missing presumed sewing

Originally uploaded by Tom Messenger

This picture has nothing to do with anything really but I realised I hadn't blogged in almost a week and wanted to pop in and say hello. It's too dark to take photos tonight (my flat has VERY high ceilings with a super dim energy efficient light bulb only if you are lucky!) so I decided to go with my most recent favourite on flickr instead. Isn't it great? I originally found Tom Messenger via grain edit, which is where I find out about many things I end up favouriting.

My absence from the old blog (I actually had no idea I had been away so long) has been due to a flurry of crafty activity, mostly sewing. I went on a three day long Eastenders sewing rampage (a rampage, I tells ya!) which has given me less than a handful of Eastenders portraits... Oh well, at least they look good, if I do say so myself :) I think my stitching is going from strength to strength (go me!) but just is not getting any faster unfortunately. Oh for the day when I can charge a price/sew at a pace that gives me an hourly rate close to half the minimum wage! Ha! Yesterday I gave my eyes and fingers a break and made a zillion (yes, that is correct, a zillion) vintage recipe cards, redesigned their label (looking goo-oo-ood!) and packaged them all up. Today I sewed vintage buttons onto cards and made a good deal of progress towards doing something exciting with my teeny tiny red riding hoods. I am so excited about that and am hoping it will all be done within the next week. There's a fair bit of waiting for things to dry but I guarantee I'll be sharing photos as soon as they're finished because I have a feeling I'm going to be pretty excited about them. Yippee!

Why this flurry of crafty business? Well, firstly, I have a stall at Made in the Shade in just seven days time and I am not at all as prepared as I had hoped to be. I am very scared but also really excited as I have always loved being a customer at Made in the Shade and it IS going ahead in the Lighthouse after all (Saturday 26th September, 10.30-5, please come!). This all feels very pro crafter to me! Secondly, I won the most amazing prize of a year's free shopify shop, courtesy of the wonder that is Super Cute Kawaii! How brilliant is that? So pretty soon I will have two (or maybe even more... mysterious...) online shops. My next goal is to have people buy things from them. Ha!

I am going to try to stay productive in the run up to the market so I may not be blogging as much as usual but I'll try to share projects as I finish them. I'll just have to try to remember to take photos before the daylight fades!

anyone in need of a used car?

Yes, it's the late, great Frank Butcher. It was tough deciding whether to put him in his polo neck and jumper or in his bow tie and birthday suit, both classic Frank looks! I opted for the child friendly version in the end. Frank is the first male character I've managed to draw. I have tried a few others but they were frankly (boom boom!) unrecognisable. I'm pretty pleased with how ladies' man Frank turned out though. He's not staying in this frame, which is why he looks a bit blotchy in these photos - the edges of the material are all bumphled up behind him just now. He will be getting tidied up and transfered to a navy frame (to match his true love, Pat!) once it arrives in the post.

Still on the subject of Eastenders/embroidery, my Dot Cotton embroidery was featured on the fab Cuteable today. Yay! Thanks, Lynsey!

has anyone seen my willy?

Here he is! I've been wanting to do this embroidered portrait for the longest time.

Here's his owner. Anyone recognise her? She was the second character created for Eastenders and was in it from day one, as was her dog, who was meant to be a yorkshire terrier but was replaced by a pug with greater acting prowess at the last minute.

Together forever, Ethel and her little Willy.

anchors away!

Last night I was experimenting with my prized anchor buttons.

I was hoping to find a way of making a brooch that was quicker than the zip brooches.

These were quicker but not by much. They took much longer than I'd thought.

But they turned out pretty cute so I think I will take them to market at the end of the month :)

("to market" is my new favourite phrase!)

creating a spectacle

ode to a geek girl

Originally uploaded by nerdgirljulie

I've been trying to think of simple embroidery ideas (anything quicker than a full on portrait of a lady with wrinkles would be good!) and so wish I'd come up with this. I love it!

My glasses have a copper coloured frame but have had a big scratch in the middle, right above my nose, for a couple of years. Before my interview, I disguised the scratch by colouring it in with a brown permanent marker. Hee hee! I wish I'd thought of doing that sooner - now I'll get at least another decade's wear out of them!

What can I say? I'm a classy doll.

a veritable meadow of zip brooches!

Zips, zips, zips, zips, as far as the eye can see. And (now) all with backs attached. Yeah! Time to move onto something else but I might return and make more of these if I have time before Made in the Shade. I've been making zip brooch backs since around 8am today, stopping only to play my cello for the first time in about 3 years. That did not help the burgeoning blisters (zip induced) but it was fun and, to my surprise, the cats liked it.

I am still unemployed, unfortunately, but am trying to stay positive and get into a routine with things, hence the 8am sewing start today. Apparently I nearly got my dream job (it was "VERY close" and there was only a "whisker" between me and the person who did get it) which, overall, doesn't make me feel too much better about it :( They did also say they would be in touch if any other positions opened up with them but I think that is pretty unlikely to happen. I just hope I see something else advertised that I really want to do. In the meantime, I plan to buy a lottery ticket :) And I did get to go for a lovely dinner with my friend, Julia, while I was in Edinburgh for the interview so it wasn't a total waste of time.

Right, off to find the next pre-market project. Maybe a trip to my lovely local craft store for some double sided sticky tape?

what I wore yesterday - oh dear...

Despite it being the worst outfit (is it even an outfit?) ever, I couldn't resist trying to illustrate what I wore yesterday. Ta da! The face is not much of a resemblance but I really captured the finer nuances of the attire... :)

Today I am mostly worrying about my interview tomorrow and reading up on Scots language (for the interview). I will also be going into town to find interview appropriate clothes that the new larger Laura (boo!) will fit into. Blogging, therefore, is not part of today's schedule!