The owl and the pussycat ........

This is a painting I did some years ago....a rather large painting that I did on fabric....I had it stretched onto a frame and sold it as soon as it was hung in the shop...       

This is the painting in the shop.....

My parents owned the shop which was situated very near the sea front in Eastbourne....I rented it from them and made every thing that I sold myself. I had a work area behind the counter where I painted and prepared my sewing. I did the sewing itself after the shop was closed or when my dad gave me a break.

In the summer I opened the shop seven days a week, starting at 9 am and closing sometimes as late as 10 pm..holiday makers often had a walk out in the evening. The situation was good as we were near the theatres and some good restaurants where people would take a stroll before returning to their hotel..

I worked in the shop until a week before I had Charlie....He was over a week late and an enormous baby, just under 10 lb... I walked about 20 Min's to the shop and back each day...huge and round. I bought a man's t-shirt for the last two weeks of my pregnancy...it was orange and cheap in a sale, the only thing that would fit me....I think I must have looked like an orange with legs. I returned to work in the shop a week after I had him.

Handmade cat and owl cushions....

Everything is a bit slow going at the moment...it is that time of year when businesses are quiet.....it is cold and miserable outside....and we are all looking forward to spring .

Personally I can't stand being cold, as soon as the sun shines I my brain seems to wake up and I feel motivated again.

I am trying to find a suitable on line shop...I only want a little one that is easy to manage...that I can link to my blog. I have been selling on eBay for five years but I find it far to expensive to run....listing....selling ....and paypal fees can at quiet times come to more than I am actually selling. Setting everything up is taking far longer than I thought it would...I am feeling frustrated by the whole thing.

I have designed a couple of cushions that have been going around in my head for a while...I made the patterns and tried them out to make sure they worked....I made the cat cushion from my fleece jacket that was feeling a bit tight after all that Christmas food...I put a zip in the back and made an inner cushion pad....I am very pleased with it, now I just need to find the right fabrics so that I can make some to sell...

 

Owls are very 70s and there are some nice cushion designs for sale on ebay and in shops...I was tempted to but one from eBay but I did not like the face so I have designed my own...The fabric I used is from my own stash...unused original 70s fabric that I thought was ideal as the design was reminiscent of feathers...I machine embroidered the eyes over two delicate flowers that I printed and appliqued them on. He  has a zip in the back and I lined him, placing a layer of wadding between the layers to give the whole thing more body and a better feel. The wings also have wadding inserted..I made an inner pad and feel very pleased with the outcome...He has a home on and old chair by the front door....

The way I work is probably a bit back to front ! I spend a lot of time looking for beautiful, quality fabrics for my work....but I like to buy remnants and ends of rolls so that I can keep my prices down...I don't design something and then but the fabric to make it from....I have the fabric and then think...what can I make from this...

Sometimes I have to wait before I can make up my patterns...for the right material and I like to make each thing unique in some way...I never make identical items.