Suzanne Thomas Suzanne Thomas

To Infinity (Scarves) and Beyond - Happy Friday!

We love infinity scarves at Sister Makes!

Hello everyone how has your week been? Claire & I have been to the Festival of Quilts for our annual AGM and shopping spree. We love having our AGM at the festival as it is usually over a bottle of fizz and as there is only two of us we can cover a lot in a short space of time so that we can enjoy the hotel pool and spa facilities. We always love the amazing talent of the quilters and feel so inspired after looking at all the competition quilts and exhibitors. It’s a great way to catch up with suppliers and source new fabrics. For more news about our Festival of Quilts trip have a look at our August newsletter which will be out Monday. If you aren’t signed up then pop over to our website and subscribe.

Love the sunny yellow fabric and the different cats in this scarf make it fun

I have been busy this week cutting out some new kimono style jackets ready to sew next week. I love playing around with patterns and hopefully you will love what I create. Claire has been busy finishing some commissions. I have put some photos of the quirky patchwork tote bag below. She has also been making some new infinity scarves. These are great accessories and because they are 100% cotton they can be worn in the summer as well as the winter. You can find them and all our other products on our Sister Makes website .

Next week is all out sewing for Claire & I and don’t forget our slow stitch workshop on Friday August 16th at Dunvant Farm Shop & Cafe. There are still places available but booking is essential. You can do this via our workshop page on our website or by clicking here. I hope you are enjoying the summer sunshine whatever you are doing and look forward to catching up next week x Suzanne

Read More
Suzanne Thomas Suzanne Thomas

Happy Friday!

What beautiful colours for summer on the latest infinity scarf that Claire has made!

Hello everyone. How has your week been? Hasn’t all this sunshine been fab this week? Claire and I made the most of it yesterday. We went to NT Dinefwr Park, Llandeilo. It’s a great place to spend a few hours. There is a house and a castle set in spectacular grounds plus it has a lovely tearoom. I always judge a place by its tearoom and its cake. Rod & I are dog sitting this week. Buster is a Cavishon puppy. He has been so much fun although I had forgotten how busy puppies are. We took him with us to Dinefwr and he had a great time exploring a new place. He especially enjoyed the mill pond. I thought he was going to go for a swim.

I can’t believe the school summer holiday is here. If you are looking for something to make with your children over the holidays, we have some lovely mini rag wreath kits that will help pass the time away on a day spent indoors. Have a look on our website shop. I hope everyone has a great week. Claire and I have got our Swansea Quilters AGM tomorrow and Claire is doing a quilting workshop on Sunday which is all about modern improv quilting. I will put up some photos next Friday. We have also got our next workshop on Friday August 16th which is all about slow stitching. This is so good for your creativity and mindfulness and is suitable for all ages…young and old. If you fancy a go book your place on our website via the workshop page. As with all our workshops all supplies are included. See you next Friday x Suzanne

Slow Stitch is all about the journey not the destination.

Here is a small example of a slow stitch landscape scene but you can make whatever you like.

Read More
Suzanne Thomas Suzanne Thomas

Happy Friday!

A new zipped pouch using patchwork

I love the vibrant colours of the different fabric.

Hello everyone. How has your week been? Claire and I gave a talk to the lovely ladies of the Llansamlet WI yesterday evening. They gave us a great welcome and it was fab to meet new crafters and quilters. This is what I love about what we do, meeting new people and sharing our love of all things fun and quirky. We have been making some new stock for Adelante using the patchwork that Claire has designed. The photo heading the blog is of a beautiful purple and gold jacket that I made for a customer. Diane wanted a birthday gift for her daughter whose favourite colour is purple. The purple is stunning and I think it looks great with the gold which looks like flames. I have started an advanced sewing course with the amazing Helen Rhiannon from All Sewn Up Wales today. I love vintage Christian Dior dresses so I am going to attempt to make my own version with a boat neck and box pleats. I will share some photos of my dress when it is finished. It is a year since Helen’s dressmaking book was first published. It has quickly become a must have dressmaking bible all over the world. Have a look at her website and her Facebook Page. Claire has been at Underhill Park Hub today doing a course run by Google. It is frightening how quickly technology is advancing especially with AI. Claire is our computer guru.

I always feel blessed to live where I do, close to lots of lovely beaches. Sunday Rod & I went for a walk to Oxwich. We had part of the beach to ourselves. Today we went for a walk on Langland Beach. It’s always good for the soul getting out in the fresh sea air and for my stomach (not my waistline though) as we finished both walks with coffee and cake. I also popped a photo in of a Hurricane waiting to take off from Swansea Airport to take part in the Swansea Airshow last Sunday.

The Forget Me Not Club went to the Gower Heritage Centre on Tuesday and sampled ‘A Taste of Times Past’. Thanks to Chendore Luan for feeding us tasty homemade food from a bygone era of Gower. It was really interesting learning something new about where you live. We all enjoyed having a walk around the centre and seeing the water wheel working. The Heritage Centre is a fascinating snapshot of times past. They also have a gift shop with lots of local produce. This weekend Swansea and the Gower is playing host to Ironman Swansea. Hope you all have a lovely weekend and a great week. See you next Friday x Suzanne

Read More
Suzanne Thomas Suzanne Thomas

Happy Friday!

Hello everyone. How are you all and how has your week been? Claire was away last week catching up with friends but she is back now and creating some lovely fabric. We love how it looks in the prototype waistcoat that I made with her handmade fabric. I have put it on as the front of this blog. Let us know what you think. I finished some cushions and a table runner for Adelante in Mumbles. I enjoy patchwork and quilting. I love that you can reverse this table runner if you wanted. It looks completely different. If you haven’t been to Adelante yet, you must! It’s got so many different things from vintage clothes and homeware to jewellery and bags from local small businesses like Sister Makes. I defy anyone to leave there without something especially if you are looking for a gift. You will find Adelante at the top of Newton Road, Mumbles.

Next week Claire and I are finishing some projects for the Swansea Quilters Exhibition. I will be binding my quilt and finishing a piece that was set to all of us as a challenge. It’s been lovely seeing some of the ones already finished. We all had the same brief but everyone’s is different. I always feel inspired by the ladies at Swansea Quilters. Photos to follow. We have been invited to do a talk with the Llansamlet WI next Thursday. We love meeting people who share our joy of crafting and sewing. I am also out with the Forget Me Not club I volunteer with. We are off to the Gower Heritage Centre for a ‘taste of old Gower’. Looking forward to that. I’ve put a few photos of the heritage centre. I love the one of what it originally looked like. If you want to have a look further click here. Have a lovely week and see you next Friday x Suzanne

Read More
Suzanne Thomas Suzanne Thomas

Happy Friday!

Meet Buster

He is keeping me company while I write the blog

Hello everyone. How are you all and how has your week been? I hope you have all been enjoying some of the lovely sunshine we have had. I find that the sun makes me want to get out and do things. Claire and I have been busy making for Sister Makes this week. I have made a lovely set of cushion covers and two table runners…some photos below of my work in progress. These will be on their way to Adelante in Mumbles early next week. I love picking out colours and patterns. The cushion covers are jewel like in colour….nice and bright. I think the table runners would make a lovely addition to any dining room or lounge. Claire has finished a tote bag for a commission but photos will be to follow as the customer has not had a chance to see it yet. Claire has also created another piece of handmade unique patchwork which she will be making into a zipped pouch. I can’t wait to see it finished as the combinations of different fabrics look amazing.

This weekend is Glastonbury 2024 running from Friday 28th June to Sunday 30th June. Claire and I have never been but we love watching it on TV. Hopefully the weather will be good for them as they have a fabulous lineup from Coldplay to Avril Lavigne to Paloma Faith. If you are going our knot bags are great for festivals as they are self-closing so no-one can get into them and they sit on your wrist leaving you hands free for your drink and food. Our kimono jackets are also good for festivals as they are so comfortable and easy to wear. Have a look at our website and don’t forget all our newsletter subscribers have access to an exclusive 10% discount.

Claire & I are going to HQ Urban Kitchen which is located in the heart of Swansea’s Creative Quarter. It is a brilliant place to listen to live music and see resident artists and their work. It used to be the old police station, now it’s somewhere to go for great food and coffee. Have a lovely weekend and I will see you next week x Suzanne

Read More
Suzanne Thomas Suzanne Thomas

Happy Friday!

Hello everyone. How has your week been? Hope it has been good. We have had lots of sunshine in Swansea. Yay! It is so nice to feel warm. I’ve been taking the opportunity to sit out in the garden when I can. It’s so good for the soul. Rhod & I took a day off and went to Dyffryn Gardens near Cardiff this week. We haven’t been there for a few years. The National Trust have done a lot of work restoring the gardens. We had a great day out in the sunshine admiring all the different types of ‘garden rooms’ that they have created. You can’t go in the house unfortunately but they have a lovely cafe and gift shop. I can recommend the apricot flapjacks. Claire and I always love a good gift shop.

Today was our second crochet workshop. I missed the first one. I have always wanted to learn to crochet so this was my chance. Karen & Laura are so passionate about this craft. They love to teach. All of us who attended the workshop left with a big smile and being able to crochet a granny square. Mind you I definitely need lots of practice. Allison and Sue who attended could already crochet but both felt they had learnt a lot from today. Don’t forget our next workshop is again at Dunvant Farm Shop on July 19th and is all about the embroidery. You will leave with your own unique tote bag. Our workshops are a lovely relaxed way to meet new people with a love of crafting. Booking is essential which can be done by going to www.sistermakes.co.uk/workshop.

Claire is busy completing a bag for a commission plus making her own handmade fabric. Photos to follow. I am making some table runners and placemats using a new quilt block which I am excited about for Adelante. Lots going on. Have a lovely week and see you next Friday x Suzanne

Read More
Suzanne Thomas Suzanne Thomas

Happy Friday!

Isn’t this fabric gorgeous. Claire has made it into a lovely Japanese knot bag.

Hello everyone. How has your week been? I hope it has been joyful and productive. We love seeing how happy our customers are with their purchases. Liz who commissioned a cross body bag from us was so pleased with the finished product. She loved the fact that it was totally unique and no-one else would have the same bag. I also delivered a gorgeous purple and gold kimono style jacket to Diane also from Dunvant WI this week. Diane was also really happy with the jacket and the colours.

I’ve talked about Claire making our own fabric out of scraps in previous blogs and our last newsletter….well this week I have transformed it into a waistcoat. This is a pattern that I drafted myself and was really pleased with how it turned out. I have cut out my bias binding today which I will use to finish the waistcoat off. Did anyone see the Great British Sewing Bee this week. It was the reduce, reuse and recycle episode and they used scraps to both make and quilt a bag. It was different to how we use our scraps but very clever. We love reusing our materials as much as possible.

Next week I will be having a go at sewing a fitted waistcoat. I love that these have come back into fashion this year. They look good just as a top in itself or over a shirt or blouse. I will let you know how I get on next week. We have got our crochet plus workshop next Friday at Dunvant Farm Shop. We have one space left. If you are interested then book using our workshop page here. Our next workshop will be on Friday 19th July at Dunvant Farm Shop. This is an embroidery workshop where you will embroider your own tote bag. It’s a great way to explore all the beautiful stitches that embroidery has to offer and design something unique to you. Again all supplies including the tote bag will be part of the workshop. This can now be booked on our website as above. Have a lovely week and see you next Friday x Suzanne

Read More
Suzanne Thomas Suzanne Thomas

Saturday Sunshine!

Happy Saturday everyone. How has your week been? There was no blog yesterday as Claire & I went on a day trip to Ilfracombe on The Waverley Paddle Steamer. It was brilliant seeing Swansea from a different point of view. The Waverley is a beautiful ship. We were gutted as wanted to sit outside as we crossed the Bristol Channel however the rain came down as we were leaving and didn’t stop until we got to Devon. It made for a bumpy crossing! Never mind. We had a lovely time in Ilfracombe. The crossing home was a lot better. No rain and a lot calmer.

It’s been a busy week. I finished one of my commissions but I can’t put a photo on the blog until next week as Liz is having her bag on Monday. I’ve loved the colours against the denim. Claire has been busy making a wall hanging for the Swansea Quilters Summer Exhibition.

Rhod & I went to the Field of Dreams Classic Car Show last Sunday. The weather was fantastic. It was so nice we went on our classic motorbike. There were lots of gorgeous cars on display plus entertainment for all ages. On Thursday evening we also went to see the lighting of a beacon on top of Oystermouth Castle to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the D-Day Landings. It was a very poignant moment. The castle had been decorated on the outside with poppies made by the Swansea Yarn Bombers. You can follow them on Facebook. Their display was amazing. The red of the poppies looked very dramatic cascading down the castle walls.

The poppies look great next to the Beacon

Beacons were lit all around the country at 9.15pm on the 80th anniversary of D-Day

Have a lovely week and I will see you next Friday x Suzanne

Read More
Suzanne Thomas Suzanne Thomas

Happy Friday!

I love this knot bag - it’s so colourful.

Hello everyone. How has your week been? I’m typing this with the sun shining outside and my washing blowing on the line. I love being able to put my washing outside to dry. Little things but they make me happy. Rhod & I managed to go out for a walk and picnic near us. The weather was grey and cold but we enjoyed ourselves. Trying to get out for some fresh air everyday is vital to me, even if the weather isn’t good. It is good for my physical and mental health. It was lovely to be surrounded by nature although one of the swans did make us a bit nervous lol. Excuse the close up of my knees.

I managed to finish my quilt and took it to the lovely Julia from Swansea Quilters who is going to put it on her long arm quilting machine as it is too big to go through my sewing machine. I am so excited to see the finished quilt. Claire has been doing some more patchwork fabric. She has also created a new cross stitch pattern which she has put on our online shop as a PDF. You can have a look and buy it here. There will be more to follow. If you want to see more about these and access to an exclusive discount then subscribe to our newsletter. Our next one will be out tomorrow.

Do not adjust your screens! This is Claire’s new PDF. What a great idea for Christmas!

We are off to see a car show on Sunday 2nd June called Field of Dreams which is being held at Riverside Holiday Park, Ynysforgan Farm, Neath Road, Swansea SA6 6QL. Hope you all have a lovely week. See you next Friday x Suzanne

PS. I am not being paid by Ford. I have always fancied a Ford Mexico and loved this image!

Read More
Suzanne Thomas Suzanne Thomas

Happy Monday!

Claire has been busy

Love this print…very vibrant

Hello and Happy Bank Holiday everyone. I thought I would post on a Monday for a change. How are you all? I hope you have had a lovely bank holiday weekend. It’s been a mixed bag of weather but we have managed to get out and about over the weekend. Rhod & I went to Clyne Gardens. We always love it there. It’s a great place to just sit and be, soak up the fresh air and listen to the breeze rustling through the trees. There was lots of colour from the rhododendrons and azaleas even after that mad storm we had in the week. How crazy was that storm! I’ve put some photos of the Japanese Bridge and waterfall at Clyne.

I have been busy making a quilt for an exhibition that Swansea Quilters are holding in August. I needed to get it done for the beginning of this week as the lovely Julia from Swansea Quilters is going to long-arm quilt it for me. I love seeing the quilt emerge as I sew the blocks together and put on the borders. I bought myself a gorgeous range of fabrics from the Festival of Quilts a few years back and didn’t know what to do with them. I knew I wanted to do a quilt but couldn’t make up my mind about a style. I then found this pattern in a magazine and knew it would make the prints pop. I love it!

I think the ginger jar blocks showcase the lovely prints

This will hopefully be a lap quilt…..mind you I might change my mind and put it on the wall

Claire has been busy making some tote bags for Adelante. Naomi was looking for a tropical feel to put in the window. I think Claire has delivered. I love the colours and patterns in her patchwork and the lining. They look very summery.

I promised to put on some pictures of the crochet workshop which took place when I was away. Everyone had a lovely time and no-one went without completing a granny square….even the complete beginners. It was so popular that we will be doing another one in June. I have put the details below.

This is our next workshop

If you want to book a place, just click here

What sort of week have you all got? Claire is busy with her patchwork. I will be working on some commissions. Whatever you are doing have a great week. See you on Friday x Suzanne

Read More
Suzanne Thomas Suzanne Thomas

Hello Friday!

What do you think of this lovely mix of red and gold?

We love looking for different fabrics and patterns for our designs.

Hello everyone. How are you all? I am writing this blog from sunny Dawlish Warren in Devon. Rhod and I have been here on holiday this week. Although the weather hasn’t been great, we have dodged the showers and had some lovely warm sunny spells. We love Devon and Cornwall but have not been to East Devon before. We can highly recommend it. We have had a lovely time exploring the area mostly by train as it was so convenient. It was so nice to leave the car at our holiday home. Dawlish is a great place with lovely green spaces. Thankfully we have done a lot of walking as we have consumed fish and chips and many a cream tea. Yummy! We loved A La Ronde which is a National Trust property near Exmouth. It is a sixteen sided house with diamond shaped windows set in the joins of the house.

Before I went to Devon, Claire and I were at The Vintage and Makers Market in The Waterfront Museum. It was a lovely weekend. We met up with old customers as well as new. Our kimono style jackets were again popular as were our Japanese Knot Bags. The weather co-operated and lots of people were out and about. There were lots of events going on which was great to see. This is the same this weekend, for example, there is Swansea Pride tomorrow which will be going through the city centre and the Gower Cheese and Cider Festival is also on this weekend which will be at The Gower Heritage Centre.

Cheese and cider - what’s not to love!

Our Granny Square Crochet Workshop was this morning. We had to have a change of venue last minute unfortunately but thanks to the Dunvant Farm Shop everyone enjoyed. The amazing Karen and Laura are very patient teachers. They even managed to get Claire crocheting. I will let you know the date of our next workshop as we have to sort out a new venue. Next week I will be busy quilting and I will share what I will hopefully have completed with you next Friday. Have a lovely week x Suzanne

Read More
Suzanne Thomas Suzanne Thomas

Hello Friday!

Hello everyone on this fabulous sunny and warm Friday. Hopefully this is the start of our summer. Claire & I are busy getting ready for the Vintage and Makers Market this weekend. Come in and say hello if you can. It is free entry and is open from 10am to 4pm. There is so much going on around Swansea this weekend. By the Waterfront Museum we have got the vintage car show on in the Marina square tomorrow all day and there is a steam engine on the museum green from 12pm to 3pm while on Sunday the Marina Food Market is on. What are you all up to this weekend - making the most of the sunshine.

I have been busy making some new kimono style jackets ready for the market and then they will be put on the website. I hope you like them. Claire has been busy making some Japanese knot bags to add to the display and I have also made a pair of patchwork cushions. Rhod and I managed to get out for a lovely walk on the bank holiday down Oxwich Bay. It is so beautiful there and the tide was right out.

Yes that is blue sky you can see - I loved capturing it in the sand. The tide was right out that day!

You can just make out Oxwich Bay Hotel in the distance.

Sorry for the shortish blog this week but I am now off to have a well-deserved lie down and a large glass of fizz. Have a lovely weekend and see you next Friday x Suzanne

Read More
Suzanne Thomas Suzanne Thomas

Hello Friday!

My lovely new table that can take both sewing machine and overlocker.

Excuse the mess - it’s a work in progress as I have had to rejig my work space.

Hello everyone. I know the weather isn’t ideal but we have a bank holiday weekend to look forward to. We can have an extra lie-in on Monday for those of us lucky enough not to be working. How has your week been? Claire and I were asked by the lovely ladies of the Dunvant WI to give a talk last week. I have to say I was very nervous as I am not very confident when it comes to public speaking however everyone was very welcoming. We had great feedback and lovely comments about our business and products.

We also managed to get on to The Big Wheel by Mumbles Pier. We were lucky to have sunshine and blue skies. We even managed to sit outside with a coffee at The Pier Cafe. It was great to be able to look at the coast from above. My photos don’t do it justice. Also this week I went to Plantasia Tropical Zoo for the first time with the gang from the Forget-Me-Not Dementia Day Club that I volunteer with. We all had a great time although I wasn’t too chuffed with all the creepy crawlies.

Nearly finished.

What do you think of the 1970s print?

I am busy making some new kimono style jackets ready for our next fair on May 11th & 12th. At the moment I have nearly finished one made in vintage fabric. What do you think? It’s very 1970s. I have also made one in a William Morris pattern. As you know we love our Japanese fabrics but I am enjoying sourcing these vintage patterns.

Claire and I are hoping that we can get outside and have some lovely walks by the sea this weekend and of course lots of sewing and crafting. Hope you all have a lovely bank holiday x Suzanne

Read More
Suzanne Thomas Suzanne Thomas

Hello Friday!

Hello everyone. I hope you have had a good week. We have had a productive week at our Sister Makes HQs. I have finished my commission which I am really happy with. I have added some photos. What do you think? Lynne had a waistcoat that she loved to wear but could not find one similar so when she was in Adelante she asked Naomi if she could ask us to make one as she loved the fabrics that we used. I was happy to have a go. It is completely unique as I drafted a pattern using Lynne’s waistcoat. I used some floral fabric that Lynne liked and found some vintage buttons in my stash that compliment the fabric. Lynne now has a bespoke, unique waistcoat which I hope will give her many more years of joy.

Love the colours in the waistcoat.

It is now a bespoke garment that no-one else will own.

On Saturday Claire & I have our monthly Swansea Quilters meeting and this month we have got a talk called “Art to stitch and back again’ by Carol Bartlett. Sunday we are off to the Retro Fair which is being held at Mumbles Pier. It is free to enter and is on from 11am to 3pm. There will be lots of lovely finds from records to homewares. I might even have a go on the Big Wheel which is by the pier if the weather is okay. The views will be stunning looking out to sea. We might even see Devon if the weather is good.

Let’s hope it’s not too windy!

Looking forward to seeing Mumbles from a new angle.

Monday 22nd April is Earth Day and the theme this year is Planet vs Plastics and it aims to raise awareness of the harms of plastic pollution to us and to our planet. For further information have a look at their official website www.earthday.org. As you know Sister Makes tries to use as little plastic as possible. All our bags are plastic free and are great to use instead of a plastic bag. It is important to Claire and I to reuse, reduce and recycle where we can. We love looking for vintage fabrics and haberdashery.

Who needs plastic bags - not us.

Our knot bags are great for lots of different uses.

Claire & I have been invited to give a talk about what we do to the Dunvant WI next week. More about that in next week’s blog. In the meantime have a lovely week x Suzanne

Read More
Suzanne Thomas Suzanne Thomas

Hello Friday!

Hello everyone how has your week been? Claire and Simon have been away, busy spending time with their grandchildren. There have been birthday parties and trips. Time goes by so quickly and they grow up so fast. The trip was great but poor Claire and Simon needed a rest when they got home. Spending time with loved ones is so important. The front cover of my blog shows the blossom starting to come out on my apple trees. It is not so good this year. I think it is because it has been so wet and windy. Never mind. I still get joy from looking out the windows and seeing the lovely pink and white flowers.

Our first workshop has been and gone which everyone enjoyed and we are looking forward to our next one in May which is a crochet workshop. I have included a poster with all the details on it. Please like it on social media and share it to others you think would enjoy it. We would be so grateful if you can as Facebook and Instagram are so important as a way to get information out to others. We will be doing workshops every third Friday from June onwards and I will share a list of what we will be doing. We will also make sure our website is updated. Have a look at our dedicated workshop page www.sistermakes.co.uk/workshops.

I love the colours and patterns - very spring like

I am busy working on a commission from a lovely lady that I met when Claire & I were dropping off some stock to Naomi at Adelante’s in Mumbles. I will share some photos on next week’s blog. I am also making a kimono style jacket out of some lovely vintage William Morris fabric that I found in my stash. Again photos to follow. Claire is busy as always making lovely new bags and scarves.

Again I love the colour and patterns of this beautiful Japanese Knot Bag

Have a lovely week. Hopefully the weather will perk up x Suzanne

Read More
Suzanne Thomas Suzanne Thomas

Hello Friday!

The Folly at Clyne Gardens

Hello everyone. The week has flown by. How was your Easter? I hope you had a chance to get outdoors and dodge the showers. I managed to get a few walks in and stay dry. Today Rhod & I went to Clyne Gardens in Blackpill, Swansea. They never disappoint whatever season we are in. The colours were lovely and vibrant making us smile. There was even some sunshine! Don’t forget we have got our first workshop on 11th April at The Whirlybird Cafe in Swansea Airport. Our next one is Friday 17th May which will be a crochet workshop. Posters to follow. After that, our workshops will be held on the 3rd Friday of every month. Claire has set up a dedicated workshop page on our website where you can find all the up to date information.

Learn to make a Granny Square at our May Workshop

I have been busy getting our April newsletter out. If you want to subscribe, it is easy, just click on our website link www.sistermakes.co.uk and go to the bottom of our front page and sign up. There is a great discount code which is only open to subscribers. Claire has been busy updating our website and has put links to all our stockists such as Adelante and Cortile Coffee. I have been working on some commissions. A lady liked our vintage floral print bags in Adelante and has asked if we can make her a waistcoat using her own vintage waistcoat to work from. I love working on something so personal that will be unique to her and also be sustainable as it will be using vintage fabric.

One of our new Japanese knot bags - make sure to have a look at our website as Claire has been busy - she has put together some beautiful prints

Have a great week x Suzanne

Read More
Suzanne Thomas Suzanne Thomas

Hello Friday!

Happy Good Friday everyone. I hope you are all well and for those of you not working today you are enjoying the sunshine. Officially Spring has already started but Easter is early this year and it is still raining and cold so to me it feels like Spring is around the corner nearly with us. For me, spring time is all about renewal and embracing positive change. It’s such a hopeful time of year, a time of fresh beginnings and longer days to help us be inspired. When the sun is out my mood improves and I want to be outside amongst the blossom and blooming flowers.

Claire and I are so lucky where we live. We have lots of green spaces and beautiful parks. My favourite is Clyne Gardens. This time of year it is alive with cherry and apple blossom and lots of rhododendrons in so many different colours. Parks are so important for us physically and mentally whether you are 1 or 100. Hopefully the weather will let us get out and visit our local parks over Easter.

At Sister Makes we have been busy making bags and scarfs to take to Adelante in Mumbles. Her shop is a joy to the senses. Everytime I go in there is something new that grabs my eye. There is so much colour which is what Claire and I love as you know. We are also looking forward to our first workshop on April 11th. Come and join us for three hours of fun and you will go home with your own bespoke mini rag wreath. You can book by clicking on this link www.sistermakes.co.uk/workshops.

Have a lovely week x Suzanne

Read More
Suzanne Thomas Suzanne Thomas

Happy Friday!

Hello everyone. How’s your week been? Lots going on at Sister Makes HQs.

I have received some lovely feedback regarding my kimono style jackets so I have just finished a new one which I will put on the website along with the others that we showcased in the vintage and makers market. Apologies for the delay in putting them on our website but they will be up by Sunday. I have loved choosing the fabrics and this last one is one of my favourites.

Isn’t this fabric fantastic!

This is a size Large and is £45.00

We are so excited that the workshop for April 11th has gone live. You can book by clicking on www.sistermakes.co.uk/workshops and using the red booking button. Please share this with anyone you know who loves to learn a new craft. Claire has been busy getting the kits ready. The workshop is excellent value at £25.00 per person. All supplies are included and you get to take home a 6 inch mini rag wreath in colours that you have chosen. As a bonus there is a free hot or soft drink included. A workshop is a lovely way to meet other like minded people. In May we will be running a crochet workshop where you will learn how to make granny squares.

Claire has also been making stock for the lovely Adelante in Mumbles. If you haven’t been yet, Adelante is a fabulous fashion and vintage boutique. Naomi supports local makers as well as stocking clothing which is original and quirky.

Hope you have a lovely week x Suzsnne

Read More
Suzanne Thomas Suzanne Thomas

Happy Friday!

Hello everyone. Hope you have had a great week. Lots going on at Sister Makes. We are launching a new look and logo. Let us know what you think. We have gone for a more minimalist feel and love the new colours of blue and white with a pop of red and green. We are currently updating our website and putting on some new photos. A lot has happened since we first thought of Sister Makes back in 2021. Where has that time gone?

Our new kimono style jackets

They are so easy to wear - you can dress them up or wear with casual wear

We did our first market of 2024 last weekend and had a lovely time seeing old customers and traders and meeting lots of new people as well. Our new jackets went well and we had positive feedback. I am busy making some new ones. Bear with me as I am not the fastest on the sewing machine! All our jackets like our other products are unique and quirky. A lot of the fun for us is choosing which fabrics to use for our projects.

How exciting! In 2024 we will be running some craft workshops along with Dragon Emporium.

Our first workshop will be making mini rag wreaths on the 11th April at the WhirlyBird Cafe in Swansea Airport.

This week we have been meeting up with the lovely Karen & Laura of Dragon Emporium to design the poster for our first new workshop. We are very excited about running these workshops as we all love to share our love of crafting.

Book our very 1st workshop via this link https://www.picktime.com/craftworkshop

Have a great week x Suzanne

Read More