Silk Flowers

Some silk flowers I prepared earlier. ;-)

The purple and teal & red ones are already spoken for (they're MINE) but the green and pink one is still available and will go into my Etsy shop.

Here's the Teal & Red one in detail. All flowers use a mix of organza, tulle, dupioni silk and in some cases taffeta.
The purple one in detail - to go with my Purple Haze cardigan (better pictures coming soon).


And finally the Green & Pink brooch. It also includes some golden and cream organza and cream tulle. This is even prettier in real life, as the colours are softer and you don't get the shimmer on the photographs. :-(


I've changed the back so they can either be worn as brooches or in your hair. The hair barrettes also work great to hold scarves in place, especially with lace scarves.

Spring is in the Air - More Flowers

Over the weekend I spent some time preparing more flower petals with a new template. The new template adds more detail -and makes the finished flowers look even more like rose or even a peony.


In addition to that I've started to add different materials to the original 'pure organza' designs: taffeta (red, brown and dark teal) and lurex tulle, vintage and new ribbons, marabou and guinea fowl feathers. The guinea fowl feathers come all the way from France where they're collected from a neighbour. Check out the little beadhive on Etsy. My feathers arrived within 4 days and they're the prettiest I could find, especially as these feathers have different spot patterns, some are small, some are larger, some almost look like polka dots.


I made 3 hair barrettes and one brooch (the red/pink flower - 2nd from the top). Details for each flower are below.



Cherries and Chocolate Fascinator

Almost a Black Forest gateau! :-)

This is more of a fascinator than a simple hair clip. Perfect for a night out or even instead of a hat at a wedding. The barrette the flower sits on is quite small (6cm) so the fascinator will work even in fairly short hair.

I've used organza in a soft dark chocolate brown and a cherry/burgundy red. The tulle is black and I've also used gorgeous dark brown taffeta that has a silky sheen.


The feathers are the lovely, gorgeous, fluffy and soft guinea fowl feathers from the little beadhive and a burgundy red marabou feather.


I've used some teeny guinea fowl feathers in the centre of the flower together with a shiny black button and black/bronze Miyuki beads.


Dragonfly Blues Hair Barrette

This is so pretty and lovely - the picture doesn't do it justice. The colours are vibrant and shimmery and really look like a dragonfly's wings.

I've used organza in turquoise, taffeta in a gorgeous shimmery teal, tulle in pale mint, mid blue and lurex blue.

In the centre of the flowe is a shiny square mirror button with Miyuki beads in watery green and teal blue.



Lemon Sorbet Ribbon Hair Barrette

This would make the perfect accessory for a bride or a bridesmaid. The colours are light and reminiscent of Spring with their pale yellows, creams and green.


This flower has been made with organza in antique gold, and pale cream. The tulle is cream and a pale mint green.


There's a shimmery flower button in the centre adorned with some creamy pearlescent and watery green Miyuki drop beads.


The ribbons cover the hair barrette underneath the flower. I've used a vintage lace ribbon that I've 'aged' even more with some coffee and a pale green organza ribbon. The ends of the ribbons are weighted down with freshwater pearls and more of the Miyuki beads I've used in the centre.



Raspberry Peony Brooch

I've always had a thing about the combination of red and pink. If mixed right the two work really well together, but the shades have to be exactly right or the whole thing looks garish. It's perpetually difficult to take pictures of anything that's bright red. It seems to reflect light very differently from other colours... My best efforts are below.



I've used red taffeta, organza in wine and pink, tulle in pink, red, and burgundy red. In the centre of the flower is a bright red button embellished with red Magatama beads.


The flower brooch is to go with my new Pseuda Shibori shawl from Laura Irwin's book 'Boutique Knits'. I'd highly recommend it for lovely and interesting patterns.

The hair barrettes/fascinator will all be available from my Etsy shop.

Gift Flowers - Flowers in Your Hair Campaign

More flowers in your hair - this time presents:

Stacie's Pink Sorbet Flower

It was Stacie's 21st birthday on Friday, 13th March and to make her day I sent her one of my flowers to go with her new top. You can see a picture of Stacie wearing both here. Doesn't she look lovely?



Lots of layers of bubblegum pink, raspberry red and fluorescent pink organza, pink tulle, a clear flower button in the centre adorned with fluorescent pink faceted beads.




The flower sits on a small hair barrette that has been covered in a red velvet and a white satin ribbon, which has an edging of teeny cut out flowers.




Caroline's Cornflower Blue Flower:


Organza in shades of black, pale blue, cobalt blue and turquoise are layered with tulle in cornflower blue.


The centre is made up from a button in turquoise blue with lovely frosted Miyuki drops in turquoise blue.


Order your own flower...
... next to come a flower in the colours of a black forest gateaux and one in red and pinks to go with my new shawl (see below) . :-)

News:

I am working on knitting a pseudo shibori shawl a pattern by Laura Irwin in fuchsia Rowan Kidsilk Spray.

Flowers in Your Hair continued....

Thirty nine layers of luscious sparkly organza.... in bright colours. How could that not brighten up your day?


In the centre is a lime green shimmery button with lovely glistening lavender Magatama drop beads.


This one is slightly bigger than the others - 8.5cm (3 1/4").

Organza Hair Bonanza

The sun is shining and there is a hint of Spring in the air - FINALLY!

This week I have been making....

... gorgeous organza flowers for your hair.


Below is a bright pink example:


I've used 18 layers of petals on a small hair barrette that has been covered with shimmery white satin ribbon.



In the centre is a pink button for added quirkiness...


... and some lovely frosted Miyuki drops in raspberry red. Totally gorgeous Spring madness. Soon this will be available for sale in my Etsy shop so you too can take part in the 'Flower in Your Hair' campaign to brighten up a dull day.


The second flower I made for myself.

Eighteen layers of luscious, shimmery organza albeit in turquoise, bottle green and black on a black velvet ribbon, secured to a small hair barrette.

The centre is covered in lovely shiny and glossy teal Miyuki beads. Yum!

There will be lots more of these. I've just ordered more colours of the organza so I can continue the 'Flower in Your Hair' campaign with more delicious creations.

Watch this space.....

Hair Slides

Sorry guys, these are all presents, however, I will make more to go in my shop or you can pre-order yours now.


Dramatic Midnight Hair Barrette

This one is for Alison. She asked me for a hair barrette in midnight colours.

I've used silk rods in black and purples, a vintage blackberry bead, and some Magatamas in purple. Underneath the 'silk rose' is a flower crocheted from cotton and black lurex thread for added sparkle.

Underneath that is a needle felted black and purple leaf and 2 wonderfully soft pewter coloured marabou feathers.

It's quite a large barrette which will allow you to put long hair into a pony tail or chignon. Perfect for a ball. No slippers required. :-)


Purple Flower Slides

These are needle felted in purple and black 100% merino wool and adorned with a very pretty vintage lucite black flower and some purple shimmery Magatama beads. The hair clips are perfect even for very fine hair and they look pretty AND keep your hair looking tidy or out of the way.





Red Flower Slides

These are needle felted in two shade of red 100% merino wool and adorned with a very pretty vintage lucite black flower and some purple shimmery Magatama beads. The hair clips are perfect even for very fine hair and they look pretty AND keep your hair looking tidy or out of the way.


The dramatic Midnight barrette will be available in various colours and two sizes, and cost around £16. The needle felted slides also will be available in various colours and cost £9 per pair (prices do not include P&P).

I have also just bought some different slides - smaller and suitable for little girls and others in a figure of eight shape and black and dark brown. Watch this space.

Crimbo Presents

Caroline reminded me that I'd promised to show all the Christmas presents I made this year, so here we go:

Wrist Warmers

Two of my friends really liked the wrist warmers I'd made for myself, so they asked me to make some for them:



After making these two I was pretty tired of making wrist warmers, but my sister who I'd made a fantastic scarf for decided she wanted some wrist warmers too... so I ended up making another pair. However, this time I changed the pattern quite considerably. I call the set 'Barbie goes Elisabethan', you'll see why!


Barbie goes Elisabethan Set

Here's the wonderful ruffle scarf. Not a design I'd make (or wear) every day, but it looks brilliant when worn. I've used 100% wool, 100% merino, Louisa Harding Kimono Ribbon and Rowan Kidsilk Night for this.

And here are the cute matching wrist warmers with picot edging on the front of the wrist warmers and plain edging on the back.

Funky Punk Wrist Warmers

I ended up making another pair for my friend's daughter. The pattern is based on my Gothic Wrist Warmers but I've added stripes to the mix in a multi colour yarn from Adriafil.


Hats

For the men in the family it was hats this year. They were all based on the brown beanie hat I made a while back. The first one I made was a sort of steel blue:


The other one is in a charcoal grey. It's identical to this one apart from the colour.


Flowers and more Flowers

By this point I needed to make something else... like my Secret Santa present for the Greeting Cards UK mailing list... Each flower in this hair barrette has been needle felted separately. The flowers have been embroidered with raspberry lustre seed beads and sit on a needle felted branch in dark brown and black. The felt is all made from 100% merino wool.


Little Treasure Bag

This one's for a little girl. A little bag knitted in moss stich with a button fastening, more buttons and a sakura blossom for decoration. I've added two sakura blossom hair clips and a little memory wire bangle as a suprise inside the bag.



Deep Red Felted Rose

Needle felted from 2 different reds and black and embroidered with glass seed beads.



Purple Silk Rose

For this one I got my silk rods out and painstakingly separated the layers, sewed them into shape, embellished the centre of the rose with gorgeous Swarovski bicone beads and black matte Magatama beads. The leaves were needle felted from black and purple merino wool and embellished down the centre with tiny purple Miyuki cubes and black glossy seedbeads.



Sterling Heart Earrings

Finally, the last present. The Sterling silver hearts were cut out of silver sheet, filed and sanded, punched with a hole and a pattern, hung from Sterling silver wire and a little round Sterling spacer bead and then oxidised, polished and burnished.
And here they are in their tiny little box looking like they've been laid out on snow...



I am currently working on a scarf that I didn't manage to get ready for Christmas, with a totally new, very practical design. I also still have two more projects and several commissions to make. However, when I was needle felting the leaves for the Purple Silk Rose I managed to make myself some little hair clips too.

Poppy Hair Clips


A lot of the items shown here will be available for custom order in my Etsy shop soon....