Super Hero's ahoy!

 Super hero Kimonii are here!

I made this today

I've been playing round with ideas all week,all of which didn't work at all. So in a funk I had one more go in a half hearted way, and came up with this little shirt/cardigan number, which at last I am happy with!
This is made in a little piece of Italian shirting I had left over, so it's a one off, but I am thinking of making these as little fleece cardigans. I'd like to make cotton versions, but I may have to have the lower section in a plain fabric and the top section in print, as the ripple will show the inside and print fabrics tend to be printed on one side only. The skirt is cut from two spirals joined at the back, and that's how you get the beautiful ripple and movement - I love me spirals! I may make these with my pants to match.

Keep you posted!

Introducing my new Etsy widget!

Hello my beloved followers!

I have now added a funky little Etsy shop window to my blog, so you can buy one off pieces easily - should you want to! It's where I list limited edition prints and special fabrics, so it's great for finding gifts which will impress parents and look great on kids!

It's amazing what distracts me...

 

I have been mulling over things decorative in a the eternal quest for fabrics and trends to delight the eye and dress the kids is the smartest possible style, and sometimes that quest leads me to some new and exciting corners of the inter web.

Appro of nothing, I stumbled across a sight selling wedding invitations, and I have to say that I spent a happy half hour trawling through it and having a jolly good look at all their designs. Though possibly a wasted half hour as I am already married, but I sat there wishing that I had a party to plan where I could uses these completely delicious vintage style wedding invitations -

I mean look, how could you not want to open that with out a rush of joy and the anticipation of cream teas and bunting, and really nice bunting too, with seams and everything!  

 And this one - as I am about to go to the Museum of London for an evening of Georgian decadence this would perfect for gin and canapes - 

 

And finally this one - ooh don't you just want to invite everyone you know to a vintage style tea party with champagne and strawberry meringues!

If you know someone who's getting married, nudge them in this direction - and tell them to start things off with a bit of style! You can't beat some classy vintage style stationary to make one feel like a lady of letters, and no one would ever throw away something so beautiful!

These and more can be found on Bride and Groom Direct - and are too good to keep just for weddings!

Aventures in silk...

Probably not what you were expecting from the title, but this is a blog about my working on the designs in my children's wear collection which adults have expressed an interest in. Chief among these is my Rapuru coat, above, which people really like. As do I, but the simple a-line, bat wing sleeve shape does not work for women's styles - perhaps if you are a 1960's Japanese model then it would, but my attempts to copy the design directly just looked like clown outfits at adult size.

 

So we'll keep it for the little ones!

But I have been working on elements of the designs to translate into a jacket for women, namely the big ripple collar. I had the idea of developing the coat with a belt section at the middle which will allow the same pattern to be used for a short and a long jacket. And I also had the idea of making it in lovely Chinese satin. But that's very thin, so I decided to try interlining each panel with fleece fabric. Traditionally  one might use wadding, but this does make for a very thick and bulky effect - think body warmer - so fleece would allow me to interline the sleeves as well.

I had a Kimonii I'd made in Chinese satin, so I sacrificed it in the name of progress. There wasn't enough fabric to make the collar as I wanted, or the sleeves, but I've managed to get the body panels out.

It's given me enough of an idea, and I think that it's worth the investment in fabric to continue - despite the argument the fleece and satin have as they're stitched together, they get on okay when finished, and it'd nice and warm. I even quite like the inside, though I plan to line it, the seams pressed open and stitched down are such a nice finish I am tempted to simply use facings rather than cover them up. If I were being really swish, I would be tempted to use Hong Kong seams, but I'm not that swish!

Today I have been buying fabrics...

I have signed up to do a market with the lovely Designer/Maker people. My first outing with them will be on February 18th 2012, so if you are around and about do come and find me.

With this in mind, I have been buying fabrics from Fabric Land, (worst website, best fabric!) which is where I shall go when I die. I bought a lot of fat quarters, which are 1/4 meter squares of fabric, which they sell in bundles of four, so that each bundle gives you four lovely printed cottons. As I now have a Kimonii pattern for sizes 6-12 months, which can be cut out of one meter of fabric, I shall be making a whole load of these in mixed up printed cottons, so although the colours will match the finished garments will have one side different to the other, creating a (hopefully) delightful rag-bag/vintage look. I am hoping to get them down in price - although fabric is fractionally more expensive that bought on the roll, I can buy a much greater selection of prints than is possible when purchasing whole rolls. By the time I've made 12, I should be pretty speedy also! I can also make my funky Kossack pants with crazy multi-print legs in smaller sizes, all of which will make great gifts.
Anyway, right now they're just delightful bundles of fabrics, so here are some of the colours you can look forward to seeing in February!

Well hello, it's been a while, but it's that time of year - sleeping, eating and hiding from the weather.
But this is also a time to experiment with things, and here are the results - my Lady Kimonii!

The finished article.

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For the adult version, because I can use tie belts with gay abandon - I have worked out the pattern for jersey fabric, which really makes good use of the designs wrap around style and layering - rather like a wrap dress crossed with a trouser suit!