The Flirty Cherry skirt

Way back in August, a good friend had her birthday and I decided (was told?) to make her something as a gift! The criteria: It needed to have a cherry print (like my first dress that she liked), and the cut would need to be her style. Now, she has lots of super-girly clothes, is petite and super slim. So I needed to find a pattern that would fit, was flirty enough, and would hopefully match the rest of her wardrobe... 

After far too long deliberating I came across this pattern from Vogue, V8295. It's too long, but I thought it might work with a lot of shortening and some cute fabric.

Supplies for this one are from right across Britain! I picked up the cherry fabric at Mostyn's Abakhan Fabrics, the lining came from Brick Lane in London and the lace trim from Watson and Thorntons in Shrewsbury.

I chose to just drop the hem band to keep the length short, but think it'll probably need more trimming to get it the right length for her. 

And so, the final verdict? Well she seems to like it! I'm absolutely convinced it won't fit her (the dreaded unpredictable 4 inches of 'ease'), but fingers crossed! I'll upload some pictures of her wearing it if / when she sends them over.

As an aside, if you're looking for fabric shops, you might want to check out my map of fabric shops across the UK. I'm writing reviews as I come across new places :)

Retro bag for a digital camera

Another gift, this one a bag for a very well loved and used camera (the one that takes the nice photos on here). This is actually my second go with these instructions, though the first didn't make this blog yet.

This time instead of cardboard for the base I used two layers of felt, not enough to protect against a big hit, but enough to protect the screen on the back. Last time cardboard didn't do a great job and just became damaged and added unnecessary bulk.

I found this fantastic fabric on Ebay - I love the retro print, perfect for a digital camera!

 I chose to use it on the inside - a hidden detail in an otherwise quite anonymous bag. I just love interestingly detailed lining.

The cord ends were sealed with a knot, and then clear nail varnish. So far that's been enough to hold back the fraying, and this time the ends don't feel too sharp or scratchy. 

All the overcasting was done with my sewing machine, and turned out really well. I also slipped in one of my 'Hand made with love' ribbons for a detail. I really love adding these, and will need to buy more very soon!