Thursday 9 December 2010

stash and churn


What a day yesterday was! Jethro's head swelled to the size of a kohl rabi with all the compliments he got over at the D-Files (he says it makes up for not getting into the inside/out shoot) and a big thanks to everyone for visiting!
I've been working on a new project. It came to me in a vision splendid on Monday evening and I jumped straight into it on Tuesday. I pulled out the block for the cross-stitch linen chemises I did last year (?!) and redrafted it in pieces, then I raided the shelves and put together a mix of new, vintage and embroidered fabrics. Jen-and-Ben popped in in the middle of the day and Jen spied it on the iron board and was all 'oh, what's that?', I just said 'oh something I'm working on' (I get a bit superstitious at this stage). I finished it, fell in love with it, thought that no-one but me would possibly like it, took it to the shop and promptly sold it half an hour later. Yesterday I spent the day grading the patterns and made two more. It's the loose chemise, made principally of squares and rectangles, a traditional method of giving a garment shape with the least wastage of fabric, and looks absolutely gorgeous over jeans (it's also reversible with different combinations of fabric on the other side). I may have to size this pattern up to my 6'1" height, I'm so in lurve with patched fabrics again, pattern on pattern on pattern.
A few years ago I made some wool jackets pieced out of about 5 fabrics per garment. When I showed them to someone I used to wholesale to, she remarked that some people would say that was 4 fabrics too many. This is one of the reasons I opened the Cottage.

3 comments:

  1. wow give us more pics - I am stuck out in the sticks and will never get into our shop unfortunately

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  2. Miss Pen Pen we looove that you always use 4 fabrics too many, please never stop!!!!! K x

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  3. I used to work for a designer in the early 80's who did the same thing. I got my 'eye' from her. As a result I too think it is very pleasing to mash 'em all together. I say, the more the merrier!

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