braintree clothing: beaded lace brooch tutorial

I’m very excited to let you know that I will be working with Braintree Clothing and regularly contributing to their Bthoughtful blog.

Braintree Clothing is a natural clothing company born in Sydney, Australia and now based in London. It's an independent fashion label with a simple philosophy to design and make beautiful timeless fashion while caring for our environment.

I will be sharing a range of ‘makes’ and sewing tutorials, from handmade gifts & accessories to items for the home.

So for my first tutorial I thought it would be nice to make one of my beaded lace brooches. Perfect for brightening up a cardigan, jacket or jumper for Spring.

YOU WILL NEED:

• Crochet or Lace motifs (available from most good haberdasheries)
• Beads of different sizes and colours
• Cotton thread
• Felt
• Brooch pin

EQUIPMENT:

• Needle
• Scissors
• Clear fabric glue

HOW TO:

STEP 1 - Once you have chosen your crochet/lace motif start hand sewing your chosen beads on to the lace.

You could also use beads from old necklaces, sequins and buttons. Make it as simple or as elaborate as you like.

I’ve gone for a vintage look, using dusky pink, bronze, grey and white seed beads with a few faux pearls.

STEP 2- Once you have finished all the beading, trace around your motif and cut the felt to the same shape. Now glue the felt to the back of the brooch. (The felt may show through the lace, so choose a colour to match your beads.)

 

STEP 3-  Sew a brooch pin on to the back and finish by gluing a small piece of felt over the brooch pin back for a neat finish and it's ready to wear.

Step 4- Pin your handmade brooch on to your Spring jacket, jumper or cardigan and off you go....

If you'd like to join in with any of my projects or share what you have been making, just upload your image to Instagram including the hashtag #.BThoughtful_Makes

I'd love to see what you have been making...

summer bunting

I've been in my sewing room, making lengths of spotty bunting for a garden party we are having for my grandparents. It's their 70th wedding anniversary and to celebrate we have arranged a vintage tea party for them. 
My mum and I have quite a selection of pretty vintage teacups, plates, teapots and handmade tablecloths which we are planning to use on the day.
If you have visited my artweeks open studio, you will know what I mean..

I love looking through old black and white family photos and I found this tinted photo of them both on their wedding day back in 1944. My Grampy Fred looks very dapper and my Nanny Winnie looks so happy! Such a lovely photo. 

Well, I still have more bunting to make before the party, so I had better get sewing...you can never have too much bunting!

pretty projects

A few pretty projects I've been working on lately, which are all looking very summery and fresh.

Some vintage lace brooches that I'm just starting to stitch beads and pearls on to. I love making these, each one is always different depending on what beads and vintage bits I have at the time. 

A vintage plate full of mother of pearl buttons which are looking lovely on my work desk at the moment.

A new batch of handmade business cards. I need to get some others printed too, but I like the fact that these ones are handmade using snippets of fabrics that I've been working with.

When ever I go to London I always visit Liberty, it's compulsory! I spend ages in the haberdashery department looking through patterns and fabrics. I came home with a pattern for this lovely blouse and some Liberty cotton fabric. I can't wait to get started. I might practice on some old cotton first, just in case it all goes wrong.

Finally one of my favourite things about selling my work online is making pretty packages to send them in. 
Here are a couple of my vintage lace brooches wrapped up in pink tissue paper and tied with silver string. 

I hope your week is going well. What have you been up to lately?

shop update

Did you have a nice Sunday?  I went to a car boot sale with my mum, no bargains unfortunately but we made up for it by having tea and delicious crumpets from the good and proper tea company who had their little van there. 

I wanted to let you know that I've added a few handmade purses to my Folksy Shop shelves. They are all made from beautiful soft silk and vintage broderie anglaise, which I love to work with.

These purses are ideal for keeping safe all those little treasures; jewellery, love letters, cards & loose change.

Well, I hope you like them....x 

 

Pink silk & white broderie anglaise coin purse 

 

 Midnight blue envelope purse 

 

Coin purse in pretty purple silk 

 
Clutch purse in purple silk 

my sewing room

What a beautiful Sunday morning it is! I hope it's sunny where you are too. I can't wait to get outside for a run across the park, all the birds are tweeting away...it definitely feels like spring.

Here's a few photos from my sewing room which is now nice and tidy, I want it to be a practical space but also look lovely too. It would be great to have a complete change but as we are only renting our little cottage, it's difficult to change things too much.

These glass jars are perfect for storing bits of vintage lace and trims. The pinking sheers and china lady belonged to my great Aunt Lily who used to be a seamstress in London.



I love working in this room, it gets all the afternoon sun. From my desk window I can see apple & blossom trees, farm buildings, fields of horses and one donkey. It really is lovely!

handmade gifts

 

Over the last few weeks I have been using every spare moment I have to get stitching and sewing, creating new pieces for my Christmas exhibition at The Old Fire Station in Oxford. It's on until the 23rd December and there are lots of other crafts for sale too.

I've made a lovely new range of one of a kind handmade gifts; from lace beaded brooches, velvet pin cushions, sewing cases, purses, lavender bags and festive bunting. So if you are looking for some present buying inspiration, why not pop in and have a browse. I'll be there this Sunday 8th from 11am -1.30pm. 

If you can't make it, have a look in my Etsy shop.



These needle cases have everything you need for a spot of sewing; pins, colourful cottons, needles and safety pins. All are handmade with linen, floral cotton and vintage lace. 

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I'm planning to make a lot more of this festive bunting to string up around the house over Christmas and New Year. Each one is handmade with vintage music sheets, lace, buttons, bells, gold glitter and silk ribbon. They look so pretty hung up in my sewing room, but now they are packaged up for sale in the exhibition.

day trip

A recent trip to London involved plenty of sparkly trims, vintage lace, silk ribbons, braids, velvet and raffia. I bought my stash from Liberty, VV Rouleaux and The Cloth House, should keep me going for while.