Kaffe Fassett at The Fashion and Textile Museum

Yesterday, I met some of my fellow City & Guilds knitters at The Fashion and Textile Museum on Bermondsey St, near London Bridge - no rail engineering works this week thank goodness - I've been so looking forward to this visit.

Can't miss this orange and pink edifice!

The Museum was set up 10 years ago by Zandra Rhodes.  She felt there was a need for a place to showcase contemporary craft and provide associated education.

A Zandra Rhodes poster design featuring London landmarks

'Kaffe Fassett, A Life in Colour' is currently showing and it is stunning.  I was surprised to learn that Fassett started out painting still lives in delicate monochromes - beiges, creams, greys.  It was only when he left art school in the US and came to London in the 60's to settle that he discovered colour in a big way.  He used treasures that he found in Portobello Road in his paintings which formed the basis for his textile crafts.

Craft is where his passion lies and includes knitting, needlepoint and quilting.  The knitting came about after a trip to Scotland, looking at the landscape and visiting a mill where he could buy yarns in the colours he observed.  A friend taught him how to knit on the rail journey home and his first project was a multi-striped cardigan.

Kaffe's first knitting project

Later designs include triangular shapes which allowed a move away from 'linear' pattern.  The exhibition has many examples of his knitting through the years.  His influences can be as diverse as the Orient through to typically English horticulture and seed catalogues.

Displays also include beautifully stitched needlepoint chair coverings, cushions, slippers and waistcoats.

Quilts hang from the walls and there is a 'feeling' wall where visitors are encouraged to touch the fabric strips and discover for themselves the pleasure of working with cloth.

'Feeling' wall

There are three rooms full of exhibits and a video to watch, so plenty to see and all in all, a wonderful experience and exhibition.  I am still buzzing!

Afterwards, I had the chance to chat with some of my fellow students and discuss my progress with Loraine, my knitting tutor.  What a fab day out!

Loraine's photo from her website 

Loraine (blonde lady) teaching

I saw 'The Shard' too!  Right next to London Bridge.... actually, it now reminds me of the triangular shapes Fassett uses in his knitwear designs! 

The Shard

Me and my pals

On every Wednesday lunchtime at work, we eat, chat, relax and craft.  It's a great way to break up the week!  There is only one rule for joining ... we never talk about work.

Sign the petition to stop the UK Government reclassifying craft as non-creative

If you go here:

http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/49537

You can add your name to the petition which reads as follows:

We request the Government reconsider the proposal that craft no longer be considered part of the creative industries, as part of the 30 April proposed changes set out in Classifying and Measuring the Creative Industries consultation paper.

The craft industry and those who work in it, over 88,000 people making a £3bn annual contribution to the UK economy, are inherently and by their very nature creative. We want the UK Government to stop ignoring The Crafts Council and the thousands of mostly sole trading craftsmen and women who consider themselves to be and indeed are creatives.

The Government should be proud & supportive of our vibrant creative craft industry & celebrate the unique, rich diversity of skills & craftsmanship, not seek to declassify, dismiss & undermine it.

Calling an IT Business Analyst a creative but refusing the title to a skilled potter or ceramicist shows the level of understanding that those proposing the change have of what is and isn't creative.

Virtual Meet - My turn, plus Giveaway!

Well it's me now - the last to make a contribution.  I think you all know something of me from my 'about me' blurb and my Sew Weekly days plus the couple of meet-ups I've been to.  It's been great to find out bit more about everyone else - made up for the disappointment of not getting to a meet!  I'm still juggling the sewing and knitting - I'm more than half way through my knitting qualification now.  I'm trying to sew, but keep getting put off by things.  I have a terrible cold at the moment (or it might be the onset of hayfever which I get at this time of year).  There's also a lot of training at work, which I'm happy about but will keep me occupied for a lot of the time.  Anyway, I will try!

So, what would I have eaten/drank?  Well, I love Italian food, which is my downfall really for piling on pounds!  I'm trying to be a bit health conscious myself at the moment, but for something special such as a meet maybe a Margharita Pizza or a Lasagne or something a bit more exotic than that.  I'd try and be a bit virtuous and have a Diet Coke or perhaps push the boat out and have a typically English Pimm's and Lemonade!

What would I have worn?  Probably my favourite shirtdress - see picture - sorry it's not a newer photo but I'm full of cold - which I think is the best thing I've made so far.  The pattern just went together so beautifully and fits so well (I was lucky in winning it from Magpie Mimi).

Me and my other favourite occupation!

What have I bought recently?  I treated myself to the Colette Parfait because it looks so versatile in that it can be made into summer and winter garments.

I'm a bit behind everyone else who seem to be making the Laurel.  I've found a summer print to make Parfait with but also plan on a cord or wool version.  I've also bought some wool coating fabric which I already have the pattern for (see below).

I found Parfait and the coating fabric on the same day in London, about 100 yards apart!  The pattern came from Raystitch in Islington and the fabric from a little shop on the same road which was having a retirement sale (it was a big bargain!)   

Raystitch - photo from the Ray-Stitch website, as I forgot to take my camera!

Raystitch has a great cafe by the way with delicious coffee and there's also a teaching room where classes can be booked.

Have I anything to swap?  Well yes, but I'm giving first dibs to all the other Virtual Meet participants.  There are some children's patterns which I know I'll never use.  Then a skirt and a top pattern.  Would anyone like them?  Is there anything you could use Judy in exchange for the pattern of yours that I like?

I also have a giveaway, as I've now exceeded 20,000 hits - all through this series!  I was going to do one at 20,000 anyway but am sooner than I thought.  I have 2 metres of this bird and stripe print fabric - it's a kind of furnishing weight but soft enough to make into garments too.  Just leave a comment and I'll draw someone at random.  Good luck!

Well, all that's left is to say thanks so much to everyone for taking part in the meet.  It turned out to be a better idea than I thought and made me quite emotional sometimes!  Hope you've all enjoyed it equally and maybe there'll be another one next year!

     

Virtual Meet - A Chat with Kat!

Kat is located in Wellington, New Zealand and did all the Sew Weekly challenges in its first year (and a couple extra I think!), which beats my total of 50 (what a mad year that was!).  It's great to see her again, as she is now a working mum and manages to craft around her busy schedule.

My little lad (Drake)  hasn't been making it easy for me to find time on the computer, but finally, here I am!  :-)

Here are my answers to your questions, and a little welcome as well:

Hi everyone!  So lovely to meet you all!  And a big thank-you for inviting me, Diane!

For those who I haven't met before, allow me to introduce myself.  I'm Kat, and I blog over at Modern Vintage Cupcakes (http://macskakat.wordpress.com/).  I love sewing, especially from vintage patterns.  The 1940's and 1950's are my favourite era - I just love the silhouettes from then, and they often have such lovely details incorporated in the designs.  I met Diane when we both sewed along with the Sew Weekly a couple of years ago, and I've been enjoying following her lovely blog ever since.  I live in Wellington, New Zealand, where it's just turned into winter, which is why my photo is inside holding a nice, warm mug of tea, as it's dark by the time I get home from work these days!  (But it does give me a good excuse to wear tights again - I think that's my favourite thing about winter, being able to wear lots of different coloured tights and boots.)

What do you like to eat/drink?  All sorts of things!  I have a huge sweet tooth, and find it very hard (some may say impossible) to resist the lure of chocolate.  (Mmm.... chocolate.)  Chocolate is especially good with cups of tea, I find.)  (Excuse me for a moment - for some reason, I now have the urge to go and make a cup of tea...!  Dilmah black tea with french vanilla and rose, in case you're wondering what I'm drinking in the photo, haha!)

What would you have worn to the meet up?  My latest dress - my Melissa dress (http://macskakat.wordpress.com/2013/04/05/the-melissa-dress/)  I'm wearing it today, in fact!  I made it for the 1940's Sew For Victory challenge over on Lucky Lucille (http://luckylucille.com/) and I absolutely love it.  (I'm considering making the pattern again, in the long-sleeved variation for winter.)

Kat in her Melissa dress

What have you bought recently - pattern/fabric?  Well.  I may have volunteered at Fabric-a-brac (http://fabricabrac.co.nz/) last weekend.  And I may have completely and utterly broken my New Years sewalution.  (I decided it was ok though, as it was raising funds for the Hospice, so Fabric-a-brac is my exception to the no-buying-fabric rule for the year.  That's my excuse, and I'm sticking to it!)  I don't think I'll mention how much I bought, it's rather embarrassing....  (Oops.)

 What's your next project?  I've just started making a shirt from a Burda magazine,as part of the Burda sew-along (http://macskakat.wordpress.com/burda-sew-along/) I'm co-hosting with The Curious Kiwi (http://thecuriouskiwi.wordpress.com/).  It's my first time sewing from a Burda magazine pattern, and once I got over my initial "yikes!" at finding the right lines to trace, it seems to be coming together quite nicely!  I've got a couple more Burda magazine patterns I want to make straight afterwards - I'm hoping to make one from each Burda magazine I own during the sew-along.

Sadly I don't have anything to swap at the moment as I gave a lot of things away recently...  But if we have a virtual meet-up again next year, I'm sure I'll have something by then!  :-)

(Diane:  Looks like this is going to turn into an annual event - I'd love to do another one!).

Thanks so much for having me along to your meet-up, Diane!  I've been enjoying reading everyone else's posts - so nice to see old friends from Sew Weekly days coming by for a cup of tea (although I'll be having whipped cream on my scones, thanks Charlotte T!)

Virtual Meet Blog Button

Two more people coming up ......  Thanks to everyone who's taken part so far, it's been fun and hope you've all 'met' some new sewists.  I just asked a couple of people to start with but it's turned into an open invitation for anyone who wants to join in.  I've had a go at making a button and this is what I've come up with.  It's the smallest I could do so hope it's ok!  If you've taken part, feel free to use it on your blog if you want - you could always have a go at re-sizing.

Virtual meet - Hi to Beata!

Here's Beata, from Apeldoorn in The Netherlands.  She was my 'swap' partner for the International Craft Swap organised by Rachel at House of Pinheiro.  As well as making beautifully tailored clothes as Red Point Tailor, Beata makes exquisite jewellery from fused glass.  Take a look at her blog to see it - she has an online shop too.

Would you like to take part in a 'virtual 'meet this weekend? 

It sounds fun ... it would be fun to 'meet' other bloggers who sew - even virtually .

What do you like to eat/drink? - I am trying to eat healthy, all that's necessary in small portions.  I have an allergy to milk and milk products and chocolate.  So I am trying to avoid it.

What would you have worn to the meet up - something you've made yourself?  I would definitely wear something I have made - a little depending on the weather and the distance I would have to travel.  I love to wear dresses and jackets so probably this would be the choice.  Unless I crack a pants pattern - then I could wear self-made pants.

What have you bought recently - pattern/fabric?  As you can see on my blog - recently I have bought a few fabrics in very sunny colours.

What's your next project?  At this stage, on the table are trousers.  Then a Chanel-like jacket (I will try) and a few dresses - in between try-out garments to test patterns.

Would you like to swap some fabric or a pattern?  I have some fabric that I am not so sure I would use so of course!  I could as well swap few patterns.

Send me a photo of you enjoying a drink/meal wearing one of your makes.  Attached there is a photo taken during a birthday party of one of my colleagues - I am wearing a dress I have made based on the Vogue pattern 1183.

Thanks for invitation and all the best, Beata.


Great to see you Beata and hope you've 'met' some more sewists that you didn't already know about.