Utility in drab

I've been working out the next stage of my client's 'steampunk' inspired corset. She likes the 'drab' of the explorer and a fairly utilitarian style so I've been putting together a sample cloth with some options.

We discussed adding some external boning channels, for visual interest, but keeping the bulk of the bones hidden from view. We also discussed the possibility of some cording detail and some useful straps and 'd' rings.

I did get a bit carried away and added some flossing – just to show what a little simple embellishment would look like. I've got some coarse weave linen which I tried out as exterior boning channels for a fairly rustic effect and the main fabric is a distressed tea-stained canvas.

This has been a really good way to work through ideas and has illustrated what is and is not effective. i.e. cording on a heavy duty canvas isn't totally successful – the fabric is a bit too stiff to form a nice shape and shading (depends on how the light hits it) but the use of top stitching to suggest cording could still be pretty nice! 

Too much pondering . . .

When I finished making the deckchair bag I wasn't entirely happy with it (hence it didn't make it to Etsy). I felt that more space was needed around the handle so I decided that I'd do a bit of 'chop and change' and rehash it into something more usable.

I made a flap, chopped off the bits at either side of the handle space, did a bit of quilting, applied some binding, covered a button, put it all together and here it is . . .

I'm happy with the finished result and, as it's my first attempt at quilting, restructuring has been a good opportunity to develop new skills. Now to master the deckchair bag with wooden handle!

Vintage Eye Candy

Elaine's Vintage Clothing

This week I revisited a fabulous vintage clothes shop on St Stephen's Street in Stockbridge, Edinburgh. The last time I was there was about 20 years ago (!) and, honestly, I can't think why it's taken me so long to go back.

Back then I was looking for something to wear to a graduation ball, something that would keep me comfortable in my own skin and not feel like I was competing with the frilly strapless numbers on offer on the high street. At that time St Stephen's Street was full of vintage shops, vying with one another to provide wonderful items for the savvy (and stylish) shopper. Slowly they disappeared to be replaced with nail salons and 'art' shops but Elaine's has survived. It was in Elaine's that I found a floor length, handmade, forest green velvet evening gown which was simple and yet so special (it still hangs in my wardrobe and, although it no longer fits, I can't bear to part with it).

In store just now are beautiful swimming costumes (the ones with shirring on the back, low legs, little skirts and shaped bodices with collar details), ball gowns, velvet capes, luxurious quilted satin bed jackets, a white linen romper suit, a bullet bra (glorious in black satin, unworn and with original original tag still attached!) and endless lovelies from throughout the first three-quarters of the twentieth century.*

As if that's not enough the owner is incredibly friendly, helpful and very obviously knows and loves her items and who, I think, has opened the mind of daughter no 2 – who was with me on this visit but is a confirmed high street shopper and liker of things 'fashionable' – to the joys of vintage.

Elaine's Vintage Clothing doesn't have a website (that I can find) but if you are in Edinburgh it is well worth a visit: Elaine's Vintage Clothing, 55 St Stephen Street, Stockbridge, Edinburgh. Open Tues to Sat from 1-6pm.

A new vintage shop has just opened on the street too so the future is looking good!

If you do make it to St Stephen's Street don't miss out on the opportunity to check out the authentic Italian coffee at Sprio or the eclectic mix of bars and restaurants dotted along the street.


* Please note that 80s is NOT vintage. I lived through the horrors of 80s fashion first time round – it was not good, even then – and I refuse to believe that I am old enough for those styles to be vintage!

Deckchair part II

Okay, so I decided to sew the sides to the gusset and then bind with some more stripes. The binding is cut on the grain (no corners to manipulate so bias wasn't really necessary and I didn't really like the idea of spiraling stripes on the edges – too fussy) and pressed using a binding maker.

Binding makers are one of those gadgets that, yes, you can live without but once you have one you'll never look back. I used to make my bias binding by hand folding and pressing and got pretty good at it too but I think this gadget allows for more productive use of my time – I can still make all my own binding but in a fraction of the time.

I wanted the stitches to look nice on both sides and the thing kept slipping since there were so many layers in each seam by this time. I put in some extra time and tacked the binding in place.

I'd been reading Bridges on the Body and saw this presser foot being used as a seam guide so thought I'd give it a go. Wow – great idea! I've not used this foot before but will definitely keep it handy now. The slots allow fabric to be lined up for edge to edge sewing or for edge top stitching. Those layers I mentioned earlier . . .  yes, that's right, made the bag edge too thick to feed through the slots! There is very little clearance when the foot is raised so I imagine this foot really isn't intended to sew binding onto bags. It didn't mind too much.

The top of the bag was folded and pressed at each side of the handle curve and sewn in place. Sorry, I forgot to take pics. 

The dowel rod was cut to size and inserted and here is the finished article . . . 

For future reference I'd add more space below the handles. This works fine as is but a bit more space would be good.

The verdict: a pretty snazzy deckchair bag. Super stripy and ready for a day at the beach! (Or anywhere else!)Overall I like this project but I'm not totally happy with it. It needs more space around the handle so that needs worked into the pattern for future versions. I suspect this bag will be reworked for my (or daughter's) personal use!

And finally . . .

Another pretty flower picture. This is a native one – common knapweed. Not a very pretty name considering how lovely it looks!

Deckchairs and sunshine

If I am making something for the first time I try to work out the most logical method for construction. As I make the item it often becomes apparent that my method needs tweeking so here goes . . .

Since the beginning of summer I've been wanting to make a colourful, deckchair-inspired bag. In my recent haul of stripy cottons I knew I had the perfect fabric –medium weight cotton in a fabulous combination of orange, green, beige, red and sky blue. I have the same colourway in both a narrow and wide stripe and decided that I'd have some fun and combine the two – narrow for the outside and wide for the gusset and inside pockets. All it would need to finish the deckchair look is some wooden dowelling.

I'm very guilty of just marking lines on the fabric and cutting if I know roughly what size I want my finished item to be and think it's a simple shape. This time I thought I'd be good and create a pattern even though the final shape is to be all straight lines.

I cut the fabric and pinned it to be flatlined to a water-resistant polycotton lining.

As the shape of the bag relies on having smooth sides I decided to insert gusseted pockets on one side, to avoid potential bulges, and a flat 'magazine pocket' on the other. The pockets were edge stitched to give a sharp edge.  I like the crisp finish edge stitching gives. A zipper foot can be useful for edge stitching but can sometimes result in an uneven feed on my machine so for this project I used a standard all-purpose foot and just stitched carefully!

The outside pieces of the bag were placed right side to right side and the handle curves sewn, trimmed, notched, turned right side out and edge stitched. I've still to decide on the finish for the outside – binding or french seams. I'm sure as I go along the method will suggest itself.

The gusseted pocket was stitched to the lining while the flat pocket was pinned to be sewn in with the attachment of the gusset to the sides.

The gusset of the bag was interlined with a second layer of polycotton to add structure and strength. I decided to add a webbing strap to give flexibility in use and as the webbing is so thick and bulky I gave it a few stitches to hold the folds in place with the raw edges tucked in ready for machine sewing. I like the criss-cross pattern used to apply webbing straps so I marked it out and stitched the strap to the gusset. So that's it – all the bits ready to be put together.







Gratuitous pretty pic

The sun has disappeared from Edinburgh again this week so to make me feel more summery here is a photo of a beautiful flower taken on sunlit walk on the banks of Loch Semple in Lochwinnoch.

This isn't a plant I'm familiar with so I looked it up. It is Himalayan Balsam: 'Because of its shape this flower is also known as Policeman's Helmet. It is not a native of Britain having been brought here during the nineteenth century as a greenhouse plant. It escaped and spread uncontrollably due to its seed dispersal method where exploding seed pods blast showers of seed huge distances.' – www.wildflowersofstrathclydepark.org.uk

It's a shame it isn't indigenous but it's very pretty all the same.