Florence's Attic

Purchases

I love shopping...

I have bought a little bit of fabric over the last month.  The first was a metre of this pears fabric from a new shop in Brighton called Michelle le Maitre which has opened near the top of Church Street (next to the wedding dress shop if you are local).  It is full of absolute treasure for someone who loves fabric.  All the fabrics we have to buy in from places such as Reprodepot are there, along with some of the Japanese linens found on a lot of US craft blogs and some British screen printed fabrics.  It is not cheap, the fabric I bought was £12.50 a metre, the linens are about £15 a metre and the gorgeous modernist style British screen-prints are about £40 for a piece, but when there is such a selection just a short bus ride away, how can I complain?  The owner is lovely, and great to have a chat with about the fabrics.  Unfortunately I don't think the shop is big enough for courses, but it is lovely.  I bought this pears fabric I had seen and admired on blogs.  I got the brown colourway to make some cushions, but may now use it for a dress for Bizzie (more on that below...)  The shop doesn't have a website, which is a real shame, but if you are in Brighton it is worth walking up the hill from the museum for a nose. 

You feel like you are buying something really special as you get your fabric in a rope handled bag...

and here is me apples and pears fabric

Another excuse I have for buying fabric is that I really want to try out some dress making now I have my new machine.  The only draw back is I have a history of dress making disasters.  I did a specialist art foundation course at London College of Fashion a "ahem" few years ago.  For those of you who haven't gone through the British education system if you want to do an art or design based degree you have to complete a one year full time art and design foundation course.  They do them all over the country, but this course in London is special as you don't do other disciplines such as fine art and sculpture, but focus on fashion.  The four areas of specialism were fashion illustration, fashion manufacturing, textiles and theatre design.  I always wanted to be a fashion designer, so was pleased to get on this course and commuted from home every day, however I soon realised my drawing abilities weren't as good as others in fashion illustration, and I did not really want to do theatre design.  I loved the textiles, and wanted to be good at the fashion manufacturing so worked more on those.  Well, it was a disaster.  We had access to all the industrial machines and I seemed to get all my garments eaten up in the over-locker.  It got to the stage where I expected all my samples to have a V cut out of it somewhere near the seam where the over-locker blade had chewed it up.  Anyway, the textiles won and that leads on to another story...
My second go at dressmaking was a summer school a few years ago.  My husband had just been made redundant so I had childcare sorted, and got the course at a reduced rate (every cloud has a silver lining...).  I spent 3 days making a skirt that didn't fit me properly, and frankly just looked awful, before moving on to making a patchwork bag out of this book by Jane Cumberbatch, and that then led me onto the path of patchwork...
So, third time lucky.  Bizzie chose this fabric, which is just £2.49 a metre cotton in case I mess it up, and the pattern was 99p off ebay.  It is from 1970, and funnily enough has been stamped with the address from a shop in Seaford which is just along the coast from Brighton so hopefully it is meant to be.  I bought the pattern in age 4, so it gives me a good 18 months to actually make it.  I feel a bit worried about the zip, but hopefully it may be the start of my dressmaking career!

and finally some more fabric.  The retro piece was just 20p from my quilt group, and these 2 fat quarters I got from the quilt shop last time I was there

I also got this seventies print.  The photo doesn't show it off that well, the lime green and brown really do work and it was a bargain 20p as well!  I only go along to my quilt group to listen to the speakers, but it is rather old fashioned.  I think the ladies who sold me these fabric couldn't believe someone would want them!  To give you an idea of how old fashioned it is there is no reference to email at all, and I was delighted to get a typed letter, complete with pen underlined title.  How many years is it since you recieved a typed letter?

Happy Tuesday x

May days

Oops, sorry about the break - as usual lots going on here...

Brighton Festival happens every May and it means there is lots to do.  We took part in the children's parade which officially opens the festival.  Mister J and I had a great time and stayed out in town after just the two of us which was a treat.  The theme this year was board games, and when we met his friends and their mums on the train into town we looked like a hen night gone wrong in our outfits!  Fortunately everywhere you looked in town people were dressed up.  We have done some open houses already, and plan to do a few more next weekend.  We went to two on the estates on the outskirts of town.  I always like to support these ones as it is far easier to open your house up in a trendy area such as Hanover and Fiveways, than out in Bevendean and Moulescoomb.  Some of the work we have seen is amazing.  Friends who aren't from Brighton often find the idea of open houses a bit strange, but if they do them near you then try them out.  Yes, I do have a nose at the houses and gardens, but who wouldn't - it is part of the fun!  It also supports artists and craftspeople as they get to sell their work direct.  Personally, I don't think I could open my house.  It is far too messy, and the children would probably get a bit bored by the afternoon on the first day!  Then of course there is the 32kg greyhound which likes to say hello to people whole heartedly...

We had rather a hicup at the beginning of the week as Bizzie broke her arm.  We didn't see her do it, just a couple of bumps on the stairs and a wail, but she was fine after - we even had dinner.  Even though she was still playing happily we felt there was something not right and kept getting her to catch things and squeeze things which was ok, but later on when she put weight on it she winced so that was it, straight up to a and e.  The two of us spent a lovely night up there (rounded off by a very lonely walk back to a dark multi-story car park which we paid for the privilege of using - the nhs eh).  Even at the hospital she was happy.  The assessment nurse gave her some Calpol, but she was actually just crying as she wanted chocolate from the machine.  After waiting for over 2 hours, I think everyone was getting fed up of her whining, so I found a doctor and asked if she could have chocolate.  She was eating this snack using her broken arm when the nurse came to say it was broken!  So she is so well (apart from a lovely cast all the way up her arm) and has refused all medicine, but we aren't .  She has no fear, and whilst some things have been addressed such as not having bunk beds, other things I can't control so I have now turned into one of those mothers who follow their children everywhere around the playground!  It has amazed me how she is not bothered by it.  The same stairs she did it on were the ones which I fell down when I was pregnant with her and ended up having the bones in my leg pinned and plated, so I am worried things come in threes.  I may get visitors to sign a disclaimer about using our steep Victorian stairs!

My round robin quilt has gone, and is hopefully there by now.  Here is a photo - not the best one I could have taken, but I was in a rush to get it posted out.  I trimmed the size down, but the white spotty fabric and I kept having rows about laying flat!  The checkerboard border, and the plain green one where put on at the exact size, so with an iron it behaved!  I was really happy with the block I received.  Sometimes, it is a question of what to leave out, than what to put in, and I felt the strippy second border gave me the chance to do something busy.  The green fabric it has been edged with is one of my hand dyes and fitted in perfectly with the green strip round the first block.  The backing I sent is a fine dark blue check.  I was rather shocked to open my sewing box and see the label peering back at me, so that will be on its way tomorrow!  It could have been worse and I could have forgotten to put the block or backing in I suppose.  I have heard there will be a bit of a delay getting my last round, but it is not a bad thing with how busy I have been. 

 

here it is originally

I have also been sewing some samples for college - anyone for a bit of folded patchwork?

and made my very first quilted postcard.  I actually started this a couple of months ago, but a couple of factors led me to actually get it finished.  The first is that it is from a photo of the landscape near my brothers house and his birthday is coming up and I wanted to give it to him.  The second is that I was inspired to make it from the book Landscape in Contemporary Quilts by Ineke Berlyn and I went to a talk she did last week.  It was really interesting as she discussed her inspiration, and explained the design and craft process she goes through to make her quilts.  It is the first talk I have been to where a quilter has pulled out a tray and demonstrated how they dye fabric.  It was interesting as the two techniques I have used is the plastic bags, soda, salt and dye method, and the sodaing fabric and then painting on it method.  What she does is (I think I remember) is soda's the fabric, and then puts it in a plastic bag with a small amount of water and the dye.  It seems quite a clean method and i will definitely look this up and give it a try.  When I got in I couldn't wait to pull the postcard out and finish it.  I loved making it, and whilst not happy with the composition can't wait to make more of these.  I always thought it was a mystery, but all you do is lay out the fabric and quilt it, then bondaweb it to pelmet vilene, cut it down to postcard size if it isn't already and satin stitch round it.  Of course, if you are reading this you probably already know this as i think I am the last quilty person I know who has made one of these!  Voila, here it is.  Again, not the best of photos, but it had to be sent out...

 

Happy Sunday

Better Courtside Booties and a new arrival

Here are the Courtside Booties from Crochet Today. 

This is my second attempt at them, and they are so much better this time.  I am really pleased as I love the design, and they will make good baby pressies.  I think even if the baby doesn't wear them, they still look cool say hanging from a drawer handle in the bedroom.  Once figured out (these are definately an intermediate pattern, not easy as the magazine says) they are quite quick.  These were for a baby shower at the weekend.  I'm also going to put in an iou in for a baby quilt as I couldn't find any suitable fabric.  The happy couple don't know if the baby is going to be a pink or blue one and are quite alternative so are loving the colour grey.  Do you know, there is a real lack of grey fabrics out there?  I wanted graphic prints, but there was hardly any grey at all in my nearest quilt shop.  So the boots are grey, and I'll make a baby quilt later on in the summer.  I had never been to a baby shower before, but one of the girls I work with is from the US so decided to organise one.  It was fun - tea, cake and a natter.  I have heard stories of very grand gifts being given at American baby showers, but the done thing here is the wait till the baby is born, so hopefully my present has covered both bases!  My parents made me laugh.  My Dad didn't understand what a baby shower was and thought it was wrong that I was leaving Bizzie at home, and my mum tried to explain to him "it was one of those things you see the celebs go to looking glamorous holding extravagant gifts".

I would also like to announce the arrival of...

Janome Decor DC3050.  Do you name your sewing machine?  My last one would have had a very child unfriendly name if I did.  Going off topic for a mo Mister J and I were talking about naming the car the other day and all he could come up with was Herbie.  Mmm, very original.  So being a Breakfast at Tiffany's fan I think we will leave it as "car without a name" (just like her cat).  Anyway, here it is.  I am so chuffed as there was no way I could've bought one this summer as there are too many other things to pay out for, but my mum gave it to me out of a little amount of money she has just been left.  My great aunt would have really approved of the gesture - she was even knitting earlier on this year at the age of 96, and Bizzie has baby Annabel wrapped up in one of those blankets.
I have said before on this blog that I am not geeky about sewing machines, but I found myself questioning things such as how many stitches I really need, what will it's main uses be, and whether I wanted a computerised one.  The latter was the one that most troubled me.  This machine I really liked,it's functions were exactly what I needed, but it had a digital screen which put me off.  The owner of the shop told me it is just a circuit board, and not a computer, so I went with it.  It fits my walking foot, and he swapped my quarter inch and darning foot over so I am very happy.  In case you are interested, the funtions it has that I wanted are:
Variable Speed (the amount of times the dog or children have walked past and my foot has gone down and my old machine ran away with me
Up/Down needle function - this is so good for chain piecing and turning corners
A couple of button hole stitches - just watch me applique everything in my house now
High Presser Foot - for getting quilts through
Wide feed dogs
Free arm - I really want to start making more clothes and some of the made for quilting machines don't have this.
Now I know some of you probably have fancy Berninas, but this to me is like a dream.  Also, just to add my political statement, please buy local.  This machine is from a little shop in Portslade (to the West of Brighton).  It is really old fashioned, but my first machine (a tiny Frister and Rossman) came from there about 20 years ago.  I then bought my old Janome there about 4 years ago, and now this one.  They service and repair machines, and really know their stuff.  The owner spent over an hour showing me the features of different machines and let me try them out.  I had a bit more to spend than the £289 it was, but he just explained the next machine up did a very basic alphabet and to question if that is worth another £40 to me.  I could have bought the machine cheaper online, but money can''t buy this service!

Oh and by the way.  I will always put the dust cover on it, and never shove it under the dining table when we have dinner...

x

Ding Ding Round 2

Just a quickie - have had a boy poorly off school, then a weekend of college  (yes, we drove in the snow)and now the school holidays.  I have started work on my quilt for my final project, but it is hand sewn so my evenings are being spent doing this, rather than surfing.

Anyway, here is a peek of some of my college work (for my fashion accessory project).  It is so nearly finished...

and here is a picture of the round 2 of the Spring Fling Round Robin quilt swap. 

Part of me loves it, and part of me is unsure about it.  I got the orange and thought it looked great as it warmed the centre up, and bought another colour in.  My first idea was to do checkerboard, but after I had put the strip of the yellow floral on the centre square the measurements involved a half inch, which means the one inch units of the checkerboard wouldn't have fitted in

   

Looking at the photo I feel that it looks a bit ott.  I think if a strong blue or green is introduced again on the next round it will come together again.  The golden yellow is hand dyed (procion mx), and this is the fabric which I will send out, along with what is left of the floral one (and I only used a tiny bit, so there is loads left).  I hope the next recipient likes it.  It can go on point, or be left square - the choice is theirs!

I am taking the children up to Yorkshire this weekend, so will be back next week.

x 

Advice please readers...

Oh my, you know what it's like, you don't post for a week and then you have trouble deciding what to post about...so here is a bit of everything. 

Easter was good.  Some things were traditional, such as too much chocolate, and some things weren't, such as driving up to Essex on Easter Sunday through a snow blizzard!  Mister J won the Easter competition at school which I am thrilled about as it has given him a little confidence boost.

I received my centre block for the round robin swap on Friday.  It is from Luisa in Portugal and is delightful.  I'll photograph it tomorrow and give it it's rightly deserved own post to mull over what border to put on it.

I'm having machine issues, so really need some sewing advice.  On the whole I find the subject of sewing machines quite boring, you buy one, and you use it to sew.  However, my attitude is changing as my machine is not being so obedient.  I have been free machine stitching on fabric and paper for college, but am having terrible problems.  I think my machine does not like it, but thought I'd blog about it here to see if anyone has any tips.  I have a basic domestic Janome machine, which doesn't have feed dogs you drop, it has a plate to cover them.  Every time I have tried sewing with it, the thread has looped at the back and in the sample below 2 needles broke.  The plastic plate which covers the feed dogs has marks on it where the needle has hit it, and i use the darning foot.  I love this technique, but am getting really frustrated with my machine.  I was bought up on British sitcoms and my machine and I keep having a Basil Fawlty threatening his car moment!  Whilst on the subject of machines I am having a further dilemma.  It really needs a service (not linked to the free machine stitching as it has always disliked doing it), but it will be £45.  Part of me thinks I should just part exchange it and try out a new machine.  I would have a maximum of £200 to spend, but if any of you have a budget machine you can recommend, let me know.  Likewise, any tips on free machine stitching would be much appreciated.

Here is the front of the piece I was sewing, along with a sample I gave up on this after realising I was flinching when sewing in case another needle broke!

The loopy back - horrid eh?

My second dilemma of the day are these crochet Converse boots.  I followed the pattern, but feel the sole doesn't work.  I think if I was to make them again I would slip stitch the sole to the upper.  So what do you think readers, do these look great and I am being fussy, or does the sole look just a bit silly?  They need their black laces in, but I didn't want to crochet them unless I am going to give them to the person I made them for.

Do these look like seventies platform Converse boots?

Something else I'm up to which I'm not going to blog too much about, is a project with Mister J's school. This week I did resist fabric dyeing with 90 reception age children.  My hands are a bit stained, but none went on the children - phew!  It is for a background to a wall hanging which the older children will applique on.

Lots to do this week.  I have some free log cabin blocks to try hand sewing as part of my Gees Bend project. I am really looking forward to the hand sewing. I need to get my quilt project designed and ready to be approved, and try to finish my bag.  I also would like to get my Round Robin done and sent out early.   I have also acquired a couple of new books so will post some photos of those - the usual seventies applique I love.  Selvedge is out and looks like a really good issue, and I have already scanned some photos from the new Crochet Today to blog in a minute, so there should be a bit more happening round here this week!

Hope you are all adjusting to the clocks changing.  Since I have had children I much prefer losing an hour as it means I can say I got up at 7 o'clock, rather than 6, which sounds much more sociable!

Happy Sunday x

Naughty Iron

I finished my Spring Fling Round Robin centre block this week, but have had a disaster!

Here it is, all folk arty - a bit Janet Boltony.

I got it ready to send out (please forgive the label, I am out of bubble jet set, and the laundry marker I bought in town is one of the biro style ones I have never used, and never will buy again...)

Shock, horror, there is a bloomin iron mark on it

so I am starting again.  All the pieces are tacked round freezer paper, so I should get it finished this evening.  How annoying!  In other work, I have been cutting and sticking prepared papers to come up with some quilt designs in the style of the Gees Bend quilters.

Happy Friday x

Frustration and a peek into the past

The return to routine round here has been delayed by Mister J being ill last night.  He is much better today, and will be at school 15 minutes early tomorrow!  Bizzie is going through the "why should I go to bed when the two of you are still up" phase, so I still haven't had that much sewing time.  She is so sweet, really really sweet, but boy does she have determination. 

I did get a little bit of sewing done on Saturday night when I went to babysit for friends.  I turned up with a big bowling bag full of notes and fabric and my hand sewing box and looked as if I was moving in for the night.  I had a lovely time, the children didn't wake up, and I sewed whilst watching rubbish tv including a Carry On film.  There is something about being at someone else's house which means you aren't thinking about all the other things you should be doing, like you would at home.  I feel I am in a bit of a rut and have lots of projects going on, so my aim this week is to get some of them finished.

To get a bit of inspiration last night, I turned to two vintage sewing books I recently bought in charity shops.  One is dated 1948, and the other doesn't have a date, but must be from the same period.  They make me realise how far we have come.  Both books have chapters on dressmaking, mending and reusing items, and a few crochet and knitting patterns.  The patterns in both books have no pictures, or diagrams, so you only find out what the project looks like as you are making it.  It is almost like making a mystery quilt.  I had to call my mum to find out what "stays" are, as one of the crochet patterns is for "Baby's Stays".  It seems a bit harsh to put a baby in a crochet corset, but when I am having to deal with a tantrum and having to get somewhere on time I can see the attraction!  It is the same with the embroidery patterns, with a description of the stitch and how to sew it, but no diagrams. Here are a few scans of the books, and a couple of the patterns.  Each book has about 10 crochet patterns in it, for shawls, a dolly and bedroom slippers.  My favourite is the "Brassiere (for a medium figure)", imagine sitting on the bus crocheting yourself a bra!  If anyone would like a photocopy  of the patterns (knitting as well as crochet) just let me know.  If you are having trouble reading some of the scans, just click on the picture to enlarge it)

I also got this in the post today, my Wee Wonderfuls Quilting Bee pattern.  I love it, and it is a lot bigger than the other Stitchettes, so when once I sewn it I want to make it into a cover for one of my ring binders with my patterns - perfect eh!

Finally, thank you to Louise for nominating me for a "You make my Day" award.  I would like to pass this on to some of my old favourite blogs, as well as a couple of new ones I have found.  So, in grand Oscar style speech, I would like to give this award to
Hillary whose blog was one of the first I found and is still a favourite
Jo whose blog I have just found.  I love the button jewellery she has done recently. 
Sarah the only blog person I have met.  Love the descriptions of her working process, and her cat is called Florence!
Michelle, my partner from the first doll quilt swap.  Her blog is a really good mix of quilting and crafting with kids
Kate, another Brit quilt blogger
Marisa, another blog I found through the doll quilt swap, full of lovely quiltyness
Quilt Whilst You're Ahead - I have only just found this one and am already a fan.  Crochet, quilting and humour - a fab mix
Amanda at Treefall (who has just introduced her gorgeous new baby on her blog - go and say hello)
Lynne - I love the work, and love the humour

and Louise, please accept this back from me - I love reading your blog.

Night Night x 

Rail Fence Quilt sent

Phew, this one is in the post.  It measures 38" by 48", so is a perfect size lap quilt.  The quilting is so lazy, but I had to get this done quickly.  I usually use one piece of fabric for the back, but didn't have enough for this so used the offcuts.  I am so happy with how this looks, and will definately make the back more interesting in future.  I do love this block, it looks so complicated, but us quilters know it isn't..!

We have had a really busy couple of days.  Yesterday we went to an event celebrating the Chinese New Year at the Dome in Brighton.  The day ended with a lantern procession and dragon dancers in the grounds of the Royal Pavilion.  The palace was designed with an eastern theme, so it was the perfect place for the events to be held.  Here is a photo of the building last night - the events were behind where I was standing when I took this.

Today we went up to London at Mister J's request to see the dinosaur bones at the Natural History Museum.  Oh my, it was so busy.  Thankfully Bizzie slept whilst we were being herded through the dinosaur exhibits along with half the population of London.  He was impressed with what he saw

and I took some sneaky pics for quilting inspiration

We dived out from the mayhem of the Natural History Museum to the V and A next door.  I love this museum, it gives me that Tiffany feeling.  We had a fab lunch and then the kids did some of the free crafts in the Asia gallery.  It was good as they had cushions scattered around so you could sit and craft for as long as you liked.  I think my mum enjoyed the sit down (oh yes, I don't think I could have coped with the two of them on my own today)!  I then got a quick look in the textiles gallery.  It is a bit embarrassing as I knew the item I wanted to photograph in the textiles gallery as I know the exhibits so well.  They can't have been changed for a very long time, and even have hand typed labels still.  We then went into the shop where I showed a lot of restraint and travelled home via tube and train.
I hope the rest of half term isn't a let down after these two fun filled days!

x

Happy Valentine's Day

What a lovely sunny Spring week we have been having here.  Loads of sewing has been going on here.

It looks like a box of chocolates...

but no, I am teasing myself.  It is a box containing my bloomin fiddly 6 inch blocks for my disco bag for college.  The photo has dulled down the brightness - you are lucky...

I have also been binding this quilt (don't you think quilts look a bit naked when they are trimmed down ready for quilting?)  It needs to go in the post tomorow so has one more side to be hand sewn down and will then be in the washing machine.

and here is my sweet Valentines card, with my favourite kitty's on the front.

Now, it is 6.15, too early to get the kids in bed and settle down with wine and a take away?

Happy Valentines x

Creative Stitches

I had a good afternoon out with my mum today at Creative Stitches at the Brighton Centre.  The last time I went there my opinion of it was the same.  There are some gems, but also some really awful stands.  The gems were embroideries from the WI archive, and quilts from the Quilters Guild Stitch in Time exhibition.   From the stands I loved the work of Sue Allan who makes dolls and embroideries.  She was lovely to chat to and had used lot of Liberty fabrics so I was taken with her work immediately!  My mum bought me a doll pattern from her stand, which rather cheekily I am planning to make for her for mothers day (she doesn't know this and she loved the dolls as they are filled with lavender).  From other stands I bought buttons, paper, thread and some fabric, however the range is rather dissapointing considering the show calls itself Creative Stitches.  When I went before three years ago I remember being rather dissapointed at the quality of some of the stands as there are far too many of the gimmicky demonstation type stands selling tat.  They seem to be using forcefull marketing techniques and are nothing to do with stitches and it is very debatable how creative they are.  I know the organisers can't please everyone (the card making and cross stitch isn't my cup of tea), but if they kept true to the name of the show it would be much better.  Also the workshops and talks could be improved - grr there is so much more they could do with it.  Still, it is very local to me, and worth going to see things such as the amazing knitted gingerbread house.  The stall next to it was even selling knitted gingerbread men and sweets to raise money.  I was so pleased I didn't have the children with me as it would have been very hard to stop them getting in it. 

The tree growing next to the house (wonder if you could knit one out of plastic bags and have it in the garden..?)

Check out all these goodies on the roof

A bit blurry, but I love the detail on this box of matches.

Now, I am going on a wine search in the kitchen.  I am quite pleased as I haven't fancied a glass since I was ill last week, so it shoes I am getting better!

Chin chin x