Half a Dozen Roses

Spoonflower had a buy one "fat quarter sized fabric" (approx 21" X 18") get one free offer recently, so I got some fabrics for a few projects I have been planning, also to test out colours are correct they are now printing European orders through their new German based company. USA and Canadian orders will be sent through their USA based printing company. This was printed on 100% cotton fabric
This is is my "1/2 a Dozen Roses" design. The six roses fit on one fat quarter of fabric I will post some of the other finished projects as I complete them :) and I yes am very happy with the colours and print quality

The roses can be used as brooches (just sew or glue on a brooch back) or to decorate clothing, bags, hats, cushions, on curtain tie backs anywhere you want to add a splash of colour and shape. I have more 1/2 roses fat quarters and the works with different fabric prints (had lots of requests for  steampunk prints with cogs and gears as roses) 

This design is also available at Woven Monkey a UK based printing company.

Fabric Flowers

Yesterday I was teaching a short taster class (2 hours) - Fabric Flowers in Harlesden Library as part of the Festival of Learning
Here's some pics of the students work, they all did really well!

Fabric Love's Swatch Kit

I saw this magazine in the supermarket last month "Love Patchwork & Quilting" (a nice magazine), really it was the free gift I saw "a fabric lovers swatch kit" and thought it was an excellent idea. It contained 100 cards, 100 double sized stickers (to stick the fabric sample to the card) and a metal keyring.
It's meant for people to stick swatches from there fabric stash onto the little pre-printed cards with  information on one side to fill in with details so you can remember your fabric name, details etc. then add to the keyring to keep to keep organised.
For me I thought it would be an excellent way to have samples of my fabric designs at hand and organised. So I made a template to fit the card tags and ordered some of my design minis from both from Woven monkey and spoonflower in the correct sizes and started organising my fabrics. I think this is so useful for co-ordinating with other fabrics, buttons, threads, zips or just for showing my fabric design, plus its so small and neat and can fit in my bag when out 'n' about. This is one of the best free gifts from a magazine I have ever had :)

Floral Border Print

I received a sample of Spoonflower's new fabric last week its called sport lycra. Its a soft and stretchy lycra that take's colour really well. It has a 4-way stretch and is a mix of 88% polyester and 12% Lycra®.
I used my floral border design for the print. I wanted to see how the colour and detail would come out on the lycra. I was very happy with the results.

Now what do I need made from lycra?
Maybe some stretchy bags or pockets...

Bees

Spoonflower's latest design contest is called Bees. I had to enter this one. I love bees and could watch them buzzing around flowers all day the noise is so relaxing. They are so important pollinating over 80% of all fruit, vegetable and seed crops, without bees the cost of pollinating food would be so expensive many of our favourites may no longer be produced like broccoli, cucumbers, pumpkins, blueberries, watermelons, apples, cranberries, and cherries, almonds. Plus they make both honey and beeswax. Bees are decreasing so plant a few flowers for them in your garden.
The brief for this weeks contest was "Create a bee-inspired design to be previewed at the fat quarter size (21" x 18"). Deadline for entry is Tuesday, April 21st. Voting will open on Thursday, April 23rd" Here's my design called Bees Together, it matches my filet crochet chart on my website (its a free chart) called Here Come The Bees.
To see this weeks entries and vote for the designs you like the link is below. There is no need to sign in and you can vote for as many as you choose.
http://www.spoonflower.com/contest_voters_temp/new?contest_id=300
I am looking forward to seeing all the other entries.

January Speeds By

It feels like the month has only just started not coming to an end. I have been busy transferring and updating patterns because as of the 1st of January the EU VAT laws on digital services, that includes digital downloads (this also includes music, apps, ebooks) yes knitting and crochet patterns. Here's the link for the UK government page for more information. Basically I can register in all the EU countries that might sell one of my patterns in and file quarterly paperwork (even if I don't sell anything) or as many have no longer have my pattern for sale (big companies who are VAT registered do not have to do this). But a third option was found in December when Loveknitting.com came forward (together with ravelry.com) and they will handle the payments and paperwork for designers who go through them. This means all my EU (except the UK as I live here) pattern sales will now go through loveknitting.com links will still be on ravelry as normal. Loveknitting also sell books, needles, hooks and yarn.

My other transfers have been to a new fabric shop on Woven Monkey similar to Spoonflower who I still love. Woven Monkey are UK based
this is a little info from their site "Woven Monkey was set up to give individuals the opportunity to have their own designs printed onto fabric. All our printing takes place right here in the UK, at our premises in Derbyshire. The textile industry has a rich heritage in the area, dating back almost 300 years. We’re passionate about reviving the industry through new ideas and technology"
They use the latest in digital fabric printing methods and very important for me was they use eco-friendly pigment inks on natural fibres. Been UK based it also means UK and EU customers who want to buy fabric will not have to worry about additional customs charges and lower shipping costs (they post free if in the UK)

More fabrics

 

These are the other digital printed fabric pieces that arrived recently.

The black and white (with a little highlight of yellow) fabric is called "Midnight Cat Does Damask" this is the small size print there is also a larger scale print. And here's a photo of my
model in the garden. Always ready to model for food.

The blue fabric with the cameos is called "Cameo Girl Cogs" again this is the small size and there is a larger scale version. I wanted something that was a mix of old and new just like steampunk and it matches my other cog and gear fabrics. This was print on satin.

The final fabric also blue, but with sweets/ candys I remember from my childhood called "Sugar Mice and all things Nice" sugar mice, allsorts, smarties, candy canes and lollies swirling around in a sweet 'n' tasty dream. All the things I remember you could buy with your pocket money in the local sweet shop as a child, although I hated liquorice (and still do) it always looked pretty.

The fabric comes in three colours blue (as in the pic), pink and green.

Now I need some time to do lots of sewing :)

Fabric arrives

Recently spoonflower had a BOG OFF sale (buy one get one free) on fat quarters of fabric. My fabrics arrived last week, here's some of the pics.

 
The first two are cut and sew patterns, both printed on 100% cotton fabric.
"Mr Fox Awake/ Asleep Cover" is inner pillow/ cushion, that is filled with wheat or rice to create a  heatable pillow(in a microwave), it can then be put into the fox (one side awake the other side asleep) outer cover.

"Bees 'n' Flowers Barrel shaped pencil case" make one lined barrel shaped pencil case with a strap, or two unlined barrel shaped pencil cases :) 

 

 

And "Mom's Recipe - Soda Bread Tea Towel" this is printed on the linen/ cotton blend as its larger size, I think I may also make a smaller size so two prints can fit on a fat quarter. I was very happy with how this printed and it just needs the edges neatened and hemmed.

I'll post the other fabric quarters as soon as I photo them :)

Fibre Monday

Spoonflower.com are having a 12 hour free shipping worldwide event starting today :)
My fabrics from their last special offer have just arrived, I will post some pics of them tomorrow.

Fabric Arrived

The first of my fabrics arrived and I am very happy with the results, its my "Sweet 'n' Sour" print. This fabric makes me think of cool summer drinks. Now to make something for the summer before it ends :)

Free Swatch

From 12pm EST on Thursday, June 5th until 12pm EST on Friday, June 6th, you can get a free, custom-printed swatch of  Spoonflowers new Faux Suede fabric, along with free shipping. (One free swatch per household. This is an international offer) there's more information on their blog http://blog.spoonflower.com/2014/06/get-a-free-swatch-of-faux-suede-for-24-hours.html

You can get your own design printed (or photo, kids drawings)  or choose from the 1000's of designs available


The swatch is 8" X 8" (20cm X 20cm) 
I ordered mine and will make a small purse from it like these ones I blogged about a few years ago:)

My spoonflower shop is http://www.spoonflower.com/profiles/nezumiworld for the prints in the photo and lots more :)
 
 

Blooming Marvellous Design Contest

I just entered the Blooming Marvellous Design Contest over at the Bags of Love website. That's my entry with the giant bee :)
Here's a little about it from from there site "
With summer on its way and the beautiful flower shows on the horizon, Blooming Marvellous is a new, unique competition, which celebrates gorgeous flowers and their impact on the design and creative worlds."

Pop over to there site to have a look at the great floral designs, clicking below

http://www.bagsoflove.co.uk/contest/2?designid=204#contestentry

Mom's Soda Bread Tea Towel

 

I had planned on doing all the competitions Spoonflower set for the month of April. For two reasons, because it was the Easter break and I had time off from my teaching work and two my mom would have been 70 this month she died this year at the start of January, so it is an upsetting month for us, she believed you should do positive things to be happy, so that's the main reason I set myself this task. I though there was 4 competitions set for April one each week but there was 5 and it is very apt that the last competition from Spoonflower this month is "Moms recipe tea towels" the brief was "No matter where you live in the world, nothing spells comfort like a home cooked meal from your mom or grandmother. Celebrate the important culinary women in your life this Mother's Day by designing a lovely recipe just like mom used to make. Recipes should fit a fat quarter-yard of our Linen-Cotton Canvas fabric. Entries will be previewed at the scale of a fat quarter (27" x 18")"
So the image up top is my entry "Mom's recipes - soda bread tea towel" with yes my moms soda bread recipe. is on it. She made this all the time often making extra to give to friends.  I have this recipe also on my foodie blog if you fancy making it :) My mom liked her fancy tea towels I am sure she would have been so happy to see the recipe on one.
To vote or just look at any of the entries in this week competition click on the link below, please remember to make sure you go all the way down to the bottom of the page and hit submit when you do vote so it is counted (you don't need to sign up to vote)
http://www.spoonflower.com/contest_voters_temp/new?contest_id=245

Earth Day Cut & Sew Bag

 This weeks spoonflower competition is for an Earth Day Cut & Sew Bag, the brief was "To honor earth day 2014, we're asking you to create a cut & sew pattern for a reusable shopping bag. The design should be set up to be centered. Preview will be sized at a single yard of (42" X 36") kona cotton."
This fabric design had two stages, the designing of the bag/ pattern and then the design to go on the bag. Spoonflower did supply a file for a bag if people could not make their own, but I felt it had a lot of wasted fabric space and I also wanted to put lining in my bag.
For me when designing the bag I tried to use as much of the yard as I could, I think there should be very little wastage if something is for earth day. The bag is lined for strength and has no seams on the bottom again for strength. The straps are wider so they don't cut into your shoulders when been used, I may even add a light-weight wadding/ batting to them give them extra support and comfort.
For the design on the bag, I used the crocheted hexagon I had been playing with recently (I posted about last month) and decided to scan them into photoshop. I had to do this many thing as what looks like a good hexagon when scanned for some reason does not always look like a hexagon or the stitches do not show nicely. I played with the scanned hexagons for several hours and created a few different fabric prints I was happy with to use on the bag. I also played with the colour a little, keeping with earth day theme I wanted a "green bag" that was green!
I have ordered the fabric and I am waiting for it to arrive to see how it looks when printed. I will make the bag and post a "how to" when it comes.
To vote for my bag or to see/ vote for the other bags in the competition click the link below http://www.spoonflower.com/contest_voters_temp/new?contest_id=243 there are some really nice designs. You can vote for as many as you like (only 1 vote per person) just make sure you go all the way down to the bottom of the page and hit submit when you do vote so it is counted (you don't need to sign up to vote)

Lilies

This weeks contest at Spoonflower is "Lilies". The brief for the contest was "Since ancient Grecian times, lilies have been a symbol of virtue and beauty. We're welcoming Easter and the spring season with a contest celebrating one of our favorite flowers. Previews will be sized as a quarter yards (21" x 18") To vote in this weeks contest go to http://www.spoonflower.com/contest_voters_temp/new?contest_id=242http://www.spoonflower.com/contest_voters_temp/new?contest_id=242    You can vote for as many as you like no need to sign in

This is my entry just called "Lilies" they are tiger lilies, to be honest I could not remember what type of lily they were when I was naming the fabric, I just really like these orange lilies with the dark spots. They were drawn using a pen and tablet in photoshop, I really enjoyed drawing the spots  I have not forgotten about my hexagons I am trying to find a way of using them in next weeks contest.

Since ancient Grecian times, lilies have been a symbol of virtue and beauty. We're welcoming Easter and the spring season with a contest celebrating one of our favorite flowers. Previews will be sized as quarter yards (21" x 18"). - See more at: http://blog.spoonflower.com/upcoming-spoonflower-contests.html#sthash.UqLjonZf.dpuf

Since ancient Grecian times, lilies have been a symbol of virtue and beauty. We're welcoming Easter and the spring season with a contest celebrating one of our favorite flowers. Previews will be sized as quarter yards (21" x 18"). - See more at: http://blog.spoonflower.com/upcoming-spoonflower-contests.html#sthash.UqLjonZf.dpuf

Since ancient Grecian times, lilies have been a symbol of virtue and beauty. We're welcoming Easter and the spring season with a contest celebrating one of our favorite flowers. Previews will be sized as quarter yards (21" x 18"). - See more at: http://blog.spoonflower.com/upcoming-spoonflower-contests.html#sthash.UqLjonZf.dpuf

Since ancient Grecian times, lilies have been a symbol of virtue and beauty. We're welcoming Easter and the spring season with a contest celebrating one of our favorite flowers. Previews will be sized as quarter yards (21" x 18"). - See more at: http://blog.spoonflower.com/upcoming-spoonflower-contests.html#sthash.UqLjonZf.dpuf

Since ancient Grecian times, lilies have been a symbol of virtue and beauty. We're welcoming Easter and the spring season with a contest celebrating one of our favorite flowers. Previews will be sized as quarter yards (21" x 18"). - See more at: http://blog.spoonflower.com/upcoming-spoonflower-contests.html#sthash.UqLjonZf.dpuf

We're welcoming Easter and the spring season with a contest celebrating one of our favorite flowers. Previews will be sized as quarter yards (21" x 18") - See more at: http://blog.spoonflower.com/upcoming-spoonflower-contests.html#sthash.UqLjonZf.dpuf

We're welcoming Easter and the spring season with a contest celebrating one of our favorite flowers. Previews will be sized as quarter yards (21" x 18") - See more at: http://blog.spoonflower.com/upcoming-spoonflower-contests.html#sthash.UqLjonZf.dpuf

Fabric Design Challenges

Restricted Palette for Whales Contest

In my last post I said I was not teaching this month as its the Easter break (a long break....), so I am concentrating on designing/ making and finishing items, plus having some fun by doing some challenges. So I am trying to enter the 4 challenges/ contests this month (1 each week) that spoonflower.com set on their site. The theme of this weeks contest is fabrics celebrating "whales" Here are the the instructions - All designs submitted have to use a restricted palette chosen by spoonflower (the pic shows the 4 colours and white), designs may include white but not black and will be displayed at 21" X 18" (a fat quarter)

This week, contestants used a restricted jewel-toned color palette to celebrate the most fascinating and magnificent sea creatures - See more at: http://blog.spoonflower.com/#sthash.dXz9lSNq.dpuf

This week, contestants used a restricted jewel-toned color palette to celebrate the most fascinating and magnificent sea creatures - See more at: http://blog.spoonflower.com/#sthash.dXz9lSNq.dpuf

Spoonflower cofounder Stephen Fraser is predicting that whales are going to be huge in 2014. - See more at: http://blog.spoonflower.com/upcoming-spoonflower-contests.html#sthash.MmlO5a6J.dpuf

Spoonflower cofounder Stephen Fraser is predicting that whales are going to be huge in 2014. - See more at: http://blog.spoonflower.com/upcoming-spoonflower-contests.html#sthash.MmlO5a6J.dpuf

Spoonflower cofounder Stephen Fraser is predicting that whales are going to be huge in 2014. - See more at: http://blog.spoonflower.com/upcoming-spoonflower-contests.html#sthash.MmlO5a6J.dpuf

Spoonflower cofounder Stephen Fraser is predicting that whales are going to be huge in 2014. - See more at: http://blog.spoonflower.com/upcoming-spoonflower-contests.html#sthash.MmlO5a6J.dpuf

Spoonflower cofounder Stephen Fraser is predicting that whales are going to be huge in 2014. - See more at: http://blog.spoonflower.com/upcoming-spoonflower-contests.html#sthash.MmlO5a6J.dpuf

Spoonflower cofounder Stephen Fraser is predicting that whales are going to be huge in 2014. All designs submitted must use a restricted palette, visible below. Previews will be shown at (21" x 18"). Deadline for entry is April 1st, 2014. Designs may include white, but should not include black. - See more at: http://blog.spoonflower.com/upcoming-spoonflower-contests.html#sthash.MmlO5a6J.dpuf

Spoonflower cofounder Stephen Fraser is predicting that whales are going to be huge in 2014. All designs submitted must use a restricted palette, visible below. Previews will be shown at (21" x 18"). Deadline for entry is April 1st, 2014. Designs may include white, but should not include black. - See more at: http://blog.spoonflower.com/upcoming-spoonflower-contests.html#sthash.MmlO5a6J.dpuf

Spoonflower cofounder Stephen Fraser is predicting that whales are going to be huge in 2014. All designs submitted must use a restricted palette, visible below. Previews will be shown at (21" x 18"). Deadline for entry is April 1st, 2014. Designs may include white, but should not include black. - See more at: http://blog.spoonflower.com/upcoming-spoonflower-contests.html#sthash.MmlO5a6J.dpuf

Spoonflower cofounder Stephen Fraser is predicting that whales are going to be huge in 2014. All designs submitted must use a restricted palette, visible below. Previews will be shown at (21" x 18"). Deadline for entry is April 1st, 2014. Designs may include white, but should not include black. - See more at: http://blog.spoonflower.com/upcoming-spoonflower-contests.html#sthash.MmlO5a6J.dpuf

This is my entry called "Going Down" these whales are narwhals also known as the unicorn of the sea. The palette was a definitely a challenge but I enjoyed doing this design and got to use my pen and tablet, I drew the whales in photoshop (its not just for photo editing) I normally outline using real pens and paper and scan into photoshop, to tidy the drawings and colour them, but as I said I decided to have fun/ challenges and work in a different way. In fact this way was much quicker.
You can see this and the other designs entered into this weeks contest at http://www.spoonflower.com/contest_voters_temp/new?contest_id=241

You can vote for as many or as few entries as you like (you can even vote for me) or just have a look, no need to sign in or join to vote. Note: you have to go all the way down to the end entry to confirm your vote/ s, there are lots of great entries this week. It so interesting to see how using the same theme and colours so many different ideas are produced.
Now I have voted and are onto next weeks challenge "lilies"

Hexagon Crazy

So this time last week I was teaching the hexagon taster class (it's the start of the Easter break today so no teaching work for about 4 weeks!) and my mind is still in hexagon mode. I bought a couple of packs of reduced price cotton recently (very cheap 3 balls of £2.50) and decided to play with them and make different types/ patterns of crocheted hexagons the only restriction been they must be the same size as my fabric hexagon patchwork pieces.Maybe I will mix and match them?
Maybe I will create a new fabric design print using the crocheted hexagons?
Or maybe I will do both ideas?
I have decided to blog my progress regularly to keep me focused on this project, I have far to many on going projects, several 95% finished so this year I plan to complete as many of them as I can. And yes I know I will still start new stuff but that's how my brain works! :)
Ok now I need to make another dozen crocheted hexagon experiments

Summer Sun and simple Kanzashi style flowers

Classes are finished until September. The weather has been very good this summer, the flowers are in bloom and everything seems brighter, even people in general seem happier.
I have been busy working on lots of projects  mainly with a floral theme - crochet, knitting, jewellery, fabric and even playing with resin again. I need more hours in the day!.
Some of my fabric samples from spoonflower arrived the circle fabrics for Kanzashi style flowers there are currently 3 different designs to choose from each a fat quarter - Circles No.1, Circles No.2 and yes Circles No.3. I have been making and teaching how to make different fabric flowers for years and used to paint/ print the colour on the fabric to make the flowers as I could not always get the colours I wanted. Plus it can be messy when you have a very small space to work in and getting the same results each time can take a lot of extra work (although I will still use this method to develop new print designs). Now thanks to digital printing I can get the results I wanted and it is easy and  repeatable, plus others can now also get the same results. I have made up the flower samples and I am very happy with the results. The circles can be used not only to make flowers but also quilting yoyo's (also known as Suffolk Puffs), hair decorations (I am working on a "how to" for that currently) and covered buttons/ beads. If anyone purchases this fabric I would love to know what you make with it :)
The flowers are very quick and simple to make so I have posted the photo "how to's for making the flowers and some ideas for the centres.

Frogs

This week Spoonflower.com have a "Frog" fabric contest - there are lots of entries this time and so many extra cute frogs. This is my entry called "Leaf Surfing" lots of little red eyed and footed tree frogs :)

Its May and Spring maybe?

Maybe I am speaking to soon but the bitter cold weather seems to have gone. The sun is appearing a little more each day and staying longer so brighter evenings.
Which has got me thinking of all the new colourful flowers now blooming and the insects buzzing about them.

So inspired I have added a new e-booklet to my ravelry and newly re-opened etsy shops. It is called the "The Garden Collection 2” and contains 2 charts “Swirly Snails” and “Fluttering Moths” both charts match the previous garden collection designs.

And while I am in the create making mood I have been cleaning my sewing machine (my poor machine really needs servicing another spring cleaning job to be sorted very soon) ready for my fabrics from spoonflower.com which have just arrived. I have been planning to make a shopper bag for a while but could not decide which designs to pick. So I choose 2 (well you can never have enough bags). I plan to make a lightweight cotton shopper using the "Circle in a Square - small red/ oranges"
" pattern with a peach fabric to line it and a heavier weight bag in cotton/ linen with the "50's Lace" design and a hot pink lining. I will add the finished bags as I make them :)