'All is well that ends'

This is the first post I have created, possibly ever will create, where I knew the title before I started to write it. This evening I was sorting through and packing all my sewing stuff whilst half cut. (Perhaps I am one step from alcoholism, but I couldn't handle packing up my life once again without a drink to make things a bit fuzzy!)

Well, anyway. I discovered a long forgotten piece of paper that had written on it 'all is well that ends' in my hand writing. I have the vaguest memory of it, but tonight it felt a bit like an old version of me was talking to the today-me, reminding myself that this shitty time is transient, just a stage that will soon pass onto other more enjoyable times.

I don't plan to make a habit of sentimental posts, so please forgive and indulge me this one.

'Hey Baby'!

Finally! Some pictorial evidence of my dabbling in the world of babywear:

And look how cute she is! I can't take credit for that, but the T-shirt looks good too!

This T-shirt is from a range of customised baby T-shirts I produced under the mini-label 'Hey Baby'. Each one is unique, and although they were really fiddly to sew, I really enjoyed it and was very proud of the results. The aim was to sell them on my stall at the Backyard market that I attempted last year. I sold a couple, but now I just sell them to friends whenever someone they know pops out a sprog. I've still got a few left, so hurry up people (Emma!), get making them bambinos!

Many thanks to Jack and Leroy for these fab images!

Jewellery: a show and tell

Jewellery. It's powerful stuff. It can turn an outfit, a whole look even, from ok to AMAZING. A normal girl into an incredible-looking being. In my opinion anyway.

I've never really got my head around jewellery. It's definately on my list of 'things to work out when I'm older', you know, like knitting and not getting hangovers. Almost all of the jewellery I own has been given to me. Maybe most of the jewellery I see in shops that I could actually afford isn't all that great, so I went on a wish-list mission on etsy to see if I could find some pieces that, if money were no object, I would be using to up-grade my outfits:

This piece is made from plastic and looks like lace. It reminds me of some fantastic laser-cut leather necklaces I covetted recently. It would make a really plain black garment look fantastic.

These beautiful chandelier earrings are by the same designer. I love their simplicity. No fussy beading, just great silhouettes.

This pretty rose necklace would be great for the daytime. I think I'd wear this if I had a floral print garment on.

My obsession with bird images knows no bounds! I like how this is slightly childish, but not too kiddie. Another day necklace I reckon.

Dolly Parton tribute necklace! That's a fantastic concept! These days I try to steer clear of overtly kitsch jewellery, clothing and accessories (part of the inevitable 'growing up' process I guess), but I think this is just about on the border of what I would still wear.

So what's your favourite? Do you have any personal jewellery rules that help you make selections?

The sun has got its hat on...

Once upon a time there lived a pair of vintage 60's curtains that Zoe bought for £4 in a charity shop... Well, to cut a long story short, I have finally finished making my new jacket!

Ta da!:

Are you feeling it? I'm feeling it! Check those swing sleeves. Those covered buttons. That crazee goldy/yellow colour. I can't take all the credit mind, I used an awesome Built by Wendy pattern:

If you couldn't tell, I'm really pleased with the outcome. Seeing as my usually red wasps-arse shoulder bag would probably clash violently, when I wear this jacket I've been rocking this '70's fabric shopper that I made yonks ago:

AND... It looks superb with my super-cute knitted hat that was created by my fabulous friend Michelle. Have I told you how super-talented she is yet? These colours are totally fitting in with my new colour scheme I'm working on which I'll explain more about in the future.

Anyway, this jacket is unlined, so it's a bit trans-season, and I've had to stop wearing it since the weather has turned poo over the last week. But I will crack it out when the sun returns for sure. (oh, and a bus driver told me I look 'sunny' in it, in case I needed another excuse to wear it!)

Origami lives in Blogland

Blogland can get a bit confusing. You find blogs through blogs through sites through blogs that your mate's blog recommends and before long you can't remember how you found it, but you better save that bugger quick into your Favourites, or it will be lost forever! Well, through a similar chain I found this tasty little item:

It's a beautiful handmade purse that was allegedly available for purchase on etsy (a site which sells allsorts of hand crafted gifts, jewellery and clothing usually made by independent designers/makers) however the link failed to work on this site where I found it and a search proved fruitless. But it looks lovely, and totally reminds me of the kind of thing my friend Michelle would adore.

Here's and example of her amazing applique creations that can be found on her site:

So crazy-talented is she! Oh, and I think I found that purse on a blog through a blog that Michelle recommended, so that kind of brings it full circle doesn't it?!

Knitwear Refashion Inspiration-station

Knitwear, the final frontier. Well it is for me anyway. I can't really knit, or crochet, or sew with knit fabrics. I just can't really get my head around these practices, though they are all totally on my 'Things to work out when I'm older' list, right alongside 'going out and enjoying myself without achieving a stinking hangover the next day' and 'how to stay living in a property longer than 12 months'.

I digress. Subsequently, I am, at present unable and unwilling to create my own knitwear, and seeing as I'm on the Wardrobe Refashion pledge not to buy any new clothes this leaves me at the peril of second-hand knitwear finds. To be honest I have never been very successful hunting out desirable second hand knitwear in charity shops, and to fulfill such needs without breaking my pledge I have, to date relied on knitwear hand-me-downs from my mum, ebay and even the lost-property box at work (shh!).

So when I found this website through a link someone had posted on the infamous Wardrode Refashion site, I was super impressed and inspired. What a wicked way to create fantastic, unique knitwear by recycling old garments, without being at the mercy of the sourced garments existing shape!

How nice is this?:

And check this badboy! It's so Uhura!:

I really love her use of buttons. I'm always super-jealous of people who can pull off embellishment with such simplicity and class. I tend to avoid embellishment, and let the shape of whatever I'm making and the fabric used carry the design, but I need to get on board! Ahoy!

Lazy perfectionism and the wasp's-arse bag

Here's another bag I created from the same pattern as the wax-print version I made for Umi from the last post:

I drafted this pattern so long ago that I can no longer remember what influenced it's shape. Although I do recall that alot of trial and experimentation went into developing the correct amount of fullness into the box-pleats and the overall proportion of this style, which is very unlike me as I'm usually pretty lazy when it comes to prefecting a pattern and impatient to see it made into the final fabric. I have seen alot of similar shaped bags to this in recent years, both in the shops and those created by other independent designers and home-creators, for example this version which comes from the Wiksten label:

Most of these similar bag shapes seem to be called 'wasp' bags or something, presumably because the shape is similar to a wasp's arse. Personally I have always called my version the 'dolly bag'. This name was more relevant to the first incarnations I used to make which were much smaller, and subsequently, cuter.

This particular blue vintage fabric version was probably the first homemade gift I gave Silvia and I remember being a bit nervous about giving it to her as I wasn't sure at that time how she would react to it (false alarm: she loved it). It's a tricky thing: giving things you have made yourself.

Personally, I have a love-hate relationship with my creations, usually bags or garments, that I use myself. I love the feeling of pride that I have made something that is performing it's task (i.e., holding my stuff, or stopping me being naked) as well(ish) as something shop bought and professionally manufactured. But I also have a bit of distrust in my own creations as well, the source of which is hard to explain. But I do know that other creative people suffer from this lack of confidence and are often over-critical of their creations. Maybe it's because I am aware of my own limitations in terms of technical ability, but I am hyper-aware of any flaws or potential faults that are probably invisible to anyone else. My aim is always to produce something as close to how it would be manufactured professionally as possible. As close as possible without doing hardly any research or re-working something that could be improved. I guess I'm the world's laziest perfectionist, and subsequently my own worst enemy!