Wedding Venue Embroidered Portrait

So it's been on the cards for a while.  Been in my mind sketching and scribbling how and when I was going to do it.  Finalising the details right until the last moment.

About a year ago I created a picture for my home of The Eiffel Tower, which held special memories.  

And I knew straight away that I wanted to create more.  I was busy with commissions at the time, so I had no time to develop my idea. 

So this year I scheduled some time to put pen to paper.

I announced on my Facebook Page that I was looking for a Tester - someone who was attending a Wedding and could capture the beautiful Venue in a photo.

The very lovely E.P. got in touch and once she had sent her photo I began to create. 

Completely stitched using a Free Machine Embroidery technique, I recreated the venue 'Hoath House' the best I could, capturing it's beauty and detail.

Adding the finishing touches, by Personalising the piece and then stretching onto a padded box canvas.

I hope you love it as much as I enjoyed creating it stitch by stitch.

To purchase your very own Wedding Keepsake, they are available here 

www.michellecorbindesign.co.uk

Speak to you soon

Michelle xx

My Crafty Business

This month (September) is the beginning of a new Season.  It's nearly Autumn, which comes, not only with new colours and a crispness in the air, but it is also the run up to the Season we call

CHRISTMAS!!

Oh yes, it is here, and for this Season, I have decided, that I need a bit of a fresh start.  I will be designing and creating some new Christmas Makes, recreating some of last years, but also I have set myself a Goal!  Oh yes, it's time for me not just to be the 'Sewing Lady' as I know many call me, but I now need to put on those 'Big Girl Pants' !

This is after all a business and well, I sometimes to be honest forget that, because I love to create so much.  Creating special Keepsakes for you and your loved ones to treasure, makes my work so special.  

I will also be continuing to work through my Waiting List, creating your Keepsake Bunnies, Quilts and Cushions, for you to treasure your memories, as always, but I need to get a little more 'smart' with my numbers - booo!

Anyone who knows me, knows I have a phobia against numbers and maths, but as a 'grown up' and a 'small business' I need to use them - booo again!!

Sooooo...... I signed up to do a little challenge.  

It's a 100 Day Challenge, and for it, I had to set a goal - and Achieve it!!

So I popped on my 'Big Girl Pants' and reviewed my previous years in business.

These were my findings:

•  I really enjoy, designing, sewing and creating
•  I really love my customers and appreciate their custom
•  I really love my family and appreciate the opportunity to work around my childrens needs

But..

• I haven't taken a proper wage for a few years and we can't afford for me to do this anymore
• My Commission Work, does not earn me enough to take a wage
• I have not reviewed my numbers regularly enough to be 'Business Wise'
• I forget all too easily that this is a business and not a hobby.  I may enjoy it, but I also need to feed my children and contribute to our household bills
• I can't continue, just putting all money earned straight back into the business for stock etc, I need to live and provide for my family - Properly!!!!!

Conclusion:  I NEED to feed my children, pay for their hobbies, and pay our household bills.  Unfortunately, money does not grow on trees, and I needed to set out a plan.

Who knows what I will achieve, and whether I will get there, but if I don't get smarter, I will have to rethink my whole business, so I have to achieve it.  I really hope you will continue to support me, as I really appreciate each and everyone of you

Achievements so far: Website, is now up and running and has lots of new Goodies listed.  Ranges include Christmas, Weddings and New Arrivals, with more to come soon too.

www.michellecorbindesign.co.uk

Etsy, is now link to this Blog, has some new additions, and is regularly being updated

www.etsy.com/michellecorbindesign

I also, have some new ideas and products in the planning stage, and with the help of 2 very good friends, I think they will be worth waiting for.

I'll keep you posted on my achievements.

Much Love

Michelle 

xxx

Keepsake Bunnies

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Creating Keepsake Bunnies, is something I enjoy doing very much.  I love the whole process from start to finish.

Sisterly Love
Both hold special memories

 Being ask to create something from some outfits and blankets, that hold special memories in the owners heart, is always an honour, and to be trusted with these special garments was just that.

A Flower Girl Dress worn by big sister to mums wedding
A dress big sister bought for little sister
Little sisters Baby Blanket

See how these Little Bunny Keepakes Began

The Process:

A sketch and a plan for layout and design

Next comes the details.  Carefully unpicking the details from the garments, placing and cutting the pattern, then adding the embroidery and appliqué.

Keepsake Bunnies are then born

Nicole's was predominantly made from her beloved Baby Blanket
Details were picked out and appliquéd to the body and ears
A little part of the dress big sister bought her, was used on the ears
Hand embroidered details were added for those finishing touches

True memories wrapped up in a Button Jointed Bunny xx 

Chloe's was created, using her Flower Girl Dress form the '90s
Picking out the details, so it still looked like the dress.
Lace overlay some of the fabric for more interest.
Parts of the dress she bought for her little sister was added for interest, details and of course memories.
A little part of Nicole's blanket was added for the ears, as a special touch.

True memories wrapped up in on Original Keepsake Bunny xx



See how I create another Original Keepsake Bunny here

From every cut and stitch, each one is carefully tailored to suit the client's needs. 

Michelle Corbin Design - Find me on Facebook
Maker of all things to treasure, from Keepsakes to Soft Furnishings

Thank You for reading
Happy Stitching
Michelle xx

*Little Bunny Keepsakes, are 'sit on the shelf' items and are not suitable as toys, due to the fabric and small parts used.  They should not be left with a child under the age of 14.  They are a Collectable, potential Heirloom, which should bring lots of your love and memories to life*

A Coffee Break with My Happy Place

My Happy Place

Was launched in 2013 by Amanda Swynyard.  

Based in the North East of England, she fills her day with... 
ribbons, buttons, hearts, wooden shapes, paint, card, stamps, twine and fabrics - all put together with love, care, attention and much loveliness to make personalised gifts and cards for you!

Amanda is super talented, below is a collection of some handmade goodies I have in my sewing room.  The Forget Me Not, I purchased from Amanda, just one example of her pretty work.

So lets have coffee with Amanda, and find out more about My Happy Place

How did My Happy Place begin?

Actually by accident! I made some personalised jute party bags for my daughters (The Curly) birthday. So many people commented on them and asked where I got them and I had to confess to making them myself. With a gentle push from my best friend and my family I decided to give it a go! It started as a part time hobby/business and very quickly it took over my life . I gave up my Nursery Assistant post last Easter, to Happy Place full time and its grown from strength to strength. I have been a huge follower of other crafters pages on Facebook and have purchased so many beautiful and unique pieces and I'm so proud to be one of those page owners myself now!

Little Bag of Love

Talk us through a typical day in the life of Amanda

I'm of course firstly ‘Mum” so it starts out as most households… trying to get a sleepy child out of bed and ready to go to school, after hitting snooze several times myself! Most mornings I do a class or boot camp at the gym; keeping fit and healthy plays a huge part of my week. My working day generally starts around 10.30 I have a good routine in terms of making my commissions, I paint for the first couple of days of the week and make from Wednesday. But of course being a creative head I do tend to mix the day up a little, designing and discussing new ideas with suppliers, looking for new materials, gathering inspiration and generally being creative. Then the evening madness begins… Mum head gets firmly attached again. I tend to do lots of admin, messaging and paperwork at night once my little family of three are settled for the night

What keeps you inspired every day?

Its funny, but I get inspiration from so many places. The seasons, what I see out of my window, my family, wanting to keep being creative and my happy placers; they give me so much inspirations with the sentiments they want to convey in the products I make. If I ever start to feel like I'm on a treadmill of orders with no breaks to think of new ideas, I try my best to work in a couple of free days to play with brewing ideas.

Where do see your future and My Happy Place heading?

I'm actually really happy where I am right now. I am always busy, its still very much a love and passion and I'm able to give a very personal experience. The nature of my crafting means it will never be able to grow too big as it is just me; this means my production is limited to what I can physically make. But this makes me happy, it means my pieces can remain unique and I can spend time making my buyers pieces as perfect for THEM as I can.

Click Here For

Ready to Purchase Items

Do you have an inspirational word of advice for small businesses starting out?

• Be as unique and true to yourself as you can.
• Promote yourself and page with professionalism
• Remember if your business is based in a social media forum that this is your shop window… show the best of you and your products
• Build a reputation for your business that you are proud of

But most importantly look after yourself, its hard work, long hours and it can feel really lonely when you’re struggling. Make sure you acknowledge when you need a break! Network! Make friends, be part of the crafting community it makes such a huge difference to have other people to chat with who are like minded!

What is your favourite colour?

All variations of blue!

If you had to choose, which would you pick? Fabric/Buttons/Ribbons/Wood/Paint

Oh this is tricky as I use most in my crafting…. But… I do have a huge weakness for ribbon. I go shopping for a particular colour and I come out of the haberdashery with several “must haves” and lots of new ideas attached to them!

Finally, tell us a joke?

When my friends told me I was delusional…. I just about fell off my unicorn!

Heheheheee!!

 Thank you so much Amanda, that was fun, inspirational, and I loved the joke!!

To find out more about the beautiful work Amanda does, follow her on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram

Michelle Corbin Design

 And this is me, maker of all things to treasure, from Keepsake items, to Soft Furnishings

Thank you for reading

Happy Stitching

Michelle xx

Creating a Keepsake Bunny

Bespoke Sewing.......................exquisite hand-finished keepsake gifts and home furnishings

Creating a Keepsake Item, takes care and precision to create something to enable you to treasure those special memories.

Here I am going to break down the process a little, to help you get a better understanding of what exactly goes into making such a special item.

Firstly, the outfits, dresses, trousers or baby gro's are sent, and are laid out for inspiration, which is followed by a sketch of the design.

Each item is then carefully unpicked, trimmed and prepared for the next stage.  Legs, arms, head ears body and tail are all carefully cut out, ready for construction.

Once the arms and legs are stitched, they are then stuffed - To stuff one leg, it takes 20mins!!

They are then stitched onto the body, once the head and ears have been attached.  This process, is quite tricky, and can take a while to get everything precise.

The head is then stuffed and the detailed face is embroidered, adding character and life to the Bunny.

Next it's the body's turn to be stuffed and hand stitched to close.  This is then followed by adding the tail and the finishing special touches.

A beautiful Bunny has now been born.  

Altogether, they take anything from 8 - 12 hours to fully complete, depending on the outfit combinations sent and the details and specifications required.

I think you will agree though, that all of the effort is very much worth it.

For this particular Commission, a Keepsake Journal and Tooth Fairy Cushion were also created to match.  Now Grace has a full collection of Keepsakes, that she can treasure for many years to come, and share her memories with her mum and family.

Little Bunny Keepsake

I hope you like her - the perfect Keepsake

See what else I make at mchellecorbindesign.co.uk


Happy Stitching

Michelle x

Lets talk Curtains

So you have just decorated a room in your house, you have got the paint and wall paper all done - you are pleased.  Now it's time to dress the room.  You measure your window and take a colour swatch of paint and a piece of your wallpaper to a well known store and try to match up curtains  You have something in mind, but can't quite find the exact match or size, so in the end you make do with one choice, and take the pre-made, pre-packaged curtains home, and put them up.  You are happy-ish.  But the colour just isn't quite right now you have got them home in your lighting, and they hang in a slight 'triangular shape'.  May be they don't fit so well?  Oh well, they'll do for now!

Does this sound familiar?

Made to Measure Eyelette Curtains

So, lets talk it through.  Shop bought v Made to Measure 

Lets start with shop bought:  

• Made using standard measurements, which suit some windows, but not all.
• A design team, choose fabrics and send off to the manufacturers, mostly overseas
• Lots of machinists are given the fabric and sizes and they run these up on the machines.  Working fast to ensure they meet their target load
• Once they have been checked, they are packaged and sent to the stores for you to buy, at a reasonable price, but chances are they may not fit!!
• You buy what you see

Now to an independent designer/maker:

•  You phone or email the designer/maker and a short consultation is taken, and an appointment arranged, for a home consultation 
• Designer/maker arrives at the appointment with ladders, tape measure, consultation pad and colour swatches.  Also designs of previous work.
• Measurements are taken in detail and photo's of the window 
• He/she discusses in detail, what your requirements are, advises on the best style, fabrics, linings and heading to suit your window.
• Fabrics are held up against your decor to find the most suitable, for your lighting and living needs.
• Details of your order is then taken and on return to the workroom, designs and a quote is put together.  
• Proposed designs and quote are then shown to you and discussed.
• Once you approve, a deposit is made and the fabrics and components are ordered in.

• Designer/maker, then begins to cut fabric and, measure the hems and seams, pinning and pressing as he/she goes, with reference to the accurate measurements, ensuring the curtains, are made to measure.
• Hems are hand stitched to precision, with penny weights added.
• Linings are placed onto the main fabric and pinned.  Then the sides are hand stitched carefully.
• The carefully placed hand stitching and weights, ensure the fabrics hangs beautifully once in position
• Each step is pressed carefully and headings are added to suit the design 
• Once the curtains are made up, a follow up appointment is made to deliver the curtains.
• On delivery, the designer/maker, then hangs the curtains to ensure the correct fit.
• Curtains are then dressed with ties and left for a day or so, which ensures that the curtains hang with beautiful pleats, once the ties are taken away.
• Payment is then made.

Now of course, it's up to you which direction you go.  Which service you prefer, but as a 'throw away society', I say it's time to re-educate.

Shop bought curtains, can quite often just be thrown in the bin, or passed on to charity - where in some cases, they really cannot be sold again, as they have lost shape, and don't hang straight.

Having had some curtains specifically made for you, we are most probably more likely to hang onto them, and when it is time to redecorate, we use the curtains as a starting point.

Decent fabric alone is not always cheap and the workmanship and man hours spent on creating beautifully handmade curtains, really isn't recognised and appreciated enough.  

We often wonder, why handmade curtains hold such a big price tag, well I hope that I have helped you now to understand why.  Designer/makers, are highly trained and qualified in their profession,  and their skill and art form should to be appreciated more so.

On reflection, buying handmade, means buying something personal and unique for you, which should last you for years to come, therefore, resulting in better value for money - long term.

Please visit my Facebook page to see some of my handmade items

Michelle Corbin Design maker of all things to treasure

Thank you for reading

Happy Stitching

Michelle xx