Happy Friday!
Love the new cushion that I have made. The colours are so vibrant. Couldn’t wait to share it with you so put it on our blog before the website.
Isn’t this gorgeous
I am biased as I make what I love - the colours and metallics in the fabric are so vibrant especially against the black.
Hello everyone hope you’ve all had a good week. What a mixed bag of weather….some sunshine at last but today is like winter! We’ve been busy in our sewing rooms cutting and preparing fabric ready to sew up a storm! On the title page of my blog is a sneak preview of one of the new cushions that I have made. I love the vibrant reds, pinks & oranges against the black. Claire & I love to make what we would like to buy ourselves so it is a wrench when they go but it also gives us joy to see someone else love them as much as us. I will be putting the cushion on the website www.sistermakes.co.uk after finishing this blog.
We are branching out with some new accessories and also homeware which we will be launching in our newsletter which goes out next week. Don’t forget to subscribe if you haven’t already. I have put a teaser on here with a commission that I recently made. It is a waist bag often called a bum bag or fanny pack if you are in the USA. It is funny how fashion will often repeat itself. I remember these in the eighties….yes I am old enough to remember them and wear them. They are great for when you are out walking, running, travelling….the list is endless. Ann who I made the bag for finds it great for taking the pressure off her neck & shoulders. I found mine great for running. We will be adding these to our website next week so keep an eye out. We also now have a shop on Facebook which is great as you can use the Shop Now Button at the top of our Sister Makes Page.
This is a waist/bum bag made for the lovely Ann
Love how the patchwork has turned out and how it looks paired with the denim
We love what we do and sharing our passion with you all. Thank you for supporting us. We also try to support local where possible especially independent cafes, coffee shops and markets. It is so important to keep our community going. Thank you for following us on Facebook and Instagram. It means so much when you like our posts and give us positive feedback and reviews. Have a fab week and see you next Friday x Suzanne
Happy Friday!
A treasure from The Festival of Quilts.
One of the winners…isn’t it amazing! This is my favourite.
Hello Claire & I were away at The Festival of Quilts last week which is held every year in the NEC. We always stay for a few days and is our way of chilling and decompressing. We are always in awe of the skill of the quilters who exhibit and come away feeling inspired. Mind you we always come away with lots of fabric and a lighter bank balance as there is lots of amazing shopping as well! We can’t wait for next year already!
Now that we are back we are gearing up for The Heart of the Valley Show at Pontardawe on Saturday 2nd September. This is the first time that we have had a stand at this show and can’t wait to be part of it as there is so much going on throughout the day. It is being held at Pontardawe Sports & Recreation Ground and starts at 10am. Have a look at their website theheartofthevalleyshow.com for more information or follow them on Facebook. We are making lots of rice & knot bags in beautiful Japanese fabrics and some new stock. More information on these to come at the end of the month when we will be launching our first newsletter. Make sure you subscribe on our website Sister Makes to ensure you receive a copy. Have a lovely week with some sunshine fingers crossed x Suzanne
Quilting & patchwork doesn’t have to be only quilts.
Look at the beautiful choice of fabrics that have gone together to make this patchwork kimono dressing gown. I know I’m biased with my love of Japanese fabrics but it is gorgeous!
Happy Friday!
Can you believe it’s Friday already! School holidays are under way and yes it’s still raining. Mind you I give thanks that we do not have the heat and wildfires in Europe & America. If you are doing a staycation there are so many lovely places to visit in the UK including our very own Swansea and The Gower. The Gower Show is on Sunday 6th August from 9-5 and is a brilliant day out for all the family. Claire and I are off to The Festival of Quilts held in the NEC. It is an amazing show full of quilts from vintage to contemporary, mini to giant. They are a feast for the eye. As a lot of you might know we love quilting and for me it is a form of art.
My first big quilt…it brings me so much joy
What a lovely photo from BBC News
Asmaa was amazing throughout but all the contestants were great…will miss my Wednesday night fix
Did anyone watch the Great British Sewing Bee Final on Wednesday night? It was great. Did you think the right person won? Loved them all but I thought that Asmaa was a worthy winner. Her dress at the end was pure genius. I already can’t wait for the next series. Have a lovely weekend and I will catch up with you next Friday.
Our latest commission.
Love the colours that the lovely Carole chose.
It’s The School Holidays!
Hello and happy Friday! It’s been a busy week at Sister Makes. We’ve been working on commissions and Claire is working on something new. More on that in our new newsletter out in August! We have also been stewarding at The Quilters Guild of the British Isles, Region 12 Mid & South Wales Quilt Exhibition called ‘Wales Wide Whispers’. It is being held at the Baywood Community Centre, West Cross, Swansea and is on for one more week 10am-4pm. Entry and parking are free. It is a lovely way to pass some time especially if you are dodging the showers!
Exhibition of Wales Wide Whispers
Well worth a visit
The school holidays are here - hooray! Now we just need the sunshine. If you are going on holiday our small knot bags are perfect to take with you as they are light and easy to pack - a bonus if you are going abroad. Even better they are reversible so you have two looks which are great for co-ordinating with your holiday outfits. There are lots of colours and designs so you are bound to find the perfect bag for you. Have a look at our website. Happy holidays Suzanne and Claire.
Japanese Knot Bag
Ideal for your holiday outfits - home or abroad
How Time Flies!
Turquoise and pink Rice Bag
A beautiful gift for all occasions
Happy Friday everyone. Can you believe we are nearly at the end of the school year! It’s hard to believe with all this rain that it’s the middle of July. Now is the perfect time to show the teachers in your life some appreciation for their dedication and hard work. Our knot bags and rice bags make the perfect gift. They are fully reversible so you have two bags for the price of one…and are even better with some chocolates in them! They are sure to make every teacher feel they are valued and appreciated. You can see our designs here - just click on Sister Makes. Our bags are also a great way to support Plastic Free July. Buying one of our bags is a great way to help the planet and also to shop locally. Have a fabulous weekend hopefully with some sunshine!
Small red & green floral knot bag
I love the vibrancy of the colours in this knot bag.
Hurray! It’s Friday!
Hurray! It’s Friday!
One of my favourite Japanese fabrics - love the colours on these parasols
Hello hope everyone is ready for the weekend whether you are out and about or just chilling and relaxing. I know the weather forecast isn’t brilliant but hopefully the sun will come out. What are your plans? Claire is going to a Quilters Guild open day on Saturday. I’m hoping to get some walks in. I’ve got my waterproofs ready just in case! Lots of sewing planned for next week. Don’t forget to subscribe to our newsletter. You can do this on our website www.sistermakes.co.uk. We will be rolling out our first newsletter in August. Claire & I are really looking forward to sharing our love of all things sewing & fashion especially bags. We would love to hear what you would like to be included in our newsletters. Have a lovely weekend from me & Claire x
The Joy of a Crossbody Bag!
Our crossbody handbag…
This is a great size. It may only be small but it is great for your everyday needs. Just ask Claire! This is her’s and she uses it all the time. We can make them in all colours and to suit you.
What’s your perfect everyday bag? Claire & I love a crossbody bag! These bags go across your torso keeping all your belongings safe, close and easy to hand. They are great for your everyday life but are really useful for all sorts of adventures. Crossbody bags come in all shapes and sizes - from handbag to messenger bag. At Sister Makes we love to make our favourite bags but especially the crossbody style.
This is an example of our messenger bags…
This was made for a lovely lady who wanted a bag to take on her travels to Australia. It needed to hold her iPad, phone and all her documentation safely. I used five different fabrics to make the flap and pockets in patchwork. It has a patch pocket under the flap, a zip pocket in the back, a patch pocket inside and another zipped pocket inside making it an ideal bag for travel or work.
We love to make our bags using beautiful Japanese fabrics but we also love patchwork and quilting. The world is your oyster! We can make a bag in your colour and style. For more ideas have a look at our gallery on our website www.sistermakes.co.uk. You can also follow us on Instagram and Facebook. If you haven’t already please sign up for our newsletter. We will be starting the newsletters from August and there will be 10% off crossbody bags for newsletter subscribers.
Komainu - lion-dogs…
Komainu or lion-dogs in English, are sacred guardians of shrines and temples protecting them from evil spirits.
Here at Sister Makes, we have recently stocked up on some beautiful fabric featuring these wonderful mythical animals.
A knot bag in black is finished with a brown and green version to follow shortly - all will be available later this week to buy from our website.
I hope you love these as much as I do - I know I would love a Komainu as a pet (although I would quite like a dragon too!).
The Sun Has Got His Hat On!
Hope everyone is enjoying this beautiful sunshine. I’ve been sitting out in the garden doing some hand sewing. Too nice to be at the sewing machine.
Busy! Busy!
Sorry if we have been a little quiet recently! We were busy getting ready for the Maritime Museum Maker and Vintage Fair.
It was a fab weekend and with the sun shining it proved to be excellent fun!
Back to making new stock now - and remembering to post more online!!
Coffee Time…
Very exciting news for Sister Makes! We have teamed up with Cortile Coffee in Cowbridge and have a small selection of items for sale in the shop!
There are some rice bags but slightly larger than our usual ones with a padded bottom in order to hold Cortile’s beautiful Japanese tea pots. New to Sister Makes and currently only available at the shop are some coasters and placemats to compliment the bags and tea sets.
Do pop in and have a look - they sell some fantastic hot chocolate too!
Something New…
Hoop Art
Been trying out some new crafts! Hoop Art!
Would love to hear people’s thoughts about the hoop pictured - please be kind!
Wool! Finished!
Finished at last - my lovely wool wall hanging! Something new for me and so much fun to learn! Think there may be a few more of these in my future….
Wool! Glorious Wool!
Suzanne and I have tried a new craft - wool loom weaving!
The wall hangings are a WIP and need to be finished off but we did have so much fun!
Watch this space for photos - when finished! We are even thinking of adding wall hangings to our Sister Makes makes!
Thanks to Happy Ever Crafter in Pennard for such a good day and inspirational class - Happy Ever Crafter | Pennard | Facebook
Spring Tidy Up….
I have been looking at my stash and thinking I really need to sort this all out and have a Spring tidy up!
So far I have gone through 2 bags of scraps! They have been sorted into a slightly tidier version according to colours and sizes - this may take a while…. it will probably take me even longer to decide what to make with them!
New Sales Platform…
Exciting news! Sister Makes has just set up a shop front on the new website BUY INDIE - check it out using the link
We are looking forward to this new venture and encourage everyone to take the time to check out the other lovely crafters on the site.
Christmas is near…
Just a quick note to say Thank You for all your support and love this year and to wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
Over the Christmas, Suzanne and I are looking at some new style bags and perhaps even some makes that are completely different for us… We are even talking of making some changes to the website!
We hope the New Year will be full of joy and love for everyone!
Halloween Rag Wreaths
Halloween rag wreaths
Think I have made my last Halloween rag wreath for 2022! Time to concentrate on the Christmas rag wreaths…
Don’t forget we can make wreaths and bags to order - just drop us an email
Sewing Machine Joy!
Hooray! My sewing machine has been fixed! Thank You Cliffords in Swansea.
Have spent the morning cutting out ready for some sewing. Watch this space for some more Japanese Knot Bags - my favourite sewing make!
Also working on an idea for Christmas gift sets…..