Look April Showers arrived in Millie Moon, Frome........

Look look its April and here comes the rain - the April Showers have arrived, right in our shop window.......but don't panic this is a nice friendly April Shower that we are more than happy to welcome. You could say its raining brightly coloured felt, lovely patterned fabric, buttons, threads and craft craft craft!!! Don't forget its bursting at the seams with smiles too. (Sorry I will stop now with the silliness!)

Changing the subject, I've always been a fan of rain clouds and the idea of rain (but dislike forgetting my umbrella and getting wet, who doesn't) so I've been itching for an excuse to create rain themed pieces, what better reason than a fun window display to make everyone smile. I hope you all enjoy the window and if you haven't seen it in the flesh yet please do pop by. You may be enticed with a craft kit or two: I've packed rain into a bag for you: you can make your very own mini 'make me cloud mobile', 'make me rain plushie' and 'make me rain bunting'. Wouldn't it be lovely to have a bedroom filled with rain!! Or a rain party!! Okay just getting a little over-excited.

The talented Gaynor aka Ginger Girl has also been busy creating rain on a bag! Her beautiful embellish me canvas bag kits are ever popular and contain everything you need to create your own original bag - decorate away. Ginger Girl has created making kits of plushies too - you will find an adorable hedgehog, a friendly owl and pretty birds. All hedgehogs, owls and birds like jumping in puddles too didn't you know........the only thing they are missing is a loving home and a name to be proud of.

Don't forget Millie Moon stores are stocked with a range of felt newly arrived in fact is the wool mix felt on the roll, polyester toy stuffing, an array of embroidery silks and oodles and oodles of buttons perfect for any creative project you have in mind weather it be rain or shine. There is also our pre printed oil cloths and the NEW Lamifix which turns your fabric into oil cloths - perfect for all year round bunting. You really could have a rain party.

If you are buzzing with the creative bug do pop into Millie Moon and show us what projects are keeping you busy, we love to see what everyone is creating or better still join us in one of our workshops. Our classes are ever changing and new exciting skills are always popping up.
www.milliemoonshop.co.uk

Bye for now,
Angela

Introducing Dressmaker Anna Vickery

We are really pleased to welcome the lovely and very talented Anna Vickery to our team. Anna has been teaching workshops with us in Wells for about a year now, but is now joining the team working in the Wells shop. Anna is developing workshops in dressmaking, working with paper patterns, teens workshops and many more and we hope to offer a wide range in both Frome and Wells. 

Here is a little bit about Anna by Anna.

"I studied Fashion Design at The University of the West of England in Bristol, and graduated with a Ba(hons) in 2005. During my time at university I was selected to exhibit at Graduate Fashion week in London and at The Royal West of England Academy in Bristol. My Fashion Design degree covered many areas including design, pattern cutting and sample development, garment construction, illustration, technical drawing, styling, business, visual culture and contextual studies.

After university I started my career as a Junior Designer for a specialist company which design and produce heavy duty leather and textile products, mainly for the Police and Armed Forces. It was very much ‘in at the deep end’ but great experience - if I could work with leather on heavy machinery I can sew anything….

Along the way I have also worked for a luxury leather brand and a floral designer - I always seem to pick nice/tempting products to work with, and now I’m at Millie Moon, trying to resist new fabric every week!

I also currently work with amazing Womenswear and Bridal designer Alexandra King. I met Alexandra at university and now help her create handmade clothing and accessories for women worldwide from her Somerset studio. We design and make every garment, mainly dresses, in house and strongly believe in traditional craftsmanship and service. I am mainly involved with the actual making of the dresses, it may surprise you to know that despite my background in ‘design’ I hate drawing, so we work well together - Alexandra is an inspiration and truly lovely friend. www.alexandra-king.com

Since school/college/university and beyond my influences have come from twentieth century art, media and design. Current projects I am working on include making a Wedding Dress for an old school friend who is getting married in June, working on a new Chilrenswear/Flowergirl mini collection ready for a Wedding Fair at Bristol Zoo we are exhibiting at in March, oh and i’m about to move house so i’m collecting ideas for new interiors projects, starting with re-upholstering 6 dining chairs….

I’ve been leading workshops for Millie Moon for nearly a year and have just started doing a few days in the Wells shop - it’s great to be able to share skills in such a colourful and creative environment. I’m also looking forward to my first Millie Moon Hen Party soon. My next workshops include Teen Dressmaking, How to make a Childs Dress, How to make a Clutch Bag and How to use a paper pattern. I am also available for 1-1 sewing/dressmaking tuition.

Teens PJ Shorts workshop Sunday 24th March - Wells shop

Anna will be in the Frome shop on Friday 15th February 2013 with a teens workshop - "Up-cycle your clothes" come along with your own garment that you would like to change, update or customise. Make it fit your own individual style! ages 11+ involves some use of the sewing machine and hand sewing techniques. Great for those who have an interest in fashion design.


Pop in and see Anna in the wells shop for a chat or book a workshop. Anna is also available for 1-1 sessions should you need specific help or advice.

New workshops with Anna coming in the spring: 

• Beginners Embellishments
• Step by Step by tulip skirt without a pattern 
• Make your own Pyjama shorts
• up-cycle your clothing
• Simple Sun top
• Girls simple summer dress

www.milliemoonshop.co.uk

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

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.