I have Confidence!!!!(Of the Singer Variety)

I have Confidence of the Singer variety! Here she is here.

With my little pot of redundancy money from my job (and I mean little pot!) I decided that I would only dip into it to buy something that would be useful and helpful and earn it's keep in Coccuveda. So hopefully my new little toy will do just that.

Last November I was on a" Sewing for The terrified" weekend workshop with Sally-Ann Provan from Edinburgh. With her gentle coaxing and encouragement she let me touch her much loved Bernina sewing machine, the first time in about 40 years I had been able to even look at a sewing machine without shaking at the fear that had been instilled in me from a school teacher.

Without breaking Sally's machine I had a very enjoyable time and am very proud of my what I managed to make.

So with a bit of research into machines and a lot of "will I won't I", The Singer Confidence ads spoke to me and reassured me that this was an easy uncomplicated machine for beginners. So I am now the proud owner.

 I am just staring on small things at the moment as that suits me, I want to build up to making bags before long, but  believe slow and steady wins the race.

With my owl key pockets I was brave enough to press the zig zag button, that is good progress in my book! My cutting out and precision skills do need a bit of work but hey one step at a time!

I hope all you expert sewers are not laughing at me!!!

Respect for Designers

I really admire those artists and crafters who sit down, take their time and meticulously plan, sketch and design their work, well before the production actually starts.

 I suppose that comes from loads of studying for art degrees and qualifications.

 Me on the other hand, I have  no degree or training, not even an art O level. My designs all develop "organically" I very rarely know what is going to happen when I sit down and start, whether it is a fascinator or a tiara or anything at all really.

If I decide  in the morning when I open up Coccuveda that I am going to make a headpiece that day, I will first stick the kettle on and have a cup of coffee then i will rummage through my materials until wham something jumps out, it may be the colour that provides inspiration or the fabric or perhaps a texture. I then sit down and play and sew maybe manipulate until I have a piece that works, or in fact it may not work then it will get shelved for another occasion.

I think at the moment I am fascinated by the randomness of working with wire. I have always loved jewellery, especially unique one off pieces, so when I am playing with wire and beads, especially nice sparkly stuff, my fingers and pliers work in harmony until my eyes tell me "that'll do!"

I would love to go on a proper training course so I can master a lot of the techniques I find a bit tricky from the lovely books I have. Linda Jones is a real inspiration so doing one of her workshops would be
a real education for me. I think I will start saving my pennies now!

Below are a couple of my  pendants. I think I am better with the wire than I am with my camera, the real thing looks better than the photograph!

Life After Redundancy!

It takes a bit of getting used to, being redundant. I enjoyed my job as an Information Assistant at Northumberland National Park Rothbury visitor centre, I think I was quite good at it too. Although I had about 18 Months to get used to the idea that I was going to be surplus to requirements, the last days of work  felt like the rug had been pulled from under my feet and I was falling!

This has been the second time in 10 years that I have been made redundant, I reckon from now on I will just create my own work!

To keep myself positive I have to look at this situation as an opportunity, an opportunity to put my heart and soul into Coccuveda ( as if it hasn't got that already!) and build on the skills that I have developed since opening in Feb 2008. It is hard to believe that Coccuveda has been open now for 5 years and I have put in nearly 5 years of working 7 days per week between my Job and the shop. I now get  Sunday lie in again, sheer bliss!

I have learned quite a lot over the past few years, learnt to sew and make fascinators, I enjoy working with lots of lovely beads and wire to make tiaras and jewellery, I love using felt and buttons to make what ever takes my fancy really. In other words I love crafting and am more than happy to spend my working day creating all sorts and selling them to all Coccuveda's lovely customers.

Multi coloured pearl necklace

Feather and bead buttonhole brooches