Aviation Dress - Complete

I’ve been to two airshows since completing this dress.  At both, I was stopped numerous times to have it admired – one lady said I looked stunning in it and some others manning a Red Arrows stall said they couldn’t stop looking at my dress  …..  compliments indeed!

I loved making it, both using the pattern and fabric.  The Liberty Tana Lawn was so soft and sewed beautifully - it is printed with a mixture of current and historic aircraft.  I only made one adaptation to the pattern in adjusting the skirt to a couple of inches longer – which I’ve also done on another SewOverIt pattern as the length just seems to suit me better than the one supplied.  When I make this one again – which I will – then I’ll also add about another inch in the body as it is a bit short bodied but fine as it is so I'm nit picking really .....  I love the style of the dress which is so easy to wear and flattering for my shape.

Sarah Campbell Fabric Painting Day

A grey start to the day....  I was unfortunately going to be a bit late for my class at The Fashion and Textile Museum and had already made my apologies in advance but there was a further delay at Moorgate tube and I had to walk down to London Bridge. Not a bad walk but I was then lost at Monument and Pudding Lane … I then realised I was also on the wrong side of The Thames!

Doubling back on myself, I found a stairway to the top of a bridge and was able to head towards The Shard at Bermondsey where I knew the Museum was located. 

I made my apologies at reception and was then able to join Sarah Campbell’s class who were just about to have a lunch break.  I took the opportunity to photograph everything and anything I could in the Josef Frank exhibition.  What impressed me was a riot of colour and blooms on lengths of fabric suspended from the ceiling.  

There was also a beautiful room set up with painted furniture, prints and glassware, where you could see the fabric in context.  

The Museum shop had Sarah Campbell scarves and cushions printed in mouthwatering colours ...  

Some from the past and newer designs such as this hand painted birds and nest.

I enjoyed browsing through the books and cards, particularly a Zandra Rhodes cut out and colour paper doll complete with outfits!  

I also came away with a Fashionary book – like a dictionary of fashion styles and faint templates of figures for drawing over.

It was a pleasure to meet Sarah Campbell, who I’ve blogged about before: Start to Finish - The Collier Campbell/Sarah Campbell Story UPDATED , when I saw her exhibition in 2014, again at The Fashion and Textile Museum.  

Although I was late, she made me feel at ease and I went straight into painting on calico.  I was inspired by the sunflowers I’d seen in the Frank exhibition.  I learned about auto-fade pens and lightly sketched out my pattern on the fabric. 

Auto fade pens are like felt pens but the outline disappears after a short length of time and doesn't spoil a painted design.  It’s been a while since I handled paint but I took to it again immediately and loved the way the fabric paints blended and bled on the cloth.  

I only had a couple of hours to do anything in and made the most of it while I could.  

The end of the class came round too quickly and I felt I should head off home in good time considering the journey I had in.  Delays on the way home too!  I didn’t arrive home until 9 in the evening which meant for an exhausting day.  Enjoyable though and of course, I met a heroine of mine  ....  A grey day ended up full of colour ...

I've since bought a set of fabric paints of my own and I'm now looking forward to finishing my design.  So glad to be back painting again! 

100,000 hits ...

Well for a small blog, then that's not bad!  Particularly as I haven't been as active in the last year. Thanks everyone and to all who have stayed around ...  I already have a couple of new posts coming up and am looking forward to the new blogging year.  In the meantime, some 'Fair Maids of February' to cheer us all up and show that spring is on its way!

Signs of Christmas

In the little town in Norfolk where I live, we are fortunate to have a sewing shop - a fairly large one in comparison to all the other surrounding stores.  It is now under new management and has undergone a lot of changes, making it contemporary and fresh.  Now named The Sewing Room, there is a Christmas window under construction.  I went for a short walk yesterday evening and stumbled upon it ... it's very inspiring ...

I love these little bags ...

Cake for a Cause

Here in the UK there is an annual event, The World's Biggest Coffee Morning, which occurs each September.  It is in aid of the Macmillan Cancer Support charity.  We held our own event at work last week and several of us baked cakes, biscuits, sausage rolls, cheese straws, to name just a few things, which we then sold.  We did really well ... and I enjoyed dusting off my cake tins once again.  I made choc chip cookies and cupcakes ...

I am happy to have come second with my dairy free lemon cupcakes in the Best Baker competition! There was such a buzz around the office on the day and it really brought everyone together.

Tatty Devine have also designed a brooch, earrings and keyring for the charity - they have a a kind of handcrafted sewing feel to them.

 

I think we'll make this an annual event ...

New Dress!

I am actually sewing ... yes, you did read that correctly!  It isn't that I haven't been thinking about it ... oh, I've read all the blogs and magazines, have all the pattern giveaways and have watched the latest series of Sewing Bee.  I even took part in an international pattern swap at The Monthly Stitch.  I think that having a break has done me good though - seriously.  When I did Sew Weekly in 2012, although the experience was enjoyable to start with, I did start to feel a bit jaded towards the end of that year and 50 makes.  I was starting to 'throw things together'.  My sewing started to decrease gradually in the following years until I stopped completely for a while and concentrated my energies on other things.  I now find I am taking my time, making sure I do things properly and it's becoming fun again!  

As we are experiencing the rarity of a heatwave here in the UK at the moment, I've found that my wardrobe is lacking in some summer basics - dresses for work and home.  Actually, the dress currently on my sewing table is one for my honeymoon in October, though it might have an outing or two before then if it turns out OK.  I am using the 'Sew Over It' 1940's Tea Dress pattern that I received in the swap during Indie Pattern month at Monthly Stitch.

I found the cherry print fabric at Croft Mill.  I've always wanted some 'proper' cherry fabric after seeing all the retro dresses on various blogs and when I saw this in the current catalogue (they still have it! - sadly no longer, all sold out since end July) I ordered some straight away.  As you can see, I don't sew solo any more ... I have my little 'helper'.  Although Oscar has a whole house to wander around, there is nowhere quite like the area where I am working ...

  

I think I may have been influenced in my choice of dress style by a 1940's day I went to here in Norfolk about a week or so ago.  A gloriously sunny day where individuals wandered around King's Lynn in 1940's dress - I took loads of photos.

They all looked so smart and such a contrast to current day dress.  I hope to achieve something similar ... I have a whole week off work at home next week and sewing is high on my list of priorities.  More dresses I think!

New Designers 2016

Amongst the wedding preparations, I did find time to go to this show last Friday.  I've been meaning to see what it's all about for the past few years now and finally I had the chance.  It's held every year at the end of June in The Business Design Centre, Islington and has been going for 30 years now.

The main angle is for the various UK (and one from Sweden I noticed ...) Art Schools to bring their final textile shows to London.  There is a lot to see and take in.  However, it is possible to identify various strands and themes running through the work.  I noticed some designs reminding me very much of Memphis from the 80's.  Most of the work though seemed to take its influences from Natural History and Botanical Prints.  Insects, butterflies and moths were a recurring theme throughout the show.  I was also surprised at how much hand painted work there was, in that there is a noticeable shift at the moment to digital printing.  There was even a demonstration of digital fabric printing:

The students were very eager to chat and talk and I enjoyed finding out more behind the work I was seeing.  They all had their own business cards and some had printed flyers and booklets.  Now the show is over, it's possible to look at their websites and find out more.  I don't want to post close-up photographs of their work here for copyright reasons.

These are some of my favourite business cards to give you a flavour of what was there:

Make It In Design also had a stand at the show and I was able to meet and talk to the ladies who organise everything, as well as take away a goodie bag.  It gave me inspiration to finish the last two exercises I have to do from my course, Art and Business of Surface Pattern Design.

I've signed up for the Summer School which begins in August.  I have a week off work then so should be able to make a fair job of it.  Looking forward to then!

First Sew of the Year

What nicer way to start the year than to make what I hope to be a much loved project bag to hold all my supplies while sitting and crafting ...

I've attempted patchwork before and love the look of it.  It's such a calming and therapeutic thing to do while sitting cosy indoors.  I've tried squares, Dresden Plate and hexagon designs - all in varying states of progress - though the hexagon cushion cover is near completion and I finished a pincushion for an international swap some time ago.

For the bag, I'm using scraps of all my favourite projects over the past few years.  I've made 50 hexagons so far.  Seeing and using it will remind me of all the fun I've had taking part in sewalongs as well as the various outings I've been to in my creations.

I've been inspired to try patchwork by all kinds of sources, including places visited in the past and books read.

This crazy patchwork teacosy appears in a Milly Molly Mandy episode by Joyce Lancaster Brisley. One of my past projects was based on these stories - she always had outfits of pink and white stripes and I made a chevron skirt as homage!  I'll be sure to add some pink and white stripes to my bag ...

There are some wonderful illustrations in the books, a particular favourite of mine being the endpapers showing a map of the village where she fictionally lived.  This reminds me of patchwork too ...

Another inspiration is this covering, supposedly made by the three Bronte sisters, Anne, Charlotte and Emily from dress scraps.  It used to be on display in the 70's and early 80's at the Parsonage in Haworth where they lived and I remember seeing it there.  I believe it was out on display again for a short time just before this Christmas according to the wonderful blog http://kleurrijkbrontesisters.blogspot.co.uk/ where I found this illustration.

When I lived in the North, there always used to be trips to places such as York in the school holidays. This crazy patchwork covering is in the Castle Museum.

Have you any favourite patchwork examples you can tell me about?  Would love to hear about them ...

Christmas is coming ...

I keep having to remind myself that Christmas is only 3 and a bit weeks away!  I've been so busy re-arranging my home - time is flying ...   Well, I did manage to finish sewing Aster completely and some pics are coming up next but in the meantime, I had a seasonal time at the Christmas Market on the South Bank in London.  There weren't many stalls but along with a friend, I made the most of what was there and also enjoyed a wander around Borough Market and other sights along the way.  I'm looking forward to this Christmas, especially a week off to recharge batteries and make some new plans for the New Year.  What crafty plans do you have for next year?