Pyjamas and Surprises!

This week so far we have had two great workshops.

Sunday saw the second beginners dressmaking workshop with Faron and Diane going home with fantastic pyjama bottoms and the confidence and skills to further their dressmaking ambitions.

Tuesday night was the Surprise Make, the students have no idea what they'll be making until they turn up! We made some pretty scrap fabric flowers and decorated some jars to display them in - this was to show them that you can make something out of what you have left in the house - crafting doesn't have to be expensive! We had a very enjoyable evening and they made some beautiful flowers!

For information on more craft workshops see www.bettymakes.co.uk! Hope to see you at a workshop soon!

Sew Pyjama Pants!

Today I had two lovely ladies to learn how to make a pair of pyjama bottoms and gain some experience with basic dressmaking skills.

I have decided it's best to only have two people on the dressmaking workshops as I can be really attentive and give the students as much information as possible with all the little questions that pop up along the way.

Both ladies today were complete beginners with making something from a pattern and one of them was a little nervous with using a sewing machine. Being able to help them a lot has been really useful for them and now I hope they will have the confidence to make something else from a pattern!

I loved the fabric they chose and it's actually made me want to make myself another pair!

Here they are in action!

I'm really looking forward to the next one which is already fully booked so I shall be adding another date soon!

Layered Lino Printing

Today did not get off to a good start at all! I had made some delicious soup yesterday which I tried to transport to Betty Makes HQ this morning and it all ended in disaster as my slow cooker tipped over in the back of my car sending the contents all over the back seats!! Why I did not secure it or put it in the footwell I'll never begin to fathom!!

So I had to dash into Tesco to get some lunch but upon arriving at BMHQ a jar of pickled onions leapt out from the boot and landed on my toe! OUCH! I now have a purple toe and it's very painful!

But the show must go on as they say and all I could do was laugh at my eventful morning and look forward to greeting the ladies coming to the workshop this morning. 

Today I wanted to show the ladies an overprint and to make a design using one or more stamps layered on top of each other. This was my example I made on Friday:

So the lovely Emma, Michaela and Collette set to with their designs - and dare I mention that Christmas was involved! Michaela wanted to see what she could create with her beautiful fox design she already uses on cards that she sells on Etsy, Collette was thinking Christmas and has an obsession with deers and Emma, who also had an eventful morning involving a runaway Boxer, had teapots and teacups in mind!

They all had wonderful ideas and the final prints were absolutely beautiful - 

Michaela sells these beautiful cards and other wares over in her Etsy store!

What would you design with a lino print?

I am away on holiday now with a relaxing holiday in Cornwall! The next workshop after that will be Learn To Sew where you can get to grips with a sewing machine and make a tote bag! 

Thank you for reading! Hope to see you at a workshop soon!  

Jean-Mary Xx

Lino Printing and some really gorgeous tea-towels!

Last night saw the first Lino Printing on Fabric workshop!

I had been really looking forward to this workshop as people bring their own unique ideas and come up with different ways to be creative here and I was excited to see what they would design!

And they certainly didn't disappoint - I loved every one of their designs and once they got into it their imaginations were ticking over and we ended up with multi-coloured and multi-layered designs. Some commented after that they were now thinking of more designs and couldn't wait to make some more!

It was also lovely to meet some more Twitter people - @knitnrun4sanity, @notsogranny and @sparklyboa!

In future I will be making up kits to sell if people want to carry on at home.

So here is the evening in pictures -

All set to go!

Tea and coffee at the ready!

Completely absorbed by the cutting out process.

More industriousness!

@knitnrun4sanity

@sparklyboa

@notsogranny

And of course my stamp design!! 

Beautiful!

I am now very much looking forward to the next Lino Printing workshop where we will be layer stamping on a set of cards! Sunday 14th July - click here to book!

Jean-Mary