How You Can Help!

For the past 11 months our income has fallen way short of our monthly outgoings, a situation that has been on and off for the past six years. Recently both Stewart and I have got part time jobs (can you believe I have been working in the cafe for two months already!) and the difference between what comes in and what goes out has narrowed but it's still a bit of a juggling act. I'm not complaining, it is what it is, but it does mean that my 'art career' if that's what you can call it is more than just a hobby. I don't do it just for fun (although it is fun) it is my work. The teaching is well paid but unfortunately it is sporadic and not reliable as often classes don't meet the required numbers and then they don't run. And selling stuff is really difficult which is why this past week I have taken part in the JustaCard indie week on Instagram.

 

Photo: Joanne Hawker

The idea is to encourage people to shop small, local and independent this Christmas to support all us little independent businesses struggling to make a living. The campaign arose after a gallery owner was overheard to say that if everyone who had come into the gallery and admired the work, had bought just one card, then they wouldn't have had to close down. One card is the price of a coffee, and these last couple of months have really opened my eyes as to how much people spend on coffee!

Of course, you may not always want to buy stuff but there are so many other ways in which you can support small businesses. Most of us don't have a huge budget for marketing and rely on social media to spread the word about what we do. So getting people engaged is crucial as search algorithms alone do not work. So what can you do?

1. LIKE posts on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram as this shows someone is engaging.

2. Better still, leave a COMMENT. Tell someone if you like something, ask a question and start a dialogue. Just say something nice... it really does make our day!

3. SHARE a post, linking back to the maker. This is the most powerful thing you can do as it helps reach a whole new audience. 

Just these three steps can make all the difference but you can also subscribe to newsletters - I have a button to subscribe to mine on my sidebar, where I share upcoming classes, sometimes I have discounts in my Etsy shop and I generally let people know what I'm up to. Then share these newsletters with like minded friends, again it is reaching a new audience. When you buy something on Etsy and love it, then post to social media, link back to the maker and leave a glowing review. Each of these small steps really do help.

I had been planning a post about this for some time but thank you Joanne Hawker for helping me put it into words!

And you can find me on Facebook as Gina Ferrari Textile Art and on Instagram as Gina Ferrari Art. I'm also on Twitter occasionally and the link is on my sidebar. So if you don't already, please follow me on these platforms.

Of course while it is lovely if you do all these things it is even better when someone buys something and so I'm am trying hard to keep my Etsy shop stocked up. There are several tutorials that can be purchased as downloadable PDFs available so you can make your own gifts. It is whole other blogpost about charging for tutorials and rather than make this too long you might want to read this post by Dolly Henry but I think anyone who sells tutorials comes across those people who expect something for nothing. I recently posted about these crackers on Facebook and had a message from someone saying how much she loved them and asking for details of how to make them. I sent back the link to my shop where the tutorial is available for £5 (It would cost £35 or more to come to a day class with me to learn how to make these) Not a word of reply, not even a thanks but no thanks... and certainly no purchase! It can be quite soul destroying, as though we are trying to cheat people out of their money.

There are also some physical items for sale including one or two of these hoops that have escaped the dog's shenanigans (although there are PDFs to make these too)

And this week I have been making angels for the Christmas tree... because it really is only four and half weeks away!

They take a ridiculously long time to make for what they are but I do love making them.

And I guess that is why we do what we do... it's certainly not to get rich quick!

There are only three available at the moment (free postage in the UK) but I hope to be adding more next week.

Now my little rant is over, enjoy the rest of your weekend... I'm off to make some more angels!

Embroidery Hoop Pictures

In my last post I mentioned that during the week when I'm not actually teaching I'm concentrating on doing other art type business related activities and in particular writing tutorials for my Etsy shop. Lately I have been working on the instructions for four seasonal embroidery hoops. I've been drawing out patterns, stitching and photographing each stage as I go. Then it's a case of putting it all together and writing step by step instructions. I do actually enjoy the process but it is rather painstakingly laborious... and I find myself getting impatient to get them finished!

This little fox was finished a couple of weeks ago but I wanted to have all four ready before putting him in the shop. But now after several weeks I have finally finished all four of my seasonal embroidery hoops. Four little applique pictures that look equally at home sitting on a shelf as they do hanging on the wall.

I've listed them as individual tutorials that come as downloadable PDFs complete with full size patterns but they are also available as a set of all four at 25% discount on the individual pattern prices.

And if stitching your own pictures isn't your thing I will also be selling the original artworks.So far only Mr Fox is listed but the others will follow in due course.

Do you have a favourite? I thought mine was the spring bunnies but I'm rather taken with Mr. Fox lately...  maybe it's due to the change in seasons. Of course, Winter would make a lovely Christmas decoration too!

You can find them all here in my Etsy shop!

Tomorrow it will be a different sort of work as I will be at the Knitting and Stitching show at Alexandra Palace sitting on the Missenden School of Creative Arts stand. Come and say hello if you are passing!

A Book Tutorial

Long time readers will know that as well as a bit of embroidery I also like to dabble with some book making. Over the summer I taught a one day class making these pretty little albums and afterwards I was asked if  I could produce an on line tutorial. I'd like to tell you I had made a wonderful video that you could follow step by step but I haven't! I have however spent hours analysing, photographing, drawing and writing the whole process out step by step to make a downloadable fully illustrated PDF that is now available to buy from my Etsy shop. I will say now that I didn't invent this book structure but I learned how to do it from a fabulous print maker and teacher called Heather Power. I don't know whether Heather invented it or whether she learned it from someone else, but it was part of a weekend bookmaking with Heather and I was never given any notes, so the tutorial is all my own work.

But before I possibly tempt you to buy yourself a copy, I thought I would do a free tutorial here for a simple variation of a pamphlet book, that is one of my favourite little books to make.

To make one of these little books, perfect for notes and quick sketches  you will need:

Sheets of cartridge paper for the pages - enough to make 4-8 sheets 10cm x 20 cm (4" x 8")

A piece of water colour paper or light card 10.5cm x 25cm (4.5" x 10")

Some decorative paper (optional)

A craft knife, a metal ruler, a tapestry (blunt) needle, strong thread, a glue stick, a map pin and an old tea towel

First of all tear your cartridge paper into the correct size for the pages. I do this against a metal ruler and prefer to tear rather than cut as it gives a deckled edge to the pages. It doesn't matter so much then if they don't quite line up.

Then fold each in half and make two nests of 2-4 pages, depending on the thickness of your paper. These 'nests' or groups of pages are called signatures.

Now take your water colour paper or card for the cover and fold this in half too. Measure 2cm (1") in from the folded edge and fold the cover back on itself.

Do this on both sides so you end up with a W effect, as shown in the photo.

Now take your two signatures and put one into each fold of the W as shown.

You then want to fold the covers out flat whilst keeping the fold of the signatures tucked against the folds of the covers as shown...  this is the stage where I realised having a different colour cover might have been useful for the sake of the photos. But I'm not doing it again!

Hopefully the diagram will make it seem clearer (The shaded bit is the cover)

You are now going to stitch the two signatures and the cover together in one quick manoeuvre along the fold using a simple pamphlet stitch.

Along the fold mark three dots, one in the centre and two either side an equal distance apart from the centre. Using a map pin and with the whole thing resting on an old tea towel push holes where you have made the dots.

Thread a rounded needle with about 40cm (16") of strong thread and take it through the centre hole, leaving a tail of thread for tying off later. On the other side take the thread up and through the top hole.

Now take it straight back down to the bottom hole, missing the middle hole.

And finally back through the middle hole coming out on the other side of  the long stitch that runs down the centre.

You should have two ends either side of the central long stitch, which you can now tie off and trim.

The diagram shows the order of stitching... in the centre, down to one end, back to the other end and then back out the centre.

All you need to do now is fold your covers back to the outside and you should have a neat little two signature pamphlet book!

I then decorated the cover with nine little squares of wrapping paper. You may have noticed the first book had little squares from the inside of envelopes. But of course you can decorate it any way you like or use coloured or patterned card for the cover. If you make one I'd love to see how it turns out!

And should you wish to make a slightly more complicated book the twenty page fully illustrated tutorial is available from my etsy shop here. And thank you to Catriona for testing this for me. Her response was "Very clear instructions... the pattern is a winner" so I hope that might encourage you to give it a try.

And something I forgot to mention the other day... I will be making one of these books for every single person who comes along on my block printing India trip with me next year. A little gift from me to say thank you and to hopefully inspire some sketches while we are there!

Advent 2017 :: Day 11

More Christmas cards today

The sort where you want to send something special and home made but are finding time is of the essence. Or maybe you don't leave things until the last minute like me!

Origami wreath tutorial and star tutorial here!

Advent 2017:: Day 5

As a few of you requested the tutorial for the Christmas Bauble Cards here goes...

You will need:

•  a piece of white craft felt (acrylic) 
• a piece of coloured craft felt (to match your colour scheme)
• a selection of coloured organza ribbons or strips of organza fabric
• pins and fabric scissors
• a sewing machine and machine threads (preferably polyester threads)
• a soldering iron (optional)
• a round metal template (I use a golden syrup lid)
• a small piece of ribbon 
• a button, bow or other small trim.

Begin by arranging the ribbon/organza in overlapping rows on the white felt until you get a pleasing arrangement of colours. When you are happy with them pin in place up the sides as shown. There is no need for bondaweb or tacking.

With your machine set for normal sewing and with some matching polyester thread, secure the rows of ribbon/organza with rows of decorative stitches, removing the pins as you go. If your machine does not have any decorative stitches, rows of zigzag work as well and look just as pretty.

Continue to add parallel rows of stitching to build up a lovely rich surface pattern. Feel free to change your thread colour too. I used three or four colours.

If you have a soldering iron, read on. If not I'll give you an alternative in a minute. Place your stitched felt on top of your coloured felt and and with your metal template very carefully cut out a circle with your soldering iron, remembering to leave a little tab at the top of the circle for hanging. Take care with the placement of your template... I managed to get nine ornaments from the one bit of stitched felt. Go slowly and mind your fingers!

The soldering iron should cut through the layers and seal the two different felts together giving you a neat backing. If your thread was not polyester the soldering iron may catch on the thread and not cut through properly but you can still mark out the circle this way and cut through most of it.

You will probably need to cut out the marked circles with a scissors where the soldering iron has not cut all the way through. If you do not have a soldering iron just pin the felts together and mark out circles on the reverse, cutting them out with scissors and keeping the layers pinned together.

In both cases the baubles look better with a neatened edge so starting at one side of the tab, stitch a zigzag stitch all the way around the edge of the bauble until you reach the other side of the tab. Don't worry about the tab as you won't see this on the finished bauble.

At this stage it should look like this. You can use the soldering iron to burn holes in the baubles to create more pattern, or alternatively you could stitch on some beads or sequins.

Tie off any loose ends and then stitch a short length of ribbon to the tab for hanging, covering the join with a pretty button or bow. You can then hang it on your tree or stitch it onto a card it with a couple of stitches at the top of the ribbon. Your card is now all ready to send!

Do let me know how you have got on and feel free to send me a photo of your finished results!

Advent 2017 :: Day 2

Some simple stitched Christmas decorations

 

A perfect end of term project for my machine embroidery class.

A quick and simple idea for Christmas cards... which I will have on sale at the Christmas market at our local church today.

And possibly an idea for a free tutorial on my blog... if you were interested that is?

A Flower Brooch Tutorial... Again

Many thanks to those of you who kindly said you would like to see a tutorial for the flower brooches... and even more thanks to Diana who tactfully pointed out that yes, I had indeed already done this a couple of years ago! I had a sneaky feeling that I'd already done it before. But more thanks again go to Diana who also suggested I just repost but with some updates... so that is what I have done!

So first of all you need to select your fabrics - you can use the same fabric for all five petals, choose five completely different fabrics... or like me choose five different but toning fabrics. What is important is that they are thin fabrics... too thick and your flower will be too bulky. Patchwork fabrics work well.

You will need to cut 5 circles of fabric, approximately 8 - 9 cm  in diameter. I found that the lid from a large Golden Syrup tin to be the perfect size template!

Thread your needle with a strong thread and make a knot at the end of your thread. Taking your first circle, fold it in half.

Fold it in half again making a quarter circle.

Now stitch along the circular raw edge with small running stitches, making sure you are stitching through all four layers of fabric.

It should look something like this...

Fold your second circle of fabric into quarters and without knotting or cutting off your thread stitch along the curved raw edge of your second circle with small running stitches.

Repeat for all five fabric circles. They should look like a mini string of bunting when you've finished.

Now, gently but firmly gather up your thread. You want to gather as tightly as possible without snapping your thread (this is why you use strong thread)

When you have gathered it up as tightly as you possibly can, tie a knot at the end to stop the gathers coming undone...

and then working from the back, join the first and last petals with a couple of over stitches.

You have now finished your first round of petals!

Using a smaller template of approx. 6-7 cm... I used the lid from a small tin of Golden Syrup... cut another five circles of fabric

Repeat the method and make another circle of fabric petals. By now you will realise that by selective folding you can position designs/colors/patterns on your petals.

Next you will need a pretty button, large enough to cover the raw edges and gathering stitches of your smaller circle.

I did originally try stitching the button onto the small fabric circle but it is really difficult to keep the button firmly in place so that it covers all the raw edges. So my advice is to use a hot glue gun to firmly position your button in the centre of your small circle of petals.

Using the glue gun again, spread some glue onto the back of the small circle of petals and position it centrally onto the larger circle.

You should now have something that looks like this....

Next you need a circle of felt, about 4 cm diameter, a circle of firm card (card from cereal packets is the perfect weight), about 3.5 cm diameter and a brooch back.

With a matching thread start to stitch the felt circle onto the back of your flower brooch, using small slip stitches. About half way around, slip the card circle in place behind the felt circle.

Carry on slip stitching around the felt circle securing it firmly in place

Then stitch the brooch back into place onto the felt backing.

And with a bit of luck your flower brooch is ready to wear... pin it on your jacket, your hat, your bag... or spread the love and give it to your friend!

Me... I'm just filling up my case with more to sell at Open Studio weekends (which are now only two weeks away!)

But as you have so patiently read through this ressurected two year old post... I'm also going to spread a little love and give one of these brooches away. Just leave me a comment by Saturday evening next week (2nd July) and tell me your favourite colour. I will then pick a winner at random and make a brooch specially for you.

And talking of comments... where I can, I have always replied directly to comments by email as it has always felt more personal and I will continue to do this. But many people these days seem to leave "no-reply" comments and so I have also enabled replies directly in the comment box so I can reply to you too!.