New Knitting Pattern Announcement: Lanhydrock Shawl & Discount Code

The best gardens seem to have secret doors!

Some places are full of patterns and shapes, and cannot help but to inspire creativity. Lanhydrock, National Trust stately home and gardens, set in lush green parkland, is one such place. As soon as I first visited and saw the formal gardens, abundant floral borders, and neat topiary I thought 'shawl design'! 

I got to work, settling on some beautiful 4 ply from my stash, and after a bit of thinking and scribbling on graph paper, this design was born: the Lanhydrock Shawl. 

Lanhydrock Shawl in situ...

I really wanted to make use of the formal, symmetrical garden layout in the lace motifs I picked, as well as those giant topiary trees. As in real life, the edge of my Lanhydrock is fringed by a wilder border area.

...inspired by the formal gardens...

I used a full 400m of Artesano Alpaca Silk 4 ply, in shade 'Dolphin'. The shawl is knitted from a tab cast on, and the trim is knitted on, making use of optional beads (mainly to help with blocking).

...patterns are everywhere...

I put the pattern out to test, and have had some really useful feedback, which has helped me refine the pattern quite a lot. Many thanks to all of my test knitters- your shawls look amazing and I really appreciate your patience!

...the shawl is symmetrical...

I am offering my blog readers 25% off the price of this pattern until September 10th, using the code 'pixieblog'- simply enter it at the checkout on ravelry and your discount should appear. 

Cornish blue to reflect the sky

...everybody loves discount!

I have a few more designs in the pipeline- I can't help but be inspired by beautiful Cornwall! Most of them need to be tested. Do let me know if you are interested in test knitting!

Winning Ikat Fabric from Mallorca

Med Style

The Balearic Islands are really special to me. 

I have been fortunate indeed to have spent many happy hours both in Mallorca and Menorca, but this is nothing compared to the 10 years plus that my beloved lived in the Balearics for. He tells me such stories of his youth there, the characters he knew and the spirit of the islands that I feel like I have also grown up there. 

Slow Fabric

One of the favourite places that I have visited is Teixits Vicens, where you can buy traditional ikat and striped cloth, and if you are lucky even see it being made behind the shop. You can also buy beautiful merchandise too, from deckchairs to handbags.

As you probably know, I am a massive fan of stripes- not to mention how keen I am on slow, traditional crafting methods, so this place is pretty heavenly for me! 

Fabric Heaven!

Winning Style

Recently, the lovely people at Vicens fabrics ran a competition on Instagram for items made from their fabrics. Well, I have a number of these, and being the fan that I am I decided to enter, with this picture:

my handmade competition entry

I drafted the skirt pattern in an easy-to-wear A-line shape, with a yoke, a front pleat, and- of course- pockets and made this skirt some time ago. It has washed and worn really well, and the fabric is a great weight for all sorts of weathers. Here I teamed it with an organic cotton stripey top from Seasalt, and my vintage Levi's denim jacket for a trip to St Michael's Mount, which is where I'm standing. 

And guess what? I won first prize in the competition! I still can't believe it. Thank you so much, Teixits Vicens, I'm so happy!

Views from a Fabric Workshop

I thought I'd take this opportunity to share some snaps from my last visit to Teixits Vicens. The colours are just dreamy!

My Balearic Wardrobe

Some of my favourite outfits incorporate Teixits Vicens:

LBD: little blue dress- my wardrobe is full of them

this skirt goes with everything!

perfect for Cornish days out

Barrel Bag Sew Along Instructions: Week 5

The final step is here! Well done if you've been keeping up with the sew along, and thank you so much for taking part. I have really enjoyed seeing your bags come together. 

Don't worry if you are worried about losing your place in the instructions: I am planning to archive them all in one spot so that they are easy to find for future reference.  

barrel bag

Finishing Touches:

Seam Finishing: 

The next thing you need to do after last week is finish the inside of your round seams: I have bound mine using the 4cm bias binding. It is a professional and also pretty finish to have on the inside of your bag. If you want to request a tutorial in how to bind seams please go ahead and use the contact form. 

Or, you can overlock the raw edges together- it is quicker and also very strong. 

Making the Strap:

Cut 2 x 10cm lengths of webbing, and also 2 x 7cm lengths. Then, have a look at your remaining webbing and decide how long you would like your shoulder strap to be. 

Don't forget that the buckles themselves will contribute to the length, and you should also allow about 3cm for the loop of webbing used to attach them (see picture below)- the overall length of buckle plus webbing loop is about 7.5cm each end of the strap. 

bag strap detail

You also need to add 1cm seam allowance each end of your strap. 

Once you are satisfied that you have identified the correct length of webbing, cut the strap to length. 

Take a 10cm piece of webbing, fold in half long ways and topstitch. Thread this loop through your buckle, then sew the loop closed. 

Place this loop onto a shorter 7cm piece of webbing and sew them together near the top. Make sure the buckle has its opening side facing down as pictured. The webbing loop should overhang by about 1cm: this is to stagger the bulk of the seam and also to ensure the rivets will go through it.

Then, place the strap onto the buckle to sandwich it into place, and sew, taking a 1cm seam allowance from the strap and the 7cm webbing. 

Now, press this seam so that it lays flat, and press the raw edge of the 7cm webbing, turning 1cm over. 

Topstitch around the sides and top of this shorter piece, attaching it to the main strap. 

Repeat this process for the other end of the strap. 

Now, making small pilot holes with an awl or a sharp pair of scissors, hammer the rivets into place, arranging them as you like, but preferably add strength by holding all of these layers of webbing together. 

The last step:

One (optional) finishing touch is to sew your handles together longways for strength and ease of use: find the midpoint at the top of you handles, then measure and mark 10cm either side of this. 

Fold your webbing in half along this 20cm, and sewing close to the edges topstitch both sides together. 

love that 'Quink' linen

And you're done! 

Well done and thank you again for joining in the sew along. Don't forget to keep tagging me in your finished results on twitter and instagram!

With thanks once again to Merchant & Mills for kindly supplying the materials for this project. 

barrel bag from Merchant & Mills materials

Earth Kind Originals: Ethical Cornish Fashion Review, Q&A & Discount

Organic Fashion from Cornwall

In my research into ethical clothing companies, I was thrilled to discover EKO, or Earth Kind Originals, hailing from beautiful St. Just in Cornwall. 

Being slightly cynical, I did wonder whether this company's head office was based here and manufacture took place in a developing country, but I need not have worried, as for once EKO mean exactly what they say by 'Made in Cornwall': a good selection of their pieces are made right here, from organic cotton that has been knitted in Nottingham. 

Image: EKO

I chat to EKO Founder, Helen:

I was lucky enough to be able to put some questions to Helen, and I think you'll agree the answers are inspiring:

Tell me a little about your journey into Earth Kind Originals!

In a nutshell I woke up one day and decided I needed to escape London and move back to the Cornish coast. I think your past shapes who you are and what you feel passionately about, and having seen my dad run his own business and growing up in Cornwall, have all had an impact. Leaving my job as a commercial fashion design in London and setting up my own eco friendly clothing label seemed like a natural progression. Combining my passion for good design and natural fibers, while working somewhere so inspiring has been a real driver.

You're clearly passionate about EKO, and about Cornwall, what motivates you to work so hard?

I love living in Cornwall, designing and creating feel good ideas, so being able to combine all of these things to create a brand is very exciting. Most days consist of number crunching, juggling cashflow and making tough decisions, but there are also times when the music goes up a notch, designs are created and ideas are hatched, and these days make it all worthwhile. Motivation comes from the journey of all these things, the curiosity of learning, making mistakes and feeling like I am building something truly unique, one brick at a time.

Imaget: EKO

What is the most satisfying thing about your job?

I can wake up every morning take my dog (Buster the crazy but lovely working cocker spaniel) out along the Cornish ciffs, then settle down in the office with a cuppa and work my way through the morning to do list. I try and appreciate this everyday. Although, what brings a real satisfying smile to my face is the lovely comments and cards we get from happy customers, who love the range as much as we do. Happy customers are why we do what we do, and make is possible for us grow and move the brand forwards.

What is your favourite item that you sell?

It has to be the Emily Jane Dress, which we have sold from day one, and we are super proud to be now making this style in Cornwall. It has our signature sculptural shape, timeless style and practical slouch pockets, made from super soft organic cotton jersey sourced from a mill in Nottingham.

Who is your heroine?

It has to be Anita Roddick, as I feel she was a true inspiration and pioneer of how business can be a change for good. I read her book while at uni studying fashion called ‘Business as Unusual’, and its always stuck with me. She is best known as the founder of The Body Shop and combined her brand with relentless charity work, campaigning for fair trade practice, and raising awareness on environmental issues. 

How would you like to be remembered?

For being nice and doing good things, like putting a smile on your face after a tough day.

Product Review:

happily earth-kind packaging 

Being completely in love with both ethical fashion and my local area, I was thrilled to receive this package- and especially to see that it arrived in a beautiful (and biodegradable) brown paper package. 

I know you're as excited as I was to know what's inside: I received the famous Emily Jane dress, and also a pair of Relax leggings.

Image: EKO

Image: EKO

My first impressions as these exciting pieces tumbled out of the pack were of the quality of the fabric: the 95% organic cotton jersey feels really substantial: these are no throw-away pieces. The 5% elastane gives them enough stretch to keep their shape, and they are both lovely and opaque. 

new favourite outfit?

Style: 

I don't often wear black, but when I do I want it to be classic, elegant and terrific quality. So, the Emily Jane dress fits the bill perfectly! The sculptural cut has a flattering empire-line waist with smooth pleats below, giving you shape in all the right places. The tulip-shaped skirt is the perfect length, and it has pockets! You know how much I love pockets!

the Emily Jane: shapely black organic cotton jersey...

The leggings in shade 'charcoal' are actually a flattering buff colour, which will work well with black of course, but will also tone nicely with the other colours in my wardrobe. 

The Fit: 

I opted for a Small in both pieces, and they fit my 8-10 size really well. The size charts on the EKO website are easy to locate and easy to interpret, which is definitely a plus. 

...with perfect pockets!

The leggings were also the perfect length, and fitted well around the hips and waist. I loved the turn-over waist band, as it seems to allow for maximum comfort and a soft silhouette. 

super-comfortable organic cotton leggings

Quality: 

As well as being made from beautiful fabric, the quality of the manufacture is also really high: the overlocking on both of these pieces lays really flat (no puckers to be seen), and it is stitched really securely (no stray threads or wobbly bits either).

paired together for a beautiful outfit...

The Outfit: 

Teamed together, these pieces make a winning outfit that could take you anywhere and to any occasion. But they are also great wardrobe staples which can be layered up or down. I can see the Emily Jane being my dress of choice for an upcoming trip as it's just so comfortable. 

I can see why these are both best sellers! 

...and a flattering silhouette

Discount Code: 

Not only has it been a real pleasure to work with EKO, but I'm thrilled to tell you that my lovely readers have been offered a discount: just enter the code 'happiness' at the checkout for a generous 15% off until the end of August! Thank you so much, EKO!

organic cotton leggings

Would I buy again? 

 

I would definitely shop further with EKO. I'd be tempted by the Day Dreamer Dress, which is similar to this one but with an exciting textured bodice, and sleeves: a great variation for colder months, or if you don't like to show your arms. 

I love their take on the stripey top, and the long vest not only looks super comfortable, but is made from eucalyptus no less! That's definitely on my shopping list. I can see a lot of the collection making their way into my yoga wardrobe too.

feel good about what you wear!

I thoroughly recommend Earth Kind Originals: I not only support their aims and ethics, but the products stand up for themselves, especially in what can sometimes feel like a limited ethical fashion market. 

We need to support brands like this who are working so hard with talent and vigour to stand up for what they believe in. It's by supporting companies like this with our shopping habits that we can show the garment industry how we want the future to look. 

Grateful thanks to EKO for providing an outfit to review. 

Barrel Bag Sew Along Instruction: Week 4

Sew Along: Week 4

Welcome back! This week is an exciting one- your bag will really begin to take shape! 

barrel bag sew along

You will need to have your D rings handy.

Let's go!

Cut a 20cm piece of your webbing. Fold it in half down the length of it and topstitch the long edges neatly together (from the right sides). Now cut this into two, so that you have two pieces measuring 10cm each. 

Fold one piece in half, place the D ring into the fold and stay stitch the ends together, so that your D ring is secured into a loop of webbing. Repeat this step for the other D ring and piece of webbing. 

Merchant & Mills Hardware 

Bag Ends: 

Now, take both of your round bag ends, and mark the quarters around them that you notched into your pattern way back at the beginning. I don't like to mark these points too soon because when you are using chalk they often rub off anyway. 

Also on the body of your bag mark the point on the fabric which is directly opposite the zip seam, and also the points which are exactly half way between the top and bottom of the bag.

notches are important

...marked with chalk

Now, attach your one-sided foot to the machine and locate your piping cord.

Lining up all of the raw edges, place your piping cord onto the round bag end and sew thus: you should have a 1cm seam allowance. It is important that the start and end of your cord should overlap as shown in the pictures so that there will be no gaps in the cord, so make sure you have a little spare at the beginning and end. When you come to the end of the circle, sew actually through the cord to secure it into this overlapped position. 

Piping attached to one bag end

piping must overlap at the beginning and end

Re-mark your quarter points if necessary. 

Pin your loops with their D rings so that they will sit at the top of the bag. Be sure that the rings point towards the centre of the circle, so that they will be on the outside of the bag when it is turned through. 

Now, lining up all of your guide points carefully, pin the body of your bag onto the bag ends (RS together), and still with your one-sided foot sew around the circle in exactly the same way as before. Take a 1cm seam allowance- the aim is to sew in exactly the same place when you attached the piping.

Ensure that your zip is open (crucial but easy to overlook!), before repeating these steps for the opposite end of the bag. 

piping is a beautiful visual detail on the bag

Join me next week for the final instalment of instructions, with details of how to finish your bag to a beautiful standard. 

Once again, thank you for tagging me on twitter or instagram. Please keep doing this- it's great seeing how you are getting on, and don't forget you can always use the contact form if you need clarification. 

Thank you for taking part!