Tuesday, 17 August 2010

A/W 2010 HOT KNITS - settings changed!!!


Sonia Rykel Gloves £70.00
I know most of you are going to say, I'm not following the fashion trend, it sucks and I will be knitting what I want, how I want and use the cheapest wool I can find! Plus I've been knitting those for years!
Well what ever the argument is, the big fashion houses bring out a trend, be it new, old hat (accuse the pun!), a throw back from the 80's (snoods, snoods, snoods & arm warmers aka Madonna, as I am about to point out). The high street stores then cherry pick, copy and mass sell in cheaper acrylic wool blends, cheap labour, and just how they love to skimp on the excess.
So whether you follow it or not we are lead or lend a nod to fashion, after all you are not buying your own stock, the followers of fashion are.

Taking a peek at net-a-porter, I have 'cherry picked' what I think I can adapt, within my sewing abilities and what is most wearable, coveratable, and just sits on the line of classic, can be worn with pretty much with any of this winters trends. A few of you may just jump with joy as you are already making, and making very well, similar items.

I love the Sonia Rykal gloves, just like those stripey knee high socks (that I have a draw full of, and wear under my boots..). But priced at £70, and beyond my current sewing skills, I am going to have to see who on folksy will make some like these first (or get a customer order in........).

Stella McCartney for Adidas £40.00
Burberry Snood £195.00

Donna Karen Infinity Scarf £500

Call it what you want but the snood (the throw back, as mentioned from the 80's is back!!) Yer. Well I think its a good idea, keeps your neck warm, a quick hat for the rain and the wind or snow, what else do you want...
So Stella McCartney for Adidas is not expensive at all, but following the 'trend' the snood is low key, no day glow oranges, lime gleens and pinks, but tones of black, grey, winter white and a touch of red thrown in, The bigger and chunkier the better.

Donna Karen Arm Warmers £285.00

Missoni Fingerless Gloves £155

Another of my favorites for this season, arm warmers & fingerless gloves. I think the look is great and you can match them up with any outfit. But at a coughing £285 for Donna Karen's arm warmers means I most definitely will be making my own in a soft dark grey angora wool. And I have always had a soft spot for Missoini knits, always very delicate, and their staple zig-zag pattern, again this is something I will not be able to perfect just just yet with my knitting skills, but there must be somebody on Folksy who can knit me a pair of these.....!!! (I'll buy the wool.............Then you knit me the dress, scarf, cardie.........OK GLOVES FIRST!)
Missoni Bennie £115
Stella McCartney Bennie £155
Stella McCartney Bennie £135

The Slouch Bennie, has been around for a while, but it is cute, all seem to be slouch Bennie's in any knit chunky, soft, fluffy, mainly all plain, sticking to the basics, black,greys, winter white (big colour this year), natural colours, hint of red, bright pink, purple and teal, Missoni's knits stand out a mile and scream Missoni, otherwise as with everybody else, it could be Stella at £155 or Topshop at £25.
Animal print is still in, mainly in tones of black and grey, again something I am unable to knit (yet), but having a new weaving loop to make Bennie's on, I am going to make one similar to this red angora one, once I have finished my chunky teal one I am making.



Mulberry Pom Pom Scarf £295
Missoni Scarf £170

Sigh, Missoni's delicate cobweb knit ultra long scarf is beautiful, (sticking to the teal, winter whites,
grey and red), what can I say, nothing other than I can think of plenty of bills that need paying before I would even have a chance to get my hands on one of these, maybe Mother (MUM ARE YOU LISTENING) can dust down your knitting needles and make me something like this for Christmas.... (I challenge you Kx).

The Mulberry's Pom Pom scarf is great, now I couldn't sew an argyle pattern for toffee, but this knit is fab mixed with the stripe, so I think I am going to make one 'LIKE' this following a couple of pointers, like the pompom edging the fat stripes, but will mix them with thin stripes, and will stick to these colours to match my grey wool felt coat...and soon to be black smart cape, which I am making (another of this years trends.....what me follow fashion).

I got my pictures from Net-a-porter.com which has other close up pictures of all these items, so if you are a great knitter, get knitting and selling (not forgetting the missoni style fingerless gloves).
Kx
ps. Couldn't understand why no comments left or I could change anything, my fault! Doh! Now back to normal, I hope... but if you still can't leave a message let me know. Kxx

Sunday, 15 August 2010

blondseknits

Due to my ability to not make anything whilst sitting, I found I needed a new pastime whilst on my train journeys to work. My car was tearfully waved away to the scrap man 2 weeks ago, and for a while will need to take a train.
The problem has left me with 3/4 hour to spare and in three days I managed to spend £10.00 on 3 magazines, not good...so knitting and crochet has now taken over!
I won't be competeing with anybody on folksy, somehow I will never get around to making little figures and knitted bowls of fruit.  I will be sticking to making things I will wear! (You can never have too many scarf's, necklaces and bracelets & bangles. I have never felted so looking to knit wool bracelets and then felting them to make them stiffer. And see what happens.
All my knitted jewelley will be made using 100% undyed, unbleached wool, reclaimed funky wool, and those like my mum who can't bear to wear wool, because of the itching! 100% cotton. No manmade fibers to be found.
Kx

Sunday, 1 August 2010

WASH DAY BLUES





BLONDEDESIGN

New to my shop, I received some yummy huge buttons in the post from noodlebubble, so had to just getting making, before they ended up stuck all over my clothing!

Fabric from Clarke & Clarke, made in England
Gingham Bias Binding, made in England

New Cute Aprons in the above fabric coming this week.

Find Bias binding in my blondesbackyard shop.

Kx

Friday, 30 July 2010

CANDY CANE COLOURS


BUBBLEGUM SUNSHINE
PILLARBOX BUBBLEGUM
SUNSHINE PILLARBOX

Yummy Candy Cane Bias Bindings

New to my Blondesbackyard shop, in bubblegum pink, pillarbox red & sunshine yellow in 2 widths 12mm fold to 6mm perfect for mini bunting, 25mm folds to 12.5mm, for any project you can think of....

Tote Straps
Bunting
Tea & Coffee Cosies
Straight line trimming
Cover drawstrings
Pocket edging
Quilting
Anything......

Kx

Thursday, 29 July 2010

PINK LEMONADE

cassia beck – sweetness photo
Janice Jong - shops

mabel makes – rose beads
River Tily Textiles – bunting buterfly
hmsdesign & ffflowers
be kind - bath bomb

 sabine cornic silk purse
ilovehearts – cupcake ring
WoollyDuck – lemon cheesecake
Make your own - lemon jade beads
once upon a time up north – bow brooch
slate sea studio
Stiches by lou – bunting
beaky – button brooch
Sarah Culleton - coin purse
scrubbity – washcloths
Made in the attic - Bon bon bear
The Pink Water Fairy - necklace
Gingy Snapz Felt Creations – clip bird
Phattgrrl – necklace
daisy daydreams – felt cakes
Butterfly kisses and faerie wishes - wooden heart
 Viking crafts – pink pear beads
coffee flavored kisses – beads

It's been a while, again!! Think I had to get away from my blog and facebook for a while, before I was consumed by my computer and not sewing.

So to start my return I wanted to showcase some lovely finds on Folksy - Titled - Pink Lemonade.
Now I would have done nice littles pictures that you Click into that some of you do, but have forgotten so if somebody could re-point me back in the direction for the HTML code........I may beable reupload in a better format!
Heres wishing for the weekend. Kxxx

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.
Kx

MADE Girls Market Skirt Tutorial



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.
Kx

Sunday, 2 May 2010

LATEST SUPERHERO CUSHIONS


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