Fabric, fabric, fabric

A friend asked me this week to make her a shoe bag for her friend for Christmas.  The friend walks to work in trainers and she wanted a nice shoe bag to keep her shoes in – fab idea for a Christmas present!  She specifically wanted a shoe print on the fabric which is surprisingly difficult to lay your hands on in the UK, unless you happen to be loaded, in which case you can treat yourself to some of the £26.95 a metre Manolo Blahnik designed shoe print fabric for Liberty.

I'm not loaded, so when I saw this I fell on it like a circling shark

Retro shoe fabric

It’s from a little fabric shop in Brighton called Ditto which stocks lovely, unusual fabrics, often with a retro feel.  While I was browsing their site I couldn’t help buying this

Springtime in Paris 

Don’t know what I’ll make with it but I couldn’t help myself.  I might just frame it and admire the frocks.  Also, if you’re reading this Marie, they have this print in stock, which I thought had your name on it! (Marie makes beautiful aprons from vintage patterns, just like the ones on the fabric)

Vintage aprons (sigh)

Another fellow sewer – Nathalie – very kindly sent me a link to these gorgeous Horrockses fabrics from the V & A.  

She’d read on my blog that I’d bought the fabric for my Ladylike dress from the V & A and thought I might like them.  Like them? I LOVE them, little did she know I have this book in my possession and flick through it all the time sighing at the prints.  

That’s one of the reasons why I’m really enjoying having a blog, meeting all the lovely like-minded people out there in the blogosphere. 

Will post pics of my shoe bag when it's made. x

Bags and brooches

I’ve been in a crafty mood lately.  Just today, I made these reversible shoppers to go on my craft stall.  

Amy Butler 'Love' fabrics

Amy Butler 'Lotus' fabrics

I used a pattern from Sew Hip magazine and I’m really pleased with how they’ve turned out.  If they sell, I’ll be making more, it’s a great way of showing off two contrasting fabrics (I got all four beautiful fabrics from Saints and Pinners). 

Lovely lining..

more lovely lining..

I also made this beeootiful red felt rose brooch using Marie’s tutorial which came via the Crafty Christmas Club blog.

It's much redder in real life, the rubbish photo doesn't do it justice

I’m not usually a fan of any kind of hand stitching (too lazy) but it took me barely 20 minutes, making it the perfect ‘in front of the telly’project.  I wore it on Monday and was on such a brooch-wearing roll I wore another one today.  

Bird brooch from Hobbs, totally unworn - until now

Talk about living on the edge..

In other news, my Beignet is half finished, hope to post pics by the end of the week. x

Gearing up for skirt making

I’ve been spending all my sewing time making stuff for xmas craft fairs recently and am starting to get withdrawal symptoms! When I was making my niece’s xmas dress last week I realised I’d been really missing it – I want to do some dressmaking.  There’s something about the whole ritual of cutting out a pattern, choosing fabric and making it up that’s far more satisfying than making endless purses and cushions (although I do enjoy that, just not for weeks on end).

As a result, I’ve got a backlog of patterns crying out to be made into clothes. Top of the list is the Beignet skirt from my favourite pattern designer – Colette Patterns.

I really could do with making it now, as it’s the sort of skirt I’d wear all winter, and the fabric I’ve bought is quite winter-friendly (a heavyish navy cotton drill).  I’ve seen some really inspiring versions of this skirt too, which has been making me even more impatient to sew it.   One of my favourites is the 70’s style denim skirt made by Tilly.  I’ll be copying her method of sewing the pockets and facing in a contrast fabric - red with white polka dots in this case. So here are the ingredients for my Beignet.  The only thing missing is the thin cotton navy lining but you get the idea…

 Aren’t the red buttons fab?  

I found them on a tiny little stall in Shepherd’s Bush market and there were only twelve left.  The Beignet skirt needs twelve buttons (a scary thought, all those buttonholes!) so that sealed their fate.  My plan is to cut it out next week...

Twirly whirly party dress

Somehow during half term I managed to squeeze in enough time to make a dress for my niece Hannah’s Christmas present.  She’s only three and loves looking pretty so it had to be a twirly whirly party dress (New Look 6881)

Hannah’s brief to me was “pink with flowers” and as she lives in Australia I sent her a couple of choices via the magic of e-mail. Happily she chose my favourite, which I found in one of the amazing fabric shops on the Goldhawk Road in Shepherd’s Bush. 

Bargain Goldhawk Road fabric

Clever girl, she’s got great taste, just like her Aunty!  I love the fabric, it could almost be a Liberty print, whilst at the same time reminds me of my pillowcase when I was little. Once it was made into a dress though I think it was definitely more Liberty print than 70's pillowcase! I lined it in plain pale pink cotton.

The front view with a big skirt for twirling 

The back view

This was my first attempt at making children’s clothes from a pattern and the whole process was a pleasure from start to finish. I have two boys who wouldn’t be seen dead in any item of clothing I made them (unless it happened to have premiership footballers plastered all over it) so it was a real treat for me. I particularly liked cutting out the teeny tiny dress pieces, just like doll’s clothes! It was good practice for me too - there were a few techniques I used for the first time (inserting a dress lining and putting in a lapped zip) but it was all on such a small scale that it didn’t actually take that long.

I can’t wait to see photos of her twirling around in it.

Spooks

It's half term this week and with no chance of getting any sewing done I'd been feeling a bit like an addict deprived of her fix.  Today though, I cunningly suggested making a halloween teddy/soft toy.  This had the double bonus of keeping the boys amused and letting me play with my sewing machine for an hour (hoorah).  We decided to make ghosts after seeing the lovely ghost Justine made for her son here.

My older boy drew the pattern onto white fabric (he's a genius) and all we did then was sew together two pieces of the same shape.  Turn it the right way round, a bit of stuffing and two button eyes later and we had these terrifying creatures to play with...

The ghost is on the left, not to be mistaken for the rancid rag comforter in the other hand!

The genius designer basking in his success

Along the way we had to make a Prince of Darkness style cape for the dominant ghost out of a few scraps of fabric and some ribbon.  Scary eh?

Mohammed Ali-style ghost cape

The boys love them, we had a fun morning making them and I feel like supermum! Thanks for the idea Justine! x

Crafty Christmas Club

Tired of spending a small fortune on gifts nobody really wants?  Fancy being creative and saving money this Christmas?  Then join the Crafty Christmas Club!

The Crafty Christmas Club is a fantastic new blog sharing forum set up by Tilly from Tilly and the Buttons.  In Tilly's words, "It's a hub to discuss your Christmas crafty plans with likeminded people, gain inspiration from other craftsters, share tips and tutorials, and perhaps - most importantly - show off your finished goodies without spoiling the surprise to friends and family who may be reading your own blog."

I've joined the group because I’d love to make some handmade gifts this year - I think they’ll be really appreciated and I’ll get a lot of pleasure from making them.  To test the water, I made birthday presents for my mum and my mother in law this year and they both went down a storm.  Even if it’s just a lavender bag, to me handmade means much more than yet another gift set from Boots.

So this year I’ll be making little purses, make-up brush rolls, lavender bags and of course, 50's style half pinnies!  I’d also like to have a go at this fabric yo-yo necklace – primarily for me to wear at Christmas rather than giving as a present, does that count?!  Of course, if it’s easy peasy then it will be added to my present making list!  But my biggest challenge of all will be thinking of something tasteful yet premier league football related for my older son!  Any ideas would be VERY gratefully received! 

Anyone interested in joining should follow the link above. There are instructions for becoming a contributor on the blog.  Please join in, then I can see what everybody else has been making, which is basically my favourite pastime! x

 

Pinny frenzy

Remember this pinny?

Well I was so pumped up with confidence after all your lovely comments, I decided to make a few more to sell at Christmas.  So here they are, in suitably 50’s housewife fabrics.  

Chicken fest pinny

Apple pinny

Housewives in action pinny

The first two are from the Alexander Henry Farmdale range from M is for Make.  I love this range and the fabric is gorgeous to work with, really soft and stretchy. I read this about the collection, "these prints celebrate the era when the kitchen had curtains, mum wore homemade aprons and everything was made from scratch and filled with love." which says it all really.

The last pinny was made from some new fabric I got in the Seamstar sale just this week. It was born to be made into an old fashioned pinny!  This is my favourite lady:

Cool ironing gal

It's how I like to think of myself doing the ironing!

I loved making them, they're so easy, and if they don't sell they'll make fab Christmas presents. x