Fabric/Patterns and excitment in a small village.

Hello all, and welcome to my new followers,

I have been away for a while doing more fabric, pattern shopping and actually starting projects. While at the same time it's summer hols with three teens at home and still preparing for the new roof.

So whats with the news on projects lined up so far,

I have finally chosen my fabric for the walkaway dress sew-a-long with Edelweiss

In the end I decided to go with a day dress, something in cotton. Mainly because I am used to how cotton feels and sews up.

The spots are not as large as they look in the picture.

At the moment I am still bit a tad slighty unsure on what I think about the fabric. My main reasons for chosing it are, It was in my price range (and at 5 metres needed, at £ 3.30m  bargin) Being rather small I didnt want to be overloaded with an all over pattern with all that fabric. My Ideal would have been a pattern for the front central part of the dress and something plain to complement on the wraparound part, However I couldn't find this, If I found a pattern I couldn't find something simple to 'go with' , Hence the polka dots. And if it does perchance look 'off' well at least it's cheaper than calico at the moment so I can use it as my draft.

Also at the end of last week my fabric from Linton Tweeds arrived

(image copyright of Linton Direct)

as of yet I haven't got a pic of the fabric

and so the hunt was on for the perfect pattern to use this fantasic bargin fabric and today I saw my local fabric shop has an offer on Simplicity Patterns and there I found this

 I think view C and D would be just perfect ( it's the jacket and skirt in the lower left picture.)

And as for items currently drapped over Betsy (the dressform). There are two more Loud, Loud Shirts.
One waiting for buttons and holes (I forgot to buy them (Doh) and the other just needs side seams, hem, buttons and holes. Hopefully they will be finished tomorrow.

And before I leave you tonight dear followers here's what counts for excitment in our little village in Wiltshire, Yesterday all was quiet until my daughter screamed 'Mum come look NOW!'  I ran to her and what she wanted to show me was this

We weren't the only people out there taking pictures, (good to know) but they really were so very low. they started to land in the field just in front of our house, then lifted on up and carried on.
It was very cool.

Fabric is only the begining..

Good Morning all,

Yesterday was not a sewing day, too much to do when what I really wanted was to sit and make. So in the small gaps of computer work, (the website is still in a poor state, still trying to figure out what I did to it, and listing new bags on folksy) I did what any girl would do and went internet window shoppping. Checking out all those sites I have heard of but never actually looked at because well I'm sure we all have favourites we know and love but it was time for somewhere new.

And I came across Linton Tweeds. Wow was my first thought £30 a metre, I had heard they are expensive but well worth it, (after all they do make the fabric for Chanel etc.) And low and behold down at the bottom of the page was the specials button and hidden in there was 3 fabric choices reduced to £10 a metre. excellent and they were very cool too. So to fill a basket, and off  to the checkout. 3 metres ordered in a very narrow black and white stripe.

Within 1/2 hour I got several emails from them. 1, order accepted, 2, order processed, 3, order dispached. How cool is that and I didnt pay extra for next day delivery. Anyway I now have 3m of Linton waiting for the perfect pattern. I am thinking a knee length skirt with a waist length, 3/4 sleeve jacket, embellished in black fringe on the bottom of the skirt and black edging around the jacket and on mock pockets. The hunt is on, any sugestions of tried and tested patterns most welcome,

On today's plans I am hoping to go out and get the material for the underskirt for the walkaway dress, enough to make 2, one for my eldest and myself.

Happy sewing from a very wet Wiltshire, England. What's your plans for today ?

Sew Vala. x

Summer is here but we wouldn't think so. They said June was to be very very dry, but like everyone else I am sure it has rained every single day. Well what is a girl to do when it's wet and horrible outside, for me I do what I always do, internet, blog surf, and shop mixed in with my daily sewing. These are what I have been working on today.

You may reconise the fabric, i have used it previously in a double frame purse.

Made from 1950's fabric in a very bright yellow, my camera has toned it down a tad, it is very very sunshine yellow.

Internal view, I really struggled in deciding what fabric to use inside, as the outside is just so strong. I found this polyester velvet in a deep blue, which I had actually forgotton buying. I have never sewn with anything like this before, I had some trouble with the interfacing but got there in the end. In the end I really like this and may have to make another just for me.

Another tricky one this, I cut this out and then realized I had only 1 more frame to fit this bag but it was in antque gold (as in the yellow bag above) and this purple fabric is covered in sparkly silver flecks. Doh

I felt like a challenge (and not wanting to place any more orders for frames, I have 3 boxes full now ). So began a hunt through the boxes for a similar silver frame. And so began the task of recutting the fabric and a shot of guess work, some time later,

A slightly smaller version of the Baguette bag (oringal pattern by Lisa Lam. )

I also did another bag but as yet it's unframed so that will be uploaded another day.

I have also ordered some cool patterns from the lovely lady at http://what-i-found.blogspot.com/
I can't wait to get working on these and am very excited.

happy Wednesday to you all,  Sew Vala x