Photos!!

Hello! How are we all? As promised here are some photos :)

This was my stall at Granny Would Be Proud in Hillhead Library. Was a slow day for everyone but had good chats with fellow stall holders :)

Close up of my 'model', buttons and headscarves

My super duper amazingly awesome Trunk!! £15!!

Inside

Hangers and drawers

Fold down compartment

Now for some photos of fabric :D Yup I'm still buying absurd amounts of fabric, it's so addictive! I could open a fabric shop! Sometimes I think that would be ace...

To see more of my fabric head on over to my Facebook 'fan' page: www.facebook.com/misslottielou

Next blog entry will be Rockabilly Rave photos :D

Till then,

Lottie x

Too cute!!

Hello all, hope you're having a good weekend :) Last night I was in Kilmarnock at O'Shannons Irish Bar seeing a band called the Troubleshooters and my Dad was the DJ for the night. Was a good night. Can't wait for All Tore Up! on Saturday to see The Ceazars. This weeks mission is to make a toga ready for then :)

This is just a quick update to show you my latest creation...a super cute reversible tie top!! It's the first reversible item I've made and it turned out really well. So well that I was very sad to see it go to a new home. Of course I snapped some photos before it went on its way:

I miss it already! I got some awesome vintage cowboy material so I'm going to make myself one from that :)

Enjoy the rest of the weekend!

Lottie x

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

Vintage furniture to house my vintage clothes

My goodness what a week!

I'm a member of the Helensburgh Freecycle on Yahoo Groups, where people post up unwanted things to give away to people for free and one day last week while I was scrolling through one just said various furniture. So I clicked on it and in amongst the 1970's cupboards and what not what was a 1950's wardrobe! There were no photos but I emailed the lady right away asking about it. She said I could meet her husband at the house and have a look for myself. Well my heart was racing when me and my mum got to the house! He took us upstairs and showed me the wardrobe...and matching dressing table....and matching bedside table!! They're beautiful!! I had to take all three because it would be sad to split them up after all these years. He then showed us around the rest of the house and said if there was anything else that I saw I could have it...so I also came away with a telephone table and a bookcase, all 1950's and free!

I couldn't take anything there and then as I had to convince my parents first of all that I needed it all and couldn't go on without them, and secondly that it would all fit in my bedroom/studio! So I spent the next couple of days clearing out my room and palming my Ikea furniture off onto others and drawing up plans to show them that it would fit. Then they said yes!! So I booked a removals van and enlisted my Dad and boyfriend to move all the furniture. I had the best time organising all my vintage clothes into my vintage wardrobe :D I took some photos to show but my camera is making them look a gross yellow colour so I'll need to borrow someone else's camera before I show you as I can't taint it's beauty with a rubbish photo!

Then as if that wasn't all exciting enough for one week, The Affordable Vintage Fair came to Glasgow!! I was a tad disappointed that there wasn't more home stalls and more 40s and 50s things but don't worry I did buy a dress! It's a sleeveless red one with buttons down the front of the bodice. And the stockings and tights stall was amazing! And the lady who ran it was just lovely and a delight to talk to. I had never seen such an amazing range of styles, brands and colours! Me and my mum spent a fortune so she threw in 4 free pairs for me! I got some Jonathon Aston stockings and tights; all nude, one with a red seam, one with a black seam and one with a red and white polka dot seam, three pairs of plain nude Christian Dior stockings, one pair of white Mary Quant tights with a white seam with white bows at the ankles and another pair of Mary Quant tights but black with black seam with a black feather at each ankle. I think that was all of them, I can't remember now! I also got a kitten brooch and a vintage dress pattern and my mum got a jumper and various tights and stockings too.

Then we headed down to Byers Road for another vintage fix! I got a 1950's red swimming costume. It is beautiful!! And I don't mean to toot my own horn but I look fabulous in it! It's red halter-neck with a low scoop back and it was only £10 out of Vintage Guru. I can't wait for summer or some sort of beach party! I'll wear it with seamed tights, wedges, flowers in my hair and matching red lipstick!!

I also bought so much fabric, it's an addiction I tell you!

Photos of everything will follow shortly, as I can't wait to show you all everything!

Today keep your eyes on The Made In The Shade Blog as they are announcing the Glasgow Springtime Jamboree. One of the names will be mine!! Still can't quite believe it!

My plan for the day is to get cracking on all my lovely fabric and take photos for you all to see.

Have a good day,

Lottie x

Whoops...

I didn't realise how long it had been since I last updated! I would love to say I have lots of new things to show you but it's not the case. Over the last couple of days I have finished finished Holly Sawkins's party dress. The best part of making something for someone is seeing them in the garment jump up and down squealing "I love it I love it!" I'm so pleased she's so pleased with it! If I'm not back from the party too late tomorrow I shall put up a photo of it.

I have also been working on a leopard print dress. It's one of those projects that right from the start I've not been 100% into. The fabric is lovely but because it's satin it's all slippy and I'm finding it a bit of a nightmare to work with. Then my overlocker broke!! Was not impressed. Luckily all it needed was a good hammering so all is well now :) I just need to get my head down and do it and stop getting distracted...

One distraction was a new blog I stumbled across: http://sozowhatdoyouknow.blogspot.com/She is currently doing a self imposed challenge called Me-Made-March which is excellent and you should go check it out to find out what it's all about! I don't know about anyone else but when I come across a new blog I like, I read it from the start so I'm up to speed with what's going on. Zoe's was a delight to read; humorous, insightful and full of pictures. I think this is something I'll make a regular thing of doing, highlighting a blog that I really like.

Now I haven't just been reading blogs, a friend of mine has brought round a pile of vintage clothing for me to alter. Unpicking is a nightmare!! And the things she's brought round are really well made with multiple lines of stitching argh! So I have started tackling them.

I also started on a black rose print shift dress...I'm making it to my size because I might keep it! I can't really afford to keep it all for me so I might just prance about in front of the mirror for a while before we part ways.

And I know I have plenty of fabric to be getting on with, but I couldn't resist getting some more today. I would put up a photo but I can't find the lead for attaching my camera to my laptop. However from this secret material, I now have a full skirted dress and a just a full skirt in the pipeline. I also bought some excellent wool material that is actually part of my present for my Mum for Mothers day as I'm making her a pencil skirt out of it. I promise to get to work and finish things off so I can show you photos!

Other than that I've not been up to much. I did get told I had great style today by a random lady I passed which really lifted my spirits. I'd just thrown dungaree jeans on with a checked green shirt and a doo-rag so I didn't think I was looking all that great, how wrong was I!

I'm going to leave you now with a photo that was taken a couple of months ago at All Tore Up! which is an awesome 1950's record hop in Glasgow. Happens once a month on the first Saturday in Blackfriars basement so if you're about come! I work on the door so you'll be greeted by my smiley face :)

Hana, My Mum Sam, Me, Valarie, Ellie (and baby bump)

Until next time, take care.

Lottie x

Mmmm Vintage

Today was a great success :) I love vintage shopping. The thrill you get when you see something beautiful hanging on the rail followed by the racing heart to see if it fits you and then the overwhelming feeling of joy when it fits like it was made for you! I just don't get that from high street stores.

Hana, David, My Mum Sam and Me

Headscarf, Bangle, Skirt, Shoes: Charity Shop

Shirt, Vest, Cardigan and Bag: Vintage

That was our little shopping group for the day. I got one of the girls in Vintage Guru to take the photo for us. Don't usually have a boy with us but he was the perfect gentleman opening doors for us all day :) While I went shopping specifically to buy fabric I ended up buying 3 headscarf, 2 jumpers, 1 cardigan which I'll wear as a jumper, and a pair of wide legged jeans with detachable dungaree straps all from various vintage shops. Didn't realise how much I had spent till I got home and totalled it all up and all I can say is whooops....

And I bought some vintage fabric! I only found one piece that I liked and that I thought was suitable but I'm happy with it. I was even happier when the lady who owns the shop did me a deal :)

There's enough fabric for a dress and a skirt. I've drawn up some designs for both and I can't wait for them to be finished! Can't decide what I'm going to work on tomorrow...think I'll wait till morning and see which fabric I'm in the mood for.

Hope you all had a good day,

Lottie x

I love woollen skirts

Rightio so here is the skirt:

I had to make it too small for me because I love it and would keep all to myself! It still needs a zip and hemmed and the waistband sorted out but I don't have a suitable zip laying about.

I was wondering if you all could help me a bit here. What are your thoughts on lining in skirts? Personally I don't like it. I find it makes the skirt slippy and spin. And when you try to tuck a jumper or shirt in, it doesn't stay tucked in because they can't grip onto the lining! But if this is just me I don't want to be making skirts without lining when everyone else wants their skirts to be lined. So if you could let me know what you think that would be much appreciated :)

Today I'm going fabric shopping :) I'm heading to Glasgow's West End for all the vintage shops so hopefully I'll have some exciting things to show you later.

Hope you have a good day

Lottie x