CHSI – Stitches 2014: It’s great to be home!
The last few days I’ve been on the road, demonstrating over on the Vilene stand at CraftHobby&StitchInternational – the UK’s largest trade show.
Photo: Kim Thittichai
This is one of my very favourite shows of the year – it is busy (very busy!) and it is a great chance to catch up with the folks behind some of the country’s leading craft and stitch businesses. I also love that I get to hang out with the wonderful Kim Thittichai and learn a whole heap of new and exciting techniques! We got to meet with heaps and heaps of creative folks from all parts of the creative sector from fashion designers and craft shop owners, to tutors, wardrobe mistresses, and designer-makes – and probably everyone else in between! It’s great to be able to show just some of the uses for the Vilene products, but I love finding out what folks are working on, and trying to help them to find a workable solution or easy to enhance their makes – there is nothing more inspiring than having a chat with creative folks! So, in the wake of this three-day event, I have come home with a notebook full of exciting new idea, opportunities to build on and projects to get underway – all in all it was a huge success and exhausting, did I say it was exhausting?!
This was my first year attending Stitches since launching my own creative business, and it was a pretty rad feeling to be able to show off my Sewing Manual and my new book, The DIY Wedding Manual (published by Haynes)- it’s things like that, that make all the hard work of writing and putting a book together all worthwhile!
One of the things I love the very best is being able to add in fresh new makes to the collection of samples that I have been working on. I know we should love all our makes equally, but sometimes one of your finished makes really does stick out as one of the favourites – at this show I think that it would have to be this beautiful log cabin quilt – created with a collection of wonderful prints from the glorious range of Art Gallery Fabrics from my friends over at Hantex. I just can’t get enough of this…although part of me wishes that it wasn’t cot sized and that it was full double size so I could enjoy it on my own bed, I guess I’ll have to make another one some day!
For those that are a little curious, this cot sized quilt was made using Vilene Quickscreen Square to create nine log cabin blocks, which were then joined with contrasting sashing and a neat border. To finish, I quilted the whole thing using a series of circles – drawing around dinner plates and saucers to get a really neat outline! This step-by-step tutorial will show you how to get neat log cabin blocks, everytime, using Vilene Quickscreen Square!
Quite a few companies that stopped in past the Vilene stand to check out some of my designs and find out more about techniques and tips for using Vilene in their projects paid me some really sweet compliments about the fabric labels that I use to identify my work. Whether you are making products to gift to friends and family, sell in an online store or offer as part of a design commission, or simply just to enjoy for yourself, adding in a fabric label is a great way to give your work a little signature – after all, you made it with your own fair hands so let’s just get on and celebrate it!
I spent a long time searching high and low to get just the right label – and by right, I’m talking the right look, the right feel and (most crucially!) the right price. For those that are interested in creating your own labels, you might want to check out – it offers a wide range of different styles, sizes and finishes, not only that they are able to work with your own artwork (like I did) or they can help you to create the design that is just right for you!
The next big event on my calendar is the Sewing For Pleasure Show which runs from the 20-23 March at the NEC, Birmingham. I am super stoked to be hosting and teaching some rad sewing skills in The Vilene Sewing Club – these beginner-friendly mini workshops will have you whipping up some cute little project, getting your hands on some lush fabrics and having a whole heap of fun all the way around! I totally can’t wait…tickets are on sale for the Show now! I’ll be able to share the details for all the workshops – and some sneak peeks of the fun projects that you’ll be able to make in the next couple of weeks – so, watch this space, as they say! If you’re planning on heading to the show, be sure to leave a comment and let me know, so I c an look out for you and say Hi!
I’m a little muddled as to what day of the week it is…I’ve got it on very good information that it is Wednesday, but somehow it feels as though it should be the weekend already, I guess that is the one draw back of working on Saturday & Sunday! I think the remainder of this week will be spent making my inbox a safe place again (so, if you’ve sent me an email, or are waiting for a reply, fear not, you are on my list!), I’ll be planning and preparing all the goodie bags for the upcoming workshops and getting back behind the sewing machine to finish up some commissions. Holy smokes! There is nothing like a packed out To Do List to make you wish there were more hours in the day!
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