BLONDE DESIGN

Wednesday, 5 May 2010

MEET VINCENT

Meet Vincent, Vinny for short.

He is a little monster, well not so little anymore approx 14" x 14".

He loves his moustache.

He loves doors and floors.

He is made from vintage barkcloth fabric from the 70's, a black dotty fabric, Full moon in slate and a few vintage, retro or just darn cute button eyes.stuffed with polyfil, with a little room left to add yor own bag of rice, to make him bottom heavy

(SO YOU DON'T HAVE TO PAY THE POSTAGE).
Hidden zip along the bottom allows you to fill the space up. Fully overlocked.
My handmade label on the back and a black dotty ribbon tag to finish him off.

Kx

Monday, 3 May 2010

MAKE MONDAY

Monday's Make

I Love Boden Clothing, but just don't have the cash flow to go out and buy it, so I had a lightblub moment and have set myself a weekly challage to make new or re-invent some key pieces to get my own Boden look! (Oh dear what have I done....)

So the first is the simplest for me and for anybody who can't even sew, take one pair of old or new sneekers (bargin £6 form Asda), 2 metres of bias binding that I make for my shop blondesbackyard, otherwise any of those ribbons you have stashed to match the outfit you are going to wear, I used 1m of binding for each sneeker, tie'd a knot in each end no sewing required. Voila a Bodenesque pair of pumps.

Today I made a vintage & retro peg bag for the blondedesign shop need to play around with the neck a little on the next couple I do, using retro barkcloth fabric, a few cute buttons from the stash and chocolate spotty ribbon.

Also for the blondedesign shop I have made my first couple of gadget bags, after making one for somebody at work.

This one is classic Miffy with Amy Butler full moon fabric and red spot lining, chocolate spotty ribbon and a detachable key chain.

And this is a fab fabric I picked up off ebay - shoes!!! with Amy Butler full moon fabric in lime and a funky orange zip, more Amy Butler lining, green spotty ribbon and a detachable key chain.

Both of these are padded the Miffy one being over padded for those who like to make sure their gadget doesn't get broken.

MADE Girls Market Skirt Tutorial

lhttp://www.dana-made-it.com/2009/07/market-skirt-tutorial.html

Now I don't sadly have a little girl to dress up and make little skirts for, but if I did, she would have a wordrobe full of these.

I found SeetheWoodsandtheTrees talking about them so thought I would take a look, you can download the pattern for free and get making.

Just a thought we could all do with elasticated waists and a wordrobe full of skirts, if I up'd the pattern a few inches (OK another 30 inches or more.....) put on my best wellies and favorite cardi, I could almost pull off the pretty look, which is something I can't seem to do, even when trying on Wedding dresses, I wanted the 1920's lace look, all pretty and floaty, as soon as I put the dress on, my mum just looked at me, I looked and me and knew it was just so wrong.

Sunday, 2 May 2010

LATEST SUPERHERO CUSHIONS

www.babyblondedesign.folksy.com

www.babyblondedesign.etsy.com

A trio of Comicbook cushions

16" POW! cushion in black with white and grey felt wording, envelope back, cushion included

20" BAM! cushion in black with white and grey felt wording, envelope back, cushion included

12" ZAP! cushion in black with white and grey felt wording, envelope back, cushion included

All for sale in babyblondedesign shops, hope you like. Kx

Thursday, 29 April 2010

MAKE - PAPER LANTERNS

Thinking that it would be sunny over the Bank Holiday weekend (she laughs), I thought I would make some cute paper lanterns to hang from the bamboo in the backyard, whilst eating alfresco.

So after searching the web, I found a few shaped the way I wanted, followed the instructions, and if you fancy making some, this how to do it. Take some wrapping paper, mine is double sided which you dont need, spilt pins / tacs, something to cut with, draw with and a ruler!

Cut 15 strips into 1/2" x 4" (for one lantern), I have cut for three. Use a rotary cutter, knife or sicssors, ruler, pen or pencil.

Next put your 15 strips together and hole punch both ends (carefully), if you dont have a hole punch then use something sharp, without stabbing yourself.

Next using your tacs / split pins, mine are a little large but couldn't get small cheap siver ones, so just had to purchase the pretty pink set in Staples....(honest)

Insert your tacs / spilt pins

Next starting with the botton piece of paper, pull away and twist around, yes at first looks a little wrong.

As you start to fan around the bottom layers, you will start to see the globe take shape.

Finished lantern, just add string or string a few together.

I even made a large lantern 1" x 8" - double the size, looks a little flat on the table, but when hung, looks fab. I will add more photos taken outside when it stops raining!

You could always use these as table decorations, for a dinner party, put them in bowl, vase or just scatter them along the mantlepiece..

Wednesday, 28 April 2010

HELLO SAILOR

Latest Make - Simple Tee-Shirt Dress

With Boot fair Belt

With self tie belt (long piece of untrimmed fabric)

With my latest sale purchase - Laura Ashley Cardie £15.00

(fell in love with the polka dot belt, shame on me)

With my Bargain Red Mary Jane's from EBay £5.00

Fabric for Dress £5.00 from EBay.

No show white legs unforgivable.

Headless Photo's Priceless.

Saturday, 24 April 2010

MORDERN QUILTED CUSHION - FINISHED!!

Finally finished the quilted cushion, after picking up some batting, and the stuff works a treat, just what I had been looking for to do padded gadget cases, as using wadding is far to bulky.
This is a big big 22" x 22" fully quilted front and a brushed cotton, chocolate brown heavy weight fabric back, trimmed with my polka dot chocolate brown bias binding and logo.

I now feel I can tackle a couple more in different colours before embarking on baby quilts or floor mats. I am going to put this up for sale in babyblondedesign.
Now off to drink a ice cold glass of white white!
Kxx

Thursday, 22 April 2010

FOR A CHANGE

As you may have noticed I have has a bit of a blog change around, for better or worse only you can decide, spent hours working out how to add tabs, but still can not seem to get any answers on how to link a post into one of the pages, so if anybody knows.... All I keep hearing is the pages are static, but other people have done it so we must be able too!

Got together some scraps of my leftover fabrics in blues and greens, Amy Butler in lime and slate, Alexander Henry Zoo, Chocolate polka dots, Blue and green linen blend plains and a sturdy Chocolate brown for the reverse, and before embarking on a modern quilt I thought I would start with a boys 22" large cushion, hopefully this will be complete by the weekend to take pics! so you can see if I should continue with the quilting.You really must visit my 'new' tab for Yummie Fabrics, for places to buy your hoard, if you have found any others in the UK, please let me know and we can build up a database, I am going to leave off the US ones for now, as they get plenty of blogging through every other website.
I will also add favorite button and ribbon sellers.

Anyway I shall leave you to drool over some fabric packs available at Saints & Pinners
(link on my yummy fabric tab).
Kx

Tuesday, 20 April 2010

Wishing on a White Christmas - FOLKSY

Wishing on a White Christmas

Go on treat yourself, not others, you know you want to....
Sometimes I wish (although I shouldn't waste a wish) I could have to homes one full of colour the other all white and creams, where I wear white linen trousers a slinky white top, I am 2 stone lighter has a healthy suntan, and chocolate doesn't drop on my lap, and wine wine doesn't stain.These are just a small collection of folksy's whites and creams.

Happy Friday, and don't forget treat yourself.
Kx

p.s click on the picture to go to the Folksy shop.

Sunday, 18 April 2010

Scotty Dogs, Shoes & Cupcakes

My winner of a Tissue Case giveaway, likes cupcakes and blue. So using this fab cupcake fabric and Amy Butler Full Moon Fabric, I produced this little number which will be winging its way in the post tomorrow for Kellie Mairs .

Scotty Dog Pop Purse

Shhhhhh don't tell the boys, a work colleague asked me if I could make a 'towel pouch' for her daughter at school, so she didn't have to drag her bag into the toilets every time she got up.
I have used one of these for a couple of years, saves on space in the handbag!