Vintage Apron

ready to wear

All the aprons I make are generally long bib aprons with decorative appliqué.

wide pocket

I have just finished a short waist apron in vintage floral fabric that is decorated with yellow velvet ribbon and I rather like it. It is something I will make again.

pocket trim

It is roughly based on a very old apron that my gran used to use (I think it was hers – it has certainly been around a while) which is very thread bear and much the worse for it’s years of service.

waist band trim

The pocket detail is full width and divided to hold cloths, tools and anything else you need when wearing it, be that in the kitchen or elsewhere.

tie at waist

I love this fabric. I picked it up a few months ago and I have already used for a different apron but I have been waiting for an excuse to use this lovely yellow velvet ribbon for an age and this was it.

 

 

samuel savigar

wrapped and ready to be delivered

My work colleague and his wife have just added another to their number and he is called Samuel.

Samuel Jacob Savigar

He joins their lovely little family along side Ellie and George.

green for samuel

I was commissioned to do his cushion so that he has one the same as his older siblings and to go with his freshly decorated green & white bedroom.

stork delivery

Ellie’s cushion and bunting was a gift from me but George’s and Samuel’s were special requests.

cradled baby

My next job is to get bunting made for little Samuel as a gift from us. His sister and brother already have some so he needs to be the same.

tag and fastening

Hopefully they will all be delivered next week.

sewing machine cover

my singer

 

My lovely vintage machine is never put away now that I am lucky enough to have a dedicated sewing space so it gets dust and the lint build up that you already get from sewing is worse for being out in the open all the time.

 

hemming the cover

 

It’s original storage case is a big old rigid thing that is stored away out of sight and out of mind as it is more about transporting the machine rather than protecting it between uses.

 

Sooooo….

 

top stitching

 

I scrabbled through my stash of fabrics to find something pretty but understated that would make a nice sewing machine cover. I don’t want to draw attention to the machine in the small room that I use for sewing, I want it to disappear a little.

 

This vintage Arthur Sanderson furnishing fabric has a very gentle yellow and turquoise floral print that I really like.

 

finished and fitted

 

The measuring is easy as it is overall a rectangular shape that needs covering and although there are features that mean it is not an actual rectangle, a good fitting one would be perfect.

 

fitted straight after being made

It is generally 45 x 35 x 25cm and could not have been easier to make.

 

 

pretty baskets

handle fixing detail

I have a bit of a weakness for whicker, it’s true.

I already have more baskets than is strictly necessary.

loaded

I have my fruit and sloe picking basket, my food basket for a trip to the village butcher, I have a basket that holds sewing projects that are not quite finished, I used to have a basket for fabric scraps, our old picnic baskets transport some of my makes to the market, I’ve even turned one into a sewing box for my niece, and I also carry all my cards and labels to market in a little shopping basket too.

It’s fair to say I have a few and my husband’s irony laced comments about me needing more baskets when I add to the stash is justified.

pretty handle detail

But…..

I ignore him (of course) and now I have a new basket which is for all those bits that lie around but never seem to have a proper home.

I’d seen this particular basket a few times on a stand at our local car boot sale but had resisted the temptation. The seller is actually a trader and sells the ‘collectables’ at the car boot sale and keeps the ‘antiques’ for the fairs.

We’ve bought a few things from him as he always has interesting pieces that are in good condition.

candle snuffer and note books

As the car boot season is drawing to an end for this year, I decided I wasn’t going to resist any longer nor risk missing out so now it is sitting with my lovely Dear Emma fabric bowl on the side table in the living room.

storage solutions

yummy scraps of fabric

It makes me quite sad and certainly fed up not to have been sewing or blogging for what seems like so long.

I really miss it and it cheers me up so much when I am doing it, it should be on the NHS.

overflowing

I’ve spent what feels like weeks with my lovely work station visible out of the corner of my eye but just out of reach and not a single one of my projects has been completed nor a new one started

BUT

I have sort of been busy with stuff related to my sewing.

I, like most makers (read hoarder) can’t bear to part with even the smallest scraps of pretty fabric.  It’s great to have around and always comes in handy. There is always one bit that is just perfect for a certain something.  It brings with it storage difficulties though.

boxes

All makers have storage issues to a greater or lesser extent and there just doesn’t seem to be the perfect solution especially if you are badly short of space.

neat and tidy

I just couldn’t resist these two lovely wine cases that I found at a car boot sale (where else??) recently. They are a very good and attractive storage solution for my appliqué scraps that have been, until now, either escaping the confines of a shallow sided basket or in a deep hessian bag which makes getting at all of them a bit of a challenge.

neatly stored away

These little beauties will sit under my sewing desk where the bags used to reside and I am happy that they are an attractive and tidy solution.

I have separated the patterns from the plains to make it even easier and I am quite pleased with the results.

tada

I look back over the few months since I set up my work space in here and it has really changed. I’d like to think it is becoming more interesting but I’m fearful that it is just getting cluttered!

Let’s not think about that, got to get on with the making bits now!

fabric bowls

remnants from The Cloth Shop

I was inspired some time ago by my purchase of a dear emma fabric bowl to make an odd one of my own but  I wanted them with a fold over top and contrasting linings.

cutting out

I wanted them for use around the place for the various ‘bits and pieces’ that seem to need a home but don’t have a specific one or are in transit to somewhere else.

outside ready for patterned lining

My original need for them was so that I had somewhere to put all the threads that I am using so they are easy to get at. Since thinking about making them though, my big top drawer on my sewing table seems to work well for these so the bowls will now be used for lots of other things sewing and miscellaneous alike.

lined and turned the right way for finishing

I got a remnant of some fabulous heavy upholstery fabric from The Cloth Shop recently that is weighty enough to make a fabric bowl work so I got on with it this weekend.

pinned ready for top stitching

They are surprisingly easy to make if you get the basics right and allow yourself a little tolerance here and there.

tada!!

Preparation and making sure you don’t skip on the stages is the key to neatness but you really have to have the right fabric to make them stand up.

3 different sizes with 3 different linings

I love the fact that they are completely reversible to suit your requirements and I will change the combinations and what is on the outside depending on where the bowls end up living.

grouped together

I will make more (possibly a nest and definitely some as presents) that are pretty and contrasting but also some that are decorated on the outside with applique.  These plain ones, however, are perfect for and will go into my work room and onto shelves around the flat.

complimentary fabrics

A very satisfying little project before I get on with the rest of the things that I want to do and those that I still need to finish.

contrasting seersucker lining

getting through those projects

boys shoe/gym/swimming bag

I really haven’t been able to enjoy any making time much lately as work is unexpectedly hectic and very demanding.

It’s quite frustrating because my workroom also doubles up as my office and I have to look at my lovely fabrics, projects and machine everyday with the thought that I would really much rather be sitting there doing that than sitting here doing this.

But I’m managing to very slowing making headway through my unfinished projects and I haven’t added too many new ones to the pile so far!

I would have made more headway had I not managed to leave behind all the car boot booty, the bias tape, interface and fabrics that I bought last weekend.

train bag

Never mind, there is always something that does’t need those things for finishing and I can still be getting on with one or another.

book bag

I have had to completely abandon some projects since I first started them and condemn the fabric to the scrap box.

It is because they just weren’t the success I had hoped and I need to go back to the drawing board or I have completely changed my mind about some of them and no longer think it is worth spending the time in seeing them finished.

fish bag (WIP)

I get an idea into my head and try different types or versions of the same thing and the results are hugely varied.

fish bag

Some first attempts work brilliantly and some really need work.

fish detail

Some ideas will just never be realised successfully but that can honestly be as much of the fun as doing something that you know you can successfully make.

lavendar bags

Bags seem to be the order of the day at the moment so I managed to get a handful finished but there are still some that need my time.

I’ll get the next batch of these bags sorted out and then I think I will concentrate on getting the cushions finished before I get on with some more of the little dresses that I love making so much.

happy birthday harringay market

Smile

A week ago was Harringay Market’s first birthday and it was a scorcher too.

happy birthday

It was very hot and sunny and the event was to be marked by lots of visitors and a birthday cake!

pouches and bags

I’m not a regular trader at Harringay Market as my work keeps me away more often than not but I feel very much part of it. I’ve been selling there since not long after it started. I love the sense of community there is and I love the people that you meet.

cushions

Us crafters aren’t the main feature, it is a food market after all, but I like to think we add a bit of interest. We have developed a bit of a following and some people are disappointed when we aren’t there.

my new doggy model

None of us were in a very good spot for the birthday market, unfortunately and although we benefited from not being in the direct sun for most of the day, we were nowhere near the action (unless you consider a loo stop as action!). A real shame and a missed opportunity as were tucked out of the way and were literally in a little corridor on the way to the loos! But I had my lovely friend V to kep me company and we had a good old chat to our neighbour and newcomer Spacedog.

bags and cosies

Anyway, I had made a few new small things recently so I decided to take them to the market to see if they’d be good sellers.

Most of the things I make are for kids but are bought by their parents or a relative as a gift. I’m aware that amongst the shoppers out there, there are a few who are spending their hard earned pocket money too and there need to be some smaller interesting items that are affordable to those little shoppers.

some of the making

Because bags are always needed for boys and girls, I tried out a selection of different shapes, uses and styles to see how things went.

I love them and have made myself a small sewing bag the same which fits in my handbag for the odd train journey.

sold

They went down well and I think I will make a few more with different patterns, images and styles.

the little collection I tried to get done the night before!

The big hit at the moment though are the little summer dresses!  I really have to get on with all my new ideas for them

Summer Dresses

navy, white and red daisy pinafore

A while ago, I made my nephew’s little girl Ella (named after her paternal great gran and one of my favourite names) some pretty princess pinafore dresses for her birthday.

I am going to Harringay Market again soon so I thought I’d make some more ready for the summer.

shoulder button detail

They are very cute and perfect for the warm weather.  The ‘new baby’ size is particularly cute.

The possible variations on these are endless, I have put buttons on the shoulder fastening of all so far but have varied the style and number of the pockets on each one.

rolled hem ready for hand sewing

I sold one of them a few weekends ago and it is off to be worn by a little girl in Spain this summer.

I have 3 available at the moment but will certainly be making some more.

I’ve concentrated on using some of the floral fabrics from my stash but will be venturing into using some of the lovely, lovely fabric pieces I have bought from The Village Haberdashery as well as bringing in some of my hand applique which I have been missing lately.

What do you think?  Any suggestions for variations?

Pencil Rolls

pencil roll

My friend’s eldest daughter Millie had a birthday recently and although I have been completely rubbish and have yet to deliver her gift, like most others from us, it has been hand made.

satin lined pencil roll

Millie comes from an artistic family of designers, painters, sculptors and jewellers so she was bound to have flair and indeed she and her sister are both creative.

top stitching and tie ribbon detail

So I thought, what more appropriate and useful thing to make for her that is also pretty than a pencil roll?

pencils in the roll slots

I have an ancient cadbury’s pencil tin from my school days that still hold all my charcoals and drawing pencils. It saw me through my art foundation course and also college but the pencils all rub together and they get grubby from broken graphite tips. A roll will keep them clean and protect the tips.

bright floral roll

Each roll holds about 16 pencils which will take you through the most popular of the H and the B pencils quite easily.

finished

I’m going to persevere with my old tin but the pencil roll inspired me to make myself a crochet hook roll.

M for Millie

I only have my gran’s old case which is full of her mum’s lace crochet hooks so it is perfect for mine which are a bit lumpier and currently rattling around in the bottom of a sewing box.