Belly Craft!

This weekend is a rather exciting one and I am writing this post while I wait for my Mum to arrive so we can drive over the Pennines to Huddersfield in Yorkshire! We are off to The Tribal Sleepover hosted by some wonderful bellydancer teachers and I am teaching! Squeal!
It is a weekend if dance, drumming, craft, cake, chilling out and drinking (vodka in my case!) Earlier this year I was asked if I would teach some crafty workshops and I jumped at the chance! It is a great opportunity for me to develop this part of The Gingerbread Bunny, which I really want to do as, well, I am a teacher!
So, I am running a crochet-a-long later tonight making zill muffs and flowers, tomorrow I am teaching a feathery hair clips workshops and on Sunday morning it is all about the art journaling!
The bags are packed and the car is ready to go. All I need now is my partner in crime!!!

Embroidery and Cross Stitch

A few weeks ago (yes I am behind with my blogging updates) we learnt about embroidery, the use of coloured threads to create decorative needlework through designs and pictures onto fabric done by hand or machine.  There are many absolutley amazing examples of embroidery dating as far back as the Iron Age and the Zhou Dynasty in China! 

There are a wide range of stitches used in embroidery and I learnt only a handful of them!  I could already do running stitch, back stitch and blanket stitch (an impressive range I know?!) but by the end of the lesson I could do the gorgeous sheaf and fly stitches as well as a french knot!  Now hand embroidery is something that I haven't really attempted before. I am a fan of speed, being very impatient, and so favour sewing by machine rather than hand but there was something so relaxing and calming about sitting with my embroidery hoop, like a Tudor lady, experimenting with the various stitches.  I have to say, I quite enjoyed myself! 

My Stitches

I also learnt about cross stitch and how the same stitch has to go at the back each time.   I had a go at this as a child with very little success but am pleased to say that I cross stitched, for what seemed like an eternity, my very small  heart and ABC! 

Not to scale! (It is much smaller in real life!)

Kirstie's Handmade Britain is currently being shown on Channel 4 (If you haven't been watching it you need to get on 4OD and watch all the back episodes - I have watched each one at least twice!)  In one episode Kirstie made the most amazing applique and embroidered cushion for the Great Yorkshire Show competition which she won!  After learning embroidery and applique, I really admire Kirstie's determination and patience with her cushion.  Hand embroidery is not for the faint hearted - it takes real commitment but the end results are so worth it!

As for me?  Hand embroidery is a craft I will be using as and when I need.  I am, however, desperate to try my hand at machine embroidery.

Giveaway!

Just a quick post to let you all know about the very exciting giveaway I am having over on my Facebook page (www.facebook.com/gingerbreadbunny)
Up for grabs is a custom made mobile phone/gadet case (here's one I made earlier below!) in a colour and design of the winners choice. All you have to do is hop over to my Facebook page, like it and follow the easy peasy instructions on the giveaway post on the page!
So, what are you waiting for? Get on over there!

C is for Christmas Cards

Christmas is getting nearer (49 days away infact) and I am well under way with my preparations.  I have to say I am surprising myself with my organisation this year and hopefully I will be able to avoid the dreaded Christmas Eve shopping for last minute gifts.

This weekend has been all about card making (and re-doing the Christmas cake!) A few months ago I decided that I wanted to make some applique christmas cards for my friends and family and, after seeing a few ideas in magazines, decided on baubles with a jewel colour theme which is the colour scheme for my wrapping this year.

My completed Christmas cards

I started by making the baubles.  The first two I made I actually stitched the bauble onto the snowflake print fabric but then had the idea of actually making the bauble dangle so that it could be removed and used as a decoration.  I attached, using fabric glue, some pretty festive ribbon I picked up for a really reasonable price in Lidl, across the middle and used some thinner ribbon to make a bow and dangle for the top.  To finish it off, I blanket stitched around the outside in a contrasting fabric.

I then cut a piece of christmas fabric (mine is a turquoisey teal snowflake print from Abakhan) and then a pieice of felt slightly bigger.  I attached this to the card base using the sewing machine which was so much fun.  I have never sewn onto card before but it is great!  I didn't worry too much about it being really neat and central.  Finally, I carefully stiched round the ribbon to attach it to the card.

Although it took quite a bit of time, I think it is well worth the time and I sure my friends and family will love receiving these this year!