Gone To Earth

Undies...

Has it ever crossed your mind to make your own undies...  

Undies is probably a too ordinary word for these. These are 'Madeleine mini Bloomers'  a free pattern and instructions download from Colette. Cute and flirtatious aren't they?

Colette have other 'Dainties' patterns.... all very pretty

The Nutmeg sewing Pattern consists of a bralette with ribbon straps, it ties at the back again with ribbon and includes French knickers and/or optional tap pants... (what are tap pants?). The description says they have "a pointed yoke are longer and sit at the natural waist." Both designs are cut on the bias to maximise drape and flatter feminine curves.

The Cinnamon is a bias cut slip dress the pattern also includes instruction to make a camisole to compliment the Nutmeg undies set.

 

The Cinnamon - Flattering bias cut dress or

 

  A camisole shown here with the Nutmeg bralette and Knickers set.

I don't think there's much to say about these gorgeous patterns, they say it all for themselves.  So next time you're fancying something different to make or the high street just isn't supplying what you want... remember these. Feminine, gorgeous, flirtatious, retro, cute and maybe a little dangerous ( :) ) you couldn't really imagine wearing anything else under those gorgeous Colette dress designs, could you?

I wonder what Colette are suggesting by naming the patterns after spices?  I'm saying nothing!

Small stash Sewing.... a giveaway

I cut a great many fat quarters in the course of a week, but what exactly can you do with a fat quarter apart from admire it.

Well, I've found a book.... 'Small Stash Sewing 24 Projects using Designer Fat Quarters' written by Melissa Averinos with a Foreword written by Amy Butler.

It's all about using fabric... fat quarters... smaller pieces.... tiny pieces, your favourite pieces and incorporating them into sewing projects that you'll live with for a while.

Melissa is a fabric designer, she has a blog YummyGoods where you'll find links to all kinds of things especially her animated unicorn stories. (psst! They work well with the cushions.)

This book represents the way she loves to sew and her 'new' belief that maybe fabric is made to be used and not just to hoard.... this book is to get you over that paralysis that comes from gazing at beautiful fabric and not being able to decide what to do with it apart from drag it out of the cupboard to look at and hold. Beginning to recognise the symptoms of a little fabric obsession?

This is a light-hearted book, a can-do kind of book with instructions for creating belts, for modifying t-shirts, for adding fabric to trousers legs to either lengthen them or just to stylise. There are patterns for bags,

Lovely curved shape...

Cute unicorn and moon cushions ...

the perfect cushions to have adventures with..

sachets and braided fabric necklaces and even suggestions for prettifying a wicker basket with a 'Fancy Fabric Liner'.

I like the scalloped edges..

There are lots of ideas for using fabric to brighten up your home, your life and your loved ones.

So, to celebrate my blog moving home I thought I'd have a giveaway of this book. To join in all, you need to do is leave a comment on this post by Friday 30th July. I'll use the 'random number generator' to select a number and the lucky person that made the comment that corresponds with the number will be the winner. (Does that make sense?) I don't mind where in the world you come from so long as the struggling postie can get there :)

Hello and Welcome....

 

Modern Meadow designed by Joel Dewberry.

This is where I have moved my blog.  It wasn't an easy decision to take but as I/we couldn't discover how to put all the issues right on my old blog, this seemed to be the only way forward.

It's taken a lot of editing and a lot of wondering whether it's the right thing to do but in the end I need a blog I can rely on to work and hopefully this one will be all healthy and happy.

I'll feel happier about posting now, although I've still a lot to do to this blog.... tidying around the edges... but I do have all those useful articles over here to help.

So, I'll be back to normal posting now and I hope you'll join me.

Amy Butler patterns and fabrics

Amy Butler now as quite a catalogue of beautiful sewing patterns suited to different levels of sewing skills. There are sewing patterns for bags, appropriate for all different needs. There are all kinds of gorgeous, versatile and extremely stylish sewing patterns for skirts, tunics, halter tops and sun tops and now she's added patterns for jackets/coats.

This is 'little splashes hooded raincoat & runabout jacket' sewing pattern

and this is the 'rainy Days hooded raincoat & runabout jacket' sewing pattern.

The jackets together....

If you want these jackets to be waterproof then you will need to make them from a laminate fabric. What do you do, however if you really love the jacket but aren't so confident about working with laminates? Amy suggests making them from the heavier home dec fabrics for an extremely stylish extra layer to wear on cooler days.

Whilst we're on the subject of home decor fabrics I've just added these to the shop. They're all 100% cotton on a 54/55 inch bolt as opposed to the more usual 44/45 inch wide bolt and are perfect for bag making, making curtains, upholstery, cushions and of course Amy's new coat designs.

I love the deep gorgeous blue colours in these fabrics. The colour of the Sun spots is almost electric.

Sun spots in Midnight and Paradise Garden in Midnight

The pretty Asian inspired Sandlewood in Ivory fabric with it's soft, feminine colours and up-beat contemporary design.

Looks good combined with Tumble Roses.....

I thought it might be helpful to see the size of the Sun spots home dec fabric next to the Sun spots quilt weight fabric because the home decor fabrics spots are larger.

.... just in case it's critical in your sewing project....