great finds

I am always disappointed that there is no decent sewing shop near to where we live. There is one that's OK but doesn't have the range of fabrics and haberdashery that I would like. Today I went to a shop about 30 mins drive away to try and find some bright green bias binding....nothing. I asked if they sold a gadget for making bias binding...no. 

BUT as I was wondering around this little town I passed a vintage shop which I have passed before but thought it only sold clothing  This time I ventured upstairs and found a whole section of vintage fabrics, haberdashery and patterns!

I bought a single Marks & Spencer curtain for £5 which will make lovely cushion covers. Two metres of cotton sear sucker fabric for £3 per metre and a pattern for girls dresses which I will use the body pieces for the main part of two princess dresses that have been requested for Christmas presents ;)

Dress Making

Today we ventured down into Sussex to visit some friends near Forest Row. There's a lovely toy shop there called Bramble Corner so I popped in there and bought Gilby a little donkey to go in his wooden stable that he had for his birthday. I also bought some cream dishcloth cotton from the craft shop. I crocheted these cloths for Christmas gifts but think I may knit some this time

We then stopped in Westerham, haven't been there for a few years and parked right next to this lovely little shop. They haven't been open long and although they are advertised online I couldn't find a website. It was certainly worth a visit, not very big inside but had lots of lovely fabric and wools. I came away with a knitting book of hat patterns and two metres of lovely fine denim. 

 I had ordered a pattern from .http://merchantandmills.com/ for a dress. I have never been successful in making clothes for myself but saw this website some time back and decided to try again. Their patterns are made of thin card, ready cut out and rolled up in a cardboard tube. You lay out the pieces on the fabric, weigh them down with something like food cans and draw around the card with tailors chalk before cutting out. I will give it a try, hopefully it will work and I will use the pattern again and again...making it worth the £20 I spent on it.

This is the dress, the pattern comes with short sleeves which I will add to the dress. When we arrived home the pattern was waiting on the doorstep, that's tomorrow planned out then!