I've got connected!

Hello lovely readers, happy Monday to you all!

I just wanted to drop in to let you know that I have connected The Little Red Squirrel to the social networking world, you can now follow me on Twitter and on Facebook! Just follow the links on the right and, as if by magic, you'll be there :) I've also added my email too, because if you have anything to ask me or just fancy dropping a line I'd love to hear from you!

I'll be using both Twitter and Facebook to show sneaks peaks of my work and also for more informal updates between posts, so come along and join the fun!

Bye for now!

Pin Up Embroidery: Girl #3

It seems that I'm really getting on a roll with these Pin Ups, that's the third one finished already! Hurrah, huzzah!

I have names this lovely Scarlet the Starlet because she looks like she could be famous for high kicking, or something like that... :)

Scarlet the Starlet!

In comparison to Marilyn Scarlet is more simple, I've not added anything too fancy to her basic design, just some pretty stripes to her bolero and some extra curls in her hair. I think this makes her look sweet and simple and I like that.

Scarlet Close Up

I'm also really in love with the colours of her outfit, the mint green and buttercup yellow, it's such a pretty combination. Plus, who wouldn't want their shoes to match their slip perfectly? :)

Pin Up number 3, done!!

So there you have it, number three all done and dusted! These Pin Ups make me so happy, I love the way they grow from nothing and they look so pretty altogether, this is definitely going to be a skirt to treasure forever!

Again thank you for the love you have been showing this project of mine, I'm so happy that so many of you seem inspired to start embroidering projects of your own, I'm thrilled! Do get in touch if you have any questions about how to get started, or if you want to share your own projects with me, I'd love to help or see what you create :)

Happy sewing lovely people!

I hit the Austrian jackpot...!!

Hello there and a very happy Weekend to you all! I hope that you've all had a marvelous week, I've been busy busy busy with the show, but I'm now officially half way through the run and I'll be home in less than two weeks! Hurrah!

Today I'm going to share with you some more of my Austrian adventures. This week my parents visited to see the show so I was able to explore a bit more of the town near the theatre, and my goodness am I glad that I did! On my wanderings in the sunshine I ended up taking a different route than usual and look at the sight that met my eyes...

Wool! Glorious wool!

An adorable little wool shop stuffed with lovely wooly goodness! You could say that I was quite excited by this :) Well I was even more excited when I saw the prices! All the little bins outside the shops were filled with wool on sale, just 1 or 2 euros a ball for some, so you can imagine the little jig of happiness I was doing on the streets of Linz!

Yes please to wool :)

This was one of those times when I cursed the fact that I have a very strict baggage allowance on the way home! Oh to be able to fill my suitcase with wooly goodness... Anyway I did treat myself to 5 balls of cotton blend yarn in a cream colour, it is so soft and snuggly! Plus all that yarn only cost me 5 euros! I've already picked out a sweet vintage shrug pattern to knit up, another project to look forward to when I get home! However I'm still tempted everyday to wander back for more, I'm having to be very strict with myself :)

Sigh, I love you yarn!

Finding the wool shop alone was enough to make me happy (ok, grinning from ear to ear!) for the rest of the day, but perhaps the most glorious moment was still yet to come. I had passed the shop window below almost everyday on my walks to and from the theatre without paying it much interest... 

Mysterious shop...

I could see that it was a fabric shop, but from the outside it looked tiny as it was squashed between two much larger shops. However, as I was already on a day of wanderings with my lovely parents I figured there would be no harm in just having a quick look. Well, my dear readers, nothing could have prepared me. This was not just a fabric shop, this was the MOTHER of all fabric shops. Spread over three floors, and stuffed to the gills with beautiful fabric. It just went on...

Oh look, fabric!

... and on...

More fabric! In rainbow colours!

... and on...

My mum cannot believe there's so much fabric! :)

... did I mention it went on??

Lacy, spangly fabrics!

Literally every corner you turned there was another feast for the eyes waiting for you! I just couldn't believe how much fabric was there and how I had only just decided to pay the shop a visit!

And there was even more downstairs!

I could have very easily stayed in that shop for hours, just browsing through the huge selection of fabrics, you'd get a fabulous education in textiles if you did I'm sure! It was almost too much to be faced with such variety, I literally didn't know where to start, so I just wandered around wide eyed with (I'm sure) a dopey look on my face whilst occasionally gasping and having to stroke some sample or other with reverence. This was the place that fabric want to go when they die!

Fabric makes me happy :)

The one thing this shop did not have going for it was wallet friendly prices, everything did seem to be rather above my budget, and once again I had to remind myself of baggage allowances (sob sob) so on that first visit I did restrain myself and left with nothing other than a sense of awe. However (you knew that was coming, didn't you?!), I did pay a second visit to the shop a few days later with a specific purchase in mind, one that I was sure would be kind to both my wallet and my baggage allowance...

My spoils! What could be inside...?

Silk Organza!

Yes I bought myself some yummy silk organza, light enough (fingers crossed!) to not weight down my suitcase. Plus it was very reasonably priced :) And why did I buy this organza you may ask? Because when I get home it will be transformed into my first ever 1950s style petticoat! I told you it would be the first thing on my mind when I got home, and now I have the raw materials to set it into action. I'm so excited I can even tell you, I just know that this petticoat will get so much wear, and who knows, if it is a success there may be a whole parade of petticoats in a rainbow of different colours to follow :)

So there you have it. Linz, you officially rock my world. You have now provided me with wool, fabric, and vintage finds. What more could a girl ask for? :)

Gertie's Online Bombshell Dress Course - Excitement, Ideas and Inspiration!

I am so uber excited about this online sewing course I can't even tell you! The marvelous Gertie has done it again, and I've got a feeling that this might be her best tutorial ever. I haven't started the course properly yet (obviously as I am still in Austria, sans sewing machine, sob sob) but I have been watching the video tutorials and the detail is fantastic. Everything is so clear and precise and done with such an air of relaxation and fun, I just cannot wait to get started! I mean, just look at the dress you'll end up with...

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If you haven't yet heard about this course, firstly where have you been? :) heehee just kidding! Gertie has based this fabulous course on the legendary Bombshell dresses created by the genius that was Alfred Shaheen. Here are some shots of his work, I'd happily give them all a good home! The first picture features the draped tiki-esque skirt that Gertie is focusing on in her tutorial, it's so pretty!

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Feeling inspired yet? Well I sure am! Another great thing that Gertie talks about in her introduction to this course is that the possibilities for being creative and unique with your dress are endless. If you're not feeling the tiki look than swap in a circular skirt, or just make the bodice as a bustier top to go with other separates in your wardrobe. Personally all these option reminded me of one of my favourite websites, Whirling Turban, and it's amazing array of bombshell dresses and pinup couture. I have always longed for one of these dresses, but haven't been able to afford one of my very own. But Gertie's online course could be the key to achieving my wildest dreams! :) There are so many features that I could try and add to my bombshell dress...

I could add a peek-a-boo style to the bodice...

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Add different straps for a variety of different looks...

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Make a petal bust bodice...

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So many options, so little time! I could very easily end up with hundreds of variations of the same pattern in my wardrobe! Now that's a happy thought... :)

Also this dress reminded me of one of my favourite seasons from Louis Vuitton, who else loved their Fall 2010 look? All those fitted bodices and full skirts in tweeds and (swoon!) plaids and even leather! You could make one of Gertie's dresses in a thicker fabric for autumn/winter and you'd be rocking the bombshell look all year round! 

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Add a full skirt with contrasting bodice and some black velvet straps and belt and you've got the look! Plus count me in for some elbow length leather gloves :)

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I really do love the contrast between the fabrics, the look is so tactile I just want to stroke it!

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Add a tailored jacket for when the weather turns and you'll be snug but still chic :)

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Using florals and pastel shades creates a soft feminine look. And I like it :)

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And there you have it, so many options for this dress it's not even true! Can you tell how ridiculously excited I am about getting started and how much I want to be back home with my sewing machine right now?? I even have the perfect fabric in my stash for this dress but I can't share it with you until I'm home in two weeks! Le sigh. Ah well, for now I'll just have to dream about what I'm going to create, and also probably end up buying all my notions etc. online so I know they'll be waiting for me when I get home...!

Are you thinking about taking this course too? I'd love to know what you're planning to do with your dress if you are :) For now I'll leave you with a couple my pictures from the Louis Vuitton Fall 2010 fashion show, just because I can (and who wouldn't want a plaid skirt with a grey/blue sweater and fur collar or a fabulous all white sweater and skirt outfit, right??)...

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Bye for now!

Pin Up Embroidery: Girl #2

My second Pin Up is finished! Here she is, I'm sure you'll understand why I have named her Marilyn :)

Marilyn, she's a minx!

I am really getting into this embroidery lark! I decided to get a bit fancy and add a lot more detail to my second Pin Up, giving her a lacy look to her underwear with lots of little french knots. I also used much smaller stitches for her facial features which I think gives her a more polished look than my first Pin Up (practice makes perfect!). Here are some close ups to really show all those yummy details...

Marilyn Close Up 1

Marilyn Close Up 2

The more of these beauties I stitch up the more I love them! Embroidery is such a great thing to do when I get home from the theatre in the evenings, it's the perfect way to unwind after a hard day's work. I cannot wait to start my next girl, I am officially addicted!

My second Pin Up completed!!

I want to thank you all for the love you have been showing these Pin Ups so far, your lovely comments have made me so happy! So many of you have mentioned an interest in embroidery yourselves, and I say get on it! I really hope you all get your fancy threads out and start creating some lovelies of your own, and please send me pictures if you do :) Let's start the embroidery revolution!

Bye for now!

Wednesday Wonderfuls #26

Welcome, lovely readers, to my midweek pick-me-up! I have some fabulous Wonderfuls in store for you today, but first I thought I'd share some food with you. Yes, you heard correctly :) I've found myself obsessing over food recently, maybe it's because performing eight shows a week leaves you constantly hungry, I don't know, but there are a lot of food related snap shots on my phone at the moment, so I thought, why not share? :) (I know this is pretty random but I'm in a pretty random mood today, perhaps it's heat stroke...)

Here are some of my favourites, just looking at them is making me peckish right now...

Homemade chocolate cake and cream, swoon!

Hot chocolate, still swooning!

Gnocchi is my friend...

Yes, I eat chinese food out of a bucket, I'm that classy

Who couldn't be happy eating with this fork??

That's quite enough foody goodness for now, I'm really feeling quite hungry now, so here are some Wonderfuls to distract my rumbling belly!

There really has been some great stuff around the blogosphere this week, here are my personal favourites:

• This fabulous pin curl set from Tami set me itching to get started again with my Vintage Hair Diary, her locks are always so perfect! Here you can see pictures of her finished look, her sailor dress is too gorgeous!
• Check out this beautiful version of Ceylon in green by Tilly. This dress pattern is one of my favourites so it's always lovely to see it made so well. Perhaps it's a sign that I should make another for myself...
• If you read my blog regularly you have heard me go on (and on!) about my love of hand sewing in my projects, so I found this article - (Wo)man Vs. Machine - by Gertie very interesting. I'll always take hand stitching over machine, it's just who I am, but it's good to look at things from a different perspective from time to time :)
• This amazing dress from Wearing History really made my day, it's utterly stunning, I love the crossing straps and the pocket detail. A perfect dress!
• I love reading about people's adventures abroad and there have been some great ones over at La Ville Inconnue about Paris, the pictures are dreamy...
• Miss B of A Girl A Style transported me to Cambridge with this post, you simply must read it! I defy you to not want to move there at once after reading, plus the photos are gorgeous :)
• I cannot explain how excited I am about Gertie's new online sewing course! I;m going to take it and it's going to be awesome, simples!
• I didn't know what Rouleau was before this week, but after reading this post over at Colette I can fast see it becoming a new obsession of mine. I love anything that adds detail to an outfit :)
• And finally, Casey has done it again with another brilliant tutorial, this time for a 50s dress which is too cute to be true. Check out parts 1 and 2, you won't regret it!

You must admit those Wonderfuls are pretty Wonderful :) I hope you all have a marvellous rest of the week, if the weather is anywhere near as nice for you as it is in Austria right now then I know you'll all be happy!

Bye for now!

Vandering in Vienna

Hello lovely readers and a very happy Tuesday to you all!

Today I thought I'd share with you some of my adventures in Vienna. I went there yesterday on my first day off of the tour, a welcome break after an eight show week! Although the day started badly with very grey and rainy weather and delayed trains, the weather and circumstances soon picked up and the city just looked glorious in the sunshine!

I scoured the city in my search for vintage shops, but to no avail. Any shops that I had found during online searches had vanished into thin air, which was a real shame. I did come across one rather interesting shop that I thought I'd share with you though. It was called "Decennies" and it's tag line is "Vintage Style - The Special Way of Living" which made me smile :)

The store front 

This place was stuffed with reproduction vintage dresses and although at first I was totally overcome by the bright colours, the petticoats, the patterns on the fabrics (strawberries, pin up girls, cherries, all very cute indeed!), it soon began to feel a little cold to me, especially when I checked out the prices (400 euros for a dress, I don't think so!).

Now I'm in no way knocking reproduction vintage, because I myself reproduce vintage clothes all the time, but times like this make me so happy that I can sew! I can produce one of these dresses at a fraction of the cost and make it perfect for me, and I feel very lucky to have that option! I would rather spend my money on fabrics for my own creations or on genuine vintage that has real history than something more mass produced. I guess I've just become turned off from buying anything new since I start my "Make-Not-Buy" Challenge!

Although I was saddened by the lack of vintage clothes in Vienna I did find some gorgeous antiques shops, one of which was stuffed with beautiful paintings, I wanted to take most of them home!

Isn't she beautiful?

I love how the frame of the picture below is made to feel as though you were looking through a key hole at this into a boudoir, how very naughty!

Saucy...!

I also got rather too excited over a selection of dogs in bows, this little chap was my favourite. I can't decide whether he's adorable or hideous and I like that :) I wonder how my Sweetheart would have felt if I'd brought one of these home...!

Dog + Bow = Awesome

I have a lot more photos of Vienna to share with you but I think I'm going to do a big bumper Austrian photos post at the end of my trip, the pictures look so pretty all together! For now I will leave you with a shot of one of my favourite perts of the day: Ice Cream time!

Hurrah for strawberry Ice Cream!

That's it from me for today but join me again soon for some embroidery updates and other exciting new posts I've got planned. Are you intrigued? I hope so!

Bye for now!