enough, we see it all the time at degree shows and indeed elsewhere. People other than the maker might see a similarity that the maker honestly doesn't intend or is unaware of. We tend to refer to these objects as derivatives. Not copies - no professional designer-maker would like to assume outright copying, but we see them as derivatives. Being inspired by another maker's style, materials, techniques... it is very, very hard not to make something that is derivative of another's work. I personally think it is crap that there is no such thing as new design. Of course there is, it just may happen to look rather too much like something that has been made before, unintentionally. But the design process was new.

But here's the thing. If you make something, as far as you are aware, that is totally unique and original, and you plan to sell said item, you really have to be sure that it is original, not a copy or a derivative of someone else's work. "I didn't know designer X had done something like that before. I didn't intend to copy." Well, yeah, that may be true, let us give the benefit of the doubt; innocent until or unless proved guilty and all that. Accidental mistake. We all do it. Really, we all do. But we don't want other people to think that we have copied. This is really bad in the professional designer-maker community.

When I was starting out, I designed some scarves that i was really proud of. I showed them to a few people. They liked. Great joy! I sold some to galleries, I took them to shows. Then someone innocently said "oh they remind me of designer X's work." Oh. Says me. Too much like their work? Dunno, said abashed person, hard to say... Yes, I knew and admired designer X's work. Loved it. This scarf was made without any intent to copy. The technique was different although the material was much the same. The effect was much too similar. So I spoke to designer X and said "I didn't intend to copy you" and they said, that is fair enough, we can both see they are different, but the man in the street thinks they are by the same person. Not good. For either of us. Meaning that for designer X, it devalues their established work and muddies their market. And for me it is not good because other people will think I have copied, think I have no originality, will not respect my other work because this one is too similar to someone elses'. Bugger. I love this scarf, I want to make more of this scarf. But as designer X said to naive little me, there is no point making something that is too much like someone else's work. You need to have your own design voice, your own style. Completely your own, that people will recognise in a line up as Ruth Singer design. What that taught me was that I had to go away and work on it again, make something new, develop it, while keep an eye on what other people are doing and make sure I don't veer into their territory. This was probably the best advice I was ever given. Make it your own. Find your own voice. Be confident in your work.

It still happens to me sometimes. A couple of times I have started on a new piece of work, full of excitement. I get half way through and suddenly get a sinking feeling. It is too much like designer Y's work. So I go and check designer Y's website and see. Have they done something like this already? Bugger. So I scrap that one. Not because it wasn't a great idea, not because I have copied, but because I want to be original, it pushes me harder to create something really new. Yes there may be similarities to designer Y, but I take care not to be derivative. And if we simultaneously produce something too similar, I would pull mine back, out of respect to designer Y's more established status. And because I don't want designer Y or anyone else to think I have copied. And I have to keep an eye on the textile world to see if there are things already around like the thing I have designed. If they are first, then they are first, whether I like it or not.

The design world feeds on originality, new ideas, new interpretations, new directions. That is what it is all about. That is what makes us designers not just makers.

So when someone makes something that looks just like someone else's work, they are not just cheating the original designer of that item, they are cheating themselves. Don't they want to be original, new, exciting, innovative, not derivative? Where is the challenge in that?

Ruth's roof

2010-02-12T23:28:00.003Z

You know how I mentioned the other that that I was trying to buy a house? Just sort of casually dropped it into conversation without making a big deal about it? Well, I *am* buying a house. Really, truly, a whole house with upstairs and downstairs and an outside too. I have wanted a home of my own since I was a teenager, and really needed my own space for the last 10 years. I have never had my own place. Ever. I am 35. This is a big deal.

--deep breaths so I don't cry on the laptop--
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So rather than the sewing resolutions list I came up with at New Year, methinks the sewing will be things like curtains, sofa covers, more curtains (how many windows in a house?? I hate making curtains....) quilt, curtains, rug? tablecloths, cat bed (fingers crossed), etc.
None of those wild ideas about making clothes & handbags. How silly.

Even before I saw inside this house, I had started planning the decoration. And believe me when I tell you it needs decorating. There is a reason I am showing you the chimney pots only... But what could be more fun than a blank canvas? OK, so it's a dirty beige, bad-wallpaper canvas right now, but we can sort that. It's going to be good, people, it's going to be good.

A little bit of colour & some comfort

2010-02-11T19:06:00.003Z

Still ill. But found enough concentration and co-ordination to finish off comfort bedsocks.

Playing with colour and spirals. Yes, I know this would have been easier with crochet. But I like to make challenges for myself.

I also darned my Noro socks. That's about it for today. Not the most productive day.

Birthdays and good excuses

2010-02-10T19:46:00.006Z

Things are a little quiet on the blog front. I have been entirely taken over by being ill, having my birthday, trying to buy a house and rushing around the country. No news yet on the house but I'm hoping for a yes or no by the end of the week. Clearly I am hoping more for a yes than a no....
Birthday however was a great success and I had several days of good friends and gluttony. Ideal. I took a small group of local friends down to London for the day on Saturday and did lots of my favourite things, and met up with lots of London people too. Almost predictably there was Loop & Ottolenghi. The two are inseparable for me now. And I'm pretty sure Nigel Slater was in there too buying cakes. I met him once - show off moment over :)

Knitting at Ottolenghi

Birthday almond croissant

Loop was delightful as always, although I bought nothing. That's right. No yarn. No Needles. Not a thing. I am on a yarn diet. I have TOO MUCH STASH. I was hoping to buy a swift for winding wool but they can't get them at the moment. Damn. So I resisted fine yarns twice in the space of 3 days - on Thursday I popped into Fibre & Clay on my way back from Manchester. And I did buy needles.

Manchester Victoria. Still wonderfully tatty.

I also stopped in at Borough Museum and Art Gallery, Newcastle Under Lyme where there will soon be a decent display of my work in their foyer gallery space, along with brooches and bits too. I've also been to Manchester and another visit to London. Phew. But have had to cancel a visit to this wonderful person due to being a bit poorly this week. Happily rescheduled though.

I don't imagine The Creameries will look like this
once the building work is finished. Shame.

Oh yeah, I was talking about my birthday... so after yarn and cake we went to the V&A where I used to work (almost 5 years since I left!) and visited the newly refurbished Medieval and Renaissance Galleries, which have been in progress for at least 6 years and one of the reasons I left was because I didn't get to work on them - booooo. I put aside my professional opinions and just enjoyed looking at the pretty things. Wonderful wonderful stuff and nice, light airy galleries. I will leave moaning about the labels for another time. Met up with lots of friends and ate cake in the stunning cafe. Then onwards for pub dinner and more gossip before the last train home. Sunday was a lot more lazy - lunch and lounging and knitting in my local nice restaurant/bar, a mere 5 minute stagger from the house. And then an evening on the sofa with my knitting and Dr Who. Perfect birthday really.

Smelling good

2010-02-10T15:40:00.000Z

I've just finished a brilliant book - Jacobson's Organ and the remarkable nature of smell by Lyall Watson.
This has precisely nothing to do with sewing, fabric, craft, fashion, knitting or even cooking, all the usual subject matter of this blog. But I hope you will forgive me rambling about it, just because it is SO good. I do like non-fiction and find myself reading more and more of it. Travel writing, food writing, nature writing, design writing. All of these things. Nature writing does have a fair bit of science in it sometimes, but this book is the nearest I have got to reading about science in years. But it's mostly about human (and animal and plant) behaviour and how our sense of smell, and the Jacobson's organ which (they think) detects and processes pheromones, without us really knowing about it. Fascinating stuff. About how babies know the smell of their mothers, about how we sense where people have been and what they have been doing, about the smell of fear and of lust and of the unknown. And how we use perfume to enhance and distract. And how the sense of smell creates such strong emotional memories. I love the smell of sawdust and oil, metal and woodsmoke, all of which transport me to happy places.

Finding this book was one of those serendipitous moments where you find something totally by chance that strikes a chord. Maybe I subconsciously picked up the scent of this book in a junk shop and was drawn to it. Whatever it was, I have thoroughly enjoyed it and heartily recommend it. For the last few weeks it has been my kitchen table reading, although there was a hiatus when it got moved, while i was reading the chapter about animals and poo. Couldn't manage that over breakfast!

Next on the kitchen table reading is Beechcombings, which I have been dipping into for months and haven't got my nose stuck into yet. Hoping there is stuff in here about the scent of trees.

Winter moon

2010-02-02T15:38:00.000Z

Friday night there was a huge full moon. I had to drive about 15 miles to deliver something and took the scenic route back, enjoying the last of the sunset then the rise of the moon.
I stopped at Thornton Reservoir on the way back to photograph the moon over the water.
I slept with the blinds open so the moonlight poured onto my bed. Strangely comforting and refreshing, like the start of something.

Draughty stuff

2010-02-01T13:59:00.000Z

My one, now resting at home.

It seems I am almost powerless to resist the urge to sew dragon scales into everything. Or to sew Suffolk Puffs onto everything. Last weekend I ran a workshop making draught excluders so had to come up with some samples. Inevitably, both of those two favourite techniques came into play, and along with some ruffles, we had a lot of fun.

As always with the Geffrye, it was well organised, well-resourced and great fun. The seem to attract some lovely people.

Look at that happy smile. And that giant draught excluder!

Draught excluders made during the workshop.

There was a bit of a mad rush to get them all stuffed by the end of the day!

Lovely rosettes, velvet and suffolk puffs.

Stripy dragon scales (made from a bag of mine) inset into an old pair of trousers. Recycling in action.

I didn't actually finish my Suffolk Puffs decorated sample, but I have it in hand, and will get it done forthwith. Eventually. When the need becomes too great.

That thing in the newspaper....

2010-01-31T12:58:00.000Z

One of the strangest bits of work I've done in the last year or two was teaching Mark Watson to sew, for the Guardian / Observer DIY and Save guide I mentioned the other week.

Mark in fear of the bobbins.

Way back before Christmas, I trotted down to London with needles, thread and some trepidation to go and meet the man off the telly and teach him some sewing basics. Teaching people (particularly men) to sew on buttons is not in the normal run of my working life. Especially when they have never picked up a needle in their lives! But it was a fun afternoon, without a doubt. Firstly I arrived early. No-one in at Watson towers. Flat phone. Hmmmm. Then the photographer and his assistant arrived, so at least I was not alone on the doorstep and we were at the right place. All was not lost, some timing-communication error had occurred and we merely had to hang around a bit. Contrary to most peoples' expectation of London and unfriendly Londoners, the Watsons' downstairs neighbour rescued us from the doorstep and invited us into her home for tea and biscuits!
The return of the Watsons dragged us away from biscuits and friendly dog and instead we moved upstairs to meet friendly Mr Watson, Mrs Watson and Cat Watson, all of whom were charming. As was their red velvet sofa and gold wallpaper. Jealous.

So yeah, I taught him to sew on a button! Do read his article, it really is funny. And explore the rest of the DIY clothes repair (and other) tips in the guide.

And for the record, I never get round to repairing my own clothes. They live in a heap at the studio. I should have taken them with me and got Mark to do them.

Sewing resolution number 1

2010-01-20T21:38:00.004Z

First sewing resolution project of 2010 is a needle roll for my double pointed knitting needles. I was spurred on by my friend Sarah who suggested this as a co-crafting project for our social evenings / afternoons in the studio. She's made one too, but more subtle and not quite as complicated!

This took considerably longer than the purple zebra dress, and I designed it from scratch, so I really ought to be as proud of this as I would be of a garment, but it doesn't feel terribly ambitious.

Having said that, I LOVE it. Making it was a pain, designing and adjusting and unpicking all the way until I finally reached a satisfactory (although not ideal) solution.

I fully intend to write this up as a proper project, once I have ironed out my flaws. It is a perfect project for using up much-loved scraps. I used the last scrappy remnants of the zebra dress to make the internal pockets, pieced together with some yellow print and some plain green. The upper part is some hoarded Rowan / Martha Negley aubergine print. (I believe it is out of print now.)

For the outside I used another Martha Negley print with vegetables in lilac and blue - a scrap of the lining I used for my friend's wedding jacket 4 years ago! You would never know that jacket was lined with a print of turnips, cabbages and beans, would you? She's a gardener. I've also got a skirt made out of the same print in a different colourway, which I bought at the same time as the jacket lining. Could not resist.

And those beautiful birdies on their wire is a scrap from my friends Massey and Rogers. This is the same fabric range that the bag in Popular Patchwork is made from, by the way. Birdies galore!

Project two (also started in 2009, just) is almost done. Tailored Tweed Trousers.
I've got the outer waistband on, and the fly zip in, after the obligatory cursing and unpicking when I got it wrong (not made trousers for ages). So all that remains is to finish the waistband, make and insert the lining and a bit of hand finishing - which is of course what takes the time...
And then choosing buttons and hand overcasting all the seam edges because I was in too much of a rush to sew them up and forgot to machine them. Oh well. Quiet tv-watching activity...

And project 3 will be a new dress to wear for my birthday, which is - gulp - a couple of weeks away.

To come (probably tomorrow) the full behind-the-scenes story of teaching Mark Watson to sew buttons on!

Do it Yourself and Save

2010-01-12T13:23:00.003Z

This weekend the Guardian / Observer are putting out a free 2-part guide on fixing stuff yourself instead of paying someone else to do it.
They very kindly asked me to do the bit about repairing your clothes, so I HEARTILY recommend crawling out of bed on Sunday to get a copy of the Observer with my bit in it. You could get the Saturday Guardian too, I suppose....

There's an amusing little extra involving me in the guide too - I'll let you in on that once it's out next week.

And many, many thanks to Perri Lewis for commissioning me to do this!

Thread storage

2010-01-11T13:55:00.004Z

There's a beautiful home / workspace on Bloesem today including this great thread display / storage idea.

The scarves on ladder idea is one I really like too, but don't have the space for it at home. I've got an old clothes horse in the studio which I use for displays, but have pondered using it just to arrange current favourite fabrics in the studio. I'm still working out how to best use my newly-rebuilt studio, but seeing as I'm spending most of my studio time at the computer, it's not very urgent!

Flowers for a winter wedding

2010-01-09T18:40:00.002Z

I got a commission to make an Amelia brooch and a handful of tiny rosebuds from scraps from Vicky's wedding dress. They have now been safely received ready for the wedding next week.

Making the Amelia brooch was fun, I have made about a gazillion in my time, but the rosebuds were a little more tricky - only because of finding a way to make them suitable for attaching to hairgrips. In the end I opted for little felt acorn caps on the bottom with loops of fabric to slide the hair grip through. Seems to have worked. Phew.

Making these also gave me the excuse to play with my new micro iron (I say new, I bought it in October). It was excellent for micro burns. Other than that it seemed ok, but really I need to play around a bit more before giving you a full, micro, report.

Sustain Ceramics

2010-01-08T13:05:00.000Z

One of the (many) things I love about my work is meeting other makers at fairs and exhibitions. Seeing other peoples' work and meeting such interesting, creative people is a constant source of inspiration and enjoyment. Being a fellow-exhibitor is great, you get to know people's work really well, particularly if you are next to or opposite them. And you get to know them, seeing as you are in effect living in each others' pockets for several days. Makers are such nice people and we don't get out enough! So shows, despite all their stresses and strains, are really good fun. Sometimes waaaay too much fun, like Origin 2008 where I was the keeper of the communal gin & tonic to get us through the long, long days.....

Back in November I did the Liverpool Eco Design Show which was a delightful event, well organised and full of nice people, although not enough of the money-spending variety of visitors...

However, I had the pleasure to be opposite Sarah Jerath of Sustain Ceramics. Not only is she great company, but her work is fabulous.

I actually restrained myself from buying it all because I am slightly squeamish about unglazed ceramics, so mostly I had to enjoy it from afar.

Taking photos of something other than textiles was great, although the light (as always in shows) was a bit rubbish.

I did in the end buy one tiny piece as a birthday present for a friend. I then forgot to send it until Christmas, so haven't been able to post the picture of it, knowing she reads the blog!

I'm still not doing a lot of shows, but next up is the Fashion and Jewellery One Day Sale at Craft Central next month, where I'll be (as you might guess) selling fashion and jewellery for one day. SALE. Big sale. I'll tell you more about it nearer the time, but make sure you have the date of 15th February in your diaries now. Looking forward to meeting nice exhibitors and even nicer buyers!

I'm doing some workshops...

2010-01-07T20:47:00.003Z

Defiance N3

I now realise I should have used this photo to illustrate my sewing resolutions post the other day. But I didn't think of it, and now it will simply be used to illustrate this defiance-free post.

I am getting out and about....

Next week:

-----------------------------------------------------
ADDED GLAMOUR THROUGH THE AGES
Wednesday 13th January
Lecture and Demonstration
A hands-on exploration of dress trimmings from the 18th, 19th and 20th century including ruffles, pleats, braiding, applique and ribbons. Through a combination of lecture and demonstration, Ruth will explain a number of dress trimming techniques from Western and international dress.
Ruth Singer- textile /designer maker 2.00pm - 4.15pm £15.00 (Ass. £12.00)

Booking essential, numbers limited, all abilities welcome. Tea and coffee provided, café available for lunch. Contact fulhampalace@lbhf.org 020 7736 3233
MUSEUM OF FULHAM PALACE, Bishops Ave. SW6 6EA
------------------------------------------------------------------

I've just got stuck into preparing samples for this session and am totally over preparing! I could probably rustle up examples to keep us going for about 3 days. 18th century pleating, hat ribbons, applique braid..... mmm. Lovely stuff.

Exclusion Zone
And the following week I am running a workshop on Saturday 23rd January at the Geffrye Museum in London, making good old fashioned draught excluders from good, old fashioned recycled clothing.

This here is the flat fabric before sewing up and stuffing to make it into a sausage. Flipping hard to photograph a finished draught excluder in my studio which has only one door (surrounded by rubbish) and horrible flooring. I must bring it home for photo styling. Though it is rather long and will be entertaining to carry about! I keep remembering, and then forgetting again, that I promised to make my mum one. ooops, sorry.

Fun stuff at Yorkshire Sculpture Park

2010-01-05T13:06:00.008Z

Way way back in late November I ran a workshop for teachers, in the depths of Yorkshire Sculpture Park. This is the kind of work I don't really mind doing. It rained almost all the time but I enjoyed it nonetheless. And I got to stay with my best mate for the long weekend as well, so really it was spot on.

The teachers got to play with fabric manipulation techniques all weekend. Pleating, gathering, stuffing, quilting and Suffolk Puffs. All my favourite stuff.

And in the lunchbreaks I got to enjoy two fabulous exhibitions:

Rob Ryan

Peter Randall-Page

Also got a nosey around the National Arts Education Archive too which had some fun stuff including some old costume accessories

Beaded hat

Beaded trim

And loads of kids artwork including an amazing appliqued wall hanging

And some work from books from the 20s, 30s and 40s. Amazing stuff.

And totally unrelated some nice painted patterned steps

and some peely birch bark

Further updates on the dress(es)

2010-01-04T21:37:00.006Z

as promised a somewhat better picture of the purple zebra dress. I perhaps should have ironed it a little. Oh well.

Details of the binding. This worked really well on the medium-weight linen-y fabric.

And finally a mention of my little black dress that I made almost a year ago for a February party. Full info here.

I have the sleeve-y bits cut out but have never got round to adding them. Though I do like the option of being able to wear a jacket or cardigan over it. I think I might have to make them detachable or something.

I know. Terrible photo. Sorry.

A couple of random event shots of the dress in action!

The overexposed shot shows the construction a bit better - though admittedly not that well. Basically I grafted the bodice and skirt sections together and eliminating the waist seam. Me and waist seams are not friends. I think what I then did was join the skirt and bodice darts to make one long dart down the front of the dress. So basically I made the dress and made the actually figure fitting dart to suit me, by pinning it inside out while I was wearing it. I've got a small back and large bust (as you can see, ahem, it's not exactly a modest frock!) and not much of a waist. So in effect I made the cut more Empire line and fitted under the bust than the original design is made for. I think I might have increased the side bust dart as well, and probably cut the upper bodice a size bigger for the front and maybe even a size smaller on the back. It looks like I cut it bigger in the skirt than it is really designed to be. A bit more a-line. I hadn't even realised I had done that until I started analysing these photos!

Really it would have been sensible to blog this with the adapted pattern in front of me. And indeed it would have been useful to make notes on how I changed the pattern as well. But you can't have it all!

Detail of the back opening. I used an invisible zip and left the top 6 inches or so open with a vintage glass button at the top. Much sexier than a zip up to the back of the neck!

I also lined it throughout, although the pattern just calls for bodice lining. I used silk for the bodice and poly satin for the skirt because that is what I had and it makes sense for the bodice to be in silk. It does feel fabulous.

I had trouble getting the shoulder panels to fit and indeed sit correctly. I used some kind of fabric as interfacing rather than iron-on. I think it was canvas; something solid anyway. One side worked perfectly and the other side is a bit wrinkly. Which you can see very clearly in the over-exposed photo. No idea what went wrong there.

Anyway, it's a fabulous dress and a nice pattern. The shoulder bits make it interesting to make and with a bit of know-how, it was easy to adapt. I do fancy making another version in velvet or cord or wool maybe. With sleeves. And maybe a easier-fitting cotton version. But it isn't on my sewing resolution list so it may never happen!

Quilt it with Wool

2010-01-02T14:44:00.000Z

Now here is a book title designed for just this very moment. Wool. Quilts. Wood fires. Hibernating. Mmmmm.

Quilt it with Wool by Lark Book is about to come out in the US and in the UK in March and among the many excellent projects, there is one by me. Although having said all that about wool and winter, mine is decidedly spring-like in mid-pink lambswool. There are a lot more snuggly-type things in there as well.

I designed a large purse / zipped bag made from a recycled lambswool jumper - the fine-knit M&S type that don't felt. The stretchyness of the knit is perfect for trapunto quilting. Trapunto is a favourite technique of mine where you stitch the design through two layers then cut the backing to stuff the outline shapes. The stretch in the wool makes it take the stuffing really well and create a strong, raised textured surface. I tend to use hand stitching rather than machine because I'm a craft Luddite and I love the effect of hand stitching.

The design I used is a very simplified leaf wreath with the shape echoed in the little wool tag on the zip. Love doing fun things with zip tags.

I've got several projects in books coming out in 2010 so am eagerly awaiting copies appearing in my post box.

Birdie bag

2010-01-01T14:54:00.000Z

Pattern and instructions for this bag available now in the January issue of Popular Patchwork

I've got a spare copy of the magazine to give away. Leave a comment to be in with a chance.

The bag itself will be in my January sale, which will be online sometime in January..... once the tax return is in, and stuff....

New Year sewing resolutions

2009-12-31T15:21:00.000Z

I have decided to set myself a sewing challenge this year. Work is (at present) looking less manic than last year - hurrah! - so I want to make the most of it and get some sewing done for myself.
So this is the plan: At the start of each month I decide on a project and then endeavour to make it by the end of that month. Some clothes, some bags, some curtains, some other stuff too no doubt. All from my frighteningly extensive fabric stash too. No new fabric, as far as possible.
Anyone else want to play?

So a random list of the challenges I am setting myself:

New dress same as one I made a couple of years ago. I have some fabulous pinky-brown (?Liberty) print lawn with shoes on it. Can't find a photo.
Design and cut pattern for a new dress or maybe some other garment from scratch and make the thing too of course
Finish the tailored tweed trousers I started yesterday, while it is still winter (boring but half-way there)

Make my bedroom curtains (fabric has been waiting for 2 years or so, it was bought and used as the sample curtain in my book, and needs reconstructing to fit my windows)
New Spring jacket from the luscious pea green velvet I have waiting. Bought about a year ago.
And maybe another one from the equally luscious red cord I have had in mind, which I have had for years and years. Used to make cushions from it.
Summer dress in time for summer with this pretty pretty Liberty print. Normally my summer dress is ready in about September.

New tweed handbag from the trouser left overs (so I suppose this ought to be in winter too)

Make a dress from this skirt I bought last summer

Summer handbag, as yet unplanned
And thinking of the autumn, I will try and get a winter party dress made in time for Christmas too.
Summer trousers??? Maybe too boring.
A few customising projects
New tops from nice fabrics. I always feel like I don't have enough nice tops to go with all my fancy skirts. I'll try and do a few from bought patterns and one or two from self-designed patterns.
Learn to make some basic underwear*
More knitting needle rolls - my new dpn roll is almost done! And a knitting bag.
Re-make this flipping jacket so I can actually wear it.
New bedlinen. I realised recently I am still using the stuff I got when I went off to university. 16 years ago. Time to change...

Oh and a quilt. A full-size one for my bed. Easy peasy.

I could go on, but I think it might be wise to stop at this point, having already got well over 12-months worth of projects. The knitting might suffer if I do this much sewing!

And I will say it again, I wish someone would design a Ravelry for sewing projects. I like lists!!

*for this I need to get over my jersey sewing phobia and get to grips with my overlocker (not taken it out of the box (I was given it)). So that might well be my main challenge!

So what are your sewing plans for 2010?

Some knitting

2009-12-30T20:23:00.004Z

When life is lacking in sewing time, I rejoice that I learned to knit a few years ago. It gives me just enough of a creative kick without needing all that set-up, tidy-away, table, good light business that dressmaking requires. In the last couple of years I have mostly knit to patterns, lacking the skill or indeed desire to invent my own. There are so many wonderful patterns out there, designed by people who actually understand knit, that I see no reason to attempt to design my own. Knitting is a pleasure, not work, not a task, not a thing I have to teach or explain to anyone. I just do it because I love making stuff. Once upon a time I played with knitting as part of my work and designed a few really simple things (like this scarf) but I know fabric is where I belong, designing-wise, so I stick with what I am good at. And Ravelry has made knit-scheming so much easier and more obsessive. And last, but by no means least, my local knit club has been my social saviour having moved to a new(ish) town and has produced more brilliant friends than I could have possibly imagined.

So as per usual, I made quite a few knitted Christmas and winter birthday or baby presents and mostly failed to take photographs of them. Curses. But here's a couple. LOADS more on the needles; I cast on 3 projects on Monday which makes 4 on the go at once, with another gift jumper lined up, a cardigan gift in planning stage and more babies on the way left right and centre to knit for. Excellent!

I have also been very lucky and been given some wonderful knits recently: got alpaca socks for me this Christmas and also have a crocheted alpaca scarf that was made for me earlier this year as well as a Noro neckwarmer! Truly appreciated as only another knitter can.

Socks by Sarah, worn by me. Yarn purchasing enabled by me. I must have gone on soooo much about how lovely it was!

New year knitting resolutions: learn to knit from charts, try some more simple lace, DO NOT BUY MORE YARN (except maybe for specific gifts).

Best thing about Christmas holidays: knitting, port, DVDs. I'm off.

Dresses

2009-12-29T21:24:00.005Z

Don't faint with shock. I am still alive. December has been almost as strange as November, but Christmas is over and I am back in the studio and there is stuff happening!

Although admittedly, these here happened before Christmas. Neither photo was taken with the aim of showing off the dresses at their best advantage, and indeed in both I may have partaken a little wine. But to prove that I do still sew now and again, I give you two dresses (well actually I give you the photos, I'm not giving away either of them, no no no). You also get to see glamorous corners of the kitchen and my two very lovely cats.

So first up is red linen. Me posing in mad hat with cat flap and cat bed in shot and fabulous red shoes out of shot.

It goes to show how slow I am at blogging these things. I made this dress in about May, before work got really really manic. A summer dress actually ready in time for summer!?! But then something went wrong right at the end, there was a stain on the fabric I think. So I washed it. And it shrank. And yes, I should have thought of that. And yes, I thought I had pre-washed the fabric. I don't know. Maybe I didn't. It's been in the stash for years and years and years. But fortunately it only shrank lengthways. Which made it rather too short for summer so back in the to-sew pile it went, ready for a ruffle along the bottom. Which never got done. Then suddenly it was winter and I could wear it with tights (aubergine in fact although they look black).
So hurrah! Teeny red dress. Which is waaaaay too big on the shoulders which the toile was not. I really can't remember what went so wrong with this but as you can see I don't care and am wearing it anyway. I think the linen stretched after I cut it. Linen is like that. The back bodice piece has a pleat in it too, I guess that stretched as well. Stay stitching. Remember. Stay stitching. Despite that, the pattern (McCalls Crafty 5576) was nice and easy to sew. I didn't bother with a zip as it is loose-fitting anyway. I interfaced the yoke with silk organza (which in retrospect won't have helped with the stretching, like an iron-on would). I also made lingerie straps on the shoulders in the hope that it attaching the dress to my bra would stop it falling off my shoulders. It doesn't. So if I was to make it again (not feeling too enthusiastic), I would make the neckline smaller or make sure the fabric doesn't stretch and i would cut it with a little more ease in the hipline. And a bit longer. And not use lined for poofy sleeves as they are IMPOSSIBLE to iron. So the poofy sleeves are kind of flat. That all makes it sound like an unmitigated disaster, but I've worn it to 2 parties so it isn't that bad.

But for Christmas I wanted something easier to wear. And I wanted the zebra-print fabric which is Echino Kokka fabric from Japan, although I bought it from the lovely Kay at Clothkits, when I saw them at the Knitting and Stitching show a few months ago. I could not resist. It is too wonderful. I bought 1.5m on total impulse, thinking I would make a skirt. But I wanted a dress really. So I made one. Super simple smock/pinafore type thing, pattern made up very rapidly from my fitted-to-me basic bodice pattern with two bust darts and pleats centre front and centre back (because I cut it too wide (see a theme?). Side seam pockets. Neck and armholes faced with bias binding cut from this. I managed to cut it too short (again??) so had to piece bits from the upper part of the fabric onto the hem which then made it longer than I intended, so I may re-hem it tomorrow. There's also a patched bit on the back to make enough for the extended hem. I'll get a proper photo of it on a mannequin so you can see it without me kneeling down. Suffice to say, I love it. It has zebras. It has turquoise spotty trees. It has pockets. It has ample space for Christmas dinner.

And had precisely this much fabric left from my 1.5m. Close call.

Today I re-commenced the battle of the tweed trousers. Fabric bought in September. Started copying a pair of existing trousers in October or maybe November and never finished making the pattern. Today got as far as finishing the toile and cutting the wool. eeek. Really really had to force myself to press on with them although all I really wanted to do was make another new dress in time for New Years Eve. Yes, another. In the space of a week. I might still have a go tomorrow. If I get out of bed early enough. The holiday is working wonders. Yesterday I cast on 3 new knitting projects. Madness. But good madness, I'm sure you will agree. Stashbusting. Although I did order 600g of yarn this morning which is not going to do much to reduce the yarn stash. Yarn diet commences 1st Jan. Honest.

Food

2009-12-05T20:22:00.002Z

Despite the fact that I've written two sewing books in the last two years, in years gone by I always imagined myself writing a cookery book. Instead I cook myself interesting, mostly invented meals, read cookery books & food writing (although not as much as I would like to) and write a very occasional food blog. Good food has been at the forefront of my mind recently as I am more regularly eating with (and cooking for) chef-friend, which means I am paying a lot more attention. Hence I went a bit beserk in a wonderful deli today in York. Which I have burbled about on the food blog. I ought to read more food blogs, any recommendations? Not recipe sites but stuff about food. You know?

The Sewing Bible

2009-12-03T16:41:00.003Z

My book came out in the US & Canada last month! Sew It Up has been retitled The Sewing Bible and has a lovely new red cover, which I absolutely love! It's exactly the same book just with American terms and imperial measurements.

I'm delighted to say that it's going down really well and has had lovely reviews from all sorts of places like (woohoo!) A Dress A Day. Thanks Erin!

And here - best quote "Then, gorgeous woman that she is, she provides projects (about 20 in all and none of them suck - no, I'm serious, they really don't suck) to put into practice some of the different techniques."

And here - "So stick it on the old Christmas list and prepare to spend the holidays curled up in a chair with buttered rum and a wealth of crafty knowledge."

Second book is about to go off to print and 3rd book is a twinkle in my eye!

November Blues

2009-11-30T19:21:00.006Z

November is hardly my favourite month of the year and this November has been a funny one indeed, resulting in a creative black (or blue) hole while I work out what to do next. I don't usually do blues, literal or metaphorical, so I've been surprised by the way I've been drawn into blue the last few days.

I spent the weekend working for NSEAD teaching art / textiles teachers. I do love teaching teachers, they are so enthusiastic. I was showing them lots of hand-sewn fabric manipulation so while they were quietly stitching away, I got some stitching done too. Kind of interactive sample-making.

I do love working with velvet. This is a silk/ viscose mix - a remnant I bought from Cloth House years ago. Not my usual vintage/recycled/organic fabric, but so utterly lovely that I had to do something with it. This is a small sample piece probably destined to be a bag. I have ideas for a small range of very luxurious bags floating around in my mind, so this is the first stage.

I'm also doing a bit of just playing around, fiddling with materials and seeing where it takes me. I've done a few applications for projects recently that are more conceptual than my work has every previously been. So even though I haven't got the commissions, I'm playing with the ideas now and again. So this one is another November blue, a sort of collaboration, almost. A piece of lapis, cut, polished and given me by a friend, incorporated into a pincushion. It's not finished, this is just a first draft. There is a lot more I want to do with this, but I'm not sure what yet.

I've got another piece on the go which is a longer-term project - burying fabric underground over the winter and digging it up in the Spring, following on from a project proposal a friend and I did for work based around archaeology. I've got the piece cut up ready, just haven't yet mooted the idea to my landlord about burying stuff under his winter cabbages!

So I guess I'm stitching my way out of the November blues and starting the new year early full of new ideas and exciting things for 2010.

Japanese Craft Exhibition

2009-11-05T22:25:00.003Z

Just a quick note to say - Londoners should go and see this, it looks great!
I used to occasionally work with Japanese traditional craftspeople and British makers inspired by Japanese techniques. *Passing moment of wistfulness for my old job*

Basketry by Joanna Gilmour.

Via @Rosiejam

The chair has a new dress!

2009-11-04T22:13:00.002Z

Or at least the chair has a new cover, let us not get too surreal.

And I made a new set of pictures on Flickr of the felt pebble fixation which has lead to this chair being decorated thus.

It got loads of compliments at the Eco Design Show in Liverpool over the weekend. A pound for every enthusiastic comment would have made me a rich woman! I do love to make people happy simply at the sight of some fabric sewn to some other fabric. Hopefully it will one day make someone SO happy that they have to buy it. Or at least commission their own. In the meantime it will make my studio happier and brighter and bring joy to all the work experience students who will be coming to work for me over the next few months*. And you guys too, I hope. The chair of happiness.

* they will need it, poor loves mostly get to do ironing and cutting out circles. Sometimes pebbles, but mostly circles.

Staring blankly into the distance.

2009-10-29T21:03:00.004Z

I have:

taught a workshop in Birmingham
had a rather pointless trip to West Bromwich
driven to Wales & had dinner & wine & walked the dog (not all the same time)
driven to Ormskirk to deliver work to the Chapel Gallery
seen the Gormleys
set up my stand for the Eco Design Show, Liverpool
been delighted that my hosts have wifi
collapsed on the sofa but sans wine and chocolate. A mistake.

Not bad for 2 days. I am a little tired. Now I shall sleep.

More on scissors

2009-10-29T17:21:00.000Z

As I hoped, Scrapiana came up trumps with scissor-related question from the other day. I thought I would copy it here for all to enjoy! Thanks!

"I don't think there's an official collective noun for scissors (a startling oversight) though "a snip of scissors" can't really be bettered. Well done. I'd offer "an indecision of scissors" to cover those of us who experience cutting-anxiety over precious items from our stash. Hopefully none of us will experience the inferior grouping of "a bluntness of scissors", or "a shred of scissors". An obvious scissor subset might be "a zigzag of pinking shears".

A couple of dictionary factlets, c/o the Shorter OED. The word seems to come from the late Latin word for a cutting instrument: cisorium, which sounds to me like a great name for a scissor shop. In C19th slang, "Scissors!" was an interjection expressing disgust or impatience. You may also wish to revive a late C19th adverb: scissorwise, meaning in the form or manner of a pair of scissors."

Liverpool Design Festival, Eco Show.

2009-10-27T23:00:00.000Z

One of the reasons (among a list so long and frankly tedious, I won't bore you with it (which is something coming from the woman who just a few days ago posted a long blog about putting up shelves)) I am so unbloggy and otherwise occupied is that I am preparing to exhibit at Liverpool Design Festival's Eco Design Show. Anyone around that way who wants to get in free in exchange for helping me out should get in touch. I will be running a hands-on session making Suffolk Puffs and working on a giant one of these.

Please come and play!

I've been working like mad getting ready for this show, and also to preparing workshops for Craftspace which start tomorrow, and I'm delivering work to Chapel Gallery while I'm up in the North West. Plus keeping the day job ticking over and working on some exciting new things. Phew. I hope I'll get some time to blog about the exhibitions I've seen and a few other bits and pieces while I'm away, wifi willing. If not, I apologise and I will be back as soon as I have something to say.

Here's all the details about the whole Design Festival:

Liverpool Design Festival 30 October – 8 November

A celebration of design and fashion that confirms Liverpool as a hub of creative talent. There truly is something for everyone – come along and shop for a unique design gem, walk the Design Trail around the city, pimp your own clothes or bags with the help of top fashion professionals, learn how to make your own fashion business work or enter a schools competition to start your design career off on the right foot.

Eco Design Show
Sat 31 Oct & Sun 1 Nov – Crypt Hall at The Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral
In keeping with the City’s Year of the Environment the Eco Design Show will feature tables, chairs, ceramics, furniture, lighting, jewellery, bags and fashion accessories that prove there is no need to compromise beautiful and stylish design when recycling, reusing or reducing consumption of resources.

As Sarah Elderkin, Liverpool Design Festival director explained; “The Eco Design Show is all about showing off the best in high quality design to challenge the common misconceptions that exist about eco design. All our exhibitors have placed eco-design practices at the heart of their work and visitors to the show will be amazed to see what can be recycled and reused.

“The show also gives a unique shopping opportunity for everyone who loves to be fashionable by bringing together the work of over 30 British based designers in one place.”

Visitors to the show can also meet Liverpool designer Ilsa Parry winner of BBC2’s Design For Life. Ilsa was chosen by design guru Phillipe Starck to join his Paris team for 6 months. Come and find out what life as part of his ‘tribe’ was like and see some of Ilsa’s own designs like the Kaspa lamp that glows in the dark after the power has been switched off.

There will also be workshops at the show run by garment illustrator Emily Lansley and bag-makers to the stars Nook and Willow. Bring your old handbags, belts and clothes with you and leave with unique creations made by you!

1.Eco Design and Fashion Show
Opening Hours: (Fri 30 Oct 12-6pm Trade Only) Sat 31 Oct & Sun 1 Nov 10am to 6 pm
Tickets from £5 online contact www.liverpooldesignfestival.com £7 on the door, under 16’s free with adults
Venue - The Crypt is the only fully realised section of the original Sir Edward Lutyens design for the Catholic Cathedral. The entrance to the crypt is on Brownlow Hill.

Finishing School
Monday 2 – Friday 6 November

A comprehensive programme of fashion masterclasses designed for recent graduates and more experienced professionals alike. Your opportunity to get advice from successful professionals such as Joanne Watkinson from MyWardrobe.com and Justine Mills from Liverpool’s very own fashion store, Cricket. If you want to work in the world of fashion these are for you with topics including; Presentation to Buyers, Intellectual Property, Styling, Pricing, Fashion Marketing and Brand Image.

Design Stars – launching at the Eco Design and Fashion Show

To encourage the next generation of designers this competition will get 11 to 16 year olds competing to win either a graphic design, fashion or video games brief. There are workshops available from professional designers for the first schools to sign up and the winners get a masterclass from designers in the field they chose from locally based nonconform, Nook and Willow or Sony. Supported by Echo in the Community and in association with the Bluecoat’s Shine project.

Liverpool Design Symposium
Wednesday 4th November 10am-9pm

Following last year’s inaugural success the Symposium will once again present an insightful and inspirational programme based on the theme of ‘Branding the City’. With speeches, presentations, workshops and exhibition all at JMU’s new Art and Design academy.

Design Trail – throughout the festival

The whole city’s gone design crazy! Follow the map or go on the website and visit any or all of the 12 venues across Liverpool city centre that are celebrating design, from HOST on Hope Street to Coffee Union on Bold Street, from the Met Quarter to the Empire.

Liverpool Design Festival is run by industry support body Design Initiative with the support of the City of Liverpool and the National Lottery through Arts Council England.

A snip of scissors

2009-10-23T22:44:00.003+01:00

Hmmm. I'm not sure what the collective noun is (or ought to be) for scissors. I throw this question open to you readers (and hope dearly for an answer from Scrapiana & her dictionary of everything).

I went to the haberdashery wholesalers this afternoon, which I realised was a mere 15 minutes walk from the studio, mainly along the canal. The canal is charming in the sun and pretty grim the rest of the time. Today was sunny which always helps to catch the sparkle of the shopping trolleys lurking at the bottom of the water. Ahh. City living at it's finest.

Anyway, I was talking of another type of metal ware, that of scissors. The 24 pairs of scissors I bought (14 large, 9 small/medium, one pinking) are not very interesting at all, they merely allow me to run textile classes without having to risk my own sharps in the fray.

So instead I show you printed scissors, from the studio of my friend Teresa of Teresa Green, just a few miles further up that same stretch of canal.

This could easily be the epitome of the sewing themed accessories. Although I could do with scissors on a skirt. Hmm. I sense a Clothkits collaboration... could I persuade them?

Oh, they aren't on the website. I bought it at Origin the other week. Must be new. Never fear, she is at shows all over the place in the next few weeks, have a look at the list here, including the Great Northern this weekend and Lustre in a couple of weeks. Hurrah!

In which I give a long list of things and promises

2009-10-22T22:20:00.003+01:00

Firstly the list of things, most of which happened some time ago and I am majorly tardy in sharing them:

1. I was featured in the September issue of Get Creative magazine which is a very charming Australian magazine about, well, crafts. The feature is about my work and about Sew It Up. Despite having a book published and another one in the pipeline, I'm still really excited about having an article published about me, in Australia. Wow.

2. Talking of books, I mentioned that Sew It Up is being published in the US under the title of The Sewing Bible. Well, it's available for pre-order now! Out November 10th. Woo hoo! Just in time for Christmas people! That version is also available in Canada, but the rest of the world has the English version with all those centimetres. Save of course the Finnish who have their own version, called Kotiompelijan Kasikirja. Whatever that means.... (excuse lack of accent there, I can't muster the energy to find accents as well as remembering all the stuff I haven't yet told you).

3. My new book is still in proof-reading stage (expecting to have a fun weekend in with it) but it is already on Amazon for pre-order, although it's not out for quite a while (July next year, fingers crossed!). And the text needs a spot of updating... new info will be supplied shortly!

4. What was 4? Oh yes. I've had work featured in a couple of Etsy Treasuries recently. Always nice to be in these alongside some really amazing stuff.

5. I'm getting ready to exhibit at Liverpool Design Festival's Eco Design Show. More anon

6. I have some work going on display at the Chapel Gallery in a couple of weeks too.

Plus some links to stuff which has been entertaining and enthusing me recently:

International Wear A Dress Day, which I wholeheartedly support. If you are inclined to wear dresses at all. If not then clearly it is a bad idea and I do not suggest it. Terrible things may happen. However, if you are a fan of swooshing about with skirts then go dressy next Thursday. I have to set up at Liverpool that day which is not the best dress-wearing activity so I am pondering how to deal with this one. But I will do my best. Maybe wearing an apron in public will do instead? Why don't I start a wearing an apron in public day too? I wore one last Friday and got even more funny looks in the pub than I would normally get. Interesting....

This is a great article about sewing, feminism and the 18th Century. Three of my favourite things.

I am reading The Culture of Knitting by Joanne Turney. It's good. More of this anon too.

Got all fired up about Craft Club the other week, having been reading up about crafts and education. Kids need to do crafts at school. It does matter.

And I'm just starting some work for Craftspace which is really exciting, even though it will involve getting up at 6am for several days and going to Birmingham. Oh well.

and finally, the list of promises (as much to remind myself as to tantalize you. Perhaps rather more to remind myself, although feel free to be tantalized if you wish).

1. I have been sewing and I have even got the odd photo here and there.
2. I have TWO exhibitions to review AND a catch up on TWO weeks' worth of Origin AND the Knitting and Stitching Show. Phew.
3. I will not blog about shelves for a long time.

There were probably more but it's now well past my bedtime and having been up a bit too early to run a rather manic workshop this morning, I'm off.

Shelving the studio

2009-10-20T23:07:00.001+01:00

Three years. Three years I've been in this studio. [And the same house. That's more than twice as long as I've lived anywhere in the last 16 years.]
But the studio - really this is my second studio, but the first was only a 6-month sublet so I never really got to fill it to the ceiling with fabric and sewing machines and fluff of all kinds. I didn't quite expect to be here 3+ years [life tends to be like that] so I didn't do a lot of work when I moved in, save for some vital extra shelves.

But just lately I have been a tad less busy and my mind has turned to the mess that is my studio. It's almost a kind of procrastination. Having had a real job for most of this year, I've not actually made much at all. Which is awful and I am remedying it forthwith, do no fear. But I have got a bit of creative drought. Or an impetus shortage. Or something. But with me, a little sorting out, shuffling fabrics around, making new workspaces where there was mess, really helps my creativity. So I am sorting. A kind of Autumn-cleaning. Hibernation nesting maybe? I fully intend to spend winter buried in fabric in my studio!
So anyway, the shelves. About a year ago I had a major shelf collapse - the rubbish wobbly shelves that were there when I moved in. I've put up a lot of shelves in my time and believe me, I can put up solid shelves. I come from a family of book owners. Serious book owners. And because of this shelf-training, I have only ever had one collapse. And that wasn't my fault. Stupid crumbly walls.

In contrast the studio has incredibly solid walls that are sooooooo hard that even my entire weight behind the hammer drill is not always quite enough to get the screw holes deep enough. Which is presumably why the previous tenant left shelves that were kind of stuck on the wall with paint and willpower.

So off the came, taking a fair chunk of the wall with them.
They certainly weren't designed to take this.

I dread to think of the weight of fabric I have. The two guys who loaded the van when i moved might hazard a guess at about 15 gazillion tonnes. This is only the stuff on the inherited shelves - the newer shelves I put up a couple of years ago are still fully dressed in their array of textiley goodness.

Look. All tidy. It's like that all the time, you know. Really.

So anyway, much drilling and swearing later I got the shelves up on the right hand side of that wall and with much less swearing I got the left hand side up. I've no idea why the second lot was easier, but it was. Phew.

So here they are. Looking oh so stylish huh, with the old holes and unpainted bits where the brackets came off. Never mind. Soon covered with fabric.

That was taken on Saturday and things have since been re-arranged again. A lot more sorting needs to be done, but it's a whole lot easier to sort when you have somewhere to put it.

I'm now planning an ENTIRE redesign of my whole studio (except this wall of course) to make the place more useable and efficient. I haven't done it before because I didn't think I was going to stay. But I am. Try getting me out of there now. Not a good plan.

So yeah, I've written a blog about putting up shelves. I will do some sewing again. Soon. Honest.

Books and magazines

2009-10-19T11:09:00.000+01:00

Part of this weekend's work to do list was to read some nice books. I like to do lists that involve nice things. I'm playing around with ideas for a new book which is supremely exciting and so much more fun than a lot of the other work I have to do. One aspect of book-conceiving is making sure someone else hasn't done the same thing already. So I have a perfect excuse to buy all the new, interesting sewing books that come out. Not that Digital Textile Design has anything to do with what I might write about, I just fancied reading it anyway. And I will, eventually.

I love Alabama Stitch Book. I'm behind the times with this, I know. Likewise with Handmade Home, there are great reviews on blogs all over the place - but these things take a little longer to get over here and even longer for me to get round to buying, reading, let alone blogging. I've also got Weekend Sewing knocking around somewhere. I like the idea of some weekend sewing rather than weekend report-writing & shelf-building which is how I spent my exciting Saturday at the studio.

In other book news, I'm finally reading Toast by Lord Nigel of Slater.
A few days ago I finished Notes from Walnut Tree Farm, which I have been savouring slowly. Sigh. I love his books so much, it's so sad that there won't be any more.

Earlier this year I had to buy a load of fashion magazines for my exhibition, and have been enjoying reading them myself now the show is over. I really like non-Western fashion mags as they are so much more exciting and colourful. My two favourites were Libas, a British/ Pakistani magazine with great fashion shoots and lots of arts and culture articles. I would link to their website but Google tells me it's a bit dodgy, so who knows.... I also really liked Arise which is African-centric, or at least this issue is. The website is a bit enigmatic. I bought them in my local Borders, but I have seen Libas in a normal local newsagent which is of course where I recommend you go and look!

I'm also reading The Culture of Knitting. It's a very academic book, presumably a version of a PhD thesis, but so far it's readable and enjoyable - but I'm only 30-odd pages in. It's quite dense. It's not telling me anything new yet, but I think it's going to be really good. I will keep you posted!

That's quite a lot really. Best get back to it.

Lincoln, autumn and scrumping

2009-10-18T13:12:00.004+01:00

Thanks for your postcard thoughts - I went for just one in the end, the green one in the middle. I decided to save money and only have the one. I have 2 others already but they are both grey, so a green was a good plan.

On Monday I had a lovely day off (sort of) going to Lincoln to deliver some work for Harding House Gallery's Mellow Yellow autumn exhibition. It was a perfect autumn day too, sunny, mild and gorgeous. Lincoln is a beautiful little city and it was great to have an excuse for a day out there.

The exhibition opened yesterday and is on until 14th November, so get up there quick!

I made this huge, framed piece last year for Origin and was more than happy to see it go out to a gallery again.

This one is a few years old now but I still love it - the colours of the silk are quite amazing.

I also delivered a good little stash of brooches and purses in warm autumny colours. It was a good excuse to play with a particular colour palette which I really enjoyed.

I also came home with a new book on British Folk Art to add to my collection. Even the cover of this one matches the orange-theme! I do love folk art. And I bought some delicious tea.
I have to go back and collect my work - such a shame! And this time I am planning to go when Tasty Vintage is open. I decided it didn't matter so much that it was shut on Monday as I do have *quite* a lot of clothes already.... but it did look good through the window.

I also picked amazing mulberries, although I best not say exactly where from.... They were just by the path....

Choosing new postcards

2009-10-13T14:04:00.002+01:00

These are some of the options. Any preferences? Leave me a comment or email me, thanks!

Reasons to go to the shops

2009-10-07T22:45:00.006+01:00

To spy interesting displays and vignettes, even if I don't buy anything.

Never thought I would see knitting being used to sell expensive clothes. Fabulous. Giant balls of wool is definitely the thing though. (oh and those balls of wool have had another life, but that's another story).

Displays and windows in Cloth House, London.

I had an inspiring day out at Loop, Cloth House & Liberty with friends a couple of weeks ago. Came home almost empty handed but was happy to have introduced my friends to the delights of textiley London.

A whole lot of knitting

2009-10-06T23:07:00.006+01:00

I was really pleased a few weeks back to finally meet Amy of Keep and Share, the fabulous, sustainable knitwear company. We met at a seminar and have since cooked up a plan to work together, if things go our way. So keep your fingers crossed and watch this space. In the mean time, go and enjoy looking at her amazing knitwear. She was also at the Knitting and Stitching Show at Ally Pally the last few days so I went for a gossip and bought some of her great offcuts yarn, made from her own waste yarn with a little bit of sparkle added in.

Nice, huh? Like damson jam with glitter in it. Not that damson jam needs or wants glitter in it.

I also came home with some Noro Silk Garden Sock (for a man-sock-gift)

but then saw this instead so the silk garden will have to be mine. Shame eh?

(Colinette Jitterbug)

Can't have too many Noro socks I reckon.

(My freshly-finished Jaywalkers. So happy. So warm. I have included the image with the massive mistake so you don't mistake me for a person who is actually all that good at following knitting patterns.)

There can never be too much Noro.

(Noro Iro for a scarf-gift version 2.0)

Although sometimes a good plain, sheepy-scented English Blue-Faced Leicester wool is just what is required for warm mittens for that matter.

Quilts, quilts and more quilts

2009-10-06T19:15:00.000+01:00

Oh poor abandoned blog, blah blah. I'm Twittering too much, that's the trouble.
But let's skip the regret and cut to the chase.

What's new?

Big news - my own super-duper quilt shopping success! For years I've been looking out for a lovely old quilt, preferably quite tatty and definitely quite cheap. I spent the best part of a year visiting one in a vintage shop in Brighton when I lived there, but was unable to find the £100 required to take it home. That was a classy one - white, indigo and dark reds. Probably 19th century. So I kept looking, saw boring but expensive ones occasionally, but never fell in love. Until all that changed....

A couple of weeks ago when I was on my boating holiday we passed a sign saying (something along the lines of)

Canalside Farm Shop

Fruit
Veg
Chutney
Books
Boaty bric-a-brac
LED lighting design

Eh? So we had to go and see. My brother for the LEDs, my mum for the veg and me, somewhat reluctantly, for the bric-a-brac, boaty or otherwise. I didn't have very high hopes. Boaty bric-a-brac being not quite my thing. I browsed old boat headlights, bits of metal, ropes, courgettes, apples and feathery eggs and then spotted some doilies and old linen. Meh, got a lot of old doilies already... loads of embroidered tablecloths filling up my studio... but, errrr, wassat under the doilies? That looks like patchwork....a cushion, probably....... Keep calm, don't get excited..... OH MY GOD IT'S A QUILT....... FOR £30!!!!

Obviously I didn't say that out loud. I nonchalantly picked it up and had a little stroke. Victorian it is not (which the label said) but who cares. It's pretty, it's old, tatty and well loved, and now, it's mine! I actually skipped back along the towpath to the boat and bounced around all day clutching my slightly musty collection of old rags stitched together into something wonderful. The shop owner looked astonished. I think I made her day. It certainly made my day!

So, I'm no quilt scholar but I do know a bit about fabrics and it looks 1930s-50s to me. It's not filled so it's a super-thin quilt, so eventually I plan to unpick the backing and give it some filling. I need a quilt to be useful, not just decorative! It needs quite a bit of repair as well, so maybe in about 100 years when I retire, I can fix it.

Talking of quilts, I hope you know all about the V&A Quilts exhibition coming up next year. Now, many of you know this, but those who don't, I used to work at the V&A until 4 and a bit years ago, in their adult education team. Talk of this quilt exhibition was almost enough to make me want to stay, just so I could be near it, go to it everyday, maybe even go to a meeting about it. I know. A meeting. I doubt very much I would have been allowed to have anything much official to do with it, but I would have tried, believe me. But hey ho, I left nonetheless, and here I am some years later doing things with fabric myself instead. And happy with it. But I am still beside myself with excitement about seeing this show, put together by the lovely Sue Prichard, who was (and no doubt still is) one of the nicest people I ever was lucky enough to work with at the V&A.
*Sigh*

If that's not enough quilt-talk: Someone (on Twitter I expect) pointed me at this - quilts made from recycled menswear.

And one final quilt-note:
Advance notice of a couple of books I contributed to:
Pretty Little Mini Quilts, Lark Books. I designed a doll quilt in silk dupion with trapunto details. For the poshest doll in your life... & a leaf-design baby quilt in organic cotton. It's not out til March, though....
However - Quilting with Wool is out in January! I made a trapunto quilted purse from a recycled lambswool jumper. It's pretty, if I say so myself. Just got it back from photography.
I also designed something for a still-top-secret quilty kind of book also coming out next year. I've seen the proofs of this and it's AMAZING. Impatient!!! Want to talk about it now!
Hey ho. Will be worth the wait.

Reversing and starting again

2009-09-27T16:06:00.003+01:00

I'm emerging from the thick fog of full-time and not-terribly-fulfilling work and slowly working my way back into a world of textiles and textiles and more textiles. I promise!

One step on the way towards this was a trip to London yesterday with two local crafty friends to visit the hallowed ground of Loop, Cloth House & Liberty. One of them had hardly ever been to London and had one of those all-too-familiar theories of London being noise, dirt and general unpleasantness. Don't even get me started. I lived there for seven years and LOVED it. I didn't love the rent prices which is why I am no longer there, but London, I still love you. Having said that, Loop didn't exist when I lived there and Liberty had a bigger and better haberdashery department - it seems to have shrunk more every time I visit. I thought crafts were on the up?

Photo taken in Liberty in May, before the department was re-arranged and made smaller.

I can't complain too much about Liberty as they do stock my book, and for that, I adore them anew. Plus they have fabric with dominoes. And now, so do I. At least I have 0.5m.

Anyway, my point here was merely to tell you about a new knitting book I spied in Loop, not to ramble on at length and anything and everything else - although I am procrastinating book proofing which might explain it.

Reversible Knitting: 50 Brand-new, Groundbreaking Stitch Patterns

On my Christmas list now!

Ok, getting back to my own book now.

Holiday review (sans photos)

2009-09-20T18:54:00.003+01:00

Ok, so a post (virtually) without pictures is not the most exciting way to tell you about my holiday, but seeing as I've just given you a week of photos of my last holiday a month ago, I see no reason to rush it.

So instead I'll just tell you the highlights in words.

Autumn holiday on the canal =

Excellent foraging. Blackberries, plums, damsons and apples.
Slow, technology-free days, watching the world go by and having no clue about the world any further away from the towpath.
Knitting. Sitting on the front of the boat, the top of the boat, inside the boat, on the bank. Pretty much knitted all week non-stop except when boat-skivvy duties called me away.
Easy garter stitch knitting while reading the wonderful Mason-Dixon Knitting. How had I missed this before? Luckily my local branch libary threw it at me as I wondered in for holiday reading. Read it cover to cover in greedy gulps.
Kingfisher-spotting under the M6 motorway bridge.
Canal-side farm shops.
Charming and apparently deserted canal-side villages.
Sheep-spotting galore (plus lots of cows, a good few chickens, a handful of goats and the requisite gazillion ducks, moorhens and occasional goose and heron).
Damp, dark, spooky canal tunnels.
Great joy of a tiny independent boatyard which sold chandlery, loo roll and Green and Blacks.
Laid-back nattering, eating, beer-consuming with my really rather splendid family.

I want another holiday.

Back soon with pictures of the fruit of my needles and yarn, my SUPREMELY wonderful junk shopping experience and probably some actual fruit because I am obsessed.

Details

2009-09-18T00:45:00.000+01:00

A last few snippets of the memories of my summer.

Portland

Chesil Beach
Wonderful cafe in Portland
Portland butterflies
Making light magic by the campfire.

seaside

2009-09-17T00:28:00.000+01:00

Pattern, colour, texture in the manmade

Bits and pieces of Dorset

2009-09-16T00:22:00.000+01:00

Finding details.

Coast

2009-09-15T00:42:00.000+01:00

Dorset. August 2009.

Fabrics

2009-09-14T00:18:00.000+01:00

Entirely unnecessary fabrics bought at Festival of Quilts.

Liberty print with shoes. Found the matching ricrac further along the aisle. A combination made in sewing heaven.

I'm taking friends fabric shopping in London soon. Must install new fabric shelves at the studio first...

Sea stones

2009-09-13T00:31:00.000+01:00

Pattern, colour, texture in stone

Flowers

2009-09-12T00:05:00.002+01:00

While I was on holiday in Dorset I went hunting for a replacement for my missing (to be re-found at the back of some shelf, no doubt) wildflower identification book.
Instead I found a real gem.

I'm off on holiday again! So I will leave you with a random selection of pictures from the last few months.

Tweed on TV

2009-09-09T23:30:00.003+01:00

Just a quick note from me - buried as I am under a mountain of work, and about to go on holiday. Purely by chance I have just found and watched a great BBC4 programme on iplayer all about Harris tweed. Yes, not just an hour-long programme about it, but a whole series!
I'm not sure that last time I saw a tv programme about fabric, let alone a 3 part series. I am bizarrely excited about a programme about the near-death of a traditional textile industry. Is this weird? If it is, I don't care. Enjoy!
ps - BBC iplayer is of course only for those in the UK, sorry overseas folks.

Knitting on the beach

2009-09-06T22:13:00.002+01:00

Alas the on-beach knitting was done a few weeks ago and today's knitting has been pretty sea-free on the sofa, but I have completed a very-delayed birthday present of these fingerless mittens. Now I've just got one last-year Christmas present to complete and things will be looking good!

Another good haul at the car boot sale (photos to come) - vintage hankies, pillowcases, napkins and a very fine 1930s aluminum ice bucket. To go with my chrome soda siphon and bakelite roulette wheel. Life's essentials, you know.

More creatively I also bought small but extremely ugly ottoman / footstool for an exciting refurbishment project. I'm getting more and more into the idea of upholstery, or at least recovering existing upholstery. I've had my eyes open for another chair to play with (I have a couple) but haven't found one yet. A footstool will be a whole lot easier to store at least. I missed out on an upholstery course this year, having forgotten to book in time. It looks like I'll have to wait another year for it to come round again. In the meantime I'm keeping an eye out for tools as well so I can continue to play around by myself.

Old stuff

2009-09-05T22:43:00.002+01:00

I've got a bit obsessed with the local car boot sale this summer, particularly the last 3 or 4 weeks since I've had a bit of time to go. Stuff is coming home with me every week and yet I have the urge to go again, get more stuff. My friend Sarah asked me today what it was I was looking for at the car boot sale. Nothing particular, just nice stuff. Here's some of the recent good stuff.

Sweet old handmade doll, who clearly hasn't been a good girl and has not washed her hands, face or feet for many years. But she's got fab knitted hair!

Shiny shoe trees.

Glamorous gals.

Unopened packet of hankies bought as much for the colour combinations as the usefulness of the hankies.

Simple Indian food tin. I have a good few of these bought in India and bought locally. This one has an engraved insciption in (?) hindi.

Last week I got up early and was there at the peak of shopping frenzy. I'm not sure I did any better going that early than going a bit later, but I did have more trouble parking. If I hurry up and go to bed now, I could get there at a decent time tomorrow. Yup. Decision made. I'm off to get my junk-shoppers-sleep. Night all.

Knitted jewellery

2009-09-03T22:12:00.008+01:00

I am (occasionally) true to my word, and I have gone straight off to research knitted jewellery. What I'm interested in is stuff knitted with fine embroidery thread not knitting yarn or wire. I found a lot of stuff which I don't personally like, lets say. Most knitted jewellery is of course wire and as far as I am concerned, no-one does that better than my friend Terri Howes. LOVE her stuff. Don't know why I don't have any. Must remedy this asap....

So back to the thread thing. Of course I (re-)found this which surely has been on my to-do list (and now Ravelry queue) for years.

And then I found some wonderful new stuff by Ruth Cross. I missed this being launched! It's like I've been in some craft-less cave for the last 6 months. Get me to a gallery asap!

Okay, so this is yarn not thread so I'm not being consistent here. But my god this stuff is fabulous. I want!

Not surprisingly, Etsy turned up some great knitted stuff although again not quite what I'm after. Although I have to admit I only got to about page 16 in the Etsy search before I gave up.

Accessorius

Yoola

And this necklace of knitting needles is amazing! Maybe this is what I am suddenly hoarding knitting needles for? I know I won't, though.

Don't they look slightly like naked wax crayons too?

So maybe no-one is doing the kind of thing I have in my head? I guess that means I should.
A good excuse to buy this book I've wanted for years. Oh dear, I sense a whole new mountain of books I *need* starting to pile up. Very keen to see Sustainable Jewellery, which looks like a nice partner to Sew Eco (and by the same publisher - I sense an editorial interest!)

I love jewellery and might well have become a jeweller in another life. Just writing this post is making me want to make some again. Watch this space!

Some words, some pictures

2009-09-03T21:18:00.005+01:00

Thanks for your lovely comments about my jacket yesterday! I feel thoroughly inspired to start sewing something else right now! I don't even have a plan for the next project. The sewing thoughts may also have something to do with the fact that my job is starting to wind down at last and I can at last see some creative time over the horizon. And another holiday in just over a week!

The exhibition I've been setting up and running all this year is now coming down - it's been a week of undressing mannequins, packing boxes, bubble-wrapping, sending garments home to their owners and repainting. It's nice to be hands on but it will be even nicer to know it's finished.

But anyway, crafty stuff is more fun, eh? So here we have some threads I bought for my friend Rachael's birthday the other week. These make me want to sew. I used these kind of threads last year to hand-quilt a couple of mini quilts for various books coming out next year. I wish I could remember the name of the company that makes them. Anyway, my local shop sells them which is the main point. I am also tempted to try some tiny knitting with them. I did some minute knitting with 1mm needles and gold thread a few years ago, and this lovely dyed cotton is very knit-appealing. I have all these ideas for knitted jewellery made with threads. I'm sure lots of people already do this. I'm going to Google that right now and get back to you.

And some needles I bought myself a while back. Purely for decorative purposes, I prefer smaller needles to actually knit with.

Collecting colourful knitting needles for some reason hadn't occurred to me. I already have a few. Now I want lots to put in a pot at the studio. Another new thing to look for at the car boot sale! This week I came home with an old handmade doll and some sewing patterns (dunno why I didn't buy the boxful, I really don't). Will show you those next time.
Oh - and that lovely mug at the start. Not from the car boot, but from the Big Blue Sky Gallery, Wells, Norfolk, where I was a few weeks ago. I love Norfolk and I love that gallery, so I was really happy to get there again. The mug is by Petra Boase, a designer I've been a fan of for years. I came across her a long time ago at Cockpit Arts Open Studio. Some of her more recent work is a bit too kitsch and childish for me, but some of it I still love. I have some old, faded, stained but much loved printed tea towels I bought from her many years ago when being a designer-maker myself was just a dream.

A jacket

2009-09-02T21:40:00.007+01:00

When I finished work at 9pm this evening, I intended to go swimming. Maybe I pretended to myself I would go swimming. But instead I decided to FINALLY do this blog post. It's only taken about 4 months. I finished this jacket at the end of April. And finally photographed it at the weekend.

So, I made a jacket. Woo Hoo! I actually finished some dressmaking!! (what is more, since I did this, I've also made (and decided to change, so not finished) a dress.

It's this pattern (bought May 2008!), by Threads / Simplicity.

I had other plans for it, but some months ago I did that playing around with fabric thing and put these two together.

And here is the result.
The patterned fabric I bought years ago at Vianni's in Portobello, London, when my Swiss friend was visiting and we had a fabric-shopping spree. We each bought tiny bits of delicate, beautiful handwoven Indian silk. Jenny and I had actually met in India and did quite a bit of fabric shopping but never came across anything like this. I think I had 30cm of this fabric. Maybe 40cm. Not much anyway. I always intended to use it for something like this, but it wasn't until I found the dusky pink wool in a fabric shop a year or so ago, that I found the right partner for this silk.

So having these two lovely fabrics, I decided I wanted to make an effort with this jacket, not just whip it together. I wanted to play with some of the techniques I described in Sew It Up and actually use them in a garment, not just samples! I tried to fit in as many as I could, push myself a bit and use this as an example of how to personalise and improve on a commercial pattern simply through the fabrics and techniques used, rather than changing the design at all.

With fabric this special, I knew the buttons had to be good. I pondered my vintage button stash but nothing was quite right. Then I remembered that I am good friends with the button-maker to the stars. I sent her a scrap of the fabric and she came up with the most amazing buttons.

We discussed caring for the buttons and I decided bound button holes made in silk were a good way to go. These kind of handmade buttons need a generous-sized button hole to avoid damaging the threads and silk is always kindest to silk. So another challenge was born - silk edged bound buttonholes. Not much margin for error here!

They are not perfect, but they will do. I used my own recommended technique of silk organza to make the bound buttonholes.

And alongside the buttonholes, I wanted a band of flat piping separating the silk from the wool. I had *just* enough silk dupion scrap to piece together all the bias strip needed for this jacket, although it was a bit touch and go.

The yoke is interfaced with silk organza too, which has worked really nicely. It gives it plenty of body and shape but not any of the stiffness of an iron-on (do not like!). I heartily approve of this technique.

I also used the same silk to bind the hem on the jacket back and sleeves as it is unlined. I'm really pleased with how this came out. Technique is in Sew it Up.

I used French seams on the sleeves and mock-French seams on the armhole seams, so there are no raw edges visible on the inside.

The whole front is self-faced (the same fabric) and I used the pink wool to face the yoke too. Here you can see the inside of the bound buttonholes.

I hand stitched the front edges too. I love hand stitched edges. I used silk thread throughout as well which worked perfectly. The idea is that the thread vanishes more into the fabric and silk thread is best for silk and wool fabrics.

And just so you don't think I am some kind of sewing perfectionist, here's the inside edge where I didn't manage to get a long enough piece of piping so it stuck out and had to be bodged together on the inside. But don't tell anyone.

So there you go. That's why it took me so long. I made it much more complicated than it was designed to be and I really really enjoyed making it.

The pattern is great, simple but stylish and (if you just follow the pattern instructions) easy to make. I might well make another one with this pattern in an easier, washable fabric. I never seem to have lightweight jackets so a simple pattern like this would probably be the answer. Although I have some pea-green velvet that should be next in line. But first I should finish my summer dress now that it's autumn.

Festival of Quilts

2009-08-31T19:58:00.002+01:00

I can't quite understand how a year can have gone by since the last Festival of Quilts, yet somehow it has. Of all the things to come round sooner than expected, a chance to see fabulous quilts (and buy fabrics and tools and catch up with a good friend who lives too far away) isn't such a bad thing.
I enjoyed looking at the competition quilts, but only a couple caught my attention. Generally the curated exhibitions are the thing I really enjoy - the chance to see international quilters using all sorts of innovative techniques and styles. I always love seeing the student showcases as well, particularly as there is often someone who has done their work placement with me!

Work by MA Textiles graduate Yumi Chon, made from old teabags. Fantastic stuff.

My three favourite competition quilts. Makers names unknown, they are exhibited only with a number and title and you have to buy the guide to find out who they are. I didn't have time to buy the guide and forgot to write the numbers down. Quite useless.

Work by Janice Gunner.

Manipulated fabric pieces by Helen Reeve who was last year's placement student with me. Love her use of colour in these double-sided slashed fabrics.

I also bought a fabulous brooch from her which I must photograph.

My purchases included some interesting new eco products (or at least newly available in the UK) and some Liberty fabric and matching giant ric rac. Very little Japanese fabric came home with me this time, which was quite remarkable. And no books, so I need to get on over to Amazon and remedy this. Sewing / textile book recommendations people? What new stuff is out there?

PS. I wrote about the show in 2007 here.

Whitchurch Silk Mill

2009-08-30T20:36:00.007+01:00

On my way to Dorset on holiday a few weeks ago, my friend Sarah and I stopped in at Whitchurch Silk Mill. I've been wanting to go there for years, but Hampshire's an awfully long way to go just to see a museum. I'm so glad we did, this little place is a real gem. It's a working silk weaving mill, powered by waterwheel, producing fabrics for top interior designers and a lot of costume dramas. I love a good costume drama so enjoyed all their framed film stills with fabric samples a lot, including my beloved Cranford. Reminds me I have the DVDs to watch. Whoa, that just made me realise I've missed a whole evening of frocks on the TV tonight. Dammit. And Coast, my latest knit-a-long favourite.

Anyway, back to the silk. I was totally charmed by this

window covered in striped silk scraps.

And the silk ready for winding onto bobbins.

The rolls of striped silk.

The display of traditional smocks.

The hand looms to play with.

And even the smocked vegetables. Yes, cabbages, marrows, onions and mushrooms made using smocked fabric. Truly remarkable!