By Stephie, on Saturday 7th August, 2010 at 18:45 pm
From the Loft is looking good. I’ve added a goodly number of rose-scented hearts and sachets today, which I hope you’ll want to snap up, or at least go and ‘favourite’. I’ve only got three people ‘favouriting’ my shop so far, which is giving me a big pouty bottom lip! The little gallery below (and in the right hand column) shows prices in US dollars, but when you go to my shop you’ll see them in Sterling as well; annoying I know. I think the hand-made hearts are a bit of a bargain considering all the commission fees and postage to be taken off – oh yes, there’s free postage to UK addresses! (And it’s fairly reasonable elsewhere.)
Aaah, I feel like everything’s coming up roses 
Still got the cushion covers to add, but it’s been yet another very dull grey day here – meaning poor light for taking photographs with my not so hot camera! Fingers crossed the sun pokes its head out from behind the clouds later on, or failing that TOMORROW!
Think I need a run now, before I forget how!
Bye bye for now
love Stephie x
By Stephie, on Wednesday 14th July, 2010 at 00:57 am
Part 2 – the design
Making design decisions for something as simple as a cushion cover sounds a bit pretentious, like I’m giving it far more weight than it deserves. But if you put as much thought into something like this as you would a larger project it all adds to your visual library, which helps you to be more confident (I prefer the word rigorous, but I don’t want to scare you off!) in the decisions you make.
 Getting the measure of the motif - it's big! The process has to start somewhere though and in this case it started with the size of the motif in the vintage fabric. It’s pretty large (7″ square) and wouldn’t be very interesting if it was cut up any smaller. So I already knew I could either make a very large cushion to make the square appear smaller, or I could make a smaller cushion with a large square – I plumped for the latter and decided on a 16″ cushion (a size I like). The obvious thing to do would be to have the focal patch in the centre with everything else radiating round it like it was the sun at the centre of the universe. But I didn’t want to do that ‘cos that would be boring and obvious, I thought. So the first thing I decided was that the patch would be offset, sort of floating top-left-ish would be good. So I tried it out. And it was good. I used a couple of strips of masking tape on my cutting map to help me visualise the overall square, then just moved the motif around within it until it felt right. I do a lot of things by feel. I felt like using strips around the motif, bold colours and stripes. Strong was a word that kept coming to mind: is the balance of colour strong enough, is there anything that diminishes the overall strength? Punchy, bold, that’s what I wanted and the best way of getting that was to make sure all the colours are about the same value. They kind of resonate that way. It’s looking good and when it gets to that stage I just want to get on with it, knowing I’ll probably make adjustments along the way.
 Feeling the design From the cutting mat to the sewing machine. I don’t really like sewing machines. Too much fiddling about for my liking, trying to get the bloody tension right, remembering to change the needle and oil the moving parts (no-one oils my moving parts!)… I have this impatience, I like my tools to be simple and direct: a needle and thread, a paintbrush and paper; I want to be responsible for making that mark, that stitch. I want to feel the needle go through the fabric and determine exactly where it comes out. So this next stage is a means to an end: machining the strips together to get a ‘canvas’ that I can make my own, with my own hands. I have a love hate relationship with my 25 year old Jones sewing machine. I love it for what it is: robust, simple, practical (no more or less than what I need) and I hate it because it needs too much coaxing and nurturing. I’m not maternal at the best of times, let alone towards a machine.
 Me and Mrs Jones on a mission. So I go back and forth from the machine to the cutting mat, trimming, adding another strip here, losing one there, getting frustrated because the bobbin’s tangled up, getting excited because it’s coming together well.
 A balanced pair  I take a closer look Come on, come on, I want to stitch, to feel it, to really understand it. At this point you may be thinking I’m losing the plot: it’s only a cushion cover. But it’s not, it’s love. It’s loving it for the sake of it, it’s loving it for the experience, it’s loving it because I can and because when it belongs to someone else they might have a sense of that too.
Ok, you can put me back in the straight jacket now. Back soon.
love Stephie x
By Stephie, on Monday 5th July, 2010 at 15:13 pm
1. Choosing fabrics
 My latest find  Remember that lovely vintage fabric I got the other day – want to make a cushion cover with me? I’m raring to go ahead and make something with it. As the enthusiasm grips me, it occurred to me I could share my process with you, from the ideas stage to the finished cover. I know I didn’t ask whether you’d be interested in this or not, I just made the assumption that of course you would! But since I’m foisting it upon you, feel free to leave your comments as I go along. Let me know what you think about the process I use and why not let us into a secret and tell us what your design process is like! I wonder if you’re more organised and structured than I am? I tend to go with the flow a bit, which I’m sure you’ll see for yourself, if I shut up and get on with it!
I’ve decided to make a pair of matching cushion/pillow covers, don’t really know why, I just fancy it! I think it’s probably got something to do with the fact that I won’t have to purchase lots of fabric that a quilt might need, and also that I enjoy experimenting with small things. It’s a great opportunity to try out techniques, styles and colourways – I think I’m still trying to find my own way, my own preferences.
My design approach is fairly intuitive, so I’ve begun the whole process by just looking at the fabric. It’s got some large motifs that I’d like to use, almost like individual images. I envisage these as being the central focus, but I don’t want to make something that’s simply a square of the fabric with some outline quilting. Somehow I want to add something to it; I want it to be contemporary and I’m thinking maybe I can achieve that by balancing the strong vintage floral imagery with something equally strong. So the next stage is just to add some fabrics around it and see what happens…
 Maybe black would add a strong contrast? Nope, don't like that, it 'deadens' the colours too much. Love the white though, think it frames the lillies well.
 The plain green is just the right tone... and that Kaffe Fassett sripe is the sort of bold I I'm talking about.  And how about some bright contrasting threads for the quilting? Feel like I'm getting somewhere already, - it's not always this quick you know! I think that’s the fabrics sorted (no agonsising – now that’s unusual!) – I’m really excited by the simplicity and boldness of it and don’t want to overcomplicate it. The next step is to think about the actual patchwork design, I’ve got a few ideas floating around, but I’ll save that for the next post, I’m off to play with some scissors now! Don’t forget to share your early stages of design in the comments, it would be lovely to have a chat about it!
See you soon.
love Stephie x
PS – I’m still working on the blog design and layout, as I hope you can tell! I thought I’d try out some different navigation this time, losing that tag-cloud being the main difference. Let me know if you can still find things easily enough though, or whether you want the tags back!
By Stephie, on Tuesday 27th April, 2010 at 20:19 pm
Since the weekend was a bit of a washout, I’m glad I made hay in the garden whilst the sun shone over the last week or so. I may even be feeling mildly smug! I have the new border dug and have been dividing plants from elsewhere in the garden to make a start on it. I’ve finally sown some annuals, including godetia, cosmos, petunias and pansies (you know what they are, you know you do – flowery things that smell nice); I even found a bargain or two that will add a splash of colour over the summer months. I’m not known for my trips to discount stores, they make me feel poor, which, surprisingly, is not a feeling I like – even though it may be verging on the truth, ha, ha! Still, last week I gritted my teeth and ventured in to Poundland. Yes, Poundland. A horrible place. A horrible place with something surprisingly nice tucked away at the back of the store: packs of bulbs. Packs of bulbs for a pound, woohoo!!! I got 66 plants for £3, even I can’t moan about that
 Oooh, just look at my booty! As well as the digging, I did a bit of titivating (probably my favourite garden job). I cleaned the steps up and sorted out the containers to put on them for the summer. I scraped out the compost that I’d left in them from last summer (slacker) and filled them with nice fresh stuff, and then planted them up with a colourful array of geraniums. I can’t wait!
 Some of my containers It seems fashionable to collect these old/vintage galvanised containers for the garden these days. Mine are definitely of the vintage variety: I got them off a skip some 26 years ago! They’ve been with me since college days decorating the deck of a wreck of a boat I lived on for a couple of years, then in various gardens since then. I don’t think I could be without them now, wherever I live, they’ll always be part of my outdoor space, but I think their new place on these steps is probably the best place they’ve been so far.
 More garden titivation - very Country Living 'round here you know! Talking of bargains, I was dragged off (not kicking and screaming I might add) to a car boot sale on Sunday afternoon. Again, not really the sort of place I like to frequent, but, oh boy is it a good place to go if you want some plants on the cheap! Not having too much in the way of spare cash at the moment (MOT coming up on Friday, eek!) I decided to restrain myself and just bought a lupin and a heuchera. I suspect I’ll have to invest in some organic slug pellets too; the last time I bought a lupin the snails got it in less than an hour. I wept.
 The lovely red stems of a boot sale heuchera I predict much satisfaction planting these up
Oooh by the way, If you’re looking for a bit of vintage in your garden take a look at this lovely website I came across recently Mabel and Rose. Even the name does it for me. I’m so good to you aren’t I?! I confess I wondered whether I should share this with you at all, I thought maybe you’d just go and nab some of the lovely things I might try and save up for! But I can trust you can’t I? Of course I can…
Be good.
love Stephie x
By Stephie, on Saturday 24th April, 2010 at 19:08 pm
I went for a walk on Thursday with my friend Janie. She’d guessed that she’d be my trusty unbiased assistant and would be making the 4th Bloggy Birthday Draw for me. As usual we stopped for a coffee and lunch on the way. This time it was at the idyllic The Pandora Inn (yes, I know I’m always in there when I’m over Mylor way!). So after coffee I got Janie to do the honours and rummage about in my bag and she pulled out two names…
The hand quilted cushion goes to VICTORIA!! Well done Victoria, I’ll email you for your address and the cushion cover will be winging it’s way to you next week I really hope you’ll enjoy it.
 I called this one 'Curves', I thought that was original too!  It's a striking fabric this Kaffe Fassett isn't it? I love the colour, it makes me think of all things warm. And the 2nd surprise prize goes to REBECCA HARRIS – and here it is! (I’ll email you for your address too Becky.)
 A sweet heart for someone very sweet!  It's hand embroidered in Liberty voile with vintage lace - and smells of roses, mmmmm! Thank you to every one that entered and put up with my badgering to do so, you’re brilliant! Oh and thank you also for putting up with my bad time keeping and date changes… I really was very touched by all the comments you left me. It’s encouraged me to carry on in much the same way (poor you!). I know I use this space to talk about most things that are on my mind, whatever they might be: happy (ish – let’s not get too carried away!), sad, boring, depressing, ranting, mundane, manic, a bit insane… and I know my creative interests are eclectic to say the least. I’ve often wondered whether you might like me to focus a bit more on one thing, but I guess not! So thank you again for sticking around.
I really enjoyed doing this, my first giveaway, so I promise to do it again soon. And if you have any other ideas of things you’d like me to do, let me know won’t you. I’ve noticed lots of blogs have free patterns and tutorials and I wonder if they’d be of any interest to you here? Mind you, I don’t know what I could teach you, you’re all such a creative bunch I think you’ve probably got the lot covered!
Congratulations again to Victoria and Becky, thanks to Janie and a wonderful weekend to you all
love Stephie x
By Stephie, on Friday 24th April, 2009 at 23:44 pm
You may have seen me moaning about Oxfam on Twitter. I was shocked at the prices they charge in my local store; it’s not even as though they’re in a prominent place on the high street with high costs. No, they’re tucked well away at the end of a secondary trading area. So how do they make any sales? Truro is not a wealthy place; people in Truro (I assume) probably shop at charity shops because they can’t afford to go anywhere else, not because it’s a trendy thing to do or they solely have some kind of community or eco reason for shopping there.
My local store is selling supermarket branded shirts for £5 or £6 – probably only a couple of pounds less than they cost in the first place and now past their best. Dresses were £15, coats even more! It’s nolonger the sort of place you can go and spend a few quid and revitalise your wardrobe, and know that you’re still helping others. No, now there seems to be a trend for putting the word ‘vintage’ on a label and, regardless of quality, charging a large premium for it: £50 for an old suitcase; £20 for a 1980′s polyester dress.
Shopping at Oxfam has changed, for the worse. Now it feels no different from going into any other high street shop: you feel like a. you’re buying into consumerism; b. you’re likely to be ripped off; and c. it makes you feel bad.
That said, I did come away with one small treasure today, for the princely sum of 99p… Come back tomorrow to see a ‘vintage’ copy of The Quilter’s Guild magazine.
What do you think of your local charity/thrift shops? Do you think they over charge or do you think you get a fair deal? Am I just mean spirited? Should a charity shop be somewhere that the ‘poor’ (ie people in the West in poor financial situations) can nolonger afford to shop?
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I'm running a 28 mile marathon in memory of Josie this February. Come and find out why.
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