A vintage skirt

On Friday I popped into town and went to a vintage shop. Whilst browsing, and I was only going to browse, I found some fabric (1.30mx1.35m for £6). Well, that was a bargain I couldn't refuse... so I brought it without having a project in mind. When I got home and saw just how much fabric I had, I decided to make a skirt. I got the basic pattern from Sew Serendipty book (which my lovely parents got me for my birthday) and then used my dress making knowledge to make it.

I lined the skirt, did french seams, hemmed it, made belt loops and put in a zip. Yes, I spent the whole of yesterday creating it (I finally finished it at 11pm), but for just over £9 I think it was worth it. I was actually impressed at how much I remembered from my dress making course, its like making a LEGO model, you have to follow it step by step but eventually you don't need the instructions anymore and it is just done by intuition.

Anyway, here it is...

 

Cxxx

The Make Do and Mend Bag...

Another one of the crafts that I will be selling at the local craft fair is a handmade clutch bag. I got the pattern from a British Pathe film and decided to make it as it seemed quick and easy... So here is the original video on how to make a clutch bag and my updated guide. Enjoy!

BAGS (issue title - FOR GOODNESS SAKE !)

What to do:

1. So I pretty-much followed the video, I got a 1/4 of a metre of tweed style fabric from my local sewing shop for £3 and then cut out a rectangle 'pattern' from a newspaper.
2. I then cut out the material for the padding, (two pieces of thin wadding), the silk lining and the cardboard to stiffen it up.
3. I then sewed the lining to the tweed fabric, right sides facing together, but left one of the ends open. Turn the bag inside out to have the right sides facing out.
4. Now slip in the cardboard stiffing and the two pieces of padding either side of the cardboard.
5. Sew up the end and fold the bag over to create the bag pocket.
6. Now stitch two of the sides to secure the bag pocket.
7. Sew on two snap fasteners on each end of the top of the bag and where it should fasten to. Now it is finished!
8. As the film says if you want you can 'add the broach that he gave you', well as I don't have a he, I will search the charity shops for a suitable cheap vintage broach.

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Take Courage

Whenever I went home from university back to Sussex, I would always go on the City Thameslink line over London. I love this line, you get to sit on the train and go past some of the best parts of London; St Pauls, the Thames, The Globe, The Tate Modern (unfortunately), Borough Market and London Bridge. But by far my favorite part of this short journey was going past an old advert on the side of a building. This Take Courage advert was painted right onto the brick and I loved it. Whenever I was feeling low, I would end up looking at this advert. It is even the wallpaper on my phone.

So the point of this blog is to tell you that I believed that one of the best brick adverts in London was gone, back in September I could not see it when I went past it - in my defence I was very tired and it now appears that I got it wrong. The brilliant Take Courage advert is still there and appears to have never moved, so I am once again in love with my beautiful London and am so pleased to know there is still some courage in London.

Why buy it when you can make it?

I recently saw some scented tea cup candles on notonthehighstreet.com for £18.99! A couple of years ago I made some similar candles myself for a fraction of the cost, plus I learnt a new craft whilst doing it. I brought my starter pack from Whicks n Whacks, which had everything I needed in it to start. Instead of buying one candle for £18.99, I was able to make 3 candles for less and still have left over to make more...

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This weeks top craft picks from other websites:

Sorry for not doing this on Friday like I always do, but this last week I was away at The Starfish Project, an intensive course for people who stammer. I observed the course and it was amazing but I haven't had time to do the blog, so here I am catching up...

1. I love this basic quilt, it is made using fat quarters which makes it simple and easy for beginners. The choice of fabrics really make a quilt and I love how these give it a 1930s feel. Have a look how to make it over at Sew4Home
2. Sadly I could never make this project as was never very good at woodwork at school - I used to get the boys in my class to help me at woodwork and in return I would help them pass cookery. Therefore I am terrible at woodwork, but I love this table... Have a look at Design Sponge to have a go...
3. This is such a cute light, very girly and vintage. Made from Doily's it is perfect for a clean vintage feel in a room. Have a look at Shannon South's blog for more pictures.
4. A great way to use up all the old floppy disks that we don't need anymore, geek craft has so many uses for all of these. Have a look at Instructables for details.
   

Vintage films... Miss Pettigrew lives for a day

Miss Pettigrew lives for a day is a film which takes place over one day (and night) in late 1930's London. Based on the book by Winifred Watson it follows Guinevere Pettigrew (Frances McDormand) after being fired from a governess job in London and the quest of hers to find a new job which as a result she ends up in the glamorous 1930's London we all wish we knew. She becomes a 'Social Security' for Delysia Lafosse, (Amy Adams) an American socialite whose morals are unlike her own.

I love this film as it is quick (in the sense that something is always happening) and it is beautifully shot. This is another film where I own the soundtrack as it is lovely and has empathise on the jazz and swing music from that era. It has a touching rendition of the 1939 classic "If I didn't care" preformed by Amy Adams and Lee Pace. I also love the clothes! The sets are magnificent and transport you back to the 30's where the threat of war was real and the dresses were modest - gosh I sound like my father! The plot and script are brilliant and it is certainly a film I recommend. Love it.

Trailer is available on you tube