patchy...

 hello!

i'm back!

at some point - before it becomes so last year - I will post you some pics of my lovely relaxing trip to Portugal but right now life has moved on way too speedily to stop still to even reminisce for a second.

i have a list a mile long, as ever, which i won't bore you with, and if i don't get my head down immediately i'm going to be severely reprimanded from all corners.

first to be ticked off (and possibly the most enjoyable) was finishing off this design i started a while ago.

i scootled off to the workshop to burn my screen, zipped home, tested it out and spent the rest of the day mesmerised by it.

it's probably wrong to love it quite as much as i do, being overly modest and all, but i really really do!

i love it's potential...

to be used randomly across the patches or cut up in its 3" squares.

actually seeing them cut up is probably what i love about it most.

unfortunately i haven't got time to actually do anything with it as yet, apart from staring at it lustfully and contemplate what colours i should print it in next.

i also can't decide if it would look good reversed...you know, printing in white on coloured background.

i guess there's only one way to find out.

it will be in the shop very soon - when i've done all i need to do and kept the growlers at bay - so be thinking what colours you'd like to buy see it in.

y seams - the tutorial

 due to popular requests from those following my hexie megathon on instagram this week here is a tutorial to demystify and hopefully simplify y seams. like anything it's easy when you know how!

the key thing with y seams, like any precision sewing is accuracy of cutting and measuring.

first up cut out hexies of whatever size you want to use. i've cut just 3 here to show how to join 3 together. it goes without saying that you can join as many as you like and this is simply for illustrating the y seam.

now, as they say, the sciency bit...

draw lines on the reverse of your fabrics 1/4" from the edge and mark where they cross with a dot. this is really the key to sewing y seams. you always want to leave this 1/4" edge free when joining together with y seams.

once you get more proficient you can do without drawing the lines in and simply mark where the dot goes. that's the really important bit.

these dots mark the beginning and the end of the row of stitches to give room to turn your y seam and for the seams to lay flat.

start with 2 hexies right sides facing and sew along the line (1/4" allowance) between the dots. at the beginning and the end do a couple of reverse stitches to secure. this is another important tip for keeping your hexies in place.

now let's put that 3rd hexie in, the one that makes you feel super clever!

put the 3rd hexie, right sides together at the top of the pair already sewn together as you are going to do 2 seams one after the other.

firstly sew along the first side as you did previously, remembering to reverse stitch at the beginning and end.

next, keeping the needle down - another important tip to keep the hexies in place, twist the top hexie round to sew the second side on the second hexie.

align the 2 seams together and sew along the line, as previously, between the 2 dots.

and there...you are done...1 perfect y seam!

iron your seams flat and you are ready to add more hexies in the same way!

add as many hexies as you want in exactly the same way.

i hope this has helped and demystified the dreaded y seam. 

and it isn't just hexies you can sew together in this way. any shapes that meet together in a y seam can be tackled in this way.

have fun and i'd love to see what you make!

a house full of lewis'...

 the bristol branch of the lewis's came to play this week...well 5/6 of them and since there are still only 4/5 of us until sam comes home on sunday after 3 1/2 weeks away (counting down the days? i think so!) we were down by 2, which only meant a little more room around the table at meal times.

i love my in laws...i really really do...and feel very lucky that people i would choose as my friends are my in laws.

and since top on their list of things to do whilst up with us was to do some screen printing, i love them even more!

even the boys wanted their turn. how cute are these despicable me characters?!

not only are they so lovely, they are a talented bunch my in laws.

my sis in law is just the best. 

i just wish she lived closer....it might just mean our timing would be better and we wouldn't look quite such unsynchronised non-starters in the photo booth.

imbetween all the over-excited jolliness there was a photo shoot for this thing that shall not be named yet. i packed the family off to bolton abbey for the day and temporarily got down to business.

yesterday was ruby's birthday and her choice of day trips was brimham rocks.

it's our absolute favouritest place ever and surprisingly we hadn't taken the bristol clan there before and so for those that don't have a fear of heights, an exhilerating time was had.

we didn't have to go too far to have fun with this lot...

a trip down to the park and a race on the field would all have ended happily if an over competitive mr leeds lewis hadn't got a little too enthusiastic and pulled a groin muscle all in the name of fun.

thankfully stopping for a swift pint on the way home seemed to make everything ok again.

last night was a tearful farewell after a really special week.

the only thing to cheer me up was a printing sesh today...which in itself was the start of something rather exciting.

seaside all round...

 this post is quite apt today or then again maybe my children have more of an influence on me than i give them credit for.

mum and her sister have taken all the grand kids to the seaside today to give me and my cousin a good long work day. thanks mum and auntie p!

maybe with them and their lovely day in mind it sub-consciously influenced my colour palette while printing last night.

it certainly looks very beachy and summery don't you think?!

i am really pleased with my new scallop design and as ever it's in my etsy shop now!

life the sunshiny way...

 i'm beginning to feel what it must be like living in aus...you know when you know it's going to be nice the next day and don't need to worry about what you should wear, whether to take a coat or brolly just in case.

we are all loving the outdoors living that's going on round these parts. everything is taking place on the deck. quite why the house is still a mess i have no idea...we aren't even in it!

even the cutting mat has been brought outside to do a certain project for a certain young lady...

along with the paints for the afore-mentioned young lady to have fun with the off cuts.

gorgeous weather brings shopping for gorgeous clothes for the teenager. i just love this shirt fabric and can't wait for him to grow out of it so i can cut it up...unless of course the younger teenager decides he wants his turn with it too.

saturday's tea party was an outdoor affair too. 

it was a bitter sweet day as we all got together for what would have been dad's birthday. we tried to keep ourselves jolly with reminiscing and talk of how much dad used to enjoy his birthday teas despite being a diabetic and spending the whole afternoon with him trying to avoid being told off by mum for sneaking bites of things he shouldn't be eating.

despite the outdoors living i've still been managing to get plenty of printing time in the cellar and sewing in the attic but boy is it hot up there.

isn't life better when the sun shines?

very chirpy indeed

 after some late night sewing last night finishing off these bags i popped into my most favouritest new local design shop, chirpy this morning to drop them off along with some other pieces that lovely owner harriet had ordered.

we have been crying out for a shop like this in the area. i have been very tempted to open one up myself to satisfy the need but thank goodness someone as talented as Harriet came along and did it.

chirpy really is a gem of a shop. 

from the minute you walk up the higgledy stairs into the packed full light strewn front room, there is treasure to be seen with every turn of the eye.

it's a real homage to handmade design and a place that i feel utterly proud to be stocked in.

not only has harriet selected exquisite pieces to stock (i want everything in there) but her choice of furniture to display them in and on is everything you would want in your home from the beautiful wooden dressers to mid century-esque coat stands and peg rails.

if this shop was done by someone else (me) it could end up looking like the worst case of jumble sale mayhem but harriet is one of those very talented people with the midas touch of styling and stock selection.

and there's more...

drag yourself out of this room and walk up the stairs to another stunning light filled room that harriet has converted into a workshop space.

 along the way you will see more treasure - harriet hasn't wasted an inch of space in her beautiful shop.

upstairs, as well as a large table for the workshops, harriet has created a cosy feel with an ample display of cushions on comfy sofas.

if you live nearby you really must go visit chirpy. if you don't live that close by it is certainly worth a special trip. 

and whilst you are in the area grab some sustenance at the equally wonderful sunshine bakery...a realy gem of a place.

thank you all for your brilliant suggestions for my latest fabric design. 

i really loved them all but one really stood out...go check out here which one it was...

threat of burning out...

 you may see me storming through work stuff this week at a rate equal to a hurricane. the kids break up on friday - well those that haven't yet broken up having had exams - so i can see my future work time rapidly diminishing.

all of that would be fine of course if i didn't actually have major projects on the go. this summer is going to be the biggest challenge yet. it's always a juggle, with me losing it most days, but with some tight deadlines early october 8 weeks with the kids kicking their heels, it is going to make it even more so.

so today, the start of the last proper week of work i've shot out of the blocks and been printing, sewing and ticking off the list.

i have a feeling i may burn myself out by the end of the week and need the 8 weeks to recover myself.

sun sea and sand...

sun sand and sea?

it's not quite looking like that from where i am sitting today but i am really liking the sun sand and sea charm pack created by a lovely customer.

i love how you lovely peeps out there see things and add your input into my designs.

i think i'll be creating something myself with this charm pack...

you can too as i have listed a few sets in my Etsy shop...go here if you are tempted by a little sun sand and sea.

don't forget to enter my giveaway if you want a chance to get your hands on some of my screen printed fabrics. 

go here for a chance...but be quick...it closes tomorrow 

a huge thank you to those that have already entered x