The Start of my Next Big Sewing Adventure...

Now this story starts with two things: a pattern and some fabric. Let's start with the fabric...

Pretty Plaid!

During my time travelling about the UK and Ireland on tour I was lucky enough to visit the gorgeous city of Edinburgh. During my time there I was lucky enough to meet to the lovely Debi who took me on a trip to Edinburgh fabrics where I purchased some of the most beautiful plaid wool in the world. This took place in November last year, almost a year ago, and I still haven't used the fabric. Now that I find myself at a loose end (read: unemployed!) I thought it was about time that I did this fabulous fabric some justice, it was time for some serious tailoring!

And so we move on to the pattern. During my recent move into a smaller home I was forced to sort through my rather excessive collection of vintage patterns, not a small task but one I was very happy to undergo, because during my search I unearthed this beauty:

Swoon-worthy pattern :)

I must admit my heart skipped a beat and I knew that my fabric had found it's pattern soulmate. Now I only purchased 3 metres of the plaid, so I knew I wouldn't have enough for the cape/dress combo from the pattern, but I was mostly in love with the cape and knew that I would have enough fabric for a cape/pencil skirt combo, so all was well (for those of you who are interested I will be using Gertie's Pencil Skirt Pattern from her New Book for Better Sewing). Or so I thought...

I hadn't opened the pattern since I bought it at a Vintage Fair a few years ago, and when I finally did, quelle horreur! There were no pattern instructions!!! I was very disappointed I must admit. Every item of clothing I have ever made, from a simple dress to a full on coat I have always followed instructions pretty much to the letter and I have a great fear of doing something wrong. I have never just "winged" a project as I always think what's the point in spending money on beautiful supplies and then ruining them with my lack of skills? And then I got to thinking about my sewing skills and everything that I have learnt about sewing since I started to make my own clothes and I realised that thinking I have a "lack of skills" is really ridiculous. I have learnt so much and tried out so many different techniques over the past (almost) two years that I'm actually quite knowledgeable on the subject. OK, I may have never been to any classes or courses but that doesn't mean that I can't turn out what I consider to be a pretty topnotch piece of clothing with a professional finish. So what was I worrying about really? Yes, a cape is something I haven't made before, but I've made a coat before and how much harder than a coat is a cape? So my mind was set: I'm going to make the cape on my own, without any instructions or guidance. This is me winging it.

I can't wait to get started!

So there you have it my lovely readers, that start of my next big sewing adventure! I know that whatever help I need I will be able to find somewhere on the big wide blogosphere, so let's see what happens when I really trust the skills I have learnt on my sewing journey so far and properly put them into practise!

Bye for now,

Katie xxx

Wednesday Wonderfuls #92

Happy Wednesday my lovely readers! Greetings from Birmingham, and my last ever Wednesday Wonderfuls on tour!

Images, Clockwise from Top Left:
1. Home baked oatmeal and raisin cookies 2. Gorgeous new shoes *swoon!* 3. Is that the start of a plaid cape??
4. Cooling cookies 5. More cookbooks, I know, I have a problem! 6. Bound buttonhole!!! Yesss!!!

It has been another hectic week on tour, especially as we now only have four shows left before we're completely finished. After fourteen months of travelling around the UK and Ireland I can't quite believe it's ending, but I'm also so excited for what the future has in store. Plus I couldn't be more excited about my Autumnal and Festive (not quite ready to say the C word yet!) sewing projects which I will finally have the time to complete. I started one of them this week (see the above pictures!) and I cannot wait for it to be finished, but more on that soon...

For now it's time for some Wonderfuls! So here are my picks of the blogosphere this week:

• I adore hand sewing so I must admit that my heart skipped a beat when I saw this handworked buttonhole tutorial over at Tuppence Ha'Penny Vintage. What a beautiful thing to create! Although I'm not sure I'd ever have the patience!
• Talking about hand stitching, I've fallen in love with this novel way to fix moth holes in clothes, such a sweet idea! Also take a look at these basic hand stitches over at the Coletterie. Always good thing to know!
• I can't tell you how much I wish we had room in our little flat for a bar cart. I feel the need to channel my inner Don Draper :)
• I really needed this blog post this week. Beautifully written by Lauren of Wearing History.
• The world would be a better place if more people cooked chicken noodle soup and broccoli potato nuggets. That is all.

Well, that's it for another week of Wonderfuls, have a great rest of the week my lovely readers!

Bye for now,

Katie xxx

Gorgeous Glasgow

Hello there lovely readers! I'd thought I'd give you an update of some of my final adventures around the UK as the tour is coming to an end. A few weeks ago I was lucky enough to find myself in the gorgeous city of Glasgow, and what a marvellous time I had there!

I was lucky enough to receive some fabulous advice on what to do and where to wander from the fabulous Kerry of Kestrel Finds and Makes, so I knew that I had a great trip in store. Thank you so much for your help Kerry, you made my trip so much better than it would have been!

One of the many beautiful sights of Glasgow!

My first stop on my Glasgow adventure was the lovely yarn shop/cafe, the Yarn Cake. This sweet little shop is stuffed to the gills with gorgeous yarns, including blends that are only produced in Glasgow or Scotland, it was heavenly! Plus the cake and tea selection on offer make me ridiculously happy (you all know how I love my cake!)

Keep Knitting and Eat Cake - now that's a mantra I can live by!

I could happily have spent hours in the Yarn Cake browsing the yarns in an environment that was full of the delicious smell of baking cakes, but I restrained myself and only stayed for long enough to munch up a slice of lemon and white chocolate loaf followed by a pit of fresh peppermint tea. I may also have indulged in a few skeins of some stunning scarlet lace weight yarn, but it really wasn't my fault. What was a knitting obsessive to do under such circumstances?!

Miney mine mine mine!

Next on the agenda was a spot of vintage shopping, and Kerry had given me the names of several places in visit whilst I was in the Northern Quarter, my favourite of which was definitely Starry Starry Night. Now I am pretty much a seasoned vintage shopper, I know what I like and I know within about 30 seconds of entering any vintage shop whether or not they will stock the kind of things that I would want to buy. Many times I have been told about a fabulous vintage shop by a friend only to be disappointed by the mostly 1980s stock (brilliant for some, but just not my personal taste!). Well my experience at Starry Starry Night couldn't have been more different. This is one of those stores where vintage items dream of coming when they grow up. It was vintage heaven!

What could be behind those doors?

Behind the quite unassuming shopfront lurks a treasure trove stuffed with goodness from all my favourite eras. I spotted some gorgeous 1950s boudoir slippers tucked in next to some stunning lace gloves and a victorian topper, I could have browsed all day! The dresses for sale were mostly evening wear, not many 1940s or 50s day dresses when I visited, so I think they are much more used to catering for special events as apposed to the everyday vintage wearer, but the dresses were so pretty I will forgive them :) There was also a great selection of brooches and costume jewellery, I was very tempted to buy! I didn't make a purchase at Starry Starry Night, mostly due to my splurge on yarn, but if I ever visit again I will definitely be coming cash in hand!

Oooo... shiny!

My final stop on my Glasgow day of fun and joy was my favourite. It's a miracle I walked out of there with any money left in my account at all! I am talking about the marvellous Mandors, purveyors of fine fabrics and all round magical place. Kerry wasn't kidding when she told me that this place had the best fabric selective in the city! Everywhere you looked were rolls and rolls of gorgeous fabrics, it was incredible!

Just look at it!!!

I honestly think that if I lived close to a place like this that I would never be able to pay my rent on time, but I would have an incredible stash! It really was a magical place, I spent a good hours just wandering about stroking fabrics and cooing over pretty patterns (the shop assistants probably thought I was a right loon!). I knew I couldn't leave without making a purchase, and in the end the decided on some tartan, I was in Scotland after all! When I was in Edinburgh last year I bought some stunning wool tartan (that I've actually started to cut into recently!), so I decided that this time I would buy something lighter with more drape, a dress-weight tartan. I already have a project all planned and ready for this tartan, it's fate is sealed (I'll give you a clue, it's one of the projects from Gertie's Book of Better Sewing! Ooo what could it be!). I'll wait for the big reveal of this project to show you the fabric, but rest assured, it's swoon-worthy!

Which tartan could be mine...?!

In conclusion Glasgow is definitely worth a visit for the crafty/vintage minded gal, I had such a wonderful time and would love to visit again soon. Hopefully when the tour is finished I will be able to take a trip to Edinburgh and Glasgow together, I enjoyed staying in both of these cities so much, plus some of the best bloggers I know call these cities home! Naming no names (Kerry and Debi!!!). :)

I cannot wait to start sewing with my beautiful Scottish tartans, to remind me of those beautiful cities and the wonderful time I had there. I really have gone a bit mad for plaid recently, but more on that another time!

Bye for now lovely readers!

Katie xxx

ReCraft - A Review

Hello there my lovely readers! Today I'm bringing you a review of a new crafty book, ReCraft by Sara Duchars and Sarah Marks.

ReCraft is a book designed to teach you "how to turn second-hand stuff into beautiful things for your home, family and friends". In the rather lovely introduction Sara and Sarah are described as both growing up around crafts - be it knitting, crochet, sewing, tailoring, you name it! They definitely sound like my kind of people :) - before starting their own crafty business together: Buttonbag. Buttonbag puts together gorgeous crafty kits for children, and from their love of making something out of nothing ReCraft was born. The main idea behind the book is to make you think "What can I turn this into?" rather than "What do I need to make this?" with great emphasis on experimentation and allowing yourself to be creative. This is an idea that I adore, the whole thought of making something beautiful from nothing is very seductive, so I couldn't wait to see what the book had in store!

The book is divided into five sections, all containing different projects aimed at all of the various people in your life: Toys, Baby Stuff, Family, Friends and Home. I'm probably not the best judge of the first two sections as there are no babies in my life right now, However I can definitely see the appeal of the stuffed animals, particularly as each one was made from secondhand clothes, talk about a money saver! You wouldn't even need to pay for stuffing as the book suggests using finely cut up old socks, what a great idea! I could see many of these projects being very useful come Christmas time for anyone with small children in their lives. But the sections of the book that really interested me were the Friends and Home section.

Some of my favourite ReCraft Projects

There are some really great projects in the Friends and Home sections of the book, all of which I could see myself making as gifts for others or just as treats for myself. I particularly loved the book handbag (like all those designer ones out there but for a fraction of the price!) and the Dachshund draft excluder, who could resist such a sweet thing?! The pictures in the book are beautiful and you really will want to fill your home with these lovely creations, I know that I do.

I would say that more experienced crafters may find some of the projects a little basic. There are sections of the book describing basic sewing techniques and tools that would be fairly useless for the keen seamstress or home-crafter, however I still feel that this book is worth a look to more than just the beginner because of the message it puts across. ReCraft inspires it's reader to make the most of their raw materials, whatever they may be, and create things that are both unique and useful. It will help you to work outside the box when it comes to crafting - I am already planning a whole host of homemade Christmas gifts inspired by this book, as I feel now that I will be able to create things that are beautiful but still work within a budget! 

I think ReCraft is a great book, perfect for the new crafter but with a lot to offer even the more experienced among us, and it should definitely be one of your go to books when it comes to making Christmas gifts this year!

(In the interest of full disclosure this book was sent to me for review, but I hope you trust me enough to know that my opinions and non-biased and are my own)

Wednesday Wonderfuls #91

Hello there lovely readers, happy Wednesday! We, here I am, at the start of my final venue for the tour, and in less than two weeks it will all be over. I am determined to enjoy these last few weeks as much as I can, and I'm happy to say that this week has been off to a flying start! I absolutely adore autumn (probably because it's my Birthday season!) and I am loving the fact that I can finally enjoy all the autumnal past times that I love so much :)

Images, Each Row from Left to Right:
1. A revisit to one of my favourite Manchester haunts 2. My new sewing space :) 3. Gingerbread bundt cake, swoon!
4. Homemade chicken teriyaki 5. Seasonal yarn! 6. Homemade beef stew with herby dumplings
7. Gingerbread cake with fresh whipped cream 8. I need this phone in my life! 9. Ginger, lemon and honey infusion :)

This week there has been much tea drinking, hearty home cooking, spicy baking, knitting planning (I need at least a couple of new cardigans and sweaters!) and of course some fall/winter sewing planning. I literally cannot wait to show you my latest project, I'll give you a little teaser: it involves plaid :) Also my new-to-me sewing desk (a gorgeous 1940s piece I snagged from ebay) has finally arrived so I have set up my own little piece of heaven in a corner of the new flat. As soon as it's all organised I'll give you a little tour of my new oh-so-mini-yet-amazing sewing space. Things are definitely looking good in the world of Squirrels! For now I'm having a lovely time in Birmingham for the next two weeks, any suggestions for activities here for a sewing/knitting/vintage loving gal?

Anyways, enough about me, let's see what else has been going on in the blogosphere this week. Here are my personal picks:

• Autumn for me is all about making yummy warming food to share with your loved ones, and this chocolate pecan cake would fit the bill perfectly!
• I was blown away by this amazing Halloween costume by Atomic Redhead, check out that embroidery! Anyone else planning for Halloween?
• I am a bit obsessed with tailoring techniques at the moment (possibly another clue about my planed projects, hint hint hint!) so I loved this bound button hole technique from the Coletterie. I love a good bound button hole!
• Another technique post, this time from Did You Make That? Did you know that when constructing a lining sometimes it's a good idea to turn darts into pleats? Find out why and how here :)
• So, you might think that your dress pattern stashes are bad, but have you ever paid $275 for one pattern?! It is a gorgeous pattern, but still!
• And finally I have been craving doughnuts ever since the jam doughnut technical challenge on the Great British Bake-Off. Maybe I should give Joy's Chocolate Cream Filled Vanilla Sugar Doughnuts a try. I'm sure my family would thank me...!

So there you have it my lovely readers, another Wonderful filled Wednesday! I hope you all have marvellous weeks, and enjoy the start of autumn, I know I will!

Bye for now!

Katie xxx

Wednesday Wonderfuls #90

Hello there my lovely readers, happy Wednesday! What a week it's been, I've moved house, celebrated both mine and my Sweetheart's Birthdays (our birthdays are two days apart, crazy huh?!) and now I'm back in Manchester as the tour is returning for two weeks to the venue where this whole thing began. 

Images, Clockwise from Top Left:
1. A bit of a new look for me (psst! it's a wig!), 2. Presents :) 3. My Sweetheart loves a fancy sandwich!
4. I love Autumnal sewing! Swoon! 5. A magical place... 6. Birthdays are for house picnics

It seems like no time has past since I was last here. My life has changed so much since this time last year (as it is almost exactly a year since we last played Manchester) and being in this beautiful city that is so full of memories really makes me appreciate how far I have come and how happy I am in my current life. It's also a bit emotional as this is our second to last venue, and in less than three weeks the tour will be over. It's a very strange feeling, standing on the edge of unemployment - to say I'm feeling nostalgic would be an understatement! - but I am determined to seize the day firmly with both hands and embrace whatever comes, I am really excited to see what the future has in store! I genuinely feel in such a good place right now, let's hope that things continue in this way!

In other news I finally completed my Bombshell dress this week!!! Can you believe it?! I have already worn said dress out twice and I am totally in love with it. As soon as I'm home again I will try to persuade my Sweetheart to take some pictures of me in it so that I can share :) And also autumn is finally here! It's my very favourite of all the seasons and I cannot wait to get started on some seasonal sewing projects :) And I'm not going to lie, I may have some festive projects in the pipeline too, it's never too early to get started I always say!

But enough about me, here are my picks of the blogosphere this week:

• As everything starts to get more autumn-y, the nights are drawing in and everyhting's getting colder, why not curl up in your favourite chair with a large slice of this caramelised banana bread with browned butter glaze. Doesn't that just sound like heaven? Now, where did I put those bananas...
• I love the idea of the fabric flash cards, what a great way to get knowledgable about your fabrics!
• How sewing ruined clothes shopping - this article is the story of my life and why I'll probably never buy new clothes again
• I really am in love with Emily Henderson's blog, this article of 15 flea market secrets is a classic example of her awesomeness, plus her tips are really great too!
• Our new flat is very cozy, i.e. we are seriously sort of space (if you've ever rented an average one bed flat in London you'll know what I mean!) so I am loving these storage solutions from Scathingly Brilliant. You can never be too organised!
• And finally this article by Kat of Rock and Roll Bride was just what I needed to get myself into gear. If you really want to get something done, then just do it!

So that's it for another week of Wonderfuls folks! Have a great rest of the week and let's all go out and be dynamic!

Bye for now,

Katie xxx

Another Year Older!

Yesterday was my Birthday, I've now reached the grand old age of twenty five! I had a wonderful day with my family and my Sweetheart, we went to the Mad Hatter's Afternoon Tea at the Sanderson Hotel, browsed the fabrics at Liberties of London and also visited the marvellous Ballgowns exhibition at the V&A. I was thoroughly spoilt rotten and loved every minute of it! It was a wonderful day :)

I feel like this Birthday marks a large turning point in my life, both personally and professionally, and I'm very excited to see what the next year will bring. I know that whatever happens I am invested in making this little blog of mine the best that it can be, so I hope you stick around to see where it all goes :)

As always, thanks for reading, you lovely lovely people!

Katie xxx