Don't worry, bee happy!

So lovely people, since the last post the sun has been out, I have made more Elderflower cordial (obviously!) and the prototype handmade gifts I mentioned have made their way to the recipient, my sis Heidi-Jo! Thankfully they were very well received!

I was nervous to be honest- she's known me since I was 8 yrs old (that's a very long time!), when she started going out with my big brother, and she doesn't mince her words. in fact, she's a writer! Anyway, I knew that she had been researching bee-keeping and uses for beeswax for the next novel so I decided to hand stitch a little patchwork bag and a teeny notice board for her.

I have never made the bag before and choosing the right fabric took a little while. The original idea was from a patchwork quilting book I recently bought, but I adapted it to make it more individual and added a little key ring with the bee fabric inside it. Through making the bag I learned about English Paper piecing, how to make my own binding, how to make corners so the bag stands up and how to sew a zip on a curve -  a lot of firsts but I enjoyed every one!

Sewing squared-off corners x

The zip, stitched on the curve x

The fabric I used for both came from a local craft centre (the bold brown), the internet (the bee/honeycomb) and my best friend's Grandmother! (The vintage brown paisley).


























The notice board was a total flash of inspiration! I found some beehive templates on the internet and, again, adapted one to suit my design. I then decided to embroider the outline onto the fabric and wadding to give it a slightly quilted look.

The little yellow buttons and ribbon were from my (gradually ever-increasing) stash of craft bits and bobs and I used the brown fabric again on the back. I also had to learn to sew 'invisibly' to give the board a neater finish.

The back of the notice board x 

The 'invisible' stitching on the notice board x

All in all I had a lovely time making these items and to know they made the recipient happy made it even more worthwhile! The new skills I learned and the positive feedback I've received have been a real boost and spurred me on to work on more of my own creations.

The next post will chronicle more learning and show you what I did next...................................

Big Love, Loli B xxx

Welcome one and all!x

Well, hello and welcome to my first blog post! I'm Loli Belle and I'm just starting out.......

This blog is about my journey from being a nurse into being a crafter; and not just in my spare time. I have been a nurse for 9 years and fibromyalgia has meant I can no longer do the job; for the time being at least.

So, I've turned to my love of craft and all things pretty and vintage inspired and have begun to create bouquet's made with hand-stitched felt flowers, vintage brooches and rings and a few little embellishments. The plan is to sell these bouquet's and the jewellery I make and create a little business.

We all know that the world has gone crazy for all things craft and vintage, but that's really not the reason I want to do this. It will allow me to still make a difference to people, use my creative skills and thoroughly enjoy sourcing materials while learning new techniques and skills!

I have always made jewellery and had a fascination with the 40's and 50's. The clothes, hairstyles and general 'way' appeals to me and I am a fully subscribed member of the 'make do and mend' philosophy. That said, I am also a huge fan of the modern day pinup -  tattoos, bright hair and all. I love the fact that many of these beauties are sporting ink depicting old school pinups while they show their own modern twist on it.

Right, creating and planning to do so I must close my laptop and get to work!

There will be photo's of my work posted soon!

Big Love,

Loli B! xxx