Least in the Kingdom: April 2010

~Today's post is all about a UK clothing company called "Cath Kidston".

~I accidentally stumbled across their website last week, and fell in love with the sweet styles and surprisingly modest clothing they offer. (I personally think the above dresses are too short, but, many of their things are below the knee, or could be made more modest with a short pair of leggings!)

~Here's a few pictures of what they offer!

~The sets are amazing as well, so much spring inspiration!

~Don't forget to check out the "Shoes and Wellies" section!

~And the fantastic bags...

~They also have a wide range of rather "uncommon" accessories, like handkerchiefs! I was amused to find, in this online UK store, a "cowboy hankie" print. Who would have thought? (far left)

~They also had cheerful umbrellas for the rainy days...Whoever invented the drab gray and black umbrella anyways?

~Oh, and, their home accessory section was adorable as well! I can't stop drooling over these darling tea sets!

~Cath Kidston also offers all of their cute fabric for sale by the metre...So, if you've been waiting for that "perfect" print, search no more!

~So, go check out the website for yourself! Right now they are offering a free magazine (I've already ordered mine!), or you can view the online magazine here. Its so much more than a store catalog, its a fun pamphlet of pictures, ideas, tips, and, of course, interesting UK stuff!

~Some of you may remember a little project I eluded to several months ago, something I was doing with an extra copy of P&P. (Come on, we all know we have extra copies of Austen lying around!) Until now I hadn't gotten around to taking pictures of the progress, so, here's what I promised!

~Meet my latest altered book! My new sewing machine, with its fancy embroidery options, really came in handy designing the cover...

~All it took was a hardcover copy, a square of fabric large enough to tuck under the sides, glue for decoupaging the fabric to the cover, and embellishments. The best part was the embellishing!

~Lace, lace, lace...And stickers, and scraps of fabric, and, of course, an embroidery machine. So much fun!

~Here's a close up of the back! (In case you were wondering, yes, these pictures were taken on a chair in my new room. More of that to come soon!)

~As you can see, altering a book consists of ripping out pages, gluing the pages you have left together, and creating a sort of "grown up" board book! Its really so simple, just make sure you have a book with a good spine! But enough of the cover, lets move on to the pages...

~The thing I love about altered books is that you can literally do anything you want. There simply are no rules. Keep playing with your page until it looks right to you. The materials that can be used are endless.

~Some of the things I used inside this book are:

:Various pieces of scrap booking paper (an obvious and basic step in the right direction!)
:Craft Paint, for the hand painted roses you see and page washes.
:Ribbon, Lace
:Cut out Quotes and Illustrations from the book I was altering
:Buttons
:Stickers
:Vintage Paper Dolls
:Stampers
:Tissue Paper

~Some details of the title page. I wanted to theme the book around the story...But you can do whatever you like, write your own story!

~The second page...I love the way the gold paint brushed on lightly lets the words still peek through!

~"I could more easily forgive his pride, if he had not mortified mine."

~Here are the vintage paper dolls I pasted in, they aren't from Jane Austens time era, but, I thought they had the right "look" together. You can almost imagine the wearers look of disgust as they each alternatively survey and ignore the other!

~I added a verse I found rather appropriate!

~These are the last pages I had time to complete before the move... I was just getting to the good part!

~Let me know if you have any questions about altering books! I'm a newbie to the art myself, and must confess, it is rather addicting! There are some great websites that offer advice on choosing books and themes, as well as amazing pictures, so do a search!

~More to come soon!

~Well, busy though we are with moving in, I've somehow found time to put together this little Monday post. (Guilty sigh!) Enjoy!

~Winter is leaving and Springtime is in the air! While dipping into my grandmother's fascinating wardrobe I came across this cute Hawaiian print dress and adorable pink tea hat. Put the two together was the next obvious step!

~Here's a take on how you could duplicate this style, making the polyvore image larger increases blurriness (not sure how to work that out yet!) but you can click on the link to view the set in detail...

~This Modcloth sun dress is simply lovely in the details...Personally I would add a little length with leggings or sew in an extra ruffle.~

~Anyhow, until next week!

~ I know its been quite awhile since I last shared a piece of blog candy, so here's one I just created!

~This is for all of us vintage loving sewing people out there!(Created at the amazing website, http://www.scrapblog.com/, check it out for yourself!) Feel free to save the image to your computer, and then upload to your blog sidebar! It is already sized for most blog formats, so, don't check the "resize image" box! Let me know in the comments if you have trouble!

I just stumbled across a unique blog called "Lemondrop Vintage" - which is hosting a Shabby Apple dress giveaway! The giveaway closes April 20th, so be sure to drop in and leave your comments before then if you want to be entered to win this lovely dress!

~I've always loved the idea of owning a falconry. There's something that spans time and space about a falcon on your wrist - about to take flight for the hunt! Having that special bond with your bird of prey, trusting it to return to you when the day's done...

~Okay, so its a dream, but I think more than one of us wishes, if ever so slightly, that we had been born in a castle in Scotland half a century ago!