Gallery – ideas and inspiration

I have been busy making Christmas presents. This table runner uses fabrics shown in the Silver and Blue sections of the Fabrics- patchwork cottons.

A removable note book cover using some of the new Ribbons.

A display showing baubles made from fabric in different sizes. The Catherine wheels and fir cone eggs are made from ribbons. One tier shows turquoises, one pinks and purples and the third icy blues and silver.

The jacket is made of finely woven wool. The appliqued leaves are made from cotton fabrics and satin stitched on. I have put horse chestnut leaves on the pockets and ash leaves on the fronts.

A large variety of different leaves, some in autumn colours, some in spring and summer hues.

Detail of back. Many of these leaves feature in Fun with Leaves (see Publications)

Detail of the wrong side of the back.

Decorating the Christmas Tree As for so many people, decorating the Christmas tree is a trip down memory lane. First to go on are the lights, then next a series of beautiful shiny gold beads, with a smaller bead between them, interspersed with very large sequin stars that I made a dozen or so years ago. Then there was the Year of Tassel and the Year of the Ribbon Fir Cone. Fir cones made from folded squares of fabric by patchworkers were made popular in the 1970s (?) by a lady in Aberdeen. Later the idea came back from America using ribbon. This is what I use as it is much easier – no need to cut fabric squares and iron them! When beading was at its most popular I created various decorations.

Large bead trim

Adding tassels

Adding fir cones

A beaded dcoration

One year I made baubles featuring sequins. I used paper mâché balls, varnished them (to stop the paint soaking in) and then sprayed them gold. I did this during the summer and left them speared on kebab stitcks to dry in the sunshine. Suddenly hoards of bees arrived, thinking they were flowers! I then moved on to polystyrene, the result of which was my book Decorations to Dazzle, published in 2004.

The Year of the Suffolk Puff or Yo-o. The Japanese company Clover introduced a natty gadget to create perfect Suffolk puff easily and quickly. One ball has been covered with tiny puffs while I have used the jumbo maker to make the one with the tassel.

Sprayed paper ball

Tree

Little yo-yos

Suffolk puff

Jumbo yo-yo

Another phase was ribbon weaving, which I love and still do. Mini stocking shapes and hearts lend themselves to the tree. The Year of the Catherine Wheel. When I discovered this polystyrene disc on my travels I was able to create thes Catherine wheels.

Ribbon heart

mini ribbon stocking

heart & stocking

Catherine wheel

December 2019 – purples, blues, turquoise and pink

2019

Catherine wheel

2019

bauble

2019

These two decorations have been made using the Jumbo yo-yo maker and placing two yo-yos back to back, fastening them together with gold cord over sewn in place with invisible thread. I have added stunning buttons to the centres and added a sumptuous tassel to make even more of a statement. Hang them on the tree, on a door handle or add them to tie-back.

I am making this garland using the Clover Jumbo yo-yo maker and the Extra Large maker (see Accessories – Suffolk Puff Yo-yo makers). I have edged the yo-yos with gold cord and used the button maker (see Buttons) to cover buttons with scraps of fabric. They have then been sewn onto a piece of ribbon.