1000th View! Merry Christmas from A&C!

It's a celebration here at SewHappy Stitchery! Today we hit our 1000th view after starting our happy little blog in May and we are so thankful to everyone who reads and (hopefully!) enjoys our crafting stories! Thank you so much!

And Merry Christmas from Bobby Robin, our little crochet buddy! He's been hanging around here for the last few days and has been bringing us so much festive cheer! We look forward to far more christmas crafts in the next few weeks! Merry Christmas!

Fabric Campbell's Soup Can

Recently I began another project for Uni, making a container using unconventional materials. Stuck for ideas, I bought the December issue of Vogue which included a jewellery feature inspired by pop-art. The jewellery was displayed on plasticine replicas of Campbell's soup cans. I loved how the iconic soup cans had been re-invented and wanted to do something similar for my container. I used pastel colours and hand-embroidered the decoration to make the can more feminine and therefore contrast with the original. I really like the use of unconventional materials, using fabric to create the can. I think the re-invention of something classic can be really exciting!

I really love my can and am so happy about the result!

Another Sketchbook

As the second part of the sketchbook project, we were asked to create an 'artist's book' for display, so I created a mini version of my initial sketchbook  using brown paper, carrier bags, envelopes, tissue paper and wallpaper. I like how this sketchbook is pocket-size! It's adorable!

Life Lately - A Handmade Sketchbook

I am a little over six weeks into my BA Hons Creative Arts (Art/Mixed Media Textiles) degree course at Bath Spa University and wanted to share with you the first of my projects for the textiles half. This was to create a sketchbook from recycled paper and unusual materials such as paper bags and envelopes. I loved this project, and really enjoy working in my new book. I hope you like it too!

The pages are made from carrier bags, amazon packaging, envelopes, tissue paper and wrapping paper.

I decorated some of the pages with paper-doily stencils and made others from old book pages.

I worked from the exhibits in the Bath Fashion Museum, inspired by this vintage postcard. 

I have been experimenting with knitting carrier bags and weaving.

I love my book and can't wait to keep working in it! 

Has anyone else experimented with books?

Crazy Button Necklace!

Materials:
Neutral fabric, buttons, length of 1cm width ribbon, a few beads

This necklace was inspired by the wonderful collection of ‘odds and sods’ of buttons I have acquired over the years and didn’t want to lose in the depths of my button box…..coupled with the wonderful gift of some gorgeous buttons from my lovely daughter!

First, I cut out two identical pieces of some neutral coloured fabric in a loose ‘v’ shape and sewed them together leaving a small gap for turning right side out.

After turning right side out, I ironed the fabric paying particular attention to the seams and neatly oversewed the gap. Then came the fun bit. I sorted through my copious button collection, vintage and new, large, medium and very small and selected my favourites, laying them side by side and as closely to each other as possible to make sure I had enough to completely cover the fabric. Once I was satisfied, I sewed them on one by on.

I then then finished off the necklace by sewing a length of ribbon to the top of each side of the ‘v’ with a few neutral wooden beads threaded and knotted on for good measure. I love it!

Beautiful Curled/Wound Ribbon Necklace

Materials:
Ribbons (any!), fabric glue, couple of beads

These were made after being inspired by a wonderful blog post by Dom Norris but I have made one or two adjustments of my own (mainly using fabric glue rather than double-sided tape). The beauty of these necklaces is that they can be made from any length, colour or width of ribbon which, when glued together, can create gorgeous different effects.

Firstly, decide on the arrangement of your ribbon beads, the number you require for your necklace and the diameter you would like them to be. Then, find some different diameter objects to wind the ribbon around (I used a screwdriver shaft, a pencil and a chopstick!) to create different sized holes in the middle of the beads.

Cut a decent length of ribbon (to give you an idea, I used around 2m for the largest of my ‘beads’ which is roughly 3.5cm in diameter but this also has a tiny hole in the middle – if you have a larger hole then less ribbon is required) and neaten the ends so that they don’t fray – this can be done really easily in the case of synthetic ribbon by quickly running the cut end through a flame which melts the fabric neatly and seals it at the same time.

Then place a line of glue along the cut end of ribbon and roll around the object you have chosen to make the hole. Once this is secure, run a thin line of glue down the middle along the length of the ribbon (I tend to do this a little at a time rather than the whole length as it can get very messy!) and firmly roll the ribbon round and round until the whole length is of ribbon is used up and slip off your pencil/chopstick and leave to dry. Repeat this step until you have made all the beads you need.

Place the beads in the arrangement you would like for your necklace and carefully glue them together where they touch each other only. One you have done this, leave to dry thoroughly before attaching the ribbon tie. I cut a couple of long lengths of very thin (4mm ribbon) and threaded through the top ribbon beads. I secured them with a knot and then threaded a couple of beads on to finish the whole thing off – lovely!

So You Live In Bath?

I love being able to say that, yes, I do live here!

1. My walk home from University. It is so beautiful!
2. A visit to Royal Crescent.
3. and 4. Being a tourist around the Circus.
5. Walking over Pulteney Bridge.
6. and 7. The wonders of 'sew'n'sew' inside the Bath Guildhall Market - Sewing heaven!!

I have fallen head over heels in love with Bath and can't wait to explore more!

A Morning at the Market

We can only apologise for how quiet we have been recently! In late September I (A) moved to Bath, Somerset to begin a degree at Bath School of Art an Design, and since then we have both been getting used to being apart and, in my case, living alone in an unusual city. However, It seems as though this has been successful and I have completely fallen in love with Bath. It is beautiful and there is always something to see, whether it be street music, art of the unconventional fashions of the art school students! I will continue to post about my adventures in Bath, and the crafts that I do, over the next few weeks so there will be lots more to see!

Today's adventures involved a trip to Green Park Station's Vintage and Antiques Market, which falls on the last sunday of every month. I had been desperate to go since I moved to Bath, and seeing as it is only just down the road from me it was the perfect activity for an overcast autumn day. I did not get the chance to take too many photos as I was scouting for vintage lace for my textiles project, however I did manage to take a few...

1. I ran into this well-dressed gentleman - a reminder that halloween is just around the corner!
2. Always a fan of typewriters, I spotted this brilliant shiny-silver one!
3. Teacups, hundreds and hundreds of them! It was like one huge, beautiful tea party!
4. I loved this simple but beautiful stencilled lace letter holder! I really want to have a go at this.
5. I had to give in and buy this stunning little brooch - only £5! Bargain! I can't wait to wear it on one of my heavy autumn jumpers!

As my project is on vintage lace and fabrics, I was determined to find some at the market and I did however they look too pretty to use!

The Green Park Station Market is brilliant! I recommend it to anyone who is in the area. There is so much to see and do! It's fantastic!

Back from Textile Heaven!

We have just returned from a very crafty holiday in beautiful Tideswell, Derbyshire where, amongst the many hours we spent on crochet, we visited the nearby fantastic Masson Mill, a wonderful working textile museum where we saw fabric being woven in front of our eyes on traditional machines! We also had a chance to view the world's largest bobbin collection which was, to us, pure heaven! We fell in love with the museum, preserved just as it was with no frills. It was completely unspoilt and filled from floor to ceiling with textile goodness! Our photos hopefully show you how fantastic it is - well worth a visit! 

Oh, and we couldn't resist buying some of the yellow fabric we saw being woven! Now... what to make with it?