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...

Snow Time

The snow is here and my home made designer winter coat is falling to pieces. This is not good timing. It will take a while to take it to pieces to repair the detail and put in a new lining, which is what it needs. The actual fabric of the the coat is fine. My solution is to create a new coat. I am using a 1940’s pattern and some home spun Scottish fabric in green and grey checks. It will look great. I only hope it is going to be big enough for me as although I have made it bigger than the original, it still looks like it may be a tad tight. I will use the new coat once it is finished whilst I will take my old coat to pieces and rebuild it. Once my old coat is finished; new ribbons are sewn up the seams and the new lining is put in, then the 1940’s repro coat can be sold on Etsy in my shop Pettycoatjane.

Valentine's day

Valentine's day is coming up fast and this year is a leap year.  Tradition says that on a leap year the lady can ask her lover or boyfriend to marry her, but must wear a red petticoat when she does this.  I plan to make a few red petticoats to list in my Etsy shop for the ladies out there planning to pop the question this year.  If you would like a pettycoat made for you.  Go to my etsy shop www.etsy.com/shops/pettycoatjane and convo me with your size and whether you want a 50's style net petticoat or the traditional red Flannel style petticoat.  The price of the petticoats is around £20

Taking Control

Life is uncertain these days.  I have 2 jobs.  One working for Romany Theatre Company as Project Co-Ordinator and one for ICVS as Membership and Office Administrator, but neither are safe.  Both are working in the charity sector so we are reliant on funding and grants which are harder and harder to win these days.  I have decided not to leave it in the hands of fate and have started my etsy shop - Pettycoatjane.  If you have seen my shop you will know that my aim is to make clothes and sell them.  At the moment due to a lack of time I am selling vintage clothes.
Somehow, I don't seem to find time to sew much.  First I have to fight for space with everyone else in my family.  I need a whole table to cut the pattern out from the fabric.
Then there are the time constraints and family demands - All the fun of motherhood.
Having said this.  I have taken the first steps to taking control of my life.