News!

Hi everyone,

I have two bits of news, and then some pretty pictures of my half scale kimono!

Firstly- I AM NOW ON ETSY!

Yes, I have finally set up my new shop with some new bits (Including one of my lace bridal headbands). I spoke to people and the general consensus was mainly that people seemed to know their way around Etsy a bit easier so after all my Folksy item listings expired I started setting up my Etsy shop.

Here is the link: https://www.etsy.com/shop/StitchedbyJordan

Please do drop if you get time as I still have some more new items to add over the next few days and would really like peoples feedback :-)

Secondly- Today I had a mini interview type thing with Queenie and Ted (see their website they do some really cool up-cycling of clothing!!!: here!) and..... I get to go back on Wednesday next week and work with them and learn all about what they do :D I am sooo excited, it will be a great bit of experience! I will make sure to show you all what I get up to next Wednesday using lots of juicy pictures :P

Hehe, now I am done with all my news I will show you the pictures of my kimono, my first project I did at uni, which I got back in the last week of term and have now completely finished up:

I made it so that it was pretty much reversible using my colour scheme, here is the 2nd option:

I am really proud of it. It is nice to have it all done to show people (like all of you lovely people).

I hope you are all having a lovely week- and if you have any news please do leave a comment below, I would love to hear :D

Speak to you all again soon,

Bye XxXxXx

Finished.... but only just getting started... :P

Hi,

 

Today was officially my last day of college for the year, though I actually didn't have to come in really because I got all my work handed in yesterday :0)

 



So now I can bring you the final photos from my Line and form project (the collaboration with a designer) that I have been mentioning in my last few posts.

 

I kindly got permission from my designer to put up a picture of her design for court costume of the Duchess of Malfi (for a contemporary staging of the Duchess of Malfi):

 

(Copyright of my designer Sarah!)

 

I concentrated on making the jacket in the design, and now you can see what I was going from here is my final realised garment: 

 

 

 

It is fully lined, but is made in calico- really I would make it in wool worsted, but that was a bit expensive for this project when I needed 4m of it! And calico was still a suitable weight.

 

I am really proud of it and I learnt so many things from it- like how to construct a notched collar, and fully line the jacket with fairly little hand sewing (the industry method). It fitted my model really well too (she wanted to take it home :-P) so I was pleased!

 

This week, as well as finishing my jacket, I picked up some really great bargains at the big costume store sale at college. They had a clear out and all the money raised is going towards re-stocking the store. I got all of these clothing items for only £5!!!!!:

 

So that is 50p each!!! My aim is to use the fabric or adapt each of them over my summer break to make some cool stuff :) Though I may end up just wearing some of the pieces as I might not have the heart to cut into them- especially the big purple mens coat; it has a label in it saying 'Nathans and Burmans' (a famous costume house), and 'Return to OZ' so it may have been in the film- I will have to watch and see! Hehe, that will give me a bit of excitement :P

 

I better get off to bed now though as I am working at the Bridal Boutique tomorrow and as tomorrow is the first official day of my summer holidays my summer plan (lots of reading about sewing and fashion and costume, sewing and designing, going on courses and doing work experience- in between going on holiday with my family :P) can begin! So though I am finished for the year, I am only really just starting as I have so much to learn and practise in summer :)

 

See you all soon, and I will keep you all regularly updated :-)

 

I hope you are well,

 

Bye xXxXxXxXxXxXxX

Fathers Day!

Hi everyone,

As the title of this post suggests, this post is mainly about Fathers day :P However I would like to begin by saying a big thanks to Steph (see her blog here!) who sent me this lovely bundle in the post:

 

 

 

They are the most awesome cross stitch charts ever and she even put in an adorable little Hamtaro charm she found for me! (for those of you that don't know I love Hamtaro and hamsters in general :-)

 

How kind and lovely Steph is, I can't wait to start on some of the charts! Thank you xxxx

 

Hehe, now onto fathers day :P

 

First up, I managed to finish the Paddington Biscornu I was making for my dad just in time:

 

My dad loves Football

 

And he does some primary school maths teaching (Just to explain why I chose those Paddingtons, in case I haven't already)

 

I stitched the words 'I love You Dad' and a little heart into the opposite corners:

And I added two little love heart charms to make it extra special:

 



 

My dad really liked it and said it would probably take him years to sew something that didn't look nearly as good, lol :P He also thought the shape was cool.

 

Making this Biscornu has reminded how much I love the shape of them too, an dhow fun they are to make. Maybe I will whip up another couple using the charts Steph sent me.... ooohh.... a Hamtaro Biscornu.... I am in heaven!!!

But before I drift off into Biscornu world, back to fathers day. As well as his other presents me, my mum and my brother all clubbed together to buy ingredients for a special Fathers day picnic. I then did some baking with it all (with a bit of help from my brother) and voila:

 

We had to have it indoors because it wasn't very sunny outdoors, but I think it still looked pretty and we still had fun. There were benefits also like not being bothered by any insects, lol!

 

The round bread loaf you can see in the picture is actually a giants sandwich (a hollowed out loaf that you fill with your sandwich filling them slice it and eat it). I filled it with green salad leaves, roasted tomatoes, buffalo mozzarella, basil and some Quorn ham- we managed to finish it all, it was tasty, even if I do say so myself :P

 

In terms of baking, I made peanut butter cookies:

 

Cherry and Cinnamon cake (the recipe for which can be found here)- which went reallllyy well with custard!:

And finally some black bottom cupcakes (chocolate and a blob of cheesecake mix, with cream cheese frosting on top) from the Hummingbird Bakery cookbook:

 



 

Everything went down well :) Pretty much everything I know about picnics, dinner parties, and cooking in general I have learnt from watching and helping my dad (and a little bit from GCSE food tech, lol) so it was nice to get to treat him by showing him all he has taught me, and by doing all the hard work he normally has to do to put everything together for him.

I LOVE YOU DAD! XXX

After the picnic we all watched a Paddington bear DVD (my present to my dad) and the Harry hill movie (one of my brothers presents to my dad), which was amusing- and one of the main characters was a hamster, lol!

 

I hope all of you had a good weekend/Fathers day too. I better go now though, I have got to get off to college in a moment to finish my jacket,

 

See you all soon,

 

Bye XxXxXxX

A huge post! (incl. cupcake walk #2 with my friend; stitch b*tch :)

Hello,



Today I bring you a very, very full post! Full of lots of lovely costumes and cakes, shall we begin....?

First up I thought I would show you all the most recent pictures of my Line and form project (collaboration with a designer :). Here is my finished toile- which basically means the mock up of the garment to get the fit perfect:

I have now started to make it up for final as I had my fittings this week and made the small alterations to the patterns needed. Now I have got to power on and get it finished perfectly! I am really enjoying this project though, as we are learning all the skills needed to interpret a designers sketch- something that really intrigues me as,  as well as bridal, couture fashion clothing making (being in an Atelier and interpreting fashion designers sketches) is something that I would really liked to be involved in in the future :)

Talking of bridal though- I did a bit more work experience on Saturday for Sharon, the lady who let me help out with the bridal fashion show. She has just opened a new bridal boutique. I was front of house in it on Saturday. I managed to make an appointment for a bride to come in to try dresses on so I was very happy! Hehe, here was my view from my mirrored desk (ooh fancy! :-):

On to more lovely things now....

....today I was walking around London for about 5 hours- no exaggeration as first I went to see the Graduate show for all the 3rd years at my college at the OXO Tower Bargehouse and then I went onto my 2nd cupcake walk of the year :P

The Graduate show was really good, lots of really high quality pieces :) And the setting of the Bargehouse was really cool and interesting- kind of like an old warehouse but nice and bright from all the windows:

The lovely pieces speak for themselves so I will just let you enjoy the photos- rather than natter on about my thoughts :P

As I was wandering round I couldn't help but think that that will be me in two years, presenting my work as a graduate! That made me feel really excited and inspired :)

Then after that, as I said, it was on to my 2nd cupcake walking tour of London of the year. I enjoyed the one I did with my mum soo much that I asked if my friend from Uni wanted to go with me on another one. She has just started her own blog recently and I highly recommend you check it out and drop her a comment or two :o) It is really interesting, and I am not just saying that because I am her friend: http://www.stitchbtch.blogspot.co.uk/. Her blog is titled stitch bt*ch, as believe it or not that is the often used nickname for members of wardrobe departments in theatre etc! :P

First up on the tour was the cupcake bakehouse- Owned and run by Lorraine Pascal:

I had a mini chocolate cupcake from there:

Then it was onto Laudree- their macarons I would say could not be improved, they are perfect:

Sweet couture had some new flavours for this walk so I was super excited, I had cookie dough, and Grace had oreo (a good choice! That's What I went for on my first walk):

Mmmmm... cookie dough was so nice!!!!!!!  I want another one!!!! (P.s. I think Sweet Couture is my fave cupcake place)

Then came hummingbird bakery:

And another delicious red velvet cupcake with cream cheese frosting:

Yauatcha is a place I am so happy I discovered form the walks- their macaron varietys are so cool!

I had another Jaffa cake one because I couldn't resist and I also tried caramel cashew and pistachio:

We got three choices there this time as Fortnum and masons was unavailable for a sample this time. I didn't mind though as I do love Yauatcha.

And finally onto Patisserie Valeire for a caramel truffle and chocolate macaron:

So lovely!

The tour went via Saville row which was cool as you could see the workrooms through the windows below the pavement level.

Hehe, you can go get a drink and have a relax now- I am finished.

I promise :P

I hope you all had a great weekend too. I am off now to watch TV with my mum and work more on my dads Paddington bear cross stitch fathers day present.

See you all soon,

Bye XxXxX