Wednesday Wonderfuls: #119 + #120

Hello lovely readers! Happy Wednesday to you all!

Images, Each Row from Left to Right:1. Nail date with my mum 2. I love my 1940s jacket 3. Scones!
4. Pretty hair :) 5. Oh hello new-to-me dressing table! 6. Knitting is so rock and roll
7. Yummy 8. Freshly cut hair 9. Breakfast of champions

Over the past two weeks I have been...

Watching...

Hannibal, and loving every episode! Seriously, this is one clever programme. Hannibal is everything that I hoped Bates' Motel would be. If you are a fan of the Silence of the Lambs and Dexter then you can't go wrong with this show!

Visiting...

Brighton with my Sweetheart. This week we celebrated our three and a half year anniversary with a trip to one of our favourite cities and we had a wonderful time. We ate too much, did some vintage shopping and trotted about the town all day enjoying the sunshine and the company. It was just what we both needed and was the perfect way to celebrate our relationship. I;m so lucky to have found such a special guy :)

Reading...

Tattoo Darling by Angelique Houtkamp, are you familiar with her work? She is definitely one of my favourite tattoo artists, I love how feminine and striking her work is. 

Enjoying...

the sunshine! It seems that the warm weather is finally making it's way to the UK, even though it's not quite summer yet. It really makes a difference to how you feel when you get up in the morning if the the sun is shining, I'm always more productive on a beautiful day than a grey day :)

Images, Each Row from Left to Right:
1. Milkshake time! 2. Brighton pavilion 3. My boy
4. Pretty tattoos from my book 5. Uber close up on the milkshake of dreams 6. Fabulous book
7. Choccywoccy Doo Dah! 8. I love my new jacket!! Eeeee!! 9. The sun is shining it's a lovely day!

Rescuing...

pieces of old furniture! This week I bought a beautiful but rather worn 1940s dressing table from a friend, and I cannot wait to start restoring it! I've been researching what the best methods would be all week, do any of you have experience in anything similar? I'd love to know your thoughts if you have! I'm a complete novice so any advice would be really welcome :)

Loving...

my new jacket, an anniversary gift from my Sweetheart (pictured above). It's so cute and it fits me so well, it's really the perfect Spring/Summer jacket. Plus it has the name of a gymnastics team on the back, complete with a picture of lady doing the splits! What's not to love?!

Have a wonderful week everyone, I've got a feeling it's going to be a good one!

Katie xxx

Wednesday Wonderfuls: #117 + #118

Hello there my lovely readers! Welcome to another (day late - oops!) addition of Wednesday Wonderfuls!

Images, Each Row from Left to Right:
1. Getting tattooed! Eeee! 2. Pretty berry nails 3. My gorgeous robin :)
4. Fancy easter egg 5. My hair looks funny just out of rollers! 6. Best drink ever
7. Homemade broccoli fritters 8. My beautiful boy 9. Package of joy!

Over the past two weeks I have been:

Getting...

Tattooed! Yes I finally took the plunge and got my first tattoo, a little Robin on the top of my left thigh, done by the wonderful Amy Savage at Jayne Doe Tattoo in Hornchurch. It was terrifyingly amazing, and definitely one of the best things that I've ever done. I will be writing more about the whole tattoo experience over the next couple of days, but for now let me just say that yes it hurt but nothing that I couldn't handle, and I actually think that the healing process is the hardest part! I can't wait for it to be completely healed and I can just enjoy it :)

Obsessing...

over absolutely everything at What Katie Did. Seriously, I cannot get enough of their underwear! I have decided that from now onwards I will stick to just their shop when it comes to buying lingerie, the fit is just so good and everything is so comfy! I'm hoping for What Katie Did vouchers for every Birthday from now on! I also tried on a corset on my last visit, so maybe they'll be some corset training in my future...

Nesting...

in our flat. Although we've been living in the flat for 6 months now, there's still a lot of work that needs to be done to really make it ours. There's only so much we can do with a furnished rented property, but I'm trying my best! Hanging things on the walls and trying to find clever ways of organising storage goes a long way :)

Images, Each Row from Left to Right:
1. New to me mirrors 2. Rolls in my hair :) 3. Pandas on my dressing gown!
4. Xena is awesome 5. My hair always looks best just before I go to sleep - annoyingly! 6. Pretty sparkles :)
7. Brogues and fruity socks, that's how I roll 8. I love my new 1940s coat 9. Homemade paprika chicken

Watching...

or rather re-watching Xena Warrior Princess! We are giving Netflix a try and are loving the fact that we can indulge in some old favourites (Xena for me and Deep Space Nine for him!). I do love a woman who can rock a leather outfit, swing a sword and always have perfect hair :)

Looking forward to...

warmer weather! The sun has finally started to make an appearance over the past couple of days and I can't tell you how happy it has made me! I just want to start on some spring/summer sewing projects and dust off all my vintage summer frocks, we deserve a bit of sunshine after all this snow and rain!

Longing for...

a trip away. Both my Sweetheart and I have started new jobs recently and the change of routine is starting to take it's toll! We have very little time together to relax and just enjoy each other's company, so I find myself dreaming about getting away, even just for a long weekend, and spending some quality time. Who knows if or when it will happen, but it would make me awfully happy if it did! Maybe somewhere hot where I could show off my new tattoo on the beach... :)

And now let me show you what else has been catching my eye on the blogosphere over the past two weeks:

• Have you seen the final project parade for the Sew For Victory challenge? It's bloody brilliant! Everyone who was involved should be proud, such creative people and beautiful projects :)
• Gertie, ever the technique teacher, shows us a brilliant way to cutting slippery fabrics using tissue paper!
• I loved watching Tilly in The Great British Sewing Bee, she did so well under what looked like crazy pressure, see what her thoughts were on the experience here.
• Here's a brilliant article from Rock n Roll Bride about getting out of your own way, something that we all need to do once in a while!
• And finally some yummy treats for you: strawberries and angel food ice cream, french bread pizza and smashed raspberry lemonade cocktails!

Have a wonderful week my lovely readers!

Katie xxx

Wednesday Wonderfuls #115 +#116

Hello there my lovely readers! Happy Wednesday to you all!

Images, Clockwise from Top Left:
1. Basting in tailoring. 2. My hair keeps rollin' rollin' rollin' 3. Homemade shepherds pie
4. Lining is in! 5. The dinner of kings 6. Homemade low fat chicken pie

Over the past two weeks I have been...

Watching...

so much good stuff! It feels like there's been so much to watch on TV recently: the Walking Dead finale, the new series of Game of Thrones and Doctor Who, the BBC zombie drama In The Flesh, and I've been catching up with Bomb Girls which I absolutely adore. And of course the Great British Sewing Bee has started and I'm cheering for team Tilly! It's really quite stressful to watch, I feel the pressure for every contestant, I really do, but I loved the first episode. Looking forward to what they sew up next week :) Oh and Mad Men is coming back soon too! Very exciting!

Meeting up...

with lots of beautiful friends that I haven't seen in what feels like an age. The kind of friends that when you see them you feel as though you've never been apart. It's so exciting to see how the people you love travel down their own paths and grow and change and yet stay the same as the person you've always known. Special friends indeed.

Images, Clockwise from Top Left:
1. The trim is on! 2. Cold times call for big blankets 3. Cocktails are gooood
4. Finished! 5. Treats from my Sweetheart 6. More treats from my Sweetheart :)

Getting...

my sewing mojo back! My newly completed suit has just got me more and more exciting about all the projects I have yet to finish, I can see quite a bit more sewing in my near future and I can't wait!

Loving...

my wonderful Sweetheart and the life we are starting to build together. I am very lucky to have found someone who loves me for every part of who I am, including the not so nice bits, and who makes me feel special every day. He's definitely a keeper and I'm pretty lost without him.

And let's see what else has been happening in the blogosphere this past fortnight...

• This scarf hair do is perfect for the windy weather at the moment, I'm thinking of giving it a go :)
• I love wearing stockings so I definitely want to make some of these for the cold weather. I wish I had some at the moment!
• These pictures make my heart flutter.
• A beautifully honest and informative post about self-employment by Zoe.
• And finally some sweet treats for you all, a hot fudge milkshake, some slice and bake oatmeal and raisin cookies and banana bread scones. Enjoy!

That's it for this lots of Wonderfuls, bye for now!

Katie xxx

Wednesday Wonderfuls #113 + #114

Hello there my lovely readers! Long time no see :) happy Wednesday to you all, I  hope you've been having a great couple of weeks.

Images, Each Row from Left to Right:
1. Sweet biscuity goodness 2. New brooch to add to the collection 3. A candlelit dinner made by my Sweetheart :)
4. New VOH jeans 5. Tailor's tacks 6. Just going to the cinema in rollers, no big deal
7. Fabric addict 8. Beaded cardigans make me happy 9. Homemade sticky chicken and rice 

Over the past two weeks I have been...

Feeling...

pretty overwhelmed actually. As you've probably noticed I've been a bit off the radar with my blogging in general, which has mostly been due to my new job. I'm finding it a bit difficult to adjust to regular working hours, years of working nights at theatres have obviously taken their toll on me! I am now starting to adapt and use my time more productively, but for a while there I was just getting home and crashing before going to bed and doing it all again the next day. I really admire all you ladies who work full time jobs and still find the time to blog, you are super-women! Slowly but surely I'm getting back into the swing of my blogging, and I've got some fun posts planned in the near future, so hopefully I'll soon have my blogging mojo back properly :) we'll see, baby steps for now!

Reading...

the first book in the Beautiful Creatures series. I really enjoyed the film so I thought I'd give the books a go (I'm pretty much always a bigger fan of the book than the film with all adaptations!) and although I'm not hooked yet I am enjoying it. I often think it's a shame that some books get labelled as only for young adults, because if a book is well written surely it can be loved by people of all ages? Just look at Harry Potter! 

Planning...

something that I've been thinking about for a long time: my first tattoo! I know that quite a few of you lovely ladies have ink of your own, I've been a long time admirer of some of your artwork, so I thought it was about time I joined the club! I've got my design all picked out and I'm really looking forward to the big day, I just hope I'm not too much of a wimp when it comes to the pain :)

Images, Each Row from Left to Right:
1. Homemade bolognese 2. Brown paper packages tied up with string :) 3. I think Easter's coming!
4. Grading and notching 5. Treats 6. It's coming along!
7. Sweets from my Sweetheart 8. Every girl loves a pair of new (to her) shoes 9. Homemade paella

Cooking...

a lot more than usual, one of the other reasons I've been a bit more absent than usual! Cooking takes me a while because I'm quite inexperienced but I love it and I've been so happy that I've finally had the time to do it properly. Isn't it amazing the difference a home cooked meal can make to your day? And your energy? It's brilliant. I'm definitely becoming a home-cooking convert.

Working on...

my 1940s suit with every spare minute that I have. It's coming along, but slowly, particularly as I can only dedicate a little bit of time to it each day, but next day off I get I'm going to get as much done as possible. It will be finished in time of the Sew For Victory deadline I tell you! Plus I just want to wear it, it looks so cute!

And, of course, there's been a lot going on in the rest of the blogosphere recently too...

• This jumper makes me adore Cassie Stephens all the more. What a lady and what a cat jumper :)
• What a beautiful place to work, maybe one day I'll have a place like this of my very own.
• Check out Tasha's progress on her jacket for Sew For Victory, I'm blown away considering it's her first ever tailoring project. I can't wait to see how it looks when it's finished!
• And finally I really want to try these hot crossed pancakes for easter, don't they look amazing?!

Have a wonderful rest of the week my lovely readers and I'll be back soon!

Bye for now,

Katie xxx

Wednesday Wonderfuls #111 +#112

Hello there my lovely readers and welcome to another Wednesday Wonderfuls post!

Images, Each Row from Left to Right:1. Faux bangs and bow :) 2. The kitchen garden is growing! 3. Loving this books
4. Made over duck! 5. My new bag friend, Mirabel :) 6. Revamping this frame for a brooch board
7. Macaroons = Love 8. Babycham, yes please! 9. Chiffon scarves make bedtime chic!

Over the past two weeks I have been...

Starting...

my new job! It;s all been a bit manic, making the transition from part time work to full time, but it was a necessary change and it seems to be going well so far. I still can't get over the fact that I'm home before 7:00pm everyday, in the theatre I would be getting ready to start at that time!

Finishing...

my pattern cutting course. I have loved every second of this course, and I have learnt so much, I will be really quite sad that I have my Monday nights back again! I can't wait to try out everything that I've learnt by sewing up some of my own patterns, it's very exciting to think of all of the possibilities, watch this space!

Knitting...

like a demon to try and finish my blue jumper. I will finish it, I will, I will!

Reading...

"Knit Back in Time" by Geraldine Warner and I'm really loving it so far. I bought the book in preparation to working on some of my original 1950s knitting patterns and everything that I've read so far has been a great help to making the whole process of altering vintage patterns seem much simpler. I'll definitely be writing more about this book in the future, I think it's going to be a must-read for anyone starting out with vintage knitting patterns.

DIYing...

lots of little projects around the house! In the past two weeks I have started my very own brooch board (for my ever growing collection of brooches!) and I have given some rather tired looking flying ducks (that I rescued from my previous job) a make over. These little projects are making me quite ridiculously happy, I feel better for feathering my rented nest to the best of my ability!

Indulging...

in some fabulously retro alcoholic beverages :) I have recently tried snowballs and Babycham and I have to say I'm a big fan of both, particularly the former, it tastes like a lemonade milkshake!

And let's see what else has been going on in the blogosphere over the past fortnight...

• Have you seen the beautiful patterns that Gertie has released for Spring/Summer? One of each please!!!
• These may be the best cupcakes ever. Irish cream and chocolate. What's not to like?
• I want to go to this party, these pictures are just stunning.
• If you're getting involved in Sew For Victory or you just have a love of all things 40s then you really must check this video out: Sew Smart in 1948
• I need to live in Marianne's house. Can that be arranged please?
• And finally a bit of filmic inspiration for you, from the lovely Wendy of The Butterfly Balcony. I want every one of Amy Adams' outfits :)

Have a wonderful rest of the week my lovely readers!

Bye for now,

Katie xxx

Wednesday Wonderfuls #109 + #110

Hello there my lovely readers! Sorry it's been a little quiet here, I've been uber busy, but this week I have a bumper Wednesday Wonderfuls post for you to make up for it :)

Images, Each Row from Left to Right:1. Styling the snood :) 2. Why I work in a sweetshop! 3. The sweetest brooch
4. Homemade pancakes! 5. A rather festive outfit 6. Cream cheese cinnamon rolls
7. Packing for pattern cutting 8. I made my own meatballs :) 9. Off the the supermarket in glasses and rollers, classy!

Over the past two weeks I have been:

Watching:

Hitchcock's "Rebecca" and the lovely Marilyn in "How To Marry a Millionaire" and I loved them both! I think that Rebecca is probably my favourite Hitchcock film so far, it's a beautiful adaptation of the book and Judith Anderson as Mrs Danvers is spine chillingly wonderful. And as for Marilyn in "How To Marry a Millionaire", well, she's inspired me to get a lovely new pair of glasses of my own! I can't wait to get them back from getting their lenses put in so I can wear them out :) We also watched Glorious 39, which I LOVED and the costumes were to die for. If you want to see what I mean then check out this post over at The Butterfly Balcony.

Learning:

how to draft patterns for trousers! Honestly I can say that taking pattern cutting classes has been one of the most satisfying things I have ever done, I just love it! I have already adjusted my basic trouser block into a capri pattern, so as soon as I find some suitable fabric I'm going to give them a go. Wish me luck!

Matching:

more plaid, this time for my Sew for Victory suit. This is the third plaid outfit I have made in less than six months, I must be a glutton for punishment!

Collecting:

brooches. It's a real addiction, I just love them! I'm making a nice brooch board to display them all :)

Images, Each Row from Left to Right:
1. New-to-me glasses! 2. My little kitchen garden 3. I cannot wait to sew these! Eek!
4. A sweet little parcel... 5. Valentine's Day with my Sweetheart 6. ...look what was in the parcel!
7. Matching plaid, again! 8. Hot cross bun loaf, swoon! 9. Valentine's Day hair :)

Reading:

a collection of short stories by Daphne Du Maurier including the Birds, which have all been brilliant, but they left me a bit freaked out! They are quire chilling and Du Maurier really knows how to work her way into your subconscious :)

Planting:

my own little kitchen garden (a Christmas gift from my lovely Mum). I'm very excited about having my very own herds to use in my cooking, and although it's only been a few days since they were planted I'm anxious for them to grow already!

Remembering:

how lucky I am to have found the one I want to spend the rest of my life with at only twenty five. Sometimes it takes a little rough patch to remind you just how good you have it, and I really do have it good :) soppy I know, but true all the same!

Hoping: 

for better times ahead and seeing the beginnings of them already :)

And here are some of the Wonderfuls of the blogosphere over the past two weeks:

• If you're looking for some hair inspiration then look no further than Solanah's blog post, it's like hairstyle porn!
• I'm quite in love with this jumper, the cherries are so sweet! It's pretty perfect isn't it?
• I've found myself craving cheese recently so I could really get on board with this cheddar cheese bread. I think I can see a midweek baking session coming on... :)
• Gertie's writing another book!!!!! About casual vintage styles!!! I know it's not set to come out until 2014 but I'm still really excited!

Have a wonderful week my lovely readers, I certainly intend to!

Bye for now,

Katie xxx

Wednesday Wonderfuls #108

Hello there my lovely readers and a very happy Wednesday to you all!

Images, Each Row from Left to Right:
1. Such a beautiful fair isle pattern! 2. My first ever self drafted blouse pattern! 3. Knitting pattern of joy
4. Daiquiri anyone? 5. Wearing my new hat out :) 6. Homemade chocolate and peanut pudding
7. My chosen 1940s pattern 8. The loveliest inscription in my new-to-me knitting book 9. I love hot chocolate 

This week I have been:

Sewing:

a couple of dresses into skirts for a friend, and I'm really happy with how they've turned out. I don't usually work on clothes for other people so I am worried that they are quite perfectly finished enough (that's my anal retentive nature kicking in!) but all in all they're looking great and I'm really happy that I've been able to use my skills to help someone out :)

Knitting:

my Perrault, and the body is almost completed! I just habe the sleeves and the hood to go and I'll be done. Which is a good things because it's threatening to snow again, so at least I'll be warm!

Reading:

two beautiful 1950s knitting books that I inherited from my Sweetheart's grandmother. I am completely smitten with some of these patterns! There are so many designs that I want to try out in these books I can't even tell you, I can see that my knitting to-do list is just going to get longer and longer! I better hurry up and finish my Perrault because I'm already dreaming about jumpers/sweaters/scarves/socks... the list goes on!

Planning:

what I'm going to make for the  Sew For Victory sewalong! I'm really excited about this because I want to make sure I use as many historically correct techniques as possible together with my perfect 1940s pattern. I cannot wait to see what everyone creates, I will be posting more about what I'm making very soon, so watch this space!

But enough about me, what else has been going on in the blogosphere this week?

• This looks like a brilliant hat pattern, I quite fancy giving it a try!
• I really need to get me one of these DIY brooch boards, I'm starting to collect brooches and I'd love a pretty way to display them.
• I adore these finnish knitting patterns, they are beautiful. I love a good vintage knitting pattern :)
• Are you getting involved in the 1940s Sew For Victory sewalong? Check it out, it looks like it's going to be amazing!
• And finally, Tasha has done it again, this time with a beautiful wool skirt. I love this gal's wardrobe so much!

And finally, I call upon Heather Small to ask:

"What have you done today to make you feel prooooouuuuud?!"

Day Two:

I had a productive day at work before coming home and preparing two dresses for sewing. And then I spent some much needed quality time with my Sweetheart :)

Day Three:

I adjusted two skirts for a friend and baked the most amazing cream cheese cinnamon rolls in the history of the world.

Thanks for reading, be sure to drop by again soon!

Katie xxx

Wednesday Wonderfuls #107

Hello there my lovely readers and a very happy Wednesday to you all!

Images, Each Row from Left to Right:
1. I love a red hat! 2. My very own LIttle Red Squirrel! 3. Our new (to us) beauty :)
4. Mac + Cheese 5. Hanging with my pal Paddington 6. My belated Christmas gift from my Sweetheart
7. New styling for my hair 8. My knitting is growing! 9. Practising my pin curls :)

This week I have been:

Working on...

my 1940s onesie pattern! I cannot wait to start sewing up my toiles, the pattern is so cute I can't get over it, but first of all I have to do some serious adjusting. The pattern is for a teeny tiny little girl, so I'm going to have to do some pretty intense scaling up, but I'm looking forward to the challenge :)

Watching...

the new series of "Call The Midwife". I cannot tell you how happy I ma that this show is back on, I love it so much! The acting is fabulous and the stories are great, but mostly I just can't get over how divine some of the costumes are! I will definitely be posting about some of these outfits soon, they are just calling out to be shared. Plus I have some CTM inspired sewing and knitting projects in the works too, so watch this space!

Inheriting...

quite a few lovelies from a relative of my Sweetheart. I cannot get over how lucky we are to have been given some of these treasures (including the typewriter above, in practically mint condition!) that have been so well loved and preserved over the years. I will write about this in more detail soon, but I'm overjoyed that we can offer a loving home to some of these gorgeous bits and bobs and that because of us they've avoided being thrown out or lost forever. Moments like that make me very happy :)

Resolving...

to wear more hats! I bought the prettiest red hat this week (pictured above) and I have decided that hats need to be worn more in modern life. I have quite the budding hat collection, so maybe it's time to dust them off and give them an airing!

Thrilled...

to be recognised on the street for the first time by one of my lovely readers! This week I was stopped by  the wonderful Nazneen, author of the blog The Postcolonial Rabbit. Nazneen, thank you so much for stopping to say hello, it was so nice to meet you and you genuinely made my week!

And to round of the day, let's see what else has been happening on the old blogosphere this week...

• If you are feeling at all blue this week then I insist that you make yourself one of these peanut butter and chocolate puddings. That should sort you right out! Unless of course you're not into the peanut butter/chocolate combo, in which case I'm not really sure what to say to you...!
• I had to share this outfit post from one of my favourite blogs, Sailing Over A Cardboard Sea, because it's so beautiful! I just adore that icy blue colour, don't you?
• And finally I think that this may be one of the best tutorials on vintage styling for curly hair that I have ever read, it's simply amazing. It has taken me years to tame my curly hair into vintage styles, so I can't wait to give some of these techniques a go, maybe I'll learn something new!

Have a wonderful rest of the week my lovely readers, I'll be back soon!

Katie xxx

Wednesday Wonderfuls #106

Hello there my lovely readers! I hope you are all well and having a great week so far.

Images, Each Row from Left to Right:
1. Fun with friends! 2. Adding to my Hitchcock collection :) 3. My new trousers!
4. Knitting joy 5. My new-to-me winter coat 6. My delayed Christmas present from my Sweetheart
7. Carrot cake and pattern cutting 8. Sweet potato fries 9. Hot chocolate is needed in the snow!

This week I have been...

Feeling...

absolutely freezing! Any of my readers in the UK will know what I'm talking about, the snow has hit and hit hard. I know I'm playing to a British stereotype in talking about the weather, but seriously it's been insane! Thank goodness it's starting to warm up a bit and the snow has started to melt, because most of the road/train/general transport routes in this country seem to completely shut down at the merest hint of snow! There are some good things about the change in the weather, however, as it's made me feel quite festive all over again. Plus I get to wear gorgeous snuggly winter coats which I love, so there is a silver lining :)

Reading...

and finishing Rebecca! I loved this book so much, even though I found the ending a little sudden. I read so many Gothic novels when I was at school and this book reawakened my love for that style of writing. I'm chomping at the bit for my next read, any suggestions my lovely readers? I'm also feeling very chuffed that I've already read 2 books this year. I'm well on my way to my 12 book goal!

Dreaming about...

all the outfits that I could draft with my new found skills. I'm seriously considering putting together some mood boards of different looks I love from my favourite eras and having a go at drafting my own pattern. I can't tell you how liberating I've found my whole pattern drafting experience so far, I feel like I could do anything at the minute! Plus I think I could save a pretty penny on vintage patterns if I coud create my own...

Cooking...

two dishes this week: sweet potato fries with a feta cheese dip and low fat macaroni and cheese with spinach (I have a cheese addiction!). I'm trying to cook once a week and I'm loving it :) Even though my kitchen is uber tiny and tending to look like a bomb has hit it when I start cooking! I think that this week I'm in the mood for some baking :)

Let's see what else has been happening on the blogosphere this week!

• I have been loving these posts about keeping warm in the 1930s over at Wearing History! There's one about knitted underwear, one about socks and stockings and one about overcoats, so there's no excuse for feeling too cold in the snowy weather :)
• I need some of this frozen hot chocolate in my life! Flakes are probably my favourite chocolate bar ever!
• I'm not sure if I would ever have the time to create my own instax wall, but it looks stunning.
• If any of you feel the way I do about tailoring then you'll love this deconstruction of a 40s jacket over at Gertie's Blog for Better Sewing, it's like tailoring porn!
• And finally I think you should all make one of these deep dish banoffee pies and be very happy with life. And if you do then please invite me over for a piece!

Have a wonderful week, my lovely readers. Keep warm!

Bye for now,

Katie xxx

Wednesday Wonderfuls #105

Hello there my lovely readers and welcome to a slightly delayed Wednesday Wonderfuls! Oops! I apologise for my technical difficulties...

Images, Clockwise from Top Left:
1. I love my new-to-me Thermoses! Winter picnic anyone? 2. My suit gets a night out on the town 3. Spiced apple and cider cake.
4. Surprises gifts make me so very happy, 5. My watch has been fixed and I can wear it again, yay! 6. Fancy new wool :)

This week I have been...

Reading...

"Metric Pattern Cutting for Women" and "Rebecca". Two very different books, but both of them are making me incredibly happy! I first read "Rebecca" for my English A-Level and I wanted to reread it before watching the Hitchcock adaptation (which arrived in the post this morning, yay!) and it's already completely sucked me in. I'm so happy that my love of books is returning to me, nothing is more satisfying than sitting down with a really good book and being taken to another place and time :) And as for "Metric Pattern Cutting", well let's just say that it's starting to make to make a lot more sense since I started taking lessons!

Loving...

my new pattern cutting skills! They may be few and very new but I'm loving them nonetheless. I am already dreaming of the designs I'm going to create, all the vintage designs that I could never find in my size or were too rare or expensive, I'll finally (eventually!) be able to make them. It's a very happy thought indeed :)

Knitting...

with fancy wool and bamboo needles. This week I received my first ever order of Excelana wool and I really can't get enough of it. It's such a joy to work with, I can't really see myself using any other kind of yarn anytime soon! I will be writing more about it in detail soon, but if you haven't let tried Excelana then I suggest you do, you won't be disappointed!

Watching... 

some amazing films: Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, Psycho and Marnie. I'm overwhelmed by all these classics, they are really making me look at all films in a completely new way. I'm on my way to becoming a huge Monroe and Hitchcock fan I can tell you! I cannot wait to watch more! My Sweetheart and I have also started watching Foyle's War as we were given the first season for Christmas. How has it taken me this long to realise how wonderful this programme is?? I love pretty much everything about it so far, the stories, the actors, the costumes, and I'm thrilled there are so many seasons to come. I'm pretty sure I may make some Foyle's War inspired outfits in the future :)

Sewing...

my trousers and they are pretty much finished! I will be posting about them as soon as I can persuade my Sweetheart to take some pictures of them :) They are a very different look for me, but I think I like it.

Going...

out for dinner with close friends and realising how lucky I am to have them. It was so lovely to catch up on the gossip with my girlie chums and talk the only way a big group of girls can. We ate great food and enjoyed great company and it was wonderful. I definitely hope for more nights like this in my near future!

And finally here are some of the Wonderful things going on around blogosphere this week:

• Sweet potato fries with a feta cheese dip? Don't mind if I do!
• Some tip top pin curling tutorials, I really want to give these a go.
• A beautiful matching top and skirt from By Gum, By Golly! I just love these and they suit Tasha so well :)
• And finally a wonderful post about how you should "make something, anything"

Have a lovely rest of the week my lovely readers!

Katie xxx

Wednesday Wonderfuls #104

Hello my lovely readers and welcome to another Wednesday Wonderfuls post!

Images, Each Row from Left to Right:
1. Do you like my Christmas Pom Poms? 2. Strawberry bon bons, my favourite! 3. Knitting + Bletchley Circle = Bliss!
4. Peach and honey green smoothie, 5. Homemade Chilli with roasted sweet potatoes, 6. Blueberry and banana green smoothie.
7. Newly painted nails, 8. Seeing the Boy with Tape on his Face! 9. A fluffy capelet? Don't mind if I do!

This week I have been:

Watching...

The Bletchley Circle, I cannot believe I missed this when it was on TV in September! The costumes are stunning, the story is very addictive, plus it stars the marvellous Anna Maxwell Martin (of South Riding, Bleak House and The Night Watch). If you haven't yet seen it I would definitely recommend it. I also watched my first Hitchcock film of the year (keeping up with my resolutions!), Rope. I can see why it isn't considered one of his best films but I really did quite enjoy it, and I'm looking forward to watching my next one...

Loving...

green smoothies! My Sweetheart and I decided to try green smoothies to try and introduce more veg into our diets in a fairly painless way, and this week we tried our first two recipes (if you're interested I used this post from a Beautiful Mess to get us started). The first contained peaches, honey and oats and I really didn't get along with it, it was much too sweet for my taste! But this morning we gave the banana and blueberry recipe a try and it was scrummy, even if the colour was a little off putting! I think that adding ice to the recipe makes a huge difference, with ice the smoothie is really refreshing and tasty and without it, well, let's just say it's not my cup of tea! So far I'm finding the whole smoothie experiment great, even if they do look pretty scary :)

Going to see...

"The Boy With Tape on His Face"! My Sweetheart got me tickets to this show as a Christmas present and I was so excited to finally see "The Boy" perform live. In case you don't know, "The Boy" is pretty much a stand up comedian only he cannot speak as he has a large piece of gaffer tape over his mouth. His show involves a lot of physical comedy, props and audience participation, and it was absolutely fantastic! I can't remember the last time I laughed so much. I am so glad that I got to see "The Boy" whilst he was in London, it was a perfect present!

Sewing...

my first ever pair of trousers! The muslin fits so all that is left to do is sew up the fashion fabric! Dun dun DUN!! It's pretty scary, I'm not going to lie, seeing as I've never sewn trousers before (except pyjamas!) and I hardly ever wear them because I hate ill fitting trousers. It's a nerve wracking business, but hopefully it will all turn out alright!

Dreaming about...

owning my own house. After Christmas I find there is always a lot that needs sorting out, and I tend to completely reorganise everything I own, and however much I love our little flat there's really not that much room for manoeuvre! My sewing space (i.e. my little desk that houses all of my sewing equipment and supplies) is getting so overcrowded that it actually putting me off sewing, sad but true. And the rest of the flat is all ready full to bursting, every bit of storage is being used, so trying to reorganise is hard. It feels me feeling quite downhearted to be honest, because I'm a nester and I want to home to really feel like one and not have very surface covered in stuff that doesn't have anywhere else to live. So can you blame me for dreaming of a little place of my own that has space for all our things and that I can decorate exactly as I'd like (one of the sad realities of rented accommodation is that I'm stuck with furniture I don't like and I can't change it or the even the colour of the walls *sigh*). It's a far off dream, I'm pretty sure, but I want it so much. For now I guess I'll just have to work out a way to keep things organised as best I can!

But enough about me, here's what's been going on in the rest of the blogosphere this week!

• I could quite happily eat all these different kinds of frosting and I'm pretty sure my life would be a better place because of it!
• Ever thought of taking a wardrobe inventory as part of your routine for the New Year?
• I'm in love with Solanah's slippers, is there anything that girl can't sew?!
• Another incredible DIY from Cassie! Fancy felting some birds on your sweater? Well you will after you've taken a look at this...!
• I think this dress, inspired by Marilyn's famous gold number, may be even better than the real thing. Absolutely beautiful.
• A really useful post about how to wash delicate fabrics, because it's always good to know!
• And finally, this may be the cutest dress ever! I hope it makes you smile :)

That's it for another week of Wonderfuls, but I'll leave you with a little treat, a clip of The Boy with Tape on his Face! Enjoy!

Katie xxx