Tuesday 26 April 2011

holiday! hooray! no sewing machine! boo hoo :'(

The British weather has been hot hot hot! and I've been on my hols... Of course that meant no sewing machine. Just when the sewweekly challenges were interesting - I was desperate to do the "kidding around" week, an item inspired by a photo from your childhood. I did have a look through my old photos, and found this:


As you can see, My brother and I are children of the seventies, and I am sporting that coolest trend of the mid seventies: a crochet hat. I imagine that my grandmother made it, she could crochet, and made beautiful things. She tried to teach me to crochet once. I couldn't see it at all. Then, a couple of years ago, I bought a fabulous book: The Happy Hooker by Debbie Stoller. I spent a week on holiday trying it out with one hook and squeaky acrylic wool. Guess what? I can crochet! (don't get excited, not well....)

For crochet you need: a hook, yarn. That's about it.

So, in hommage to the sewweekly kidding around week, I made:

It's a pattern from The Happy Hooker, it's a 1940s inspired capelet, I'm v pleased. It is made with wool from a charity shop, six 50g balls for 99p so this cost about 45p to make.

Then, this weekend in the caravan I made this scarf from the book with another of the balls of wool, it's a one ball pattern so cost about 20p and took an evening in front of the telly to make plus an hour the next day.

I'm going to put it in my Christmas pressy box ready to pack up in December!

Finally, went carbooting at the weekend, here's my haul:

Particularly keen on the spotty ribbon, the seller said she had a dress with it on in the 50s when she was a child. 



Sunday 17 April 2011

Shamelessly plundering Aunty Peg's "vintage wardrobe"

Just returned from a lovely holiday in Wales with mini-me and my Aunty Peg (nearly 90 but still as sharp as a tack). Anyway, we went shopping in Narbeth, which I love, and I found a fabulous shop called (aptly) Giddy Aunt. It was fabulous. I got some great lace, ric rac and broderie anglaise there but no pic because I am keeping some of it in case we have another sewweekly notions swap..... anyway the Giddy Aunt lady had made a great tea dress from a Thunderbirds duvet cover, so I went back to the charity shop and picked these up:



Yep, Teletubbies!

Then, when I dropped my Aunt at home, I filled the car with some of her old things she had looked out for me:

a wool suit she was given some time in the sixties...

a reversible duffel coat she wore riding her scooter with Uncle Bill in the 50s....

a pink dress she wore to a couple of weddings in the 60s


some gloves


some beads

and finally my favourite...


the photo makes it look rubbish but it is a dress and coat set bought for a wedding in the late 60s. It is just lovely: fully lined of course.

She also gave me a really cool 1970s sheepskin coat that had belonged to my grandfather (who died in 1978). Hubbie is going to wear it - he looks like a 1970s football manager in it, or a dodgy racegoer.

 Thanks Aunty Peg xxx

Friday 15 April 2011

nothing for ages and then several buses at once

So, I go off on an Internetless holiday (I know, hard to believe) for one week. I have no sewing machine either, so no net and no sewing.... omg.
Bus number one:
I spend all week wondering what my lovely sewweekly friends have been making and wishing I could join in. Then, when I get back, I find I have won a pin cushion on the sewweekly main site, I have received a lovely, thoughtful envelope from the other side of the world:

Kat has sent me delicious lace and ribbon, shell buttons from New Zealand and a super sweet "Heart's Cottage" buckle. There is lace (two types! really pretty!), spotty ribbon (spots! green!), NZ inspired shell buttons and two really lovely vintage covered buttons. I am thrilled. Now, what to do with it......

Bus number two:
I am delighted to have been nominated for a stylish blogger award - thanks Deb xx... I was going to write more about it but I have just got back from hols - a week in Wales with Aunty Peg and my mini-me - and my hubbie will be home from work in 10 minutes. As I haven't seen him for 6 days I have a feeling I ought to step away from the netbook...

Bus number 3 and holiday finds to be added tomorrow....

Wednesday 6 April 2011

stick pins in me

Mena has come up with another great idea on TSW: an adorable pin cushion easy no-sew make. Instructions here... have fun

I will add it to my to do list but first is really a great pin board for storing brooches, instructions here...

Recent additions to the to do list:

Shameful pattern splurging but I just couldn't resist....

clothkits to the rescue

If it were not for the sewweekly challenge I don't think I would have had the heart to get back in the saddle so quickly, but another week a new challenge: UFOs (unfinished objects!). I have two, the horrid skirt from last week and another skirt that is just wrong and I don't know how to fix.... hooray for my DNS (did not start) clothkits skirt.

Here's the kit

and here's the skirt


which I am looking forward to wearing on my Welsh hols next week (although the thought of missing next week's challenge is bringing me out in hives, I think I need a 10 step program to get me past my TSW OCD).

This week's challenge is nearly done, here's a clue as to the outcome:

and the pink sheet I used as a sash last month is making a reappearance, I am showing how down with the kids I am colourblocking, which I understand is very now. Get me!

In other news, I got an envelope from America this week, a gift from a very kind and thoughtful lady. Look what she sent:



Perfect for the Royal Wedding! I was thrilled, thank you Judy x