Friday 15 November 2013

sewing days

The week leading up to a market usually sees our dining room table completely taken over by piles of fabric, pins, lace, chalk, measuring tape, books, cups of tea (plural) buttons and any number of odd bits and pieces. Before all this however, the sewing madness starts as ideas, ideas bumping around in my head, I then stand in front of one of my two book, ahem, fabric shelves and see which pieces call out to me. Who wants to become a top, dress, skirt, curtain, cushion, bunting or even a shrug, it is a fun process and a great way to engage with each piece. Not every piece gets their way though because, as is my way, I tend to get over enthusiastic and ambitious in a very limited amount of time. Time that is interspersed with feeding little folk, stopping and playing, getting up and dancing, working through flare ups with said little folk, cleaning, cooking, chatting, tea making and restocking the quickly depleting pantry. 

There are scraps around my feet, piles of finished pieces and handfuls of pleading fabric, wanting, waiting for their dreams to come true. To be frank it is an absolute mess and to add to that I am more often than not in my pyjamas or at times even partially clad as I am often trying things on for fit and sit. And then after the market, they are all swept up and stored away again, clearing the space for everything else and giving my mind a little breather until the creating begins again. The breather will be brief at this time of the year though with an Artisan market coming up, then the Christmas markets and most importantly the Christmas crafting. Crafting with loved and dear ones in our minds and hearts, little handmade pieces that are a small token of love and affection. But more on that and Christmas soon; handmade ideas, ways of giving to those in need and how to hold this time of the year in perspective. Simplifying is a good start.

Next year I am thinking of dropping back on the markets and concentrating instead on my Blue Caravan shop, it feels like a better use of my time and a way of being accessible to a wider reach of people. I have recently added a few new things to my Blue Caravan site, a couple of which have already been nabbed but it feels good to have gotten back into again. Hopefully I can branch out in the caravan and next year include some of my lace curtains, my little sapling range (yes a few little bits and pieces for little folk) and whatever other crazy bits and pieces that my fabric chose to be. 










10 comments :

  1. What a wonderful mess ! Inspiration, joy, bits and pieces, dream and reality, silence and noise, creativiy and happiness all around ! I love it so much too !
    Kisses from France,

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  2. How very beautiful your creative mess is. I look forward to seeing your little sapling range. x

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    1. Thanks lovely one, the new range went really well at the markets, that is before we were washed and hailed out! I did get totally soaked packing up but relished a delightfully long soak in a hot bath as soon as i got home. xxx

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  3. If those are your pyjama clad legs I do like the stripes - simple but pretty. I've just had a look at your blue caravan shop and got a wee idea, I'll email you ... x

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    1. Oh they are my legs G, thanks for noticing and admiring, ;), i am curious about your wee idea, tell me morexx

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  4. Me oh my look at that fabric shelf! I loved this post Jay, it made me feel so much better about my own creative process that is 'interrupted' in the most beautiful (and I admit at times annoying ways) that you spell out above, and I too am highly skilled at having great ambitions in small time frames :) happy market xxx ps I think it is a great idea to build your shop up and take the shop to 'market' so to speak on the big wide web xx

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    1. Oh i love that you share a similar creative process, but then i went to your blog and read about how much you have been creating, so delightful. xxx j

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  5. I remember those fabric shelves, just looking at them gave me that happy "textile curator surrounded by lovely textiles" feeling :) Have you ever considered the Etsy shop thing? Just thought if you want to focus more on this side of things and reach more people it might be an option. But then I'd imagine your creations sell pretty fast at Blue Caravan anyway.

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    1. I have considered Etsy, before i did Blue Caravan but i think Blue Caravan suits the amount of work I am able to do, maybe when Ilo goes to school I will do more and branch into Etsy but Blue Caravan does reach around the world, I have sold to the UK and America. xxxx

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