Back-stitch's back, alright!

Hello! I am back.

Summer is nearly over and Autumn is on the way, it is time to crack out the embroidery hoop once again.

I kicked the crafters block bum straight back where it came from and have been enjoying the summer with a mix of working and holidaying (spent caravanning in a very very wet and windy Cornwall).
It was nice to have a few weeks off from blogging and sewing, don't get me wrong I do love it but seen as though its all still pretty new to me I think I did too much too soon and got myself a little swamped with it all. Especially after reading so many amazing blogs, it all gets rather intimidating!
Funnily enough, when I was thinking about what I would say in this post, I came across this lovely post from Hank and Hunt. The ending is just what I needed to hear right now;

"Do whatever you do with all your heart. Do it as best as you can with what you can. Go gung ho and keep learning how to do it better. Once you do that, do it as often as you can. Be prolific. Do good work and do a lot of it. Do so much you get through your list of everything you could even think of to do, then do more. The more ideas you churn out, the more that pop into your mind. Keep going, pause if you have to, but get right back up there and go some more."
 
 
Anyway, less of me and back to the sewing. I have received two commissions for my bags (family members DO count!) One is to make 3 bags with 3 different designs to be given as Christmas presents to 3 completely different personalities *gulp*
The other is to make 2 bags to hold literacy and numeracy folders for a teachers assistant in an infant school (thanks ma!)

So, two completely different and fun projects to get me back into it.

Better get stitching.

All sewn up

The Olympics are still going strong and it appears that I have developed a crafters block. I seem to be quite content with watching ALL the sport all day everyday and yep, that includes canoeing and skeet shooting...umm? So im just going to ride out this crafters block and hope that it comes back please come back probably when I no longer care how well we did in the water polo...

On another note my lovely friend sent me a belated birthday present, such a lovely surprise!

On your marks...get set...sew!

I have been a little internet absent the past few weeks, sometimes life stuff just happens and it all needs dealing with. Things kept popping up one after the other, lots of family visiting, interviews, relentless leaky roof, being screwed over by Comet…you know, the usual. BUT, it is nearly August, the weather has been much better this week and a huge sporting event is starting in my City today, so feeling much better about life in general. Although I think getting to work is going to be a bitch on Monday.
I have also seriously neglected my sewing the past few weeks and last night I thought enough is enough, I need to get back on track. For some motivation I looked at my previously made bags and had one of those 'these aren't good enough' moments and wondered what the hell I was doing. I'm hoping when I start sewing again it will all go back to normal…right?? Oh god.

To mark the Olympics starting today, oh you didn't know? look at these tea towels! They are a collaboration between Custhom and Anthropologie, I can't decide which one I like best, possibly the yellow diving one but then I'm a sucker for that lovely mustard shade.

 

Pictures take from Anthropologie

Hot hot hot air balloon

Way back at the beginning of June, when the weather was half way to resembling summer (I promise, when the rain sorts itself out and goes away and then the sun makes an appearance, I will stop with all this weather talk) I made a hot air balloon bag which I wasn't overly keen on. I mean, it was ok, just didn't have that pizzazz (?) that I was hoping for. I don't really know what pizzazz is, but the bag certainly didn't have it. 
So I went away and came up with a new design, just like that. Cause when you don't like something, just make it better. So here it is, a vintage style hot air balloon. 

Isn't she pretty? 

I used two different colours, yes TWO. It was a tough decision to add in another colour but I think it makes the ropes stand alone instead of moulding into the balloon. 

I also ventured away from the trusty split stitch and included stem stitch for the ropes, they look like actual ropes, amazing!

I hope you like it, this week I'm hoping to try it out in a different colour.

This has pizzazz.

Sew Inspiring #10

I have spent a large amount of my (working) week lusting over clothes that I wish I owned because the beautiful models make me believe I will look exactly like them in the picture. I will, right? Right??

I was impressed to see how many embroidered items there are in the high street shops, obviously they won't be hand embroidered- well I would hope they aren't employing someone to hand embroider hundreds of thousands of flowers onto dresses at a cost of about £28....but you never know nowadays. 

I have included a round up of all my favourite bits I have come across, with click through links so then we can all look like those pretty pretty models! 

   

Pretty Vacant Embroidered Dress from asos

Fluro Embroidered Beach Dress from Warehouse

Nishe Embroidered Clouds Prom Dress with Detachable Collar from asos

Limited Edition Fluro Stitch Midi Dress from Topshop

I had to include this top otherwise it would have been cute summer dress overload.

Embroidered Collar Pleat Top from Topshop

Mmmmm dreamy! 

Sew organised

So far, this week hasn't been the best. I mentioned briefly in my last post about a leaky roof, well since then we've had ALL the rain coming through our ceiling which doesn't seem to want to let up, at all. Mix that with family visiting this weekend means one very stressed out and pissed off lady (not about my family visiting, those guys are ok!)

On a brighter note, I have bought an embroidery thread organiser, yes you heard right. Its taken me a few days to get it sorted but now its ready to be used it looks too pretty to…I guess I will just have to keep on top of replacing the thread…orr I could buy another…? One to use and one to sit and stare at. What? You don't sit and stare at your thread? Ok…me neither...

Before I bought this I kept all my thread in a tin, all colours just mixed in together without a care in the world. So when I was looking for a specific colour, I had to tip them all out and hunt through, a few threads were starting to knot together and was beginning to look like a big dready mess.

This super cool box (don't let anyone tell you other wise) gets rid of this problem and makes looking for a colour so much easier and dread free. Im all about making things easier however the rain clearly likes to make things harder *sigh*

Anyway, if you want one of these I bought mine off Amazon but it might be nice to try your local sewing shop first.

Two scoops

Remember when I made an ice cream bag? London was sunny and I was feeling the summer mood, excited for the lovely weather that was ahead, planning long walks and weekends in the sun...well...it didn't last long.
Since those two lovely lovely days we have had torrential rain (which has brought a leaky roof), hurricane style winds possible exaggeration and constant cloud cover.

BUT, trying to stay positive, I am holding out for a good July and August so I stitched up another ice cream bag to get me back in the summer spirit.

This time I only stitched 3 ice creams on and I think it looks pretty cool. Now we just need the weather to go with it, hurry up sun!