Mend

Mend 1. Repair (something that is broken or damaged) Mending used to be commonplace. Normal. These days most people wouldn’t consider repairing something broken. Most things are cast aside long before they are even broken at all. But mending and repair are having a bit or a resurgence in certain circles which I think is brilliant, often inspired by Boro and Sashiko, Japanese mending techniques. A mended item of clothing can be worn like a badge of pride if done well. I think there’s something beautiful in old, worn and mended textiles.

Alongside this I've been thinking about waste, about the scraps and offcuts  of fabric that get thrown away. I went through my fabric scrap bag, all the odds and ends that would normally be discarded and wondered, if they were all patched together, how large a piece of fabric could be created from the scraps?

I stitched them all together, not worrying about colours or matching, just adding the next piece that came to hand, no scrap too small. I added teeny tiny fabrics I'd been hoarding because they were too beautiful to discard. I zig-zagged each piece on top of the next so they'll fray, but not too badly.

 Eventually I ran out of steam but had a roughly rectangular piece of fabric, literally made of waste, that was large enough to make a fabric shopping bag. I lined it with an old sheet to hide the messy reverse side and now just need to add some handles. Then it can be tucked into my handbag and the tiny discarded bits of fabric, instead of being waste can serve a useful purpose!

Patchwork frenzy!

Since the success of the sewing room quilt I have gone patchwork mad! I'm working away on yet another quilt. I think I need help!

 

 

Making log cabin mats for the dining table using the loveliest vivid fabrics. 

 

 

 

And this little quilt and matching bibs for my gorgeous new born nephew, I love the chance to buy fabric with dinosaurs and cars and other boyish things! :)

 

 

Sewing room quilt

Because obviously I don't have enough projects on the go right now, I decided when I was fabric shopping last weekend that what I urgently need in life is a sewing room quilt, I was inspired by the gorgeous sewing themed fabric that I recovered my sewing room lampshade in, I like to imagine myself cwtched under this quilt whilst hand sewing or knitting.

 

 

 

 

I was also inspired by this blog post on Posy Gets Cozy about speed making a quilt sewn from strips of fabric. I liked the idea of a quilt coming together so quickly (my other WIP quilt is currently timing at about 10 months and counting) so I followed the method of choosing fabrics quickly, not worrying too much about my choices, just going with what I like which is so unlike me.

 

 

 

 

I bought 10cm strips of each fabric, didn't even bother to straighten the cutting when I got home, which has resulted in a slightly wonky quilt in places but who cares? I certainly wouldn't show any of my quilts to an avid quilter, but they make me happy and even happier still when this quilt is finished, quilted and edged all within just over a week of having bought the fabric. Definite new record!

Recently...

Recent few weeks have been incredibly productive in the sort of way that I've started lots of projects, had loads of amazing ideas and picked up old projects that had been lingering unfinished for months in the back of a cupboard, which results in lots and lots of works in progress and very few completed projects! I've found myself being at a loss as to whether I want to do knitting, patchwork, dress making, bunting making, or something completely new altogether! So many pretty things to make and so little time!

 

 

 

This didn't however stop me from going fabric shopping yesterday of course where I bought fabric for another quilt, a couple of tops, a skirt, but also the backing fabric to finish two more quilts, which is good! I now need to concentrate on not getting distracted and finishing the myriad of items I have on the go. Focus! :)

 

 

Sewing room lampshade

 

 

 

Finally I got round to replacing the lampshade in my sewing room and I couldn't resist this gorgeous fabric with little images of sewing machines, pins, knitting and all! And of course it wouldn't be complete without bobble trim! Part of me really wants a skirt of this fabric but can't decide if that would be odd! :)

Pretty pleats!



Recently I have been making a lot, a lot, of skirts. I never used to wear skirts, only dresses but recently I'm really into them. they need less fabric and are quicker and easier to make, I can whip one up in a couple of hours and be wearing it later in the day, that's my kind of sewing!

 I have to admit that 90% of my skirts are made in exactly the same style, high waisted with a wide waist band and gathered skirt, which is great but I wanted to try something a little different this time. Which lead me to the pleats in this skirt, I'm not exactly sure what kind of pleats these are classed as but they were incredibly easy to make and give the skirt a completely different look.

 I'm now a little obsessed, pleating has a endless variety and I'm really excited to try some different ways with pleats on my next skirt making episodes! The bow was an idea I saw somewhere on Pinterest  (of course!) and I love it, this is just a really sweet skirt that will be perfect for spring! :)

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 *