Lotti's three (by night)

...I love how these have cosied up the studio of an evening - 

not too sure I want them to leave...

Lotti's (three)

Today has been a rather indulgent day....a little escapism project.

The brief was to decorate two charity shop finds
into pretty lampshades for Lotti's.  

They are to hang
(excuse them being propped up on standard lamp bases) 

in the window from the ceiling -
so they had to work wonderfully with light for both day and night.....

so here is a little visual diary of the day and I
can't wait til they are installed in their resting place....

only a couple of weeks until the Tea-Bar opens
and still so much to do.....

Lotti's (two) 'happy-sad-happy'

...What a wonderful week I have had.  Surrounded with panels of Sanderson like palettes of paint.  A creative, inspiring, feel good week.  Long hours sewing into the night but I have loved every pinned seam, every tacked thread and every machine stitch.  My Bernina has sewn miles and miles.

So today was quite an emotional ride - the first of the commissioned installments for Lotti's 

(you can read instalment one here) ....

happy - sad - happy 

all in one day

HAPPY - to see the cushions finished in their tumbling pile

SAD - to think of them leaving the studio as I have become quite attached to their cheeryness

HAPPY - to see them delivered and popped in place in their new home

(more to come in the next few weeks)

Each a labour of floral love - So,..... the cushions are complete and here they all are in their little towers and clusters - now all that is left to work on is just a few little decorative details, a window to dress, a few shelves to arrange, lampshades to adorn, boards to style, frills to hang and curtains to make and then I am going to spend a couple of days with beautiful Lotti & Michelle and take some lovely photo's to share with you .... and once finished we can all hang out and have tea together at 'Lotti's'

 Have you ever worked on a project that has just made your heart sing??  I would love to hear about here!!

 Fancy making something decorative yourself - then stroll down the lane to The Linen Garden - there may be something that takes your fancy?????

Lotti's (one)

Every now and again I get little glimmers of opportunities to work on wonderful and exciting projects that allow me to escape the studio walls - always a good thing to escape every once in a while.  Most of the time I have to turn them down...mainly because they are either too far away (one of the downfalls of living up north as most offerings are in the south) or I can't weave them around school runs and the kids or on rare occasions, requests are made, where it would involve blood, sweat and tears for the equivalent of £1.23 an hour (if you are lucky)...

Last month I met two lovely ladies - Mum and Daughter - Michelle & Lotti -  who were to open a Tea/Craft/Natterings & Chatterings/Cake Filled/Meeting Place/Making Place/Supporting Local Businesses kind of Tea Bar in the day Cocktail Bar of an evening.  

(a) Would I like to be involved?

(b) Would I be interested in holding workshops?

(C) Could I make a few lovely pieces to sell?

(d) Can they be inspired by my studio to inspire its decoration?

(e) If so - can 'I' come along and make the furnishings and frills using my palette of fabrics?

(f) Would I mind coming over and helping style the Tea Bar too with a little stamp of The Linen Garden....

Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, YES please!!!!

So here is stage one of this little project 'Lotti's' and the brief is to make furnishings and similar in the style of everything that is displayed in my studio on a daily basis.  So I am given free reign to produce a collection of floral fancies for a new Tea Bar that is to open close by in Stokesley (North Yorkshire) next month.  

 So here is the selection, so far, for a mammoth cushion making month. 

A big floral soup!

I'll keep you posted of how things are tinkering on - it is so refreshing to work on an interior as a blank canvas.  I'll write more too of the concept behind the Tea Bar as it is all so inspiring - but one exciting aspect is that every once in a while the main room will become my new space to hold workshops.  So I had better get my thinking cap on.  If you would like to be popped on the mailing list for the workshops (once they are invented) then either leave a message here with your email address or pop a little message over to me at info@vickytrainor.co.uk and I will let you know when we are ready to go..........wish me luck - I'm a tad excited about this one!!!

...if you fancy a little cushion making yourself - I have just ironed 

and neatly folded a whole collection onto the shelves of The Linen Garden

www.thelinengarden.co.uk