The forever dress - Vogue 8146

Today I was finally felt confident enough to re-attempt the dress.

I didn't get far because sewing time was sparse, this was as far as I got

I cut out the fabric and did the notch sewing. Yep that was it.
I see the productivity of many bloggers and so wish I too could just whip something up.
Ah well this is only my second piece of clothing, baby steps required that and to stop being so unconfident and nervous in this area of sewing.

I think what has put me off in completing this outfit is (and I'm sure I've said this before) I am starting to wonder if I chose the wrong colour fabric, I liked it to begin with it's very close to be picture on the packet (see right- current sewing project) and I thought it looked very elegant, I think this my be a common beginners mistake. Now I'm not so sure, I was chatting with my daughter (20 today Happy Birthday Babe xx) on my feeling about this and she said it was a good choice 'classic' was her words. Well this spared me on and there we have it finally on the sewing table. Hopefully tomorrow more progress but a tad of research on darts is required with copius amounts of Earl Grey.

Update on the organza flowers, my daughter was the first to give it a go, she did very well and managed to make half a flower before burning her finger, well done, I would have burnt mine on the first petal if my past record is anything to go by.

Happy sewing, Vala x

Help wanted.

My daughter loves this pattern for a playsuit, but unfortunatly it doesn't come in her size.
If anyone knows of a pattern in the next size up could you please let us know
thanks all.
Vala xx

A Green Phrase- Hats Galore and Charity Bargins

I have always had a thing for hats, not the summer straw hat, but more classic and traditional type. I love clonch hats. Recently this has developed into fastinators. Here are two of my most recent buys.

made by the taluah blue accesories from folksy.com

made by extra special touch from folksy.com

mmm, looks like I am going through a green phrase at the moment all brought on by a charitiy shop dress

I am always complemented on this dress whenever I wear it and always asked if it's vintage. I doubt it very much the label says 'George' , but it is turning out to be one of my favourites. I would love to be able to make something like this, but have only ever (so far) worked with cottons, I have once worked with fleece. I used it to back a lap quilt I made for my mother (sadly photos of the project lost when I spilt a full glass of red wine over my laptop last new years eve, doh), I attached it using my Janome embellishing machine, quite experimental, I enjoyed it and she liked it, so bonus all round.

Anyway i transgress, hats i love them. I heard somewhere 'the sixties killed off the hat' it sure did. Am I the kind of girl who would go shopping in the supermarket in heals, dress and hat, sure would if thats the only place I get out to. However at the moment as well as going through the green phrase I also decided to dye my hair a kind of Vivenne Westwood orange/ginger/blonde. So guess the green hats are going to have to wait a while until I get bored and re-dye. Also this drought of a June we've been promised hasn't happened yet, It must have rained every day so far. And being petite I am deadly with the umberella.

Techo Geek- I am not (or Vala Do Not Touch)

Not to be defeated with wonky frames, I finally atempted the sunglasses case, here it is with the frame in place. Nothing that spectacular (I know, pun ) but I really dont think I will be making many more of these at the moment, dont get me wrong I love the kitchness of it the clashing poms pom, and bright pink fabric. It's just i've discovered myself and small frames dont get on. Theres no room for manipulating the frame into the frame and it's nigh on impossible to create much gather so to allow extra volume in the case. Who knew something so small and cute could be such a pain. Well I do now.

I have also today been busy unpicking, not my mistakes (that makes a change) but this,

It's a gorgeous corset top I bought in the sale for £3. I bought it for the fabric

Isn't it beautiful, I had an order of black gunmetal victorican frames arrive yesterday and thats when I remembered this top. I think they should completment each other perfectly. I am not sure how many I will get out of this, but even if it's only two I will be happy one for me and one to sell. 

Remember my sweetheart make-up bag, well the other half has been working on the pattern all day (bless him) and when it's done I will be uploading the pics. I have also done a pattern for a bobble bag, (his next typing project) and today I made another so far un-named but the current favourite seems to be the cresant bag (as in the moon, but I'm sure it's not spelt like that.) However the longer I think about it the more I'm not sure.

I don't know how I've done it but I have become a follower of my own blog, my that looks very sad, and I don't know how to remove it, doh.

I have seen the most beautiful corsages made by Taluah Blue on Folksy. I was intrigued to read she made them over a candle. Well this got my curisoity going, so I did a you-tube search and now I want to have a go. Even my eldest wants to have a go. Plenty of water on stand-by, I'm sure we'll need it.

It won't be this week though, I have a stall on Saturday, so I've been making the bags, creating kits and sorting out the jewellery for then (Thats why there's not much on the folksy site yet, I haven't decided what to put on there and what to keep for stalls) And as for the website, well again I don't know what I did, my lovely man spent ages making the background sparkle to look like the night sky, fancy banner etc. I put on some new jewellery and lost all his work.

As I said Vala Do Not Touch, should be on little yellow post-it's all over the house.

Poor people wallpapers

                                                          Poor people in Thailand

                                                                    Indian poor child

                                                       Can poor people eat good food

                                                               India slum child Delhi

                                                            Pakistan poor people

                                                                Indian poor people

                                                       Poor

confusion, wonkyness and pom-poms.

Good Evening folks,

Well today I had every intention of finally spending the day working on my dress. I got it out of the project bag, ironed the calico placed the pattern on. I was hoping if all goods well to actually finish the toile and if no tweaking needed to start on the fabric. So there I was looking down at my table and for the life of me I couldn't figure out what to do first, do I trim the pattern to my size before I cut it out, but I thought I had already done that. I read the instructions on the packet and I still wasn't sure. So time for a cuppa while I think about what to do next (yes, I am a tea freak. I do like a nice cup of earl grey when the going gets hard.). In the end I decided to pack it all up again I didn't want to make a mistake, will try again another day when the kids are in school/colllege. And i can devote my full attention to it.

Talking of 'full attention' or rather the lack of it. This is what did happen today,

  A cute little purse which went a tad wonky. Ah well I am pleased with the little pom-poms though.
So not to be defeated today I tried again and this time decided to extend the length,

Again with the pom-poms. So now the little purse has turned into a sunglasses case. And tomorrow I hope to attach the frame sans wonkyness.

And oh yeah, I have managed to procure lots, lots more of the double curve purse frames. yipee. So shortly I will be finally showing my evening and make-up kits.

Happy Sewing Vala. x

Fabric Addiction - Stash Busting - the in thing.

Yesterday I came back from a fantasic weekend away spent with my man and his children. While there I can never resist a little stop at the lovely Mr Suman, a little fabric shop in Letchworth Garden City. As usual it doesn't end there I always find new fabric that I must have. On the way back I took a little diversion in St Abans to visit Fashion and Fabrics, I have often seen the small advertisements in the sewing magazines and they were even on TV having a shop window makeover. WOW Iwas amazed. how it it possible to get so much fabric in the shop. Truely an Aladins cave. And such gorgeous fabric too. so as usually out came the check book, (luckly I had it with me as they don't accept cards).

So today when unpacking I realized my immedate fabric area was in dire need of a tidy-up. (I also have fabric stashed many in boxes and cupboards in the conservatory and the kitchen. So after much rearranging, folding and staking this is a small area of the easy to reach to fabric.

  The pile on the left Fashion and Fabrics, the pile on the right Mr Suman. This weekends shopping spree only.

So now my hallway looks like a fabric shop. This is when I realized I may have a problem. Is it a fabric addiction or am I just a horder. My guess is a bit of both.

Also when I bought alot of this fabric I had the perfect project in mind. I have designed two bags, an evening bag and a make up case both using the same frame, only now it looks like I can no longer get any more of this particular frame. I have emailed the company I have previously bought them from and currently waiting egerly for their reply. Watch this space for an update. While I wait I will be working on another design.

While following my usual bloggers I have noticed there is a current trend for stash busting. Is this my solution, maybe? And also to be a little more productive in my makings. But I just cann't resist fabric that makes me 'oh, look thats so pretty' and yeah I am also a sucker for shiny sparkly things too.