Sunday, November 30, 2014

Waste not.....................................

After I finished making the Santas I had a pile of small offcuts. I do hate to waste fabric, especially if I have spent time and effort collaging and quilting it.

I've got a craft fair coming up, so I made some brooches.



and then some more with offcuts from last year's Santas.



and used up a few more oddments to make bits to decorate my hat for the Steampunk fair.








Monday, November 10, 2014

Sore fingers from stitching Santas!



It's helter skelter until December 6th now. I have a table booked at a local craft fair - 53 vendors and "A Trip Back in Time" Steampunk theme. I'm really looking forward to it, it should be fun. But panic stations..........................

I've made a few Santas, using more or less the same construction as the St.Nicholas figures.







Saturday, November 08, 2014

I know it's early, but I'm late!

It's only the beginning of November, but soon there will be craft fairs and last minute overseas posting dates! If you are anything like me, you should have started in July at the latest and here you are, deadlines approaching, panic rising.



I made a start with these St. Nicholas figures:









He's made from a needle felted collage of fleecy fabric and wool roving layered over ecofelt. This was then machine quilted and sewn into the body shape. I sewed on the face and arms and embroidered him after stuffing. Down the front is a row of interlaced chain stitch, with elongated holding stitches at the sides. I use this because it reminds me of the fastenings on a period soldier's dress tunic. There is also herringbone, Cretan and chevron stitches, and some trellis around the face. Here it is before I added any beads: