"Focus on... customising clothing"

I've been extremely busy refashioning and customising clothes for children and it's been really rewarding seeing clothes that were once destined for the bin or charity shops evolving into a "new" item, and I haven't left the boys out this year!
I've also expanded my age range depending on what I find, so there is clothing for babies as well as tops up to age 8. Each one is totally unique so no two are the same.

I've continued with my "wing" tops which proved a best seller last year!! So there are more of these, now with detachable wings making the tops machine washable...

New for this Summer are the customised tops for boys and girls...

Girls' refashioned tops using fabric from other clothing and some with print/applique designs, some with trim details like ribbons, fabric inserts, and detachable corsages as well as replacing the buttons with vintage ones...

Boys' tops have been printed with Monsters and Cars! and additional stitching details, and some refashioned tops as well - all new for this summer! (Let's not mention the England football tops I printed!!)

It's been really fun coming up with new ideas to breathe fresh life into once loved items - an exciting way to recycle and customise.
If you have any items of clothing you wish to be upcycled then please just contact me - customised orders are most welcome (look out for a "focus on...customised orders" coming soon) and you'll have a unique and special item made just for you.
On a more serious note, as always, if you have anything you're getting rid of, from clothing to bedding, from ribbons off price tags to odd buttons, then please contact me - it saves items going into landfill and the charity shops from being overloaded - thankyou.

Summer 2010 shows

I'm going to be showing my new Summer collection with some exiciting new products over the next few weeks at these fayres...I really hope you can come along to one of these and say hi!
Monday 21st June

Saturday 26th June
10.30-1
Victoria First School
Prince Edward Street
Berkhamsted


Saturday and Sunday 3rd and 4th July

of cabbages&kings
11-5
Abney Hall
73a Church Street
Stoke Newington
London N16 0AS

"focus on...that smells nice!"

Just in case you thought I've been slacking, I thought I'd show you what I've been up to lately and that I have been busy! This lot is ready to be made into fragranced hangers once they've been filled with lavender, and with rose which is new for this summer. Hang them up in the room, in wardrobes, or use in drawers to keep your smalls smelling sweet!
The lavender comes from my mum and mum-in-law's gardens which would have been destined for the compost heap! The rose has been kindly passed on by a florist friend, which would have been binned!
It's been a great way of using up scraps of fabrics, and I like putting together unusual colour/pattern combinations. 

The ribbons I use are also recycled from various sources, mostly from packaging. I save the ribbons from the labels you can get on some clothes, and even from some bags!(Well, the more posher ones!!) So remember me next time you go shopping - don't throw away the ribbons from the tags/bags...pass them onto me! Better than being in a landfill! So you see, actually every component that goes into making these is reused and recycled.

This summer, I've decided not to leave the boys out, so there'll be rocket and star shape filled hangers, and butterflies for the girls.

They make a lovely gift at any time of the year - lavender and rose for spring/summer, christmas spice for, well, christmas! 


I must admit I get completely immune to the smell when I'm sewing them - think my nose completely zones out! But they've proved to be amongst my best sellers - the christmas spice hangers sold out pretty much straight away last year and just one hanger makes a room smell divine! I'll post photos of the finished products soon, so keep checking back...meanwhile, back to more sewing!

somerset house - "pick me up" (part 2)

Here are some more photos of lovely work to share with you…

...Alex Trochut's alphabet…

…I like the impact of James Joyce's 'rainbow' t-shirt print for Aids charity RED, sold in Gap, and the combination of colours in the 'elephant'…

...little painted wooden characters (which I think our mini mills' would love to role play with!) by Andrew Rae, whose drawings I really like…

...Natsko Seki's work is just beautiful - and I managed to pick up a limited edition print of 'kites' for my eldest mini mills, whose birthday falls on the very auspicious 'kite day' in India!…

…I also bought this ‘concertina of life’ by Micah Lindberg – lovely colours…

…our mini mills' just loved the 'shop' and were quite taken with these stuffed figures by Felt Mistress...

…and finally, these put a huge smile on my face.

somerset house - "pick me up" (part 1)

I was really happy we got to go to this exhibition today (last day) and saw some beautiful work by some very talented people, so I thought I'd share with you pictures of some of my favourites. 






It was very interesting to see Rob Ryan at work - he had an 'open studio' where you could watch him painstakingly hand cut-out his illustrations for printing - I'm not sure I'd have that much patience! Amazing to see it close up.

And I really liked Claire Scully's works....amazing......

...more photos to follow in part 2!!

"focus on...PONCHOS"

The minimills ponchos have been a very surprising success story! so I thought it was as good a place as any to start these mini features.

They have proved to be a perfect accessory for the sunny spring weather at the moment, and can be worn with just about anything.

Our minis have been wearing theirs' when there's been a bit of a chill in the air in the mornings, as a very 'girlie' alternative to a cardi or jacket.

They have been knitted on my handflat machines in yarns which have been rescued from various sources, in a variety of knits and weights, depending on the season; so for Autumn, they were made in a thicker yarns on the chunky gauge;

Whilst in Spring, the new lines have been knitted in lighter weight yarns, some in lace effect knits, and I decided to use double buttons.

It's been really lovely to be able to use unusual and different combinations of colours, so that each poncho can be as different from the next wherever possible, to maintain the 'uniqueness' which is integral to my ethos. Sometimes, when the yarn used for the actual poncho is rescued, there is a limited supply, therefore I may only be able to get one poncho made out of what I have, which in turn makes that item unique, as does the use of vintage buttons. It gives each piece a real sense of individuality.

And then mills&bloom nicked the idea and made a grown-up version!

They sold out last Autumn, and there are only a couple left from this Spring's collection, so if you're interested, contact me for more details, it's no problem.

Meanwhile, minimills and bloom hope you enjoy the sunshine. Please check back for a new feature in a couple of weeks..X

new articles coming soon...!

I've decided to update the blog on a regular basis with small articles which concentrate on each product area. These "focus on...." postings will go into a bit more detail about a particular product I make; how they are made, the fabrics/yarns used, etc, and it's concept. I hope you enjoy reading about them!
So keep checking in to see what's coming up!