SALE! SALE! SALE! SALE! SALE!

DAISY JANE DESIGNS UK IS CLOSING HER WEBSITE AND FOCUSING ON OTHER AREAS OF SALES ............SO ALL ITEMS ON THE WEBSITE ARE NOW FOR SALE WITH A HUGE 25% OFF!!!!!

FROM THE SMALLEST ITEM, TO THE LARGEST, GRAB YOURSELF A TRULY 'ONE OF A KIND', HANDMADE IN ENGLAND, GIFT FOR YOURSELF, OR SOMEONE YOU LOVE.

SEE YOU THERE.................... www.daisyjanedesigns.co.uk

A perfect day for starting the Christmas decorations!

My friend put on Facebook how delighted she was that our local garden centre had already opened their Christmas shop!!!!!! She was spending several hours there and really enjoying herself!

My response......how MAD, go away, it's too soon etc etc!!!! We are still having extremely hot days and I'm still in a summer dress......except today......it's chilly and dark where I live and it's been raining most of the day.

I'm too ashamed to put on Facebook so my friend can see, but guess what I've been making???? Yep that's right.......Christmas decorations! It's been a perfect day for hiding away in my sewing room and getting creative and here's what I did today.

'Raggy' Christmas Wreath. Very Country!

They take ages to make and I think I'll be dreaming of tying knots tonight! They have (what seems like hundreds!) strips of fabric, lace, hessian and organza ribbon.....

Now for sale at www.daisyjanedesigns.co.uk

Happy crafting...

Nic x

Buttons who knew eh?

Buttons and button-like objects used as ornaments or seals rather than fasteners have been discovered in the Indus Valley Civilization during its Kot Yaman phase (circa 2800–2600 BC)^[5] as well as Bronze Age sites in China (circa 2000–1500 BC), and Ancient Rome.

Buttons made from seashell were used in the Indus Valley Civilization for ornamental purposes by 2000 BC.^[6] Some buttons were carved into geometric shapes and had holes pierced into them so that they could be attached to clothing with thread.^[6] Ian McNeil (1990) holds that: "The button, in fact, was originally used more as an ornament than as a fastening, the earliest known being found at Mohenjo-daro in the Indus Valley. It is made of a curved shell and about 5000 years old."^[7]

The earliest functional buttons were found in the tombs of conquering Hungarian tribes from the late 9th century.^[8] Functional buttons with buttonholes for fastening or closing clothes appeared first in Germany in the 13th century.^[9] They soon became widespread with the rise of snug-fitting garments in 13th- and 14th-century Europe.

Wikipaedia

 Well do I feel enlightened. All I've ever used them for was clothing!!!!!

But now I'm selling them on my website because I have found that the humble button is used by so many 'crafty' people in an incredible number of ways....... here are some ideas to name a few.......

Card Making : as decoration, as a centre for a flower motif, as a fastening so the person receiving has to 'undo' their card. (Clever eh?)

Scrapbooking: The list is endless! Depending on the size of button a thin ribbon can be threaded through 2-3 to make a neat border. They can be stuck onto other border embellishments, as corners to photos and again as centres to flowers.

Patchwork/Quilting: Eyes for appliqued animals! They look especially cute on a teddy bear, not only for eyes but also down his waistcoat.Bird house buttons, bear buttons, gingerbread men buttons can all be used on wall hangings.....I have tractor and red barn buttons I use on American style farm wall hangings!

Cross stitch: With the many different button designs these days they can be used to add depth to your cross stitched picture....

And still there is clothing!!!! 

Wow the humble button has made itself incredibly useful don't you think?

Have fun being creative....

See ya next time

Nic x

Almost Over!

A few of my new jugs!

Well the school holidays are almost over....the summer will soon come to an end and we will be pulling out those winter woollies once again. How do you feel about that?

Some days I don't like the thought, but then I start thinking about all the days I will have to sew and I pick up a little. Coming from Australia I didn't think I would be able to abide the cold, but when it's reward is hours of quilting it ain't so bad!!!

This summer has been so enjoyable. We spent 3 weeks at my dad's place in Normandy. Apart from gardening and visiting various beauty spots (and eating loads of cakes, galettes and crepes!) I enjoyed going round a fair, an antique shop, a charity shop and a huge Brocante (second hand/junk shop!) I found so many treasures lurking in the dust and can't wait to create something 'up-cycled' with them. I also went mad and bought 7 jugs of various sizes!!!!! I think I've found another hobby!

Medieval town of Fougeres

Medieval town of Domfront. They just happened to have a Medieval Fair on while we were there!

A fantastic creperie in Bayeaux....I had crepe suzette for the first time......YUM!!!!

New things will be appearing on my website all the time as my thinking about what I will sell 'evolves'! I had a great deal of success at the St Giles Flower and craft Festival and am already looking forward to the Hylands School Christmas Fair at the end of November.

I hope you have had a lovely August and are looking forward to the rest of the year. All my best wishes to your children who are starting a new year and especially for those who are starting in high school.....I remember it being a very scary time!!!!!

Cya

Nic x

GREAT WEBSITE FOR PATCHWORK BLOCK DESIGNS!!!!!

Forgot to mention in my previous blog....if you have any spare time in the hols....HA!..... check out this website for some awesome patchwork block designs.....

www.quilterscache.com

Marcia Hohn runs it and I have been using it for years.....a site well worth saving....

Nic x

What a glorious day!

Well ladies it's come round again, the end of another term and the summer holidays. For some I know they are a headache, constantly handing out money for this, money for that and feeling tired most of the time, in body and mind!

I guess I used to feel the same sometimes, but now my 'kids' are 26 and 28 I look back and wish I could do it all over again.....yes....even the hard times!

I know a lady who is 24 and just had her first baby, such a cutie! Life in this first 6 weeks has been so tiring for her, but I like her attitude.... she says... 'cherish it all because we will never get this time back and who knows if we can have any more children.'

This year I have been a bit slack with my blog because my 26 year old daughter has had several health concerns. When each has arisen, so has the horrible C word (cancer) and it has made me continually keep coming back to how we have no idea what is around the next corner....

So have fun in the sun and enjoy those you get to spend time with.....it's worth it!

See you in September and I hope you all have some great memories of this summer holiday to cherish.

Nic x

Everything's coming up Rosettes!

I find that these lovely rosette flowers have been the perfect decorative finish to the pencil cases that have been my most recent creative project. 

However, I now realize that this isn't the first time I've used these little beauties

 

 

Embellishments of any kind are a really fun way to finish a craft item and allow a little more flair into your finished piece!

Hope you like......cya next time!

Nic x

Hats Off!!!!!

Hats off to all you creative crafty ladies who not only run homes, find time to be creative and also run a blog.....you are amazing!

I have been so busy that I haven't written for weeks.....sigh.....

I have been working very hard making items for the next Writtle Food and Craft Market on 29th June. I'm also working towards another Fete on the last August bank holiday weekend so there's lots to do.

Last Saturday myself and some ladies at our church spent the day from 10am-3pm making dresses for orphaned girls in Nepal...we had no pattern!!! The girls have one dress to their names and it is worn everyday. We made floaty, Sunday best dresses which were like this:

I'm not too keen on this colour arrangement, it was another ladies choice, but I offered to bring it home to put the velvet ribbon on the hem. We made some lovely ones in pinks and some in blues. I made my 3 tiers of frills very full, as having had a little girl myself I am sure that the little girl who receives it will 'twirl' in delight!

I'm really thankful for my sewing skills and was over the moon the other day when my 26 year old daughter finally asked 'mum, will you teach me how to sew!'

I learnt from a very early age through my school needlework classes. My mum didn't sew, but she was an excellent knitter. I wouldn't be without this skill now, especially when I have to alter so many clothes due to my short arms and legs!!!!!

There seems to be a great deal of interest in many crafts these days, so here's hoping all women will be able to learn something, even if it's only how to sew on a button......seems crazy doesn't it.... but I have a friend who didn't know how to do that until recently......

We haven't had one of these for a while.....

A Household Hint from days gone by:

Keep cotton reels tidy in the work basket by threading them onto a knitting needle and fixing a cork on the end.

As promised......

Finally a moment to spare to post some photos of my stand at the Writtle Food and Craft Market.

Looking back, now I'm not so exhausted, it was a good few hours spent in the company of many very talented ladies!!! Each stall was selling something different and I was amazed at how well the organiser had 'organised' everything. Here's hoping we can get permission to have one each month.

But for now I'm working towards this Thursday when I have a stand at my landlords special event to raise money for Macmillan Cancer Support. So many of us have lost a loved one to cancer, or know of someone who has survived cancer........it's a dreadful illness......My thanks goes out to those in organisations like Macmillan, who are there to offer whatever is needed to make the journey easier.

So it's back to the sewing machine.........thanks for stopping by..............

Nic x

Craft Fair slump.........yawn...............

Hi bloggers, I've had a week off to rest up and have found I went into a bit of a slump for the week (note to self .....DON'T WORK SO DAMN HARD BEFORE A SHOW!!!!!)The Writtle Food and Craft Market on 27th April was great fun! All the stallholders were so nice and I think we all did well. I have, however, learnt not to panic so much before hand, which makes me shattered the week following. I don't know how these women cope who do shows every weekend!!!!! We are hoping that the Writtle Food and Craft Market can become a monthly thing and that will suit me fine! So if any of you would like to see my items up close, keep checking the website for details under 'Events' on the homepage.

The aprons were a big hit and I could have sold far more than I took. So, you guessed it, that's what I'm making more of these days.

I have quite a few things to add to the website also, so here's hoping next week is a bit quieter and they will all start appearing. It's very hard when the sunshine beckons as I am also a gardener and grow my own vegies.

So far I have First early potatoes in, carrots, chard, spinach, spring onions, beetroot and radishes. With seeds sprouting in the greenhouse of beans, leeks, tomatoes, butternut pumpkin, zuccini and some herbs. So as you can see it's full steam ahead outside too!!!

Do any of you combine a love of gardening with a love of sewing? It's great really because when the weather is bad outside we can sew inside and when the weather's good outside we can garden....consequently |I'm never bored!!!

Cya next time,  hopefully with a few photos of the Craft Market and my latest items.

Nic x

Oooooh I'm so excited!

I'm booked into my first craft fair! It's Writtle Food and Craft Market on 27th April ......Scary....!!!!!

I've had so much fun with my latest project; making cute little party favour bags for children. In Australia we call them lolly bags, so I'm hoping 'Party Favour Bags' is the correct UK name.

 Here's a selection..........

They are just adorable, fully lined and fun to make and of course in 1930's reproduction Feedsack fabrics!

I've also finished the cutest baby's, floor play mat, having sold my other one from my website. 

Here t'is

This was a bit of a headache to make because the wadding was very thick, which is what I wanted, to make

being on the floor not so uncomfortable, but I didn't quite think it through and my sewing machine was not happy with me!

It's over and done with now and it came out a treat.......it's very soft and squishy! Hope you like...................

Anyway, if you are in the area of Writtle, in Essex on 27th April pop in to the Food and Craft Market and say 'Hello'  and I can show you my awesome vinyl banner for the front of my stall!

Cya

Nic x

A Perfect Pair.....

'Make Do and Mend', Bacon and Eggs, Ham and cheese, Romeo and Juliet, Simon and Garfunkel...the list is endless, so I've added my own 'Bunting and Feedsacks'! I like it, how about you?

Why do they go so well together?

Bunting to me is something that reminds me of an age when people didn't buy to throw away after one use. Today's throwaway society really distresses me, apart from being bad for the planet, it's also bad economically and a false economy......enter bunting.......a fantastic way to re-use, time and time again, something that says celebration! Who wouldn't want some? It can be used for just about anything, birthdays, weddings, holiday events, like last years Jubilee, barbeques and summer picnics....it can be washed.....and if you think about how much it costs to buy, it's very economical too......

Why Feedsack?.........because Feedsacks are from a generation when people did save things and use and re-use....they did  'make do and mend' and they certainly knew how to party!

This is my latest addition to my store, sorry it was actually too bright for the Feedsack patterns to be seen!!!!!! Yay maybe that means summer is on it's way. (Either that, or I'm just a bad photographer!) Check in store and it will be there.............it's gorgeous!

Bobby's Girl

Another fantastic outing to a vintage fair. 'Bobby's Girl' was held at the Marconi Club in Great Baddow, Essex. I must say here in Essex we do have some pretty good vintage fairs! My daughter and I stocked up on 70's fabric, ribbon, lace doilies, a 70's dress and a cute tan leather handbag and purse! Even more exciting were the prices.......very reasonable and well worth going to the next one at the end of May!
I hope you've had a terrific few days off and had some good times with family and friends!

Cya next time
Nic x

Learning the hard way!!!

Oh Blast! Oh Blast! could be heard repeatedly from my sewing room on Wednesday evening, as I was trying to finish this delightful shoulder bag/tote.......

I had already made one, using the same pattern I had designed a while ago, which looked like this.....

Can you see the difference????

The one with the pink flower ended with a band at the top. On the top bag I decided to add a frill before attaching the handles and lining.... BUT..... when you try to turn it all the right side out the frill sticks out horizontally because the seam allowance has been turned under with the handles. So how to fix??????

I had to put another band around the top of the frill bag so the seam allowance could remain upright! It's now 2" deeper but that's ok...more room for Easter eggs! Probably easy for all you seamstresses out there, but I really had to think that one through! I am now delighted with my shoulder bag tote.............!!!!

As a final note for today....I wish you all a Happy Easter! It's my favourite time of year, when I remember how much Jesus did to make me right with God; to give me a way to come back into a relationship with Him.......to show me how much I am loved, warts and all!!!!!

Have a great weekend, and don't forget, eating (dark) chocolate is actually good for us!!! Yay!

Nic x

Too many winters?

Well it's our 15th UK winter this year and it's almost too many........

Last year I made this for my husband

The label on the back says.....'A touch of the tropics to help you through the English winter'

Boy do we use it a lot these nights!!!!!

I don't think we would be so bothered if we were in the town and had a cheaper source of heating, but LPG is a ridiculous price so we don't have the heating on 24/7. We are surrounded by woods though, so are SERIOUSLY thinking about putting in a wood burner before the next big freeze......So glad we didn't move further up north when we arrived!

In Australia I found it very difficult to quilt all year round, so that's one thing the UK has going for it! Far too sweaty for hand quilting!!!  eeewww......too much detail.....

Well I'll make good use of this snowy weather and do some more hand quilting........

Bye for now

Nic x

Time for a holiday?

Well I heard the man on the radio say that this weekend coming is going to be the coldest March weekend in 50 years....oh yay!

I think it's time to start looking for a holiday.....

Check out my parents gite in Normandy, France......it's a great place to stay, especially if you love peace and quiet, country walks and are interested in WWII History......Ever seen the movie 'Band of Brothers'? The gite is near to Mortain......it's only a short drive to Mont St Michel, the Bayeux Tapestry and many delightful villages for shopping............loads more info on the website........but it's booking up fast!  www.bonsentier-gite.com

Maybe I'll see you there?????

Nic x

Great find!

The sun is shining, daughters surgery is over and it's back to work!
I'm having fun at the moment 'upcycling' (or re-cycling, not sure which?)  with fabrics from the 1970's. If you are in to 'vintage' and go to any fairs, as I do with my daughter, sometimes you will see dresses using fabrics that you just adore, but then when you look closely you notice zips broken, seams coming adrift, fabric fraying......don't worry, buy it anyway......though haggle a bit to get the price down if it's in a really bad state.....and then once you have all that gorgeous fabric home 'upcycle' it into a cushion cover, a quilt, place mats, anything you can think of to make use of as much of the fabric as you can.......it's great fun!

Here's a few 1970's scraps I found the other day...... The yellow floral I have made into 2 1/2" squares and added some Liberty Tana Lawn and it's in the process of being made into a quilt......

The smaller scraps I'll be making into notebook covers, elasticated hair bands, brooches and adding a few embellishments to a shirt or two..... Got any other ideas? I'd love to hear about them......

Back to work

Nic x

SALE! SALE! SALE! SALE! SALE!

Here at Daisy Jane designs UK we are jumping on the 'Easter Sale' bandwagon.......

ALL QUILTS ARE 10% OFF FOR A LIMITED TIME ONLY......

So grab yourself a gorgeous handmade heirloom to treasure for a lifetime.

See you in store..............

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY

Happy Mother's Day all you mums out there. I hope your day has been a good one. For those who have lost their mum's, like me, I pray that your day has been filled with happy memories of good times past!

My wonderful children have spoiled me with a cooked breakfast and after lunch all the washing up done so I could put my feet up! Nice...........

Not coincidentally, it seems that I have finally finished a baby's quilted receiving blanket today. It's in 1930's Feedsacks and delightfully soft....hope you like.............

Nic x

'To tack, or not to tack?' That is NOT the question!

Hi again fellow quilter's
Do you tack your quilts ready to hand quilt? Do you pin them? plastic tack them? What method suits you?
I have found that I can't produce a neat piece of work with out tacking, tacking and more tacking!
It's such a bore isn't it, when all you want to do is get quilting. If you have skipped this step you may have had times when you regretted it. When you turn your lovely piece of work over and see tucks and creases! Oh Noooo! What to do? unpick? start tacking? or just live with it?
Like knitting a tension square in knitting, I have found tacking an essential, though tiresome, part of producing a nice hand quilted finished item.
So next time you're tempted to speed up the process and pin your 'sandwich', put some music on and relax into some tacking! It'll be worth it in the end!