Wedding reflections...

Many thanks to all of you for your kind wishes for my daughter's wedding. I just can't tell you how wonderful a day it was. Everything from start to finish went just as we had hoped - it was such a memorable day full of love, joy and beauty.

Vintage inspiration.

For my 'Mother of the Bride' outfit I wanted to celebrate my mother's wedding in November, 1944 as it is almost 70 years from that day. She wore a navy dress and bolero jacket with tilt hat, three carnation cream corsage and cream gloves:

I took inspiration from Pinterest and put together a board- vintage corsages. Eventually I decided to crochet three basic roses in the gorgeous  Bergere de France 'Froment' which was the same as the butterflies I made for the table centrepieces, described in my last post here. 

Roses crocheted in 'Froment' using a 3.00mm hook.

I made up the roses and placed a mix of vintage buttons in creams and ivory, some little sparkly seed beads and some of my favourite Japanese toho beads in the centre.  

The 'leaves' were made from Laura Ashley 'Lucille' a deep rich cream silk. They are a simple square folded over and gathered at the long edge. I applied the whole piece to a backing strip and attached to my jacket with stitches which kept it in place much better.

I was delighted to find, incredibly, a jacket almost the same as the one Mum wore.  I remember her navy crepe dress and jacket so well as, decades ago, I found her outfit it in the bottom of her wardrobe. I was too tall for the dress but she let me wear the jacket to go out. I found an almost identical one by Havren. I am amazed by how styles seem to come back around!

Glove challenge!

I was on a roll with 'Froment' and challenged myself to make my own gloves in vintage 'fishnet' filet crochet. The actual crochet is basically simple trebles, but first the thumb shaping then the fingers sent me into a bit of a twist! Seeing the effect take shape though I was determined to see it through. At one point, about a week before the wedding I had just one glove completed-thought I'd end up looking like Michael Jackson. 

 I kept going with my favourite Aristotle quote : 

Practice then, I thought. Sort those fingers!

Success!

Loved finally doing the edging-so pretty!

Now all they needed was a vintage button at the wrist...

Through the generations.

With a navy dress to match, the search for 'the hat' had been on for some time. Have you ever seen something you really like but then searched around trying everything else, before coming back to that original piece you saw first? It seemed nothing was as fitting as this cute pillbox in navy silk with an oversized bow-uncannily like Mum's. 

  

Hat's off Mum! You always said you loved me in navy and cream, in a hat, and with my hair 'done up'. I  so wished you could have been there, but I could feel your love running through the generations as I saw my lovely daughter married. Hope I made you proud!

What a wonderful day-thank you for sharing it with me.

Best wishes
Alison xx

Butterfly crochet and almost there...

I can't believe that the wedding is almost upon us! Less than two weeks away now ....these events when announced always seem so far in the distant future but the months and weeks have a way of slipping by so fast. I wanted to share with you a little more about my hand makes...

The table decorations are built around shabby chic birdcages in ivory- I had seen a few inspiring pics added to my pinboard and we managed to get ten gorgeous cages. They are quite tall and have silver candle holders, so I planned to add red velvet roses, trail ivy up the sides and light up the centrepiece with tiny warm ivory LED lights.  I really wanted a little butterfly to 'alight' on each cage and visualised they would be in vintage-look crochet.

I browsed at lots of patterns for butterflies but none seemed quite delicate enough/vintage enough until I came across this pattern on  Etsy-the pattern is available as an instant download for just £1.25.
Designed as a brooch, the butterfly looks like it has a double set of wings, giving it a 3D effect.
It is first created from a circle motif:

First I tried it as suggested using DMC Petra crochet cotton in natural. When the circle is made it is simply folded over-it looked so complicated at first but then made perfect sense!

The butterfly measures about 4 in across-lovely but definitely too large for the effect I was looking for. Nevertheless, I popped on the centre as suggested in the brooch pattern:

So cute! For me, this would be a little large for a brooch, but I think it would look great maybe on a headband. How would you use them?

Next I tried using this gorgeous Bergere de France 'Froment' crochet cotton. 'Froment' means 'wheat' but it is a very pale wheat, much more like the ivory of my daughter's wedding dress.

This time I used a 2.50. hook.

The results were much more delicate and just the right size! I then worked out a more sparkly 'body' by using craft wire and some of my favourite Japanese toho beads. I used silver lined crystal ones-I love these seed beads as they come in a larger size perfect for threading and more dramatic effects. 

A few evenings were spent creating several more. I love the feeling when you have practised a pattern so much you can do it without constantly checking the directions!

All ready to be popped on the centrepieces. 

Here's one I tried out:

Hope you like them!

Best wishes

Alison xx

Getting to the heart of wedding craft!

I really need to thank you all so very much for taking the time to leave such kind and thoughtful messages on my last post about the loss of our lovely dog Kate-  your kindness is truly appreciated-thank you. 

I have begun to crack on with the wedding crafts with a vengeance-less than three weeks to go now!

As part of the decorations and gifts my daughter wanted me to incorporate some of the little hearts I usually make using Cath Kidston fabrics. Generally I work to a simple idea using two fabrics and decorating with a ribbon message:

This time I wanted something a little more fitting for the vintage Paris theme. It was the perfect excuse to browse Pinterest and put together a board of ideas: 'Heirloom Wedding'. At last I could put to use some of that gorgeous vintage lace I have and seek out more Paris themed fabrics! 

I love fabrics which incorporate vintage photographs. 

I have some wonderful vintage laces, some left to me by my mother and wanted to include them as much as possible. I put them together with buttons, rosettes and a few fabric flower shapes made from scraps of Laura Ashley vintage fabrics.

I liked the idea of hand stamping motifs onto linen as well. I used  Versacraft ink as it seems to have much more depth when hand stamping on fabric. 

I tried out some ideas-the personalised label was made using a custom stamp: 

I used a little blue French toile linen for this one. The tiny rosette is a scrap of Laura Ashley vintage 'Wild Clematis'.

I planned to make these ones as special keepsakes for the main bridal party and thought it would be more special to make each one a little different. 

It was pure pleasure selecting vintage buttons and working with the gorgeous lace! 

A little touch of vintage Paris and lace from a vintage wedding gown went into this one,

I do hope the recipients will enjoy them and keep as a memento of the day.

Do you like vintage lace? How do you use it? It always makes me think of those beautiful weddings of the 1920s and 30s before wartime shortages set in! 

Ah... a vintage wedding in the city of light. Hopefully I will be able to create just a little flavour of this era for Laura and Adam on their special day! 

Have a lovely week

Best wishes

Alison xx

Farewell to a loyal companion

I'm afraid that I have not posted for a few weeks, or managed to keep up with your lovely news. It has been a sad September for us as we  lost our lovely oldest dog, the beautiful Kate, earlier in the month. She was 14 and had recently become rapidly unwell. An operation was planned for the second week in September, but things overtook and the vet had to do an emergency operation.  Although he did everything he could to save her, unfortunately the outcome was not good and we had to let her go on the operating table.
I know many of you will understand as you have beloved pets-the heartbreak it brings when you have to say goodbye. Yet we would do it all again for the joy and companionship Kate brought to us.

Kate was our little 'Millennium' puppy-born in August 2000. Rescued at only five weeks from a squalid flat, the mother gone, I knew all the rules said I should not have taken her but after she climbed on my daughter's then 6 year old lap and looked into her eyes-of course we took her. She had not been treated well and was highly nervous and fearful of threat, thus we worked so hard over a long time to gain her trust. She became the most loyal and loving companion and fiercely protective.  What fun she brought over many shared adventures; she read every emotion and always knew when to offer comfort. 

When my husband first saw her all those years ago he remarked, 'What a pretty face!' and the final words said by a stranger were 'Isn't she just beautiful?'  A fitting tribute to a wonderful friend, beautiful inside and out, who will remain on our hearts forever. 

We are gradually getting used to her not being here. She loved the two younger dogs and they are lifting us up with their unique, funny characters and loving ways.

I have also returned to my little part-time job as a lecturer -I have some lovely new trainee teachers full of zest for education which is a joy.  Also of course we have the wedding to look forward to which is now in less than four weeks time! 

I have been crafting items for the day and will write about this soon-a list of 10 'to-dos' is still to be tackled-scary thought! The 'designing' is all done but it all needs making/finishing, which includes cutting, sticking, stamping, putting together, arranging, crocheting...eek! I'd better stop here and get going!!

I will be catching up with your lovely blogs and news over the next week and soon be writing about my crafty makes again.

Hope you are having a lovely week,

Alison xx

The wedding planner...

When my older daughter announced her engagement in February with an October wedding date I thought 'that's eons away'! There was long dark nights, foul weather,  Easter eggs and Springtime all to get through first before the arrival of summer-and long holidays! After the initial excitement I convinced myself there was no need to really think seriously about the fact I was 'designing' the event until nearer the time. How could I overlook that saying about time flying!
To say I am actually planning the wedding is actually a gross misinterpretation of the facts (I do have a tendency to over exaggerate on occasions)!  Actually what I have done is more 'style' it. The happy couple asked me to come up with a theme for them which fitted with their interests and the venue. This is a wonderful art-deco hotel built in 1929, on a cliff top overlooking the sweep of the bay. It is gorgeous, already with a feel of 1920s glamour.

The thinking part didn't take too long...I knew they would like the celebration to reflect their shared love of the city of light and Laura's love of le  français.  With the allure of La belle France and loving all things shabby chic we settled on a vintage Parisian theme with a touch of Gatsby glitz!

I had seen photos of a wedding in Paris which really was the epitome of French glamour and couldn't resist- bride in gorgeous ivory lace with bridesmaids and grooms men in chic navy.  A splash of red roses completed the look-fantastique cherie!   We put together a Pinterest board: Parisian wedding -what a great place Pinterest is to store ideas!
Since then most of the main organisation has been done, invitations are out, responses are being logged, the summer is over and I've finally made a start  on all those crafty bits I'd seen in my mind's eye!

Tag time! 

I thought making tags and labels for the favours and bridal party gifts would be easy...I'd made some simple ones for other weddings using Cath Kidston/Laura Ashley: 

  

Mais  non! These would not fit with all things vintage Paris!

I love rubber stamping and often make simple tags just with one ink like this:

...mais non- Trop rustic methinks!

Trop simple! Time to inject a little more excitement and I have been getting very enthused by altered art and mixed media lately. I wanted to experiment with distress ink to get a bit more depth and interest. So before any more stress set in I decided to distress! Here's what I did. 

Bridal party gift tags.

I sallied forth with  Tim Holtz distress inks in 'Antique linen' and 'Tattered rose', sweeping over cream card with the brayer. 

Looked a bit of a mess at first I thought but carried on regardless!
The Dogfather (my hubby) had bought me this gorgeous background stamp for my birthday in May. It's quite big though-I didn't need the whole design.

  

I experimented with Archival ink in Sepia and French ultramarine-the blue looked best or maybe I was swayed by the name! I decided to use only the section of the stamp with the tower.

I wanted to highlight the word 'Paris' in red, so covered it up while I rollered the blue ink on.

I removed the card and dabbed red onto the word.

Voilà! I stamped them on to the base. 

I chose a tag shape which would show most of the tower-this one is Sizzix. 

Ooh là là   -there we are! 

Just need to 'age' them a little more with 'Vintage photo' and sepia inks...

All done! Now for a few extra bits of shabby chicness...some vintage lace and tiny roses.

Finished with vintage navy taffeta ribbon and stamped with vintage typewriter font on reverse.

Job done-and the bride loves them!

Time is gathering apace towards the wedding and more crafty projects to follow!

Hope you have a lovely relaxing weekend

Alison xx

Beautiful Wales, French visitors and into infinity!

Hello again-back from a lovely break to glorious Pembrokeshire. We visited an area I had not been since childhood, staying on the western tip near Strumble Head, a rocky headland known for its lighthouse and as being one of the best sites in Britain to view seals and porpoises. I was struck by the similarities of the area to the Cornish coast-rocky headlands, little coves and glorious beaches, well the two lands are western and have Celtic origins!
Whilst there I discovered a fascinating piece of history and a tapestry to rival, yes...Bayeux! I always understood that the last invasion of Britain was 1066-did you? I did not know that Britain was actually last invaded by the French in 1797! Well...the last successful invasion of Britain was still 1066. The final, unsuccessful one came from off Strumble Head, just over 200 years ago. This remarkable story is told in a stunning tapestry created by Fishguard's community for the bi-centennial in 1997 and is on display in the Town Hall. Based on the Bayeux Tapestry, it is 100 feet long and about 2 feet in depth.

Photo: http://nicolacornick.co.uk/blog/2010/11/the-last-invasion-of-britain/

The story tells of  a small fleet of French ships which landed here-they had been heading for Ireland to pick up rebels who they hoped would join them in attacking the English but were blown off course. They landed and marched on Fishguard, hoping to get the same welcome from the Welsh...malheureusement (unfortunately) for them, the Welsh had been rubbing along quite nicely with the English at the time and didn't want to join them- merci beaucoup!


The French, after a bit of pillaging they were persuaded to give themselves up-

Photo: http://nicolacornick.co.uk/blog/2010/11/the-last-invasion-of-britain/ 

The most wondrous part of the tale is that a 47 year old Fishguard woman, Jemima Nicholas, rounded up 12 French soldiers herself, armed with a pitchfork-go Jemima!

Photo:http://www.janeausten.co.uk/jemima-nicholas-heroine-fishguard

Created by local women, the tapestry really is a work of art which those of you stitchers would really enjoy. An accompanying programme tells the whole story of how the tapestry was created, from its first inception in 1993 until the unveiling for the bi-centenary. The story is a wonderful one of community spirit as over 70 stitchers embroidered the panels drawn by local artist  Elizabeth Cramp. In one review I read before visiting, someone wrote after seeing the tapestry, 'Bayeux who' ?  Well no disrespect to that amazing Medieval creation but I do see the point-this tapestry deserves celebration, and lots more visitors. If you are ever visiting the area do make time to see it!

Beachy craft

The area has some fantastic beaches and many seem much more open to dogs than here in Cornwall. I do understand that in Cornwall the beaches become so busy that they are really not suitable for dogs-bad enough having a seagull fly off with your pasty, you wouldn't want a labrador charging about like a dinosaur jumping on your sandcastle, or a bichon frise licking your ice cream as you pop it into your mouth, no matter how cute!

 Newport near Fishguard has an awesome beach which we discovered for the first time. It runs around an estuary and when the tide is out it's enormous and you can park your car on it, as in other Welsh beaches we've discovered. The dogs, the 'Dogfather' and younger daughter loved it and I was able to send them off on some great long walks whilst I relaxed and crocheted...

...into infinity!

I wrote last time about my getting Back to crochet. Thank you all so much for such kind, lovely and encouraging comments on this post-I am really getting back to it in a big way! Do you like the trend for  'infinity' scarves? I love these. I had bought one some years ago and wore it literally, out. They are so useful so many ways-for a start you don't have the ends of your scarf catching up on your lipstick when it's breezy. They don't fly off when there's a winter gale blowing, on a freezing Cornish beach. Best of all you can wrap them around your head when you've forgotten a hat, as it was sunny when you went out and, being Cornwall, it's now pouring with rain.
I found a great new book 8 simple infinity scarves. All eight designs are fabulous-you will want to make them all! I loved the 'Lovely in lace' design as it could be a useful trans-season accessory, and the yarn suggested is gorgeous - Stylecraft Senses Lace - it works up as very light but cosy and there are some gorgeous colours. At only £2.59 it also works out as a real bargain as the scarf only takes one ball! I crocheted one up in Wales using the colour suggested, 'Clematis' a rich cerise:

The yarn is lovely to work with and I soon had my first infinity finished!

Then my daughters caught sight of it....I had already anticipated this so had bought 'Eucalyptus' as well to make younger daughter one-green is one of her favourite colours:

She is delighted and looking forward to wearing it back at uni.

Then older daughter caught sight of the book and has put in her order for two of the designs... with all of her wedding preparation I have still to do though she may have to wait awhile!

So I am very much back into crochet but having been pleased with myself for curtailing my fabric buying I've simply replaced it with yarn and have just made space for my lovely new stash...

Do you get asked to do lots of makes for friends and family? 

Have a great week!

Alison xx