Little things please...

Over the last week I have been making some little outfits for friend's children, I really enjoy making for kids as they are made so quickly.  Also it gives me an excuse to pop into the wonderful Belle Fabrics in Leigh to drool over their fabrics.

I started with a little cross over reversible pinny for Camille. 

Apparently she wore it for two days straight, because it was "swingy" and made her feel like a princess.

Then I made a little reversible wrapover dress for Lola, Cecelia's threee year old grand-daughter, in a pale pink needlecord with a toning cotton fabric... and then I did what I always warn other people about, I forgot to take a picture, so I made another dress in the same pattern yesterday.

Then there was a winter pinafore for Georgia, completed with a matching hair grip and an alternative set of buttons to match the stripey lining... I hid them in the pocket for Georgia to find.

I was wondering if you thought that yummy mummies might buy them if I popped them into an online shop, what do you think?

The 1930s are just bang up to date!

I did something bad today... you know how it is... I wanted to walk past, but I just couldn't help it... I went into Belle Fabrics (aka to us oldies as Richardsons) in Leigh-on-sea, just to see if they had something that I might be able to use for this weekend's tutorial.  What a mistake, they had just had a delivery of Moda Fabrics... I mean, how was I to know but by then I was in and there was no escape.


Moda have just released a new range called 30s Playtime which is based on the floral and chintzy ranges of the 1930s and have been designed by Chloe's Closet for Moda.
Now this is just a taster of a Jelly Roll pack, usually a selection of fabrics 2 1/2" x 44/45" and taken from the same range.


I was really taken by:

But then I spotted: 

And then:

And one of these literally made it to the cut for the Sunday's tutorial... we will be making a cover for your ipad... or Kindle... or you can scale it down for your phone.


Now oddly enough I also got an email from MoDA (the Museum of Domestic Design and Architecture) and they have published a fabulous book to coincide with their travelling exhibition on the work of the Silver Studios and even better it is reduced in their January sale.

 The book was written when Keren Protheroe was researching the work of the women designers who worked at the Silver Studios... elements of their art remains and sometimes, you  do not even know who they were but what they have created is still used by people like M&S designers to influence their fabrics today.

Imagine being told that you can only use so many colours to create a design and yet create the illusion that you have used a full palette.   They even have letters between the studios and the designers discussing their work and pay!

So, if you see that the travelling exhibition is coming to a spot near you, gussie up your skirts and get there as fast you can, it is small but I promise you that it is really worthwhile.


PS I have no links to Moda or MoDA, I just like em and know you will, too!