New Shelves and Fabric Dyes.

At last! Gary finally put my shelves up today. It's not his fault as he is working such long hours and hasn't had the time to put them up so far. However, this morning we awoke at 9.30am as Gary has the day off. I couldn't believe it when I saw the time, I never sleep past 8am. I bet I won't sleep tonight now. :0( Anyway, the shelving has been sitting here for over a week now, so I was glad to be able to organise at last. It didn't take Gary long and at last my desk is clear of clutter as it's all on the shelves now. Look at all my pretty colourful boxes and crates.

The little colourful plastic boxes near the top are empty and are waiting to be filled with gorgeousness. The shelf below that holds my dyeing powders and made-up dyes. The crates on the bottom shelf are filled with all my smashing variegated and metallic threads. The box to the left on the bottom shelf holds my silk threads which I think should be kept away from light. And all those those gorgeous little glass jars I got from Freecycle. They're baby food jars, perfect for all my beads and buttons and 'stuff'. I am collecting some more in the week that I'll need for storing some more made-up dyes.

I received some new dyes from Beary Cheap in Australia (wages for pattern sales) and I bought these from eBay:

One of these pots ranges from £5.21- £9.40 (depending on colour) on the website and I got them all from eBay for about £10 including P&P! I have purchased a yellow dye from the website to complete the set, but it's still such a bargain as each pot is 100g (a lot)! I have also purchased some pipettes and small spray bottles to aid with the dyeing process. So expect great things on the hand-dyed fabric front in the coming weeks.

I hand painted a couple pf pieces of fabric yesterday. I don't think I shall ever use them, but it was good to practice and experiment. :0)

I prefer a more subtle, subdued look to fabric. I might try some tie dyeing in the week, that's always fun!

Hard Work in The Sewing Room

Oh boy, have I been working hard! My first package from America arrived a few days ago. It was the metallic threads that I have been longing for for ages. They are so beautiful.

If you remember, these are part payment for my bear patterns. Debra in Texas is sending me pressies rather than cash and it's SO exciting! I am now awaiting some variegated threads and fabric packs.

This inspired me to clear out and reorganise my tiny office, henceforth to be known as The Sewing Room. I very nearly killed myself. I am only a girlie and that desk must weigh as much as five grown men! You'd think there is only so much you can do to a 6' x 7' room, but it still took me two days.

Gary's stuff is OUT! Actually, Gary's stuff amounted to half a bin liner of rubbish and a few papers that I put on a shelf. So how come he completely took the room over? He now has one bottom drawer for the stuff that he doesn't know where to put. I managed to gather a carrier bag full of his wires and leads. They are for obsolete mobile pones, iPods, chargers, adapters and kettle leads. Of course they are all extremely important and must go in a big box in the shed. ;0)

While I was clearing the very top shelf I found my wedding flower circlet and a picture I made from my wedding flowers. The poor circlet has been abused for to long now and has to be thrown. :0) It is literally falling to bits and shedding all over the place. I took some final photos before ditching it. It's like Miss Haversham's wedding outfit! The first photo isn't good as the camera was trying to focus on the centre hole rather than the circlet.


The picture I made from my wedding bouquet had no glass and was so covered in dust that I thought the colours had faded completely. When I very carefully dusted it though, the colours were still there. I managed to find another piece of glass and restored it to it's former glory. Isn't it pretty?

And finally, here's a wedding photo to show what the flowers looked like when they were fresh. I honestly don't think I have ever seen prettier wedding flowers. And look at us, we're all so young!

Sewing Rooms and Fabric Stash

SEWING ROOMS

You know how I often mention some bits and bobs from my Gran's sewing box that I have used? Well, in total, it probably amounts to half a carrier bag of stuff and it's most precious to me. I dip into it often. Well, I found this video clip on t'interweb and I was amazed! It's a 06.12 min clip. If you get the chance, watch it to the end as the last thing she says brought tears to eyes! What a lucky, lucky young lady. I'd think I'd died and gone to heaven if I were her. :0)

http://tinyurl.com/ysy6fr

FABRIC STASH

Why is it that some people have a fabric stash like this:

And mine is only this big?:

Now, I know mine is very pretty too, but it is 'quantity challenged' if you know what I mean? My stash is only about 12" wide and the one above is about 8' high and 6' wide! Not fair! I am used to having materials at my fingertips in every colour and texture. To have everything there, colour sorted and before your eyes was so inspirational. When I was making bears I had a mohair and synthetic stash that was every bear makers envy. But alas, that is not my obsession now and the mohair and synthetic stash has been broken up and sold or given away.

I must now issue a warning to all friends and family. DO NOT, I repeat, DO NOT turn up at my house wearing a pretty blouse or shirt. I will not be responsible for the actions of my scissors!!!

I do have the pleasure of receiving some fabric and threads from America soon though, so I am really excited about that. :0)

Right, I am off to bejewel some fabric butterflies now. Will blog about that later.

Phase Seventy Six.

Tuesday, 24 July 2007

More antibiotics, lack of oomph and fluffy pom-poms.

Just go back from the doctors again. I am getting so bored with doctors and hospitals now. :0( Last week I tried to pull my stitches out as they were making me so sore. When I failed i went back to the hospital and they too failed. The result of all that pulling and tugging is yet another infection. I was supposed to go back to the hospital to see the surgeon, but I don't want to go again so I went to see my GP instead. This time, two more lots of stronger antibiotics and thrush treatment for after I finish my course. I am so fed up with feeling poorly and under the weather.

I have a total lack of oomph and spend my time reclining on the bed and surfing the web for fabulous ideas. Even though I lack the enthusiasm to actually make anything, at least I have had time to do loads of research! Crikey, my little art quilt had better be good or everyone will give me such a hard time!!!

I was trying to think of something to do with Livvie this morning so I showed her how to make a pom-pom for a cat's toy. Do you remember making those as a child with two disks of card and a ball of old wool?

Livvie never knew that you could make them yourself and was delighted with the result!

It's difficult to know what to do with Livvie to entertain her during the Summer Holidays. Most things involve cooking, wool, beads and sewing. Oh, and painting always goes down well with her too. She particularly enjoyed an outdoor sketch session I did with her last Summer. She was surprised to find how much she enjoyed picking a section of a dry stone wall and discussing it's texture and how the light hit it etc. Then we both sketched what we saw. Birch trees are also good for this type of exercise I find.

I think I shall do a small sewing project with her next. Although she loves making things she has little patience with hand sewing and her stitches are usually bigger than the item she's sewing! I need to try and teach her a little patience. Anyone that knows Livvie will know this will be a hard task!

I acquired some more beads yesterday. Auntie Babs gave some 'squisite beads to play with and Mummy bought me three strings of beads from the charity shop. Some of them were very pretty rose printed porcelain.

After all my tidying and cleaning, my desk is now in organised chaos. As soon as my new bead box arrives I can 'file' as many small beads as possible and then decide how I'm going to organise the rest. The bigger beads will be OK in the component boxes (pictured front). I can't keep the tiny beads in these boxes as they get mixed too easily. With my new bead box, each section has a lid of it's own.

Sunday, 22 July 2007

I have done loads today. I think I am more or less finished in my little work room. I had the very sad task of sorting out all my gorgeous mohair today, ready for selling. :0( It is the most beautiful, luxurious and expensive mohair pile which I love, but I really must admit that I'll never make bears again. I have bagged it up and it must now go into the loft until we next visit Lyme Regis. My friend owns Alice's Bear Shop there and has agreed to sell my bear making supplies for me.

I have finally finished winding all my threads, fibres and ribbons onto bobbins. I have also sorted all my fabric scraps and placed them neatly in a box. It's all sorted now and I am just awaiting the delivery of my new bead organising box. I have gazillions of beads all bagged up on my desk ready for their new home.

I was sorting through an old needlework box this afternoon and I found some very precious beads that I had forgotten about. They are all the left over beads from when I beaded my wedding dress 17 years ago. They're not precious because I have romantic memories of that wedding (divorced him!) but because it was my very first foray into needlework and beading. :0) And besides, they're really pretty beads.

Gary finally managed to mow the lawns today after about a month of non-stop rain. The rain has moved South now to give us a break. The news is saying that it's very bad in the South today and now they have flooding. I've never known a summer like this!

No pretty photos today I'm afraid, maybe tomorrow. :0)