Cushion in a box!

Hello lovelies! Ah, it feels good to be back to normal here, though the school holidays, lazy mornings and little adventures were fully enjoyed .
A bit of time away from the norm (and running a business) has also allowed me to notice a few things in need of slight alteration.....one of them being the decent sized stash of fabric I have in my studio which I have for making cushions. 

      

With the popularity of my little embroidery kits  (and my total love for them!) my business has been slowly changing shape and direction, and I no longer offer cushions available for wholesale orders. I have been offering them in my shop and while the odd cushion does sell I really have no desire to make them any more...my mind is well and truly on kits!
Which brings me back to the fabric stash..... and my idea of a "cushion in a box"!

I love the designs I created for these cushions, and if you do too then here is a lovely opportunity to get your hands on them..... and by making the cushion yourself it gives you the chance to buy at a hugely reduced cost. (and we all love a bargain!)

So I have added these "boxes" to my etsy shop if you care to take a look.....
There is the "fox in the box" Mark I...

This cushion is designed to be stuffed and sewn closed to make a sweet oval shaped cushion (30cm x37cms) with a front and back design..... you provide the stuffing, needle and thread. Pompom option is also available! This comes with a little set of instructions and is  £10.

There is also Fox in the Box Mark II....

which belongs to my Woodland cushion range and comes with a front printed panel, fabric for the back and an invisible zip. You provide the cushion insert, needle and thread. The finished cushion measures 16".

There are no instructions for these woodland cushions as to be quite honest it would take me forever to explain how to sew an invisible zip in, and I  wanted to be able to offer these to you for a cheaply as possible.... so these boxes are definitely not for you if sewing a zip seems like a mammoth task!

This "fox in a box" and the other remaining woodland animals are £12.

Bear in a Box...

And "squirrel in a box"....

 This last squirrel design is actually where the idea for my embroidery kits stemmed from. During a brain storming session it came to me that people (like myself!) may like to create something for their home rather than just simply buy...so I created a couple of kits to match the cushions that I sold. 
It seems quite sweet to now be able to buy a cushion to make as the perfect room accompaniment :)

I've only a few of each design, and once they are gone they are gone....farewell lovely cushions :)

A finished project - my stitch book

Hello lovely peeps! 
Ok so let's see if this will work.....I've created a little GIF (oooh get me!) of the "stitch book" I created. I've made it quite slow so you can see the pages clearly.

It was my winter evening project which I spoke about here, and shared an update here........ my stitch version of a sketchbook. In other words slightly messy, without too much care being taken. The aim being spontaneity rather than perfection.....which you will notice by the slightly wonky pages!

I am still not 100% finished with the book...there are empty spaces asking for a little more time and attention. However I anticipate that like most of my sketchbooks, the empty bits will remain that way. Which I guess captures sketchbooks perfectly...the unfinished imperfect parts leaving room for ideas to grow and flourish, and inspiration to be sparked.
I'm happy anyhoos. It was a great winter project to have ....now onto Spring :)

Painting, embroidering, new ideas and best loves....

How is your weekend going? Full of oh l'amour...or.... oh please?!
I was lucky enough to find a gorgeous wee handmade valentines card sneaked in my cereal box this morn!
Always nice to know I am someone's "best love" :D

Since recovering from the lurgy I've been enjoying a flurry of designing and creating, which involves a lot of sketching,colour playing and computer work... and so not much to show just yet. 
However there are a few other things I thought you might like to see, which have been off shoots from the designing and sketching....

This stag sketch began with an embroidery kit in mind but after playing with it in photoshop I got a printer and some fabric involved! 

I was really delighted with the how the stag details came out, and immediately felt called to add some texture and colour....cue entrance of embroidery threads.  I'm still working away on it in the evenings, and curious as to what it calls for next! 

Other ideas began to spark from this piece also....the greatest part of creating!

 With Mother's Day in mind (probably the first time in my life I've ever considered the occasion prior to the actual day.sorry mum!), I got my paints out again....

And ended up with this sweet floral design printed onto cotton. The idea being the label makes for the perfect little frame to add heartfelt words/message with hand embroidery. 

I'm offering this custom hand embroidered hoop art over in my etsy shop if you think it would make a lovely pressie for your mum....or any other special person in your life that likes a jar full of garden flowers and a bit of sentiment. You chose the words and I stitch :)

I'm heading off  to Craft & Hobby Stitch International Show  tomorrow in Birmingham and getting excited at all the of stitchery crafty goodness that awaits. I'm going as a buyer this time (as well as seeing if it may be a future fit for me and my kits). The words sweeties in a sweet shop come to mind :) Photos shall follow unless I get too carried away! 
Hope you enjoy the rest of your weekend x

Sewing in Progress......in need of sprouting an extra pair of hands!

That's the thing about sewing...it's super relaxing and peaceful-making (have I just made up a term?) , because it's S.L.O.W.
However with all the different sewing projects I'm trying to get finished (new embroidery pattern pdf's to introduce, new kits to get out into the world), the SLOW sewing is beginning to feel like one of those running on the spot dreams.... except I'm sewing on the spot!
Atleast I'm too "zenned" out from all this slow sewing to get stressed out about it! Ha!

So I'm still stitching this pretty pink flower and background circles....

I've been trying to create some designs that are simple and don't take ages to sew... failed on that one! I always seem to add more detail, or fill in more than perhaps necessary, but I'm loving the effect so far especially the variegated thread I'm using to fill the circles!

I've actually completed this stitchery project....a hand sewn purse made from applique, embellishments and embroidery. It's to be used as an example for an upcoming workshop.

Still stitching away on a halloween inspired design I created for this months newsletter.I'm almost done and am going to turn it into a quirky pincushion.....why not hey?!

(You can sign up for the newsletter on the sidebar if you want to receive a free monthly design along with inspiration and updates)

You would of course be right in thinking there are more unfinished in progress projects lying in the wings.. the hazard of becoming so Zen is that they may just remain that way ;)x