The Coast...

Here are a few snaps from my recent little holiday to the seaside. I had a very relaxing break and it was perfect to recharge the batteries! My holiday pictures range from beautiful peeling paint, to peckish seagulls...

 ...lots of photos of my new obsession, boats...

 ...and pretty coastal colours and paintwork... x

Something a bit different...

A few weeks ago I was asked by a customer to make a special tea towel for a wedding anniversary, I soon realised the task in hand would require the design to be sewn in a way that was a little different to my usual style of sewing. I was asked to make a tea towel depicting the family's home in the Lake District, on a large scale taking up half of the tea towel... 

I was a bit daunted at first but am really pleased with how it has turned out. My customer was also very happy and I'm now making a second one (a mini series of tea towels!) with some different appliquéd sections and I'm finding it all very exciting!

The Seaside!

This weekend I squeezed in a '24 hour holiday' as I liked to think of it! When I was little I went on a family holiday to Mumbles, so as one of my best friends has recently moved to Swansea, I decided it was time to return to the Welsh coast for a wee break!

To be honest I didn't recognise much of Mumbles, but upon some other friend's recommendations we made sure we had a Joe's ice cream and a delicious lunch on the seafront. (Joe's was delicious by the way!) and we also visited the house where my auntie grew up, which was lovely to see and take snaps of to show her.

All too soon it was time to come home, but I'm now feeling fresh and rejuvenated from the sea air and sunshine and am ready for the week ahead!

This week...

This week I have been working on orders from Home & Gift. Particularly popular items have been chickens tea and egg cosies and anything with wine glasses on, as well as frilly tea cups, ten green bottles tea towels and lots of napkins!

My new stockists include a new shop opening in Germany by a lovely lady called Iris who I met at the show, Dorfstrasse 9 will be opening in October. As well as Furleys in Rutland, Tilly & Rose and Empathy, in Alton where my cosies and other bits and bobs will be featured alongside vintage painted furniture - the perfect setting.

My Christmas range also went down a treat at the show, so have been making lots of Christmassy goodies too! I can't wait to launch them later on in the year! x

 

And the winners are...

Thank you to everyone who entered my competition, these two little cosies are now ready to head off to their new homes. And without further ado the winners are...

Granny Smither (Kate Verrier)

and

Rosa Lily (Pen)

Congratulations!! If you could both get in touch with me at design@charlottemacey.co.uk to let me know your address I'll pop your egg cosies in the post! x

[ GIVEAWAY! ]

It's Giveaway Time!

It feels like a while since my last competition and I just so happen to have a couple of turquoise 'love' egg cosies sitting here in the studio, pretty prizes for TWO winners!

To enter all you have to do is...

1. Follow my blog & leave a comment below so that I know you've entered!

2. 'Like' my facebook page, www.facebook.com/charlottemaceytextiles

3. And tweet a link to my competition on twitter! For example...

It's competition time @charlottemacey textiles, win a pretty pair of turquoise linen egg cosies! http://stitchtales.blogspot.com/ (feel free to cut and paste!)

I will announce the winners on Friday (29th) and last but not least, good luck!

Home & Gift 2011

For the last few days I've been up in Harrogate at the Home & Gift trade fair. From sitting in the studio sewing away happily to the trade fair frenzy was quite a contrast, and it was wonderful! I met hundreds of people, from lovely independent shops to fellow exhibitors. 

So whilst I'm writing invoices and catching up on a week's worth of admin and emails, here are a few pics from the show...

It was also my birthday whilst I was in Harrogate, so my auntie treated me to dinner at Betty's - so wonderfully English and traditional, I am now their number one fan! x

We Make: Pop-Up Shop

This weekend I ventured to London town to help out at the We Make Summer Pop-Up Shop in Hampstead. It began last Saturday and finished yesterday, often staying open til 9pm, making the most of the Hampstead late-night shoppers, of which there were many! The shop was beautifully arranged, with wonderful art work and prints on the walls, and everything from cushions to necklaces dotted around the shop, it was wonderful!

We Make also ran workshops throughout the week, and yesterday's was Zebra Making... hand sewn and stuffed, I only wished I could've joined in, the zebra's were amazing!

Oak Studio in Hampstead...

New Bunting!

With the Christmas range getting underway here in the CMT studio I have turned my hand to my bunting. I have just about used up the last of the spotty charcoal, teal and blue that I have been using for my larger sized bunting since I began making bunting, however now that the spotty has stopped being produced it was time to look at new fabrics and colourways for new bunting. A while ago I introduced 'mini bunting' to my range and due to the success of this cute little version of the larger bunting, have decided to go for mini all the way!

After getting my entire fabric collection out, arranging linens and cottons in piles of colours and patterns that I liked the look of together I now have 3 new mini buntings... a combination of spots, stripes, linens and cottons, and now also a longer length of 1m 50 too!

First up, floral mini bunting...

...spotty blue mini bunting...

... and last but not least, spotty red mini bunting - jolly and festive and is actually a sneak peek at my Christmas range, to be revealed at Home & Gift in mid-July! x

Poppies

Whilst driving back from the post office this week two factors finally came together... the field full of poppies that I have driven past on numerous occasions in the last few weeks, and having my camera in my bag! So I pulled over and started snapping. The field was full of hundreds of poppies and lots of meadow flowers intermingled with them, the sight was spectacular.