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...

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!

wild flowers

Pink lace brooch- listed here

 

wild·flow·er also wild flow·er  (wīld′flou′ər)

n.

1. A flowering plant that grows in a natural, uncultivated state.

2. The flower of such a plant.

 

It feels like spring is a long way off today, but in my sewing room I have colourful flowers everywhere. I've been drinking hot chocolate, sat at my computer adding lots of lovely handmade flower brooches to my ' found & sewn' folksy shop.



Vintage lace brooch- listed here

Flower brooch-beaded vintage lace- listed here



I have quite a collection of vintage wild flower books. I love learning the names of wild flowers like Venus's looking glass, Penny royal, Wild candytuft and Cloudberry.  I have already signed up to the Wildflowers count this year where you can take part in the UK's only annual national wild plant survey.



Some handmade lavender bags, pin cushions and brooches on my sewing room shelf.



Flower brooch- black beaded lace - listed here

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.

home sewn style magazine

I'm very excited to tell you that I have a sewing project in this lovely new sewing magazine 'Home Sewn Style' published by Practical Publishing

I was contacted by the editor Vick Guthrie of Crafty Goodness who saw my handmade accessories in my Etsy shop.   
I was asked to create a beaded lace brooch with step by step instructions on how to make it. I really enjoyed designing and making this project especially for 'Home Sewn Style' so I hope you like it too.  

The magazine is packed full of lots of great projects from making an Oxford cushion cover, felted cardigans to a quilted throw which I am planning to make soon.

The magazine is available in W.H.Smith and supermarkets nationwide.

 

winter blooms

I've been sifting through magazine cuttings, sketchbooks, fabrics and accessories for my winter inspiration. These are my chosen pieces which are now pinned up in my sewing room. I've always loved patterns on inky dark backgrounds like an old oil painting with careful brushwork. It's really helpful to have this inspiration board to glance at while I'm coming up with new designs.  I'm currently working on a new collection of vintage lace pins, clutch and envelope purses which will be on sale for Christmas.

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.

 

vintage haberdashery

I was so excited to receive this parcel of crochet and lace motifs that I ordered from The Linen Garden.  I've got a feeling it won't be the last either, as there are so many beautiful things to buy in Vicky's haberdashery shop.
I'm starting work on some new pieces tomorrow using these lovely bits.

I've also been working on a beaded lace brooch, with a step by step guide on how to make it, which will be featured in a new sewing magazine in November. I was really pleased with the finished brooch, so I hope you like it too.

I couldn't resist this piece of floral fabric, I love the autumnal colours. I'm not quite sure what I'm going to make with it yet, maybe a laundry bag or a cushion for this little chair?