Ditsy Designs

HCA Summer School 2009

Last week in the muggy crazy hot weather it was Summer School! 13 girls from various schools in Herefordshire joined the recycling clothing and textiles class and although it was a hard week we had a lot of fun! The best bit for me was their faces as they turned their projects 'right side out' and revealed their designs! They couldn't believe that what they had made, magic!

Here are a few piccies:

by the way please excuse some of the scary beaten up mannequins the blue one was fished out of a skip for the day!

Above is Katherines tshirt dress. This used to be a plain vest top and a summer dress.

 

This brightly coloured lovely is a puffball skirt (not displayed very well, mannequin was was too short) and a coursage top. Harriet made this from a curtain and lots of scraps! There is even a piece of jigsaw in there somewhere...

  

This is a close up of all the coursages.

 

This cheerful pegbag was made using an old tea towel and other scraps!

 

Above is India's revamped headband into a rather eye-catching headpiece.

 

This is Bianca's tribute to Michael Jackson. Made from some old pinstripe trousers and various glittery strips from a dress...oh and not forgetting the shocking orange silky fabric!

 

And this is Kayleighs masterpiece, made from some leopard print fabric, a PVC-esk belt and a beaded necklace.

These are just a few of the lovely items made by the girls. Such good use of all these wasted clothes and accessories! I think they all look marvellous! Clever old sticks xxxx

Little Pip

Some time during the 3 weeks of 'resting' off work we managed to concieve our little pip! Hooray! At the moment I am now 22weeks pregnant and over half way there..EEK! Here is a catch up of its progress over the past 5 months.....

 This is the 12 week scan picture! Its so cute!

 This is me looking TIRED at 20 weeks.

 And this is the picture from the 20 week scan, baby put its arms over its head at the crutial moment! Hah camera shy already! Bit hazy but still lovely!

And there you have it...the pip so far! I don't want to bore people too much about it as this is mostly a crafty blog but I thought I'd share it with you.....

By the way we don't know whether its a girl or boy, its going to be a surprise! I'm normally impatient and rubbish at surprises but I reckon I can handle this one! xxxx

I'm BACK!!

Its been a long time since I last blogged any activity, but thats not to say nothings been happening! First of all an announcement.....I'm PREGNANT! Ben and I are expecting our first little bundle of joy at the beginning of November. Very exciting, and utterly consuming...hence the tumbleweed that has been rolling around this page of late. In the last blog I was off work for a knee injury, well, I'm well and truly back on form, and now i've got my energy back I hope to squeeze in lots of crafting and stories before the baby comes!!

A right old pickle!

I must be mad...its 8.30 in the morning and I feel the urge to blog my recent activity! I've truly got the bug!

Well my sewing space had got totally out of hand, there were half finished projects hanging off Lady Staunton (tailors dummy) and spilling out of bags, the material seemed to be breeding when I closed the door, and there was no surface space to actually do any making...DISASTER! so I've been busy sorting, streamlining and organising! Unfortunately I don't have any before shots as I was just too ashamed!

So now all thats left to do is get rid of the surplus furniture, buy new shelving units (from IKEA which Ben absolutely hates, personally I can't understand it!), give it a fresh coat of paint, and then put it back tidily so that everything has a designated home. Sounds like hard work! I can't wait, but I have to because of my rubbish knee.

I've also got big plans for the garden this year, at the moment its looking terribly sad...

 

I can't wait to get cracking on it!

Spring in my step

This weekend has been really lovely, I've chilled out with my friends, watched lots of girly movies and eaten tons of CHEESE. And the weather has been marvellous, bright sunshine and blue sky! Really puts you in a good mood!

I've been inspired by this lovely weather to make these collages, have a peep...

 

This one below is a little empty...maybe less is more?

 

This one below I really like, but I wish I hadnt stamped the butterfly...tsk you live, you learn,

 

Not sure where I'm going to go with these collages, I've won some used stamps on ebay and am hoping to develop my 'postage' ideas. I quite fancy making a collection of postcards...mmm we'll see.

Here it is at long last...

This morning I set up my exhibition in the art college...I say I set it up really it was Kate. I just watched and occasionally got in the way a bit. Here are the pictures! I 'm so happy with how its turned out I hope everybody else enjoys it too...

This is me looking a bit bashful in front of my work (not to keen on my picture being taken, who is?)

This is it before we stuck the bottoms to the wall

Close up

  

A peek in the cabinet!

I just want to say a huuuuuge thank you to Kate, who went out of her way to come down and help sort it all out when she heard about my stupid knee injury. Your a star my dear and I dont know what I would do with out you!

Out of action

After too many homemade (lethal) cocktails with the girls and some rather energetic dancing I managed to dislocate my kneecap...you might be thinking ouch, you'd be right.

Now 2 weeks on I'm still hobbling around and signed off work. I'm increasingly annoyed about not being able to get around...funny how you take it all for granted!

Still to fill the time I've been surfing today and found some funny pictures (well I thought so)...

  

Ingenious!

  

Disturbing! My husband Ben pointed out that due to a recent story in the news, the crocodile one isn't so tasteful...was it ever? 

Spring School

This week some year 9 students took part in the Spring School at HCA. I ran the workshop for Recycled Clothing, assisted by the lovely Alex (check out her website: www.chintzypigeons.com) It was so much fun! The girls made the most fab bags out of old clothes and scraps of fabrics...here are some pictures...

 

This bag was made from a baggy top...

This bag was made from a skirt, a t-shirt, and a scarf...

 

Aren't they talented?! And they are only 14...wow. 

So much for New Years Promises!

So I started the year thinking...I'm going to  keep up with my blog regularly, take photos of everything I make, stop giving it all away and sell some of it, and stop worrying about not doing everything NOW NOW NOW

Well, I've not stuck to a single one, and here I am worrying about having not done all of the above. TSK.

I have been a wee bit busy lately working on lots of lovely things and projects, I'm feeling super inspired by everything! I'm going to stop talking and post everything I've been up to so far this year! ...

Exhibition

I've been working towards an exhibition in the art college, no theme, just a display of my recent work. You think that would be easy to just bring some recent work in wouldn't you...well I had given all mine away! So I have had to make a whole new collection of work, and I have to admit I'm really chuffed with it!

Here is the statement that goes with my work...

 

"My passion for fabric began while at university, when I volunteered to work in a local charity shop and had to sort through stock. Seeing all the clothes and bed linen that couldn’t be sold because of their small imperfections, I realised the huge potential for reinventing clothing and other textile items; by turning them into items I wanted but couldn’t afford, like cushions and bags!

I have always been drawn to garish fabric, colours and kitsch imagery. Recently I have been inspired by 1970’s floral prints from old duvet covers found in thrift shops. All the fabrics used in my work have had previous lives varying from well-loved dresses to granny’s curtains; these wall pieces were created by combining techniques of appliqué, embroidery and machine sewing."

 

And here are a few pics of what will be on show...

 

 

  

Thats just a few..what do you think of them? Can't wait to set it all up! I imagine them looking like polka dots on the wall from a distance...