M is for make

New fabric in this week...

2012-01-30T22:27:00.001Z

Just in, fabric for chicken fans. Also, some rather lovely linen blends that I think will be incredibly useful for all sorts of craft projects. It's a lovely weight, softness, drape, I think it would be great for dressmaking too.

Sooooo much new fabric in the pipeline, here's a little glimpse of some of it. Some of it is in the new 'coming soon' section in the shop incase you'd like an email when it arrives.

Beside the seaside...

2012-01-30T21:57:00.000Z

I realise that I often run the risk of this being a 'Visit Brighton' blog (I don't need to bother as that already exists). But it a great place to take photos and soak up the sun even on a cold day.

At this time of year, I find the winter suddenly gets to me (usually at the point when I think I have just beaten it). A trip to the beach certainly helped, it was really beautiful, sunny, bright, cold at the weekend, my favourite kind of weather.

Brighton has a big high, constantly shifting shingle beach to cope with the waves. Sometimes it is pushed right to the top of the beach or against the groynes making it impossibly steep to climb up (and great for hiding behind). You can't take 2 steps without having to empty your shoes.

It's very uncomfortable to sit on, but I like it's undulating and ever changing shape. Quite often after a storm you find starfish washed up on the strandline. What's your view; leave them or return them to the sea? I always try and put them back especially if they are way up on the high water line. I'm not sure if this is the right thing to do, but I find them hard to walk past.

The seagulls in Brighton are massive, if you visit with small (or medium-sized) kids, make sure to keep an eye on them or they may be plucked from you and flown out to sea.

When we first drove to Brighton to find somewhere to live, we got completely lost (as we would many times more - it is a maze of one-way systems designed to confuse and terrify visitors). We drove in through Hove and I was dazzled by the amazing architecture there. This photo doesn't do it justice, but Adelaide Crescent was I think built to rival the Royal Crescent in Bath. There is a chance that I might have made that up.

The beach huts on the seafront have to be a particular colour on the roof and sides. According to the council, 'the shade of green blends with the seascape' how nice. There will of course always be someone who doesn't comply with the rules. That beach hut ended up on ebay for £24.

That's my Brighton infomercial over for the day. If you need anymore dubious facts about Brighton that may or may not be made up, you know where to come.

The amazing technicoloured dream quilt

2012-01-26T14:14:00.000Z

So finally the amazing technicoloured dream quilt is finished. I can hardly believe I have managed to finish a project of this size. This achievement has left me with an enormous sense of pride/relief/surprise.

Binding it took a few days, due to the size, there was a lot of slip-stitching to be done. But I really enjoyed this, picking it up where I could, slowly progressing along the sides. I think it's the first time since giving up my day job that I feel like I have been spending my time how I hoped I would be. Once my various jobs of the day were finished I managed to squeeze in a hour of sewing before picking the kids up.

Inevitably, the combination of me sat down with a quilt attracted some wildlife...

... which is turn attracted further wildlife...

I bound the quilt using some hugs and kisses, and hand quilted a few flowers.

hand quilted flowers

And finally we get to use it without dodging pins, and it is oh, so cozy. Every night I see the kids snuggle underneath it in that final wind-down at the end of the day. Despite whatever child-based shenanigans will have inevitably preceded that moment, it feels like all is good in the world.

I feel a little sorry for the kids that in my house, no moment seems to escape being captured on camera. But when just me and my girl were up on Friday night, I had to reach for my phone and capture this one incase I forgot it.

So, what to sew next? finishing this quilt has left me keen to get sewing on something else but equally lacking in motivation as to what. I would like it to involve this, but what to make?

Brighton

2012-01-22T14:38:00.002Z

This Sunday it was free to get into the Brighton Royal Pavillion. Whenever we walk past, the kids always ask to go in, but it's pretty expensive. So this was the perfect chance to explore for free.

Unfortunately, the rest of Brighton has the same idea, so we went to the pier instead.

You can just see the remains of the old West Pier in the distance in the photo below. I used to love that pier, it was so beautiful, eclipsing it's brash neighbour, the Palace Pier. When we first moved to Brighton we lived quite near to it and I used to love walking along the beach in the evening and seeing the swallows move around the pier as a huge flock, I think 'murmuration' is the word. Sadly, this was the end of the West Pier.

In that brash pier though, it is brilliant fun to waste someone else's 2p's in a machine that will give you one back for every 10 you put in. And so addictive, all around you, you can hear the sound of machines throwing out money (although I think this is mostly the ones that give you change to feed into them). The kids love it, see the look of addiction/joy on my son's face in the bottom left below, we pretty much had to drag him out.

Brighton now has it's own big wheel on the seafront. I haven't been on it myself, it went up really quickly before Christmas, one day there was a quarter wheel, then a half, then a full circle.

I used instagram on my husband's iPhone to take these photos, it makes me yearn to join the rest of the population and buy one, just so I can use this app. It was a bit hard today as it was really bright at times (hence the first photo looking like it was taken at night) but the filters are so clever and make an average photo look wonderful. Anyone else use it?

I hope you have had a lovely Sunday,

Kate
x

New fabric in this week...

2012-01-20T13:08:00.000Z

So much new fabric in this week, I've been waiting for some of this fabric for nearly a year now, so it's really exciting to finally see it all. I'm really pleased to see the return of the Echino car print, one of my favourite prints ever. Also these beautiful Kokka linens which are light and drapey and perfect for making clothes, I am definitely going to make something in this or this.

Also back in a new colourway are the popular Echino patchwork prints, and some very cute animal prints.

Some more great prints for kids, some apples, owls and sewing notions. The comic print is really cool and deserves a close up...

These beautiful Echino 'Wish' border prints are always popular too, I think they would make a beautiful skirt.

And finally, I have been waiting so long for these, some new Nani Iro fabrics, they are so beautiful, I am desperate to get sewing for spring and summer now...

Resolved to sew give-away

2012-01-18T17:06:00.000Z

Do you have sewing resolutions for 2012? Then head over to the Very Berry Handmade blog for the chance to win a bundle of Peacock Lane fabric along with many other prizes - good luck!

In the middle of something...

2012-01-16T09:34:00.000Z

This weekend I found myself in the middle of something I didn't really understand
That thing was quilting
Thankfully there are tutorials for everything on the internet
Sandwiching the 3 layers of quilt together, smooth and lined up is extremely tricky
Finding an urchin doing a snow angel on that smooth quilt makes the process more complicated

Smooth quilts are also irresistible to puppies

The puppy found herself visiting the emergency vet this weekend, leaving me shedding tears over that floppy eared destroyer of cardboard and gardens
Ibuprofen is magical for poorly dogs and kids. I love it's mystical powers
This is definitely the biggest sewing project I have undertaken
Why on earth did I make it so big?

'Stitch in the ditch' makes me snigger, I know, it's childish
I probably should have bought a special foot for my machine for this

Seeing my resident urchins snuggled under this unfinished quilt before school this morning made me very happy
Today I am going to have a go at binding it using this excellent tutorial by Katy, wish me luck!

Meg and the amazing technicoloured dream quilt

2012-01-09T12:46:00.001Z

I've been making steady progress with the flannel quilt that I mentioned before Christmas, having changed the design into something that is actually make-able thanks to advice from you clever followers. I am determined to make it in time to use this winter. Thankfully, it is quick to put together and so when I find the time, progress is pretty good. The colours are turning out a little ~~more lurid~~ brighter together than I was anticipating, perhaps I should have scattered in some more neutral tones, but I couldn't get it to work.

At least this way, when I inevitably spill red wine on it. It won't show.

Meg is drawn to the quilt whenever I put it on the floor, but I know where those paws have been and they are not allowed on it until she has at least had a bath. Puppy progress continues along side quilt progress and I can report that she will not just be a puppy for Christmas (I completely understand that ad campaign now). Having taught her to sit and shake hands, I have made an investment in the pooch and she will stay. Also the kids would not speak to me if I packed her off.

Thank you for your lovely comments on my 2011 post, I hope 2012 is treating you well, I have ordered lots of new fabric in the last few days and hope to share it with you soon, in the meantime, happy sewing.

New lines added to the sale...

2012-01-02T16:56:00.001Z

Loulouthi quilting cottons by Anna Maria Horner.

Pick a Bunch by Nancy Mims

And in anticipation of Flea Market Fancy coming out again in the spring (which I am very excited about) all Denyse Schmidt fabric.

Don't forget that until 9pm tomorrow, all items in the sale section have an extra 20% off.

Goodbye 2011

2011-12-31T17:59:00.001Z

via Pinterest

One of the great things about writing a blog is that you can look back over the year with relative ease and remember exactly what you got up to over the last 12 months. My blog reveals that 2011 has been filled with sewing, great big boxes of new fabric, finding new sources of inspiration and rambling on about stuff that seemed important at the time.

Personally though, a number of things stand out for me; the endless summer holidays and our annual trip to France, my youngest starting school, meeting lovely blog friends for the first time, and a new addition to our family, Meg.

no Mallards were hurt in this photo

For me though, 2011 will be the year that I finally gave up my day job. Leaving me free to work on M is for make, pick my kids up from school every day (I'm sure the novelty will wear off soon) and finally take a break from the exhausting juggling act of the last few years. It's hard to explain how important this decision has been to me and my family, which is maybe why I haven't written about it sooner. But there it is, a wonderful and happy end to 2011 for me.

I hope to have more time to sew, write and find exciting new fabric for you in 2012. What will it bring for you?

Happy New Year to you all,

Kate
x

Even happier sale

2011-12-30T12:19:00.000Z

Incase the part 1 of the sale, didn't make you happy enough, hopefully part 2 will make you even happier!

If you use the code 'happier' at the checkout between now and 3rd January 9pm GMT and you will receive 15% off all orders over £15. Enjoy!

Circa 52 now at M is for make

2011-12-29T18:03:00.000Z

New in at M is for make, Circa 52 by Birch Fabrics.

Which is your favourite?

The sale - part 1

2011-12-29T11:25:00.000Z

Sale time! Enter the code 'happy' at the checkout between now and 3rd January 9pm GMT and you will recieve a further 20% off all sale items. I'll keep you posted on part 2.

Under the Christmas Tree...

2011-12-22T13:46:00.000Z

Under our Christmas tree: presents and a cat sleeping on a bed not intended for her. We have a new arrival expected after Christmas, who was the intended recipient of this bed lovingly made from an old duvet and some Ikea fabric. However (and I think I knew this would happen) our cat has claimed it as her own, so I shall be making another one shortly, I am powerless to deny her. Especially as the new arrival will rock her world.

We are all feeling a bit screamy with excitement about the new arrival and I don't want to say too much for fear of jinxing it, but here is a hint: she also has 4 paws, but floppy ears.

I hope your Christmas preparations are going swimmingly, and as I'm not sure when I will next get the chance to blog, I wish you a happy, happy Christmas full of love, food, presents and maybe a little snoozing on the sofa. (That's what I have wished for anyway).

Kate
xx

New flannels in stock

2011-12-20T09:57:00.000Z

I have some gorgeous new Loulouthi flannels in stock, you can find them here.

They have inspired me to think about making a quilt to snuggle under as they are extremely cozy. I've been playing around with ideas, my favourite being far too complicated so am trying to tone it down to something a little more manageable for a quilting novice like me!

Mission impossible

Mission more possible if not so exciting

A collection of craft

2011-12-17T12:10:00.001Z

Christmas wreath

Here's a collection of Christmas craft you might like to try over the holidays. First up is my latest post for the Boden blog on how to make a Christmas wreath. This was great fun, I made it using Lotta Jansdotter fabric and some felt flowers.

paper garland

I also want to make a festive version of this paper garland (again from Boden) to hang around our tree using some plain silver card.

cut and and colour nativity figures

I found these brilliant cut and and colour nativity figures via Jessica Jones' How About Orange blog. You may recognise the name, Jessica is the designer behind the popular Outside Oslo collection. Her blog is a great resource for craft, design, all sorts of brilliant stuff, well worth following. You can print up a colour version or a black and white one for colouring in, which is what I did. Both my kids loved playing with these and did raise a few smiles from me when they were re-inacting the story. Made trickier by the fact my perfectionist daughter decided her first Mary wasn't coloured in well enough, leaving her with 2 Marys in her nativity scene.

woven paper ball garland

Another paper garland, and again from How About Orange, how cool are these woven balls? I really want to make these.

how to make paper snowflakes

Last Christmas (and I feel a little sad to think that this time last year we were stuck in because of the snow) we were gripped by making paper snowflakes. If you want templates for normal snowflakes, have a look at here.

Fimo Christmas decorations

I've been meaning to make these decorations from the Poppy Talk blog since before last Christmas and we finally got round to it a few weeks back.

Fimo (a modelling clay that you can harden in the oven) is pretty expensive, but as you roll it quite thin, you can a lot of decorations from a block. We used pearlised and glitter Fimo and then pushed stamps into them before baking them. Very easy and fun.

from Anna Maria Horner

And finally, how amazing are these decorations made from old lightbulbs from Anna Maria Horner's blog?

Your dressmaking heros

2011-12-13T13:08:00.000Z

After thinking about sewing books and Christmas and having a look at my bookshelf, I'd love to know what you consider to be the sewing bible.

I have a whole host of sewing books, but I have never had one recommended to me as the book I should own, especially for dressmaking. Is there a book that your mum (or dad) owned had that you now have a copy of?

Also with so many amazing bloggers around, which is your definitive blog when thinking about dressmaking or quilting?

Let me know what you think! Looking forward to your suggestions,

Kate

Quilt Inspiration

2011-12-10T20:03:00.000Z

my unfinished quilt

My mind has turned back to quilting lately. My quilt, that I started so long ago, still sits patiently waiting to be finished. I almost wonder if I have left it too long too pick up again, but I know I must finish it. Not least of all because I have promised it to a certain little person in my life.

So many lovely new fabrics have come in since starting it that I would love to use. In particular I am desperate to make a quilt from these flannels as I have some new ones on the way. There is a danger I will start my next quilt before finishing this one.

clamshell quilt

I have also been wasting a ~~lot~~ bit of time ~~obsessing over~~ researching other people's quilts on Pinterest. How cute is this fox?

Foxy

I've always struggled a bit with putting colours together. I was really lucky at school that in art we did a lot of textiles, in particular lino-cutting and batik. I used to adore those lessons. I loved creating the pattern design, cutting out the lino, printing, dying the fabric, painting on the wax and ultimately ironing it all off again. I felt like it was a badge of honour having multicoloured hands dyed by the ink.

colourful quilt

But the bit I always struggled with was putting different colours together and I remember going back to the teacher each time and asking her what colour to dye next. So I do marvel at these quilts which effortlessly put together a host of colours (although I appreciate that people probably wouldn't pin less successful quilts on Pinterest).

hand quilting

I also love the idea of hand quilting, and would like to use it in my current or next quilt.

hand quilting

And I think my next quilt will have to include some triangles, I love this simplicity of these quilts.

triangle quilt

Although I probably wouldn't use one to replace the windows in my house, I think it may contravene local planning regulations.

quilty windows

One quilt that I keep coming back to is this one, it appears so unstructured which I love. But I wonder if it really has been thrown together. I don't think it would work in flannel, so maybe I can make it quilt number 3? Once I have got round to finishing 1 and 2 first of course.

I love thee, quilt

And lastly, the in-another-league-of-awesomeness-quilt by Katy, I can't believe that it actually exists, but look here it is, casually strewn on an actual fence in the actual outdoors. What if it went near some mud? makes me feel a bit panicky just thinking about it.

Hexy MF

Taali by Monaluna is here!

2011-12-09T10:45:00.001Z

So excited to share this new collection with you, Anika was extremely popular, and I think the prints in Taali are just as wonderful - which is your favourite? I think mine might be Hill and Dale, but it is hard to choose.

hill and dale

mixed apples

chevr on

trees

bah bah black sheep

busy city

Christmas presents at M is for make

2011-12-07T20:30:00.001Z

fabric wrapping ideas from Martha Stewart

So after my last post with sewing book ideas, here are some more Christmas present suggestions from M is for make.

Perfect for someone wanting to venture into dressmaking for the first time are the beginner patterns from Colette patterns. These have been hugely popular and from my own experience I have found the instructions wonderfully easy to follow, allowing me to tackle things like buttonholes without having a complete panic. (I usually like to incorporate a complete panic into all my sewing projects).

For a more advanced dressmaker, then a Japanese pattern book would make a great present. I enjoy just looking through these, the photography is simple and beautiful. Once you have ventured into the world of Japanese pattern books, there is no going back.

Sweet Dress Book

Clothes patterns AND Siamese cats - what could be better?

If you want to buy fabric as a gift but are unsure what to get, try a coordinated bundle like the Enchanted Wood bundle, the fat 16th bundles make perfect bite-sized presents.

Enchanted Wood bundle

And don't forget there are some amazing bargains in the SALE section at M is for make. There are some beautiful fabrics and patterns here as I make space for some up and coming collections at the end of this year.

So how is your Christmas shopping going?

Christmas book ideas

2011-12-05T20:29:00.001Z

Just incase you were searching for ideas of what to buy the keen sewer in your life, I have collected together some lovely books from Amazon that I think would make magnificent presents.

A must buy is The Colette Sewing Handbook by Sarai Mitnick. In the book, Sarai (the creator of Colette Patterns) covers sewing techniques; planning and fitting; working with patterns, fabrics and linings; and, finishing techniques. It includes 5 beautiful projects with tissue paper patterns.

Oliver + S Little Things to Sew features 20 accessories and other small sewing projects to make for children from Oliver + S creator Liesl Gibson. I adore the Little Red Riding Hood cape and penguin backpack.

Pip Lincolne from the hugely popular blog Meet Me at Mike's has brought out a new book; Make Hey! while the sun shines. It is a mix of all different kinds of craft; sewing, knitting, crochet as well as recipes. It is beautiful to look at - yes I do judge a book by it's cover.

Perfect for someone who dreams of one day designing their own fabric, Kim Kight (from one of my favourite blogs; True Up) has written A Field Guide to Fabric Design. The book covers design and colour basics to creating repeat patterns, screen-printing tips, and eventually selling your own designs.

Print and Pattern 2 is full of heavenly prints and patterns (as you might expect) a perfect gift for those who like me follow the Print and Pattern blog. I am expecting this book for Christmas!

Any finally, this glorious book Decorate co-written by Decor8 blogger Holly Becker. I think this book might just find it's way onto my Christmas list too.

Hope you found these helpful, next up some present ideas from M is for make!

Winner of the Peacock Lane give-away

2011-12-05T08:47:00.002Z

Thanks so much for your entries and lovely memories, they reminded me of some much cherished childhood presents too.

I have a poorly child for company today, so I shall keep it brief, the winner is... Ceri who said...

"My best and most memorable Christmas present was a dolls house. I usually got my presents in my bedroom but the dolls house was downstairs. I can remember standing at the top of the stairs after opening all my pressies, thinking that was it, and through the darkness seeing the shadowy outline of the dolls house in the hallway below. It was the most thrilling moment. I'll never forget it!"

What a beautiful memory, congratulations Ceri, please do get in touch with your address.

300 followers give - away

2011-11-30T07:54:00.000Z

To celebrate reaching 300 followers and welcome all those who are new round here, I'd like to offer you the chance to win a fat quarter bundle of Peacock Lane by Violet Craft. There are 8 fat quarters in all as shown in the picture above.

All you have to do to enter is leave a comment below before Sunday 4th December 8pm GMT. As this is something of an early Christmas present, in your comment I'd like to know what your best Christmas present ever was. For me, it was my 'My Little Pony Stable' complete with extra ponies. I loved that thing, sigh. Good luck!

Black Friday sale continues this weekend...

2011-11-26T08:27:00.000Z

As the Black Friday sale was so popular,

it has been extended it to midnight (GMT) on Sunday.

Just enter the code 'blackfriday' at the checkout for 15% off.

Happy shopping!

Black Friday

2011-11-25T07:27:00.000Z

If you enter the code 'blackfriday' at the checkout between now and midnight (GMT) you will get a special surprise this Friday. Happy shopping!

Unwinding

2011-11-23T13:56:00.000Z

I had forgotten how addictive cross stitch is, when Needleworks arrived, I couldn't help but did out my embroidery threads. This has prompted my daughter to pick up her french knitting which she seems to find just as addictive. So we sit like 2 old ladies in the evening doing our craft. Every now and then I need to step in and pick up a dropped stitch.

I used to adore french knitting as a child, I remember doing one that went on for miles. What craft did you enjoy when you were little?

Loulouthi Needleworks and Flannel

2011-11-14T13:49:00.000Z

image from Anna Maria Horner

New in at M is for make, Loulouthi flannels by Anna Maria Horner. These flannels are beautifully soft, and perfect for snuggling under or in.

Also new in are Loulouthi needleworks prints.

"Loulouthi Needleworks" prints are a clever translation of the traditional cross stitch craft into a printed cotton. Charming when simply used as a printed fabric, the 58" wide goods are printed with tiny X's just waiting to become a lovely hand-worked surface. Frame some of the vignettes for beautiful wall art, use some stitched squares in your next quilt or stitch up a whole border for the edge of a dress or some new pillowcases.

images from Anna Maria Horner

Boden Spring/Summer 2012 preview

2011-11-10T17:51:00.000Z

Yesterday, I went to a preview of the Boden Spring/Summer 2012 collection.

It was quite a contrast to the Autumn/Winter preview with the amazing taxi to greet us and central Boden wrapped display. I have to admit I was a little disappointed as that was a feast for the eyes. But there is this whole global recession thing going and this was reflected in the display.

Not to say that there weren't the usual details I love, like this wall...

Which brings me first to the women's collection. Again, it was more subdued, with a notable lack of the bold, mad prints that you associate with Boden. There were a few though (you can spot them in this photo).

I loved the colours in this set, even in the prints. I definitely had my eye on this knit dress...

I loved the pretty details like scalloped edges, dobby dot shirts, peter pan collars.

There were little splashes of colour on cashmere...

and on sandals...

I loved the pleats repeated on the sleeves and neckline, making a note to try this myself.

Loved all these colours, and especially the dress at the front, the band sleeves, peter pan collar and it had a slight gather at the waist, I wish I'd got a better photo. I think it was from the Limited Collection.

There was a lot of excitement over this satchel, I'll show you another photo later, but I saw a lot of pointing and the use of the word 'mine'. Apparently things don't go missing at press days...

There was a party rail including coordinated dresses for women and girl's.

Some incredible detail...

Love this outfit, I couldn't wear it, not being nearly grown up enough, they used ribbon for belts, doesn't it make a difference?

I was very drawn to the neckline on this dress, I have been thinking of making a top with a similar one, but dropped lower, so again, took a few notes.

And for you lucky pregnant ladies out there...

Next onto teen, which I personally wear as I feel the woman's range is not my demographic. The teen range has been brought back down (in age) to being more teen focused. So maybe a 30-something range is in order?

But even so, I loved the tops and dresses with their pretty details and baby soft fabric. The skirts and shorts are off course far too short for me, being not a teen. They also had some pretty swimwear.

I covet these bright red sandals...

Loved the fabric on this skirt, note also the stripes in the background.

Boden are trying to tone down the prints in children's wear too, aware that you can have too much of a good thing. They really love the prints and it has been an exercise of restraint, but I love the results and there is the odd big print in there for those who need them.

Take this amazing dog print skirt and seagull top...

I absolutely adore this.

Between this and the maternity dresses, Boden seem hell-bent on persuading me to have a third child. But it will take more than that, I am strong.

At 7 years old, my daughter still loves pink, so I have to choose clothes carefully so that they will actually get worn. I think this dress would fulfill her need for pink and my need for muted!

I love this combination and the top especially.

More sandals and some very cute pull-on plimsolls.

And the obligatory cute baby top ...

I nearly missed menswear, but somebody pointed it out to me 'over there with the bright jeans...'

I have to respect any man who would wear a pink gingham shirt with confidence.

The more neutral Boden man likes to holiday in Switzerland...

Stripe fans (and I am the head of that fan club) will not be disappointed...

And there is that satchel again, I can't decide which is best, tan or purple?

It was a lovely day out and always such a pleasure to meet everyone at Boden, probably the friendliest company ever. I also got to meet some fellow Boden bloggers; Laura Mannering who wrote this inspiring post about her travels following the end of a relationship. Also Abi Day from the Angel Eden blog.

Just before I left, the lovely Judi, who is one of the voices of Boden on Twitter, and a fellow craft nerd, showed me these amazing stamps they had made up to decorate the room. The flag in the background is a doormat to give you an idea of scale.

I emerged from the preview to be faced with helicopters overhead and riot police strolling through Covent Garden. A rather rude awakening, luckily I didn't get caught up in the student demos and drifted my way back to Brighton on the train already looking forward to next time.

Loves me, loves me not skirt

2011-11-07T17:08:00.000Z

I've been planning to make a skirt from this Bee nightlite fabric since it arrived and the last few weeks I have been slowly putting it together. I drafted the pattern based on a skirt that I already have from Whitestuff as it fits perfectly, it is the perfect skirt.

This went pretty smoothly, I decided to put a seam up the back (not really sure why on reflection) and the zip on the side (as would prove to be my downfall).

I also lined the skirt and use the same fabric as the main skirt on the waistband of the lining.

I had to cut out the fabric very carefully, I wanted the bee on the side and to make the most of the squares print which is my favourite part of the design.

It was all going quite smoothly until the zip. Zips are my sewing nemesis, from now on, everything that I sew shall be zipless. They will have magnificent elasticated waists that are easy to make and allow me to scoff enormous meals and still fit into my clothes comfortably.

Firstly, I found something mysteriously went wrong with my tension with the zipper foot on. Meaning that the thread became horribly tangled on the wrong side before eventually snapping. This happened a few times and was awful to unpick.

I re-threaded my machine as cleverly suggested by Florence and it was the re-threading of the bobbin that seemed to fix it, thank goodness.

I searched around for some decent instructions on how to sew a zip in a skirt with a lining and finally used those from the Proper Attire Skirt pattern by Anna Maria Horner as this skirt is quite similar.

I then rather stupidly didn't try the skirt on until I had finished the lining around the zip as I was filled with a false confidence. When I did try it on, it looked awful...

love you not, zip

There were 2 mistakes, the seam allowance where I fixed the zip to the skirt became slightly smaller as I got the end nearest the zip pull meaning that it bulged where there was more fabric. Then I went on to sew the seam below slightly off so that one side was slightly higher than the other meaning another bulge. I remember a third mistake, the first time I put the zip in, I forgot it was a concealed zip and sewed too far away from the coils. More unpicking, sigh.

At this point I very nearly screwed it up and filed it in the back of my wardrobe. But in an effort to be grown up and rational, I unpicked the zip that had taken me so long to sew, and tried again. I didn't repeat the same mistakes again. But then realised that although the zip was in ok, putting it on the side seam so that the bottom of the zip sat right at the point where the skirt curves over my hip meant it would always stick out. The zip is too rigid to curve in the seam and I should have put it down the back where the seam is straight and more forgiving.

So whilst it is not perfect, it is good enough and the zip will mostly be covered by any top that I wear, so really only I will know what is hiding underneath.

love you skirt

The rest of the skirt, I love. The fabric pattern is perfect, I love the way it worked out on the front and back. I'm really pleased I lined it as it gives the skirt some extra weight for the Autumn/Winter. That darned zip is put in neatly if not perfectly or maybe in the right place.

I have learned some valuable sewing lessons.

1. Try on garments as much as you can whilst making them to avoid too much unpicking if something goes wrong.

2. Until I get much better at putting zips in, put them on the back, not the side.

3. I love this skirt pattern and fabric.

4. It is worth going a little bit further to add in details that you like on shop-bought garments (I love the same fabric waistband on the inside.)

Overall I need to think a little harder about the things I make if I am not using a pattern to do the thinking for me. With a lot of the clothes I make, I get a little jaded by the end especially if they have been tricky. They become 'that top where I wasn't happy with the binding' or 'that skirt with the zip'. Which often means I can't face wearing them.

Saying all that, I am wearing 'that skirt with the zip' today and I love it, probably more than any other garment I have ever made. The fabric and pattern make up for the mistakes, and maybe next time I make it, the zip will be perfect, or I'll have an elasticated waist instead...

My Cato

2011-11-03T12:17:00.001Z

I'm working on a new craft project for the Boden blog today, something festive using Echo. It's just me and my cat Foxy, and she is powerless to resist the lure of a dangling piece of fabric. A kitten at heart.

One of her favourite games is to follow me when I am bleary eyed in the morning and pounce on my untied dressing gown belt. I feel a little like Inspector Clouseau, and she is my Cato. I haven't yet stumbled down the stairs whilst under her attack making me think that I am still on my game, but I know my cat assassin will get me one day.

see how her paws move so quickly - they are a blur

Here is a little sneak peak of what I have been working on, what is your favourite Christmas craft? Personally, I can't wait to get making these again.

Gently...

2011-11-01T13:24:00.002Z

So with half term over and some spare time on my hands again, I am gently easing myself back into sewing.

Starting with what should be one of the simplest sewing projects, a recorder bag for my daughter. She loves the Sarah Jane Children at Play fabric, and chose the balloons print. I think it is my favourite too.

The recorder is a new ~~torture device~~ source of joy in our lives. The book of music that came with the recorder has 'songs' which are basically the same note blown at top volume till you get the trademark recorder-shriek. Even when sent to her room to practice, there is no escaping that sound.

these are advanced songs with more than one note

So I find myself saying 'blow it gently, it's not meant to make that noise' A LOT. Maybe I should have embroidered those words on the bag. Maybe she'll learn, although I wonder if it is ever possible for a recorder to sound that good.

I am mid-way through making a skirt from this Melody Miller fabric, this recorder case being my warm up, I will hopefully make some progress there this week too.

Echo by Lotta Jansdotter

2011-10-26T13:23:00.013+01:00

Arriving today 'Echo' by Lotta Jansdotter.

Heirloom by Joel Dewberry

2011-10-13T18:21:00.000+01:00

It's been such a busy week for new fabric - and there is more to come! But arriving today is Heirloom by Joel Dewberry. There are a lot of fabrics out there to chose from, but as soon as I saw the amazing colours in this collection, I knew it was perfect for M is for make.

In particular the gold that runs through this print, it is perfect, I adore this fabric.

As usual in addition to buying this fabric by the fat quarter, fat quarter and fat sixteenth bundles are also available. Just think what you could make!

Just Dandy give-away

2011-10-12T14:31:00.000+01:00

Even though I mentioned this give-away in my last post, I thought it could be easily missed. So if you would like the chance to win a fat quarter bundle of the new Just Dandy collection, then head over to Manda's blog - good luck!

Just Dandy by Josephine Kimberling

2011-10-12T07:36:00.000+01:00

Just Dandy by Josephine Kimberling has arrived! I'm really excited about this collection, as soon as I saw it, I knew I had to stock it. It reminds me a little of Orla Kiely with the lovely cross hatch and daisy designs.

I'm very excited that Manda at Treefall design is kindly hosting a give-away for me. So if you head over to her blog then you will have a chance of winning a fat quarter bundle of this collection - good luck!

The Knitting and Stitching Show at Alexandra Palace

2011-10-09T10:14:00.002+01:00

horses follow the highway code too

Yesterday I had a day out in London with Amy and Florence to visit the Knitting and Stitching Show. I think I am now sufficiently recovered to write about it after a night's sleep - it is a full on experience at an amazing venue. Due to tube closures Amy and I started part of our journey on foot and being a complete tourist, I had to take a photo of this pedestrian crossing for horses in Green Park. Even the sign that lit up to cross the road was a horse - how brilliant is that?

Amy had warned me that Alexandra Palace is up a hill, and it really is, I'm so glad we took the shuttle from the tube, there is a fantastic view at the top. The entrance hall was festooned with this amazing knitted bunting, there was a story behind it, but it escaped me.

The place was totally overwhelming, full of so many stands which themselves were full of stuff. Stuff for knitting, stuff for stitching and other stuff that I'm not really sure why it was there like leather handbags and awful paintings.

Highlights for me were the larger stands where a lot of time and thought had been put into setting them up. I think this reflects on my reason for being there which was to look rather than buy.

Coats Crafts fabrics

Coats Crafts knits

Coats Crafts with all their lovely knits and fabrics (such as Amy Butler) had a very grand stand and reminded me of the bit quilt fairs that you read about in America where all the designers launch their new collections. (I dream of going to one of these.) As did the big sewing machine manufacturers, along with magnificent freeform embroidery machines. Amy had a go on this amazing (it was £9000 after all) machine.

Amy driving a £9000 machine without wheels

I felt that the smaller stands where things were actually being bought were rather more biased towards knitting rather than stitching. But there were a handful of gorgeous fabric shops there whose stands stood out from the rest like the Eternal Maker and Raystitch. It even had me looking at fabric that I stock in a different light. Also as Florence mentioned there was a frenzy around the Liberty fabrics on sale at the Fabrics Galore stall where I felt sorry for the poor man cutting fabric there who appeared to be trapped in the stall by fabric. I wonder he spent all 3 days there. I would happily have bought some Liberty fabric but was rather overwhelmed by the incredible choice. And the huge crowds there doing the same thing.

women - EVERYWHERE

I don't think I have ever seen so many women in one place, the occasional husband that had been dragged along (why would you do that to a man?) must had felt lost and bewildered in a sea of handknits and handbags.

I have no idea what these jumpers were about but I found them cool, funny and scary in equal measure. I think I may have nightmares about the ginger cat.

Amy is planning to buy a knitting machine and finally had a chance to use one at this stand, it was amazing how much knit you could produce with little effort. For me it brought back a whole host of happy memories of my mum having a knitting machine when I was little and making amazing jumpers for my sister and I. I particularly remember a blue jumper with a siamese cat on and one with my name repeated across it.

squint and this photo looks better

I thought the Selvedge stand was really beautiful and have captured it in an awful blurry photo. This was towards the end of the day and I wonder if I had got the shakes at this point. It looked really pretty and I rather wish some of the other stalls had gone to so much effort, but Selvedge did have a lot of space to play with.

the Selvedge stand

They had these gorgeous, very fine crocheted blankets, I think Amy got a good photo of them, so check her blog soon. Florence has also written about the day here.

After the show we had chips and wine in Covent Garden before heading home. This was the first time I have met Florence and it was a total delight to meet her for real, she is as lovely as you would imagine and more. We have only communicated before in the land of blogs and twitter. I also met Amy nearly a year ago now after following her blog. M is for make has introduced me to such lovely people, it still feels like a really unusual (and modern) way to meet.

Have any of you been to the Knitting and Stitching Show, what was your experience? Or have you met up with virtual friends - were they what you expected?

Sewing under pressure

2011-09-30T17:55:00.003+01:00

I could also pull this face at 7 years old

It's a skill passed down through generations

At the beginning of the summer I made a dress for an article that I wrote for Cloth magazine. The idea behind it was that I would keep a diary of how I cram sewing into everyday life as I often find myself wondering how on earth people find time to create balldresses/hand knitted shoes/felted dog coats seemingly overnight.

eating breakfast and sewing, don't try this at home kids

I won't re-write it all here, if you want to read it you can buy Cloth or a magnifying glass and read it here. I think buying Cloth is a better use of your money. To give you a taster, it did include tantrums, magic tricks and nearly flashing the father of one of my daughter's friends. All in a day's work for me.

she is soooo busted

After I finished writing it, my and my girl had a lot of fun re-creating moments from my diary (see grumpy time-out photo and chucking stuff out of the bath above). It makes more sense if you read the diary.

But I did want to show you the dress I made and write a little about the book I got the pattern from as I was really pleased with how it turned out.

I used Couture Dress and Smock book, a book that I have to admit I have overlooked a little. I'm not sure why as it is full of things that I want to make. I chose the dress on the right (below) because it was a nice simple fitted shift shape.

Because it had a high neck which doesn't suit me, I used the neckline from the dress on the right which worked out nicely.

I made a rough version of the dress out of a duvet cover as the sizes in this book were a little different to previous Japanese books I have used. It turned out well, I think the only tweak I made was to take a bit out of the neckline as there was a slight gape and I dropped the arm holes a little.

I had all sorts of ideas fabric wise and was holding off for some Echino fabric I was expecting. (It's just as well I didn't wait too long as it still hasn't arrived.) In the end I chose some bright lightweight cotton from my stash, liking the way I could play with the stripes on the waist.

The dress has a big long zip up the back which I think was the one problem I had as otherwise it went together very well. My zipper foot seriously misbehaved and it doesn't look as neat as I would like. Once day, I might take it out and try again (who am I kidding?).

With both kids at school now and some spare time in the day, I want to get back into making some more clothes, and then actually wear them. A few things have caught my eye in this book.

this top makes me think of Florence

I like the neckline and details on this dress...

And I might start here with this top, it's hard to see in the photo but it has pretty pin tucks on the neck and sleeves. I would have to make it quite a lot longer as I have a very long back and it already looks short in the picture, but I think that would be pretty easy.

I finally got round to buying a big roll of paper from Morplan to trace out the patterns and a super sharp tracing wheel after talking to pattern cutting pro Kerrie.

All I need now is the perfect fabric, but I want to make a rough version first to check fit and maybe tweak a few details. It's exciting to be back sewing again!

Catching up...

2011-09-24T18:12:00.001+01:00

With the kids firmly back at school now I am finally getting some free time to catch up on some much needed projects around the house. Our table has been in need of a spruce up for a while, and the Loulouthi laminated cotton was perfect for this project.

I used spray glue to stick it to a foam heatproof backing as in the past I have used dabs of fabric glue that have shown through leaving a stain. It was a better way of fixing it, or rather it would have been if I hadn't run out half way through and got my hands covered in glue trying to spread out the last few drops from the can. This left me with sticky hands that even spiderman would have been jealous of.

I'm so pleased with the result, the print is bright and spectacular, it looks amazing. I may have to make the kids eat on the floor from now on incase they get it dirty or something equally awful.

I hope you are having a great weekend whatever you are doing.

Kate
x

Dressing for Autumn

2011-09-21T09:57:00.002+01:00

School is back, the leaves are beginning to fall from the trees and there is a definite chill in the air; Autumn is here.

Are you sewing for Autumn? Here are a few things I spotted that may give you some inspiration.

J Crew have some gorgeous outfits put together, ideal for those such as myself who are incapable of doing this. I'm still feeling a bit frosty towards J Crew, I think I made myself clear on the subject here. But if they really do come to the UK properly, I may be prepared to change my views on them.

I love this coat from Anthropologie. The details are so pretty, it has a lovely pleat on the back too.

I can only dream of being a Boden teen in Autumn, it looks fun and wholesome. It was quite some since I was a teen, I can't pretend it was recent especially since Red recently revealed me. Rather like unmasking a super hero but considerably less dramatic or interesting.

I think I like the idea of capes more than the reality, and to be honest, this model in the Toast catalogue is not really selling the idea to me. But it would be fun to pretend to be Sherlock Holmes, pipe optional.

It can be quite a dreary time of year, so I think the perfect excuse to get a bag like this. Look how big it is - I could fit so much stuff in it. I would never find my lip balm in here, let alone my keys.

I love layering and Whitestuff is all about this, and look at these boots...

OK, they are not that exciting, but I begin to lose sensation in my feet as they freeze over for the winter, and I think these beauties could save them.

I was thinking of taking the kids to look for conkers at the weekend, and look - Whistles have created the perfect woodland outfits for me to wear. Outfit 2 includes a hat to protect me from

falling conkers and a bag in which to stash them, I couldn't be happier.

all navy outfits, Whistles, you know me well

I also love the idea of maxi skirts, perhaps not for a rainy day, but aren't they lovely?

And a chunky knit, perfect for any knitters out there.

And if you are thinking of making something for yourself, then here are a few fabrics that would be great for Autumn.

Loulouthi voiles

And for patterns, coming very soon, the new Colette patterns....

Peony

Jasmine and Clover

Are you making something for Autumn? I'd love to hear about it...

Brighton shops

2011-09-10T14:07:00.000+01:00

The cake display in Choccywoccydoodah

A few highlights from our trip to Brighton this morning. There is a road in Brighton that seems to be attracting lots of chocolate shops. But the mother of all chocolate shops is Choccywoccydoodah. If you visit Brighton, you must see it. The shop is pretty small, but has the most amazing creations like the cakes in their window.

Cable and cotton

This shop looked really pretty. Not sure about the concept though; you create a string of lights by choosing the colour balls. It did look lovely though, and I have always been one to judge a book by it's cover.

The sweet shop Fizziwigg's always has the most amazing displays. Note the clawing hands of my children in the next photo.

sweet zombies

And of course the pier.

Hope you are having a happy weekend,

Kate
x

Scream curtain

2011-09-04T13:23:00.001+01:00

Many years ago (eeek - Wikipedia tells me it was actually 15 years ago) I went to the cinema with my boyfriend (now husband) to see a film. I remember clearly sitting down and asking him what film we had come to see. (I find it fascinating that back then, going to the cinema was such a regular occurrence, I didn't even bother to find out the name of the film first.)

More fool me, as the reply was 'Scream'. 'What is it about?' I asked with a knot of fear forming in my stomach. I didn't have to wait long and the opening 10 minutes scared the hell out of me. I hate scary films, and this is a spoof scary film. It instilled in me a life long fear of being in a house at night with lights on and not being able to see what is going on outside when it is dark as the windows turn into a mirror.

Really, the only scary thing that is likely to be in my garden, is a fox, or my kids. But with the evenings getting darker, there is something about those windows that has prompted me to make this curtain. I decided to use a Loulouthi fat 16th bundle initially thinking I would use the 9" x 6" pieces and sew them together as they were but gradually I cut them smaller and smaller turning a quick job into a much more time consuming one.

my cat: tough on patchwork,
tough on the causes of patchwork

It took me a while to cut out all the pieces, even with my rotary cutter I managed to cut out quite a large proportion of the pieces about a cm narrower than the others, not sure how. And it took me a while to decide what order to put them in, laying them out on the floor and having the cat plough through the middle of them numerous times, scattering the squares so that I had to take a photo to remember where they all went.

Sewing it all together was much quicker, and so satisfying. I love the back of quilts almost as much as the front, maybe that's a little strange, but the construction is so geometric and neat when it is all ironed.

Having it closed in the daytime does block out an awful lot of light, but I love the almost stained glass effect it creates.

In the interests of honestly, here is a photo of what my kitchen usually looks like, and the junk I had to shove to the sides to take this unusually tidy photo.

It does the job well, and I no longer get spooked while I do the washing up in the evenings. My husband helpfully pointed out that if a 8 foot bogey man was lurking in our garden, he would still be able to see in. Thanks love.

I am planning a blog post to feature your creations from the fat 16th bundles, so do send me a photo of anything you have made.

New Colette patterns coming soon to M is for make

2011-09-01T07:58:00.001+01:00

I have just ordered the new Autumn patterns by Colette patterns and wanted to share them with you as they are so gorgeous.

First is the Jasmine blouse which is meant for great Autumn layering, is body flattering, but easy and quick to sew. It is cut on the bias, so you don’t need any closures. It has a cute little kerchief collar made in a contrasting fabric. I'm particularly exited about this pattern, as with a large bust, a lot of these patterns don't suit me, but this one is perfect!

Also there is the first trousers patterns. The Clover is both chic and dead simple, so that you can concentrate on getting them just the way you want them. The Colette Patterns blog will be posting plenty of fitting tips, and likely doing a sewalong at some point too!

With just a few pattern pieces, you can make a pair of elegant cigarette pants that will carry you through Autumn. Version 1 (the tweed ones above) are ankle length, with subtle pockets inset into the waistband seam. Version 2 are mid-calf and will be great for warmer weather.

Lastly is Peony, a boat-neck dress with short or 3/4 sleeves and a fully removable cummerbund-style belt.

The belt can be made in a contrast fabric (version 1) or in your main fabric (version 2). This dress lends itself to countless variations, and especially to embellishments.

So what do you think? what is your favourite? I will be adding them to the shop in the coming weeks, with a link so that you can get an email when they are in stock. So keep checking back.

Colette Sewing Handbook

This also seems like the perfect time to mention the upcoming Colette Sewing Handbook. From Amazon...

A great plan, a great pattern, a great fit, a great fabric and a great finish are the 5 fundamentals to completing a perfect sewing project. Here Sarai Mitnick reveals her 5 fundamentals in her trademark clear instruction to provide a rounded and beautiful sewing guide. Totally comprehensive, this title covers: sewing techniques; planning and fitting; working with patterns, fabrics and linings; and, finishing techniques. It includes 5 beautiful projects (1 blouse, 3 dresses and 1 skirt) with tissue paper patterns so readers can learn to sew AND creative a gorgeous project.

It will make a perfect Christmas present (sorry for mentioning the C word) for any aspiring seamstress as it is out in November.

Clay, pixel blocks and bandages

2011-08-27T16:50:00.003+01:00

cool bandage huh? I did egg the nurse on a bit...

Whilst I wouldn't say that we had grand plans for this bank holiday weekend, there is so much going on in Brighton this weekend, I felt sure we could find something fun to do. But one ill-fated trip to the park, a foot vs slide mishap and a couple of hours in the wonderful Brighton A&E finds me house bound with my beloved and bandaged girl.

a master craftsman at work

So, this would seem like and excellent excuse to get a bit of crafting done. I saw somewhere on the interweb a tutorial involving clay, cookie cutters and shells. And seeing as we have a lot of shells from our holiday and clay is brilliant fun I made a mental note to try it out. I picked up some no fire clay today and got out the cookie cutters which have definitely been used more for craft than cookies. Anyway, I don't need cookie cutters now that I have the best ever cookie recipe.

a doorbell maybe, she is a very creative crafter

This activity didn't pass as much time as I would have hoped. Maybe I should have tied one hand behind their backs to slow them down a bit. That seems a bit cruel for a child already bandaged though. I'm sure they looked rather more spectacular on that lost tutorial, but it was fun, and when they have air dried in 4 years time, we'll paint them.

somewhere under those shells is a star

Another thing I have been meaning to blog about for ages is Pixel Blocks. My husband brought some back from a trip to the US, I've struggled to find a link for the UK but they did have them on Firebox at one point. They are amazing, like 3D Lego blocks that you can connect in all directions, have a look at the link for an explanation. The kids love them as do I. They come with a book of ideas, but my daughter is old enough to make up her own stuff now.

This is not modelled on me,
I have short hair and 4 fingers on each hand

Apparently they are popular amongst geeky designer types, and you can create amazing stuff out of them, 2D or 3D. Take a look at the Flickr group.

a dog, obviously

I'd recommend them for 4 years + my (4 year old) son loves them, great for fine motor skills and general concentration. When it rained last week we made zoo animals. (Don't get me wrong, we also watched telly and bickered).

a panda, and next, a honey badger (this is a joke)

Here's a close up...

you want them don't you?

So, my bank holiday weekend so far, I'm hoping the remainder is less eventful.

Dear J Crew...

2011-08-24T20:49:00.000+01:00

Is J Crew mocking those with glasses

or those without?

A while back I expressed my views on J Crew and how much I would love them to open up in the UK. Imagine my excitement when straight away one of my clever readers told me that such a thing would be happening this summer. I have been eagerly awaiting this and checking their website for updates. This week, they proudly greeted me with this message.

Well hello indeed, J Crew

Now I'm not a great one for letter writing. That being said, I did email the council 3 years ago to ask them to sort out the blocked drain at the end of the road because every time it rained we got a puddle the size of Lake Geneva. It seemed to be pretty effective as 2 years later they came and cleared it, no more lakeside views for us. So I am aware of the power of a letter. Dear J Crew, here is my latest request.

I love them too J Crew, but they are going to

cost me a gazillion pounds to buy

Look at the lovely clothes, and then look at the not so small print. £9.95 flat shipping rate, that sounds a bit steep. It's because they are shipping from the US and so you will still be stung by horrible customs duties making clothes that are already pricey, pricey x 2 + £9.95 shipping + customs + VAT.

£9.95 shipping x 16 = a gazillion pounds to buy these outfits

Furthermore, help is provided in the FAQ page by 'Julie and her team' This worries me a little, there are over 62 million people in the UK. What happens if we all decide to buy something say on a Friday night after payday, Julie might be having a day off (because let's face it - she'll need it after dealing with 62 million people) and maybe her second in command had to go home early to take her cat to the vets. Is the rest of Julie's team going to be able to cope?

I'd love to buy this dress for my daughter, it is a mere £71.80,

add on £9.95 shipping, import duty, VAT, Parcelforce fees,

and it would cost a gazillion pounds - is my maths right?

Another US store that opened the UK is my favourite - Anthropologie. Not only did they open an actual store with a living wall and glorious decor, oh and it has clothes too, they have an excellent online shop which is actually in the UK. So,

.....................................................................

Dear J Crew, please open a proper UK web shop with proper postage charges and the pound equivalent of your US prices (the above dress costs £47 on the US site). Because I don't have a gazillion pounds and neither do my friends.

Thanks everso,
Kate
.....................................................................

Things I have learnt this last 2 weeks...

2011-08-21T20:11:00.000+01:00

1. When on a ferry, catching your child's sick in your hands may seem like a good idea but ultimately, it is a very bad idea.

un whale massif a la plage

2. The french eat baby Cornetto's. They are both barbaric and delicious.

c'est delicious, les cornettos bebe

3. French supermarkets are full of amazing vegetables, meat, fish and bread and make me wish I was a better cook.

beaucoup de poisson dans le supermarche

4. I love collecting shells.

shells est tres jolie

c'est un theme n'est pas?

5. The French love stripes almost as much as me...

la boutique de stripes

and my son...

mon fils de stripes

6. Was there ever a building more wasted on a Burton's?

la Burtons, sérieusement?

7. Sandy beaches rule

Brighton plage a beaucoup de rocks,

la plage Francais n'est pas beaucoup de rocks

8. The coolest fish tank ever?

le tank a peche est un tube longs hanging from un l'arbre

9. Pigeon hearts are best barbequed.

c'est un tomato, pas un pigeon, yuk

10. France is where baby vintage sewing machines are born

ancienne bebe sewing machines, c'est tres cute n'est pas?

11. In another life, I would like to be this French cat.

tous les jours, le chat sleeps dans la soleil

c'est la bonne vie n'est pas?

I hope you are having a good Summer, and thanks for bearing with me while I was off, all holiday orders will be posted tomorrow.

Kate
x

Feeling deflated

2011-07-26T17:47:00.001+01:00

Feeling deflated?

It's been a rather flat beginning to the summer holidays I have found myself confined to the house with a poorly girl. Yesterday this was combined with a not-poorly-climbing-the-walls-boy who I happily sent off to nursery today. This left me with a quiet house and a child lying forlornly on the sofa all day watching tv. Suddenly from no where I am presented with some time to sew.

I've been meaning to make something from this gorgeous Jessica Jones fabric since it arrived and this gum drop pillow by Amy Butler seemed perfect. I've had the pattern for years and the one I previously made is looking rather sad and overused. Actually it's probably the most used pieces of sewing I have done.

So for the first time in a very long while, I managed to complete a whole sewing project in one day. Quite an achievement given I usually manage to string them out for weeks if not months. The pillow is pretty straight forward to make, I had a few joining issues where all the panels came together, but I think this was down to me not really paying attention. Slip-stitching a bulging cushion closed was a bit challenging too. But very satisfying when it was all done.

Doing something creative has taken the edge of my cabin fever a little, and set me thinking about some new Amy Butler fabric which I will share with you tomorrow.

End of an era...

2011-07-22T12:51:00.001+01:00

my sofa disappearing under a year's worth of school stuff

I know some schools finished for the summer weeks ago. But my daughter’s school breaks up today and the last few weeks have been a whirlwind of sports days, picnics, and the famed leavers assembly as she makes the move from infant to junior school.

It seems that the tradition at our leavers assembly is for the kids to sing ‘Three Little Birds’ by Bob Marley. Even now with a safe few weeks between me and that performance, the memory still brings a lump to my throat as my not so little girl goes off to big school.

At my niece’s leavers assembly they sang ‘Fix You’ by Coldplay and my sister commented that it felt like they were going off to war. Teachers out there – is there a staff room sweep stake on how many parents you can make cry at the end of term?

So with the summer holidays upon us, I hope I get time to carry on blogging and look forward to your comments and hearing what you have been up to too.

Have a happy weekend,

Kate

Under a stormy sky

2011-07-18T13:02:00.001+01:00

It seems like this black cloud has anchored itself over Brighton at the moment. But after a weekend of spending a little too much time inside, on Sunday, we decided it was time to venture out.

With a end of year school reports and 5 metre swimming badges to celebrate, we headed to Scoop and Crumb, for hot dogs and ice cream. The basis of any balanced diet.

You almost don't have space for the ice cream after a hot dog, but in the tradition of having a stomach for main and another for pudding, we managed to squeeze in a sundae.

If you find yourself in Brighton, it's a great place for kids or grown ups and it's right next to the beach and pier.

We walked off our considerable lunch through town, stopping to enjoy the South London Jazz Orchestra who happened to be playing in the Pavillion Gardens. Our son was unable to stop himself dancing to the jazz. It was was of those moments you want to take a snap shot of and remember forever. Fortunately I had my camera, so I filmed it AND took a photo. I have a rubbish memory anyway.

I must have taken a hundred photos of Brighton Pavillion, but I still couldn't help myself from taking another, the silhouette is amazing against the sky.

Is there anything more dangerous than a young child with an umbrella? The only consolation was that pranging unsuspecting pedestrians took their minds off the long walk back.

We always stop off at the scrambling wall. As usual the kids were in their crocs, probably the least practical shoes ever for climbing in. How I wish I had invented crocs.

And wherever you are in Brighton, you will always find a massive seagull somewhere with it's beady eye on you. It's worth watching out for them, and if you are eating something or walking with a small dog or child, hang on tight.

Guest blog and dress pattern review

2011-07-14T09:19:00.001+01:00

Thank you to Emily for this wonderful pattern review of the Family Reunion Dress by Oliver & S.

...................................

I'd been wanting to try out an Oliver + S pattern for a while, but for various reasons hadn't got round to it. However, when I saw the 'Family Reunion Dress' pattern on their blog I knew it would be perfect - we were due to go to my aunty and uncle's 25th wedding anniversary party, Munchkin needed a frock, and that it was such an appropriately named pattern was obviously a sign that should buy it :) I liked the look of the pin tucks, the button-up back and the yoke.

But horror of horrors, my favourite stockist of pretty patterns and desirable fabrics (M is for Make, obviously :) did not stock it! With a bit of a persuasive email to Kate I managed to have the pattern land on my doormat a few weeks later. There was about a month before the party, so I had plenty of time. I decided to make up a muslin to make sure everything fitted and to practice the pintucking, and so I traced off the pattern pieces and cut them out of some cheap cotton I had in my stash.

And then I found out I was pregnant. Hurray! And then about a week later the morning sickness kicked in. My sewing mojo went out the window. I was in bed before 9pm most nights. If I wasn't in bed I was busy eating savoury snacks to try and keep the nausea at bay. I couldn't focus on any particular task for more than 10 minutes without needing a lie down on the sofa. Progress ground to a halt. The forlorn pieces of cheap cotton started to gather dust on the sideboard.

Fast forward to a week before the party, and I knew I had to get my skates on or accept defeat and pop in to M&S to buy a back-up. So I took a deep breath, ate a bag of japanese rice crackers and started to sew.

As I was so short for time I had abandoned my muslin, but I was still worried about sewing the pintucks, as I hadn't done any before. Before I made a start on the 'proper' dress, I took my dusty muslin pieces and transferred the pattern markings on the front and back, and then had a pintuck practice run. This was most helpful, and meant I felt more confident when I sewed them on the final dress. If you're not quite sure about getting them right, I'd recommend it. One of the things I loved about the pattern was the detailed instructions, and the steps on pintucks are no exception. There are a couple of handy hints on getting a neat finish, and there's a glossary as part of the instructions if you don't understand what any of the terms mean.

I plodded along through the rest of the pattern, stopping for savoury snack breaks and naps where appropriate. Everything is explained along the way, and the diagrams that accompany the instructions are very clear. I often struggle with commercial patterns from the big four as there aren't enough pictures for me, but this was perfect. I think the whole thing took me 3 or 4 evenings to complete, although I really wasn't at my best and I think under normal circumstances it would have taken 2. The trickiest thing about the whole process was finding buttons that matched my fabric, and I ended up sewing them on the dress in the car on the way to the party!

The fabric I used was a quilting weight cotton, and I think it was ideal for the style of dress. Anything heavier and you wouldn't get the crispness of the pintucks - although a babycord might work. It would be perfect in chambray as well, and you could use scraps of a contrasting fabric for the neck facing and the button tab, and maybe a bit of applique on the body of the dress. You can sew the pattern in a blouse length as well, which is what I'm planning to do with another pretty print that I've found, once the morning / afternoon / evening sickness abates and I can stay up past 8pm.

In conclusion, it was a lovely pattern to sew. Even down to the paper that the pattern is printed on, it oozes quality. The fit was perfect - my daughter has not long turned three, and her measurements matched the pattern envelope exactly for size 3T. The design and sewing techniques that are used produce a very high quality dress, and one that I am sure I'll be passing down to Munchkin's little cousins (and maybe even a future sister?).

...................................

Thanks Emily and congratulations - I hope the morning sickness has eased by now! Keep your feet up,

Kate
x

Cat prints

2011-07-04T17:10:00.001+01:00

My latest blog over at Boden is about how to do simple printing by making a stamp. Do go and take a look. It's such an easy way to make a really effective fabric print, I think I even surprised myself.

Make sure you use an oil based fabric paint, a first attempt with water based paint was rather unsuccessful.

I hope it's lovely and sunny where you are. Summer has finally hit Brighton. Well, for this week any way.

In further news, Loulouthi is on it's way to me... who fancies a give away?

Tutorials from the interweb

2011-07-01T08:59:00.000+01:00

There have been some great few tutorials floating round the interweb lately. So many that I decided it was time to collect them all up in one place for you.

First up is this gorgeous Spinning Stars quilt pattern by Anna Maria Horner using many fabrics from her Loulouthi collection (this is imminent at M is for make - I promise!)

A tutorial for an oval bathmat by Cloud 9 fabrics, which is a great way to personalise your bathroom.

A simple baby quilt design by Monoluna - wouldn't this look amazing with a bit of foxy?

Another lovely quilt pattern by Oliver & S.

And finally, such a simple, but brilliant idea for sewing buttons from Oliver & S - I'll definitely be trying this.

Work in progress...

2011-06-13T17:45:00.001+01:00

A while back, I started on my Gathering Flowers Quilt. Some of my blog readers may be too young to remember this.

I'm pleased to report that I have been making some progress lately. My main motivation has been making sure I cut out all the pieces of fabric I need before Innocent Crush sells out. I have been sewing in the evening when the kids are in bed. There are issues with this as I will demonstrate.

Spot the mistake? Let me make it easier for you.

Look at block number 2. Those of you who know me can probably imagine that I did utter a few well chosen bad words when I noticed this. I had even said to myself that I must check it before sewing because wouldn't it be frustrating to spot a mistake at this stage? Well, it was, very frustrating. In the future I will listen to that particular voice in my head.

I was further hampered by the fact I used my seam ripper last week for a spot of DIY and snapped the pointy bit off, making unpicking stitches very tedious.

But we learn by our mistakes, second time round I was extra careful. And here they are all shiny and perfect.

I need to make 2 more of these as I'm making a cot bed sized quilt 6 x 2. Neither of my kids are in cot beds (or ever were for that matter, straight from a cot to a massive single bed) but it seemed more achievable at this size.

Now that I finally have more than 2 blocks, I can think about how they will go together.

I think I prefer the latter, it's less perfect. Kind of how this quilt is turning out. I love the squares is creates and the rings of the petals which could have been paler to stand out more in hindsight.

So now I am back on track with this quilt, I'm hoping to finish it before it's intended recipient reaches her teens. She is currently 6 so I am feeling fairly confident.

Make a Corsage

2011-06-07T17:42:00.001+01:00

Been a bit quiet on the blogging front recently - sorry about that. Half term and family life has rather taken over. But a while back I wrote this blog post for Boden about making a corsage, so if you fancy giving one a go, then head over there...

I have 3 different fabric collections on their way to me as I type, so in the coming weeks there will be lots of lovely new fabric to show you. Some I already mentioned, some my lovely Twitter followers offered me advise on, and another that only Florence knows about.

Exciting eh? I am very excited and it feels like a good time to think about give-aways, so do check back.

In the meantime, go and get your corsage on.

Wish list

2011-06-02T09:59:00.000+01:00

I finally succumbed to my Amazon wishlist this week and got some books for me and the kids. I got this Papertoy Monsters book after making some from my mum's copy of the book with the kids.

Squidbeak: coincidentally, my nickname

this is a joke: do not call me squidbeak

It's brilliant, probably suitable for kids 7 or 8 years + due to all the sticking required.

You press the monsters out from the page and then follow the very well laid out instructions to stick the monsters together. You need double sided tape.

This takes me back to the Walking Dead,

or maybe earlier this morning just after I woke up

In truth, the kids chose them and I made them, but I enjoyed it, and they liked playing with them after.

Anyway, I bought a copy as I thought it would make a great boy's birthday present (or girl's). I find boys particularly hard to buy for when my daughter gets invited to the occasional boy party. As far as I can tell they mostly like fighting and running around and what can you buy for that?

Me at meal time

I eat with a trowel

Next up, with my daughter's 7th birthday looming, I read a review of this book in the paper and it looked brilliant, so here it is.

I loved bubble-writing when I was little and so this really appealed - How to be the best bubble writer ever.

cup cake bubble writing

shooting stars bubble writing

ribbon bubble writing - could this book be any more girly?

next up kitten writing and cuddly toy bubble writing

grrr monster writing, that's better

and robot bubble writing

And finally for me, I bought the book with the worst title ever - Hand Job. Basically it's the adult version of the bubble writing book, with hand drawn fonts and other very cool illustrations. It's full of so much inspiration of things to draw and design, a feast for your eyes.

Last photo is my studio*

Ideally I'd like to have the young' un doing some bubble writing while I flick through this book, but no. It's half term, it's a glorious day and the although the wind has droppped considerably since I made the promise earlier, we are off to fly a kite. Or drag it along the grass for half an hour, i'll see how things pan out.

*This is a lie.

Inspiration from the archives

2011-05-24T19:56:00.000+01:00

I bought these 2 books ages ago; Children's Fashions 1900 - 1950 and Everyday Fashions of the Twenties thinking they would make great source material when I get round to doing a bit of pattern cutting.

I think I may have gone too far back in time and probably should have focused from the 40's onwards, but I was thinking about 1920's Chanel dresses at the time, in hindsight, these wouldn't have been found in a Sears catalogue. None the less, they do make for fascinating (and very funny) reading. Here are a few of the highlights...

quite like a Christmas cracker

These are some of the oldest children's clothes in the book from 1910, there is so much to them, I can't imagine a child putting up with something so bulky these days - look how wide the shoulders are. The dress is almost symmetrical top and bottom.

yuckity yuk

Imagine dressing a child in furs? it gives me the creeps seeing the nose and tail of the animal.

what can he hear? the sound of his friends sniggering maybe?

I love the idea of dressing my son in Rufplay Rompers. They are for the Little Fellows. And are apparently, famous.

These girl's dresses are cute though, I like the peter pan collars and dropped waists.

More dropped waists, and some lovely pleat action. I'm not convinced how flattering these are though, maybe it's just the way they are drawn but they look quite masculine (if a man were to wear a drop waisted 1920's dress).

fun fun fun - do real kids look this jolly?

I love the middle outfit here on the bottom row, the polka dot blouse has a pretty tie.

no sunscreen in the 20's, so perhaps not that healthful

And if you are looking for "Gay sunshine clothes" which are so healthful (who isn't?), then here they are for 49c. How cute is the one of the left with the bubble skirt and ruffle sleeves?

Loving the jump suit on the left, if I wanted a suit to jump in, I'd be picking one of these up for $1 (or $1.98 in corduroy).

spade, pitch fork, pig pen - country chic

The pleats in the middle are so sharp, the lady in the crazy trousers on the left had watch out. Her trousers have hot rural buzz words on like 'spade' 'pitch fork' and 'pig pen'. I think I may include this idea in the next thing I make, but make them relevant to living in a city like Brighton. How about 'bus lane' 'pot hole' and 'Grubbs burgers'. It will be a new craze and remember you heard it here first.

my little fellow would put up the mother of all fights

not to be dressed in a wash suit

More fashion for little fellows, this time rompers and wash suits. It would be great fun to dress my little fellow in something like this, but I can only imagine the fight he would put up. I have documented his criteria for getting dressed here. His rules haven't relaxed much.

M & S undies have nothing on these...

Phew, avert your eyes ladies, some cool athletic underwear on show.

Look at these gorgeous dresses, they are heading towards the Chanel I had in mind.

More cuteness in the form of Bob Hats. Such a shame we only wear hats for weddings these days. This could solve my bad-wavy-hair days. I miss being able hide my bird's nest under a woolly hat like I did in the winter.

My eye is drawn to the polka dot dress on the right, it reminds me of the dress from my pattern cutting course.

Finally some elegant ladies undies. Is the silhouette on the top left the end result? Then transport me back to the 1920's and I'll snap one up.

Free as a bird light shade

2011-05-15T07:57:00.000+01:00

If you are looking for some inspiration on what to make with Cut Out and Keep, then have a look at this great light shade made by Fiona.

"Having not managed to find that 'something special' ceiling light shade, I decided that the only way was to create my own!

I used a lampshade kit called 'Stick-it', there is You tube video too.

As I usually just make things up as I go along, I was going to buy all the bits and work it out myself. But having never done this before, I thought that this kit would make life a bit easier - measurements and so on are all worked out for me!

It was a joint effort between my husband and I (both of us being obsessively creative!)"

Free as a bird is my favourite in this collection, and I think it looks amazing as a light shade!

Boden Autumn/Winter preview

2011-05-06T16:54:00.003+01:00

Hello, may I speak to Mr Boden please?

Yesterday Amy and I were lucky enough to go to the preview of the Boden Autumn/Winter 2011/12 collection. As usual, the setting was amazing, the whole room was Boden-ed up to the max with prints on every available surface.

Before we went in the door we were greeted by this fantastic taxi.

No, we did not get a lift home in this

And the loveliness continued inside. We signed in on an old fashioned type writer (not one of those fancy iPad ones) to be greeted by the lovely Boden folk and their magnificent room full of clothes.

We started off with the teen range, Johnnie b which continues to be my favourite of all the Boden ranges.

Here, the colours were a little more muted, the graphic T's cool, the prints ditzy and subtle. I love thee Johnnie b.

Loved the cute detail on this top...

This top came in several lovely colours...

There is real attention to detail in this range, look at the lace on this cardigan...

And I loved this leather jacket, the leather was buttery as it should be and look at the shocking pink lining. Swoon.

Of course, this range is meant to teenagers, and there is no doubting that despite being just a bit older than a teenager* the skirts and dresses are way too short for me. It doesn't stop me from wanting the tops though. I wish there was a bit more of this muted style in the main range.

In the middle of the room was this amazing Boden art installation where they had covered every random object you could imagine in Boden print.

Lampshade? check. Oars? check. Skateboard? check. Skis? check.

This Boden boat looks overloaded and a little dangerous to me.

Don't get on it.

Why not use your old buggy to store snazzy socks in?

Ordinary pianos are boring, add a bit of Boden bling

I would suggest that putting a Boden teapot on your child's highchair
might not be that safe. But I think this baby has bigger
problems than the teapot e.g. it doesn't have a head

And at the end of the day, when you are done with skiing in your Boden skis and rowing your Boden boat, put the dog to bed in their Boden kennel and put the Boden TV on.

There was menswear, I have to be honest, I didn't look at it, being a girl. I did take this photo though, I don't think it gives you a very accurate representation of the menswear collection, but it is quite factual, so you may find it useful.

Next to the Mini Boden collection. I was very pleased to spot a few of my favourites from last year, this layered skirt on the left was a huge hit with my daughter last winter, she wore it all the time.

Had a brought a bigger bag with me, I might have tried to smuggle this mini Eames rocker out with me. Hi my name is Kate, and I am a chair addict.

Craft alert - look at these amazing clouds with Boden print raindrops - Boden even controls the weather. Dear Boden, please make it sunny this weekend. Amy and I discussed that we could make these for a children's party and then cackled at the idea because - who were we kidding?

This wall of rosettes was amazing. I think this may have been my dream as a little girl.

Loved these pumps and trainers...

Head over heals in love with this dress, it shall be ~~mine~~ my daughters. That hat was very cute, and I loved the navy dress too, it had a lovely bow detail at the neck.

For the baby boys...

For the baby girls...

Loved.this.print.

Just one dress from the maternity collection on show. For you lucky ladies who are expecting, wrap your bump in this jersey goodness.

On to the ladies, I loved this navy collection - navy being my wardrobe staple. Look at that patent satchel. yes please.

I love the details that you get in Boden clothes, look at this lining.

And in red...

Rainbow cashmere anyone?

Trapper hat to keep your ears warm... there is no way I could pull this off, but it does look cozy.

There was a wall of envelopes with postcards of Boden prints. It was heaven.

Love.metallic.bags.

A recap from earlier, in case you had forgot, there will be a test later.

A few more shots of the amazing room.

Was I the only one photographing the sofa? Mid-century furniture makes me go weak at the knees.

Dear Boden, please make my house like this. Currently it is dominated by Playmobil.

And finally back to that magnificent shoe mountain, but look closely and you will see shiny jewels to.

There's my bag again.

If you were to climb a shoe mountain, I would suggest not doing it in these shoes...

So, I told you there would be a test:

Q: What makes Boden, Boden?

A:

... and colour

10 'M is for make' points if you got it right.

* this is a lie

Today...

2011-05-05T20:55:00.002+01:00

Amy and I had a great day out in the big city today, no kids, no buggies and no baby wipes. Can you guess where we went?

A mountain of shoes - but what shoes

would you wear to climb such a mountain?

Imagine winning this many rosettes.

I need to get me a pony.

Yay - me too - let's be friends.

I think this may give it away.

Hopefully share the rest with you in the next couple of days.

Taxi for Boden?

Lazy Mother Skirt

2011-04-24T07:56:00.000+01:00

Even though I love sewing, sometimes I find it hard to get the motivation together to start making something. So when the mood finds me then I make the most of it and sew as fast as I can.

After gaining yet more inspiration from Pinterest, the mere sight of these pleats was enough to set me off on a mission to make a skirt for my daughter. First stop fabric, and faced with the whole inventory of M is for make, my daughter chose this lovely Firefly print.

Win for me because it is cheap (I was expecting her to go for some of this) but also a surprise because it is red (with pink of course) and she never goes for red. Bring on the revolution I say.

I was limited by the fact I decided to make this skirt from 2 fat quarters so giving me a fixed width. I measured her waist added an inch for ease and got started. I decided to line the pleats up carefully with the pattern, because (a) I am a perfectionist and (b) it looked nice. So it meant a fair bit of pleating, measuring, realising it was too small, and then re-pleating. I got there in the end. I'd love to give you a tutorial on it, but it was just a case of hit and miss.

I then thought about lining with this, and putting a zip in, but being a lazy mother I decided I couldn't be bothered and went for an elasticated waistband instead. They are much easier to put on after all. This meant adding in a bit more ease so that the skirt would go over the hips. Of course I added in far too much and when the skirt was all put together it was about 2 inches too big around the waist. I have no idea how that happened. So I had to take a couple of pleats out, and re-do the side seam making the skirt feel rather less like a lazy-mother-skirt and more like a spend-hours-at-your-sewing-machine-mother kind of skirt.

Add to this the decision I had made to finish the skirt first thing in the morning so that she could wear it that day when her friend was due in less than an hour and we were both in our pj's with unbrushed teeth and bird's nest hair.

I got there in the end and am pleased with the result.

The pleats run into the waist band which I like, I think maybe next time I would prefer a bit more fullness and got the whole hog and use 3 fat quarters and 2 side seams instead of 1. I would like to make her a gathered skirt next time as these are especially popular due to their whirling qualities. They are however more fabric hungry.

My daughter likes it though, it's nice to see her in bolder colours. She obligingly did some ballet in the garden for me.

So perhaps not such a lazy mother after all. I can't tell you how wonderful it is to see someone wearing something you have made, and for kids, summer is a great time to knock up a few dresses and skirts, I hope I have inspired you to get sewing too.

Dear J Crew...

2011-04-19T09:11:00.000+01:00

Dear J Crew: Please dress me in these outfits

and provide me with these legs.

My latest addiction, Pinterest has led me to some new and very lovely fashion discoveries. If you haven't heard of Pinterest yet, it is a totally addictive and wonderful way to collate gorgeous images from the internet and see what other people are into too.

If you have ever been researching a project about say, Audrey Hepburn, decorating your home, albino peacocks, dressing your kids in beautiful dresses, then you can store all these images on one mood board rather than a confusing bunch of bookmarks on your internet browser. Oh, and it is totally addictive, but I mentioned that already.

One of my latest trips to Pinterest led my to J Crew. All I know about J Crew is that it's an American clothing company that has clothed Michelle Obama. The wikipedia page about them is disappointing, which is worrying as wikipedia has increasingly become my font of all knowledge.

So, to continue the title to this post...
.....................................................................
Dear J Crew, please open a shop in the UK.

Thanks everso,
Kate
.....................................................................

I shall demonstrate why using the power of pictures.

Dear J Crew: please dress my first born in these outfits.

Dear J Crew: this isn't my colour, but I still like it

Dear J Crew: I think you know my weakness for stripes,

and this top is all kinds of stripy

Dear J Crew: I like this pleat action, and you

make your dresses in about 50 different colours.

Perhaps you would consider opening a shop in the UK?

Dear J Crew: this is the mother of all big-bow dresses

I would never have cause to wear it,

but I can admire it anyway.

Dear J Crew: perfect for the school run, a skirt and hoodie,

I will stand out from the other mum, thanks.

Dear J Crew: a 6 year old girl in my life needs this dress.

Dear J Crew: a dusty coloured flounce skirt

yes and yes.

I rest my case, J Crew, I hope you are listening. Those of you who are curious about Pinterest, here's something that will make you more curious, you have to ask to join, and after an agonising wait, they will email you and let you join their club. I can get you in the back door though, send me an email if you want an invite and something to sap away your free time...

ps, thank you to the clever Amy who has informed me that J Crew do have a shop on Net a Porter, so I can get some of their collection in the UK. (Dear J Crew - this doesn't get you off the hook, I want the whole lot).

Moments like these...

2011-04-17T16:09:00.000+01:00

There is no denying that being a parent to two small children can be relentlessly hard work at times. But watching our 2 jump around in the sea on a sunday afternoon with total abandon takes the edge off it a little.

They were straight in the water, the sandy beaches of Wales are a treat for us being used to stony Brighton beaches.

So next time they are playing their favourite game of winding each other up by repeating what the other is saying until one of them cracks and freaks out. Or displaying less than desirable table manners, I'll try and remember this moment. I'll let you know if it works.

Tote tutorial

2011-04-13T14:06:00.000+01:00

A long time ago, I made this tote using birdsong fabric, and you asked for a tutorial. Well almost a year later, here it is! Not my usual efficient self.

The bag is lined and has a base, making it pretty sturdy and roomy. All the raw seams are hidden away so no need to finish them. My bag is still looking as new (well apart from being a bit grubby) after a year of being used nearly every day.

The attachment of the base to the bag is a little complicated, so here is a picture to show you how it works, the bag is upside down in this diagram.

I have made my bag close to the dimensions of the birdsong tote as I know it's a good size for me, but have had to tweak the dimensions a bit to work with the pattern on the fabric I am using. So, I will show you how to work out your dimensions if you want to alter the size of your bag.

I am making a bag that is 35cm wide, 35cm high and10cm deep (as the seams meet half way down the side).

This is how I worked out how much fabric I would need, based on a 1cm seam allowance. The outside bag folds over 3cm and then another 1cm on the top so that has to be added on too.

So I need to cut:

2 x bag panel from the main outside material

2 x bag panel from the lining material (the lining is not as high as the main bag as it doesn't fold over)
1 x base panel from the main outside material
1 x base panel from the lining material
2 x straps from the main outside material

I had to cut my main outside panels quite carefully as I wanted to centre the print and have the stripes in the right place. Take your time cutting out your panels if you are using a print to avoid making any mistakes. Here are my main pieces cut out, in order to save fabric, I didn't bother making the print on the strap symmetrical.

So here is how you make it:

1. Using the lining panels, right sides together, sew the side seams and then press open the seam allowance.

2. On the base panels, on each corner on the wrong side, mark in 1cm from the side, this will be your pivot point when sewing it onto the bag.

3. Mark the middle of the panel with a pin and also on the base, line up and pin right sides together on one side.

4. Starting half way along a long side, sew towards the corner, as you get closer to the corner sew very carefully and make sure you are not sewing through fabric from the other side too. When you get to the pivot point you marked on, stop. Lift the presser foot and pivot round the corner, rearrange the fabric so that you are now sewing together the 2 sides on the short edge (and not including the seam or any fabric from the long edge). This may take a bit of maneuvering.

Carry on, again stopping 1cm from the end of the corner and repeat the process. It is quite possible you will have a bit of spare fabric somewhere along the line, if only a few mm. If this is the case, on the last turn, move this spare fabric up to the corner and incorporate it into a small tuck as it will be less noticeable here than half way down the side.

a small tuck to take in any excess fabric

5. Next make the straps. Iron them in half, length ways, wrong sides together. Then fold in the edge of the fabric to the middle on both sides, and iron these folds. Pin in place and sew close to the edge of the fold all the way from one short edge down the long edge to the other end. Take care to sew through both sides.

fold in half, fold sides in to the middle and then iron these folds

6. Next put together the main bag. With right sides together, sew the side seams and then press the seam allowance open.

7. Along the top of the bag, iron over 1cm onto the wrong side, then iron over a further 3cm.

8. Sew the bottom panel on as per step 4.

inside and outside the bag

9. Place the lining inside the outside bag, wrong sides together. Make sure it goes all the way to the bottom, push out all the corners properly and pin the lining to the outside mid way along each seam to ensure it is in place properly.

10. Line up the side seams on the lining and main bag and pin the side seam together. Turn over the 1cm fold on the main bag and then the 3cm to cover the raw edge of the lining. Pin in place all the way round and sew all the way round a few mm from the fold on the inside of the bag. Remember to remove the pins that are holding the lining to the bag.

11. Next, fix the straps to the bag. Fold over about 5mm of the raw edge on the short edge and then pin it to the bag about 9cm from the side seam. Sew the strap in place by sewing a square around the edge and then a cross in the middle for strength. You may need to hand feed your machine when sewing through the thickest parts.

12. Repeat to fix both straps on at each end, I always fix mine on the same side (as shown below) rather than opposite sides. Make sure they are not twisted.

There you are, done!

If you need any more details of have any questions, please leave a comment and I will add to the post.

tote bag made from Echino buses fabric

And don't let me kid you that my bag contains just a pretty book on Japanese patterns, more likely some stones from the beach, children's hair clips, a pen without a lid (but no lid) and lip balm. And that's on a good day.

Sew along complete!

2011-04-08T16:19:00.000+01:00

Posts in this series:

1. Sewing from Japanese Craft books - what you will need and an overview
2. Sizing and figuring out the instruction page
3. Tracing out the pattern pieces
4. Sewing the garment
5. Making adjustments

I've been busy sewing this week, putting together my top for the sew along. It all went as planned, as per my rough version.

As I always do with this voile now, when I first cut the pieces out, I labelled which was the right side (and whether it was the front or back as they were quite similar) as it's quite hard to tell apart especially in poor light. This time round I managed to get the sleeves on the right way round, first time. Good to see I am learning by my mistakes.

I was thinking of using bias binding in a contrast colour on the raw edge of the neck facing, but didn't in the end as it would have been a bit too bulky. I ironed on light-weight interfacing to the fabric which made the edge quite stable. I also top stitched the facing on the right side to the seam allowance to stop it from rolling out when being worn.

I am really pleased with the end result. I love the pleats around the top, although I do regret centering the pattern as it means I get a perfect mirror effect down the centre, when something a little less structured would have been better.

The one detail that still bothered me was the sleeves. They seemed a little out of proportion with the top, I think I will at some point hem them a little shorter and maybe play with the pleats to make them lie flatter. I would like some cap sleeves like the ones on my hunting and gathering top from Les Couleurs Francaises. More my kind of sleeve.

I like the idea of making one of the dress variations of this pattern. Like the one on the cover.

So that is it - sew along over. I hope you found it useful and managed to make something or have bookmarked this for a future project. Do send me pics of anything you make as I'd love to feature them here. Happy sewing!

5. Making adjustments

2011-03-31T14:29:00.001+01:00

Posts in this series:
1. Sewing from Japanese Craft books - what you will need and an overview
2. Sizing and figuring out the instruction page
3. Tracing out the pattern pieces
4. Sewing the garment

So last time I finished making the rough version of the my blouse and decided it needed a few adjustments. Here is it before...

And here is it after...

spot the difference?!

There is less fullness on the sides and I have shortened it to the desired length. I took in the sides by looking at the side seam, from the arm hole down a short distance, the seam was curved, but from then on it was straight to the bottom. So I measured in about 4cm from the side at the bottom of the seam and drew a straight line from this to the point at which the seam became straight. I then added the seam allowance back on.

To take up the hem around the bottom, I measured 5cm (the distance I shortened it, taking into account the amount I wanted to leave to make the hem) all the way along parallel to the bottom of the pattern piece and then joined it up.

I did these adjustments to both the front and back bodice.

So my pattern pieces are ready to go. Now I just have to choose my fabric. I'd always been planning to make it from voile as I think it would be perfect for this top. So the question is, which one?

Blush from the Innocent Crush collection?

Or maybe Heather?

Who I am kidding? whilst these are both very lovely, I've known right from the start that it was going to be sixpence.

So I am going to get sewing. I need to pre-wash my fabric, and get a few supplies including an overlock foot to tidy my seams after having a revelation reading this post by Gertie and then spurred on by this post by Jane.

Speaking of Jane, she has already finished her skirt from Simple Chic and I think it looks amazing, I hope this has given you some inspiration. This is the first garment Jane has made from a Japanese pattern book.

skirt by Handmade Jane

Vintage Patterns of Japan

2011-03-28T12:24:00.001+01:00

This beautiful book arrived from Amazon today. It's called 'Vintage Patterns of Japan'.

I saw it in a book shop in town, but didn't buy it as it's pretty expensive, but immediately wished I had when I got home because it is a brilliant source book for patterns and colours.

There are beautiful candy colours and traditional patterns and designs.

I think they'd be great for screenprinting inspiration, or embroidery.

Or maybe, just some sketching.

I'd also like to do a bit of lino-cutting and these look perfect for that.

I don't actually have time to do any of these things at the moment, but once I have cloned myself, there'll be no problems, and I'll be crafting to my hearts content.

In the meantime, there is always time for biscuits.