Monday 12 May 2014

My designing days and design journals....

Good morning all

I thought today I would talk to you about how I design and about my journals I keep.

Firstly I would like to say I am a doodle bug.... If I am on the phone, I have a notebook or scrap of paper and pencil and whilst talking ... I doodle.  Always have even before I started Homespun Stitchworks.

So it was not much of a stretch to keep journals and note books of what I do and how I think it should be done.  I always sketch out my designs and sometimes water colour a little and always put little scraps of fabrics with the design ,for ideas.  I date and sign each one.  Some of my designs have never been made, but could do further down the line.

I have a lined notebook with me to jot down ideas or tasks for the day, write blog, update business Facebook page, twitter and emails and in addition to all of that any phone calls needed to be made and that is all before I thread my needle....... Before that it is housework and household chores, my day starts early.

Journals for me are a must and I think a great heirloom too.  I wish I had something from my own grandparents or great grandparents ( I do have scribblings from a great grandfather and a book he was writing, it is very fragile now and I MUST get round to typing it out for keep sake).. I have a journal for sayings and quotes as well.  Some are other peoples words and some are mine. I also jot down fabrics and linens I buy and of course what they cost..... This helps me price my work too.

I live by my journals.  I covered a journal in vintage wool blanket and hand stitched and put a mother of pearl button on it.  Also I had on their 'follow your dreams'  This journal is sold and was bought by some co workers for a leaving present for a colleague.  This lady was leaving to follow her dream and going to design and needlework college.  I had amazing feedback from both the people who had clubbed together to purchase it and the lady whom it had been given.

The lady who was following her dream said ' This is most wonderful and I loved the fact that you list all the vintage materials used and the dates of fabrics and buttons used.... Thank you so much!'  ...... This made my day that someone really appreciated what I had designed and made, and loved that I take the time to date the materials used in the cover of each journal I make.

Personally I could not do without my journals...... Do you keep any?


Have a wonderful day stitching!











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