Friday Flaunt #1

And because my brother Lew and his wife went to Europe on Tuesday I made a travel diary for Felicity to take with her.
She is an artist, and will be able to use it to make little drawings and paintings and notes for all the wonderful places they are visiting in Denmark, Germany, Italy, France and England.It is felt appliquéd and embroidered, with cunning pockets and pouches for all sorts of interesting bits. This pouch on the back has a little paint box.
The inside covers have paint brushes, a graphite pencil and a very lovely black felt pen with three nibs - fine, Japanese brush and a chisel end. There are some buttons added in case there is a garment malfunction - with a safety pin, needle and tiny reel of thread tucked in, too.
There is a length of useful elastic buttoned on to the back which flips around to the front to keep it all closed and to hold in all the extra bits of brochures, postcards, souvenirs they collect on their travels.
It was good fun to make!

PS In 2013 Lew and Felicity are planning to cycle around Europe for three months. Anyone is welcome to join in for as long as your legs hold out whether it is for the whole three months or for a few days. We will be there!

Friday Flaunt #2

This was an idea from Threads magazine a few months ago but I didnt have the particular copy at The Sweetheart's when I made this last week so had to rely on my poor old brain for the pattern.

I got it mostly right - though there really isnt too much to go wrong with it!

It is two squares of material, one twice the size of the other, and then sort of origami-ed into a top. Ends up with hem and centre front and back on the bias.


The material is 95% polyester 5% spandex from the new Lincraft shop in Sunbury. Feels like silk, and gorgeous to wear.
It would be lovely with striped material because then there would be a noticeable

change of direction with the pattern.
You can sort of see the seam line on the back photo - it goes up from the centre back hem line towards the bottom of the arm seam. The shoulder line is a bias fold.
I started with 2 m of material, using a 100 cms square and a 50 cms square.
I used the leftover 50 cms of material to make a sash.
I made one very beautiful bound button hole (if I may say so. It is High School since I last made one. Mrs Wright would be SO proud of me. Not to mention surprised...) and added a gorgeous glass button for the closure.

There aren't any directions on the net from Threads but it was issue # 143 - you may have more luck than me and be able to find other photos and directions if you want to make one.

On Tuesday I gave this to my SIL Felicity to take away to Europe so now it is swanning around Denmark.

Technically this should have been last Friday's Flaunt but I only made it on Friday afternoon and then wore it out on Friday night so there wasn't really time to blog about it...