A crafty challenge - with fabric from Hillarys Blinds

If you remember, I was recently sent some lovely fabric by Hillarys Blinds as part of a competition to design and make a craft item from a 100 x 100 cm piece of fabric chosen from one of their fabulous Country Retreat fabrics.





I chose the Wild Poppies Vermillion design and have had such fun over the last week or so making things with it.

I love a challenge so I decided to see how many items I could make from the square metre of fabric. I also decided to have a go at making or crafting things I had never made before and to use recycled materials wherever possible in addition to the sample of Country Retreat fabric I was sent (ambitious, or what!)

I have written here  and  here  about my efforts so far; this post tells you more and reveals what I managed to make. So read on...

As I looked at the very lovely fabric, the design of the flowers simply begged me do something involving a frame and paint.  So I decided to mount some of it in a frame and hang it as a picture. I selected and cut out some of the fabric and mounted it onto canvas using pva glue. When that had dried I began by adding some gold fabric paint as a colourwash over the cream background.

Mounted and waiting for inspiration

Once that had dried I then used a selection of fabric paints and metallic acrylic paints, which I got from the Scrapstore some time ago, to change the colours and alter and (hopefully) enhance the fabrics. I wanted to end up with some original artwork which reflected and echoed the pattern on the soft furnishing item I also planned to make from the fabric (but more of that later on).

 
The fabric before I got to work

 

 and after

(colours are not this orange really, I am afraid it is the artificial lighting)

I also did two smaller pictures and experimented with altering the background colour using fabric paints as well as adding paint to the surface of the fabric.

I reused some old frames from prints I found in a charity shop to add the final touches to the "paintings" I had made.

Having satisfied my painting urge I went back to playing with the fabric. I used a kit I had previously found in a charity shop from a craft magazine (Mollie Makes) which contained the materials to make a small metal clasped purse. I used "my" fabric rather than the one in the kit, and after choosing a striking flower from the design and cutting it out of the fabric, a bit of hand sewing and gluing of the clasp produced this.
 

Small change purse

Next I decided to make a slightly larger, zipped purse. I have put in a few zips on skirts (many years ago!) but have never made a lined purse like this. No pressure then!


 

The size of purse I wanted to make was dictated by the recycled small zip I had to use - so I cut out the fabric and recycled liner freehand to fit it and then put in the zip by hand, as it was a bit small and fiddly to do on the machine. I also like hand sewing! After a bit of thought and head scratching and looking around online, I worked out what to do next to sew up the liner and fabric so they would end up how I wanted it. I did actually get this bit wrong a couple of times, but that is what a seam ripper is for.

I put the right sides of the liner and patterned fabrics together (as above) and stitched around the hem.

 ...leaving a small gap in the liner to turn it all " right way round" by pulling the whole lot through the liner hole. Which is harder than it sounds!  I then hand sewed up the inner hole in the liner and stuffed the liner inside the purse having turned it the right way round.

I knew I also wanted to make a cushion and a tote bag from the material and looking at my fabric, I could see I would have around an A4 sized piece left over.

After a bit of thought I decided to make an A5 notebook cover.

I cut out the fabric so it was slightly larger than an opened out A5 hardback book and hemmed all around the edge - I used a 1 cm seam allowance.  I then folded the top and bottom over the book cover to mark where to stitch and then made a small pocket to slip the edge of the cover in each end.

Here are the notebook, metal clasp and zipped top purse waiting to be finished off. Lots of loose threads to tidy up and lots on the floor, the rug, the cats, me...

 I felt flushed with success at my efforts so far :) So I decided  to have a go at a simple envelope type cushion cover. I looked at a pillowcase and worked out how to make it and got cutting. I used a cushion pad I already had, free hand cut a rectangle of material slightly larger and then hemmed all around it.

I then turned over one end to make a pocket and pinned it , then with the rest of the fabric right side to right side I hemmed around three sides ( not the opening side, of course!) 

 Cushion waiting to have the ends sewn in, with the fabric pocket for the pad now hidden inside at the top.

 
I had planned to have just enough material left over to make a small tote bag which would hold a magazine and purse, phone etc. I cut two strips for the handles and hemmed them all around, folded them wrong side to wrong side and stitched along one side as close to the edge as possible.

Bag handles

I made a simple bag shape by hemming the rectangle of fabric all round, folding it in half lengthwise and then right side to right side stitching the two long sides. I attached the handles and squared off the bottom of the bag inside by stitching across the corners. I then attached the handles to the inside at the top.

 After all this flurry of activity I had some very small scraps of fabric left over - about 20 cm x 20 cm. I had to think very hard what to make with them.

 
 But I did use them up :)

...............................................................................................

  So - the big reveal! How many items did I manage to make from a metre square of fabric?

A cushion

Tote bag, notebook and zipped purse

Large framed painting on fabric,  next to cushion to show size

 

A very small fabric chicken :)

Small framed paintings on fabric

Collection of things I made

Large painted fabric

From a square metre of Country Retreat Wild Poppies Vermillion fabric I ended up making 

A cushion (35 x 30 cm)

A tote bag (30 x 40 cm)

An A5 notebook cover

A small clasp purse

A small zippered purse

1 large (35 x25 cm) painting

2  small (15 x 11 cm) paintings

and a very small chicken !

 

and I have two fabric scraps left over measuring about 10 cm x 3 cm which I might turn into bookmarks...

 
I really enjoyed making items for this competition - I must thank Hillarys for sending me the georgeous fabric to work with - I have no idea if I have satisifed the competition rules as I don't really think I have done anything "original" - all the techniques I have employed are all "out there" somewhere, but regardless of that I have really enjoyed myself. Everything I have made (apart from the chicken) was the first time I had tried to make that particular craft item.

Hillarys Blinds Country Craft competition

I was browsing the Internet recently (as you do) and spotted a competition being run by Hillarys Blinds

The competition involves designing and making a craft item from a 100 x 100 cm piece of fabric chosen from one of four fabulous Country Retreat fabrics.


I chose the Wild Poppies Vermillion design which arrived at the weekend so I have been very busy since it arrived thinking about what to make. It has been such fun !




It is very pretty fabric which I would like to see as blinds in the guest bedroom I think - pity there was not enough fabric to make a blind as my competition entry!

I will blog about my finished item(s) before the end of March, but for now here is a taste of what I have been up to.

Lots of ideas and experimenting happening at the sitting room table!

 
A small purse is all I have finished so far

Oh and while I was thinking about my competition entry I also made a needle felted broach. It needs a bit more work to finish it off yet but I am pleased with it so far.

I also had to go to the Optician today and have had to order new glasses - but hopefully I will be able to see better to do close up work ( like sewing and crochet) as I have been struggling a lot lately with my current prescription.

100cm x 100cm (39” x 39”) piece of the chosen material will be sent to your chosen address.

Using the fabric and any other required materials, put your creative talents to the test by making an original craft design.

- See more at: http://www.hillarys.co.uk/inspiration/the-hub/2014/country-craft-competition/#sthash.JFzfyQ10.dpuf

100cm x 100cm (39” x 39”) piece of the chosen material will be sent to your chosen address.

Using the fabric and any other required materials, put your creative talents to the test by making an original craft design.

- See more at: http://www.hillarys.co.uk/inspiration/the-hub/2014/country-craft-competition/#sthash.JFzfyQ10.dpuf

100cm x 100cm (39” x 39”) piece of the chosen material will be sent to your chosen address.

Using the fabric and any other required materials, put your creative talents to the test by making an original craft design.

- See more at: http://www.hillarys.co.uk/inspiration/the-hub/2014/country-craft-competition/#sthash.JFzfyQ10.dpuf

A yummy lunch courtesy of my ICE #GrowYourOwn competition seeds

Some of you may remember I am taking part in a  #GrowYourOwn competition run by  Ice , a  new, flexible customer reward programme which identifies sustainable products and services, from high-street retailers to small independent businesses, presents them to you in a one-stop shop and rewards you generously when you buy them via Ice.
 
The Ice #GrowYourOwn competition uses seeds from  The Organic Gardening Catalogue (one of its partners) to encourage home grown, sustainable produce. I was sent a selection,  which I planted a couple of weeks ago. on the 12th July

The seeds popped through the soil surface on 15th July

 And look at them now !

 I decided I had better do a bit of thinning picking so went into the polytunnel armed with my gathering trug to get a salad for lunch. I gathered a tasty basket of baby leaves of Pak Choi, Radish, Beetroot .

Trug after the lunchtime leaves were removed

I harvested a bit of the Celery I grew from my Rocket Gardens plug plants - still growing well in the wicker basket in the Polytunnel - I also picked some tomatoes and the first of the Aubergines.

Add a cucumber picked from the polytunnel yesterday and I reckon that will be a tasty salad.

And so it was, with quiche and some potato and chive salad ( not shown), all from the garden or hens.

I like radish leaves so I ate the thinnings whole as part of my salad, but Compostman and Compostgirl don't like radish root (but do eat radish leaves) so I cut the ends off for them. The pak choi leaves were very tasty, as were the baby beet leaves. I also had some rocket on my plate (from a Rocket Gardens plug plant) but I am the only one who eats it ( funny lot my family!)

So far the carrots and the salad leaves and rocket from the #GrowYourOwn competition seeds are still a bit too small to use but in another week I should have some tasty additions to the plate from them as well.

More from me on the Ice #GrowYourOwn competition  in the next few weeks.

ICE planting seeds for their competition

As you may remember last week I was sent a load of lovely organic seeds from  The Organic Gardening Catalogue by the nice folk at Ice   Ice is a new, flexible customer reward programme which identifies sustainable products and services, from high-street retailers to small independent businesses, presents them to you in a one-stop shop and rewards you generously when you buy them via Ice.

Ice say on their website that

Our mission is to mitigate climate change via mass consumer purchase power. By changing small things we do and buy every day, together we can minimise harm to the environment, help mitigate climate change and preserve the ice caps.

Ice promotes sustainable living and keeping things organic, including encouraging more people to grow their own fruit and vegetables from home. As part of this ideal, Ice is running a ‘Grow Your Own’ competition alongside The Organic Gardening Catalogue (one of its partners) to encourage home grown, sustainable produce and they asked me if I would take part :) hence the collection of lovely seeds they have sent me

I have been a long time user of organic seeds from The Organic Gardening Catalogue so was delighted to be asked to join in with this competition. 

So tonight I sowed the  seeds (Beetroot, Pak Choi, Salad leaves, Carrots, Radish, Rocket) and in the next few weeks will be giving regular updates on their progress as well as hints and tips on how to sow them and (hopefully) how well they grow. I may even provide you with some recipe hints for using the crops :-) 

I decided to use these troughs to grow my seeds in as I can keep them seperated from all the other planting I have done.

I used Fertile Fibre Multipurpose growing medium - peat free, coir based. Other peat free growing media is available - please do NOT use peat based ones!

Fill the container to within an inch or so of the top

Don't plant too many seeds!

Seeds on the surface

Cover with a light sprinkling of growing medium - a good rule of thumb is to use about  the same thickness of growing medium as the size of the seed

make sure you label what you have sown in the container and also when you sowed it!

Stand the containers in a tray of water to get them well wetted and be careful about watering from the top until the seedlings are well grown, as otherwise you risk washing away the seedlings if you water from the top. Watering by standing in a tray of water is safer.

 So, seedlings planted and I will keep you all updated as to how they progress.