That Bag Though

The finished bag!

It took me quite a while to get it just right, but I love love love it! 

The base and top panels are leather, the main body and handles are boiled wool and it has a silky soft lining which I also used for a bias strip around the base. The riveted panel is suede, made from the same leather as the rest.

I had loads of fun making this piece. There were quite a few techniques involved like hand stitching and riveting - which is new to me, as well as making handles (also new to me), but yeah I enjoyed it.

Chrissie did the riveting as I never had before (and unfortunately really hurt her finger with the hammer - a lesson to me to be careful!)

I made a cute little purse to match it too, which is also lined, and finished with a little button.

I hope it makes someone very, very happy.

To Sew or Not To Sew

It's been a few weeks since I last wrote anything, I thought I was getting the hang of managing two jobs and the autumn weather but apparently not! Things will work themselves out soon enough though.

So let's catch up!

I've had loads of fun making new things during my internship, including a beret which sold almost straight away (go me) and starting a leather/wool handbag. I said in an instagram post I'd discuss my feelings towards leather so here goes. I wanted to work with leather so that I'd had the experience, plus Chrissie was already going to use it whether it was me, her or Leah who made something from it so what better time to give it a go? It's a very thick leather and was difficult to work with, but the quality of the fabric was good which made it nice to work with too. However, I still wouldn't use leather for my own projects because I can't bring myself to use the skin of an animal. If I'm being honest, it was very hard for me to decide to use it in Hebden, but as I said before the leather had already been bought and now I have experience when it comes to me using faux leather and thicker fabrics. 

On the other hand, there is always the argument that leather is a natural, biodegradable material which in some people's opinions makes it better to use than synthetics. Personally I prefer searching for alternatives, such as the new leather-like fabric I've read about made from pineapple leaves which I think is a fantastic idea. It's biodegradable, made from waste materials so won't use up any more resources in terms of growing, will bring new incomes to farmers AND offers an alternative to animal leather.

I'm not one to miss an opportunity to learn new things, so I used the leather, but I don't think I will again. I'm currently in the middle of making a new bag for myself at home from some very nice faux leather that wasn't expensive, so if people are looking for affordable alternatives I can tell you they are out there.

When I finish the bag for Hat Therapy I'll post pictures because aside from ethical concerns, it is very nice (if I do say so myself).

Fool for a Cute Button

So, we've got some catching up to do.

I haven't posted in a few weeks because I've been really busy working in Hebden and Manchester part-time, and I haven't been so well for the last two weeks. It started as a cold, then I got a bug, then that went away and I got another bug... who doesn't love autumn? Anyway, every time I sat down to write something it just didn't come to me. As well as the physical nightmare that is this time of year, I've been feeling stressed and kind of down again, but I think I'm starting to get a hold on things again, which is good.

On the work side of things, I've made quite a few hats! Trilbies were my next feat, and I have to say I conquered them quite well.

Pretty neat, yes?

A trilby is one of the harder things I've made because of the shape of it; everything needs to fit together very neatly. I enjoy topstitching seams like this, I think it always makes things look so neat and tidy. Plus, perfectionist that I am, I love seeing how straight I can get the stitching.

For the trim I bagged out a lovely piece of purple fabric, pleated it and added some French knots in black embroidery thread. It looks simple enough to wear every day, but with just an added bit of glamour that I love. Plus, I'm a fool for a cute button.

Going... Going... Gone!

This lovely lady came into the shop and bought the grey flat cap I made! She was so happy she decided to share it too. I love the feeling when someone truly likes a thing that I've created, it's unlike anything else.

Forever Autumn

After seeing these beautiful colours start to come through yesterday I had to share them. I always find autumn a strange time of year; it's cold and rainy and the end of summer, but it brings such richness of colour that always inspires me, and evokes the thought of cosy evenings in.

Now the weather has turned we've taken all the very summery things out of the shop and started focusing on nice warm accessories. Chrissie's sister Pat is a wonderful knitter and she makes beautiful berets and gloves for the shop (among other lovely things). We moved things around and there's a lovely warm, autumnal feel to the shop this week.

At the beginning of the week I made a neck wrap from some lavender-tinted grey boiled wool, with a super soft purple lining. It looks so cosy, and several people have tried it on already! 

It fastens with a popper and I embellished with some cute little buttons and French knots to the side. I'm happy with how it turned out, it was nice to have a bit of a break from hats and try something new.

Coming up to the end of week 3...

It's Thursday, and I actually felt very productive today. I put the finishing touches on the gorgeous tweed Adele Cap I'd made so that it could be posted off to it's new home (eek!). Then I started making another Adele Cap, this time in a checked waxed cotton fabric with the softest lining ever. For real. And it's a little sparkly.

This cap only has two pattern pieces, the main body that has two darts at the top, and the brim. I like the shape of this cap because it has a lovely volume to it, which looks really nice with the pleats we put in. The two I've made were also topstitched which I think is a lovely little detail.

See how nice that fabric is? I loved working with it, and the same with the lining which, did I mention, was super soft? The good thing about this is it's shower proof, so it's a great cap to have made this time of year. When I'd finished this hat this afternoon, we were trying to decide whether to put a trim on it or not, so I had a root through one of the button boxes and immediately spotted a red one that suited it perfectly.

I had fun making this cap, and I'm really enjoying my time at Hat Therapy. Next we're going to work with felt which I'm looking forward too, and I'm going to be making a trilby. Woo!

I'm super happy!

On Monday, I was having a pretty terrible day and feeling very down until I got a text from Chrissie telling me someone had bought one of my hats. She loved it that much that she paid for it before it had even been finished, and asked for it to be posted to her! I'm thrilled I could make something that someone would fall in love with straight away. More than being proud of what I've made, it makes me really pleased to know that something I've done makes someone else happy too.

Cute Buttons

My second flat cap completed. I adore the look of this one - the buttons and pleats at the side are so cute! It was a good idea to make another flat cap after the first, I felt like I knew what I was doing. The fabric this one's made from was lovely to work with too; it's a boiled wool which didn't fray like the soft cord did. It's quite thick, and I interfaced it so it would be quite a stiff hat. The lining is a patterned, silky feeling fabric with a greyish sort of hue to the other colours, so it matches really well. And those buttons! Adorable, aren't they?

I'm so happy with how this cap turned out, and Chrissie must've been too 'cause it's in the window!

By the way - I love Chrissie's vintage style mannequins, and all the bits and bobs around the shop. After two weeks I'm feeling good about the next six months. I'm finding out about how Chrissie runs the business, which is great because one day I'd love to run my own ethical fashion label. Working here is making me super excited to be interning for a year, then finishing uni, and then (hopefully) getting my dream career.

My First Hat

So, for the first 6 months of my year in industry I'm working at Hat Therapy, a bespoke millinery in Hebden Bridge. After my first week, I'm already loving it. I made my first hat!

There was a flat cap already cut out, so I sorted out the pieces, gave them a press and started pinning. After sewing in the darts, I needed to attach the brim piece which included mitered corners. I have avoided mitered corners since my A-Levels, and now I remember why. I was using a soft cord fabric, which frayed and made it more difficult, but we got it to work eventually. 

I love the mustard yellow, it's so warm and cosy. The little tweed embellishment has little specks of yellow in it too, which works really great. I loved making my first hat, and I'm seriously looking forward to loads more! It still surprises me, after sewing for several years, how quickly some nonsensical looking pieces of fabric come together into a fitted garment. I think that's why I love sewing - it's always great to see an idea you had come to life.

Hello!

Hello!

As part of my internship, I've decided to write a blog. I'll write about things I've done and learnt, how I'm finding it, and generally try to make sense of the whole experience!
After my first week, I'm really looking forward to the next year. When I got to Hat Therapy - where I'll be for the next 6 months - I was nervous, but in that excited to start something new kind of way. Stephen showed me where things were - the bathroom, the kitchen, and most importantly, the kettle. Chrissie came back from walking their adorable dog Pip, and we had a cup of tea while she talked me through things and showed me round the studio. It wasn't long before I felt comfortable, and this was a big thing for me. I sometimes feel anxious enough to have a panic attack walking into a room of my close friends. It was probably something to do with the fact I was excited to be productive again! That, and how nice everyone is.

Anyway.. My first job was embellishing some hand knitted gloves with some little knitted flowers. It was great to see Chrissie and Leah (the other intern who started a few months ago) working on things I'd be getting to do in a few weeks! All the work done is so neat, right down to stitching on a label. I love working like that. 

I did a few more jobs around the shop, labelling and pricing things, helping to arrange displays, etc. This gave me an opportunity to look around the shop, see what I'd be helping to make, and I'm really excited.