Just a quick update to note that the winner of the Geek Chic Panda Sewing Kit (selected using the Random.com number generator) is machinegunmama. Congrats! I’ll be in touch.
Category Archives: Screen printing
Giveaway: Geek Chic Panda Sewing Kit
I designed my first sewing pattern! It’s a simple pattern to make your own Geek Chic Panda – a soft toy I designed and sell in my Etsy store. As well as selling the pandas (handmade by me) I’m now selling make it yourself sewing kits. The kits contain the supplies you need to create your own Geek Chic Panda:
- Instructions & sewing pattern;
- All the required fabric (cotton), including a piece of fabric with a screen printed panda face;
- Toy stuffing (100% polyester);
- A woven English Girl at Home tag.
I’ve been planning to make sewing kits for some time, having been asked by a few customers at craft fairs last year. The kits make it nice and easy for sewing beginners to make a toy due to their simple design and the inclusion of supplies, and they’re a super quick make for anyone with sewing experience.
The Geek Chic Panda kits come in two designs – with Glasses, or with a Bow Tie. Want to see what the finished pandas look like? Here they are:)
So, how do you win one? I’m giving away one Geek Chic Panda sewing kit. To enter the giveaway leave a comment below.
The giveaway will be open until 22:00 (UK time) on Monday 14th April and is open internationally. I will pick a winner at random.
For more information about the kits, visit my Etsy shop.
Christmas Craft Stall
Phew! I’ve had a busy few weeks. Amongst other things I’ve travelled abroad for work, prepared stock for the two Christmas craft fair stalls I have booked, and am currently on holiday in Spain. The day before me and Phil left for our holiday was the first of the Christmas craft fairs where I have a stall booked. Here’s my stall, looking busy!
I tried to broaden my repertoire a little for this fair, so amongst the items I regularly sell on Etsy (such as panda toys & door mats) were…
Fabric baubles with a lino printed robin design (printed by hand)
Handmade lino stamps featuring the same robin design
Handmade doorstops in a lovely pink tweed fabric. The doorstop on the left features a mouse design printed from a lino stamp I made.
Mini sewing kits including handmade pin-cushions and handmade clay buttons
And some cloud cushions.
P.S. If you’re ever in Seville make sure to visit Calle Francos (not far from the ‘Flying Waffle’) which has a number of fabric shops (both expensive & very reasonable). I picked up the fabric below on sale for 2 euros per metre from Almacenes Velasco.
Vintage Fabric Ham & Sausage
Recently I made up a tailor’s ham and sausage using the free pattern by Kristiann Boos available from Tilly and the Buttons. I used some of a vintage fabric that I picked up (for £1) while in Brighton. Given that it is a vintage fabric and a little more delicate I stabilised it with interfacing before sewing it together.
In order to personalise it and make it more unique I printed an image on the front of each. I especially like the little pig.
I also put some of the fabric to use making peg bags. These are based roughly on a Cath Kidston pattern from the book Sew. I modified the pattern – using French seams around the edges of the bags for extra strength in place of bias binding.
My Little Urban Pony Exhibition Entry
I found out about the Urban Pony Exhibition taking place at Art Space Dudley just in time to get a submission made and submitted. Each of the artists participating was invited to create or customise a retro My Little Pony based on their own artistic practise. There is a sneak peek of some of the other ponies being exhibited on the Facebook page and it looks like the entries include glass, wax and pottery.
Since printing and sewing are the techniques I use most frequently I decided to screen print a pony image onto fabric and then create a plush pony by sewing the fabric together and adding some wool hair. I originally intended to make a pink pony and went into Birmingham to buy pink fabric especially. However, I picked the fabric for it’s colour and didn’t think enough about the fabric type (which seemed to be a linen-like synthetic fabric), and found when I started printing onto it that the fabric didn’t hold ink very well leading to some ‘bleed’.
By this point I couldn’t face the thought of having to go back into Birmingham for more fabric so decided to raid my stash. I had a few vaguely suitable fabrics but when I spotted the blue felt it was the obvious choice, being suitably pastel-coloured, & child friendly. My pony will be on show as part of the exhibition from Friday 24th May in Art Space Dudley.
The Little Tramp
I love silent movies and the movies of Charlie Chaplin so decided to have a go at creating a plush Chaplin or two. Here is my first, a solid plush with an image of Chaplin – screen printed by hand – on the front. For the reverse I couldn’t decide on a suitable fabric from my stash so printed my own, carving lino cut stamps of a bowler hat and cane and using these to hand print some plain cotton.
Note the lovely flowers I treated myself to in the first shot below:)
These Chaplins are available to buy from my Etsy store.
These Little Pandas are off to the States
Two little handmade pandas ordered on my Etsy store who will be posted tomorrow.
I made up some tags this weekend to attach to my plush toys from now on.
