Stockings hung by the chimney with care...

...well we don't actually have a chimney, mores the pity! But we do have stockings. This Christmas is the first my Fiancé and I will have lived together and I always knew I would go a bit overboard with the Christmas making and decorating but stockings were a must. We went together and chose fabric which makes it even more special, I have very specific taste but I didn't want to be all about me! And as it turns out, even the fabrics I wasn't too sure about in the shop look lovely all together here :)

 

I made a template and quilted the strips together before cutting out the shape, they're lined with more polka dots and of course trimmed with bobble trim which we've recently started stocking at work and is consequently going on everything I make, I love it! The hanging loops are of a beautiful printed cotton tape that is another obsession and I probably have enough to last me for decades! :)



 

Fabric baubles!

Last year I visited a Christmas tree festival in a nearby town that I absolutely loved. One thing that stood out for me was a tree designed by a local quilting group that had the most wonderful baubles made up of overlapping triangles of fabric that made them look like pine cones I took a sneaky photo and resolved to try something similar myself but didn't have time last year, this year however I started early, I made these two back in October (or it may have even been September!)

 

They were easy to make, simply take a polystyrene ball and starting at the bottom overlap layer upon layer of folded fabric triangles, making sure the next layer hides the raw edges of the last, finished at the top with some Christmassy ribbon and a bow! They look lovely on the tree and are a great way of using up those teeny tiny scraps of Christmas fabric that I just can't bear to throw away!

Pink table DIY

 

Remember this blue table? Well I couldn't resist buying the next size up too and painting this one pink. I love painted furniture! I felt like we needed some more mood lighting in the lounge and of course a table lamp needs a table to sit on. I saw a gorgeous map lamp on pinterest and knew it would be perfect for our map themed room. I'd been hunting around for a traditional shaped wooden lamp base with the idea of painting it (green perhaps?) when my lovely fiancé pointed this one out. At first I thought absolutely not (too manly) but I grew more fond of the idea and now am so glad it's the one we picked, the masculinity of the stand contrasts wonderfully with the pink table!

 

I tore the original pleated fabric from around the lampshade that came with the base and used double sided sticky tape to attach map wrapping paper. I felt it needed something to finish off the edges though and this velvet ribbon was just the thing. I'm so happy with how it turned out, I love it when something is as good in real life as when you imagine it your head (not always the case in my experience!!)

Wedding dress restyle

 

 

 

I love this dress, it had a beautiful tulle overlay skirt and a gorgeous silk bodice. All it took was to replace the puff sleeves with delicate straps and to add a little lace and sparkle and it would be stunning on any bride. I really enjoy doing make overs like this, I like exploring the potential in even the most dubious dresses!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



Cosy knitted slippers

I'd like to first say that although I have knitted a few things in the past they have all been some form of square or rectangle in the most basic stitch. Knitting patterns have always been completely beyond me with all their abbreviations and complicated instructions, it's like a completely different language that I definitely do not speak! However, I saw this slipper pattern and knew it was time to get over my fear. I was assured that it was a super simple pattern that I would have no trouble with however I was still sceptical.

 

 

 

But as you can see I proved myself wrong! Line one of the pattern was simple, but I came unstuck already on line two with 'Knit into front and back of stitch' what is that? Luckily Google came to my aid and I found a great photo tutorial which made it simple as can be! They took only a couple of hours each over a weekend and I love them. Although they fitted perfectly they felt like they were about to fall off at all times so I stitched in the ribbon which sorted that problem and looked lovely to boot! :) I'm now feeling inspired by my success to try another (easy peasy) knitting pattern! :)

Munchkin pumpkin!

 

I love Autumn and I although I'm not mad keen on Halloween I am as crazy as the next person/pinterest user for all things pumpkin. last year I struggled to find a decent culinary pumpkin but this year they seem to be everywhere. I've definitely had  more than my fair share of pumpkin bread/pumpkin soup/pumpkin pie/pumpkin everything!

 

I had a pumpkin on the ledge between my kitchen and lounge for about a week and was sad when I finally cut it, I particularly like the colour combination between this beautiful orchid, it's brightly coloured pot and my beloved pumpkin, I'm not usually into bright clashing colours so it was quite a surprise to me that I was so taken by it. So next time I went shopping I found this gorgeous miniature 'munchkin pumpkin' which is now sitting, purely decorative on the ledge, a lovely little bit of Autumnal décor :)

This weekend...

...I will be staying inside out of the gale force winds and working on this.

 

 

 

I have coveted one of Alicia Paulson's embroidered Christmas ornament kits since she first started making them and this year I treated myself. After an agonising wait whilst it made it's way through customs it arrived this week! :) I couldn't wait to get started. I first made the Polar bear, though I haven't yet knitted his scarf poor thing! Now I'm working on the cross stitch design for the Selbu mitten, I don't do a lot of hand embroidery these days and I'm really enjoying doing something that I can snuggle up on the sofa and slowly work away at. I generally like things to be done instantly, I'm quite impatient like that so I think it's good for me to work on something that takes a bit of time and patience.

I think you can still buy these kits here, they're all so lovely I may have to buy one or two more! :)

Canadian adventures

We went on a Canadian adventure. Toronto, Niagara, Algonquin National Park, Montreal, & Quebec City (and a brief stopover in beautiful Iceland on the way home!)

It was the most amazing trip; blue skies and beautiful Autumn leaves, towering glittering skyscrapers, endless lakes and forests, exciting road trips, wonderful old architecture, far too much delicious food and yes, a marriage proposal!! :)

I definitely have the travelling bug again, there's nothing quite like waking up early to explore a new city or long, leisurely train rides to sit and watch the incredible scenery roll past. We absolutely fell in love with Canada, and will definitely be travelling that way again some day for more adventures.

Pink and white dress re-make

So I was a little bored yesterday evening and here's what happens!

 

 

I've had this dated 80s wedding dress for a while, kept because the fabric, although not the best on a fully grown woman had definite potential. I decided to take some scissors to it and see what I could do.

And here is the result, a tiny bridesmaid/ Christening/ party dress for a tiny little girl. the embroidery on this fabric is so delicate it's perfect for a baby dress and actually reminds me quite a lot of some of the beautiful dresses I was put in as a baby (good taste mum! :) )

I love the feeling of having revamped and changed something of pretty much no value that has been discarded by someone else into something new and beautiful and wearable, it's exciting!









Home made jam

 

 

 

I've wanted to make jam for ages but when I first started looking into it I realised, fruit is expensive! It seems crazy to spend £20 on fruit to make a few jars of jam that you can buy for about £2 a jar in a shop! So with Autumn around the corner (Yay!) it seemed obvious to go out and pick my own fruit instead. It's a good year for blackberries and I easily managed to pick 1kg of them. I also added a few red currants that we had lying around and here it is. I followed a Nigella Lawson recipe for Jumbleberry jam and it was so so easy, easier than I thought, and it's delicious too! :)

Blue table DIY

I'm trying to make our home more homely and 'us' which is more of a challenge when renting. There are some many things I'm dying to do (chandelier in the bedroom!) but can't, so I'm trying to focus on the things that I can do :)

 

 

This table was £10 from the Emporium, and as you can see was boring boring boring! :) I painted it to match a few other accessories in the room and added a map under the glass to tie in with the map/travel theme :)

 

 

 

 

New dress time!

Because when isn't it new dress time round here? :) I wanted a dress with a low 'v' at the back embellished with something pretty. (too much time on pinterest is no good for me!) So when I found this champagne tulle I knew it would be perfect. I layered it with ivory tulle which adds a softness to the skirt that I like.

 

 

 

The front is plain, almost too plain for my liking, hence I added the brooch for these photos. But that's not the point because this dress is all about the back. Satin covered buttons, just for show of course, I love the look of buttons but they are annooooying to do up! And beaded lace panels, cut from an old wedding dress frame the neckline perfectly. Can't wait to wear it, but it is quite formal. I always plan to go for something more casual and it always ends up dressy. Never mind, I'm a firm believer that you can never be too overdressed! :)

This week...Veils and cushions :)

This week has been mostly about making veils, I've been surrounded by tulle in ivory and white, tiny pearl beads, satin ribbon and beautiful trims, I've been in my element, think I might have found my calling in life! :)

 

 

 But not just that, I've also been on a ring-cushion making kick. Using up beautiful scraps of satin and lace to create lovely wedding ring cushions, it's been a bit of a wedding accessories workshop around here, my favourite kind of week! :)

 

Recently...

....I have actually been incredibly productive, with photography, dress making, alterations and nesting, not that you would know it from looking at this blog! Here are some snaps from recently...

 

 

 

* New summer skirts * Pretty flowers * Alterations * A colourful patchwork work in progress *

Finished altar cloth

This week I was sent photos of the embroidery commission I created last summer which has now been sewn onto it's backing and adorns the altar at South Bristol community hospital. It's great to see it all finished and in place! :)

 

 

Colour inspiration; summer!

Recently I have had some gorgeous summery coloured dresses to alter, which is putting me in a summer mood despite the not so summery weather! I'm loving shades of lemon, coral and peach which aren't the usual sort of colours I go for, it's nice to have a bit of a change now and then :)

 

 

 

New home!

Exciting times have meant (another) quiet spell for my blog, I am super excited to have moved into a beautiful apartment and have been enjoying furnishing, decorating and making for our new home! :)

 

 

 

Here's a couple of snaps, it's not all finished yet but it's getting there! Anyway, I did without my sewing machine for about all of 48 hours before I had to unpack it and start work on pretty things for the home.

 

 

 

 

The first was this patchwork table runner to brighten up the dining corner of the lounge, we're going for a travel/explorer theme in this room which sort of  happened more than being planned with a ginormous world map, light up globe and travel themed art work. So I thought a sea-like combination of greens and blues would work well, with a splash of gold and monochrome chevron to tie it in with the cushions on the sofa. Next projects; map fabric to cover the dining room chairs and matching placemats! Must dash! :)

Retro fabrics and suprising skills!

I've had this wooden storage box for years, my dad made it for me way back and it has had a few different transformations over the years. It started off covered in lilac fur ( there's no accounting for teenage taste right? :P) then it was hot pink, then black and now this great retro fabric which I've also had stashed away for years. I've been clearing and sorting pre house move and being really ruthless on what fabric I get to keep. If I don't have an vague idea of what I might do with it it has to go. This fabric was a bedspread I bought in a charity shop that I always loved but wasn't sure what for, it had been stored in said wooden box for years and so it seemed natural to put the two together! :)

 

I was pleasantly surprised by my skills of upholstering, the last incarnation was decidedly dodgy but I'm really pleased with how this worked out, all neat and professional! Now what else can I re-cover?

A splash of colour

I recently discovered The village haberdashery which stocks the most gorgeous fabrics and delivers super quickly which for someone as impatient for new fabrics as myself is a big deal!

 

I'm collecting together fabrics for a new quilt to go in our new living room. I like the idea of always having something close to hand to snuggle under on the sofa. I'm planning the decor in our new place to be light and bright with lots of splashes of vivid colour so I've chosen these shades of orange, fuschia, and mustard and olive, I'll add to them a deep blue and some black and white.

I'm going to try something different patchwork - wise too. I visited a patchwork exhibition today which was full of gorgeous quilts and plenty of inspiration. I usually stick to squares because they're easy and because I like the simplicity of the design but I want to try a log cabin design as a bit of a challenge. Watch this space...! :)

Ruby Red & Gold

Such exciting times at the minute, my lovely and I are about to embark on renting our first home together, which is a beautiful apartment with gorgeous wood floors, a second bedroom all for me and my sewing, and floor to ceiling windows which will let in so much light! I am far too excited and everyone who knows me is probably sick of hearing me gush about it already, sorry! :)

But it does mean that I finally get to start creating beautiful things for our home, so much to do! I've started with some cushions for the lounge, I wanted grown up and sophisticated but colourful and I found all these scraps of stunning silk dupion for £1 each. £1! A panel of gold adds sophistication and I'm really loving the geometric blocks of colour.

 

The knitted cushion was originally destined to be a scarf but the colour matched so perfectly to the silk that I changed plans and stitched the rectangle to form an envelope. My knitting is never the neatest but I like to think it adds a charming, homespun quality :)

 

 

Lastly, I felt some element of pattern was needed and opted for a striking monochromatic chevron to tie in with the geometric theme, backed and piped with more of the silk for a pop of colour.

 

I love these cushions and can't wait to get them into our new home! :)

Oxford

 

Last week we took a little trip for a few days to the beautiful city of Oxford. I was a great opportunity to relax and unwind a bit. I didn't even take my diary(!) and I wasn't allowed to think about any work. Some stress-free time was just what I needed and the gorgeous architecture of Oxford created the perfect backdrop :)

 

 

 

 

 

Lace wedding dress before and after

I have to admit I thought this dress was pretty horrible before, beautiful lace, but long sleeves and a high neckline, combined with a ginormous gathered skirt were just too much!

 

 

 

But removing the gathers, sleeves and high neck revealed a very chic, simple gown which showcases the gorgeous fabrics perfectly!



It's been a while...

...since I last posted, again. Life just seems to be keeping me so busy recently I haven't had time to even think about the blog! It's been a whirlwind of dress making, crafting, snow, flat hunting(!) a little holiday away and so much else, in other words, life is good :)

 

A few snapshots of recent weeks...

 

 

Wedding dress makeover

Here's another something I've just finished working on. I was given this dress which was something of a blank canvas and instructed to pretty it up a bit. I didn't want to add anything too fussy, just enough to accentuate the simple cut of the dress. 

And so here is the 'After' I added panels of lace to the front of the bodice which I then embellished with sequins and small pearls. I echoed this with more lace around the back dipped neckline which adds elegance and just enough sparkle without being over the top!

Ta da! Midnight Rose at The Emporium!

I am so grateful for the opportunities that are coming my way at the minute! I'm lucky to have so much work on, so many exciting projects, I would never have believed a year ago that things would be working out so well and I am eternally grateful for that. My days are busy busy busy filled with pretty fabrics, gorgeous dresses and always something new and exciting! One down side to this is that I'm neglecting this blog, which makes me a little sad but then you can't have everything in life can you.

 

 

Exciting event of this week was moving to my new bigger space at The Emporium, it's about 3 times the size of my old space so plenty of room for lots of lovely gifts and home wares! :) Here are some photos of the new space, there's still some work to do, there's another wall which needs hooks for tote bags and hanging embroideries but I'm already super pleased with how it's all working out!

 

Just a quick post...

...to share a custom bunting order I sent out last week! I'm always open to commissions, £2 per letter flag and £1 per plain flag + postage! :)

 

 

 

 

Snapshots

I have been dreadfully neglectful of this blog of late, I have been super busy with alteration work, preparing for the move to my new bigger space at The Emporium and arranging some very exciting projects for the future! :)

 

Here are some snapshots of the past couple of weeks;

 

*Beautiful sunrises * Ruby red roses * Berry pancakes for breakfast * Seaside walks *



 

 



 

 

* Decadant truffles * My gorgeous new Janet Hill print * Fabric sales * Wedding dress alterations *

(Another) Bridal alteration :)

I'm getting in the swing of this wedding dress alteration thing :) This is definitely the job I was born to do, I'm having so much fun and getting paid for it too! Life is good :)

 

 

*before*

 

This dress was another case of gorgeous fabric and beautiful intricate beading on the bodice and around the hem of the train but unfortunate 80s details including big puffy sleeves and a ginormous bow at the back....

 

 

....Which was the first thing to go, along with those sleeves and satin roses! Added some boning and canvas to strengthen the bodice and voila, a stunning contemporary strapless gown that any bride would look a million dollars in! :)

 

 

Oh, and those sleeves? Well they were just begging to be turned into cute little drawstring bags for a bride to pop all her essential bits and bobs in! :)