Goings on in the studio

Well.. the house and studio. Here's a day

Welcome to beautiful New Brunswick in Winter. This was before the latest snow and we have a massive system on the way for tomorrow night. This will get interesting!

 This is Scouse, she is our lab/collie and quite the character. She loves all my sewing and likes to pose with my makes. Here she is modeling an apron I made last year, I took it out of a box and she insisted she ware it. Isn't she pretty! I finally took it off her 20 mins later. 

Meet Ella! or Elliebellie as she's also called. She's a beagle/jack Russel/who knows what. She's a sweetheart and rather chunky. Not her fault, she eats way less then scouse but has a very odd build. She loves everyone. 

Back to the studio.. I'm making a few quilts for the shop. I wasn't planning in it originally, however I have been asked if I was making some so here it goes! I quilt them myself usually with embroidery thread, hopefully it won't take me forever. I love this line, its called Darlene's Favorites, all 1930s prints. Almost done cutting!  Updates will be posted.

My forgotten knitting. I started this last year thinking it would help get me through some burnout, but no, it didn't lol 

Its based on a sweater pattern from Susan Crawford, I'm using the base and added some fair isle. Its currently in my bedside table. I get a few rows in before bed, its starting to grow :D

I am using Excelana by Susan Crawford, one of my favorite wools... its lovely :D

My Shroom quilt has a new home! 

The spare rooms coming along and is looking really nice. 

This is how I find them in the afternoons. Very comfie!

Back to my quilt now.. keep smiling!

 

How to sew a EPP dresden

Sewing EPP Dresdens

This is my method of sewing English paper pieced Dresdens, you can also sew them in a circle if you wish. 

Papers: 2 inch pointed Dresdens by Sue Daley Designs

This Dresden has 12 blades.

For each blade, you will need a 3 inch x 1.75 inch rectangle. 

Lay the paper down in the center and use a ruler or cut by sight 1/4 inch from the shape

Once you have the fabric trimmed, glue just inside the edge of the paper and fold all the sides over. You do not have do fold the very bottom. 

Lay the blades in a circle.

Start sewing.

Divide the circle into 4 groups of 3 blades. 

Starting with 1 group, sew with the arrows as a guide.

 Start at the top and sew to almost the bottom. bring your needle and thread across the bottom of the middle blade ready to sew the next blade on. 

This is what it looks like from the front.

Add the next blade.

Place on top of the center blade and sew from the bottom to the top. 

You will now have 1 set of 3 sewn. Repeat for the other sets.

Time to sew the circle together. 

Start with the blue like and sew together the two top pieces

Next sew on the bottom right.

Sew the last section in place

Finished Sewing!

Remove papers carefully, I like to use a knitting needle. 

Press with the iron.

Prepare the center circle.

Cut fabric making sure to leave 1/4 inch all the way around.

Glue and fold the edges over.

Press well with an iron and remove the paper. 

Press with the iron again. 

Place the Dresden on where you wish to applique it. 

You can pin it or use some water soluble glue to keep it in place.

Hand stitch in place or use a stitch on your sewing machine. 

Last place the circle in the center to cover up the messy center and sew in place.

Voila!!!  

 

2022.. A new beginning! & mini bio

Welcome 2022, a fresh new year, with new goals, new house, new province and a new lifestyle.. entrepreneurship. I'm putting some life back into my poor neglected blog that will I will be posting about my shop, Victory Stitches & sewing projects, but also about life around here. 

                                                 Our House in Hillsborough New Brunswick

To start here is a little about me. I grew up in Milton Ontario, a small farming town close to Toronto.. until the water supply came in from lake Ontario.. the farming town exploded and it was not the small town I grew up in. I love cities, but would rather visit one then live in one.. (exception is London.. I could live in London!) We raised our daughters there, who both decided they had enough and moved when they became adults.

I have always been crafty. I knit, crochet, sew & embroider. I used to do a lot of beading too. My influences are Cath Kidston & Tilda with anything 1930s -1950s tossed in. I love history (1920-1940s political, wartime, Homefront, military and aviation) Im a huge airplane nerd, we have a voodoo here in the village as a static display and its awesome :D

Me in the bomb bay of a B29 Liberator. I will miss the Warplane museum dearly. 

This is a slab of the Berlin wall outside the Imperial war museum in London taken in 2018. It is my phone background, it spoke to me then, glad it did. 

 Through out the pandemic hubby and I both worked in our offices in essential jobs. He at a car dealership me in what I like to call the underworld.. the world that keeps us fed, delivers our goods, makes all of our products and gets no credit what-so-ever. I worked in industrial automation specializing in sensors that are in more machinery then you can count, machinery that has to be up and running in all sectors of the supply chain across North America. In those sectors we went to work every day like ghosts. I loved it. But like many others throughout the last 2 years, a lot of realization hit hard and you wake up to realized your under appreciated, under paid, and no hope for any promotions  .. its time to make a change. So we did. We packed up and moved to the East coast. Its beautiful here and we are very glad we did it. We can breath again.  

   I started my little shop online in 2018 after finding getting EPP supplies rather hard in Canada. I tried a few brands but Sue Daley papers won out, they last, they are sturdy, I have used some well over 100 times and they keep going. Its also supporting another creative entrepreneur. Sue Daley invented the glue pen, put out many different shapes and really brought the craft forward. From her papers and templates my shop was born. The shop now carries Riley Blake, Liberty of London, Linen, Embroidery Kits, Lori Holts Chunky Thread (cotton yarn), tones of notions & more. There is an old shack outside that we are hoping to turn into a shop, Im really hoping for spring, but we will have to see when the quote comes in. For now Im shipping and doing curbside pickup.  

                                              

                                                              Time to get sewing! 

                                 I wish you all the best for this year.. lets make it a good one :)

                                                                 Cheers! Vall