Festival Season is upon us

It's that glorious time of year when we load our cars with camping gear, don the wellies and sequin jacket combo and decide not to wash for 3-4 days in a row.......... and it's ok! because it's Festival time!
Tibbletown made a rather super collection last year of festival shorts. Upcycled denim with upcycled fabric = total festival fabulousness.

Take a look at the Tibbletown facebook page to see what's in stock at the moment.
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.139133399593797.1073741829.113000192207118&type=1

My original inspiration for these particular little beauties was the huge hole that always seems to appear in the right knee (always the right knee - perhaps it's pointier....) of my favourite jeans. Instead of just doing the standard 'cut offs' I thought I would utilise some of my fabric stash and add it to the bottom. So, if you have a favourite pair of jeans that are just a little bit too battered to really wear them anymore - let me customise them for you :)
First festival in our neck of the woods is the Isle of Wight festival - get your orders in now - can't wait!

Crockery obsession

As my boyfriend is painfully aware I have a little bit of an obsession with vintage crockery and fortunately for me (although not so much him) I live in a place where it is seemingly freely available. 

The shelves and cupboards of our house are full to bursting with little china treasures and we’re certainly never short of a spare plate at dinner parties. As much as I dearly love all of my pieces I have been persuaded that perhaps it would be better to let someone else enjoy their beauty now. I have to say that I do kind of agree. 

I tend to be looking for something else when I sometimes come across a bag full of heavy newspaper (which I dutifully unwrap) and discover some vintage gem that I didn’t even remember I had. Not remembering what you own is a little bit wrong in my eyes.  So, this being the case, I have re-opened my etsy shop and stocked it with my vintage treasures. I may even be persuaded to part with some of the other wonderful finds I have in my house like clothes and vintage sewing patterns but for the moment, the therapy has only covered parting with things made of clay.

Here’s a collection of some of the things I found most difficult to part with;

Sampson Bridgwater cup and saucer – It’s so midcentury and with the little Scandinavian style berries it makes me want to weep with joy.

http://www.etsy.com/listing/126186943/sampson-bridgwater-1950s-style-cup-and?ref=shop_home_active

Johnson Brothers Tally Ho plates and bowl – The name in itself is brilliant. These pieces are of a hunt scene with horses, riders and dogs.

  

http://www.etsy.com/listing/126307968/johnson-brothers-bowl-tally-ho-view?ref=shop_home_active

J & G Meakin TOPIC Coffee pot and cups. I love this pattern. Blue and green stylised flowers and the dinky little coffee cups are to die for.

http://www.etsy.com/listing/128771184/j-g-meakin-coffee-pot-cups-and-creamer?ref=shop_home_active

Anyway, that’s enough for now. I can feel the tears welling knowing that soon I’ll be posting these treasures off.

Check out my etsy shop and see my life in crockery laid bare. http://www.etsy.com/shop/Tibbletown?ref=search_shop_redirect

THE Cheese and Pineapple Tankie

About a year ago I met the wonderful man who was to become my wonderful boyfriend. He’s an interesting guy with an off the wall kind of sense of humour. As we met around Christmas there were a lot of parties on and as my birthday and a large number of my friend’s birthdays are in January it makes it a kind of month long party season. Anyway, he’d call up and we’d chat about what we were doing and every week I was going to another party. Every time I told him that I was going to party he would said “are you having cheese and pineapple on sticks, (commencement of raucous laughter)” “All parties should have cheese and pineapple on sticks. It’s not a party otherwise” (commence further hysterical laughter). It was kind of funny the first time. After that I just thought he was a little unhinged. After hearing the words ‘cheese and pineapple on sticks, hahahaha’ for the 20^th time I had a thought. 'I will make him a gift', I thought, 'the gift of Cheese and Pineapple immortalised. I will do it by appliqueing them onto a chic woollen tank top.' I went with a friend on a shopping trip to find the perfect top.  I managed to find one that looked a bit like a waffle. It was the colour of a deceased alpacas nose. The hysterical laughter it brought about from my friend and I sealed the deal.

I fashioned some traditional holey cheese and pineapple from yellow felt and using a ribbon for the stick appliqued the culinary party delight onto the woollen, waffle tank top. I was delighted with it. So disgusting it had to be cool, (said the little voice in my head).

My boyfriend came down a few days later and I handed him his thoughtful, painstakingly made gift. He plays poker but he doesn’t have a poker face per se (he plays online), and hiding his emotions or thoughts are most definitely not his forte so I got the impression fairly swiftly that he wasn’t that keen. To his eternal credit he did try it on. Words failed me; I actually cried with laughter. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a garment make someone look so different or so bad. Incredible. He point blank refuses to put it on to be photographed. I can’t say I blame him really. I have however, photographed it for your viewing pleasure. I maintain that it could look awesome teamed with a suitably vintage pair of slacks on a skinny fashionista somewhere in Shoreditch. Perhaps a little too gauche for the Isle of Wight at this moment in time.

My Boyfriend? Well, despite my error in judgement over my first ever gift to him, he still deigned it feasible that he could Love me and my lack of taste, and for that I am eternally grateful. 

The Cheese and Pineapple tank toppy goodness? I feel ready to part with it now and will put in in my Etsy shop for some fortunate Shoreditch type to buy.  

Znok Childrens Fabric

Znok – Scandinavian Kids fabrics

This terrific fabric range is truly scrumptious. The designs are typically Scandinavian and a little bit retro. The fabric is a stretch jersey so great for children’s clothes. Their patterned ranges also have matching plain jersey knits to accompany. I really like this design studio for it’s less stereo typical ranges. Although it’s lovely to have ‘girly’ girls clothes why not mix things up a bit by making a little girl a dress covered in blue dragons (which is what I plan to do). It does really lend itself to be made into very Scandinavian clothes like  dungarees,  comfy trousers  and onesies. I think some of the Nordic kids designers use this range of fabric to manufacture their clothes. 

My very own order of the Znok dragons fabric in blue/petrol has just arrived. My daughter loves it and has requested some leggings and PJs in the fabric. I will post pictures when they are made and if I have any spares I will put some clothes with this fabric in my Etsy shop.

The website is in Swedish so a little tricky to navigate unless you’re fluent but the pictures are fairly self-explanatory. http://www.znokdesign.se

Njut alla!

Birch Organic Fabrics Story boek / Rebeka Ginda / Mod basics / Elk Grove

I’m always on the look-out for good children’s fabrics. Having a daughter myself and lots of friends with children of both sexes I feel a creative urge to make them cute little outfits or decorate their bedrooms with kookily designed quilts.

The choice of lovely children’s fabrics out there is quite varied but there are some amazing designers around. Let me tell you about the wonderful people at Birch fabrics. Birch have ranges in cotton and jersey cotton that are suitable for quilting and fashion purposes. The story Boek collections have whimsical prints of woodland animals, trees, flowers and mushrooms. Rebeka Grinda has a collection with Birch involving lots of foxes and swirly trees and, er, mushrooms. (I see a theme emerging….)

Mod Basics and Elk grove knits offer deer and stag inspired prints with matching colourways in chevrons, flowers and tree bark. I can’t wait to get my hands on the new interlock fabric in these designs to make some baby sleep-suits and matching bibs and little hats. I good, bold masculine statement for a little boy whose parents don’t like pale blue or robots or dinosaurs. 

MOD BASICS

ELK GROVE

 Story Boek 

    

Lotta Jansdotter

Lotta Jansdotter for Windham Fabrics

In my continuing quest to share with you my favourite fabric designers, today I will be offering you an short insight into the collections of Swedish Archipelago born American fabric designer Lotta Jansdotter.  I came across the Jansdotta collections whilst looking for simple, clean Scando type designs.  Her fabric collections are available in upholstery and quilting weight fabrics (also suitable for fashion usage).  The designs could be described as sleek and contemporary. Things you could well imagine in a New York loft or a stylish Stockholm apartment. The fabrics are all printed using a maximum of 3 colours with a nature inspired look. Beautifully simple flowers, curves, leaves and misshapen circles in matching colourways. Imagine gorgeous bags in two tone fabrics, sweet but stylish little girls dresses, women's tunic dresses, scrumptious cushions for your modern look living room. Endless possibilities.  Yay to Lotta Jansdotter!

      

      

    

Up-cycled leggings

I went off on one of my weekly charity shop hauls recently with a good friend and my 3 year old daughter (who actually really enjoys this kind of shopping weirdly). Out of the corner of my eye I spotted a fabulous azteccy patterned pair of handmade leggings. Seconds later, as I was walking towards them, I watched in horror as my friend whipped them off the rail and declared that she had found them first. This is often a problem when shopping with this particular friend as our impeccable tastes are very similar. Anyway, on the rail right next to the leggings was a maxi dress with a really appealing pattern. The actual dress was fairly uninspiring but in a eureka moment I realised that I could make it into whatever else I fancied, perhaps a pair of leggings  to equal the bargainous beauty of the pair my friend had snipped up first. 

I got the dress home and my daughter and I painstakingly removed the elastic shearing and laid out the dress ready to be cut up. We decided that little person leggings would be best so using a pair of my daughters leggings as a template we made some very funky leggings for her. You can see them below. 

I have also now made her a comfy dress to go with them from the same material. Not bad for a dress that cost a quid! My etsy shop may have  some in stock and further up-cycled leggings will be added as our charity shop foraging continues.