Shoe Envy.

I really must get a move-on and work out how to make little canvas shoes.

The Nice Man Who Knows About Feet told me that I shouldn't be wearing Converse any more, so I sold my yellow pair with daisies and ladybirds to a friend. I still have a pinstripe pair that didn't sell, and I keep looking at them, and wondering whether the next time I put them on they'll magically be okay for my feet.

(Note to self: This didn't work with the Doc Martens, so it seems unlikely that the Cons would be okay.)

Because I am a sucker for punishment where shoes are concerned, I've just been to look at the Converse section of the Schuh website.

Look! They have Converse with Little Red Riding Hood on them!

I immediately want to make a little red gingham dress to wear with these.

I'm not so keen on this year's ladybird design, but I do rather like this blue and yellow floral pair. I'm sad that these Sailor Jerry low-tops are men's, because that means they don't come in my size. They're so pretty that I'd happily have worn these with all my summer skirts.


Mind you, if I'm looking at Converse, I ought really to be looking instead at Ethletic Sneakers. It would be really easy to buy a cream pair and paint on them, and then I can have whatever design I like, as well as supporting Fair Trade and renewable resources.

Having said that, Finest Imaginary has just pointed out that the Little Red Riding Hood Converse are part of (PRODUCT) RED, which has a global fund to provide anti-retroviral drugs, to help fight the AIDS pandemic in Africa. I'll be looking out for that one red eyelet if I do decide to buy a pair of Converse in future.


I'm still quite a few steps away from being able to transform the slippers I've been making into outdoor shoes. I just need to resist the urge to give in to temptation in the meantime!

A Slight Technical Difficulty...

Today I've been making slippers for Daniel, my colleague's smallest son.

I've been following the instructions from Kwik Sew pattern 3323.

The Kwik Sew pieces are simple ovals, which can be worn on either foot, so I drew out my own pattern pieces to make them the same shape as Daniel's feet. I then assembled all the pieces in the right order, and things seemed to be going pretty well!

On the left is one completed upper, and in the middle its matching sole. The upper is two layers of fleece, with a layer of batting in between. The sole is made from 1" foam, sandwiched between a layer of fleece and a layer of drill. On the right is what happens when you pin the upper and sole together, right sides in. The idea is that you sew most of the way around the edges, leaving a gap at the heel to turn the slippers through.

Admittedly I did use slightly thicker foam than called for in the pattern, and I had been thinking that maybe the layer of batting was a bit superfluous with the fleece. I could see that the sole/upper piece was quite thick, even after I'd trimmed the seam allowances off the foam. I was expecting this part of the sewing to be a little tricky...



...and I was right. Oops.

The needle's not only snapped, it's also curved! This is apparently what happens when you try to squash six layers of fabric, plus an inch of foam, through your average domestic sewing machine. I don't recommend it!

Next time I think I'm going to leave out the batting layer, and I definitely need to use only ½" foam if I want to go with this particular construction method!

For this pair, I'm going to do a bit of unpicking, and then use the method where the final outer layer of the sole is sewn on by hand. Sometimes a bit of good old-fashioned hand sewing is the best way after all.

More slippers, and an exhibition!

O'Retha, your slippers are finished! I hope you like them. :)

This pair were made to fit a drawing of O'Retha's feet, which she sent to me using the Power of the Internet. I now need to post them across the Atlantic, and hope that they fit when they get there!

These are made in the same way as the monkey slippers. The uppers are made from plush tiger fabric lined with gold satin, and interfaced with a layer of batting for extra softness. The inner soles are made from gold satin and white cotton, with a layer of 1" foam and a piece of buckram sandwiched in between. The outer soles are felt, edged with blanket stitch in a strong buttonhole thread.

I learnt a few things while making this pair - namely when it's better to use a curved upholstery needle, and when a straight one is more effective.

Next up will be two little pairs for Daniel and Edward, my colleague's sons. They'll both be made of polar fleece, so they should be really squashy and cute!



Oh yes, the art exhibition!

I've received an email via Etsy, from a local ceramic artist. She's asked me whether I'd like to have some of my badges included in an exhibition that she's putting on in Henley in July.

I've mailed back to ask for more information, but this is the first time I've been invited to take part in anything like this, so I'm very excited about it!

Scalloped skirt - finished!

Remember the scalloped skirt that I started working on the other day?

I've just finished it, and I'm really pleased!

(Please excuse the gormless squinty face - that's the first time I've used the self-timer on the camera, and I couldn't tell when it had taken the picture!)

Ta-daa! Two views of the same skirt. This is the first garment that I've made from the Bishopston fabrics, in Raspberry and Wine.

It's bagged out at the scalloped hem, so there are no seams at all on the outside. This makes it conveniently reversible, for two skirts in one! It also holds the two layers neatly together, so they can't slip about or ride up. As with all of my skirts, it's elasticated at the waist for comfort.

Now, if I can just work out how to put pockets in the side seams of a reversible skirt, I'll be very happy indeed.

As soon as I've asked Paul to take some photos of me looking slightly less confused, I'll be adding this one to the shop. (Not this one - this one's mine. But you'll be able to order one in your size, in any of the Bishopston colours.)

Kaffe Fassett Fat Quarters

Look what I've got!

Paul's Mum very kindly gave me a set of ten fat quarters. Aren't they beautiful?

They're Rowan fabrics which were designed by Kaffe Fassett, and hand woven in India with the support of Oxfam.

They go absolutely perfectly with the Bishopston fabrics, so at the moment I'm thinking of some lightweight cotton coats, with fabulous striped collars and pockets. Maybe also covered buttons, if I can squeeze enough fabric out of the fat quarters.

I'm enormously grateful to Stef for passing these on to me. Look at the colours! They're so pretty.

Working on the website.

Today I have finally taken the time to give the Design By Claire website a bit of a sort-out. I took the shop down a little while ago, to experiment with Big Cartel and Etsy, but I've finally decided that I want to keep a web shop on my own site as well.

So, here it is:

It still needs a bit of work, but at least you can go there and buy things, which seems to be the primary aim of having a shop in the first place!

Originally the web shop was on hold until I'd decided what I was doing with the Bishopston fabrics. As it happens that's taking a lot longer than I'd planned, and it was silly not having a shop set up for all the things I'd made already.

I do have more plans for a more professional shopping set-up, using Zen Cart. Unfortunately the process of setting up Zen Cart's templates is giving me rather a headache, so I'm taking that slowly too.

In the meantime I'm concentrating on making lots of new and exciting things - mostly slippers for all the people who volunteered to test them out for me! I also have plans for more accessories like the monkey belt, and lots more tote bags from pillowcases. I had a little shopping spree on Ebay last week, and I have Dennis the Menace, Wombles and Henry's Cat duvet covers and pillowcases on their way!

The Scalloped Skirt - an Idea.

I've been wanting to make some kind of a scalloped skirt for ages.

I bought this reproduction vintage Butterick pattern a few years ago:

I never got around to making it, because the tutor on the only sewing course I've ever taken deemed it unsuitable for a beginner. I'd already cut out the pattern though, and by the time I felt as though I wasn't a beginner any more, it was several sizes too small. Eventually I'll fiddle about with it so that I can make it in my size, but for now, I'm happy to be inspired by the scallops at the waist.

Then last week I saw this amazing Rob Ryan skirt from Clothkits.



Remember Clothkits? The ones with the seventies-style matching mother and daughter dresses, and the little dolls? Well, they've recently undergone the most amazing transformation, and their website has some amazingly cute clothes and dolls to sew!

I was showing this skirt to Paul, and he asked whether you were supposed to cut it out "all wiggly" at the hem. Well, I guess you're not supposed to, but what's stopping you?

I've been wanting to make a fully lined and completely reversible skirt for ages. It suddenly struck me that a skirt with a scalloped hem would be absolutely ideal for this. You have to join the two layers together at the bottom to make the scallops, so you immediately get a fully lined skirt. All you have to do is be neat and tidy about adding an elasticated waistband (have you any idea how difficult it is to buy a reversible zip?), and you magically have two skirts for the price of one!

I traced out my elasticated skirt pattern in my size, and set about adding the scallops to the hem.



As you may have noticed, I am not a mathematician. I used to be pretty good at technical drawing, but this ability with a pencil and compass appears to have deserted me, as it took five attempts to draw out the scallops to the right size!

Over the weekend I plan to make a first draft of this skirt, and see how it turns out. If it goes well, I have plans for the Bishopston organic cottons...