Once upon a time I saw a picture of a colourful leather bag with a toggle fastening in a magazine and I took down the details because it looked interesting. That led to a catalogue being sent to me with leather kits to make a bag or a pair of shoes or boots , or other leather items.
Now soft comfy navy leather shoes are not always so easy to find, so I sent for a shoe kit as an advance birthday present- remember last year I got to go on the silver chain maille bracelet course? Well I thought I'd start a tradition: a creative project each birthday where I learn a new skill.
Here's the first shoe I made with the SIMPLE WAY shoe kit: it took just under 4 hours of stitching in a York Ibis hotel room as I happened to be there on Tuesday night. ( 7 pm to 11 pm)
I'm pretty thrilled with the stitching but alas it wasn't comfortable on my odd shaped feet so I had to take it back today. I had bought a ticket to the embroidery and fashion and sewing show at the NEC in Birmingham as I wanted to see the bags for myself and see all the colours of leather etc, as I really fancy at least 3 if not 4-5 of the bags also. So this kit led me to take a day off to visit the show.
Before this it was a sunny day on Miss Y's birthday and I saw the first green leaves on this tree at Cuttlebrook. It was also the first day for walking without a coat and for driving with the top down into Aylesbury to take Miss E to physiotherapy .
Miss Y chose a WW pork lasagna recipe for her birthday meal and I had to learn to do it, luckily it went well and it got 9.5 out of 10 as an average vote...
Proper birthday coverage for Miss E and Y to follow with piccies of cakes etc etc.Now for the SHOW!
I was impressed by the postcard exhibition, all from hobby sewers, rather fun.
Costumes from Downton Abbey:
Mnay textile artists were featured, more than I had been expecting in fact. I usually go to the Ally Paly Knitting and Stitching show instead of this one...
There was a fashion show at 13:00 hrs of which this is a peep.
Big skirts from the 50's, circle cut or gathered over big nett petticoats were featured as back ''in''.
And there was a competition for school pupils age 14-17 : 14 models on different themes, some Audrey Hepburn, some 60's icons...
Although there was some knitting going on, there was very little yarn and no crochet nor any book stands but I DID spy a lady making THIS: in rooster almerino from laughing hens we think...
Lovely colours, no? All SEWN together. I was making a new scarf on the train- I had an hour wait in Banbury- which I will show soon..
This was a booth on ''connections'' and I loved these ZIPPER people...
Some amaaaazing machine- but automated- embroidery....
And truly beautiful sewing: There's a course on CHANEL jackets like this one that I'd like to go on! Includes braid making and jewel neck fitted jackets..
Then I found an artist from Oxfordshire with the most lovely pieces including THIS one, which I was hoping to BUY for our redecorated, re incarnated living room but JJ is a bit lukewarm about it?
I watched many demo's : including bust dart changing, fimo cane and flower bead making, monoprinting with thickened manutex textile dye in a squeezee bottle, needle felting, soklusheet puckering, etc etc But I really LOVED THIS ONE: Making RESIN jewellery pieces...!!!
Maybe THIS is the workshop I should claim for my birthday as there's one just 2 days after my real b'day..?
And then all too soon- especially as I arrived at 12 noon due to trains etc- it was 17:30 and the show closed..BYE BYE!
I was impressed by the postcard exhibition, all from hobby sewers, rather fun.
Costumes from Downton Abbey:
Mnay textile artists were featured, more than I had been expecting in fact. I usually go to the Ally Paly Knitting and Stitching show instead of this one...
There was a fashion show at 13:00 hrs of which this is a peep.
Big skirts from the 50's, circle cut or gathered over big nett petticoats were featured as back ''in''.
And there was a competition for school pupils age 14-17 : 14 models on different themes, some Audrey Hepburn, some 60's icons...
Although there was some knitting going on, there was very little yarn and no crochet nor any book stands but I DID spy a lady making THIS: in rooster almerino from laughing hens we think...
Lovely colours, no? All SEWN together. I was making a new scarf on the train- I had an hour wait in Banbury- which I will show soon..
This was a booth on ''connections'' and I loved these ZIPPER people...
Some amaaaazing machine- but automated- embroidery....
And truly beautiful sewing: There's a course on CHANEL jackets like this one that I'd like to go on! Includes braid making and jewel neck fitted jackets..
Then I found an artist from Oxfordshire with the most lovely pieces including THIS one, which I was hoping to BUY for our redecorated, re incarnated living room but JJ is a bit lukewarm about it?
I watched many demo's : including bust dart changing, fimo cane and flower bead making, monoprinting with thickened manutex textile dye in a squeezee bottle, needle felting, soklusheet puckering, etc etc But I really LOVED THIS ONE: Making RESIN jewellery pieces...!!!
Maybe THIS is the workshop I should claim for my birthday as there's one just 2 days after my real b'day..?
And then all too soon- especially as I arrived at 12 noon due to trains etc- it was 17:30 and the show closed..BYE BYE! 
