Spiral scarf

I have been very busy recently crocheting and made these fabulous spiral crochet scarves in a variety of yarns.

You can purchase them from my website click here they will make a great Christmas present.

Let me know what you think.........

New Studio - new workshops

I've finally moved into my new studio workroom, and I've already delivered 2 workshops. Brand new offices in a great location just above The Zen Shop,
Digbeth Court
2nd Floor
162 - 164 High Street Deritend
Digbeth
Birmingham
B12 0LD

The move was very exhausting and to top things the lifts was not working and I'm on the 2nd floor :(. Luckily I had great help with all the heavy stuff. It stills need a bit of fine tuning and rearranging but I will get there in time.

The workshops that I ran was an all day jewellery making for beginners, where I covered all the basic techniques needed to create beaded jewellery. This includes making the loops on headpins, opening and closing jump rings, crimping, right angle weave (crossover weave). We then put these into real jewellery and made a beaded charm bracelet, a necklace, a bracelet, earrings plus we did a few little takeaway samples and an elasticated bracelet plus more.

The other workshop was the Basic Sewing for beginners - covering how to thread up your sewing machine, how to wind a bobbin, how to sew a straight line. Then after choosing their fabric they learnt a little on how to lay it out and to cut out a little shopping tote bag using dressmakers shears. The techniques used to sew the bag was pressing, sewing french seams and very important how to sew with pins in the fabric. Again a very successful workshop and lovely bags made.

Other workshops for this week includes the following:

• Complete Dressmaking Course
• Crochet for beginners
• Wired rings
• 3 week jewellery making course
• Saturday 11th a Chain Maille workshop

If you would like to attend any of my workshops please visit my website http://www.elliebjewels.com/  If you would like me run a particular workshop just drop me an email ellieb_jewels@hotmail.co.uk

Psychedelic fabric - make up bag

I was doing my normal little bit of fabric shopping when I spotted this alluring psychedelic fabric and thought how nice it would look made up as a bag. As this is something I do so often I now only buy the minimum that I need to do a sample test, then if I like it I go back and buy more.

This is my sample bag - little make up bag or just a small handy bag.

I will be using the fabric for a few other little designs.

Thank you

Ellie

I'm back.......

Hi all, well I can't believe how long it has been since I wrote anything here, time really has flown by. Ive done so much I've been on holiday with the family to Portugal. Such a lovely place and will definitely be going back. I've been looking for a unit/studio to run my workshops from and after a few viewings I've finally found one that I hope will be suitable and should have the keys in a couple of weeks.

I've also written some new workshops and will be running these from September which includes an all day basic jewellery making workshop, a complete bag making course, a 10 week dressmaking course with a presentation on the last day, make your own fascinator workshop, plus more jewellery making workshops. I will have daytime, evening and weekend classes. Details are on my website http://www.elliebjewels.com/

Fingers cross I will be back tomorrow with more updates.

Fascinator number 2

Yes number 2 is finish. This one has been attached to a metal teeth hair comb that has been covered with satin ribbon. The flower, black bow and the leaves have been handmade by myself and stitched onto the comb. Pearls have been hand stitched to the centre of the flower.  Glue has only been used to attach the feathers.

My daughter has already bagged this one for a wedding she is attending this Saturday.

My First Fascinator - Millinery 2010

Wow! at last I have made my first fascinator for the Millinery course I am on. It is made from black and cherise sinamay with feathers on a black "widows veil net" attached to a black sinamay fascinator base.

I handmade the three flowers a calla lily and 2 roses. It has all been hand stitched into place with only the feathers attached with glue.  On this course we have to keep visual evidence of our work and the process that we went through to completing our project. Well I am so glad I did as this final version is very different to how it originally started out. I will go back to my original concept and develop that one. But I never just stop I have already started my 2nd fascinator and some more flowers.

Millinery Course

I've always loved hats and always wanted to make one, not just the flat pattern ones but the ones that you have to block. Well last year I came across a NCFE course being run at South Birmingham College, very local to me, in Millinery. I instantly signed up for it. The 12 week course didn't actually start until March this year (I was so excited).
So far we have covered creating mood boards, colour theory, loads on hats and fashion, even a visit to Bridget Rilley exhibition at Birmingham Art Museum, all of which has been great. On a practical level we have created a variety of fabric flowers in all shapes, sizes, colours and different fabrics and with ribbons.

Yesterday we had a drawing lesson on how to draw a face, then how to draw hats then the combination of both. We also looked at creating images by ripping up newspapers and magazines, this was very interesting.