Bakewell and New Makes

Hello all,

Just a short post today to say I had a really fun weekend in Bakewell, and to show you what I made today.

At Bakewell it rained a lot but the people still came out and it was great to meet with friends and make some new ones. I sold quite a few things, including my Headstone Viaduct Freehand Machine Embroidery Picture I made a few weeks ago:

A really lovely couple with a tiny baby in arms came to the stall, fell in love with it and bought it without much hesitation. I was so very pleased - not just for myself but for them; I simply love this piece of art and the techniques used and I could tell right away they felt the same. They have already sent a message saying it looks great on their wall, so I am even more excited about it. :)

Because I have sold quite a few things at recent fairs and online, I seem to have been non-stop in the workshop over the past few weeks and so today, I was back in there making these:

Small Freehand Machine Embroidery VW Camper Van Cushions.

I LOVE camper vans, especially pre 1967 split screen camper vans. In my opinion, these vans have a greater style than those of later dates but of course, this is just my opinion! I made a 'green theme' one recently that sold only on it's second day out and I have had many comments regarding them, so I thought I would make a few more.

These two in blues and pinks were fun to make and I am really chuffed how they turned out. I gained some new materials a few weeks ago and they work great for these vans so expect more... They are a really cute size and pack a punch at 12" square, they would also fit in many places of your home - or make great gifts!

What do you think?

I will be back in there again tomorrow as this coming weekend will be a busy one - I am in Bakewell for 4 days, Friday to Sunday so that will be fun! With it being Easter weekend, I am expecting lots of people coming through the door. If you fancy a day out, please come to the Bakewell Town Hall to visit the fabulous stalls peddling their wares. Doors open at 10am each day and if you don't know where it is, you will see signs for the fair all over Bakewell that say 'Follow The Sheep'. Can't miss them...

Thank you for reading, leave a comment if you like below or visit my Facebook page for more. 

Julie.
(c) FMN Crafts 2015

Afternoon all,

Hoping you are all well...

So here are my latest items, the first of which was a teaser in the last post:

It's so cute! Sorry, I should tell you what it is. It is a Freehand Machine Embroidery Lavender Bag. :) It measures a tiny 2 1/2" across at the base and is about the same in height. I made this out of cream calico, decorated the front using my favourite technique (backed with interfacing), made a channel for the ribbon, packed it with some beautifully aromatic lavender heads all the way from Provence and tied it up in bow. My workshop smelt devine...

I made four of these in this design and have many more lined up. They are small enough to fit anywhere, but boy, do they pack a punch! And the best thing about these is that if the lavender aroma starts to fade, they just need a squeeze to crush some of the lavender heads and the aroma is released again. Lovely. What do you think?

Next up:

My small Reversible Denim, Blue & White Canvas Bag complete with Removable Rose. This is a slight change to one I made a while ago which, although reversible was made with a plain white canvas as well as the blue and white mix you see above.

I really like this bag as it is small enough to not get in the way and yet big enough to get in all your essentials. It can be used as a day bag or as a sewing bag, a toiletries bag or whatever bag you like! I made a red flower for it as it adds a great pop of colour and as it is removable it can then be placed on the outside, when the bag is turned inside out. (Or is that outside in?)

I really like working with these materials and have interfaced the blue and white not only for stability, but also for durability and quality of the finish. Plus, with having a flat bottom, it stands up by itself. Ta-dah! What do you think?


Well that's all for now, thanks for reading, please leave a comment below or Like me over on Facebook.

Julie.
(C) FMN Crafts 2015

Crayon Roll

Afternoon all,

So as promised from last time's teaser, this is my new Crayon Roll:

Something for the children. This Crayon Roll can be thrown into a school bag, a day bag or into a suitcase for a holiday...the possibilities of use are endless.

The materials are all cotton meaning it can be washed easily if need be and are really attractive prints. The tie is ribbon and matches really well and the ric-rac adds to the cuteness!

The roll comes complete with 12 mixed crayons, all around 3 and a bit inches long and ready to use. Please see it in my Etsy Store soon...

Julie.

(C) FMN Crafts 2014

Pom-Pom Bookmarks

Evening all, hope you've had a good week and ready for a sunny (in the UK) weekend! Wahoo!

I just wanted to share these little beauties with you that I made today:

Are they cute or what? I saw the idea somewhere on the internet recently, so I can't claim them as totally my own, however I made them a different size and I added the eyes and the beads, so I guess it's my interpretation of...

I love making pom-poms and found a much easier and quicker way to make them, than I did when I was a child, so I was able to make these over the course of one day (in-between life interuptions, you know what I mean?)

And the best part? I will be selling these for just 99p each! They're great little pocket-money lines for the craft fairs.

How do you like this little lady? I've named her Pony-Pom; I think you'll guess why...

Let me know what you think!

Thanks for reading,
Julie. :)

(c) FMN Crafts 2014

Fairs and New Products

Afternoon all,

I have been busy. As usual. Over the last two weekends, I exhibited at the Bakewell Town Hall for Craft Fairs and both were worthwhile. I had really good fun at each fair, made some more friends and made even more sales. A couple of people asked if I have a list of fairs and their dates that I am attending and although I didn't right then, I told them to look at my Facebook page every now and then, as I usually list up-and-coming dates on there. You can too...

Whilst I was at one fair, Verity, who runs Hedgerow Pickles and Preserves asked if I made Notice Boards. I said no. Then I thought about it and when I got home I planned it and then the following day I made these:

Tiny Blue Flowers with Cream Ribbon

Strawberries with Red Ribbon

I sent Verity an e.mail that day and she responded with "Oh my God, you don't mess around do you?! They're perfect!"

I was pleased. And so I made the strawberries one today. What's tomorrow you ask? Well, I ran out of some of the materials so I can't make any more until re-stocked. They are fully padded, the ribbons are taut and finished off with cute little buttons. They are ideal for sliding in business cards, envelopes, bills etc and you can also use fancy clips to attach things if you wish...

What do you think?

Leave me a comment if you like, Like me on Facebook too if you wish or pass this on. I'd love to hear what you think. There will be more styles, sizes and designs coming soon. I am exhibiting at one of Verity's Fairs in June so I may save them and make a stash for then...afterall, these were her idea ;) Thanks Verity!

Thanks for reading, have a happy week :)
Julie.

(C) FMN Crafts 2014.

Black and White Stipes Brooch Flower Bag

Afternoon all,

I have been busy designing and making this bag and would like to share it with you now:

It is one of my absolute favorites, and no, I'm not bias, I am a realist and I REALLY like this! It is made of hard wearing canvas materials, inside, out and straps, it has pleated front and back sections, it has an internal hanging pocket and magnetic snap to close, but the best bit - it has four changeable flower brooches to decorate! Oh yes. Look:

One each of red, blue, yellow and pink so that your bag has a great chance of matching the outfit you are wearing, or you can match your outift or coat to the bag! They each have a brooch pin attached so you simply take off the former and add the one you wish.

A few details of the bag include these lovely little bits:

The internal pocket suitable for a small purse, your store cards or tissues and the magnetic snap; the detail in the pattern matching on the sides; the front pleats which are repeated on the back; the pleating that leads to a flat bottom base to give extra space for goodies yet has a beautifully rounded shape.

And as for sizing:

It is approximately 14" (35.5cm) across at the widest part of the base, 12" (30.5cm) tall and has 8 1/2" (21.5cm) handles. It fits really well over my shoulder and handles beautifully by myside too. Ohh, I can feel myself wanting to keep this more and more!

So, what do you think? I am just about to list it on Etsy, so if you want to get your hands on it, better do so quickly before I change my mind!

Thank you for reading,

Julie.

(c) FMN Crafts 2014