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New Forest camping in the rain
In a spirit of optimism last February I booked a May half-term school holiday camping trip to the New Forest and even persuaded friends (first time campers, also non-drivers) to come along too. We'd...
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Worthing Children's Parade 2013
Every term-time Thursday afternoon for the past five weeks (and the odd Sunday) has been spent making costumes, props or decorating an enormous woolly mammoth for Whytemead First School's entry to...
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Hotchpotch ukulele tote bags by Ivy Arch
I dithered over what to call these new appliqué tote bags. Each bag is made from a medley of vintage fabrics. Hotchpotch is my favourite word for them but the dictionary also suggested melange (I...
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Glad to be grey
I have the same pattern of greying hair as comedian Stewart Lee. It's whitening at the sides and slowly feathering into grey round the back while remaining mostly dark brown on top. Without the right...
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Feminine Wardrobe sewing book: The Capelet Shift Dress
P { margin-bottom: 0.21cm; }In an idle moment of internet browsing Japanese couture the capelet shift dress in Jinko Matsumoto's Feminine Wardrobe caught my eye. What could be more charming than a...
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Retro telephone lavender bags in the Ivy Arch Etsy shop
P { margin-bottom: 0.21cm; }These red and pink old-fashioned telephone lavender bags would make perfect end of year gifts for hard-working teachers. Plumply stuffed with fragrant French lavender,...
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July Butterfly Smock: Stylish Dress Book - Y (again)
A trip to Brighton's budget dressmaking emporium Fabric Land harvested this beautiful butterfly and bird print cotton. I chose a ditzy beige and pink floral to contrast, having Stylish Dress Book's...
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Eduardo Paolozzi's hands: Collaging Culture at Pallant House
P { margin-bottom: 0.21cm; }Cycling back from playing a ukulele gig at Lancing Royal British Legion club (they fed us tea and biscuits) with Wukulele's Harriet Booth, she told me that she had once met...
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Summer sale: 20% off at Ivy Arch Etsy shop
I'm having a super summer sale in my Etsy shop - 20% off everything for 5 days using the coupon code IVYSUMMER20. Go to IvyArch Etsy shop here.♥ ♥ ♥ Take advantage of this super soaraway special offer...
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Dare to be Square: Easy Cute Straight Sewing
An image from Yoshiko Tsukiori's Easy, Cute, Straight Sewing appeared on my Pinterest home page. It was the cover photo of the book and exactly the sort of garment I love to wear - a roomy square...
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School's out for summer (and so is my shop)!
The Ivy Arch Etsy shop is closed for the school summer holidays and will reopen on 6th September 2013. While the shop's shut you can see my creations (and inspiration) at the Ivy Arch Pinterest...
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Mood Indigo: Gather One-Piece
P { margin-bottom: 0.21cm; }A:link { }The Gather One-Piece is the second dress I've made from Yoshiko Tsukiori's Easy Cute Straight Stitch Sewing book. It's a very simple, straightforward make - in...
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The People's Park: not just swings and roundabouts
P { margin-bottom: 0.21cm; }In 1881 Homefield Park 'The People's Park' opened as the first municipal park in Worthing. There are other great parks in the town; Marine Gardens with its retro cafe and...
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The Good, the Fab and the Snuggly: Stylish Dress Book 2 - Dress D
Design D: Box Dress with Boat Neck from Stylish Dress Book 2 is a contender for my favourite Japanese sewing pattern ever. I like it so much I've made three of these dresses (and counting). It's a...
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Postcard from the Isle of Purbeck
P { margin-bottom: 0.21cm; }The Isle of Purbeck is a peninsula (not an island) and lies on the southern tip of Dorset. We headed by train and taxi to Swanage, destination the lovely family-friendly...
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The Berlin Macaroon Dress: Simplicity pattern 2363
P { margin-bottom: 0.21 This patisserie design fabric was a surprise find at Brighton's Fabric Land and cost £4.75 a metre. It's a heavy cotton printed with vintage cake recipe illustrations and is...
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Spots, stripes, sunflowers and Gudrun Sjödén
On Saturday I excitedly caught the train to London for the premiere of Gudrun Sjödén's new Classics Collection at her Monmouth Streetstore. Gudrun was there in person greeting delighted customers and I...
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Ivy Arch at Mini Moderns REMIX
I am thrilled to be taking part in Mini Moderns REMIX at East London Design Store as part of the 2013 London Design Festival. The project sees Mini Moderns working with British based designers and...
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Manga girl's kimono costume: Simplicity 2069
P { margin-bottom: 0.21cm; }Searching online for manga printables suitable for an 8 year old, we stumbled upon Alexander Henry's anime inspired Thunder Flower fabric. My daughter thought it 'so cool'...
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Worthing's William Blake Mini Protest Banner
P { margin-bottom: 0.21cm; }This afternoon I committed a small act of craftivism.I embroidered and hung a #minifashionprotest banner in Worthing town centre as part of Craftivist Collective's project...
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