Where has the time gone?!

Well happy April and happy Easter to you all...a little late yes, I hadn't realised it had been so long again. My poor neglected blog!

Right what have I been up to? Preparing for Made In The Shade that's what! I have Miss Lottie Lou stickers and different coloured tissue papers all ready for packaging items, business cards designed and awaiting print, card labels ready to be tied onto items with essential information on the back, and my stall set-up all sorted out! On top of the little bits and bobs I've been making clothes which I will post photos of shortly once I've taken them. Today I made a full skirt which, I know I'm slightly biased, but it is so super cute I want to keep it all to myself! And over the last few days I've been making fabric covered buttons both to sell at Made In The Shade and to use on garments. I can't believe how amazing they look! Makes me wish that I had been making fabric covered buttons forever. I can't imagine my life without making them now!

Also I have a confession. I'm addicted to buying fabric. Now it's not as bad as it seems as I never buy fabric from a fabric shop (unless it is a customer request) so I'm not going out and buying brand new fabric, it is only ever vintage or recycled fabric. Even so I'm running out of room and getting overwhelmed at all the prettiness!!! Some mornings I wake up and can't decide what I'm making or with what fabric as I want to use them all right away!

As I said though I can't stop buying fabric. Now I don't usually go on Ebay, I find it all far too stressful with the last minute bidding and the possibility that I won't get what I want or I'll end up paying more than I want etc. However a good friend of mine, Miss Amelia, showed me some cute peach and white checked cotton from the 1950s that had been woven in a Lancashire mill and asked if I would make her something from it. Well from there it spiralled. I ended up 'winning' that one and three others in the same style but different colours. Then my Dad showed me some beautiful silk kimono fabric again from the 1950s and I ended up with a green piece with bamboo and flowers and a bluey piece with flowers. By this point I felt I was on a 'winning' streak! So I bid on some vintage deep green with squares and a vintage burgundy piece. Then the guilt and realisation that I had to pay up hit me!! I'm waiting on the Japanese silk to arrive but the other 6 I have. I was really disappointed in the peach and white one though as it is filthy, like its lived on a dirty floor having people trample all over it for I don't know how long. Fingers crossed it's ok after a good wash!!

Along with the clothes I also have a whole load of new material to photograph :)

Of course amongst all this working and bidding I went out to play! I've mentioned before about All Tore Up! It's a 1950s record hop that happens the first Saturday of every month in Glasgow at a place called Blackfriars. It's always an excellent night that attracts a mixed crowd of students, hardcore 1950s people and those that have stumbled in off the street for a nosey. This month was particularly rock and roll as the DJs blew up a speaker! It gave off the most awful smell! Of course the night kept going and it gave everyone a story! At the next All Tore Up! on May 1st we have a band called The Caezars playing so if you're in Scotland come and see one of the most popular bands on the scene right now. I'll be there in a toga :) Seriously.

Right to try make up for my lack of posting and photos of things I've been making and buying, I'll leave you with some photos from All Tore Up! which was on April 3rd. Enjoy :)

Hana and myself

Hana and David

My Dad 'hard at work' DJing

Hana, my mum, Aaron the DJ and All Tore Up! guy and Ellie his wife

Valarie and Neil

Awwww!! Yup my parents are as much in love now as they were when they got together aged 15!

My mum dancing at the end of the night

My dad having a bop at the end of his DJ set

Lottie x