Monday 9 September 2013

All may have been quiet on my blog lately...

...but I certainly haven't been. I've kept to my word and I've been remarkably crafty over the summer - in between house-hunting, various trips in an attempt to source fabric, oh, and two holidays! (both camping in the UK I might add-I'm not THAT well off!)

I'm still using the surplus yarn I have left-over from making Christmas presents for friends and family last December, although I only have enough left for one more snood now.

Variegated olive green/brown unisex snood, 100% acrylic
Photograph originally uploaded by Abby Swanwick
Variegated pink/purple snood, 100% acrylic
Photograph originally uploaded by Abby Swanwick

I'm trying to decide what I might do with the odds and ends I have left over - not enough to do much with, but they're a bit scrummy!

Odds and ends - yarn leftovers
Photograph originally uploaded by Abby Swanwick

I'm contemplating having a go at a patchwork blanket-if there's enough!

What with struggling to source fabric for my latest range of bags, summer has been about using up odds and ends of from my fabric stash, and so I've made a few limited edition handbags / evening bags with some remnants I was given...

Limited edition handbag
Photograph originally uploaded by Abby Swanwick
Limited edition handbag/evening bag
Photograph originally uploaded by Abby Swanwick
Limited edition, one-off handbag / evening bag
Photograph originally uploaded by Abby Swanwick

That's not to mention metres of beautiful fabric, all the way from Dubai, reluctantly donated by a friend having a clear-out, who received it as a present, but never had the time to use it as intended. So as her birthday was coming up, I made a small amount of it into an evening bag as a gift - which she was overjoyed with!

Limited edition, one-off evening bag
Photograph originally uploaded by Abby Swanwick

And that's not the last you'll be seeing of that fabric... so watch this space!

I haven't solely been crafting for Kefluti over the summer either! I've been pushing myself to draw more / keep a sketchbook/visual journal. In an attempt to find a way of working that best suits me when out and about, I pulled apart a sketchbook and had fun splashing colour onto the loose pages using watered down acrylic, keeoing what was then my up-and-coming holiday to St Ives, Cornwall in mind.

Colour-washed sketchbook pages
Photograph originally uploaded by Abby Swanwick

However, when on location, I found my inability to make a quick decision with relation to on which colour-washed page to draw, held me back!

Although I am rather pleased with my sketch of St Michael's Mount...

Sketch of St Michael's Mount on a pre-colour-washed background
Photograph originally uploaded by Abby Swanwick

I think my next approach will be to add colour to my pages on location, using koh-i-nor and basic shapes on which I'll draw with permanent ink. I had thought I might find the opportunity during my holiday in Scotland to test this method, however, since the weather was a mixed bag, I didn't really have the inclination.

However, I did put pen to paper in Edinburgh with relative success I think you'll agree, inspired by  few hours spent at what was quite possibly the best craft market I've even been to, held in St John's churchyard on Princes Street as part of Edinburgh's Fringe Festival.

Sketch of view from Princes Street Gardens, Edinburgh, looking towards the Royal Mile.
Photograph originally uploaded by Abby Swanwick

Besides all of this, I'm pleased to tell you that I've won a second giveaway from Craftseller magazine, (that's two in just over 6 months!) of two tickets to this week's ICHF Events' Creative Stitches and Hobbycrafts shows at Manchester's Event City!

Looking ahead, I've ordered some purse clasps for a bit of an experiment and I'm in for a busy (yet enjoyable) few weeks of making shoulder bags, handbags and snoods for Kefluti's official launch mid-late October - in time for Christmas! (Now that I've finally sourced the fabric I was after).

NEW chenile fabric for latest shoulder bag / handbag collection
Photograph originally uploaded by Abby Swanwick

With that in mind, I'll try to pop in a little more often with updates regarding my progress - so keep checking back. Don't forget, you can also follow my goings-on on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram should you wish.

Thanks for dropping by...

Abby x

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