Fashion on the Ration Verdict

Yesterday, 3rd May, I headed up to London to join a good friend of mine, Laura Howard of BugsandFishes, to nip over to the Fashion on the Ration Exhibition at the Imperial War Museum. A place I don't think I've been too since I was a kid, needless to say it's changed quite a bit since then. Especially given the major revamp which saw it close for a considerable amount of time to do it. 

Alas, as it was a paid for exhibition I don't have any photographs from the actual exhibit so you'll have to use your imagination, or pop over to the website to see a few snap shots. It certainly was very well laid out, and very interesting. I always was a sucker for a well tailored attire, and especially uniforms. You might recall in 2012 I went to Goodwood Revival which was an utter hoot and who doesn't love a spot of dressing up. 

Anyway, back to the exhibition. A very well curated collection of clothing and not just women's there was information on the demob suits and how men's clothing was adapted to use for the whole family. I think the only thing I found that they missed a trick on, was having live demonstrations of how clothing was adapted (there were a few videos but nothing beats seeing it in person), even the mending that was constantly talked about, how do you darn tights? I think that would have added an extra something to it, and perhaps even to entice kids into the whole make do and mend. Which I am sure some people see as just a passing fad, forgetting the realities of what people had endure during the second world war. Would we cope now? Not so sure, for one thing the clothing that many people purchase now, really wouldn't even survive to being mended or patched. 

Still, it was very interesting and easily navigated and viewed in a comfortable hour and a half. 

I also liked being able walk about the IWM again, especially the WW1 exhibition on the ground floor..or was it basement?

Been to any interesting exhibitions of late or is there one coming up you can't wait to see. 

Hexies Colouring In Pages

As you will have seen over the past couple of weeks, mostly on Instagram, I've got a Hexie project on the go. It's seemingly just happened after a very and so I really haven't a clue how its going to turn out. 

Rough doodle..

And this seemed to help get some clue as to where I was heading but the need to work out steps for further down line prompted me to whip up a quick colouring in page, and I have to say it's helping a treat. Whilst I still don't know what the outcome will be, at least with the colouring in pages it saves a whole lot of unpicking!

Want to play about with your own hexie design, or like me just love a spot of colouring in, you can download the templates here:

A3 Page

A4 Page

A for Alphabet, B for Birthday....

C for Certainly been a full on fortnight between birthday, now Easter and projects. So here is a little round up of what I've been up too. 

• You know my sneaky shots from my last blog post, well heck I finished it! I am so super happy with how this Alphabet display piece turned out. 26 individually stitched letters. Yes, in my favourite trailing stitch, think I need treatment for this addiction. Loved making it so much so that I want to do another one, and I will because I've already purchased another display rack. Thinking a different colour way and different stitch. Interested in purchasing, head over to Etsy. 

Q for...uhm...Queue? Qwerty...

Now you know your A, B, C's...next time...

• Who knew about laminating fabric could be so much fun...now have a fab new mousemat! Go on, crack out that laminator.

• What did I do for my birthday? Lots of hanging out with my family, yay! And double yay, as I went to the freakin' Harry Potter Studio. Cue feeling like a massive kid, and I was, so many small people...still it was so much fun. And totally worth the ticket price. Totally rode a broom, wore a Slytherin cloak, and bought a chocolate frog.

Sort of loving the pink ombre tiles...

Squee, Dumbledore's Office...

• Enjoying the Easter break! Not one to like keep still or anything, I've been flicking between decorating my bathroom, which I can now say is finally complete! Huzzah. I do not want to see a paintbrush for a while. Eating chocolate has been the order of the day, as has drinking copious amounts of tea (duh), and stitching. Just flitting about playing about with things half finished. Like rather large 1 1/2 inch hexie's I had the fabric cut out for an age, and I really couldn't remember what the plan was, but heck I thought do something or put it away. So out came the lovely rainbow coloured threads again. When it's spring time, you just need to bust out the colours even when it's a grey, April day. Tomorrow there will be more working on this random project, and if it looks good I'll give you more of a heads up on how you can make a totally random hexi thing too! 

• Think also get the Wonderland piece back out to see about getting that a little closer to finishing.  
• Oh! I managed to give my website a little bit of love. Updated pictures, and tweaked the little store that's on that site too.

For now my dearies, I need tea and some more chocolate! Happy Easter xx