Relax & Chill - Happy Friday!
Hello everyone. How has your week been? As our title suggests I have had a lovely relaxed week away with Rhod, staying near Bath in Somerset. I did some relaxing hand sewing. I finished a Sashiko project from a recent workshop that I did with the Swansea Quilters. I am now addicted to Sashiko. I find something soothing about concentrating on keeping the simple running stitches consistent in size and spacing. It’s not as easy as I thought. I love the history behind Sashiko and the fact that the Japanese started this stitching as far back as the 17th century as a practical way to repair and reuse precious fabrics and everyday clothing.
We enjoyed visiting some great towns and villages from Frome to Bath and searching out some quirky independent shops. In Frome I found a great fabric shop - Millie Moon. They had a great choice of unusual fabrics and indie patterns. I must confess I did buy some lovely Sevenberry linen that I hadn’t seen before. In Bath, I visited the Museum of East Asian Art and what a fabulous place that was. I could have stayed there all day. There was a Kimono exhibition and a dragon exhibition as well as art and ceramics that are permanently on display. I also loved the gift shop. I may have purchased some Christmas presents here. We also visited The American Museum and Garden near Bath. We first went with Claire and Simon in 2019 to see a Kaffe Fassett Quilt Exhibition and unfortunately due to really bad weather we couldn’t go round the gardens. This time Rhod and I got to visit the gardens which were works of art in themselves. There was loads to see…the wildlife photography exhibition was a delight, the shop and cafe were great (I had the best pecan pie) and the textile room was amazing. All in all we had a fab week away.
Back to normal next week. I have got some commissions to finish and Claire is busy putting her kits together and making mini rag wreaths. We are also prepping ready for our next workshop on Friday 29th November which is all about making Christmas decorations. Come and join us for a morning of fun and chat. You can book via our website booking page. Have a lovely week x Suzanne
A Stitch In Time - Happy Friday!
Hello everyone. Hope you have had a good week. There was no blog last Friday as we were busy getting ready for the inaugural Woolly Wool Artisan Market. The drive up to the museum was lovely as the scenery is amazing. The National Wool Museum is a fab building with such a lot of history. It was a great way to celebrate National Wool Month and although we don’t make anything using wool we do design and make Welsh Blanket cross stitch kits which we launched at the market. It was lovely seeing them displayed alongside actual Welsh blankets. The stall next to us was demonstrating wool from fleece to finished products. It was fascinating to see her and her husband using the spinning wheel.
We were so pleased with staff and customers responses to the kits. We have six designs all named after Gower beaches. They make lovely gifts for all ages. Claire will be putting them on our website this weekend. She and Simon have been away this week to meet their new grandson and catch up with family. Have you had a good half-term? I can’t believe it is the first of November! I caught up with my friend Caroline and her three children Imogen, Nerys and Alice. We had a great day exploring Mewslade Bay and Fall Bay. It was like summer. The weather co-operated and the sun shone all day. We are so lucky where we live with these beaches only a short drive away. These two beaches take a bit of strenuous walking to get to so they were really quiet. We found a lot of caves and fossils. The limestone rock was fascinating as it looked like dinosaur bones. Caroline made us a little fire and we toasted marshmallows and had bananas with chocolate in them. These were wrapped in foil and put on the edge of the fire for the chocolate to melt. Lots of lovely chocolatey goodness. All in all a lovely day out in the fresh air, making the most of the sunshine.
I hope you all have a lovely week and I will see you next Friday x Suzanne
Exciting News to Share - Happy Friday!
Hello everyone. How has your week been. Claire and I are excited to share some news but be warned, it has the C word in it. Yes Christmas! We will again be part of ‘The Big Local Christmas Market 2024’. You can find this fabulous online market on Facebook and is running from 15th September right up to 24th December. There is an amazing array of gifts from artisan crafts people, makers, artists and bakers. It is run by the lovely Natalie Wright who is passionate about small, local businesses.
We recently took part in The Vintage and Makers Market in The Waterfront Museum. We had a great weekend meeting customers old and new. The market never gets boring as there are so many different stalls. Everywhere you look there is lots of colour. We have been busy making stock including new kimono style jackets for Adelante in Mumbles. Claire is working hard on new kit designs - more to follow. These make great gifts and are fabulous stocking fillers for all ages. We have got some fun Halloween Mini Rag Wreath Kits which you can purchase on our website.
Tomorrow we are back to Swansea Quilters. It is a great way to connect with inspirational ladies who share our passion of fabric and colour. There is always a warm welcome for new members so if you fancy joining, it is held on the third Saturday of the month. Just let us know and we can give you all the details.
Have a great week and I will see you next Friday x Suzanne
Happy Friday!
What beautiful colours for summer on the latest infinity scarf that Claire has made!
Hello everyone. How has your week been? Hasn’t all this sunshine been fab this week? Claire and I made the most of it yesterday. We went to NT Dinefwr Park, Llandeilo. It’s a great place to spend a few hours. There is a house and a castle set in spectacular grounds plus it has a lovely tearoom. I always judge a place by its tearoom and its cake. Rod & I are dog sitting this week. Buster is a Cavishon puppy. He has been so much fun although I had forgotten how busy puppies are. We took him with us to Dinefwr and he had a great time exploring a new place. He especially enjoyed the mill pond. I thought he was going to go for a swim.
I can’t believe the school summer holiday is here. If you are looking for something to make with your children over the holidays, we have some lovely mini rag wreath kits that will help pass the time away on a day spent indoors. Have a look on our website shop. I hope everyone has a great week. Claire and I have got our Swansea Quilters AGM tomorrow and Claire is doing a quilting workshop on Sunday which is all about modern improv quilting. I will put up some photos next Friday. We have also got our next workshop on Friday August 16th which is all about slow stitching. This is so good for your creativity and mindfulness and is suitable for all ages…young and old. If you fancy a go book your place on our website via the workshop page. As with all our workshops all supplies are included. See you next Friday x Suzanne
Slow Stitch is all about the journey not the destination.
Here is a small example of a slow stitch landscape scene but you can make whatever you like.
Happy Friday!
Hello everyone. How’s your week been? Lots going on at Sister Makes HQs.
I have received some lovely feedback regarding my kimono style jackets so I have just finished a new one which I will put on the website along with the others that we showcased in the vintage and makers market. Apologies for the delay in putting them on our website but they will be up by Sunday. I have loved choosing the fabrics and this last one is one of my favourites.
Isn’t this fabric fantastic!
This is a size Large and is £45.00
We are so excited that the workshop for April 11th has gone live. You can book by clicking on www.sistermakes.co.uk/workshops and using the red booking button. Please share this with anyone you know who loves to learn a new craft. Claire has been busy getting the kits ready. The workshop is excellent value at £25.00 per person. All supplies are included and you get to take home a 6 inch mini rag wreath in colours that you have chosen. As a bonus there is a free hot or soft drink included. A workshop is a lovely way to meet other like minded people. In May we will be running a crochet workshop where you will learn how to make granny squares.
Claire has also been making stock for the lovely Adelante in Mumbles. If you haven’t been yet, Adelante is a fabulous fashion and vintage boutique. Naomi supports local makers as well as stocking clothing which is original and quirky.
Hope you have a lovely week x Suzsnne
