Sunday 8 May 2011

A little bit more drawing on fabric..

It was a very good friends 40th birthday last week and I really wanted to get her a lovely, personal and special present - but I didn't have a clue what to get her. I searched high and low in every shop in Whitstable trying to find the perfect gift but I just couldn't find it.
I finally decided that the perfect gift would be a photo album so that she could capture all the best moments from her 40th year and to personalise it I decided to make a fabric cover (with a bit of help and inspiration from Poppy Treffrys' book). Whoo hoo, more drawing on fabric and more drawing with my ever favourite Flixion pens!































It took quite a few failed attempts I finally came up with the design that I thought would be ok and I scribbled it down.  The bird cage image I chose specifically as she used to have several of them hanging from her ceiling above her stairs (which looked gorgeous) - one of them which I remember bringing back as hand luggage from Thailand  for her many years ago! I then copied the design onto some white linen and went mad on the sewing machine with the free motion embroidery foot!
















I ironed on a few bits of fabric with Bondaweb on the back and then more free motion embroidery over those. The coloured panel at the bottom was pinned on to within an inch of its life as being a lazy sort of sewer and being in full embroidery mode, I really couldn't be bothered to swap the sewing machine feet over to sew it on and then have to stick the embroidery foot back on again to finish off - so I decided to pin it on and and keep everything crossed that it worked!


Thankfully it did work and this is where I get to show you the finished article that I was quite pleased with but.........hmm, unfortunatley I can't as I don't have any pictures of it! My hubby had to take the camera to work the next day and I had to wrap it up and take it with me to London on the train for Sarah's party so this one will have to do...


 She still hasn't had the present yet but I am keeping everything crossed that she likes it and that I manage to get a proper finished photo of it eventually!
Right, I'm off to find another bit of fabric to start drawing on ................

6 comments:

Gina said...

It's a beautiful design. I'm sure your friend will be delighted.

Unknown said...

what a gorgeous and thoughtful present!

Anonymous said...

Helen, that is beautiful. I bet she loved it x

Ali said...

Looks wonderful - and what a thoughtful and personal present too.

Susan Wallman said...

Lucky Sarah - that's gorgeous!

Simply H said...

Thanks for your kind comments - good news is she loved it! x