Peg Doll Angles Invade Slack Space

Tonight we had a class on making Peg Doll Angels. It was great fun and lots of Angles were made. It always amazes me how every one comes up with so many different ideas. Here they all are working away creating..

Molly curled up on my coat next to the heater. Very wise dog.

Now for the Angels Picture Parade.

An Angel made from a wool jumper that was partly unraveled.

 This one has a tiny wand & star.

 A Wedding Angel waiting for her wings.

 Ballroom dancer audition for Strictly next!

These wings are so delicate, just like gossamer.

One giant angel made with the florists foam blocks. Shes going to star on a family Christmas Tree.

Two lovely doily creations

 Twin sisters.

 This one looks like a Charleston girl to me.

Ballerina Angels.

I hope you agree I had a talented lot of Angel makers.

We had mince pies and Tea as its the last meeting before Christmas.

Next time we are going to make decorated boxes or picture frames.

Little Treasures, Ready for Stuffin' & Clothes

Here are my friends naked and awaiting clothes. They've snuggled up in the cream and white doilies and lace box.

One of them is made from old curtain lining and the other two are damask or linen table napkins. Those lucky two have tablecloth boots with embroidered flowers on.

Some less finished cousins, legs 1/2 stuffed or flat and saggy.

She's finished stuffing them  yesterday. So now some fab scrappy costumes are being made. And she's had some great ideas for hair.

So now I'm sitting on the Little Treasures shelf  which is really an untidy bookcase where she dumps things that she loves.

Must run now as I can hear her coming. Lots of Love 

Bluebell xxx

Say Hello to Bluebell - !st Happy Scrappy Doll

Sewing machine got so hot this week I've had to oil it!!! Been very busy designing a new range of rag dolls. Based on a Prairie Doll pattern found in the Wild West of America. 

This is Bluebell

All the Happy Scrappy Dolls will have their unique number embroidered on their left foot or right as in this case doh I am tired!

All Happy Scrappy Dolls will be made from Antique, Vintage, Retro and sometimes modern materials. But all the materials will be sourced from 2nd hand sources not High Street Stores. They are made from scraps of other peoples lives really.

Bluebell is wearing a blue print skirt in fabric from my friend Julie. 

 Doilies for the hair, apron, shawl and knickers came from Lynn who sells lace, linen and jewelry in Chelmsford market. Knickers below with a blue ribbon, which matches the hair ribbon and shawl trim.

The blouse fabric came from a huge buy I made at the Helen Rollason Charity Shop in Braintree. I came out with a black bin liner and a large carrier bag full of fabric and sewing stuff.

The blue lace and daisies came from a charity shop buy, a bag of lace and ribbons & trims.

A few things for me to work on, thumb needs to be a bit bolder. Sew more evenly round feet, draw head shape on as its very hard to get a symmetrical shape when you are machining. Same applies to feet and hands.

Haven't made up my mind about faces yet. Oh and I wash all materials before use and yes iron too.

Hope you like her, more to come.

Made a huge buy of vintage linen, lace, lovely check and stripe table cloths, doilies, a wonderful silk embroidered peacock and a large petit point embroidery. 3 banana boxes overflowing. Been washing and ironing all day. So now I have lots of wonderful material for my cushions and Happy Scrappy Dolls. 

Vintage Inspired Cushions at the Chelmsford Community Pop-up Shop

 Well its really great that I have been allowed to put up a table and some shelves at the pop-up shop.

 It makes a lovely display for my vintage finds, the cushions and Cherry Ann Hall's Art Dolls.

 The cream shelves were bought at an auction £10 + hammer % really a good bargain as there are two sets.

They fold up so are really easy to transport.

 I've sold some china, cushions and bits and bobs. Oh and another mannequin. Only one left now, just hanging on to it for a while as it is my favourite.

 A vintage fold up wooden chair, with two different cushions made from the embroidered bits of one tablecloth. Top cushion is a corner embroidery and the bottom one is the central motif with some doilies.

Here's a wider view of the upstairs area at the pop-up shop. All the vintage clothing, art and shoes are for sale as well. Lots of super ideas for really different Christmas gifts. Oh and they now have a Cafe Corner, you just have to try the lemon drizzle cake it is fab.

This week I am working with 1950's Sandersons floral linen fabric, it's super, and that has been teamed with Lindsay Tartan. Also using a modern screen print on a taffeta fabric and high end designer woven fabric which  have both been sewn with a fab over the top tasseled braid. The braid retails at £16.99 a metre but thanks to my eagle eyes I bought a whole 25 metres for less than this. Pictures of these next week.

Hopefully this month I will be helping run another evening course at Slack Space, Vintage Peg Doll Fairies. Its free so come on over and have some fun making.

Head Down and Working -- on Cushions!!

Tomorrow I'm going to the Chelmsford Community Pop-up Shop to take in the new cushions I've made.

Here's a sneak peek for my lovely blog followers.

A 1940's Crinoline Lady one end of a table runner with vintage doilies. Machine embroidery embellishments.

 Back of above, used vintage 1950's jacquard curtain fabric, part of a doily and a bit of embroidery. Have now sewn the buttons on.

Crinoline Lady from other end of the table runner, again used doilies. These ones had quite heavy cream tape sewn on, so machine embroidered a few of the flowers to lift it. I've tried to use similar colours to those in the original embroidery as it just ties the whole design together.

Back of the above with a bit of lace. Just spotted my deliberate mistake. The material is reversible, darn I've reversed the bottom bit. Oh well just adds to the vintage chic!!!

1937 Coronation cushion. A very special one  because you are never going to get another. Various doilies and some extra special Belgian lace, cut work hankie and crochet doilies. All hand embroidered. A couple of stubborn stains on the original embroidery material so I've machine embroidered a few flowers on to hide them.

Back of the above, fabric bought at the Chelmsford mobility shop :-), bit of left over from a patchwork project and lace to match the edging. All measure 16x16 with an 18 inch cushion inner so they are lovely and plump.

I think its really important to have well finished backs to cushions as they could end up wrong side out on your furniture. But they will still look lovely. Also the inside is lined with cream curtain lining to hide the back of the embroidery and edges are over sewn too.

Hope these fly of the shelves as I have had a big spend on more embroidery, doilies and fabric. Its been such a joy to make these. Oh and my house is a mess, thread and bits of fabric every where.

New Cushion Designs in Vintage Fabrics

My house is bursting with cushions!!!!

Sold these two to my friend - yay for friends who buy your craft stuff.

Then I've made the first one from the green/blue 1950's curtains. Lucky my button and trimming hoard had just the right colour piping cord and vintage buttons.

Next starting on an embroidered and crochet cushion. There will be stitching on top of the crochet. Also got some lovely shabby chic flower fabric for the back.

Close up of the 1937 tray cloth centre, the outside was stained so I've cut the middle out. Been sitting stitching it now I'm off to bed.

Cushions and more cushions

Up to my ears in making cushions. Recently bought some tin trunks at auction, to my surprise when we opened the one at the bottom of the stack it had some old curtain in it. These got washed and had to air outside for several days, in the sun, as they stunk of moth balls. They were made up into cushions which have sold well at the Chelmsford Community Pop-up Shop and also to my friends.

Above is a fabulous Zoffany Chintz Cotton from 1984, my friend Val found this in the Pop-up Shop. There was a very large amount of fabric for just £7.00 - a real steal. So far I have got 3 cushions in the above style and 9 of the patchwork ones below. Zoffany's 1st year of designing fabric and wallpaper was 1984. They are still in production today and make for Sandersons and other top companies.

They are not finished yet as I am waiting on braid and zips from eBay. Then I have to buy cushion inners so they are nice and plump.

Today I went to Braintree, met up with Val and we did a tour of the charity shops. I bought this wonderful Apple Green and Pale Blue 1950's set of curtains in the RSPCA shop.

Then into the Helen Rollason shop where they had a large trunk of fabrics. I bought a selection, tartan, white poly cotton, white shimmer fine fabric, floral Sanderson and a 3 metre piece of 1960's crimplene  complete with Paisley pattern. That was so popular in the late 1960's early 1970's as I remember making a blue dress trimmed with Paisley!!!

Best thing was I bumped into Julie Howe and her friend Stephanie Moss so we just had to stop for a coffee and chat.

Welcome to the new faces on the followers gallery. I'm popping over to see what you are up to on your blogs.

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