How-Tuesday 18: how to get some sleep

not my journal - wish it was!

Hi loves

Sorry for the lateness of this post.  Been another busy weekend and no time to pre-write this one.  So here I am with only 30 mins of Tuesday left to go, typing like one of those infinite monkeys on one of their infinite number of typewriters...  Might be Shakespeare, might be sh*te, that's the joy of blog!

But, I'm not going to whinge about my busy life again.  Blah blah, we're all busy, darling!

Instead, what is causing me to lie awake at night recently is ideas for designs.  Now this hasn't happened for YEARS - not since I was learning how to work silver and design jewellery over a decade ago.  Back then, I had a notebook by the bed to get these things down so I could get to sleep.  And the notebook (well, A notebook) has just reappeared and is being filled up slowly with scribbled drawings and text.

These ideas are all around reverse applique designs to embellish existing garments, and mainly around the neckline, mixing woven and jersey (is this even possible? I dunno)  I won't embarrass myself by sharing the frankly pre-school drawings but some words read:


"Necklace??  Graded circles, lozenges, ovals, as 'beads' - each bead a different fabric (wax cotton, Liberty, Japanese, etc etc etc) linked with bold top stitching in blue or yellow/gold to showing stringing.  French knots between??  Multi-stranded??  Broken necklace, 'beads' spilling down t-shirt "

"Stylised scarf as reverse applique.  Two toning shades of same fabric, mixed together to mimic shadows of a loosely slung scarf round neckline.  Tassles? V-fold? "

"Man's loose necktie or untied bowtie on woman's t-shirt - using actual vintage necktie or just shape in fabric"

"Bunting (jubilee??) or washing line of clothes as reverse applique across a t-shirt chest"

"reverse applique narrow spiral stripe around whole body of t-shirt in contrast colour"

"GET THEE TO THE CHARITY SHOP, WOMAN!!"

So many many ideas, maybe not all workable yet but that's not the point: the point is I'm really enjoying this process.  I'd hoped to have some early prototype photos to share with you but the weekend, as I said, slipped by too fast. Instead, I'm learning how to stuff these ideas down on paper when they fizz up in the night, so I can get some sleep until I can make some time to get on with them.

When do you get your best ideas? How do you get them down til you can work on them later?

S x