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...

the colour of summer

I just love these lighter summer evenings. I seem to have a lot more motivation and energy to take photos, finish projects, go for a run and having dinner outside surrounded by our pots of herbs and flowers makes me so happy.

I hope everyone is having a lovely week and enjoying the weather. 

I've been gathering together inspiration for some new designs, which are now scattered across my work desk. I just love the lilac flower hair garland and I'm always inspired by the work of Alphonse Mucha. 

Where do you get your inspiration from?

Take care x

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

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.

 

blighty bazaar

Last Sunday I met up with the lovely Natasha, Nicola and Hannah in Leamington Spa, where we spent the day looking around bric a brac shops, chatting, drinking hot chocolates and eating cake.  It's what Sundays were made for and I would happily do this every weekend.
All these photos were taken in 'Blighty Bizaar' the most amazing eclectic vintage shop, full to the brim of all sorts of goodies. I managed to resist buying the wonderful yellow 1960's kitchen cupboard; instead I opted for a green Welsh wool purse, which I love.



Here are a few other vintage bits I bought last week. I'm so happy the gold watch, which only cost £5.00 and is still telling the right time.

flowers everywhere

An extra hour to the day as the clocks have gone back for the winter months. I'm planning to use my extra time to get outside for a run across the park this morning, even if it's grey and windy. I feel like I've been stuck inside at work lately missing all the bright autumn days.

I bought this pretty loose uplifting petal tea the other day, I love the ritual of making it in my vintage rose cups, sometimes it's nice to take time with these things . On my floral theme, a beautiful pink orchid and my homemade liberty lamp brightening up the living room.  My desk is full of vintage flowers and lace as I've been making lots of vintage flower cards for the lovely Rosie B's in Chipping Norton.

What have you got planned for today? 


 

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.

summer sunshine

I was up early this morning with the sun streaming in through the curtains, so I thought I would make a cup of tea and finish off these lavender bags, before heading off to our local farmers market. We came home with pretty looking berries, yellow Patty pan courgettes and delicious cinnamon Danish buns ( which did not make it home)



Another early start tomorrow, as we are off to Newbury Flea Market first thing to snap up all those bargains... I haven't been bric a brac shopping for a while, so I'm really excited as this one is always full of great stuff. I'll let you know what I find.

happy sewing

 

Can you believe the weather is still so hot & sunny! I can't wait to finish work each day, to spend the evenings outside. I love eating dinner in the garden and then going for a long walk over the meadow.

I have been sewing too and I've just finished some more of these sewing cases. I’ve made this one from lovely paisley fabric with a vintage lace trim and a ribbon tie.

Inside the felt pages you will find everything you need for a spot of sewing; colourful  threads, vintage buttons, hooks & eyes, needles & pins, seed beads, safety pins, lace and a few mini floral decorations.

I've added this one to my Etsy Shop ....happy sewing!