New Shop opening

We are very excited to be able to tell you all that, we have just picked up the keys for our 3rd Millie Moon shop.

The new shop will be in Keynsham, on the outskirts of Bristol. 

Its a lovely high street, bustling with busy shops and lots of independant traders. Can't wait to start filling it with lovely things. 

Pictures coming soon...

Mollie Makes and Millie Moon

We have teamed up with the very creative Mollie Makes magazine to offer this months subscription gift. Details below. 

Subscribe today and receive a pretty gift of fabric, buttons and ribbons from Millie Moon

 

Subscribe Benefits:

In addition to the FREE gift from Millie Moon, subscribers also save 32%* on the shop price, get the magazine delivered direct to their door at no extra cost and they still continue to receive the fantastic FREE gifts on every issue!

Subscribe Today:

www.myfavouritemagazines.co.uk/MMS31T

Hurry! Offer ends 31^st July.

Please send us pictures of what you make with your gift. We would love to see them!

Terms and conditions:

*Savings compared to buying 13 full priced issues a year from the UK newsstand. This offer is for new UK print subscribers only. You will receive 13 issues in a year. Gift is available to new UK print subs paying by 6 monthly Direct Debit and one and two year debit/credit card payments. Please allow up to 60 days for delivery of your gift. Gift is subject to availability. In the event of stocks becoming exhausted, we reserve the right to replace with items of a similar value. Full details of the Direct Debit guarantee are available upon request. If you are dissatisfied in any way you can write to us or call us to cancel your subscription at any time and we will refund you for all unmailed issues. Prices correct at point of print and subject to change. For full terms and conditions please visit: myfavm.ag/magterms. Offer ends: 31^st July 2013

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Material World by Perri Lewis

OOh a new craft book!...When this beautiful book arrived in the shop, everyone couldn't wait to get their hands on it. 
Material World by Perri Lewis:

   (and not just because we have a lovely little mention in the book :)

Perri Lewis, writes about contemporary craft for the Guardian, Daily Mail, Company and a selection of modern craft magazines. Its an exciting book about modern craft, something that we at Millie Moon love.  On the back of the book is the statement "Craft just got all grown up"

Some of our favourite designers, Amy Butler, Tatty Devine, Rob Ryan and Kaffe Fassett are among the many who have contributed some of their wisdom to this book. 

Reading through the book, it is very well set out, with easy to follow chapters that make you just want to read the whole thing like a novel. But it is also split into easy sections so that you can refer to the section you are interested in and come back to the fab projects in each section.

The book covers a wide variety of crafts including:

• Decoupage,
• Printing,
• Encrusting, 
• Cross stitching, 
• Quilling,
• Millinery,
• Embellishments,
• Paper cutting,
• Leatherwork,
• Macramé,
• Patchwork
• Jewellery making, 
• Tailoring
•  and Appliqué.

Lots of things I have never tried before but am going to have a go now! I really fancy trying the tshirt dress project below.

Each section has hints and tips by experts in their craft to help perfect those skills and there are also lessons to help you create your own projects rather than following a set pattern. 


A really lovely book, thank you to Perri for our mention in it.  We have copies of the book for sale in both the shops. Pop in and take a look.

Rachel x

Dates for your diary

Hows the christmas shopping going so far? Slowly? mine is. Luckily we have a couple of fantastic events coming up in december which I think will help us all. 

Christmas at the Barn, organised by Edamay www.edamay.com is a great weekend event with plenty of interesting handmade, artistic creations worth a visit for that unusual gift in the beautiful setting of Mells Barn, just outside Frome and one of Millie Moons favourite places. Its taking place on the 1st and 2nd December 10-5pm.


We will be there on the Saturday with a little stall of gift ideas along with many talented others including our very own Vickie,  Fromemaid with her amazing kids superhero capes www.fromemaid.com

 On Sunday the lovely Gaynor, will be there selling her unique mixed media creations, including her collages, felt brooches and decorations www.folksy.com/shops/gingergirl


check out the blog for more info http://christmasatthebarn.blogspot.co.uk

      Frome's christmas Supermarket takes place on Sunday 2nd December from 10-4pm. The creative artisans will be lining the streets of Frome, including Catherine Hill, selling unique and fabulous gifts, food, decorations and more. The Flea market at the Cheese and Grain will  be a great place for that special find. 

Shops and cafes are also opening, perfect for christmas shopping. 

We will be open 10-4pm and the very creative Quilt Queen Caroline Frances-Payne will have her colourful stall outside our shop for the day. 


Hopefully I will get all my shopping done that weekend. How about you?
                                                                                        
                          
 Shop Local, Shop Frome

Its our birthday!

This week we celebrate our  Birthday at Millie Moon.  It has been 4 years since we opened the doors to our little fabric heaven to share with the world. Looking back at early pictures we had very little stock but a lot of enthusiasm and ideas. Although I don't think either of us realised quite how much the business would grow in such a short space of time. After opening in 2008 we started the Sewing school in 2009. In 2010 we moved to bigger premises and in 2011 we opened our 2nd shop in Wells. What will 2012 bring...?

Millie Moon in Frome

Millie Moon Wells

  

We have seen our range of stock grow to include, Moda, Riley Blake, Michael Miller to name but a few and of course kept the original favourites of Kaffe Fassett, Amy Butler, Tilda and Tanya Whelan, beautiful wool felt, pompom trims and rows of ribbons. Jelly rolls, charm packs and Layer cakes fill the shelves with their stunning mix of colours. Waddings, vilenes and a huge selection of basic haberdashery, may not be so pretty, but a real necessity for all crafts.

   The Millie Moon Sewing School has gone from strength to strength. There was a whole generation that didn't sew and struggled to sew on a button. We set up the sewing school not just to cover the basics but to really inspire and create confidence in people's abilities and choices. Workshops in a wide range of crafts, not just sewing.

We also offer 1-1 tuition, birthday parties, baby showers and hen dos.


Also, our lovely little Sewing club on 1st tuesday of every month, brings together a group of ladies with similar interests to share, inspire and chat about their projects. This club has been going for over 3 years. Come along and join in.

Kids are so creative and keen to learn, that kids workshops were soon added to the schedule, as well as birthday parties. We want to inspire our children to have fun with craft and colour.  So that there isn't a generation that misses out again. (All our kids tutors are CRB checked)

All our Tutors and employees are artists in their own right. Between them their creativity covers a wide range of areas from quilting, dressmaking, ceramics to textile artists. They are bloggers, authors, run etsy/ folksy shops, have studio spaces, websites and are established businesses in their own right. All with a passion for arts crafts and textiles. All truly inspirational people. We are honoured to support them and other local designers by stocking their work in our shops.

Freemotion machine embroidery with Angela Lai Yen

Teach me to sew with Angela

Ceramic button making with Jo Luckstead

Dressmaking workshops with Anne Baillie-Smith

Patchwork and Quilting with Caroline Frances-Payne

"make me a dress" By Alexandra King

Collage with Gaynor Ringland

 

Millie Moon is our love and our passion. We have worked tirelessly together as business partners and believed in each other as sisters to create a business and a brand we adore and are very proud of.


Juggling our young families (5 children between 2-12 years) keeping house and in the beginning with full time jobs, this has been a true labour of love. Working late nights and weekends we couldn't have done it without the support and love of families and friends. 

We would like to take this opportunity to say a big

" THANK YOU"

 to our families, the team, the tutors, our lovely customers, our followers on twitter, facebook and the blog, thank you for all being so enthusiastic, inspirational and supportive.

Here's to another exciting year ahead... what will it bring? 

Watch this space.............

Big love

Rachel and Becki x

Please take a look at our website for products and workshops. The new season schedule for workshops will be available soon.  www.milliemoonshop.co.uk

A little bit of advice...?

Dear ladies 

I received this on Facebook and thought I must share it with all the lovely sewing ladies out there.  Now I know where I have been going wrong all this time... 

If I had the technical skills, I would enable a sound track to play Andy Williams crooning  " Hey, little girl, fix your hair, put on your makeup" !






Love Vickie, Fromemaid 

An evening with the Frome WI

On May 17th we were invited by the lovely ladies of the newly formed Frome Wi to be their guest speakers. All the team gathered together at the shop on beautiful Catherine hill and wandered up the hill to the United Reformed church hall on Whittox lane, sewing machines at the ready.

With plenty of space to spread out we quickly set up our 3 make tables and 3 demonstration tables. Tonights theme, Jubilee of course.

Two tables were making Jubilee corsages with Angela and myself and the other table were working on paper craft with Gaynor. Some fab pieces were made.

On the demonstration tables we had Vickie (Fromemaid) demonstrating her own jubilee tea cosy kits, 

Caroline was marking the jubilee with a special quilt demonstration 

and Becki was giving away expert tips in making jubilee bunting. 

A really lovely but exhausting evening and the ladies moved around the room, one lady referred to it as 'speed crafting'! Hopefully everyone had a go at the makes and were inspired by the demonstrations.

We have a range of jubilee fabrics, ribbons, buttons and bows in both shops. Fromemaid tea cosy's, Millie Moons Bunting and corsages are available ready made and in kit form. Pop in and be ready for your street party!


Thanks to Frome WI for inviting. We will see you in November for "christmas crafts"


 Photos supplied by Storm @ Frome WI
If you are interested in joining the WI, then please contact Storm via their Facebook page

More from the Wells WI

The ladies of the Wells WI have been working on a Bunting Project. Each flag has been designed and made by a different member of the WI.

We have the bunting displayed in our Wells shop window, pop along and take a look at their work.  They have used a variety of appliqué, embroidery, buttons, and embellishments to make each flag unique.

Also, since our evening with the WI, we have had quite a few of the ladies in the shop to make more corsages, try new projects, sign up on workshops and even show us some of their work. 

Here is Suzanne's free motion embroidery cards, inspired by the lovely Angela. 

Finally an apology, there was a problem with the photos on the last WELLS WI post. Hopefully I have sorted this now, go back and take a look at the post again from FRIDAY 27th April

Introducing Caroline Frances-Payne

Hi my name is Caroline, my passion is colour, Patchwork and Quilting.

I became interested in quilting when I lived In germany. I made a little jacket for my small daughter with material already quilted. They had some fabric in this gift shop in the town centre. I was enthralled by the little patterns on the fabric and would spend hours creating garments.




After a move back to England, ending up in Tidworth, I would get hooked on Readicut rugs but the passion for fabric was still burning.

We moved to Frome in early 1982, after a few years I was invited to join Frome quilters, thats when the passion really too off, I became a fan pf appliqué and would love to cut out loads of 'Sunbonnet Sues' using fabrics from a lovely little shop in stoney street. My girls got used to me frequently visiting and buying fabric which was small and dainty. My passion for colour came later when on a workshop by Carole Lizbeth I was blown away by her bold use of colour. I was hooked. Next came a workshop with the legendary Kaffe Fassett at the American Museum in Bath and I was overwhelmed by his thinking. From 3 simple templates you could achieve anything. It was all down to the pattern and colourways of the fabric.

Then along came Millie Moon to Catherine Hill. Vibrant and bright and full of colour. Glorious quilting fabrics on my doorstep. I soon became a regular at the shop and the girls offered me the fantastic opportunity to share my love of colour. I have now been teaching patchwork and quilting with them for 4 years. Each group, new and nervous is a wonderful challenge to me, I love to see them develop into positive people each week and by the end of the course the look on their faces says it all. Its lovely to see that the joy of such a craft is not lost forever and we can make this happen by introducing them to patchwork in many ways and watch it grow.

    

I live in Frome with my husband Charlie and our 2 Jack Russell's, Doris Day and Moo Cow. I sew everyday and get my fix of colour and creation. Come and join me.

By Caroline x

Carolines next beginners Patchwork and Quilting workshop begins on Wednesday 13th June 6.30-8.30pm for 6 weeks in Frome.

Caroline also runs an 'Introduction to Patchwork' workshop once a month. The next available is;
Wells:  Sunday 20th May 10.30-2.00pm
Frome: Tuesday 19th June 1.30-4.30pm

Caroline is also available for 1-1 tuition

Call the shop to book your place.