A VASE FULL OF FLOWERS crochet of course!

My ingredients in their mixing bowl! Now that I have a number of garments for my upcoming show (Knitting & Stitching show, Alexandra, Palace, London/8th-11th October)...I am busy making smaller, available to buy, there and then items, as the garments are intended to catch the viewers attention and maybe gain some commission work. So following on from my workshops and kits to be available at 'The Makery' (Bath, U.K.), I have a number of corsage type brooches on the go.

My problem was, 'How to display them?' so when I found this 'Shabby Chic' style vase (which will look fabulous on my kitchen window sill) it inspired me to treat them as 'real' flowers.

(Close up of 'Shabby Chic' style vase)

...To do this I wrapped spare yarn ends around the ends of bamboo knitting needles, this provided an anchor to pin the brooch fastenings to. The needles are then placed in the vase, being held in place by hidden balls of yarn (No oasis for me!)

...To advertise their Eco nature and price I used my logo and one of my garment price labels. (However for photographic purposes only, I have tied the 'Eco bracelets' price tag on here, as I have yet to do the costings for the brooches-no doubt a job for Friday!)

SKETCHBOOK PREP TO DISPLAY DESIGN SKETCHES AT THE KNIT & STITCH

This is my solution to 'How do I show my sketch work when they are in a old battered, falling apart, travel everywhere with me notebook?'......Since my exhibition stand has evolved into a retro, vintage look, I found this lovely Cath Kidson fabric (Love Cath Kidson prints;even saw a mobile phone designed with her patterns)

...next ingredient, is this plain photograph album...

...result is a 'Shabby Chic' sketchbook. Here I have added my labels which are to be on my garments; the labels are a mix of my logo, a parchment craft label which represents the knitwear and a hand-made mini card (Will have the fibre content and price written on)....all of which are held in place by my 'Quirky little knits' badge, with teeney weeney written blogspot address.

...inside the pages were as you would expect, but this is what I was looking for. The pages provide an area to make written annotations.

....example of the sketches which need to be placed inside the new sketchbook.

....vintage style papers are torn and placed underneath the sketches to help make them stand away from the flat cream pages.

'SHABBY CHIC' exhibition stand planning...

...At less than 4 weeks to go to exhibiting my knitwear at The Twisted Thread, knit and stitch show (October 8th-11th, Alex. Palace, London) http://www.twistedthread.com/pages/exhibitions/viewExhibition.aspx?id=23 ...I am beginning the thought out process of how my stand should look. It will have 'Shabby Chic' influence. With cream wrought Iron garment rail and pretty boxes to hold my Eco bracelets...

....This little cream iron work holder started life as a salt and pepper pot holder, but is an ideal size to use to display business cards. I needed new salt/pepper pots so it was a very useful find indeed.

...the wrought iron features a rose (which helps to tie together label identity, since my own website has roses on it too) and a heart shape at the top. On my labels (Blog to follow) I have cute hand made cards/envelopes (To state fibre content/price & sample of yarn) which also have a little red love heart on them. My postcards/notelets have been designed to have the caption, 'Made with love by me'. So all in all it should relate nicely.

...full size version of my 'Shabby Chic' garment rail, courtesy of 'Sylvester of Oxford' ( Very impressed by their products and customer service)

Finally this is yet another example of how to recycle. The yarn is throwster silk (Left over silk which is then spun) and began life as a back piece for a red linen dress, but it became obvious it was not suited to the job. The red linen underneath it was to be a sleeve cuff but yet again this was not suitable. So I combined them to make a very quick choker and managed at last to re-use some glass beads from an old favourite earring, which had lost its partner.

'POPPY-ROSE DRESS' my favourite design...

(Scan from my Interflora leaflet)

Finally finished! My first real garment from '...in an English country garden' collection. This unique special occasion dress began its origins from a simple beautiful bouquet of bright pink flowers teamed with the natural acid green of its leaves. The fabric was a end of line roll with limited amount of metre-age available, so I had to work with what I had. This inspired me to design a collection themed on English country gardens, and in turn this particular design can be also available in Ivory soya silk as a elegant unusual wedding dress.

....From design illustration to actual garment. The crochet is made from random flower patterns which I have written from Rowan Lenpur Linen, Debbie Bliss cashmere and cotton, and deadstock 100% cotton. Therefore yet another Eco-idealology dress from end of line and natural fibres.

....The main design feature is the back 'bustle' detail, with a montage of textural crochet flowers forming a hip emphasizing shape, enhanced by the curved darting. I am really please by this outcome but GOSH! did it take some work....

The edges of the hem and armholes are trimmed with picot crochet in cotton, which is a pretty good match to the woven satin.

..the front and back waist has been treated to pin-tucking which helps to pull in the waist area. The top is shaped with a scooped neck, reminiscent of Edwardian necklines, it in turn is covered with '...an English country garden'.

...The side view shows how the 'bustle' area is quite textural and stands out from the main dress...

..the side view shows fine lace crochet inserts at the waist area to add interest. Overall this is one of my personal favourites as the dress has such impact both in colour and texture. It will be on a display stand to view at the forth coming Twisted Thread, knit and stitch show at Alex. Palace, London in early October. Please come say hello. x

...This design can be ordered to be bespoke made, in any colour of fabric or yarn and size desired.

MY ROWAN PRIZE FINALLY ARRIVES...

A few months ago I blogged about my success at winning knitting magazines Rowan vintage competition, with my 'After Dolly' eco friendly design. This was based on vintage crochet lace and inspired from the film '9 to 5' where Dolly Parton wears several lovely knitted dresses.

....yesterday my prize finally arrived in a big box, leaving me wondering what it was because I had forgotten all about the actual prize!

...I won 2 packets of yarn which are felted tweed chunky and milk yarn. The felted is something which I would not neccessarily buy to sample and develop work with, but this is a good thing as I will probably discover something new with it. The milk yarn as I have said lots of times is my favourite yarn, it just happens to be in a pink though! and I love pink which means my work as of late seems to be becoming pink....its something I was objectively trying to move away from.....so this may mean I will finally make my daughter something instead of only working towards my stock for once.

....the dress itself is yet to be photographed and will appear sometime in the future in knitting magazine along with my pattern. This to me IS the prize as it's one more step up to my goal of being a selling pattern writer. The dress it has been agreed will be returned to me temporarily, in order for it to be displayed on my stand at the Twisted Thread show...

....You can find me and the dress at Alex. Palace, London between 8th and 11th October 2009, in the resource centre, stand Rcc11.

...This is one of the books which was included in my prize along with a rare addition of the 10th anniversary publication for Rowan.

YET MORE ECO CROCHET JEWELLRY!

This is a one-off necklace which started life as a crochet trim for a knitted panelled top, which has been discarded. The trim was made from Rowan Lenpur linen and Debbie Bliss 100% pure silk , both double knits.

(View of necklace worn high on the neckline)

Loops and discs were formed in crochet in a totally free-form random fashion, whilst trying to keep the balance of colour and weight.

(close up of loops and discs)

The necklace uses no other materials other than natural yarns which are left over end of yarn skein/balls.

(This is one of my display mannequins for my stand at The knit and stitch show in October....I have left the plastic covers on to help protect them until then, but loving the refective photographic results at the minute)

The necklace been worn at normal length with natural fall of the crochet textures. The 'chain' part is made from chains and doubles and is long enough to slip over the head, to eliminate the need for fastenings.

Full length version with side style view.

Chocker style wearing with main texture being worn at the side (To shorten the length a slip knot is simply tied in the crochet chain once pulled over the head)

This is a close up view of one of the Lenpur Linen discs whilst in construction.

'AFTER DITA' INTERNATIONALLY MADE DRESS!

This is my internationally made! crochet dress, part of the 'After...?' series collection. This particular one is 'After Dita' due to it being backless and designed to be worn with cute hot pants (Slightly burlesque in styling). It was started at 7am on a flight to Sweden, and continued to be made in Sweden at Alison Friday's (knitsandpearls blogspot) newly formed knit cafe, and while drinking what could quite possibly be the most expensive single glass of wine I have ever drank! This was made even more interesting due to the fact that we were sat on a floating deck at the time and I was trying to work out a new stitch.

.... the rest of the dress was made in the U.K., part at home and some of my car knitting/crochet sessions! (I seem to spend quite a lot of time on the fabled 'school run' and hate wasting precious time, so while waiting I use this time to work on my garments...quite often passersby read my 'Quirky Little Knits' car magnet (decal) sign attached to my car and begin to talk to me through the window, asking about what I am doing. My aim is to hand out out least 2-3 business cards during this)

...the edging of the dress is made from individual circles which are interlinked and then crochet together with trebles. The yarn is the Wendy Yo Yo double knit with Lycra which is a dead-stock yarn.

...The front has a backbone! I seem to be deeply influenced by the inside of the body and the backbone is fast becoming a personal signature. around this back/front bone I have created ruffles which are in-line with current fashion trends.

(front full length view)

...this side view shows the interesting shape of the armhole, which is edged with a band in trebles and finished/sealed with a cover double row.

This dress will be on show at Alex. palace, London between 8th-11th October 2009 at the knit and stitch show.

DEADSTOCK YARN MINI BAG

After my meeting with Kate from 'The Makery' I have been developing items made from recycling and ones which can be translated into short workshops. Hence this little bag. It is made from left over deadstock yarn. I bought some Wendy yoyo yarn for a crochet dress and because it has lycra a bikini, in relation to design/pattern writing in time for next fashion season. I used to knit with this yarn years ago and have never been able to find a on-par alternative after Wendy discontinued it.

...The lot of yarn has gone so far! I have enough left to make more bags and jewellry! The fastenings were made from 'grandma's' button tin buttons and the sparkle from left over lurex yarns which seem to have a never ending end!

...The mini-bag is entirely crochet, using mainly doubles in a stepped technique and some shell work. The flap fastening wraps over the opening and seals with a crochet loop around the buttons. The same method applies to the strap fastening. allowing for shortening of the strap.

...The bag features embellishment, which is a feature to be used on my workshops at 'The Makery' (website links to follow)

Close-up of the left over yarn flowers and old buttons.

Close-up of the double crochet stepped stitch.