Tuesday 28 May 2013

Try-Out Tuesday



I wonder if you've been around long enough to remember when I started trying out a new recipe each Tuesday and posting it here, because I'd got in a rut with my daily cooking?  Anyway, it didn't last long - first I kept trying out recipes that didn't seem worth sharing, unspectacular as they were, and then I gave up trying-out and slunk back off into my cookery rut...

Anyway, I have a different sort of try-out to share today.  
I signed up for a swap (something I've never done before) with Very Berry Handmade.   It's a textile, artist trading card swap  - I thought it would be fun to try 'something new', which incidentally is also the theme for the cards. 

So I have been trying-out.  

I hadn't realised how small ATCs usually are - I was thinking postcard size, but then read the instructions and found out I should be making something 2.5" by 3.5", roughly playing card size.  

But as I like small, this suited me fine.  

First I seized some tiny Liberty scraps.  I have a sugar bowl full of teeny-tiny bits right next to my sewing machine - can't bear to chuck 'em!  Ali, who is organising the swap has a Folksy shop full of small pieces of Liberty Tana lawn, so it seemed appropriate to start with these.

Eloise for the sky
Claire-Aude for the garden
Betsy for the windows
Wiltshire for the door
One whose name I've forgotten for the roof!
A piece of French vintage mattress cover for the house itself





Machine- and hand-stitching were added, plus a tiny shell button for part of the flowerhead.

Hmmmm...Not sure.

Let's try something else...

This time I printed a little saying about new things onto a scrap of linen, then hand-stitched it on to a bigger piece of old linen, before embellishing with some rainbow embroidery.  I think the amazing double rainbow I had seen a few days before had seeped into my brain...




Hmmmm again.  Began to wonder if I should have joined in with this!  Decided to have a look at the Flickr group to see if I was vaguely on the right lines.  Worried some more...

Had one more go - a celebration of fabric selvedges!




Still at the Hmmmm stage...

I have got to be ready to get one in the post by next Monday, so would be trying-out for the rest of the week, except that I am going away for a few days on Thursday. So I have this evening and little bits of tomorrow to have a dazzling, light-bulb moment and come up with an amazing idea.   Why does inspiration disappear when you most need it?

13 comments:

  1. These are all beautiful - and each one different from the other. My favourite is the first one - the details are fab x Jane

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  2. They look lovely - why not check out our WOYWW tomorrow to see what these crafters have made for their ATC swaps? x Jo

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  3. I think it's lovely, how do you print onto fabric? :) x

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  4. These are so sweet - what a lovely idea.

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  5. These are so cool! I like them all, but the first house is my fav. I often find that I get better ideas as the deadline closes in ... and then I don't have enough time left to get the job done! Good luck in your choice (I'm sure there isn't a wrong choice!). Wendy x

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  6. These are all really lovely! It looks as if you're having as much fun as I am:-)

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  7. They're all fabby the little house is my favourite of all. Sarah x

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  8. Stop hmmmmm-ing! These are lovely, REALLY lovely and will be very gratefully received by the other swappers. I love them all, but the last one just has the edge (se what I did there? Hahaha!!).

    x

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  9. That is so sweet! I have never heard of ATC's before now.

    Hugs from Holland ~
    Heidi

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  10. All totally delightful & different. I love the first & have been peering at the detail - Love the button flower !

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  11. I've heard of these but never really knew what they were...or how small! Yours are great!

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  12. I think you're too hard on yourself Alix as all of these are lovely in their different ways and you should be proud of them all. The first one especially is just gorgeous!!!! I would go for number 1 and be chuffed to bits that I'd made it!
    Gill xx

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