A bit of a cheat?

Ok so I’ve had this great idea…start a shop selling some vintage pieces but until it’s up and running, which, come on, knowing me, could take like forever! The idea was to start with a few of my own handmade sewn goodies but where to start. Decorations, bunting, monsters, bags?

Well on a little trip to the local sewing machine shop, which by the way is actually not that little, to buy some fabric dye to try and dye a sofa cover, rather unsuccessfully I might add, I spotted these lurking about.

Oooh what are they I hear you ask…Well they are a clever little company called Hamble&Jemima. They give you everything you need to sew you’re own little bag, cushion, phone case, travel bag etc. Really bloody clever if you ask me. I have a friend who has made some bags and they look fab. When I asked her for a pattern she said all she did was copy one she already had. Well unfortunately for me I’m not that clever/brave yet.

I was amazed firstly at how effing enormous this little local sewing machine shop was. My hub bought my beautiful PFAFF sewing machine from here about 6 years ago (my God have I really had it that long?). He’s a bit of a shorty and needs all his trews taking up and shortening and it was getting a bit pricey, what can I say he like shopping. His brain wave was to spend £90 on a sewing machine for me to do it. He remembered me telling him how much I loved it at school…come on that was nearly a quarter of a century ago! (Shhhhh!!!!) This little shop actually goes a long way back and goes into the next 3 shops which sells craft, fabric, t-shirt printing and embroidering. They have just about everything you ever need and it’s been right under my nose all these years. It’s 2 minutes down the road from hubs business. Me thinks I’ll be visiting rather frequently?!

So one day he pops off to said shop and comes home with the funkiest little machine I ever did see. My man has some serious taste, well he married me didn’t he…anyways I digress. So he comes home and says I bought you a present, Impressed? You think I would be but being me just thought what a tight arse he just doesn’t want to pay more money for doing his trews. Well needless to say some years later I’ve managed to do many pairs of trouser shortenings, as well as my own, and I’ve made a pair of curtains for the boys bedroom and a duvet cover and pillow from a double Orla Kiely duvet on sale in orange, as well as my boys birthday monsters. It’s really helped me get back into sewing…albeit a slightly long winded journey.

Anywho to cut a slightly rambling story a tad shorter, we came across these little boxes. Intrigued I took a peek inside. All you need to make your very own little bag, including pattern…bingo. I now have a couple of bag patterns and projects to get my head around the idea and then it gives me the knowledge to do my own ideas and designs…wooohooo! (No I won’t be blatantly ripping them off…it’s research dahlinks!) And it’s my lovely mummy’s birthday tomorrow and she adores Radley, so I bought her the little sling sac with dogs on. I’m going to make it but I have warned her that her present may take a few weeks/months/years to get around to.

I’m really excited about making these but I may just switch out some of the buttons supplied to ones from my own vintage collection.

I’ll let you know how they go.

Have a happy sunny(?) weekend everybody : )