Sewing bloggers | clarinda kaleidoscope

Hi everyone,

I hope you can bear with me whilst I share details of my FAB day and post loads of pics of my (ludicrous) fabric purchases.

We needed fortification before we tackled the remaining stands

A couple of weeks ago I posted an open invite on my Instagram to see if anyone fancied meeting up at The Knitting and Stitching Show – three fellow bloggers took me up on my offer and I have just spent the loveliest time with friends: Jane, Su and Becca. I really enjoy meeting up with other seamstresses. Jane and Su I have met before, a couple of times, so it was great to catch up with them again and I really enjoyed meeting Becca who graciously allowed me to copy one of her frocks about a year ago!

Lovely Lauren who was at Tilly’s stand – I was actually really chuffed that she recognised my sweatshirt – I bought the fabric at Guthrie and Ghani

Su organised a route around the show so that we visited every stand and then returned to the best. As part of our tour we encountered sewing royalty: Lauren from Guthrie and Ghani; Lisa from Sew Over It and Tilly from Tilly and the Buttons. Becca was wearing an Orla top and had issues with the hem facing so Tilly had a quick peep and gave some advice!

Where else could you go where it is perfectly normal to look at the insides of people’s clothes?

We all made purchases at Sew Over It – in fact three of us bought exactly the same silk cami kit with little foxes on – I actually thought they were lobsters: I’m getting old – my sight is going!

The silk cami kit and some other fabric I bought at the bargain price of £6 per metre

To be honest, it was overwhelming having so much luscious fabric on offer – I bought loads but the thing I am probably most excited about it this gorgeous pattern from Sew La Di Da. It is a culottes deck suit with a halter neck – although you could do crossover straps at the back. My sister is threatening to get married this summer and if she does, this is what I plan to wear. I want to look like Anna Chancellor as she was in Mapp and Lucia.

The parasol fabric I plan to use – only £8 per metre

The only thing I definitely had on my list was some replacement needles for my overlocker – I asked three separate people if you needed different ones for an overlocker before I got my answer – No. However, when I described what had happened to the helpful man on the Janome stand he said it sounded like the timing had gone (?) – I hope that is not the case.

Needles and the only knit fabric I bought – just in case the overlocker and I don’t become friends anytime soon

Want to see the rest of my purchases?

Liberty loveliness – bluey one to make ties and the red one to make a scouttee

very thick fabric that I plan to make a tote bag with for future fabric shopping ventures

Isn’t this gorgeous? A By Hand London Kim I think

Don’t even ask me what I am going to do with this – I also bought some fine black wool to “tone it down” a bit

So that’s it – I sort of think I should feel guilty at having spent so much (I haven’t added it up and don’t intend to) but I can promise you that each and every piece was an absolute bargain!

Tonight I am off to a 50th birthday bash and I have made my friend a Liberty tie for his gift and tomorrow I’ll be in full Matriarch mode for Mothers Day so all in all, a cracking weekend!

Toodle pip,

Clarinda x

The whole shebang

Hello all,

I have had a very exciting week which included A level results , another 12 mile stretch of the South Downs Way, a visit to Peppa Pig World and the Open Day at Fabric Godmother and may I just say, what a Godmother indeed!

With Butterflies and Lemondrops, Daisy creates in Sussex and Seams Odd Louise

It is the first time I have ever met any other bloggers in real life and it is quite a surreal experience – to encounter someone you exchange with on a regular basis and feel you “know” but then to meet them in the flesh and have to formally introduce yourself. This was slightly complicated by the fact that our blog names are not our real names, i.e. Daisy is actually Linda and in a rather odd inversion my blog name is actually my real name but I use a different name in real life!

So, to the Open Day. The fabric choice was overwhelming – SO much good stuff. I went with a plan – which I fulfilled and bought a couple of other things as well. Next time, I hope there is a next time, I will have a bigger plan! It was lovely having a cup of tea afterwards and swopping tales/showing off our purchases. Absolutely no-one left empty handed.

I have LOVED wearing my maxis this summer (Gabriola and Anna) so I decided I would make a maxi for winter with a cropped jacket to go with it. One of my prizes as a winner in The Monthly Stitch dresses contest was a pattern from Named and I chose the Lourdes jacket. I hope it will look very funky paired with the skirt but also realise it could look dreadfully Edwardian and frumpy. What do you think?

Skirt in check; jacket in plain

I am also wondering if I could actually make up version B of the Gabriola and use the plain fabric for the contract yoke (is it called a yoke on a skirt?) and waistband – what do you think?

To set off my autumn suit, I bought this lovely bird fabric to make a shirt – the colours match perfectly although I accept it will look super busy when paired with the skirt.

I did intend to get some lining of a similar hue but was completely drawn to this silky, dotty fabric so I am afraid that if you look inside my skirt they’ll be even more busyness/clashing going on!

My final purchase was this wonderful cotton – as I said I do love my birds. They are large ish – almost a handspan from beak tip to tail. My original thought was a shirt but my frame might be overwhelmed. I bought two metres to give me options – what do you think I should make? As I’m typing this and thinking about my lining comment above I have just thought that this would make delightful lining on a black jacket (not that I want to use it for lining though).

All in all, a really great visit – I got to say hi to Rachel from House of Pinheiro but most enjoyed meeting some of the ladies I think of as my sewing chums!

Sewing this week has taken a bit of a back burner due to all of the other things happening. I was making good progress on my Flamingo Mortmain but annoyingly, having decided to add sleeves to this one, it never occurred to me that my great big shoulders might need a larger size. I am currently feeling a bit despondent about the frock as I am going to have to unpick, re-sew and re-set the sleeves with the absolute minimum seam allowance – Grr. Off to do that now!

Toodle pip,

Clarinda x