A trip to the Post Office .........

Today I finally posted my final order received at Harrogate Home & Gift.  It was an order for twenty corsages to be made in autumn and winter shades using velvet, lace, trims, buttons and beads.  The colours were quite specific and not the usual palette I work with (although a little grey and ashes of roses did somehow slip themselves into the mix!!).

a snapshot of the new rich colours

 



hand printed and dyed tags, labels and doilly

 



 

 

packed and ready to go

 

It is very satisfying when it is all parceled up ready just to make a trip to the Post Office, just hope she likes them!  

 

until next time ............ Jayne xxxxxx



A sort out on a grand scale!

You know when you are positive you have something and then can not find it - you have a look in the most likely place like your sewing box where the object of your search should live but doesn't!  Sound familiar?  The next step is to search the next most likely places.  If this doesn't succeed the only thing to do is to have a full scale sort out!!!  Into the box bedroom I went, boxes lifted down, storage boxes searched, bags rummaged through, all to no avail.  The elusive item(s) brooch backs!  I even bought ten as spares last weekend, which I would stake my life on putting in my handbag zip compartment - they too have not materialised.  Anyway, an order from e-bay, very nice ones too, 40 lovely antique gold sort of up-market looking brooch backs were ordered and arrived, however, much too small for the required purpose.  Back to the drawing board........

sorting out mother-of-pearl buttons -as you do when getting waylaid

 

sorted and nestling on my little shelf unit

 

Well, the buttons got sorted at least, still no brooch backs found!  Three hours later mcuh sorting and tidying of crochet trims, tray cloths, lace, knitting yarns I could go on!!! I decided to give up my search as I had work to do.  Dyeing - one of my favourite occupations..... 

 

Dip dyeing in my lovely jars







Creating using my newly dyed fragments 



 



 new corsages



 autumn/winter shades velvet, lace, beads and trims

 

A visit to my local flea market yesterday saved the day.  My friend Anne has a stall every Saturday and she had some large brooch backs!  Just the right amount that I neeeded to complete my corsage order.  Well, must get sewing these little beauties in place.  Until next time ......... jayne x 

 

 



She loves them, She loves them not, and To Dye For!

She loves them, they have arrived safely!  Phew, that is a weight off my mind, it is always a risk when you are making a commission however closely you work together.  Imogen is going to send me some photographs of her wedding day so I am really looking forward to that!

I am working on the last corsage for my order from the Harrogate Home & Gift.  I am intending to make myself a wrist cuff to wear and then get some work made for the Living North Fair in November.   newcastle.livingnorthfair.co.uk/.../living-north-essence-of-christmas-...  Gill P, Gill W and I are in the exhibitor's list as....
MADE: Contemporary , handcrafted gifts and accessories
Personalised decorative hand painted gifts, hand felted and knitted scarves, bags and accessories, hand dyed vintage linen and lace textiles.

Amazing how the time goes so quickly!  I have been using up a lot of my crochet, lace and trims for my orders so I had the chance to visit my local flea market yesterday.  A lovely lady called Margaret has a vintage stall and had saved me some gorgeous tiny doillies and trims.  Every week she wears a purple hat with a giant purple vintage ostrich feather in it.  She sells a lot of her antique garments, hats and lace to the BBC costume department for their historical productions.  She is very knowledgeable and it is really interesting chatting to her about the pieces she sells.   Anyway, here are a few snaps of the things I bought from her.....

buttermilk hand worked linen tray cloth



worn putty coloured linen with crochet trim centre panel

very old and tattered applique with exquisite stitching

a pile of crochet doilleys - lovely edgings

hand crocheted trims

and finally whilst tidying my mother's house I came across an old book which belonged to my late great uncle.  A copy of  The Uncommercial Traveller by Charles Dickens was awarded to him in 1922 for History and Geography.  A little family treasure..........



now then, where's that dye pot, until next time .... Jayne x



Celebrations of a Wedding and Birthday kind!!!

My posts have been a bit few and far between lately as I have been busy working on orders and a lovely wedding commission.  Here, as promised is birthday pressies part II.....

gorgeous semi precious stone bracelet and earrings

stripey lace scarf in my favourite ashes of roses colour

my lil Emily gave me a gorgeous blue hydrangea

I really am a very lucky girl....... and so to Imogen's Wedding.  I met her at Harrogate Home & Gift such a lovely girl, so bubbly and chatty.  She commissioned me to make a bridal cuff and hair corsage for her September wedding.  She chose several elements from my cream neckpiece which was on display at the show. 

I started by sorting lace and silks and then making some merino wool felt.....

embedded with lace

the bridal cuff

hair corsage taking shape

silk rose and mother of pearl button

to finish the pieces, fabric manipulation, seed beads and french knots and here we have them the bridal accessories.....

hair corsage

wrist cuff

My friend Gill W. is a star photographer so she took a couple of images out in the garden in my vintage suitcase....



A trip to the post office this afternoon and Imogen's commission is winging its way to her as we speak, it has been a pleasure to make something that is part of such a special day, a real privilege, I do hope she loves them.........    jayne x







Birthday girl - spoiled rotten.... part I

I have just returned from an overnight stay at Longhirst Hall, Morpeth, Northumberland.  It was a lovely birthday treat, oooh I do love my birthday.  On my actual birthday I had a great day, lots of family and friends visited and I received some gorgeous presents and some very, very cheeky cards!!

I do love Klimt

lots of humour and cupcakes

terrible photo - hope you can read it!

Gill W handmade card and my favourite himalayan poppies!

I am very fortunate that all of my friends and family know me so well and always buy me the most gorgeous gifts.  Handmade gifts especially made for you are always a delight.  Gill W made the most fantastic huge letter J, and even hung it in place for me (she knows I wouldn't have done it properly!)

cream distressed finish perfect on a duck egg blue background

another gift from Gill W

gorgeous texture in felt

A beautiful handmade nuno-felted scarf in my favourite colour combination of pale grey and ashes of roses embellished with tiny fragments of patterned silk was unwrapped from Gill P, lots of little treasures as well......

tiny heart with dried lavender nestles on top of the scarf

and there was more, yes I hear you say, a gorgeous Lindsey Tyson felt brooch (purchased at Woolfest me thinks) in a calico hand printed bag.....

beautiful styling

hand printed felt, just perfect

Sometimes the smallest gift means the most, a tiny lilac ceramic heart with the words 'thank you' from a friend (you know who you are!) brought a lump to my throat and a tear to my eye.

To be continued with details of a visit to Morpeth and Alnwick...  Hope the sun is shining where you are.  Jayne x