Spots & Dots

(Wearing: Vintage blouse and necklace, Vivienne Westwood Anglomania skirt, Chanel shoes, Primark socks)

I didn't realise how spotty and dotty I was until I saw the photos! It is a shame the details of the blouse didn't show up in the over-flash as it has paler spots in white. The blouse is unusual as it looks pink in some lights and peach in others so I am never entirely sure what colour it is. I am also wearing my favorite vintage necklace a triple strand chunky gold chain, perfect for adding a bit of bulk to an overly pretty outfit.
When I was in the first year of Infant school we had a fancy dress box with a proper 80's poofy bridesmaid dress, to enable us 5 year old's to dress up in it, the teacher had altered it and also made a separate skirt of the inches hacked off the bottom. We called it the 'twirly skirt' as it was wonderfully flared and spun out when you twirled around it in. This Dirndl skirt reminds me of it very much. It is actually quilted at the hem and fairly stiff to keep the shape.
Right I'm off to do some twirling,
do you have any child hood clothing memories?
Pearl

My Amazing New Seam Ripper

Look what my husband made me! It's a hand turned seam ripper. Boy do I feel special. It sure takes the sting out of needing to rip a seam let me tell you! It's a beautiful colored aqua acrylester. This seam ripper is substantially sized. It's about 4 3/4" long and 1/2" wide. It will be much harder to lose than my other tiny plastic one. Plus it's pretty and made with love so it makes me smile.

While he was at it, he made a few more! There is a red and white swirl, a multicolored swirl and a pink seam ripper too. They have a cap which you pull off, turn over, reinstert, and voila...


you have a seam ripper. The extras are in my shop. It won't break my heart if they don't sell because I could use more. I am constantly losing my seam rippers. I have suggested that he devise a seam ripper tracking system and he said he'd get right on it. I wouldn't put it past him either.

A Sunny Afternoon

(Wearing: Vintage dress, clutch and necklace, Vivienne Westwood tights and shoes)

It was randomly super hot on Sunday and I ended up in one of those I HAVE NOTHING TO WEAR tantrums, the ensuing closet massacre is still all over my bedroom. I decided to raid my shop instead, where I pulled out this dress. I had originally bought it for myself but got it home to be gutted the length was so short, I really only like knee length or longer dresses. Not that I have hideous knees or anything and I can get away with shorter lengths they just don't feel quite me. I have been looking out for some lace trim slips to solve this kind of problem, but remembered I had these crop tights which I tried it with, they seemed to work ok.

I'm still not sure if I should keep the dress or let it go to another home.
Any tips on solving the length issue?
Pearl

On Penguins and Earring Trees

There have been a lot of birthday parties lately and I made gifts for a couple of them. One of my son's best friends just turned 8 and recently got her ears pierced. Her mom suggested a need for something to hold her earrings. I sketched this design, inspired by Doohickey Designs by Riley Blake. My husband cut the wood and then I painted it. I hear that it was a hit.

I made this raw edge applique penguin pillow for my daughter's friend who just turned 6. He is very interested in the Arctic and penguins in particular, so much so that he attempted to lead his preschool class on an Arctic expedition right out of the playground this winter. Luckily, the teachers stopped them in time! This pillow provided an opportunity to try my first attempts at pebble quilting. I thought it would add a little texture to the ground. I would like to practice some more because I love the look of pebble quilting but it intimidates me.
Party gifts are always fun.

Power Dressing

Me aged around four wearing snow 'moon' boots and fly net 'veil' with my summer dress

This article brought back some fond memories:

Power dressing

You want her to wear the red dress to playgroup; she’s insisting on her mermaid costume. These days, the “you’re not leaving this house looking like that!” battles start young.

For many mothers of daughters, one of the best bits about having a little girl is the opportunity to dress her. Mothers of sons lament the lack of lovely clothing available to boys, and coo over the pretty womens dresses and adorable styles that reflect the sugar and spice that girls are, as tradition would have it, made of. And then there’s the question of colour, with girls clothing being available in everything from lolly pink to smart navy, while the hues of boys’ clothes tend to be a little more limited in range.

But there’s a flip side to the joy of dressing up your little dolly (and let’s face it, there’s almost certainly an element of this when it comes to clothing your female child) – and that’s when she starts exerting her independence and making her own choices about what to wear and how to wear it.

The perfectly conceived ensembles that you’ve bought for her get mixed and matched with other items; clothes from the dress-up box are worn, with staggering confidence, for a trip to the park or supermarket. Tutus and welly boots? Shorts over leggings? A sudden refusal to wear anything that isn’t pink; a sudden aversion to anything that isn’t at least a little bit princessy?

Sure, you can put your foot down. But should you? It’s worth remembering that her interest in clothes has probably come from you anyway, and that it’s important for children to feel and demonstrate a sense of autonomy. Letting your daughter express herself and her independence through her dress sense is one safe, healthy way that you can allow her to achieve this – far better in its visibility, surely, than more covert behaviour, which can’t necessarily be monitored.

As long as she is making choices that are appropriate for her own safety and wellbeing (ie – not provocative, and suited to the temperature) then the fact that she perhaps looks a little odd should probably be endearing rather than embarrassing or annoying.

One way to limit struggles over her clothes is simply to ensure that she doesn’t own any item of clothing that you don’t approve of in itself. That way, even if she wears it in a way that’s less than what you’d consider aesthetically pleasing, at least it’s not revealing / sparkly / emblazoned with a slogan – or whatever your personal dislikes happen to be.

By giving her licence to dress herself in her own combinations, you’re giving your daughter the chance to think for herself, build her self esteem and exercise her creativity. You may even be creating a budding fashionista to boot – and doesn’t every woman want a lifelong shopping buddy?

More Laminate!

I can't stop myself. I made one more Ruched Happy Bag. I used Queen Street laminate and cotton again. I love the pinks!



Once again, I used the laminate inside and for the focal band. This little bag, with it's water resistant properties, would be great for holding your cell phone and wallet pool side. Don't you think?



If you'd like to enter my giveaway for a free pdf Ruched Happy Bag pattern, check out the post below.

Cheap Tricks

(Wearing: Vintage skirt, Primark top and belt, Prada faux fur stole, Chanel shoes, Mulberry clutch)

I bought this vintage navy pleated skirt from eBay for about £1, however it was miles too big around the waist. Since I had paid so little for it I didn't then want to have to pay for it to be tailored so I got a bit creative.

Nail colour Mimosa by Chanel

I made two slits in the waist band and threaded a thin belt though, I then ruched the skirt along the belt so only the end and the buckle were visible. This allowed me to cinch in the waist.

I decided I liked the look of the tan belt with the skirt so I cut out two sections along each side to reveal more of the belt. I also chopped off a few inches from the hem, the fabric being strong enough to cope with a raw edge.

The belt on the sides

The belt from the front

The raw hem

I added a mani/pedi in bright yellow to contrast the pink and navy, shame it doesn't show up too well in the photo's. I love it when a plan comes together, believe me the amount of DIY roadkill I have created would make you weep.
Pearl

P.S Don't forget to join me on Facebook, I have been adding lots of photo albums and look books and even the odd fashion quiz - this weeks is regarding what you want to read about during fashion week - show reviews? who wore what? Nothing at all because it is boring?? You tell me!

Sewing with Laminates Mini Tutorial and a Giveaway!

Have you ever sewn with laminates? I hadn't until yesterday. I had some beautiful Queen Street laminate and quilting cotton by Jennifer Paganelli and decided to try them out using my new "Ruched Happy Bag" pattern. The pattern is available in pdf form from my Etsy shop.


The bag is lined with laminate in case of cosmetic bottle spills.



I also used the laminate for the bag's focal band for a little bit of shine and interest.



The band was fussy cut to center the design. I love the look that gives. It's worth the little extra effort and tiny bit of fabric waste. I used quilting cotton for the back of the bag and for the ruched/gathered bottom. I am sure it would have been possible to use laminate but I like a softer feel to the gathers.

I learned a thing or two when attempting to sew with laminate for the first time and thought I would pass along these pointers!

Sewing With Laminates Mini Tutorial


First off, laminate punctured with pin holes loses it's water resistant properties! You can use fabric glues to hold your fabric in place when stitching but I didn't have any on hand. Instead, I pinned within the 1/4" seam allowance.



You can't iron laminates or they will melt. You can press with your fingernails but I also found that using a Hera marker as a bone folder worked well.



And finally, you need a Teflon presser foot to sew on laminates. Otherwise they stick and drag on your presser foot. I didn't have a Teflon foot so I settled for another solution that worked just fine for a small project like this. I placed tissue paper over my project and then stitched. I also lengthened my stitch length to 3.0 which looks nicer for top stitching and makes it easier when tearing away the tissue.



I was able to see clearly through the tissue and edge stitch quite nicely.



Simply tear off the paper and you are all set. This is where it gets a little annoying. Some tissue will stick on the stitches and you will have to pick it out with your fingernails. I'd buy a Teflon foot if I were sewing a raincoat but for this project, it is completely unnecessary. When sewing with laminate on both the top and bottom, I placed the tissue under the project AND on top.
I hope these hints were helpful.



To celebrate the release of my "Ruched Happy Bag" pattern, I'd like to offer a little giveaway. I will give away one copy of my pdf pattern on Saturday, July 2nd. You may enter by leaving a comment telling me what you like best in my shop. Leave a second comment if you are a follower.

The Name Game

I feel so honored. My friend Cindy invited me to play the name game on her blog today. Go on and take a peek. If you read my blog, you know me well enough, but it's a great chance to meet Cindy if you haven't already. She has been such a great supporter of my work, as she admitted, purchasing enough printed fabric to be considered an official collector. She's one busy lady. She bounces from one big quilting project to the next and back again like nobody's business. Thanks for the invite Cindy!

Budget Fashion: What is a Bargain Anyway? Ethical Fashion Part #2

From the heart felt response to my post 'Can you afford to shop ethically?' I realise it is an issue close to the hearts of many of us. We want to buy clothes that are fashionable - we do not want to buy them at the expense of another human beings suffering. It doesn't sound a lot to ask does it? Someone makes the clothes, we buy the clothes - we earn our money so why not spend it all on new clothes if we please?
But life isn't that easy. We have no idea where most of the clothes hanging in the shops are made, if the people involved in manufacturing them were paid and treated fairly, was the cloth produced from ethical sources? How about the carbon foot print of the garment? What does that company do with dead stock? The waste of plastic and card involved in production, is it recycled....You see even the definition of 'Ethical' means different things to different people.

(Failed attempts at an outfit post due to the dogs playing silly beggers! Wearing Vivienne Westwood for People Tree top, Topshop jeans, Vivienne Westwood boots)

There really is so much to consider, whilst we can all take steps to shop more wisely this is not an issue we can fix overnight. I think the main thing we can do is heed these wise words:

'Buy Less, Choose Well'
Vivienne Westwood

If we put some thought into what we buy, try our best to only buy things we 'need' - OK 'want' but will actually wear! Try and shop in charity shops and buy vintage, try and shop places with an ethical policy in place, little by little it can all help.

There is no quick fix because there are so many knock-on effects of our actions. Imagine if the UK stopped buying from the high street, in fact imagine if everyone in the UK boycotted Primark, for example. Not one person would shop there and they had to close down the stores. Think of all the staff that would loose their jobs, managers, sales assistants, security, cleaners, head office. Think of the manufacturers workers, they would all be set free from their sweatshops? Would they thank you for this, to them is having a job and income even if it is not the best job, is it better than having no job and no money to feed their family at all?
Ideally the pressure should be on the companies to insist their manufacturers are ethical - none of this sub-contraction get out clause. We want to know exactly where the clothes are made, we want this information available in plain English, clear and simple.

To me a bargain isn't defined by how much I paid, but by how valuable it is to me. If I buy something which I will wear often, is made well, that will last me for years to come, then that is a bargain. So my personal attempts at shopping ethically are this: to only buy things I will get a lot of use out of, to by second hand / vintage too, only buy quality goods and to buy things made in England to support our economy where I can.

(Sirius, Ruby & Simba getting in on the act)

There is a growing collective of brands which name themselves ethical such as People Tree, Ciel - who now has a collaboration with whistles and Kitty Cooper etc. But, and I really hate to say it, I don't really like any of the clothes they sell. Well no it isn't that I don't like them but they aren't quite my style, I have never bought anything from them as I have never liked anything enough if you see what I mean.

On the other hand some of the designers I do like already are making moves towards being more ethical.Vivienne Westwood designed a t-shirt for people tree which I loved (and am wearing in this post). Dame Viv has also just launched a new collection of bags made in Africa - more on that in a later post, one of which I want to buy. But I hold my hands up in all honesty and tell you I want these things because I like them and am not buying them just because they are ethically made - although I am extreamly happy about the fact they are. Also as many of you have pointed out in your comments these shops are very expensive and are limited in size ranges.

What you said:

I'd recommend People Tree if people are looking for decent, stylish, ethically produced stuff. They're normally a bit out of my price range but the sale prices are really quite reasonable and they sometimes do mystery bags where it's 5 items for £30 - bargain! I've got a few gorgeous things that way. Alex

in our consumer driven society it is very easy to trick yourself into believing that you absolutely have to have a new dress to go out in or a completely new outfit for an interview, I know I do it often enough. But in most cases this isn't true, we have wardrobes with perfectly decent outfits but the shops, magazines and even our peers make us believe we need a new outfit for every minor occasion and should never be seen in the same dress more than a handful of times (at the most). Jolly Good

The tighter my budget I swear the better my outfits become, because I have to think about it and go outside of my comfort zone. Little Miss C

I don't agree with the elitism of eco-conscious shopping either, and I don't think that people with less money should be criticised for wanting to purchase things; wealthier people are lucky that they have the option, but they are no less 'materialistic'. Mrs Bossa

The only thing we 'need' to do is clothe our body so we don't stroll around naked, or in discomfort due to the temperature. It seems that we are now a society of rights - we believe we deserve new clothes and a constantly changing wardrobe. Roz

I think that it's important to pressure retailers to clean up their practices, rather than blame the consumers.

There are so many amazingly insightful comments on the original post, these are mere excerpts, well worth going back to read in full.I also want to recommend the following posts on the issue:

Guardian - Linda Grant Cheap at twice the price (also has a list of ethical shop links)

Rosel - My ethical dilemma with fashion blogging

Emily - Ethical fashion vs fast fashion

Jen - Ethical fashion - does it work for you?

Jill - Prime Mark - I was intending on posting about this issue myself but felt Jill's post summed it up really well. Jill kindly copied me in on an email regarding the legal battle Primark won after parts of a recent Horizon documentary were found to be falsified. This was enough for me to undermine the entire documentary if they had found actual evidence then they would have used that no matter how 'undramatic'. I am not saying that totally excuses Primark, but it does clarify some issues. You can read about it yourselves on the Primark Website, which I have to say goes a long way to promote their ethical considerations.

I will be blunt though, what I would like to see is some facts and figures from Primark and all the High St retailers as to how they can afford to sell things so cheaply whilst paying everyone in the chain a fair fee and still make a profit. Actually, how about that, Phillip Green et al, should you have nothing to hide?
Pearl

UPDATE: Just wanted to add this link on the problems met by ethical fashion label Edun, thanks Wendy B

22 Free Patterns!

Only one person could win the GO!baby. I felt terrible. I had to break over 200 hearts. It was fun to help make one person's day though!
Now AccuQuilt is giving away 22 free patterns to everyone. Click on the image above to check it out!

After the Rain Garden Post

Well, I was only able to take two new pictures of the garden this week before the rain began. This white tea rose opened; the first bloom on this plant for the season!

This picture shows that the globe thistle will be blooming soon. And then it rained, quite hard at times, for four days straight! Yesterday my husband took the camera and went out into the yard and took some close up pictures of flowers after the rain. I do have those to show you.

This is the head of a Walking Onion. Last week, I was corrected. This plant is edible! My neighbor, who gave me the plant, told me it was not. That's the last time I listen to him!

This honey bee is busy on the last bit of lupine.

The daylilies are just beginning to bloom which has me all excited! I have a collection of somewhat unusual daylilies which I can show you over the next month or so. This daylily was planted by the former owners beside the barn. I don't know it's name.

This is a view of a tree beside our barn. We think it is an elderberry. Scratch that, we were first told it was elderberry but now think it is a mulberry. Then I read that mulberry is invasive so maybe we should cut it down. Can anyone confirm?

Here are the pretty berries on the honeysuckle.

This is a donkeytail sedum reaching over the rock wall.

And here is the top of the allium that I showed you in full bloom a couple of weeks ago. It still looks facinating even as it fades.

And here is one of our three resident rodent chasers that help my garden thrive! Meet our barn cat Licorice.

I keep forgetting to mention that this is the first year that I have seen hummingbirds in the yard on a daily basis. I have tried to attract them for years with a different hummingbird feeder and with my plantings. Last year, I received this feeder from my sister in law for my birthday and it seems to have done the trick! I have seen them at the feeder as well as in the garden. My daughter told me that they were seeing hummingbirds at the preschool feeder quite early in the season when the temps were still on the verge of freezing at night. I was surprised but went ahead and hung the feeder. Maybe my success could be attributed to getting the feeder out earlier in the season? I am not sure but I will put this feeder out early again next year because I am loving it!

Please link up your garden pictures here. Everyone is welcome!

Cardigan Weather

(Wearing: Zara cardi and skirt, Lanvin H&M t-shirt, Pierre Hardy shoes, vintage necklace. Excuse the woeful blogger post it was actually really windy and this was the best photo of the lot!)

Not the most exciting fashion item I know, but cardigans are having a moment. In particular 'proper' cardigans, you know the thick, knitted type your parents used to inflict upon you as a child, the ones your dad probably wears. Well all of a sudden they are cool again. You can opt for the traditional Aran knit, collage letter man style, thin jersey, basically the rule is if you would have rejected it for being untrendy last year, then this year it is in. Got it?
I don't often wear cardi's other than as an extra layer below my jacket, in fact I only had one until a few months ago - plain black, thin knit. As we have had such on/off weather lately though cardigans have become my new friend. Perfect for pulling out of your bag when it gets chilly unexpectedly and they don't crease up like jackets.
As I have started to pay more attention to this much neglected item, I have been seeing them in a new light, there are so many different types. Yes, some for day but also evening cardigans with waterfall hems and even sequins.
Confess, is your love for cardigans secret or out and proud?
Pearl

Cocosa Designer Brands at up to 80% off

I often get asked how I can afford so many designer clothes? In truth there are many ways you can have the quality and luxury of a brand without the hefty price tag. Cocosa is one of them, it is a private members only sale site offering big designer names for up to 80% off retail price.

Bauer Media's first pure e-commerce site launched October 2008 and has been a roaring success. Once membership has been approved you will be invited to shop the sales, each running for a limited period and brimming with a fabulous selection of luxury brands. They give you behind-the-scenes access to the kind of prices that only fashion insiders have previously enjoyed. The experienced team of buyers hand pick only the most covetable fashion and accessories.

Popular designers include:

Vivienne Westwood John Smedley Tom Ford Sunglasses Alexander McQueen Karl Lagerfeld Jonathan Saunders Nicole Farhi Matthew Williamson Vera Wang

As a special treat if you register on Cocosa you can take advantage of a this exclusive offer of £10 off your first purchase over £50. Simply enter the promotional code ‘luxurystyle’ at checkout to redeem the offer.

I have been a member since they started and have never been disappointed with what they have on offer. You can preview each sale the week before it opens so you can have your purse at the ready for the sale to begin - warning things sell out fast! I just went over to have a look at what sales are live this week and they include Halston Heritage, Kenneth J Lane, Betty Jackson, Matthew Williamson and Tibi!! All beautiful garments at generous discounts. I am so tempted to by a Halston Heritage bag and a KJL gold necklace right now.

From the look book should you want a designer outfit for a summer wedding or day at the races Cocosa is your place!Pearl

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