School memories and big steps!

My daughter has just left primary school.  It's a huge step.  For her too LOL!

I wanted a way to remember her times at school without having a sweatshirt hanging up in a wardrobe.

So I decided to make a cushion from it.

I stuffed it and fluffed it and piped it and appliqued it.  I used as much of the sweatshirt as I could possibly muster!

And as the headteacher is moving on to another school, I gave it to him.  But I will make another one for my daughter to keep - we do have another one after all!

Next...

Rose-print summer dress (was curtains!)

I love curtains.  There's always loads of fabric with which to create whatever you desire!

So I saw some rose-print curtains in a charity shop and bought them there and then.  Well, you would, wouldn't you?!  The roses were not too big and not too small.

It's summer.  So I knew that a summer dress was the order of the day.  It is loosely based on an existing dress that I adore, but I tweaked it here and there.  I added a waistband to lengthen the dress somewhat - I seem to have a long body!

And because it's cotton, it's very cool to wear.

 

 

I also shortened the shoulder straps because there's nothing worse than having to tame a wayward strap every so often.  It was either that or employ paperclips!

 

 

But after I was happy with the straps, the front of the dress rode up a bit higher than I liked.  So I tamed it with a bit of ruching and a piece of leftover strap.  It gives it more shape too.

As I said - gotta love those curtains!

 

 

 

Next...

 



 

You gotta go to Goldhawk Road, London

Go to Goldhawk Road, they said.  You must visit if you're in London.

So last weekend, when I was up in London, I decided to go and have a saunter along Goldhawk Road and see what all the fuss was about.

You see, it's supposed to be THE fabric shopping area in London.

I did my research.  I discovered that there were 6 fabric shops along one small stretch of high street.  And that they were reasonably priced.  And chock a block full of sumptuous fabric.

With a spring in my step, I took the tube to Goldhawk Road and then had a mosey.

Oh.  My.  Goodness.

Talk about heaven!!

I discovered not 6 but THIRTEEN fabric shops along the same small part of road.

I walked from one shop to the next oohing and ahhing at the different colours, textures and patterns.  Each shop had a distinct flavour - one smelled of incense, the next smelled of leather.  There were spots, stripes, silks, ethnic prints, lace (the like of which I've never seen), heavily embroidered velvet and fabric of all colours, varieties and shades of the rainbow.  The fabric bolts were virtually stacked on top of one another.

And there were basements full too.  And upstairs rooms jam-packed with yet more fabric.  I have never seen so much in all my life.

I only bought 4 different fabrics while I was there.  All very distinct.  All inspiring.

 

My favourite shop by far was Classic Textiles.  It wasn't so much the range of fabric (although that was pretty darned special too), but the staff were wonderful.  As soon as I entered the shop I was greeted and made to feel welcome.  As I looked around I was seemingly assigned my own personal shopper whose job it was to help me find whatever it was I was looking for (I had no idea at this point, but it became clearer when I found the printed cottons).  He was just lovely - ever pointing me in the direction of yet more fabric.  Well, I'd come this far, I may as well look round the entire shop!!

I bumped into a textiles student while I was in there.  We were both amazed at the selection and quality of the fabric available and the prices too.

So, yeah.  I'd say you gotta go to Goldhawk Road!!