Wow that was a response and a half!
I’m sorry but these flew off the shelves and are now SOLD OUT!
A gorgeous box of goodies that will arrive through the post!
Aimed at stitchers with some experience and a love of vintage
Oh my goodness I have been promising this one for a long time but I’m finally ready to launch my latest Workshop in a Box. Last year was a funny old year where plans changed and new things came along and this box just never materialised…I do so hope it’s worth the wait.
Orders are now open for ‘Stories from the Sewing Room’ – a rather lovely Cloth Collage.
I aim for these boxes to fall somewhere between an inspiration pack and a kit, so my expectation isn’t for you to make an exact replica of the piece pictured above, though by using the materials provided, working through the Making Notes and referring to the diagram and picture you can, of course, do so. Be warned though that the fragments of vintage table linens included in your box may not be the same size or shape as mine, so you’ll probably have to make some adjustments along the way.
I’ll walk you through the stages I took during the making of the lovely Cloth Collage above, explaining some of the whys as well as the hows! But I absolutely encourage you to personalise my design and I offer suggestions along the way.
To inspire & delight
The aim of these boxes is a simple one – to inspire & delight – in fact it’s become a bit of a mission statement.
I prepare everything in the box myself, as I would for a workshop and I love the thought of you rummaging through it!
The story behind
So many stitchers have fond memories of sewing as a child, or of playing with their granny’s button box. My granny was the worst stitcher on the planet according to my mum, but of course that didn’t stop her, as ‘needs must’! Somehow my mum taught herself to sew, and she is a very wonderful stitcher. She made all my clothes when I was wee and generally my dolls would also have an outfit made from the fabric scraps. They lived much more exciting lives than me – I never had the need for the skater skirt and fur trimmed jacket worn by my Sindy doll, or the Spy outfit, complete with flower in the lapel (that was really a camera) that my teddy discretely wore!
I remember playing with mum’s button tin, spending hours sorting buttons by colour or size and of course learning to sew as soon as I could. In primary school I made my first dress, a tennis dress made of white waffle cotton. I think there was even a pair of shorts to match. I never did wear it, as I didn’t actually play tennis (what was I thinking), but it had a long zip down the back and side slits and I’ll never forget it!
What did sewing mean in your household? Was it ‘plain’ sewing or ‘fancy’ needlework? Perhaps it was dressmaking, embroidery, sewing on missing buttons or name labels on clothing. Maybe the sewing basket overflowed with mending, everything from stockings to sheets. Keeping these things in mind as you start your collage may well inspire personal touches you could incorporate in your stitching. You could add little areas of decorative darning, a row of buttons or maybe some words.
Don’t worry if you don’t have sewing background and don’t have your own memories. My own work usually draws on the stories of others and I ‘borrow’ words & stories from everywhere!
The most beautiful floral fabrics…
If you know anything about me, you’ll know that my passion lies in using materials that are used, washed & worn however, for my workshop boxes, I soon realised that this was really limiting me and that the only way I could create gorgeous ‘Cloth Collage’ boxes was to use new fabrics.
I searched around for vintage inspired fabrics and became more than a little smitten by French General, who design beautiful cloth inspired by their antique French collections. For this box, I have chosen pieces from their Jardin de Fleurs collection and I have absolutely loved working with them! For someone who rarely uses new fabric, I could play around with these for hours…and unashamedly have done!
I loved this fabric range so much that I just couldn’t decide between two of the colours – so you’ll have to choose! The decision is yours whether you wish to order a box in Colour way 1 ‘Roche’ or Colour way 2 ‘Blue’. Do remember to let me know which you would like when you order. There will be limited numbers of both, so get in touch quickly to get your first choice.
Of course there are also a few pieces of old fabric – this does mean that there may be marks on some, or they may be faded or slightly damaged. I only include pieces that I would choose to work with myself – but be warned, I make a bee-line for the wonky and imperfect!
Please note that my style of stitching (and therefore teaching) uses torn, unfinished edges so if you embrace straight lines, perfectly turned edges & pristine fabrics, then this one probably isn’t for you!
The printed text is from an old domestic science jotter that I’ve had digitally printed on organic calico. It belonged to a girl called Patsy who had the most beautiful handwriting and scored 5/5 for this exercise so you can rely on her instructions for the stitching of seams!
Your finished piece can be hung as it is from tiny bulldog clips (provided), or of course you could always mount it and frame.
The finished dimensions are around 22cm 32cm.
I’m so hoping that you’ll enjoy using bits & pieces that I’ve collected together for you but also hope that you’ll personalise your own story collage by adding wonderful stuff from your own stash!
Many of my followers on social media and in person are already enthusiastic and often experienced stitchers so this box is aimed at them. Anyone who is not familiar with any of the stitches used can look for online tutorials, or even better in my opinion, invest in an embroidery stitch book. I love collecting vintage books and still use my very first sewing book “Embroidery Stitches’ by Barbara Snook. But the stitches used are simple and I very much encourage an intuitive approach and be reassured, you can make a very beautiful Cloth Collage using only running & cross stitch!
To Order
There is a limited number of 50 Stories from the Sewing Room boxes available and I will be posting them out in small batches over a couple of weeks from the 16th February. Please order by contacting me by email. I don’t always receive messages left on my Facebook & Instagram accounts, so please do email!
Payment will be by BACS or Paypal.
Remember to tell me if you wish Colour way 1 ‘Roche’ or 2 ‘Blue’. Also tell me if you are willing to have the other colour if your chosen one is not available.
The cost of the box is £50 plus UK postage of £4.00
I am so sorry but I am not posting out-with the UK.
I know this will disappoint and I truly apologise but parcels have gone astray and I end up out of pocket so please be understanding!
I hope you love it and I can’t wait to see pictures of the results!