Its quite hard when you need to make volumes of stuff.
'The Great Christmas Fair push ' is on.
Slightly soul-destroying at times especially when you are trying to fit it in with hospital visiting neighbours, now thankfully back home.
It seems an age since I made these bags.
Harris Tweed.
I have to confess that the design isn't my own, it was from a bag Helen asked me to copy, but the interpretation is.
So hanging on my scruffy pin board we have a rather blurry bag.
I just decorate the band on the front so its a bit like making a cuff..
As you know I am a fervent admirer of Harris Tweed.
All I do is add a little strip of silk perhaps and some velvet.
The Tweed speaks for itself.
I enjoy accessorizing the colours to match,
and change the direction where appropriate.
This is a more modern tweed,
and this one is a traditional dog tooth.
I had fun deciding which colour to focus on in this 'plaid'
so I picked out the turquoise.
Finally here is a 'brown tweed'
It looks plain...
but take a closer look.
Since the bags I've made 15 round Harris Tweed brooches, 12 silk cuffs, 20 silk heart brooches and started some felt brooches.
I really must focus on the felt brooches.
Look what Lynsey sent me from a magazine called Craft and Design
An add for SPARKLE featuring yours truly.
I have been looking at some of the
Lots of beautiful pale blue and chintz dream purses and handbags. (With extra vintage buttons)and Karens beautiful pristine creations.
Mine all looks a bit homespun.
Thank you for all your votes. I am a bit ahead at the moment but there's a close follower behind me...
40 comments:
Jackie, relax and be calm! Your work is lovely, it is unique and it is your own wonderful contribution to the world. You are so inventive and industrious and a great inspiration to me certainly and I would guess many many others. Plus you are v funny and kind and one of the loveliest people in blogland let alone Chorley let alone the world. BIG HUGS and I never even got to number one on the Dorset Cereals leaderboard so you are already humiliating me ;-)
I agree with Sue 100%. You do lovely work and it is very individual. And are a funny and beautiful person as well.
Love your latest work.
Dot xx
Jackie this all looks amazing, truly. I am so worried about my stuff, it's not functional at all. Can you share the link to the other exhibitors stuff too please, via e-mail, then my worry can intensify. I have to go to bed, under the weather and up at 6 a.m.x
I would find it very hard trying to decide which ONE of these bags I would buy, I want one in every colour!
only 3 comments so far...i am ahead of myself.
They are well beyond me Jackie. Fantastic to sell I would think, go for it, get passed the pain barrier. Your a make a holic like everyone who blogs..... x x x
While I dithered someone had beat to the no three spot x x x
Midge
Don't we always tend to think that the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence, or in this case that someone else does work that's 'better' than ours? As the other comments say - your work is individual and because of that is special and unique. Keep doing what you do and delighting us all!
Oh, Jackie...the before-show-jitters makes us so self critical...but go ask yourself why they featured your lovely pieces? Because your stuff is **GREAT**
xo
Joei
I love those bags. Just keep doing what you're doing.
Oh Jackie!!! your work is so amazing and unusual!! Toile and mass produced prints are everywhere and so common- Your pieces are WORKS OF ART!!!!! If the people who attend the fair don't have the sense to appreciate that fact, it is not a reflection on your work but on their lack of insight and taste!!!! i would like one of each bag with a velvet and felt brooch to go along with!!!!!!!!!!! (oh how I wish!!)
Noo second guessing yourself no doubts your work is head and shoulders above the usual stuff!!
Art On Womn!!! you are a super star!!!
Hugs!
Elizabeth
Jackie, everything you make is fabulous and will quite happily sit among all the other exhibitor's work. Love those bags!
Your bags are truly wonderful Jackie. As you say, the tweed speaks for itself but your fantastic creations adorn the bags so beautifully, like jewels in a perfect setting. I love how you really look into the fabulous colours within in the tweed and bring them out in such a unique, individual and luxurious way.
I totally know where you are coming from when it comes to being overwhelmed by making to sell. Sometimes we have so much to do that we don't know where to start. We know what our best sellers are but just don't feel like making them some days. It's all 'swings and roundabouts' as they say. Swings take you up and down, and roundabouts ....well, you sometimes just want to get off : )
The bags are gorgeous - I particularly like the one with the green accents. And your work is fabulous - lots of people like strong colours :)
Gorgeous slouchy bags! I think bags generally can sometimes look like quite uptight characters- but not these- these look all relaxed and like they might enjoy a good whisky! (do you think it's time I sought professional help?!)
I used to do craft fairs etc and you're right, there's very little pleasure in producing in quantity! The fun part is experimenting with new designs/materials/techniques isn't it? Your bags are stunning and I'd never appreciated tweed properly before!!
When we make to sell the general public don't realise how much of a risk we take - you can break your heart over "rejection" of something you've poured so much of yourself into. I think we can only make stuff BECAUSE WE LOVE DOING IT, and be happy no matter what.
I would love to add something wise and profound to all these comments Jackie, but it's all been said by everyone else already!
Your bags are just gorgeous and I know you'll knock 'em dead! Good luck. x
They are wonderful> I love the autumn colour ones.
I am torn between you and another candidate on the voting, but chose you.
Those tweeds are to die for. And your bags are ones of a kind, really.
Keep on!
oh jackie now look what you have done, the greedy part of me wants another bag...I love the ones with the big big checks...what other colours do you have...they are fab...I am sure you will sell the lot...love H
I agree with all the others : your work is great, Jackie! I'm sure you'll sell out.
Jackie, your work will stand out against all that pastel and chintz, and definitely not like the proverbial sore thumb! Have faith in yourself!
Lovely stuff, love the tweeds stoo and your addition to it is splendid; I voted for you; congrats for being in the magazine! Bravo!!! take a bow.
Your bags are beautiful Jackie - they are different, distinctive, elegant yet functional and extremely smart. I don't think you have a thing to worry about. Hope the Christmas Fair(s) are a sellout for you.
The colours are lovely. I'm sure you have no need to worry and that you will do really well at the Christmas Fair. Hope you have fun
Carolyn x
Your work is very beautiful and stands above most of the others I have seen. Your Harris Tweed bags are stunning and particularly so in view of the fact that one man tried so hard to eliminate all these wonderful colours.
Hi Jackie,
Your tweed bags look fantastic,I'm sure you will have a great time at your sparkle fair,good luck.x
The bags are fab! Could you tell us where you get that beautiful Harris tweed?
Came across your blog via Dorset Cereals site and yes, I did vote for you. Don't have a blog myself but enjoying reading ones like yours. I think you have been blessed with incredible talent - wish I had such creativity. Especially love your Embroidery art and hope to persuade my hubbie that would be a good Christmas present. I'm loving looking at all you work and am quite in awe!
Beautiful bags Jackie and they will sell. No wonder you've been feeling a bit pressurised lately, so much work! And I agree with everyone's comments here xx
those bags look good enough to eat! Perhaps a bit hairy but I do love your colour combinations with the Harris Tweed.
PS What is Sparkle?
The beautiful tweeds and velvet 'cuffs' look wonderful together. A successful marriage of colour and texture. LOL when reading about your trip North. Bfn. Lesley
Lulama
This is a reply as I can't find any other way...Sparkle is a Craft Market in Teddington at the Landmark Arts Centre on 20th to 22nd November.
A bit homespun???? You have lost all perspective! SEriously! Your color sense alone could never be called pedestrian!
don't you find some gorgeous colour combinations Jackie? I'm always surprised at how gorgeous the velvet and tweed look together too . a bit homespun - homespun my ass!!!
Jackie, your work continues to dazzle and delight as you hit another, (and another) out of the ball park.
Congrats also on your work being chosen for the SPARKLE ad! ... You know it would not have been chosen if it were anything less then spectacular.
You do consistently fabulous work my friend :0)
Beautiful bags - you have inspired me to get going on a felted bag I am planning. I love the jewel like "cuff" fastenings.
I have just come upon your blog via 'Menopauseal Musings'. Your handiwork is beautiful, the colors so vibrant and such creativity! I am finding so many women bloggers that love to quilt, crochet, knit, and create in a myriad of ways. It is so interesting and exciting to see what everyone makes. I will browse around a bit more and promise to return!
Oh, and so sorry about Willow. She looks like she was a wonderful companion. Such lovely eyes.
Love the bags Jackie. Thanks for your comment re the bunnies. They are so cute but very overlooked at my house and I thought perhaps someone else would love them as they deserve.
Woo
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