Julie Williams - Textile Artist

40th project completed - A 'filigree brooch'

2011-10-09T23:58:00.000+01:00

40th Project completed - A' filigree brooch'

Well another busy day over and done with. I spent the morning replacing numerous bolts in the Locomotive - Jerry M that we are overhauling at Hollycombe. A bit of an unusual way to spend a Saturday morning I'll admit but there you go!

Well what am I making with the bottle tops I found?

39th project completed - A zip flower

2011-10-01T23:59:00.000+01:00

39th Project completed - a zip flower

What a warm day! It has been about 28 degrees out today - really warm especially for October! They do say that it will break all the records for an October day in the UK today, I wouldn't be at all surprised!!!!

It has been far too warm this week to do much heated craft work but this one is nice and simple and should appeal to most of you, as you can use them however you like whether it be as a topping for cards, as embellishments for sewing projects such as bags or as I have, as hair accessories.

So what are they?

Zip flowers!!!

38th project completed - a floral gift box

2011-09-25T07:21:00.000+01:00

38th Project completed - a gift box

Welcome to the 38th completed project in the challenge. Firstly I must apologise for being a few hours late with this one, I had completed 3/4 of the project and had put it to one side when the pup decided she required a snack and decided that it looked good enough to eat! So I had to begin all over again!!!!!

Anyway here it is, a paper mache gift box.

37th project completed - a metalwork pendant

2011-09-17T20:19:00.000+01:00

37th Project completed - A metal work pendant

Hello again!

Wow this week has past quickly, last time I looked it was Sunday evening and now it is Saturday already. As you will know from the previous post, I decided to play about with an old metal paste tube.

I knew that as the metal was nice and soft it could be easily embroidered on a machine but I must admit to never having tried it myself. I have discovered that I love it. It was so much fun to do! So here it is a metal work pendant made from a purée tube!

36th project completed - A felted mobile phone shop

2011-09-10T23:00:00.000+01:00

36th project completed! A felted mobile phone sock

Last week's project started me thinking about the stuffing left over from the pillow. A saw no reason why the filling couldn't be used as a backing for needle-felting and with embellishing machines as a ground to work on. I have been meaning to use one of my favourite photos of my daughter when she was little in a project, so I had a play and came up with this. A felted mobile phone sock for her to keep her phone safe.

it is a reasonably quick project and one for those of you who are looking for an excuse to experiment.

35th projectcompleted - a quilted penguin bag

2011-09-03T20:14:00.000+01:00

35th project completed - A Quilted Penguin bag

Well what do you make with an old pillow?

A quilted Penguin bag of course!

Some of you may be wondering how I come up with the ideas and the process I go through to decide what to make each week. This weeks challenge is a prime example.

The first step is to work out what the item to be recycled is actually made of. In this case the pillow was made up of some poly cotton fabric and some polyester hollow fibre filling. Quilting obviously came to mind as a way of turning the raw materials I had into something new.

A very similar process happens every week for example; a plastic bottle is just a thin sheet of plastic. We all know that plastic melts when exposed to heat, it is easy to cut and does not fray. Equally, a tomato purée tube is really just a thin piece of metal once opened out, and can be cut and embossed easily. It is a very soft metal so it can also be sewn through with care.

So why not take a look around the house for things to use rather than using something new?

34th Project completed - a shiny embroidered gift bx

2011-08-27T23:58:00.000+01:00

34th Project Completed - A shiny embroidered gift box

Hi!

Well I guess it's that time again, so here is this weeks completed project. A Little gift box made with the sweetie wrappers from last week, as I love chocolate so much I just had to top it off with an interlocking heart closure!

33rd project completed - A fizzy drinks can oil burner!

2011-08-20T19:01:00.003+01:00

33rd project completed - A fizzy drinks can oil burner!

Hi, well this one has been great fun so simple and very effective

not to mention useful!

An essential oil burner made from two Diet Coke cans!
I think these would make great little gifts with some practice
or prove very useful used with Citronella essence for those
late summer outdoor parties to keep the bugs at bay!

32nd project completed - A beautiful garden light

2011-08-13T23:58:00.000+01:00

32nd project completed - A beautiful garden light

The weather has been so warm here for the last few weeks we have been eating a few meals outside. What we don't have are any night lights to light up the garden. So I thought I would try making some. This one was based on a Tiffany style lampshade that I own, covered in dragonflies it is colourful and so on trend at the moment and is designed to hang outside.

Here it is....

A dragonfly night light

31st project completed - A plastic bottle necklet

2011-08-06T21:38:00.000+01:00

I say 'Happy' as we are all supposed to be statistically the happiest this year between the hours of 6pm and 7pm this evening. Were you? I'm not entirely convinced about all that but I am certainly happy to show you this week's project!

A neck-let made from recycled plastic bottles!

30th project completed - a pair of simple flower earrings

2011-07-30T23:37:00.000+01:00

Good evening all,

I think you will like this project, it is so simple yet very 'cool'. this week I have made a pair of cute flower earrings from the leaflets, some craft foam and some earring backs I had in my jewellery making kit!

Modelled here by my beautiful daughter!

29th project completed - a couple of revamped lamp shades

2011-07-23T23:35:00.000+01:00

Well number 29 was really quite fun! As promised I have recycled two lampshades using simple decorative techniques,

one to fit the lamp-base I made last week ....

and one for the top of my stairs which was originally looking really grotty and about to go to the bin....

28th Project completed - A pleated Cardboard Lamp base

2011-07-16T23:32:00.000+01:00

This week I made a lampbase from the folded cardboard organ book!

27th project completed - Polystyrene printing blocks

2011-07-11T22:04:00.002+01:00

Hi all, well I have had a great time playing with the polystyrene block and made a lovely mess in the studio! What did I make?

Some polystyrene printing blocks of course! Polystyrene is so easy to cut and shape with just ordinary knives etc. It doesn't absorb paint and has a lovely smooth surface with a slight texture so is ideal for this kind of project.

recycle4real: 26th Project Completed - A bubble wrap cosmetics bag!

2011-07-04T22:36:00.000+01:00

recycle4real: 26th Project Completed - A bubble wrap cosmetics bag!

I have now completed the 26th project in the challenge and here it is - a cosmetics bag made from the large bubbled bubble wrap I saved from the bin last weekend.

25th project completed - a scary dragon sock puppet!

2011-06-27T21:11:00.000+01:00

25th project completed - a scary dragon sock puppet!

posted by Julie Williams at recycle4real - 1 day ago

I love making puppets, it really is something I should do more often. So here he is my latest creation in the recycle4real challenge. I think I shall call him Ignatius - don't know why but it seems to suit him...

24th Project Completed - Floaty 'feather' earrings

2011-06-19T21:13:00.000+01:00

24th Project Completed - Floaty 'feather' earrings

What a dreadful day weather wise! I don't think it stopped raining for more than a few minutes all day! Mind you it did give me some inspiration for this week's project. I was watching a dove in the back garden this morning and as it started to rain it fluttered away. As it flew it dropped one of it's feathers and it reminded me of a project I did a long time ago using heavy interfacing. It struck me that it would work just as well with the plastic milk container I needed to use so here it is..................

A pair of feather earrings made from a recycled milk container!

23rd project completed - A cute charm bracelet

2011-06-11T19:05:00.002+01:00

Hello everybody, here we are Saturday night again, I hope you have all had a good day. This week I have been playing with a sauce pot and a length of chain. So what did I create?

A simple charm bracelet!

22nd project completed - A butterfly hair decoration

2011-06-04T23:53:00.000+01:00

this week I was playing with an old pair of tights, well this is what I came up with - A butterfly hair ornament!

full details on the website (www.recycle4real.co.uk)

21st Project completed - A felted cuff

2011-05-28T23:51:00.000+01:00

Here it is, this week's project, a nice fun one......

A felted cuff made using an old coke bottle, some scraps of felt left over from Christmas and some left over scraps and fibres!

20th project completed! A gift for a friend

2011-05-21T23:56:00.000+01:00

I have used the retrieved items to make a photo album - Kelly is very into her photography and she took the picture that I have used on the front herself. With all the photo's taken last night I am sure she will need more than one album but it's a start!

19th project completed...A shabby chic box

2011-05-14T23:06:00.000+01:00

Made from an old soap box!

Full details as usual on the recycle4real blog at: www.recycle4real.blogspot.com

18th project announced on the recycle4real blog

2011-05-07T23:03:00.000+01:00

18th project completed - a desk tidy and pencil pot made from odd tubs and tin trays! Full details available on the blog

17th Project completed - A Macrame hanging tidy!

2011-04-30T23:53:00.000+01:00

posted by Julie Williams at recycle4real

Well here it is - Number 17. I am desperately trying to tidy up my work room at the moment so I thought I would try to make a few storage items over the next few weeks starting with this one. Based on the ...

16th project completed - a shiny garden mobile

2011-04-23T23:50:00.000+01:00

posted by Julie Williams at recycle4real

Hello again! This week I have been trying to sort out my garden, not an easy job with two young dogs intent on destroying it at every opportunity! I wondered if the aluminium drink cans I rescued from the rubbish.....

16th project announced

2011-04-17T21:18:00.000+01:00

Wow what a busy day!
I spent the morning retrieving my classic Morris Minor car from the garage she has been stored in for 5 years (she looked as though it had been more like 20!).I am aiming to have her back on the road by the end of June.

After an afternoon cleaning, she is now almost shiny. Unfortunately she has seized brakes and won't start but hopefully that won't take long to sort out. So I guess I have a busy few weeks ahead of me!

Anyway back to the task at hand, this week's project announcement. This week I am going to try and think of something to make with.........

Old soft drink cans!

15th project completed - a springtime bangle

2011-04-16T22:24:00.000+01:00

Hi, this weeks project was really fun and quite quick once I had worked it all out. I have made a bangle from the industrial cardboard tube using some leaflets which arrived through the post from local garden centres etc. Full details on the recycle4real blog

14th project completed!

2011-04-09T23:02:00.000+01:00

14th project completed! A small Easter basket

Well I promised something with and Easter theme this week, and here it is. A small easter basket, ideal for giving as a gift, full of mini eggs!

Full details on the recycle4real blog

Back in stock and NEW

2011-04-09T16:27:00.000+01:00

The following are now back in stock: Skin soft backing & 7" spring hoops.

New!
2 great new Easter kid's craft kits!

13th Project completed - A Small Springtime Container

2011-04-02T23:35:00.000+01:00

The 13th project is now complete - A lovely little springtime container made from a covered herb pot full details available on the the blog

recycle4real: 12th project completed - A cute little knitted pur...

2011-03-26T20:21:00.001Z

recycle4real: 12th project completed - A cute little knitted pur...: "Well here it is, a cute little knitted purse made from the crisp multi-pack wrappers. I have kept it very simple as I am no great knitter!

11th project completed - plastic bottle flower brooches

2011-03-19T21:04:00.000Z

Good evening all!
Here they are, the 11th project that I have completed in the challenge:

Plastic bottle brooches

Full details as usual on the recycle4real blog at: www.recycle4real.blogspot.com

recycle4real: 11th Project announcement

2011-03-13T20:34:00.001Z

recycle4real: 11th Project announcement: "Wow it's been a long day! All my emails and orders have been dealt with. The kids, dogs and other half have been fed. The kitchen and bathro..."

recycle4real: 10th project completed - a scrap fabric and fused ...

2011-03-13T20:34:00.000Z

recycle4real: 10th project completed - a scrap fabric and fused ...: " Well, another project completed. This week I was playing with plastic bags and some fabric scraps. I hope you will like this project, ..."

10th project announcement

2011-03-06T21:05:00.002Z

Number 10 already! 10th project in the recycle4real callenge announced at: www.recycle4real.blogspot.com

9th Project Completed in the recycle4real challenge - A polystyrene cup vase!

2011-03-05T22:13:00.000Z

9th Project Completed - A polystyrene cup vase!

Well, I have had so much fun this week!
I know you are going to love this project, it is so easy yet so effective so I will be expecting lots of photos of your efforts after this one to add to the reader's gallery on the website.

Well here we are, my 9th offering to you all is...........

A lovely little vase made from a polystyrene cup and yes it does hold water!

Full details available on the recycle4real blog at: www.recycle4real.blogspot.com

8th project completed! - A woven 'chequerboard' bag

2011-02-26T22:48:00.000Z

For my 8th project I made a cute little woven bag made from pet food sacks and a bamboo cane! - not the best thing I have ever made but a great experimental project that could be developed further. Full details on the recycle4real blog

recycle4real: 8th Project announcement.

2011-02-20T20:34:00.000Z

recycle4real: 8th Project announcement.: As most of you will know from previous posts, we now have 2 dogs in the house and boy can they eat! Molly is still on puppy food, whereas Poppy (If given the chance) will eat absolutely anything. The result is that we regularly have very large dog food bags going into the rubbish.

They used to be made of paper but over the last year or so the food has been coming in very thick plastic bags instead.These are lovely strong bags and I use them for all sorts of things such as holding manure from the horses, taking garden rubbish to the dump etc. I even used them as grow bags last year, but I can't help thinking that there must be something else I can do with them.

There are lots of instructions available on the internet for tote bags made by cutting off the top and adding handles but as usual I want to take things a step further. So I will be having a play with these this week and see what I can come up with.

recycle4real: 7th Project completed

2011-02-19T19:44:00.001Z

7th Project completed

I thought I would try something completely different this week, no sewing involved this time! So what did I make with my foil trays?

An Art Nouveau style frame!

Full details on the recycle4real challenge blog at: www.recycle4real.blogspot.com

make do and mend items from July Textiles

2011-02-16T22:29:00.001Z

make do and mend items from July Textiles

With money tight we thought we would round up all the items we have that you will find useful for 'upcycling', recycling or general repairs.

recycle4real: 7th Project announcement

2011-02-13T21:16:00.000Z

7th Project announcement

Hi all!

We have been in complete chaos over the weekend. I have only just finished returning the house to it's normal state after moving everything out of the kitchen so my lovely other half could tile the kitchen floor.
He has done a fantastic job and there is of course another bonus.....
We have been forced to have Takeaways for 2 nights running! But what to do with all the trays? - My council don't like collecting these, so it gave me a great idea for the materials for this week:

Foil trays!!!!!!

Usually I have a vague idea of what I am going to attempt for the project but it must be said I really am not sure this week, so I will get my thinking cap on overnight. Wish me luck! More details of the challenge at: www.recycle4real.blogspot.com

6th project announcement

2011-02-06T20:17:00.000Z

This weeks recycle4real project announcement:

Welcome everyone to another Sunday night's announcement.

I still have some denim left over from one of the pairs of jeans, so this week I will be using this up, I fancy some more embroidery this week so lets see what we can come up with this week!

Full details on the recycle4real blog

recycle4real: 5th project completed - Frayed around the edges bag

2011-02-05T20:44:00.001Z

Here is this weeks recycle4real completed project. As promised it is made from recycled jeans.

The 'frayed around the edges' denim bag with slashed detailing and self tie closure

See the full details on the recycle4real blog

recycle4real: 5th project announcement

2011-01-30T18:11:00.000Z

recycle4real: 5th project announcement: On the recycle4real blog

recycle4real: 4th Project complete!

2011-01-29T18:27:00.001Z

recycle4real: 4th Project complete!:

Hi all, Right I've just finished the forth project in my challenge, it is a set of four free machined 'scribble' coasters made out of bubblewrap and carrier bags! Visit the special recycle4real blog for more details!

Recycle4real challenge news

2011-01-25T10:29:00.000Z

Well it has been a very busy few weeks, Project number 3 was posted on the recycle4real blog on Saturday and number 4 is now under way!

Project 3: a golden casket

Project number 4 is now under way and is being made from plastic carrier bags and bubblewrap!

For more info and to follow the recycle4real challenge visit the recycle4real blog

Project 2 announced on the recycle4real blog

2011-01-09T21:02:00.000Z

I have announced the second project in my recycle4real challenge, A Tiffany style 'stained glass' panel made from sweetie wrappers! Full details available on the recycle4real blog at: http://recycle4real.blogspot.com

1st project completed in the recycle4real challenge

2011-01-08T19:19:00.001Z

Sweetie wrapper Bracelet!

I have made this gorgeous bracelet from sweetie wrappers and

wire. I hope you like it!

You will find all the details on how to make it on the

recycle4real Blog

2011-01-02T17:44:00.002Z

So now it is time to announce the materials I will use for the
first project in the recycle4real challenge!

Sweetie Wrappers!

We are all chocoholics in our house especially around Christmas.
Every year I save the sumptuous coloured wrappings from all our
sweeties thinking that they must come in useful for making something,
only to throw them out about 6 months later as I still haven't got
around to doing anything with them - WELL NOT THIS YEAR!

I have decided to use them in the first project. I have an idea for a
bracelet as the sweet wrappers remind me so much of the colours
you get in the lovely glass beads which are so popular at the moment.

So watch the recycle4real blog during the week and I will let you know
how things are progressing. The finished article and instructions will
be posted on Saturday (8th January) on the recycle4real blog and will
also be added to the recycle4real website.

Recycle4real project starts today!

2011-01-02T11:30:00.000Z

I cannot believe how fast the beginning of the challenge has come around! Still it is nearly here so I am getting prepared, getting the housework up to date and reminding the Kid's that I will be a bit busy this year.

The first project's materials will be announced on This evening (2nd December)

By Monday / Tuesday I should have a design idea ready to make over the following days. The final item will be photographed and a set of instructions will be published on the Recycle4real blog on Saturday 8th for you all to see. Find it Here

Then off we go again on Sunday evening......

New Stock!

2010-05-26T21:39:00.000+01:00

Great news!
I am currently adding a range of fantastic artist materials to our range. These include a wide range of artist pencil sets, Watercolour and Acrylic paint sets and palettes! Why not take a look on the website at: www.julytextilesandcrafts.co.uk

Got an idea!

2010-04-09T23:24:00.001+01:00

I have just gained some inspiration for next year's National Quilt Championships entry. I am unable to enter this year due to family and business pressures which is a shame but it does give me a whole year to work on an entry for next year.

I was thinking about Cornwall the other day and how I haven't been there for a while. This led me to think about the wonderful rocks and cliffs in North Cornwall - the colours and textures have always appealed to me and I used to take photos and sketch them regularly when I was visiting.

So after a frantic search I found some lovely photographs, sketches and collages I made a few years ago. Et Voila! Inspiration.....so now starts the work!!!

Steams up!!!

2010-04-03T08:12:00.001+01:00

I am spending the weekend firing on the narrow guage railway at Hollycome this week as it is now re-opened for the season. It was very wet yesterday (Good Friday) so not many customers but the weather is looking a bit better today. If you're around and haven't got anything to do over this Easter weekend why not pop down and see us? Visit http://www.hollycombe.co.uk/ for details!!! We will be starting railway rides at 12pm and the fairground rides start at 1pm

Main website updated

2010-03-25T19:50:00.000Z

I've just finished updating the main website to tie it in with the online store a little better. I have redesigned the layout to offer a fresher, more easily navigated site - I hope you all like it! Take a look at: http://www.julytextiles.co.uk/

NEW IN!!!! - our new range of embroidery backings and stabilisers!

2010-03-14T16:40:00.000Z

I have been very busy over the last few months sourcing great new products for the shop.

The range of embroidery backings and stabilisers is now complete.
We can now offer: Tear away (two types), Iron on, Sticky and Skin soft backings. We also have heavy, medium and lightweight water soluble film type backing as well as heat removable fabric and water soluble fabric as well. CLICK HERE to take a look

There is also a removable stabiliser trial pack now available for you to buy for £1.50 - this contains full instructions and small pieces of our removable stabiliser range just large enough for a standard 10cm x 10cm hoop. CLICK HERE for details.

By the way I have more stock arriving this week so I will update you all then.

Tyvek fabric available!

2010-03-06T09:36:00.000Z

We now have Tyvek fabric available in the online store. It has the same properties when heated as our Tyvek paper sheets but is softer, more flexible and has a slight surface texture, making it ideal for stitching into either before or after distorting! Take a look at http://www.julytextilesandcrafts.co.uk/

Knit a square and do something great this Christmas!

2009-10-27T09:59:00.000Z

As the festive season approaches and money is tight we are going to have a traditional Christmas this year.

I have been looking for something to get the kids to do that would give them a real sense of Christmas. I was sent an email via a group I belong to on ebay and thought it fitted the bill perfectly.

Knit a suare is an organisation who asks you to knit an 8" square and send it to them, they then make up blankets for AIDS orphans in Africa. Please click on their logo below and join in. We could all make a difference with just one square each!

My First Kit Launched Today!

2009-10-08T23:16:00.000+01:00

Needle Felted Poppy Panel kit launched today
Create a beautiful needle felted poppy and learn the basics of this addictive and relaxing craft.
CLICK HERE FOR DETAILS.

The Instructions are available as a free PDF in 'our have a go yourself' section of the website if you already have left over fleece laying about. CLICK HERE To go to the PDF

R.I.P Iggy

2009-09-28T21:09:00.000+01:00

It is with great sadness that I have to announce the passing of a much loved family pet, Iggy. Who was sadly put to sleep on Saturday morning.

Iggy had been with us for about 9 years, having been rescued by the Cat's Protection League. He was an individual, quite possibly the daftest cat I have ever met and a survivor. When he came to us he had lost the sight in one eye, had a chunk missing from his tongue and one eyelid and we were later to discover that he had previously had his jaw wired back together after an accident.

Despite all this he was well mannered and so friendly, never passing up the chance of a cuddle or fuss. Goodbye Iggy we will miss you.

New stock now in the shop!

2009-09-18T12:46:00.000+01:00

I've spent the last few days listing the new goodies onto the shop. The Brusho products are all done as are the new Kid's craft ideas. I've also had a play with the layout to give the shop a more modern look - I hope you all like it! Anyway I won't be adding anymore over the weekend as I am playing Steam Engine again. Time to get dirty!

Exciting News!

2009-09-03T17:36:00.000+01:00

The online store is going really well now and I have just ordered some great new lines for textile artists! These include: Brusho, Lutrador, Devore and Discharge paste and Discharge catalyst. This is really exciting for me personally as I love these products.

Brusho is so great for designing and paper crafts. For those of you who are not familiar with it Brusho is a powdered ink. It can be mixed with water to be used as a watercolour paint, sprinkled onto wet paper and allowed to spread and used with salt or wax to create great effects.

Lutrador is a non woven fabric with a slight sheen it can be dyed or coloured with practically anything and does not fray- it is THE fabric for textile artists at the moment.

Devore paste is used to make your own devore fabric. It is painted on to velvet and when dry, ironed to remove the pile, leaving only the backing fabric in place. Wonderful for scarves!

Discharge paste is mixed with the catalyst to remove colour from certain dark fabrics. the 'bleached' area can then be re-coloured as you wish.

Well off it goes - again.

2009-08-05T18:18:00.000+01:00

The Peacock Evening Jacket should have been safely delivered to the organisers of the Festival of quilts show to be held at the N.E.C later this month. The show is organised by Twisted Thread who also put on the Knitting and Stitching Shows at Harrogate, Alexandra Palace and Dublin. If you're able to get to Birmingham between the 20th - 23rd of August it is well worth a visit. For more details CLICK HERE!

So cute - take a look!

2009-07-24T22:18:00.000+01:00

The haberdashery supplier I use has some new card making kits in stock. I couldn't resist these they are so cute! I am busy listing them on the shop site at the moment. They are priced at £2.49 per pack and each contains: 1 x topper sheet, 2 x co-ordinated papers, 1 x C5 & 1x C6 blank cards and envelopes. I think they are good value for money and very individual. Why not take a look at www.julytextilesandcrafts.co.uk?

Busy weekend!

2009-07-06T13:13:00.000+01:00

Well no sewing or creative things happening this weekend.... I spent the entire weekend cleaning 'Edna' The family's pride and joy. She has not been out for three years now and has been hibernating all this time in Dad's engine shed. She emerged early on Saturday looking decidedly dusty and a bit unloved.

Two days later she was positively gleaming. It is her 100th 'birthday' this year (It is also Dad's 60th) so we are having a huge party for both of them this weekend. 'Edna' has to undergo her steam test on Thursday along with our other engines before we can take them out, so whilst we were cleaning we steamed her up and checked everything was ok. All went well so we hope it will all be fine for the test.

Tweet Me!

2009-07-03T21:51:00.000+01:00

I am now on Twitter! I love the idea of this - short 'tweets' just to let everyone know what I am doing now. What fun! I must get a decent photo taken of myself though (I don't have any that I would want anyone to see) so if you want to take a look or if you would like to 'tweet' me and let me know what you are doing right or if you would like to ask me a question or see if I can help with a craft related problem goahead it would be great to hear from you. My twitter URL is: http://twitter.com/julytextiles

I don't believe it!

2009-06-19T10:08:00.000+01:00

Just thought I'd pass on the great news. I received a call last night from Grosvenor Exhibitions who run the National Quilt Championships informing me that I had won the wearable art section - For the second year running! So I'm off to Sandown on Sunday to collect the cup and have a look at all the other exhibits, there is always so much to look at and so much shopping to do there that I will have to leave early! See you there!

I got there in the end Mum! (Unveiling, my entry to the National Quilt Championships 2009)

2009-06-17T22:05:00.000+01:00

The last few months have been something of an uphill battle. What with various family health issues, teenage angst and mad dogs; not to mention an upsurge in sales via the website, I have had very little time to be creative. This was very unfortunate as all this coincided with the National Quilt Championships 2009 looming large.

The design for my entry has been in the planning for sometime but, (as my mother will tell you all too readily) I always seem to leave everything to the last minute. I usually disagree with her but this time I must admit to it. My house now looks like a bomb has hit it, the garden is completely overgrown and the kids are moaning that I haven't done the washing, but I have completed my 'Peacock evening jacket' in time. It has now been safely delivered to Sandown and I hope it goes down well and everyone enjoys it.

The jacket is based on the wonderful displays put on by the male Peacocks at Hollycombe Steam Collection where I am a volunteer. It depicts not only the display but also the very sad eventual loss of the tail feathers once the mating season is over.

The technical bit....... The free machine embroidery is worked in metallic and rayon threads on a sheer ground with Angelina and painted Bondaweb additions.

New Online Shop!

2009-02-03T12:54:00.000Z

My new online store is now up and running at www.julytextilesandcrafts.co.uk

I haven't managed to get a lot added to the inventory as yet but I am going to set aside some time every evening to add to it, I have also started to invest in more products so the range will be growing all the time!

The website has now been completely over hauled with a clearer typeface and updated links. The new Exhibition List for 2009 is now up on the site, and I have added a bookstore affiliated with Amazon which will hopefully interest everyone. I have also nearly completed the first of the projects for the 'Have a go yourself page' on the website which I will be posting by the end of the week.

Take a look at the Website: CLICK HERE

Happy New Year!!!

2009-01-05T18:50:00.000Z

Well that's over for another year!

Everything is at last returning to normal in the Hooker / Williams household and I have already been hard at work on the program of courses for 2009. I have also been toying with advertising on 'Etsy'. For those of you who don't know, Etsy.com is a site where you can buy great quality handmade items direct from the artist. I haven't got round to listing anything yet but why not take a look, just click the link below!

2008-12-25T10:13:00.000Z

Merry Christmas!!!!!

Merry Christmas and a happy New Year to everybody!

Phew!

2008-11-14T23:56:00.001Z

Well my final session at college was on Wednesday evening, so all I have to do is wait. Hopefully my certificate will arrive in the next few weeks. Then I will have to seriously start looking for halls to hold the day classes that I am planning to start in the New Year.

Ebay has been horrendously busy over the last couple of weeks with orders coming in thick and fast....Credit Crunch??????

I think it is the run up to Christmas and perhaps people are starting to think about making gifts this year. I seem to have sold an even number of ready made gifts and Craft materials. I hope so, it would be nice to see a return to a more traditional Christmas rather than the over spending on gifts that we have all been doing in the last few years.

Actually, I'm interested to see if this is the case. Why not vote in the poll?

Well, what a busy few weeks!

2008-10-31T12:47:00.000Z

Since I last posted I have done my first ever 'microteach' session, received my Decree Absolute (at last!) and welcomed a new addition to the household in the form of Poppy a very 'springy' Springer Spaniel pup!

The Microteach.................

The 'microteach' was part of my Preparing to Teach in the Lifelong Learning Sector course. It took the form of a 30 minute 'lesson' for the 11 other students in the class (most of whom have no interest or experience in textiles). So the challenge was on to find something that was quick enough to fit into a tight time frame, easy enough to teach to beginners and interesting to even the most reluctant of students!

In the end I chose 'Experiments with a Tyvek Envelope' as a subject hoping that this would work. Sample packs were made with pre-coloured samples, equipment was amassed and a PowerPoint presentation was prepared (My first attempt). I then prayed that all would go well, that the other students would be interested, and that I could squeeze the subject in to 30 minutes!

Thankfully, all went to plan. The scientists amongst the group were amazed, the artistic ones were in there element and all had a great time. The only problem was getting them all to stop experimenting at the end - I think they all would have carried on all night!

On to Poppy.....................

Poppy is now 17 weeks old and is a gorgeous liver and white Springer pup. So far she has stolen numerous items of clothing (mainly dirty socks from the Kid's rooms), Dug a huge hole in the lawn and almost demolished the fence. Something tells me that she is going to be a handful!

Yellow Backgrounds, Comic Sans and NO GREEN!!!

2008-09-25T23:19:00.000+01:00

Well, I never thought going back to learning would be so interesting or such hard work!

This week we covered some of the things that can act as a barrier to learning to some students. These ranged between external pressures such as caring for elderly relatives or children, and learning difficulties.

The information about learning difficulties was particularly useful. The tutor taught us some strategies that may help people with Dyslexia to learn more easily. Some of which were quite surprising such as avoiding green writing and backgrounds, using comic sans or ariel fonts and using a yellow paper for handouts (this takes the glare away so it is easier to read).

It was a very long evening but well worth it. I'm now really looking forward to next week - just as long as I've managed to do my homework!!!!!!!

Back To School!

2008-09-11T21:56:00.000+01:00

Well, the kids are back at school (thank goodness!), the house has just about recovered and I have bitten the bullet and will be going back to school myself.

I have been accepted on to a teaching course at Alton college which I start on the 17th of September.

Hopefully, I will soon be in a position to offer textile day classes which i am really looking forward to. Wish me luck!

Fame at last!

2008-08-08T16:56:00.000+01:00

I returned home today to a lovely letter from Grosvenor Exhibitions with a free copy of issue 55 of Fabrications magazine. It's not very often that I get nice post like this, usually all I get are bills! My Tropical gloves are featured in the Quilt Gallery - The National Quilt Championships, Sandown 2008 section (I'm on page 9 if anyone is interested).

I wish I had gone to the hairdressers now!

Seriously, The article is well worth a look as it is a concise run down of the show if you missed it and a great reminder if you were there. Some of my personal favorites from the show are featured, Particularly Silent Echoes by Lee Brown who was deservedly awarded overall champion, 1st in the Large Wall hanging category, award for Hand Dyeing and a Judge's Choice Certificate.

Another of my favorite quilts was Perttu By Ferret which is just breath taking and very clever. It depicts Perttu Kivilaskso of the Finnish band Apocalyptical with his cello.

Gloves are packed and ready to go!

2008-07-25T22:17:00.000+01:00

Well, the tropical gloves have now been sent to Twisted Thread ready for the Festival of Quilts which takes place at the NEC in Birmingham between the 14th and 17th of August 2008. This is the second major exhibition that I have entered since I left college last year.

I have only ever been to the NEC for large trade shows so it will be great to visit the Festival, which I will be doing on the 17th it looks like it's going to be a great show!

Wow!

2008-06-26T22:04:00.000+01:00

Tropical Gloves - National Quilt Championships 2008 - Wearable Art 1st Place

These little beauties did me proud at the National Quilt championships last weekend. I had dithered for a while about entering them. But after being nagged by friends and family alike, I finally caved in and entered the gloves in the wearable art section of the National Quilt Championships 2008.

It was the first time I had entered the championships and so I didn't think for one moment that I would win anything so imagine my shock when I received the call to say that I had been awarded first place!

They are entered in the Festival of Quilts at the NEC in August so we will see how they go down there.