I've been doing covered journals (see previous post) and decided to branch out into 2012 diaries. Everyone needs a diary for the new year, right? So far I'm experimenting with printed cotton, a great range of shweshwe, embroidered maps of Africa, felt and of course, some hearts. The cotton makes for a neater fit than the tweed (very bulky) and I feel you can't go ever go wrong with shweshwe! I don't feel I've quite 'got' it yet. There are elements of all of it that I really love, and then somehow I don't feel like its really 'working' quite yet. I think the felt hearts (situated, of course, in South Africa) probably stand out a bit too much and I might try some fancy embroidery stitch there rather. Hmm. A work in progress.

So I'll be selling these at the NG Christmas Market (1-3 Dec in Grahamstown, Hill Str) but if anyone is keen to order let me know. I'm on c.brauteseth@gmail.com.

Tweed

Working on some tweed-covered, felt-decorated journals at the moment in aid of building up my stock for the NG Christmas Market. I like how the tweed is really textured and the felt kind of sinks into the fabric when I stitch over it. I must say, some frustration has been experienced in the process, such as having the fabric slip and slide this way and that when trying to stitch over the felt. I'm a rather impatient seamstress, and as soon as something doesn't work I'm ready to abandon it and start on something else. The many overflowing boxes in my cupboard bear testament to that. However, I'm determined to make these things work, no glitches, pulls, tucks or mishaps.