ric rac rocks!

I went to sewing class today.

My plan to play it safe and rediscover some confidence in my dressmaking abilities was a good one.

The pattern pieces I had drafted were correct, and my fruity skirt is, as you can see, well on it’s merry way to completion.

But as is my wont, I can’t just keep things simple.

I have already decided to relocate one of the two planned pockets from the front of the skirt to the back. But I’m never that easily satisfied and more is always more…

So I think I’m going to add some ric rac.

I’m not quite decided on whereabouts yet.

Perhaps along the line where the yellow and green fabrics meet following the line of the hem, to disguise the join:

Or possibly peeping out around the pocket-edges:

Or maybe even both. I do love a bit of ric rac!

I was actually sent some yesterday.

It came wrapped around a little parcel from Rachel containing my new pocket mirror (to replace the previous one I dropped during a clumsy moment in the bathroom).

And of course, Rachel being Rachel, it was wrapped in a fabulous piece of vintage fabric! So much nicer than bubble-wrap, don’t you think?!

Whilst thinking about what to do with my ric rac, I idly googled it.

I spied a mention of ric rac flowers. Which of course warranted immediate further investigation.

I was led straight to a brilliant little tutorial over at Craftiness is not Optional.

So now, Rachel’s ric rac has been transformed into this!

Perhaps I should make a green one. I could wear it as a brooch to go with my skirt.

I told you ric rac rocks! ♥

wheelie nice

I had a fabric delivery!

Circles and flowers – what could be nicer?

Two sorts of flowers, that’s what!

It is currently a tablecloth, but I have a feeling it won’t stay that way for too long…

I can feel the lure of cushions calling…

And perhaps a circular pincushion or two, made from those lovely flower wheels.

If you should fancy one, just say the word via the contact form on my commissions page.

spring cleaning

It all started with a spot of spring cleaning.

It’s amazing how, when the sun comes out, you notice things that have eluded your eye all winter. Like dirty windows.

We live on a main road. We have a coal fire in our sitting room. And we have no window cleaner.

For some reason, nobody seems to want the job of cleaning our windows. I’ve asked several burly men I spotted with squeegees in hand around the local area, but they all said no, they were too busy to take us on.

So I got out my e-cloth and had a go myself. Wow! What a difference! It was like someone had turned the light on!

And then I got started on the cobwebs.

And then I noticed the state of the curtains…

We have white curtains. Probably not the most practical choice, but I like them.

After I’d got over my disgust, I had a sudden burst of energy and enthusiasm and got them down for a good wash.

But whilst they were drying… I remembered that long ago in the dim and distant past I had thought, briefly, of changing those curtains.

I had even got as far as actually buying something on ebay with that end in mind.

I dug out my purchase, a pair of vintage Osman Terylene and cotton sheets in exactly the right colours for the room: turquoise, purple, green and white.

The design is by one of my fabric heroines, Pat Albeck and is called Flores.

I have hung them temporarily onto to the curtain rail gliders with safety pins until I can get some curtain tape to sew on.

I rather like them.

So I am temporarily spared the job of ironing my clean white curtains.

Which means that every time I look at my newly adorned and spring-cleaned bay window, it gives my lazy heart a double dose of joy.

whatever happened to…?

When I posted about my new apple pendants, I have to say, I was pretty overwhelmed by the response.

So many people commented, emailed and messaged about them…

And then it all went quiet, didn’t it?

To be honest, I’m a bit ashamed of myself. I haven’t felt like doing any hand stitching recently, so the job of finishing them off sort of fell by the wayside. I’d run out of brooch pins too.

Businesswoman of the Year I am not.

But in my effort to rise to the Twiggy pledge I am determined to get going on all those little jobs that I have been a bit lax over.

Including completing my pendants. And…

I’m making a new batch!

They’re not finished yet, but I will be beavering away like a good’un this week until they’re done. Never a shirker herself, Twiggy would be proud of me.

And there’s more…

I have decided to do a little giveaway.

As they say, watch this space…!

in the dentist’s chair

After lolling about somewhat dispiritedly for a good proportion of yesterday, I finally took the Twiggy pledge and pulled myself together.

Pleasingly, once I’d got my act together, I managed to get these three cushions finished in an afternoon!

The fabrics are genuine 1950s barkcloths. I backed one of them with interfacing, as it felt a bit thin for it’s intended use.

More midcentury modern than my usual fabric choices, the cushions are a commission for a dentist and destined to spend their days adorning these rather classy chairs in the waiting room:

Hopefully they will offer physical comfort.

But for those – like me – who don’t relish a visit to the dentist, they might also provide a minor distraction before the torture begins

bane of my life

I hate doing the washing. With a vengeance.

There’s always so much of it. And what’s worse, hardly any of it seems to be mine. That’s what comes of living with two mucky males, I suppose.

What really gets my goat is socks. Specifically, male socks.

The smell of them as they sit waiting to be washed, polluting the wash basket. The ubiquity of them.

The fact that they’re supposed to be all the same (black or grey) and yet are all everso slightly different - just enough to make pairing them up a challenge that wouldn’t be out of place on The Krypton Factor.

And after spending hours matching them up, there’s always one, or two, or even three that don’t have a partner. Like the result of a bad dating agency. Or the end of a village hall dance.

They should make washing and sorting other people’s socks a part of community service. That’d learn ‘em. They could do ours.

But I digress…

The fact is, I’m not even keen on washing fabric.

But of course I do it, because with vintage fabric, sometimes you just have to.

This lovely stuff arrived recently and looks absolutely perfect. It’s obviously never been used in any way whatsoever.

It’s as bright and crisp-looking as the day it came out of the factory, or mill, or wherever it was made.

But it smells. And so into the wash it must go.

Ho hum.