Autumn fashion....Yes Please!

I seem to be having a skirt fest at the moment!. Despite the fact that as a hands on nanny I spend most of my time grovelling on the floor, or leaping about like some mad woman playing on the wii and therefore am more likely to be in my jeans, I do like to wear skirts and dresses.
Over time my taste has gone from the tailored smart to the comfy casual, preferably with thick tights and boots!
My pattern of choice at the moment is the pencil skirt from Angela Kane. After downloading a couple of her free patterns, which I quite liked, I decided to sign up. Now for just £25 joining fee I can download as many patterns as I like. Since there are about 28 ( and new ones being added) I think, that's not bad value at all. One of the best things though is the you tube tutorials. Even as a fairly prolific sewer, I have learned some excellent tips and short cuts.

My first attempt....1991 curtain fabric! I love it and am tempted to make a coat too. I have enough material!!

 You only got the bottom of this photo 'cos I was pulling the most stupid face!

A lined wool tweed, and a close up of the back pleat which I much prefer for Autumn/Winter skirts, much less drafty!

I also made an unlined brushed moleskin with patch pockets, but I loved it so much its been worn and is now in the wash.

I have made another Ponti dress.....

I wouldn't have thought of wearing the mustard with orange, but couldn't be bothered to change. However since the scarf does have both colours in I might be tempted. At least its very Autumnul!

In between busily sewing cushions, bunting and Christmas decorations for our next Olive & Edna pop up shop, I have also downloaded a 1940s dungaree pattern which I hope to wear on the day.......

Saturday 15th November 2014

 Liberty Roses Tea Rooms

I'd better get a move on or I could be wearing them with the pins in still...not a good look and somewhat dangerous!

If you are in the area do pop in if only to say hello and taste the wonderful cakes!

TTFN

Jenny xx

A change of heart....

Well summer holidays are upon us, mums , dads and grandparents too are crazily planning activities and outings to keep the young ones entertained. As one blogger I have just read quite rightly stated, it would be very difficult to limit the amount of time  the children  sit at computers and play on other gadgets if we don't do the same so I am using my evenings to catch up on blogging and sewing etc so that I can enjoy this glorious weather with them out and about.
It's funny how limiting your time seems to inspire you to greater activity, at least it does me, and I have done more sewing and crafting in the past week than I have for ages.
 Do you remember my attempt at the Collette Sorbetto top. I wasn't very impressed at first. The amount of alterations I had to make to the pattern somehow spoiled the feel of the finished top. However not one to give up and believing that it did have some redeeming features like the bias bound neck and absence of any fastenings, I decided to have another go. Since I stopped making my slippers to sell, I have boxes of lightweight cottons which would have been used for linings, going to waste. Some of these are very pretty and crying out to be made into something wearable. In the end I chose this chocolate spot fabric as I had quite a bit, so it wouldn't matter too much if I messed up. Luckily I was easily able I recreate the pattern in my own proper size, and even had enough fabric to make a simple skirt. For the skirt I used a New Look pattern 6051 which has a super collarless zip up jacket and trousers too.

 Though it must be a bit ancient, as I cant seem to trace this version at all on the internet! Must make sure I hang onto this one.

I love the contrast fabric  used as bias binding and continued the theme by making the waist binding and ties for the skirt from the same fabric.
Not bad out of 1.5 metres of main fabric and .5 metre of contrast for the binding. So all in all I think the top pattern will get well used after all, and of course it was free!

I've also made a few more pieces of recycled collage jewellery. This is a new venture for me and I'm still finding my feet and though it will never replace sewing, it is something I would like to continue with and develop. I' m also pretty proud of the necklace stands I've made out of cardboard and fabric scraps . I found the tutorial at 'Cut out and Keep' but cant seem to find it now. There is another one here though and it makes photographing and displaying them so much easier.

Next I repainted a Lloyd loom style chair in duck egg blue and recovered the seat in a pretty patchwork of duck egg blue and bright pink. I'm quite pleased with the result especially the colour combination.Shame the squares didn't quite line up, but it is supposed to be rustic looking !

My final project this week is a cushion cover made from 1950s curtain fabric finished off with a cute mini Pom Pom braid which will be up for sale in our pop up shop.

So a busy week crafting and sewing as well as looking after our gorgeous grandsons!
Sometimes a girl can have altogether too much fun!

Hope yours is half as good

TTFN

Jenny xx

COMING SOON A Date for your Diary....

WHOOPEE!!!!      A POP UP SHOP......

We have at last organised it. OLIVE and EDNA's VINTAGE EMPORIUM is having a pop up shop at

Liberty Rose Tea Room
22-23 Market Place
Grantham
Lincs
NG31 6LP

DATE  9 August 2014

TIME 10am to 4pm

Make a note in your diary if you are in the Lincs, Notts, Leicester area as we would love to see you.
The building is one of the most beautiful old shops here in Grantham and includes the really pretty tea rooms where you can pause for beverages and delectable cakes ( including chocolate and beetroot which I highly recommend) and also browse around one or two other permanent vintage and vintage style shops on the first floor.
We will be right at the top offering everything from chairs to ladders, suitcases and crockery, kitsch ornaments and vintage jewellery. There will also be a few OOAK collage necklaces made from preloved, rescued brooches, earrings etc.

 

 
We would love it if you would give us a shout on either Facebook or Twitter too, the more successful we are on the day, the more likely we are to be back again.
Hope to see you there

TTFN

Jenny and Heidi

Xxxx

Cornish booty.....

Well I've had my photos from our hols put on discs to save space on my computer and haven't managed to sort through them all yet, so thought I would just show some of the bits and pieces I picked up at car boots and CS while we were there. Yes I know, aren't we sad, travelling over 300 miles to root about in other peoples rubbish!
I have to say we were amazed at how many CS there were. Every small town seemed to have 3 or 4 and they were the tidiest and best arranged shops I have been in anywhere.
Not a huge haul by any means as we were a bit restricted for space in the car with four suitcases, walking boots etc. but some nice bits all the same.......
Yet another Noddy, this time for my grandson to tempt him away from my much older ones!

Orange beads to add to my stash....have you ever tried to find yellow or navy big beads, it's as if they have all been spirited away. I look at every car boot and CS and I have only ever found one mustard yellow necklace which I wear all the time. I would love to make a bracelet and perhaps another necklace but just can't find the beads!

Another piece of Masons to display on my dresser

This little fella actually came from an Antique and bric a brac shop, isn't he so kitsch? Only cost a couple of pounds but I really love him. Not a true Cornish piskie, but he will be a lovely reminder of a fabulous holiday.

Another cute deer to add to Olive and Edna......

We have decided to move from Facebook to our own website, and are currently setting it up. We are also hoping to do a pop up shop in the next couple of months in a gorgeous local tea room if we can get it arranged. So if you are near to Lincolnshire, keep popping back for further updates.

While I am talking of this I am also looking for broken bits of vintage and modern jewellery to recycle. Odd earrings, pendants chains etc. so if anyone is having a clear out and wants to send them to a good home I will gladly accept them and try to use as many of them as possible in collage pieces.

I also found this.....

I believe it's barkcloth, though I realise it's the cotton equivalent of the original stuff. I am thinking of cushion covers and maybe small vintage style bags, but have not decided yet. The pretty pink flowered is two very narrow curtains and the more autumnal one is one large curtain. Plenty of fabric to play with. Is there anything I should know about laundering this? It is the first time I will have used it and I don't want to spoil it before I begin!
As I said not a great haul but some nice pieces.

I have also picked up a few bits locally since we returned home....

A really pretty pink bead necklace which I couldn't bear to break up, so have gifted it to a friend with a penchant for all things pink....

The most exquisite seed pearl brooch, which I believe to be from around the 30s or earlier as it has the old 'C' clasp. Again this is a keeper and I know I will love wearing it.

And finally this rhinestone button. Not sure if it has any age to it but it is so pretty and will add a bit of bling to one of my new necklaces.

Well that's about it for now, hope you are still awake, it turned out to be a bit of a marathon! Off to wind down with my latest Anne Cleeves book in the Vera Stanhope detective series. The stories are quite gripping and I am enjoying reading again, which I have not done for a little while.

Have a good week

TTFN

                                                                            Jenny xx