Spring to Summer Bedding

Saturday 30 April 2016


Today I’m teaming up with The Yorkshire Linen Co. to share my plans on moving my family’s bedding through the season from Spring to Summer. I love adding textiles in my home; creating texture and pattern that fits with our vintage-scandi style.

It's that in between time of year; Winter and Summer quilts, thick fluffy bottom sheets, hot water bottles and blankets. I’m writing this as my heating keeps clicking on and auto off so my post is very fitting.

I like to create a clean calming look with our bedding using white cotton quilt covers, pillowcases and a bright fitted sheet.  A good friend once said that white was an underestimated colour for interiors and I tend to agree! The bottom sheet picks out the colours in my cushions and throws, it’s not too fussy and frilly for my husband’s taste and it’s a long way from the crazy patterns we grow up with in the 80s and 90s! These days we love our pale bedding and throws.

Ikea bedding is one of my favourites (and so is Swedish tea when we go to buy it!). I bought these throws a few weeks ago in preparation for a warmer Spring and to get our a Summer quilt out (if only). The throws start at just over a fiver, I really love the cosy pink and grey strip throw  which my daughter likes to snuggle in. Our cream linen effect waffle blanket is super cosy and washes really well. I also keep Ikea's polar fleeces in the airing cupboard for the cat. Cats love beds but that's another post.

Throws are great for this time of year, I use two or three on my bed at any one time as our toddler and cat are usually on the bed in the night or in the morning!

The Yorkshire Linen Co. have a great range of throws to add to your bed this Spring.Create your own shabby chic feel, here's my pick from the online store.

I always look for easy care throws and wash them every time I change the bed. Usually,  I choose a waffle or fleece throw for my cats to snuggle in on the top (if it's not a rainy day), a woolly textured throw and a patterned tassel throw for me when I’m reading in bed. Yes it is a sewing book that's my current bedtime reading!



I feel it's fitting to partner with The Yorkshire Linen Co as I studied my textile degree in Yorkshire and I’ve been shopped here since my student days. The bedding from them really does last and the service is fabulous. Thank-you for letting me pick my favourites!

What are your tips?

Love,

Samantha

This is a collaborated post.

Ruffles and Bows and a #vintagepledge

Friday 29 April 2016



This year I've decided to sign up to the #vintagepledge dressmaking challenge .

I know that it's April but thanks to my Mum and my pattern haul I'm going to join! Today I'm sharing which patterns I'm going to sew up this year and why...

 Yesterday Mum was over and I were going through my pattern box (we do this from time to time a Mother and Daughter thing!), we were searching for a jacket pattern for my brother's wedding. Mum commented on how many old fashioned patterns I had. I thought why not take part in Marie's vintage sewing pattern challenge. Here I am....

I love sewing old patterns from my Mum and my Grandmother's old sewing boxes, they are just...beautiful and mean so much. Even my Wedding dress had a bolero jacket made from two of my Gran's old patterns. It's a little part of family history, some families keep books, we keep dress patterns.

So this is my #vintagepledge 2016

 I have chosen four lovely patterns -


Style 4771 - a knee length skirt with a pretty detailed shoulder detail. The shoulder detail is really unique with a kind of bolero look. I think this would be great for the Autumn.

Simplicity 8217 - a pattern from Gran's box. The dress has a flair skirt and V or scoop neck. I love the bow and the side curved darts.


                           
Simplicity 6535 - My Gran's shift dress with long curved shaped darts on the bodice. This pattern has so many variations on the sleeves, neckline and those bows!!


                    

Style 3686 One from the family pattern suitcase again, a puffed sleeved flair dress with a ruffle front.


So there you have it, a lot of bows and ruffles and a 60s and 70s style going on. I've picked dresses as I need more dresses in my wardrobe for Summer days, less toddler picking up (dresses have been a no for a few years!)

For more vintage inspiration visit the Pinterest board -



Happy Sewing,

Samantha x

Tea Set Treasure & My Tips To Find Vintage China

Thursday 28 April 2016

Hello,

As you may know I love old china and collect it for my home and for use at my tea party business.  I started five years ago just after our Wedding collecting pretty tea cups from charity shops. I think that having a vintage Wedding started me off on a trend and I love it!

Today, I want to share with you how I find my vintage china and my newest pretty tea set I'm keeping for my birthday party in September and it's sooo gorgeous!



Hunting for vintage china does take time and gets very easily addicting. You can find sets in charity shops, car boots and vintage shops. In recent years it has increased in price, I think many sets have nearly doubled in price as dealers and charity shops a like get on the vintage trend. I picked up in 2012 a vintage suitcase full of china for £5, in the same charity shop this week I'm paying that for a cup.


Ebay is a great place too, I only use it if I want to add to a set and buy the odd thing. For example I found a beautiful Royal Crown Derby set for my sister-in-law and it's missing a cup. I'll go to Ebay for one as many seller split up the sets and sell it one by one.


I find the best way is to spread the word around your family and friends that you collect vintage china. This new set with a pretty thistle design was bought from a lady in my village whose father had sadly passed away and she wanted it to go to a home where it would be loved and used. I bought it off her, got it home washed it in Milton and washing up liquid two or three times. Here are my photos of my lovely new vintage Royal Albert set.


My blue thistle tea pot, tea cups and vintage linen

Playing with patterns, cloths and petals!

If you have any questions or tips on how to buy vintage china leave me a comment. I'm on Google+ comments at the moment but will be moving to Disqus one we can iron out the widgets!

Happy Hunting,

Samantha x


Self Drafted Chinelo Inspired Tea Dress

Friday 22 April 2016



Today I'm sharing my first self drafted tea dress inspired by Chinelo Bally's Freehand Fashion book. I wanted to make a Summery dress without a paper pattern! Very new and exciting for my sewing challenge on #craftblogclub, a lovely craft and creative blogging community. I had a very faithful black dress to take the pattern from. It was a classic shift dress with darts on the front and back. I wanted to use the tips on measuring and freehand sewing from Chinelo. I'd watched her on the Sewing Bee and it was a totally new way of cutting for me, no pattern just.straight.on.the.fabric! So this is how I made my very first self drafted, no pattern tea dress.


I used a stretch sateen fabric I had been gifted by Coats Crafts. The design is Lindsey by Westminster Fabrics and it was a thank-you for working on a craft blog meet with them. I really loved the tea rose design on blue, it was vintage and flowery -perfect! I had the 1 metre of fabric at 60" wide which was just enough to make the dress and self coloured bias binding.


I laid the fabric double lengthwise for cutting and put my black dress onto as a pattern. The was all totally new for me. With my tailors chalk I traced around the dress leaving 2.5" as a seam allowance. I then refered to Chino's chapter on measuring and measured me and translated to the 'pattern' changing my chalk markings on the Lindsey fabric. It all took about 30 minutes to do. I cut out the front and back in three pieces. Two for the back as I was adding a zip and one for the front with enough spare to make bias binding.



I didn't add darts to the front or back as I used my body shape instead, I was talking to some other dressmaking friend's about this, why can't you sew a dress to fit your shape with no added darts?
 We think that this is not commercially easy to cut and grade patterns for but for me it's a great fit.



At the back, I put in a concealed zip in and again no darts! The length was slightly above my knee I didn't add a back vent as I could move in it Ok and the fabric had a little stretch in it.


The bodice was cut with a scoop neck which I used a pink cotton bias binding to finish and I spent time making sure my arm holes didn't gape!


The seams were pressed open and zigzagged. I love this technique as it finished the seams really professionally.


Detail of my scoop neckline from the inside.


The dress was made in two nights at the sewing machine and a little bit of time hand hemming -  I love a hand finished hem! I've worn this dress out twice since making it and after road testing I love it! It's really grown-up and stylish. For me, I'm so glad I took the plunge and tried something new.

What would you like to try that crafty new?

Have a great day!

Samantha x