My new hat block and steamer.

A few weeks ago I bought my first proper wooden hat block. I got it from ebay and it took ages to arrive! But it was well worth it. Next mission was to find something to steam the buckram with. I hit upon those handheld steam cleaners that look like a coffee jug, but for what I wanted it for they can be pretty expensive. So whilst looking on the Bed, Bath & Beyond website for other things I came across one for $20 and instead of the pointed nozzle it had a wide flat 'beek'. The first 'experiment' has gone really well. The wide nozzle means that more buckram is hit in one go, and it also helps to 'smooth' the fabric down which helps to eradicate scolded fingers. Take alook at the pictures.

Masquerade Pink Silk Eyemask

Pink silk eyemask, with black tatted lace and pink spotted guinea fowl feathers
Available from my etsy shop:
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?ref=vl_other_1&listing_id=16343512
$36 + s&h

Thai Priestess Mint eyemask

Mint silk eyemask with pink tatting lace highlighted with ab rhinestones.
Available from my Etsy shop:
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=16477455
$36 + s&h

Black Widow Grosgrain Rosette Hat

Grosgrain rosette on a sinamay base with rhinestone detail and veil.
Available from my Etsy shop:
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=16478455
$68 + s&h

Tatting to Twitter, one busy week!

Busy busy week! Been setting myself targets (and not meeting them!) all week by drawing up a plan of action for each day.
I have gotten a few items finished and listed on Etsy.
I retaught myself tatting which was tricky to start off, but I soon had the nack of it again. I added several pieces to sosme of the silk eyemasks I have made as way of embellishment.
I've been floating round the forums on Etsy, trying to 'get my name out there'! It's given me a few ideas on places to promote myself, so I've been setting up accounts on different sights.
My latest thing is Twitter, where you just basicaly throw down whatever is happening in the moment. Abit like a blog, but less contrived, more spontanious.
http://twitter.com/liddesigns
I've already been found by two people after 8hrs. I have put the link on my profile page on Etsy and on here, but I want people to find me out themselves, so Im not going to to shouting out about it everywhere.
The green felted hat below is yet to be emeblished, but check out the pictures above of the Black Widow hat and the two tatted eyemasks that have been the majority of this weeks work.

P & S Fabrics is such a great shop!

I found everything I wanted, craftwise, in one store yesterday, so I didnt have to trek all over to find stuff, I got real feltable wool and spent yesterday afternoon crocheting it up, put it in the washer and woke up this morning to find a fab little felted bundle. I was trying for a mini beret, but I dont have anything to keep it flat with at the moment so it folded up and looks like a tennis ball, but I like it like that!
And I got a tatting bobbin, I thought I'd give that a whirl again.
So today is full of crochet, tatting, finishing off some eyemasks.

Feltable Wool - post felting

Feltable wool - pre felting

Paton's classic merino wool, Leaf Green.

Feltable Wool! Yay!

I finaly got some! And it works! Patons Classic Merino Wool. First off is another mini beret in Leaf Green, at the moment its drying/felting abit more in the tumble dryer, but so far it's turned out pretty well.

Where to buy my fabulous items?

Why Etsy.com of course!
Etsy.com is a website specializing in handmade items from sellers across the world. Based in Brooklyn NY, it's an easy to use site which you can actually contact the peeps at head office if you have a really bad problem. As well as fashion designers, it caters as an outlet for artists, both painting and sculpture, photographers, beauty product makers & jewellery designers to name but afew.
My shop address is:

www.LiDDesignsBoutique.etsy.com

It's full of my hats, bags & jewellery and I have just reintroduced my fab line of silk eyemasks which proved popular before.

Prym Needlegrabbers

The product I'm loving today is.....

Prym Needlegrabbers
Item no. 611 100 (found in the top left corner of the packet.)
You get 2 small round rubber disc's about the size of a £2 coin. They have a hatch marked surface and are GREAT!
I was abit hesitant at first, but I was trying to neaten up the edge of the wedding hat with bias, and was trying to sew through 5 layers of silk and 5 layers of Sinamay. I had been forcing the needle through with a pair of pliers which was taking a long time.
As instructed I folded th disc in half and gripped the end of the needle and, expecting to face resistance I started to push it into the layers of fabric. To my surprise it entered very smoothly and soon there was enough needle poking out the other side to be able to let go of this side of the needle and grab hold of the new piece and pull the whole thing through with ease, as if I was just sewing through an ordinary double thickness of silk!
At 95p for a pack of 2 from John Lewis in the UK and other Prym suppliers, go try them out! Well worth it for the time and finger saving!

The complete wedding outfit

Sorry about the cheezy grin!

Jade Green Wedding Hat

Jade green 100% Silk Dupion hat with large AB sew on rhinestones in a starburst, with teardrop pearls on wire tail and scattered self coloured sequins.

Vacation problem solving

So I've been away on holiday for the past few weeks, Cyprus for a friends wedding. Whilst away I made a hat for the wedding, I managed to sew on a British Airways plane with out any problems, although sharps aren't allowed in your hand luggage. I took pre cut lengths of thread with me so that I didnt have to take scissors on with me and risk having them confiscated! I'd already covered the base with silk and was stitching on big AB rhinestones in a star burst.
I didnt dare take on my crochet hooks as they are metal and would probably have been taken off me at security.
I didnt have much time to 'make' as we were really busy for most of the 2 weeks, but I did get the hat finished (with minutes to spare!) And I crocheted a 100% wool mini beret and top hat. I think I may have cracked the problem I was having before I went away (see my last blog entry). Im going to try this pattern in the bamboo yarn and see how it turns out later this week:
-chain 4, join, 1 chain.
-dc 8 times round ring, join, 1 chain.
-dc 2 in each stitch, join, 1 chain.
-dc in join st, *dc 1 in nxt st, dc 2 in nxt st* repeat between stars until end, join, 1 chain.
-dc in join st, *dc 1 in nxt st, dc 1 in nxt st, dc 2 in nxt st* repeat between stars until end, join, 1 chain.
-**dc in join st, *dc 1 in nxt st, dc 1 in nxt st, dc 1 in nxt st, dc 2 in nxt st* repeat between single stars until end, join, 1 chain.
- repeat ** row
-repeat ** row
- 1 dc in each st, end.
Whilst doing my holiday washing (there was sooo much!) I washed the mini beret on a hot wash, and it didnt shrink or felt at all! I have done this process several times before with ideal results, but never in this machine, I washed it on 3 different hot wash cycles with no joy, so Im not very happy now.