Bagmaking: The Evelyn (Swoon)

So, the last post I wrote has only just gone up - because I forgot to actually publish it! 

In it I described how I was trawling the Handmade fair with Tanja to find a fabric that would be the lining for my Evelyn bag. It was really flipping difficult. I kept producing my swatch in hope but failing to find the ONE.

I chose this bag pattern ages ago to go with the Fringe Flowers Mari fabric from Michael Miller. Its a large print so needed a large bag to set it off (bag comes in two sizes - I normally start with small but this time I went straight for big!) 

My search came to and end at the Eternal Maker. I bought two fabrics as I wasn't sure which would be best, but in the end I went for the more subtle mustard. Both the main and contrast (black) have these sketchy lines running through them as well. The pink is from the same set, the mustard isn't (but is probably from the same set as the black - I'm really bad at keeping track of names - it could be timeless treasures, but then it might not be)

so without further ado...

Ta Da

My favourite Swoon so far.

Next time, I should probably take the fabric requirements with me, as I ran out of the mustard so had to piece it together. I'm sure no-one will notice ;)

The Handmade Fair, Hair, and a clearout

I wasn't going to go to the Handmade Fair - its not that close to me and I don't like missing out on weekends with my boys. However. I won a pair of tickets from the Fabric Fox (as well as a fat quarter) and then I won another pair from a competition on the Handmade Fair website. So I had to go really didn't I?

Turns out I had an extra bit of holiday I could use, so I took the Friday off work. I dropped the kids off at out of school club, and headed to Englefield Green to pick up my lovely friend Tanja, who I haven't seen for a fair few months. After getting a look at her house building site, we hopped back in the car and made for Hampton Court.

Its proper posh round there. Really lovely. It did of course p*ss down the second we left the car, and did so at various points during the day. Luckily when it wasn't raining, the sun was out :)

First stop (after the coffee stand), the loos LOL. Very nice. Bit cramped!

Not a great photo. Sorry.

Inside one of the big shopping tents. There were two. We took a while getting around them!

The Art Deco airstream bar. Prosecco. On tap!!

Couldn't leave Hampton Court without a quick regal wave

wot I bought...

I got the last of these. Heh Heh. These were from Mauds Fabric Finds. I knew I'd seen them before, but I didn't realise it was this shop until I looked in the bag later. 

This is what I won from the Fabric Fox

Pretties from the Eternal Maker (I dragged Tanja round every single fabric stall to try and find a contrast fabric for the bag I'm making)

See how restrained I was? That last fabric I bought three metres to make a dress. The rest is for bags.

I got to meet the owners of lots of shops that I've only ever bought from online, including Tilly from Tilly and the Buttons. I spent AGES at the Eternal Maker.

Actually, before I went to the Fair, I had a haircut:

On the family side of things, we paid a visit to Wimpole Hall as we're NT members. It was 40s weekend. This puppet show is incredibly un-PC and awesome

I also cleared out the spare room. Below:

as it was originally ...then after the clearout...

... then after the ikea treatment. Its still not quite finished, but the boys love their new office!