A week has passed, and there hasn’t been much whirring of the old sewing machine. This is silly season for gift shops and the like, so the demand to keep stock levels up is pretty high.
So in the last week, I have used 1.5kg of clay and completely lost track of how many times I had to stock up on pretty silver, gold and red ribbons. I have used pretty much all my felt, run out of magnets twice, embroidery thread loads of times and had to stock up on cardamom pods and cloves like there was no tomorrow.
What on earth was I doing with all that stuff you ask…
The felt, embroidery thread, gold and silver ribbons, cardamom, cloves and star anise was for these:
Then the clay, and even more ribbon was for these:
How cute are these! I found some of these ribbons on a soggy stall at the Morton in Marsh Christmas Fair last weekend, in ALL that rain, from a lady who will have an online sewing goodies shop, that will be called: “pandorasewingbox” So look out for it after Christmas, she has some absolutely FABULOUS ribbons!
And the remainder of the felt and embroidery thread, and the magnets were for these:
I used the same hearts without the string and popped a small magnet in the back, so they can attatch to your fridge, or a metal surround of a mirror. I did a Christmas Fair in Oxfordshire today, and my stuff went fairly well. One of my students had made an order for 10 of the owls, and the rest will all go into “The Arter”, a gift shop in Stratford on Avon that stocks work by local artists. I did so much talking my throat hurts! I love networking though, I met Sara Page who is a surface pattern designer and who teaches on the course Daughter No1 is taking at Birmingham City University. I also just may have a possibility of a new job, doing a little patterncutting teaching! Fingers crossed! 😀
This is the table that showcased a small snapshop of the work at The Arter, ceramics, pottery, glass, textiles, and painting. It’s a great place to buy gifts if you are in the Stratford Area!
So this weekend I have a Sewing Sunday, the last of the year, and after that I plan to get cracking with the stuff from the previous post, starting with the silk top and the Pattern Magic adaptations!
THE COMPULSIVE SEAMSTRESS 
Great ideas and work, and I heart the OWLS they are Wonderful!
Thank you! They smell fabulous too!
those exquisite owls!! i would want them to live in my home year round.
They’re available to order… ;p
Everything is just so cute!! Nice work!
Hope you can get the teaching job:)
Oh, me too!! It’s been a while since teaching in a formal environment, but I do love it.
Fingers crossed for the new job.
And those little owls…I die!
Thank you! I only have 5 left! 😀
I can believe it!
The holidays are a crazy time aren’t they? The spiced owls are just too cute!
Thank you! I have made so many of those little guys now, I see them in my sleep! 😀 A new idea is to make them without spices and in the colours of people’s teams, ie. football, rugby, etc. Or even school colours!
Oh man I wish I was in the Stratford area! Other than for the wonderful weather though, from the sounds of it. As it rained there is rained here that weekend if that makes it any better :o).
The little things look very cute. Love the idea of the clay ornaments and the owls and the hearts. My kids would have a brilliant time making stuff with clay – oh I can imagine the mess and smiles and and and …
Stratford is fine, but you guys have waaay more summer than we do, stay where you are!!! 😀 Go or it with the kids and clay, you don’t even have to paint it if you use the right stuff for texturising!
And 6 year olds can find LOADS of things for texturising let me tell you!