Liberty

Little Thing Magazine inspired me this month. Its a Chinese magazine and you can download it from i-tunes for 0.99c! Worth it if I could read Chinese, but I can't! Its fashion is quirky and just a little bit silly. Big bows are a new love of mine.

Liberty of London in So-En Magazine (Feb 2010)

Feb 2010 was an issue focusing on Textiles and its full of inspiration. Japanese, European and lots of pages of interesting colours, textures and designs.

Emelia's Flowers

I also brought a Japanese Liberty Print's Magazine came with a little Liberty Print bag which is my new favourite weekend bag. Mostly I brought the magazine for the bag, but the magazine isn't bad either!

I never used to like patterned fabrics, I always preferred plain solid colours, but recently I've been in love with florals and geometric patterns. I've even been trying to print my own fabrics (more on that another time!). Though I've long been inspired by William Morris who considered the design of textiles worthy of a serious designer's attention and Marimekko and Ikea fabrics, I never thought to design or wear them myself!

shredding your t-shirt can be wonderful

I came across this tutorial when I was searching online and it looked easy enough to try. The basic idea is that you take a some stretchy knit cotton fabric and you strategically unpick it. I'm planning on making a shawl with mine (a simple loop of white). However, its taking a long time to unpick and I need to be in good light to do it as the threads are so small. Still, its looking good even if I wont be finished until 2015... The stripes look great though shredded, so its tempting to have grand ideas about shredding striped dresses and things...

little triangles

After I made some journals I had some scraps of fabric left-over so I decided to sew them together to try making a necklace. The result is quietly beautiful. Two shades of grey, light grey corduroy and dark grey wool flannel on a white knit cotton base. I love triangles, so many possibilities.

the very very long necklace... continued

After the last post, I made the leather clasp to cover the join. The leather piece is recycled from some product sample which I reclaimed from my big bag of fabric samples that were fished out of the bin. The clasp is simply wrapped around and has studs to join it so it can be taken off and the necklace changed about. I wanted to allow the possibility of the necklace being changeable to other forms later on if I get tired of the loop style I can plait it or crochet it or something. I'm happy with how the clasp turned out and the red looks great with the grey. If I get time, I'll make another one. I've got some green leather and blue grey too. And I've plenty of wool lying about of course!

t-shirt reconstructions continued

I took one XL size t-shirt and started to pleat at one side and then tacked down the pleats. I'm happy with the fit but not yet happy with the sleeve or the bottom hem pleats. I'm going to take those out and will alter the neckline and maybe the sleeves again. Wait and see for more pictures...

the very very long necklace

So I was tired and unwell and it seemed like a good idea: just take a ball of nice wool cotton and keep knitting i-cord until the ball runs out.

And it was a good idea. It turned out really nice, it just took a while to knit.

I knit it up on 3.0mm needles in a flecked grey which gives it some interest in terms of texture. It measures over 10m long and I have been wearing it simply looped around like a coil of rope. I tried plaiting it but it ends up too thick and stiff with no movement. I'm planning on making a leather clasp to cover the knot at the back where I simply tied the two ends together. I've got a small scrap of deep red leather that will look great as the clasp.

I like to draw on t-shirts

Fabric markers are so fun & so easy to use! Who knew?! I took a grey marker and drew circles on a t-shirt for the Mr. and drew spots on a tank top for me. Both turned out great and the hand-drawn nature of the lines is evident and I think, quite charming as you can see. My tank top is cut down from a cheap t-shirt and the shoulder ties are the former sleeve hems (so I didn't have to sew anything!). Love it.

Happy circles

The Mr's Circled T

Spots!

The shoulder ties

Waves of dots