production line

My work table has been a hive of activity.

Now that I know I have at least one stall to stock over the christmas period (yay!) I’ve been making lots of little bags to hold my brooches.

But instead of making one little bag from start to finish and then beginning the next one, I sort of made them all, all at once.

Making lots of the same thing is not about cutting corners or rushing things though. Its about finding more efficient ways to work.

Its a challenge I enjoy.

Cutting out means folding the fabric to cut several pieces at once. Oversewing the edges is done like chain piecing.

The production line approach means you get better, as well as quicker.

In the end, it took hardly any longer to make this whole batch than it did to finish my first one!

in the bag

I’ve been working on stock for my Christmas stall.

I have a cunning plan involving brooches made from vintage fabric.

They are going to be rather special, each one unique and completely handmade (of course). But more on those later.

I have been working on packaging for them.

Little drawstring bags.

I tried the fabric above first. It’s lightweight – too much so for cushions. I thought it would make a pretty bag.

Unfortunately it frays like a very-easily-frayed thing.

Which makes it something of a ‘mare to sew.

So I hunted through my stash and remembered this lovely Alice Apple cotton, from Spoonflower.

Much easier! And very cute.

Though I think I’ll go for ribbon ties, rather than those rather stiff bias binding ones.

I used this very handy tutorial to make the bags, scaled down to tiny-sized.

It took a couple of practice runs to get the method completely sorted  (and I dispensed with the french seams), but I think now I have it in the bag…

sorted

The decision is made. And so is my new stall sign.

Just a few threads to pull through to the back. A job for this evening in front of the telly.

Thank you to everyone that voted in yesterday’s poll!

The results were close: 45% voted for the blue/green/white pattern, but 55% of you loved the orange.

One more than most – in fact, they loved it so much they sent me a twitter message about it. So today I am packing up the remnant that is left and posting it off to them.

Its nice to be able to facilitate true love!

I love packing up parcels.

I try to make each one pretty, so that the recipient gets a bit of a love rush when the parcel is opened.

Now, time for a quick jaunt to the post office…

collecting dust

I have always been a collector.

I think I inherited the tendency from my dad, who amassed enviable collections of books, music and hi fi equipment.

I like to think that I am discriminating in my collecting, as he was. A curator, rather than an obsessive compulsive.

I am not a completist and my collecting focus changes rather than remaining fixed. My collections, and my interest in them, wax and wane over time.

Pippa dolls. Badges. Shells. Buttons. Postcards. Fabric. Tins.

I thought today of my vintage tin collection.

Gathered some years ago, it currently resides in a box in a cupboard upstairs. I use the odd one or two from the collection for practical purposes, but it has not been displayed as a collection since moving to this house.

I have read about Lisa Congdon’s project documenting her collections. I also read an article recently (I forget where) about how it is a good idea to photograph your collections and then part with them.

I’m a bit torn on that one. Whilst it may seem a pity that this particular collection is not on display, that doesn’t mean it won’t ever be.

As with everything, there comes a time to let go.

But there is also enormous joy to be had from the rediscovery of collections past.