A Huge Fabric Leap!

Possibly the most exciting parcel ever arrived this week. 

A box full of fabric. A box containing full bolts of fabric. A box full of fabric just for me!

Not only is this the largest amount of fabric I have ever bought but this is also the biggest commitment I have made so far to 'A Crafty Hen'. Usually I purchase one or two meters of fabric, make for example a baby gift set, if the item does well then I will order more of the fabric, and this method works ok most of the time. But sometimes an item can be a 'slow burner'!! It may not fly of the shelves for example, but slowly and surely after say advertising the product it may start to sell well, but this is when I often encounter problems! I go to reorder the fabric and find that it is sold out or the fabric shop has reordered it and then there is a delay, or worse still that it is no longer being printed! However much I like working with lots of different prints in small quantities, it is a lot more time consuming and really is not the most efficient way to work or to sustain a business. It takes time and effort to get traffic to your shop, to an item you have made so it makes sense once the the traffic is there to keep it coming! So I made the decision in the New Year to take more control of my fabric stock and the most sensible way to go about this was to choose a few 'key' fabrics that I can create a collection from and order these fabrics in bulk, making stock taking a whole lot easier!

And so there it was in the box! Five full bolts of organic fabric. 

Grey elephants has long been a favorite of mine which is luckily shared by many of you. The deer never stays around for very long, so I've not had the chance to play around with the fabric, and the multi coloured elephants is also a favorite. The grey spots, well that's a staple fabric! But maybe it is bolt number 5, that excites me the most, as this is organic cotton fleece. I've been searching and searching in the UK for cotton fleece and have not had any success. I use to make baby dribble bibs and the occasional baby blanket and started by backing them with fleece, which is the most common fabric to find a dribble bib backed with. But I was never that keen on the fact that the fleece was polyester. Yes sure it absorbs and wicks away moisture and dries very very quickly, but to me, and this is only my opinion, a baby's delicate skin should have the kindest and most gentlest fabrics placed next to it and for me polyester doesn't cut it. But organic cotton oh yes! And it doesn't disappoint!  It is very very soft and cosy making it not only perfect for dribble bandana style bibs but also for backing blankets. So watch this space, as they say! I am going to continue working with lots of different prints. I can't help myself! But these three key prints, the two elephants and the deer fabric will soon be available in bibs, dribble bibs, burp cloths, storage baskets and blankets and no doubt a few more items will slip in along the way, which I know will please many of you who get in contact with me asking for more of a range for your baby and nursery in these delightful fabrics.

New Storage Baskets

Introducing my new range of storage baskets. I feel very much like I have gone full circle with these baskets as portable toy storage containers were one of the first things I started selling when I opened my first shop online. I'm not really sure why I stopped making them as they were always very popular, but somehow and somewhere down the line baby bibs took over! But now they are back! The collection ranges from baskets to match the most popular of my baby gift sets for use as storage in a baby's nursery or child's bedroom to baskets like the Glitter Gold' one and the 'Black and White Monochrome' that would not only fit into a stylish modern nursery but would also not look out of place on a dressing table, in a hall filled with post and keys to your living one. Made using a selection of cotton and linen fabrics all the baskets have a white lining and a natural linen base. They are available now to buy from my shop.

On my Sewing Table

This week I've been busy working on custom orders. I've had a lot of interest from people asking me to make baby burp cloths to sell separately from the bibs, which I'm very happy to do and are hoping to place some for sale in my shop next week. Though I can't quite decide whether to sell them in pairs, in bundles of threes or as single burp cloths! Decisions decisions! I've also been busy sewing some patchwork bibs for an order. I love making this style of bib as I get to delve into my fabric stash and have great fun playing around with prints and colours. These three lucky bibs are heading of to Hong Kong but more will be popping up in my shop soon!

Colour to Inspire...........

I've found myself pinning a lot of images this last week that are grey and brown. 

Influenced highly one thinks by the grey skies of January, but all the images have a hint of a muted yellow or gold, 

which helps remind me that the sunshine is on its way, I just need to be a bit patient!

Image credit Millie Marotta

Image credit Bonnie Christine - Sweet as Honey - Fly by in Night

Image credit textile designer Bec Duff

Image credit print by Eloise Renouf

Image credit Eleanor Pritchard woven blankets

Plotting!

The New Year is good for plotting.

I think the start of a new year has that affect on you. I'm not talking making resolutions that you struggle to keep, but the making of plans, ideas and dreams. 

I'm feeling the need to organise and de-clutter. I'm feeling the urge to get on top of those little jobs that never get done and finish the ones that are half started. 

And I'm really feeling the need to get making and sewing all the ideas that have been occupying my thoughts for the last few months.

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On my Sewing Table - New Baby Bibs

I have added a few new baby bibs to my shop, they can be found here. I am not sure now why I thought adding new stock at Christmas would be a good idea, especially as the light levels are so low at the moment which makes taking decent photos of items that bit more difficult! I have had an amazing busy few weeks, which I am so grateful for but it does mean that my shop is looking a little bare! I am now unable to replace gift sets as they sell out, so if there is something you like now could be the time to buy it!

On My Sewing Table...............

It's been a busy few weeks and it doesn't look like it's going to let up, well not just yet anyway! I finally finished two custom baby blankets. 
One using my favourite deer fabric mixed with lots of grey and mustard prints. I was so happy with it and could have quite happily kept it! 
And in my excitement and hurry to get it sent out to its new owner completely forgot to photograph it finished along with the other blanket! 
Yes I could kick myself!! It's also been a busy time for baby gift sets, there are a few new ones in my shop and also lots of favourites in stock!

New Organic Baby Bibs

I am busy editing photos of new organic baby bibs that I will be listing in my shops over the weekend. These are some of my favourite images of my bibs. It seems a shame to crop them, but square photos work best on sites like Etsy, so that's my job for tonight!

Hello October...............

And then it was October. 

I really can't believe we are already in the tenth month of the year. The days, weeks, and months are racing by at an alarming rate, though I feel happy to find myself in October. I like watching nature change, getting itself ready for the shorter, colder days ahead. I too like to spend the month, getting ready, preparing for the winter. Gathering in the last of our harvests from our allotment, the chopping and stacking of fire wood, getting out the blankets and warmer bedding for the beds. Even our cooking changes, salads are replaced by soups and there is a return to regular baking. October is a time to celebrate, to admire natures beauty, to remember to look up and see the colour around us, to forage and collect. To sit toasting ourselves in front of a roaring fire after a walk in the woods. I like the layering of clothes, wrapping myself up in my favourite knitted cardigan and the wearing of snoods and mittens. 

With so much to do this month you will be finding us;
Celebrating our babies 4th birthday with bittersweet emotions.
Walking in the woods and collecting leaves and nuts to decorate the house.
Filling the house with the smell of fresh bread as I work my way through baking and eating most of the recipes from this book.
Carving pumpkins with the kids ready for Halloween, my son's favourite time of the year!
Lighting the first fire of the season.
Not minding when it rains on the school run as it means I get to wear an early Christmas present from my parents! 
Listening to the crunching of leaves under our feet.
Meeting up with friends and exploring the grounds of this beautiful place.
Sewing something for my daughter using this gorgeous fabric,
and sewing something for myself using this eagerly awaited fabric collection.
And finally a little family break here, where hopefully the weather will be kind and we can get to spends days enjoying the Autumn sunshine whilst walking on the beach.

October, it is good to see you!

Fabric Post

Fabric post has got to be one of the best types of post to drop through your letter box! And I've been eagerly awaiting this pile of goodies.
The strawberry and clover prints are from Heather Ross's Briar Rose collection, which is just beautiful and the other four prints will mean lots more organic cotton gift set and bibs coming very soon to 'a crafty hen'.

Sneak Peek!

A 'sneaky peek' of some of the new baby bibs and burp cloths that I've been working on over the last couple of days and will be added to my shop, once back open!

I feel very excited about these new additions. Theres an organic bear, Scandinavian seed heads, a Japanese inspired cloud set and even a bit of linen going on! All are fresh, modern and stylish and the colours are very Autumnal. All I need now is some sunshine so I can get them photographed!

On my Sewing Table.............

A customer order has been easing me back into sewing this week. 

I love the baby gift sets that she has chosen. The colours sit so happily together.  

I'm hoping by this time next week I'll have my shops back open as the school and preschool routine returns. It's going to be hard to settle back into the routine though as I enjoy having the kids around and I miss then so much when they go back to school, but I am looking forward to getting my mornings back at my sewing machine. 

I've already been pulling out fabrics that I want to start sewing with.
My head is so full of new ideas. Such a perfect way to keep myself occupied!