Banyan Trees and Wooden Elephants

 Listening to- Sprout and the Bean by Joanna Newsom

Apparently primark is the new vintage, with Newcastle stores such as Best Vintage and Attica stocking recent items to items a few years old, even though they claim to buy only from vintage specialists.

I recently bought a primark camisole (non- vintage!) and gave it sprinkle of hand made dust with some tree and cloud applique, a few trims, and some elephant prints from my little wooden elephant, purchased in camden market.

I used fabric paint for these as it stays on the fabric when washed, i know this after i spilled a whole bottle of dark blue fabric paint on my pale green wool carpet.

applique-ing the tree onto the vest and the finished item, looks a bit scruffy but that was the idea.

The Vegetable Dress

 Listening to- Nightlight by Bonobo ft. Bajka

Ok... the love for vegetables has actually just tipped the scale a little too far.... Yesterday I progressed into making a dress depticitve of actual vegetables...

The top was made from single crochet, no pattern used, with yarn from the trusty Grainger Market habadashery and the skirt is made up entirely of a variety of fabrics from remnant bins at Uni, fabric stores and charity shops. The thing about making your own clothes that I love is that if someone were to purchase them, they would be fair trade. Because the work itself is done only by me.

The dress features a quilted carrot and onion (made from borrowed merino wool tops and my grandmas old curtains) backed onto an embroidered cabbage (from old skirts and jumpers) with layers of soil and a hand dyed (with henna) gingham patch pocket.

Unfortunatley, as I have no access to the industrial machines over the summer, and as it is expressive to a taste only as hideous as mine, I'm afraid it would be unsaleable if I were to produce more than 1.

Embroidering the cabbage with spaghetti stitch and attaching the top piece to the skirt, with the obligatory morning cup of gunpowder tea

The Final Dress, and details of the vegetables :D