Petticoat Jane - The journey so far ...

I was looking back over the years at my blog and thinking that I need to start blogging regularly.  I have in the past struggled with finding things to blog about. I am probably not alone in this and suspect that it is a variety of writers block.

So, as I was saying I was looking back and see that I started my shop in 2011.  When I started, I had a 5 year plan.  As I had no finance to plough into start-up costs for a business, I decided that I should build up my business slowly.  This has reaped rewards on many levels; starting slowly has meant that I have been able to learn and develop ideas.

In 2011, I opened my first shop Pettycoatjand had two strands:

• original vintage clothes & patterns
• traditionally home made and hand finished one off designs with a vintage twist  

Although, I thought this made sound sense and the two halves of the shop complimented each other, it soon became apparent that the home made clothes did not sell well alongside the vintage clothes.  While my vintage clothes started to sell, I did not sell any home made clothes.  I decided the answer was to open a second shop

• www.etsy.com/shop/petticoatjane - selling traditionally home made and hand finished one off designs with a vintage twist 
• www.etsy.com/shop/petticoatjanevintage - selling original vintage clothes and patterns

Virtually as soon as I did this I started to sell my home made clothes with a vintage twist.

My daughter has joined me now and designs and sells under her own label FrannB Designs through www.etsy.com/shop/petticoatjane.  She has just left school and is designing a selection of little black dresses for the up and coming party season.  

As well as selling the Petticoat Jane range & the FrannB Designs range we have started to make small craft items for sale as little gifts for people.  The most recent addition are herbal moth repellent bags.

And I have been planning a new design to add to these:

Your comments and feedback would be greatly appreciated.  I am currently trying to improve and update my shop.

Passing on old hobbies and learning new skills...

I have always loved sewing and remember when I was about 6 learning to use my mum's old Singer hand sewing machine.  I used to make clothes for my dolls (not that I remember playing with my dolls much, just making them clothes). I find sewing relaxing and de-stressing.  I find the clothes I make last longer than those I buy. So when I had a daughter I wanted to pass on my skills to her.  She had very different ideas and had no interest in learning to sew.

I had always hoped that she would be interested in what I was doing when I made clothes or was embroidering. She never did.  However, she is now doing A-Level textile product design having learned to use a sewing machine at school and learning to make clothes during GCSEs.  She is interested in learning only what is necessary to get her through her exams.

This all started with an interest in fashion.  She was not initially interested in what a garment is made of or how it was constructed.  Now she is making her final piece for her A-level and has started to ask me to teach her embroidery stitches.  She has learned 2; Satin Stitch & Stem Stitch which she has used to write phrases on her piece.  Last night she asked me to show her how to hand sew an invisible hem.

Despite learning these new skills, she still has no interest in hand sewing.  She finds it all too time consuming.

Is this what has come from modern life and society - we all want things instantly, we have no time for pass-times like our ancestors did as a necessity to make their lives more comfortable eg. rag rugs, mending and improving our clothes rather than just rush out and buy a whole new set of clothes.  Will these skills be lost for ever?

I still sew and mend.  Not as my ancestors did as a necessity, but I have been known to make repairs to favorite items of clothing to keep them going as I can't bare to throw them out - for example I had a chiffon skirt that got a cigarette burn at a party and I embroidered a silver flower around the hole and then branches of silver flowers growing up one side of the skirt.  My daughter would have thrown the skirt out even though it was a favorite skirt.

I am pleased that my daughter has taken an interest in sewing and that I have passed on some of my skills, but sad that she does not find it the enjoyable and relaxing pass-time that I do.  Maybe she will take it up later in life, who knows what the future will hold.

I have had a busy December.  As well as running Etsy shops and coping with the sales for Christmas...
www.etsy.com/shop/petticoatjane
www.etsy.com/shop/petticoatjanevintage
www.etsy.com/shop/petticoatjaneantique

I have been busy promoting Our Big Land for the Theatre company I work for - Romany Theatre Company.  Our latest production started last year with scratch performances to help in the development of Play. Our Big Land is a provocatively dark atmospheric piece of theatre with the culture clash between Romany and non Romany communities at its core. The style has a poetic beauty mixed with gritty realism, while the songs and movement transport us to a world rarely seen on stage before. The themes of family bonds, cultural loyalty and love crossing culture boundaries are to be found at its centre, while echoes of yearning for freedom, choice and lost love resonate throughout.
To find out where we are performing, please click on the link http://www.romanytheatrecompany.com/2013/12/our-big-land/

If you can please come an see us.  Patricia who came to see the scratch performance had this to say about it "Saturday 14th Jan performance was brilliant! Talented actors and actresses made it a very special experiences. The songs dances and story lines l found very moving.  I cant wait to see it as a whole play. Well done to all concerned."

Halloween Craft Fun...

This week, whilst was recovering from my first cold this winter, I got my craft box out and I found some old felt candy cane mice I made about 10 years ago.  I got inspired and decided to make a variation on this idea to decorate the house this halloween.

I then thought others might like to make some of these and I have designed my pattern, written out the instructions.  This craft idea is available to buy from Etsy www.etsy.com/petticoatjane

To make it you will need the pattern and the following:

 §    Pencil

§    Orange felt or card

§    Black felt or card

§    Glue or double sided sticky tape

§    Candy canes

§    Paint or felt tip pens

Why not check it out and have fun with your children this Halloween.

Wardrobe Clear Out

My daughter has been having a wardrobe clear out and I have been selling the clothes on her behalf on ebay.  Below are some of the items that she is selling

      

  

http://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/pettycoatjane/

She plans to buy some new clothes with the money she makes. 

As a plus she can also fill all her clothes in her wardrobe now and her room is tidier.

Perhaps I should take a leaf out of her book and have a clear out myself?

It has been a while

It has been quite some time since I last blogged.  So much has happened.  The company I work part-time for merged to form a new organisation called Community Action Suffolk and we have been undergoing a re-structure. The management team has been in place for a couple of months now and as of this week staff are all in place so we now start the exciting phase of stepping forward and making this seed of an organisation grow.
All this excitement in my work life has meant that I have not had much time for sewing, so this has been put on hold a bit.
One high light back in the spring was being commissioned to make an Edwardian skirt for a lady who was going to the Beamish Museum with her vintage bicycle group and needed an an Edwardian skirt she could cycle around the museum all day in.  My skirt made the front cover of their cycle club magazine - The Veteran Cycle Club

And last week I filled an order for custom made petticoat for a lady who is having a Gold and Navy themed wedding.

I am hoping to get some more sewing done and create some new stock for my Etsy shop in the next few weeks - watch this space...

What will you wear on Christmas Day?

I have found myself thinking at last about myself this Christmas and what do I have to wear?  Back in days gone by, when my children were small I would have worn jeans, but I want to get back to who I am again.  I used to love making my own clothes, but was not able to find the time when my children were small.  I also love vintage clothes and have a huge collection of vintage patterns, so...

The Christmas present shopping is nearly finished.
The tree and decoration are up.
Food is planned and I will be getting in the food shop this weekend.
It is also my birthday soon.

I think I need something new.  I found some great Italian wool mix fabric on Ebay in red with small coloured bubbles all over it.  I plan to make a skirt for Christmas day and to wear at my birthday dinner this weekend.  I have a pattern from the 1950s which is flared / full circle style skirt.  The only thing is I don't have a zipper the right colour, so I think I will use poppers instead.

I hope I find the time to make the skirt.