Friday Finds no.13

Happy Friday, everyone! Ten points if you can guess where I went this week based on this photo. Great dress, isn't it? I'll reveal all in due course, once I've recovered from all the walking. Of course I've squeezed in some time to look at blogs - here's my round up of what I've enjoyed reading this week:

- Casey shows us how to make fabric covered belts

- M is for Make is talking readers through using Japanese pattern books in their sewalong

- Sarai from Colette Patterns wrote a beautiful post on what our Nanas can teach us about style

- Two incredible playsuits from Molly and Bex

- Lots of lovely dresses to admire this week - entries to the EvaDress competition and the results of the Swing Dress Sewalong (scroll to the bottom of that page for links)

Bon weekend!

Friday Finds no.12

Spring is near! Daffodils on the table, blossom on the trees outside, and light when I wake up in the morning. It's still unbelievably cold (there is talk of snow) but at least that means I have some time to plan my S/S ' 11 wardrobe. Onwards!

- Amy Jeanne shared some delightful pictures of nautical chic from as early as 1915

- Check out this adorable embroidery animation by Holly from Unfurled (who is also hosting a Sencha pattern giveaway)

- Tasia has been a busy bee, launching her latest pattern and writing a post on tracing unprinted patterns. Such an inspiring lady!

- Colette Patterns have started a series of posts on different kinds of fabric. Hurrah!

- Plenty of Me-Made-March action all over the blogosphere but centralised on Flickr if you want a quick fix of self-stitched style

I've got a pretty exciting week coming up which I'll tell you about soon. Until then, bon weekend!

Friday Finds no.11

Bonjour! This week I have mostly been lying on the sofa, feeling ill, watching movie after movie and looking as miserable as Anna Karina but unfortunately not as pretty. Une Femme est une femme had me itching to be well again so I could skip about town wearing red tights - maybe today! Being ill has also afforded me plenty of time to read blogs and this has been a brilliant week:

- Jane shared some tips on flogging your wares at craft fairs

- Seersucker Sally wrote a fascinating post on propaganda prints in WWII fabrics

- Thought you knew how to sew on a button? Tasia will make you think again!

- Scruffy Badger used ricrac to beautify a polka dot blouse

- Wear your stitching credentials with pride by turning your notions into adorable necklaces

- Janice put together some tips on making time to sew

Au revoir, mes amis, et bon weekend!

Friday Finds no.10

 

Image courtesy of Amy

Happy Friday, y'all! Phew! Another pretty manic week, but I have managed to sneak some sewing into the mix - hopefully I'll have something to show you soon. It's also been a week of meeting other bloggers - not only at Karen's Walthamstow fabric shopping frenzy, but I also had the pleasure of lunching with lovely Michelle from Naughty Little Epoch in the V&A staff canteen the other day. And last night I enjoyed stitching-related live art, with my friend Angie's sewing machine racing game at the ICA - awesome. Okay, so on to what's tickled my fancy on the blogosphere this week...

- Amy of Diana and Me (part of the Walthamstow meet-up massive) Franken-stitched together two dresses she never wore to make this pretty frock above. Genius!

- Take a look at how Karyn stitched a contrast fabric on the back of this scalloped hem - so cute!

- Ali compiled a fascinating list of how her readers use up their leftover fabric scraps

- Deborah made an oh so pretty felt flower garland

- Patty wrote a very detailed post on the process of upcycling that went into this stunning cardigan

Bon weekend, tout le monde!

Friday Finds no.9

Phew! I didn't think I'd make it but I finally managed to pull together the hits for this post. Hope you've been having a good week. I have had another weird and wonderful week, facing immense hurdles but also meeting some incredibly inspiring people. Speaking of which...

- Hearts are a flutter and proposals are being demanded after Anthropologie launched its sister wedding dress shop. I'll have this one above, please.

- Jennifer embellished a thrifted cardigan with felt flowers, making it bloomin' marvellous (sorry)

- Jacki wrote a great post sharing some vintage sleeve style inspiration

- Colette Patterns does it again, with a tutorial on embellishing a top with a pretty lace yoke

- Nette made an adorable owl pin cushion

- Lots of upcycling inspiration over at Wardrobe Refashion's successor, Refashion Co-op.

Off to Karen's Walthamstow blogger meet-up tomorrow. Are any of you going?

Friday Finds no.8

Image courtesy of Pampula

Happy nearly-weekend! I hope you're having a good week. Mine has been inspiring and bizarre in equal measure, perhaps peaking at the point when I was at a Natural History Museum party to launch their animal sex exhibition, along with Ronnie Wood and some models whose legs were longer than my entire bodyn. My boyfriend wasn't at all impressed by this celeb spot however, only getting excited when I mentioned that Tony Robinson was also in attendance. Haha! Moving on swiftly, here's my pick of the week:

- Pampula stitched this adorable pixie dress (above). Oh for snow like that!

- Zoe launched the much awaited Me Made March for seamsters wanting to make the most of their handmade wardrobe

- Miss P shows us how to make our own pressing tools, including a tailor's ham and pressing mitt

- Angie performed another inspiring upcycling job on a thrift store find, producing this Anthropologie worthy dress

- Sarah focused the spotlight on the intricate couture techniques of Charles James - a skill level to aspire to, perhaps!

Bon weekend, tout le monde!

Friday Finds no.7

Now, I know this post is supposed to be about what I've enjoyed reading on the blogosphere this week, but I have to admit that I hadn't read any blogs this week until last night, when I had a quick scroll through my blog reader to compile this post. Sorry if I missed anything amazing! I've just started a secondment at the V&A and have been a bit overwhelmed adapting to the new work routine. In any case, these are my picks from what I read on Thursday night:

- Stitchywitch alerted me to some new vintage style patterns from Butterick (like the one above)

- Molly made a darling detachable collar. Blog crush!

- Remember how Sølvi turned the Sencha blouse into a dress? Well now she's turned the Ceylon dress into a blouse! So, so lovely.

- Rebecca shared some mesmerising embroidered lithographs

- Janice wrote an informative post on which necklines suit which face shapes

- Sherry posted a tutorial on drafting a pleated skirt pattern

Hoping to get some sewing (and serging!) done this weekend. What about you?

Friday Finds no.6

Hello everyone, I hope your week is going well. The photo above is of some cards I ordered for my blog. Now I have something more stylish that a bit of scrap paper to give anyone who asks for the URL. £10 from Moo - not bad, eh? Do you have cards for your blog?

Here's my pick of the blogosphere this week:

- I was sorry to hear that Aunt Bea's Fabrics have decided to close. They are having an amazing closing down sale though, for any vultures out there (if there's anything left after what I ordered).

- Quincy shared a drool-worthy video of Lena Hoschek's catwalk show. I want it all.

- Sherry put together a tutorial on drafting a lining for a shift dress

- Carly compiled a useful list of online fabric stores in the UK

- Colette Patterns are on fire this week with a stunning decorative cording tutorial, a new stitchers forum, Spring palette challenge and an undies photo shoot that makes me want to repaint my life in maroon, peach and turquoise

- Nette made a stop motion animation documenting the process of making her felt house sewing box - too cute!

- The ever stylish Sally Jane Vintage has resolved to make some of her own dresses this year - hurrah!

Bon weekend, tout le monde! x

[Soundtrack: 'Bring It On Home To Me' by Sam Cooke]

Friday Finds no.5

Hello everyone, I hope you're having a good week. You'll be pleased to know I finally took my serger out of its box! And read the instructions! Hopefully I'll have something to show for it soon...

In the meantime, here's what's been taking my fancy this week:

- Penny Dreadful shared an enchanting collection of images of ladies' dressing tables

- Debi made an incredibly beautiful 1930s dress and jacket

- Patty has inspired me to think about border print Spring dresses with her Parfait dress, which has pretty decorative top stitching to boot

- And more decorative stitching - check out Sherry's stylish 1960s shift dress

- While we're on the subject of 1960s gorgeousness, Jacki wrote a great post highlighting the details that make vintage designs so swoonsome

- Eva Dress has announced a super exciting sewing contest using their vintage patterns - can't wait to see everyone's entries!

Happy Friday, one and all!

Friday Finds no.4

Hello friends! I hope you're having a good week. I am officially on sabbatical! No rest for the wicked though - I'm on a very intensive training course which is draining (mock Newsnight interview, anyone?!) but brilliantly motivating too.

Speaking of motivation (nice segue), here's this week's pick of inspirational posts from the sewing blogosphere:

- Cecili demystifies the process of sewing with Japanese pattern books when you can't speak Japanese. Want!

- Janice created an enviable archive for her pattern collection. I will get round to doing this at some point, oh yes.

- The Sew Weekly shared some swoonsome catalogue pages of 1930s fabric prints

- Casey announced a Swing Dress sewalong - I'm in!

- Peter is leading a sewalong of the Negroni men's shirt pattern

- Debi and Sarah are co-hosting a Sewing Through the Decades challenge

What blog posts have you been excited about this week? Have a great weekend, one and all!

[Soundtrack: 'Lady Devine' by Alela Diane]

Friday Finds no.3

Photo courtesy of Nette

Sorry for the lack of Friday post last week. The blogosphere went pretty quiet over the holidays, but there have been tons of inspiring posts since then. It was hard to whittle it down, but here are some of my favourites:

- Nette made herself this lovely s(n)ewing machine!

- Sølvi turned the Sencha blouse into a super sexy dress - oh those buttons! And we successfully pressurised her into sharing a tutorial - hurrah!

- I've been swooning over these arrestingly beautiful images of the Ziegfeld Follies in the 1920s

There are lots of new year sewalong goings on:

- Some delightful projects are being planned for the Vintage Sewalong

- Lisette is hosting a Sense and Sensibility sewalong of a regency gown

- The Cupcake Goddess is leading a very practical trouser sewalong

Plenty to be getting on with then! Have a lovely weekend!

[Soundtrack: 'Dolly Dawn' by Harry Belafonte]

Friday Finds no.2

I hope you're all having a lovely time winding down for the holidays. I'm suffering from a cold :( so trying to balance rest and recuperation with preparing to host my first Christmas lunch! Luckily I've finished crafting and wrapping gifts, just need to muster the strength to clean the flat and bake some last minute goodies for various family friends we'll be seeing over the next few days.

Convalescence may not be compatible with a flat full of family, but it is compatible with lazing about reading blogs - hurrah! Here are some of the lovely things I've found this week:

- Mena (above) made this adorable dress out of a vintage poinsettia tablecloth

- Keeping on the poinsettia theme, Kate showed us how to make a stunning felt poinsettia wrapping embellishment

- Stitchybritt crocheted a too-cute-for-words beer tree ornament for her boyfriend

- Zoe added some lace cuffs and hem to an A-line dress to get that vintage look

- In other news, Christine from What's Up Cupcake? interviewed me for her blog.

Hope you all have a delightful Christmas, full of the taste of sherry, the smell of cinnamon and the sound of Darlene Love. Enjoy!

[Soundtrack: 'Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)' by Darlene Love]

Friday Finds no.1

How much time do you spend browsing blogs each week? For me it can be up to 10 hours. I know! And when you find something great that you don't want to forget, what do you do with it? If it's a gorgeous sewing project that sparks off ideas in my head, I bookmark it in my 'ideas and inspiration' folder. When I read a post that I know is going to help me later, I bookmark it in my 'sewing tips' folder. But I've realised that this process goes against the spirit of sharing that we're so lucky to have in the sewing blog community (love you guys), hence the reason some bloggers have a "weekly inspiration" series. So I'm going to follow suit and start a regular post linking to some of the things I've bookmarked recently, in the hope that they might prove inspiring or useful to you too.

To kick things off...

- Sherry has written a comprehensive post on adjusting patterns for a sway back

- Natasha made a beautiful variation of Macaron, in a sheer fabric with A-line skirt and button-down back (pic above!)

- Lizajane shows us how to make sweet little fabric origami gift boxes

- How to be a Retronaut posted some striking colour photos of Nazi-occupied Paris, many of which use glamorous ladies for propaganda purposes

- Miss P made some teacup candles, you know, the kind they sell in Liberty for £40.

What interesting and lovely things have you found this week?