Doing good

A couple of months ago, a got a email request for a space on the adult 'learn to sew' course. We were doing cushions and Jenny was a great student. She had a background in interiors and had taken screen printing (yeah!) wanted this to translate this into a line of accessories.

Jen at work in her studio.

A very keen student she came in and learnt how to use the machine and left with a cushion that was beautifully made. We did some applique work on this as well (I am very sorry that I neglected to take a picture of it!). The next time she cam back she mad a cushion again only this time with a zipper and we worked on buttonholes as well. I do remember that her cushion had stripes in green and watermelon on a white background and the colours just popped. The end result was a lovely cushion that looked very well made.
She is working on making to sell under the web store name of The Orange Lamp now and her blog follows her story. I love the picture of her first cushion made for her first customer, her daughter!

cushion! 

I know a few of the workshop participants have gone on to  make things to sell which always makes me feel very proud. It's so nice to see people using their skills :) Good luck to Jen, I will be following her progress... If you would like to check out her story, find it here

Central St Martins and Easter.

 Following my printing dreams led me to sign up for a computers for digital print course at St Martins over the Easter holiday.  The new space is AMAZING! a converted grainary building that is literally a two minute walk up the road from Kings Cross. Everything about this place was inspiring... anyway on to print.

Central Atrium with amazing light

Part of the old grainary building. 

I am essentially a screen printer at heart, I love pulling a screen and seeing inks, colors and textures being created. But it's hard to ignore what digital prints have done for the industry. 

We were lucky, in a class that could have had ten, we had four. We also struck gold with the teacher

Laura Baker, http://www.lauraberens.com/index.html was an amazing teacher. A teacher, a working creative artist (scarves and accessories for sale at Liberties and the V&A shop) all this while writing a book about laser cutting. She was inspirational and very practical. My favorite part was how she taught. She gave each of us what we wanted the course, an amazing feat for any teacher to do. 

What have I learned from this? quite simply how to create on a computer and send it off to the printers! I am looking forward to seeing my first work on print. The idea that this can be so simple (no screen, no ink, no mess) is still hard for me to wrap my mind around. One step closer to my dream of print on fabric. Deep breath as I start another term of teaching and trying to create more... 

Busy days

Easter holidays and the kids are home. How much do I love the holidays? We are all so much more relaxed and I love being around them. Miss T is learning to ride her bike without her trainer wheels and doing so well and Mr A has plans to build and hammer and make things, and of course play with the latest addition to our family, flopsy.

He is very cute and cuddly and has such a definite personality that I suspect includes a healthy stubborn streak. He lops out to the garden at full speed if we are there and happily hops about. Having in animal in the house again, reminds me of my own childhood though we always had dogs and not cute little bunnies :) 

On a more personal front I have been working on losing weight and with it of course comes the fixing of clothing! I redid a few pieces that were old favorites to suit me better. Here is one that I loved the print of. The fabric is a lovely flowy (is that not a word?) silk and I wore this lots. I decided that it would look nicer as a shorter more fitted top. I cut the sleeves off at elbow length and took the sides in for a more fitted look.

I then used my trusty overlocker to create sleeve and bottom bands to get a more blousen look. 

I love it and have worn it twice already. Am also working on a batwing top style that is printed in front and a lovely plain drapey knit at the back. 

Have a wonderful Easter...

Inspiration

Or the lack of inspiration is really a bit of a creative killer. It has been a busy couple of weeks, my birthday which really was lovely, thanks to my lovely husband who was taking notes even though I thought he was'nt :)
We went to the theater and stayed over in London and went out to for a lovely chinese meal in the evening with friends. A relaxed Sunday before heading back to pick up the kids and head home to Kent.
Lovely also to have my friend Tania here, in London. I miss my friends and that of course weighs on my mind this week as I try to get back to work!

Work has also been very interesting, the young ladies are showing off their skills more and more and challenging as it is to keep the work and content fresh and interesting for them to keep learning, I do love it.
It of course does mean that I do lots of prep work :) my sewing pile gets larger as I struggle to keep up with it all. As part of my birthday present to myself, I ordered all the books in my Amazon basket :) One of them was this

A very well presented book with lots of images and ideas. I wanted to introduce new ideas and new ways of creative work for this terms sewing. The girls will present their cushions at the end of the term. Some have chosen to work with more with hand embroidery, others with applique. 

Some of the works in progress. The ones on the left are done by the students, on the rights their inspiration...

 I cant wait to see the finished products...

Busy busy..

The students have been ever so busy this term. They are finally working on the the lovely Pendrell blouse by Sewholic. Have I mentioned before that I love their patterns? The instructions are very easy to follow and the finished garment is just amazing!

Anyway, we are half way through finishing this and the excitement is palpable. There was a quiet busyness about the room that was really quite gratifying. Cant wait to see them all done and dusted with this!

While investigating various fabric store options I was lucky enough to discover Maggie, who is a market staller who sells the most amazing fabric. I love that I can go two weeks later and she has all sorts of new fabric for me to discover. The problem of course is my ability not to buy everything I see and want!
Tameeko (my four year old) and I went down on Friday morning and discovered all sorts of lovely fabrics and I came back with two huge bags... now all washed and ironed and ready to be cut!

I adore the Zebra! 

Birds and flowers are always very popular

Ikat! had to bring this one home. 

I

Butterflies and flowers... bring on the weather!

So many projects and ideas in my head. I cant wait to see the to do list grow smaller. Have a good week. x

All that sewing and still more to do!

Resolve to sew 2012 organised by Very Berry Handmade is certainly an inspiration to all of us. Wonderful fabric being generously donated.  http://veryberryhandmade.co.uk/2012/01/16/giveaway-resolved-to-sew-2012/ .I am happy to say that 2011 was a good year for me, I managed to make sense of my sewing space and organize most of my stash. I even got to finish some of the unfinished projects laying on my table. So my resolution for 2012? sew more clothing, for my self and the kids. As I work on the patterns for the school I am reminded how happy making clothes made me. More of that would be nice
...

Things I mean to do over the half term.

As half term comes there are so many things to do that it seems a little over whelming to know where to start. To begin though this came in over the last week.

This wonderful machine cuts out stencils. Amazing. The possibilities are endless :) I have cut a few stencils and started screen printing. Those of you who know me, know that this has been a long time coming. Screen printing is such a wonderful medium. The mixing of paint and the reveal of the print really has made this the most satisfying week. A few samples of what I am doing:

The top two are simply printed. No idea what I am going to do with them, yet. I hand embroidered and added sequins to the bottom ones. I plan to use them as part of the 'making a present' program that will run at the after school club next term. I like them. What do you think?