It's A Dotty Frock!

Just before the summer holidays my lovely Instagram friend Chrissie Crafts sent some Dottie Angel Simplicity patterns to us Dottie fans.

During my time in Cornwall I was plotting and planning, and seeing lots of beautiful Dottie frocks popping up on blogs and social media.

The wonderful thing about this pattern is that you can use so many fabric combinations and tweak and customise to your heart's desire.

I think this teams up perfectly with my beautiful necklace gifted to me by my good friend Di Tinker Foster, (she runs workshops at Hope and Elvis and I'm so excited as I will be going to one in October! Whoop!)

But for quite a while I had lost my dress making confidence and I was a tad nervous.

However I had been to some brilliant workshops at Hope and Elvis, one with Rachel from Dock and Nettle and one with Leah Halliday.

Both ladies are extremely talented designers, pattern cutters and seamstresses and I learned so much from them.

Rachel's workshop taught me to keep things simple and to take things slowly.

Leah taught me the joys of under stitching and how to cut out my fabric properly!

(Louise at Hope and Elvis also showed me the right way round to pin my pins...this has changed my life!)

I became a little overwhelmed at the possible fabric choices.

Should I go floral?

Clash my prints?

But in the end I chose this simple mattress ticking style linen.

What shall I go for next?

Posted with Blogsy

A Trip Down Memory Lane...

Helston is one of my favourite charity shopping places in Cornwall.

There is also the fantastic Helston Folk Museum, full of treasures and curios.

I spent an age looking at this, look how beautifully stitched the collar and the cross is.

And this just made me swoon...

I am always fascinated about history that happened to everyday folk, the little things, ephemera and fragments.

These things make me stop in my tracks.

The shop and kitchen displays were my favourites...

This was a tough competition....just how long WAS the Worlds longest banana split!?

I remember Izal loo roll at my infant school....Ugh!

Any museum that has a kitten tray has to be a winner!

I loved this poster, especially the fact that ladies were not allowed entry, due to the animals' odour being 'rather bad, and their natural propensities somewhat peculiar'.

And on that note, let's go and have a cup of tea!

Posted with Blogsy

A Day At Cowslip... (Part Two!)

Now then, where was I?

Care to join me for the second half of my poodle around Cowslip Workshops?

As well as the wonderful stalls and delights on offer, the farm itself is beautiful.

I often had to have a little waft around the gorgeous surroundings when I (frequently) became too giddy!

Every nook and cranny was beautifully decorated, the attention to detail was stunning.

I adored this old dolls' house.

After a little break and a breath of Cornish fresh air, I ventured back to the stalls...

Helen Round's work is stunning.

Her hand printed linen was a sight to behold and I swooned over her aprons and bags...

Betty's Bubble offered quirky, humorous pieces that made you smile.

We had quite a long chat and had a very good laugh!

By now I needed a medicinal ice cream...

My flavour of choice was rose and pistachio...oooo...

The perfect end to the perfect day!

Posted with Blogsy