Playing Dress Ups

Hello all you lovely lovelies. A beautiful welcome to you.♥ This last little whiIe I have been in the mood for a little playing. Yes, I have been in the mood for a little dressing up. Though, in saying this I haven't dived headfirst into a bottomless trunk of swanky dresses and costumes, accessorised with swirls and swirls of beaded necklaces, nor indeed high heel shoes; as I did when I was a child.  The dress ups I have been in the mood for is a little tarting up; a little dressing up of a plain denim, white jacket.

I found this jacket in an op shop a few seasons ago with every intention of wearing it in all its 'white-ness', perhaps teamed with a pair of jeans or white pants....or a dress. But you know what, I decided this jacket could perhaps look rather spiffy with a smattering of fabrics, fun trims and a few bits and bobs.

As I always do when I am thinking of a little playing, I gathered together some pretty Japanese lawn fabrics that were in my stash, together with a few laces and pretty ribbons. I always seem to gather together a slather of pretties when I embark on tarting up a pretty; much too many really, because I never seem to use all that is front of me. I just like to have them all before me so I can play and see what combinations I dream up. 

So let the playing begin.

I hand stitched fabric to the front yokes cutting the fabric to roughly fit the shape of each yoke, trimming and snipping the fabric, and turning under a tiny hem as I stitched along. The collar is bordered with trim I made from one of the fabrics. As the buttons were fairly pedestrian and didn't appeal to me, I snipped around the 'snap' buttons which unfortunately left rather noticeable holes. Not to worry. This tiny problem was resolved by the covering of the holes with fabric. I covered the buttonhole side with the same fabric as well. After completing all the hand stitching of each fabric piece I then top stitched with the sewing machine. With the addition of vintage buttons and an assortment of laces and ribbons to the sleeves, my 'little plain Jane' jacket has morphed into an original which cannot be replicated. Did I ever tell you I love to wear clothing that cannot be bought off the rack......well, I do. =)

Yep.....I am rather taken with my little pretty.  It's been a welcome change over this last little while to fashion something other than a  quilt. I always get a sense of satisfaction when  a rather plain article of clothing which can be seen everywhere, is transformed by the adding of a few pretties. My tarted up lovely is all ready to be seen out and about this Spring. I am just waiting for the temperature to rise a notch or two.......or thirty! I haven't quite packed away my Winter woollies just yet. Come to think of it, here in Tassie one can never really pack one's woollies away for the season. A woolly or two always needs to be on hand when the weather decides to throw a little tantrum, venting it's displeasure on us mere mortals. One cannot get too comfortable with the warmth of Spring and Summer. There is always a chilly day or two just waiting around that bend in my country road.

Thank you for your sweet visit♥ Thank you for popping by and reading my stuff and nonsense. It is  Sunday morning here and I am off for a little country drive over hill and dale, to then wander around a bric a brac market with my beautiful friend, Trish and her daughter, Holly (my sewing gal).  Why, I might even unearth a  pretty that is just waiting for a little tarting up. You just never know your luck in a small country town. It will be a beautiful drive because wherever the eyes look there are thousands and thousands of Daffodils showing off in all their gloriousness. Yes indeedy, Spring is 'bustin out all over' way down here at the bottom of the world. 'Tis so, so very pretty!

Until the next time...........

Linking up this week to Kathy's, Slow Sunday Stitching and Alycia at Alycia Quilts

Buds in The Basket......A Quilty Finish!

A beautiful welcome to all you lovely lovelies.

Today I am the bearer of good news....well at least for me. After about six months of machine piecing, hand appliqueing and hand quilting, my Buds in a Basket quilt is finished!! YAY!! So very excited.

This quilt embraces all that I love; a gathering of sweet 1930 prints,  pretty baskets  and  of course,  flowers. This quilt oozes scrappylicious loveliness, my very favourite type of quilt.

If you have been reading along from the beginning of the fashioning of this sweet quilt you will recall I found this book what seems a lifetime ago and was saving the pattern Buds in a Basket for a rainy day.

Little bud by little bud, basket by basket, I stitched and stitched on my little vintage Bernina until all the sweet baskets were joined in rows to form the quilt.

When it came to the quilting of this pretty I decided I definitely wanted to hand quilt. Hand quilting can sometimes seem painfully slow and sometimes.....just sometimes I wondered if indeed I was ever going to stitch the very last stitch and see a finished quilt on the bed; but after months of stitching straight lines up and down and up again.......my pretty is finished! I love the quilting in this quilt, both straight lines and diagonal lines alternating in opposite direction in consecutive rows. The diagonal quilting gives the quilt a gorgeous texture. When it came to quilting the border I decided simple straight lines of quilting would be perfect. I chose a soft pink Kona solid for the binding as the background of the floral border fabric is pink. I think the pink binding adds a soft touch.

Just look at all those happy, little yellow, trumpet-like daffodils heralding Spring! Though still a wee bit chilly for my liking the sight of these bulbs swaying in the breeze whisper to me that perhaps warmer weather and sunshine is on its way down here. I just have to be patient.

Now that my Buds in the Basket is on my bed, I must say the gorgeous texture and bright and happy baskets do greet me with a quilty smile each morning when I wake up. Why, I do believe sleep is just that little bit more blissful when one spends those sleepy hours exploring  the land of Nod, snuggled under a squishy squashy handmade quilt.

Another quilt completed. Why I do declare there is something in the water down here at the bottom of the world. Within the last six months I have stitched not one, but two quilts from the first stitch to the very last.....why I never!! It probably will never happen again. =) Another quilt oozing scrappyness and loveliness to add to that scrappy pile of mine. Love, love, love scrappy quilts!

Puddles and puddles of scrappy quilts......ahh.....bliss!!

Anyway, thank you for visiting my happy little place. You always delight me with your beautiful visits. You have sprinkled sunshine to what was a rather chilly and overcast Sunday. Ahh.....Spring.....where are thou??

Until the next time..........

Linking up this week to Kathy's Slow Sunday Stitching, Alycia's Finished or Not Friday and Wendy at Wendy's Quilts and More Peacock Party.