Exciting week

This week has been very exciting for me as on Wednesday afternoon when I had just finished all last weeks work I had an e.mail for a new customer with a request for 14 black Rock 'N' Roll petticoats,(this does not happen often) they only problem I had with this they need them by Monday 30 th November and I had no lining for the under slips (sods law) so a trip into town to purchase some which delayed me getting on with the job, I have been head down in my workroom ever since slaving away, just finished the last one ready to pack up tomorrow morning to catch the post and this is what my workroom looks like at the moment, hate working on black it leaves me with a head ache.

What a mess

Another exciting thing happened today (Friday) found out I am on an Etsy treasury with this petticoat below.

Please take a look and leave a comment for this very talented lady Kerrie Slade who has done this treasury, this is one of the most beautiful Treasury I have ever seen on Etsy and worth the front page.

by clicking on the picture below it will take you to this treasury

Poppy Supernova choker
by

Kerrie Slade

Below is a list of my wish list for Christmas

CakesKnitsandCosies

Handmade ~ from the Heart

Henny Penny Designs

More Christmas wishes coming soon

Rainy day job

Weather here (Isle Of Wight) has been awful so had to do something indoors, decided that its about time I finish waxing the pine kitchen cupboards, been living without the doors for a long time, (18 months) managed to get 5 done (8 and 4 draws to go) and put back, they look lovely but make the frame work look tatty so looks like I will have to do that as well, this is turning into a nightmare job…

Finished cupboards

With that job done and all the mess cleaned up I have made a nice cup of tea to drink while I crawl around Folksy to see if I can find some more busy bees

Bee Hair Slides

by

With Hugs and Kisses

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Bouncy Stripy Bumble Bee

by

Woolly Wotnots

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BEAUTIFUL ANTIQUE GOLD AND CREAM BABY BOOTIES WITH CUTE BEES MOTIFS

by

FunkyShapes

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beez kneez

by

lej jewellery

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Petticoat talk

Making petticoats is a very hard and long process as there is so much cutting out before you can even start to make, first the lining, bask and waistband have to be cut then the netting has to be cut into long strips and joined together ready for gathering into tiers, then once gathered into tiers and made into layers its attached to a lining and put onto the bask which either needs elasticating or you make a waistband, you then have to finish the hems with lace or ribbon ,not all petticoats are the same style or fullness but they have yards and yards of netting my largest petticoat being my 7 layer which has 60 mtr in it and takes 3 days to make but its very rewarding at the end of the day to see the finished item and as with all things you make you do wonder at the end of the day if you customer is going to like it or even gives a though to how much work has gone into it, I do get lots of feedback saying how beautiful they are but get very few picture of them being worn and shown off on the day.

Here is just one sent to me over a week ago that I would like to share with you all, this one is a gold and ivory petticoat I made to go under her wedding dress................... a three layer with 3 tiers

Flower make

How to make a net flower (easy)

You will need

4 pieces of stiff net fabric 5 1/2 in x 5 1/2 in

4 pieces of stiff net fabric 5 x 5 in

Tape measure or ruler
2 Sewing needles

Sewing cotton

Scissors

No1

No 2 No 3

No 4

N0 5

N0 6

No 7Take one of your larger squares and fold in half corner to corner making a triangle shape and then fold again (picture2)
Thread needle with a long piece of thread making sure that its double and matching the colour of your fabric,run small running stitch along open edges (picture3)

Draw up thread ( picture 4) now do the same to the 3 remaining larger square making sure you do all this on the same thread, your flower should be looking like picture 5, 6, and ending looking like no 7 with all petals forming a circle making sure your centre is flat,join up the circle and secure stitches, cut cotton of.
Thread your second needle with thread the same as you did with first needle and do the same with 4 remaining smaller squares,

You should now have 2 circle's of petals, place them one on top of the other making sure they are placed looking like picture No 8 , secure them both together by stitching through centre,decorate your centre with beads or a button, stitch a hair come to back like picture No 10

No 8

No 9

No 10
You now have a lovely large flower hair comb, I use these flowers for decorating all sorts of things, you can reduce the size by cutting squares smaller as long as they are square, you can also do more petals on a single flower, try it now you have the basic idea

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At Last

At last my commission is finished an Elizabethan Bridal Dress, I made the pattern myself and the brides choice was to have it in 100% pure silk, plain bottom and embroidered top with just a hint of gold on edges, the dress its self is fully boned to keep the lovely neckline in place as it just sits of the shoulders, fully lined in silk with under slip in stiff net.


Front close up

Back close up

Full view

Do hope you enjoyed this viewing

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Now on to some lighter things which give me so much pleasure, quite the opposite to the above and make my hands a bit dirty so I have to leave sewing alone for a while when I am restoring my machines. At long last my latest 221 k singer (American version) sewing machine arrived, I was so excited opening the box and even more surprised to see it was in better condition than what I expected.I will be posting pictures of the finished restoration in the next few days, have shown a few pictures of the uncleaned version below

My sewing machine collection

My sewing machine collection and restoration started some 20 years ago and now has got to a point where it is so large I no longer have the room so after restoration I try to find good homes for them keeping only the ones that are hard to find.

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This one below is a Vintage Elna #1 (aka Grasshopper)Swiss made sewing machine 1940-1952,this is a beautiful bit of swiss engineeringits, the carrying case is designed like an old ammunition box and acts as a table when fully opened, , even has a knee press to lift the foot, still has all it attachments a lovely machine and still in excellent working condition.

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Next is the Bernina Record It is a beautiful made machine and manufactured in approx 1960-1966 in Switzerland and this really is the Rolls Royce of all sewing machines.This machine is equipped with the 22 built in stitches, 16 of these are decorative and 6 are practical and also features the buttonhole. the best machine ever, if you can get one of these in working order you will not regret it, they a are worth every penny you would pay on the second hand market.This one is in a as new condition with all attachments and its case a must have for any collector.

Bernina Record

Front

Back
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The next one is the Singer 221k white again in lovely restored condition, has its Grey/blue box
and all its attachments very sort after

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The next one will be added soon as in the restoration room
The Singer white 221k American green box version which is not as white as the English model, this one I found in this country after a 10 year search

Coming soon
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This one is the the Singer 221 K black again in a lovely condition and working order even has its little oil can and attachments, a true collectors piece

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Next up is Singer 222k with it's free arm attachment a great little portable model and very hard to find in as good condition as this one, another true collectors piece




Please look in again as I will be adding more of my collection as soon as I have taken pictures of them

Coming up soon treddle sewing machines.
Feel free to ask me any questions about old machines

Destash swap

This is the first time I have joined in the destash swap on Folksy which was kindly organized by hjdcrafts, I did not have to wait long before my swaps from BlissKnits (Sharon)arrived , what a lot of lovely goodies (see below) as you can see by the picture quite a mixture of fabrics and beads and even some seeds, Poppy's and best of all some Bird of Paradise (Strelitzia reginae) will love trying to get these to germinate, will let you know how I get on with these in a later blog,

Now back to my goodies, I have given you a few pictures below so that you can see what I have turned my fabric into.

1st up is the Navy blue voile fabric which I cut into the correct length and width then rolled all hems and her it is turned into a lovely blue evening wrap

2nd was a piece or lilac voile which I cut and rolled the hems again and made a neck scarf

3rd was 3 balls of Green colour wool with slight silver flecks in, this I just done a stocking stitch on a big pair or needles, I think it turned out quite nice seeing as I have not knitted for years because arthritis plays me up if I do knitting for to long, enjoyed doing this



4th was 2 doorstops out of blue check fabric one is a jumbo one for a heavy door and the other is smaller

I must have a think to see what I can come up with on the other fabric and all the beads, thank you again to BlissKnits (Sharon)for all these lovely goodies.......

Charity shop finds

I just love a bargain and yesterday I spent going around the charity shops in our town of Ventnor and found some little gems, well they are gems to me as I just love old china and can't resist a bargain, I mainly collect Spode old italian and Spode Blue pacific (1970) but if I see a bargain I buy it.

This set below I found in RSPCA shop going for a song at £2.00 the set, there is no makers name under the cups just a number 3835 ,they are a very fine china with a leaf pattern in gold, very pretty and I think coffee cups because of there size

This little set below was also in the RSPCA and was only £1.50 for the 6 cups and saucers, they are marked underneath Crown Staffordshire fine bone china no pattern name but I am sure I will find out soon


This set I found in another charity shop and paid 50 p for the 2 sets,the mark underneath on the cups is Duchess bone china England, pattern Ascot, the saucers are marked Royal Albert bone china made in England, pattern is called Val Dor I don't think they are a set because they are by different makers but they are a good match and will suit what I am going to do with them.

Very bad week

I don't know if any one gets bad weeks like I have just had and the weeks not ended yet. Its very lonely working by yourself you have to be very disciplined to work 8 to 5 on your own, I don't think I should have got out of bed this week everything I have touched has gone wrong, 1st thing was Sat I went to get my prescription and chemist was shut, big notice on window closed because chemist was off sick,went to collect again Monday and they had lost it so had to go around surgery and get another and take to chemist again, by this time I had lost my Monday working, Tuesday my upholstery materials I ordered last week came with 2 wrong things so had to pack them up and take to post office, had to put upholstering friends chairs on hold, tried to go onto do some sewing but buy then had lost the plot, (Wed)tried to make soap and can't get it to trace, the only thing that worked today was my strawberry cream sponge (made in lunch hour) I think I will just turn over in bed tomorrow and have a good sleep:)

I am now going to look around Folksy to see what nice things I can find to put on here tomorrow

My work space

Today Friday is my day looking after my grandson (4 years old) and because it was pouring with rain and we could not get into the garden we made some cakes and cleaned up my workroom , it was so much fun sorting through button boxes and draws and finding things I had lost or put in a safe place never to be found till now, he went home with his mum with pockets full of goodies or jewels as he called them, the workroom is today tidy enough to take a picture to share with you, this is as tidy as it will ever get, tomorrow it will be a mess again, its a converted garage and the car now sits in the drive, I spend at least 4 to 8 hours a day here doing what I do best sewing, my industrial overlocker is my best friend and has been my pride and joy for the last 10 years, worked hard to buy this but it has paid for itself over again, before that I had a domestic one, for my flat sewing I have an old industrial brother machine and for my embroidery a Husqvarna Designer 1, this one is a luxury my mother purchased for me for my ** birthday .

Thank you

Xavier

for making nanny's wet rainy day so full of fun.

One nice clean workroom

SPOTS BEFORE THE EYED

I have a passion for anything spotted at the moment so have been looking around on Folksy to see what lovelies I can find with spots on and here are a few.

Spotted Star Button Thumb tacks / Push Pins

by

Hollie Lollie

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Amigurumi hand crochet lady bird

by

CROCHET WITH LOVE 4 YOU

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Spotted Bear

by
AllThingsFabric

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Vintage Button Coin Purse

By

Natalie Farrell

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A PASSION FOR FASHION

I also have a great passion for the fashions of the past and thought I would share a few of my pictures of fashions and advertizing of the mid 1930s and 1940s, this was a very interesting period for me as I was born around the mid 1940s and just love the fashion then and still do.

1936 Knitted suit

1941 Knitted short sleeved cardigan

Under wear 1940's


Oxo advert from 1941

Just love this on as it is so apt for the times and just think oxo is still around after all these years