Vintage Liberty

One of my plans this year is to sew a lot more. Included in those plans is to find something to make out of these fabrics. 

Fabrics!

They are all vintage Liberty fabrics. My nan was a seamstress and these were some of hers. My favourite is the white and blue and I think it will make a pretty skirt. I'm thinking perhaps a dress for the flowery one on the left as there's quite a lot of that.

My main thing is that I don't want to muck up! The fabrics are obviously special not just because they are Liberty (something I couldn't ordinarily afford!) but because they came from my Nan who got me into the whole sewing thing in the first place.

Have you ever had fabric that you are too worried to actually cut into? And if so, what did you do? (or is it still sat in your stash getting stroked every now and then?)

I'm on a bit of an organisation kick at the moment, which when I get to that bit, will include sorting out my patterns. I'm taking photos of the envelopes and am going to make up my own 'catalogue'. It's a fairly large job but I think it will be useful. Especially as I came home with the same blouse pattern as one I already had last year! I suppose at least it shows I was right to buy it in the first place, as I then bought it again later!

In the meantime, I've been finishing up my Journal Your Christmas album, which is finally nearly done. I've learnt a lot of things from this one that I would put into action if I did it again and which would hopefully mean I wasn't still doing it in the middle of January! Once I put the final touches on, I'll share some piccies.

I've also been sorting out my scrapbook layouts. Years ago I bought some American Crafts 12x12 ring binder style albums. I have just this morning got around to putting my layouts into them, having taken them from the post bound albums they were living in. Of course, I don't have enough page protectors, so they're not all in there quite yet, but that's the plan.

I'm putting everything into date order of when the photo was taken. I know some people don't like to do that because it means that obvious scrapping style changes show up as you flick through but I'm ok with that. It doesn't bother me. I'd rather have the photos in a more chronological order because I think it becomes more of a life story that way. But that's just my preference. It just would have been helpful if all the original page protectors from the other albums had fitted the new ones, but that would be too easy wouldn't it?

Get ahead, Get a Hat!

I'm quite a 'hat' person. I don't own loads but I do like them. I'd been looking about at the 'Baker Boy' style caps around as I like the style but they're not cheap, especially for something you're not exactly going to get a tonne of wear out of. So, I pondered on making my own, found a pattern and here's the result.

I don't have a 'head dummy' to show it on but managed to find a very patient model instead :)  The pattern came from a magazine and was pretty good, apart from at the end when it told you that if you wanted to put elastic at the back (to make it a little smaller), it's supposed to be put on before you turn the band lining in. At least that's how it seems. I'm just going to see how it feels when I wear it. If I want to make it a bit smaller then, I'll just have to put a bit of elastic on the inside of the band at the back. No-one will see it when it's on my head anyway.

The fabric I used is a thin denim, recycled from a pair of jeans that I made into shorts for my friend. I had the extra leg bits left and it was just enough to make the hat from.

I had to make a self cover button which was a first but I don't think it went too badly, considering. I did try it with other buttons I had to see how a contrast would look but nothing suited it so I stuck with the suggestion for a self covered one.

The lining is some cotton from a remnant someone gave me a couple of years ago. I thought that it went with the whole 'vintage-y' feel of the cap's style.

So all in all, the make didn't cost me very much at all; a bit of tie back interfacing was the only thing I actually had to get for it, the rest was just stuff I had in my stash!

Hope you like it! Please feel free to leave a comment :)

Happy New Year!

2012 indeed! I don't know about you but the last year has gone so fast. I'm sure the last time I looked it was only June!

I'm not really one for resolutions - I have an allergy to planning - but there are things I'd like to do, if I can in the craft department. Mainly these are to improve my skills. I'm especially keen to regain some of the knowledge I've lost of sewing, or perhaps that should be confidence I've lost in sewing. I think when you don't do something for a long time, you lose your belief that you can do it a bit, don't you? So I'm trying to get that back. I know it will take time but hopefully I'll get there. A case of trial and error, although it would be nice if there aren't too many errors!

I also have plans to set up an Etsy shop too, just to see. I've got a Folksy one but I thought I'd go global :)

I'd love to hear what plans you have for your crafting, so please feel free to leave a comment below.

Happy Crafting New Year!