Rosie Alia Designs: Spring floral fancies for sunny days!

So there has been this odd yellow ball in the sky for the last few days and it's freaking me out. Apparently it's called the sun, so I've been told!

When it is bright and light and spring is in the air, I feel the urge to wear lots of colours and wear flowers a'plenty in my hair. I also want to throw open the windows and get my glue gun out and make things. So last week I went on a jaunt for supplies, and then out came my glue gun to put together some new hair flower designs!

I first set to work on some sweet little flowers to go in goodie-bags for Miss Turnstiles' Vintage Starlet Parlour event, which I hope went down well with the ladies in attendance. 

 

*Pssssst....As a sidenote, she sure knows how to put on an event, and her next one is Great Gatsby themed....what's not to like?*

I was also asked by the lovely lady to make a couple of custom spring flower cluster clips to accompany her spring/summer wardrobe!

 I can't wait to see her wearing these!

I made up some lovely new stock for the Etsy shop too, in bright summery colours to satisfy any other ladies' (or is that just me?) urge to wear bright colours at the merest hint or sun!

 

If you are interested in any of theses pieces, pop over to my facebook page or the Rosie Alia Designs Etsy shop to see the full range! 

Pip pip xx

Sew What?: 1940's pinafore skirt in the last days of Summer!

Oh my, have I been away a long time! Doesn't time fly when you're...err.....working really hard!

Now I hadn't realised just how long it was since I last wrote a post, and I wouldn't blame you for thinking I had dropped off the face of the earth. Or taken a wonderful, lengthy summer holiday. However, I have not.

I have instead just been working really, really hard. In June I started my own alterations and repairs business (plus a sideline in vintage inspired hair accessories) and took the scary leap to self-employment which has left me feeling tired, busy and a little bit all over the place. That, and rather poor. So with not much time and very little money, you'll forgive me for not blogging for *GASP* almost two whole months. It's hard to know what to blog about when you aren't buying wonderful things/going anywhere exciting!

My lack of funds has left me pining after lots of pretty things but unable to afford them....so last night I got a little creative with my sewing machine and took a little bit of time to sew something for myself! I decided to make myself a 1940's style pinafore skirt because it is one of those items I have been pining after for goodness knows how long. Being thrifty, I dived into my stash and made use of some of the fabric I already had; I used a chunky black linen, and some vintage deep orange buttons.

Ever the impatient sewer, once I'd started it became something I simply had to finish immediately. I sewed into the night, and went to bed  one 40's style pinafore skirt richer!

So when I got up this morning, remembered my skirt-making success of the previous night and saw the sun shining (although there is a definite chill in the air) I of course threw on a bright and colourful enseble as I decided to celebrate the dying summer days.

Please excuse the terrible self-taken photographs, my chap wasn't around to take any for me!

 

 Yellow chiffon headscarf and hair flower, made by me (available here); Peasant top secondhand, originally Topshop); 1940's style pinafore skirt, made by me; Nude seamed stockings, What Katie Did; Coral sandals, a present from my chap and purchased from Clarks.

On the skirt, I made the straps attach to the waistband by way of buttons, as this means it can be worn in a multitude of ways: straight straps, crossed-over at the back, or even strapless as a simple skirt!

 

I covered up with a little blue wool bolero, part of a repro two-piece from Ebay.

1950's handbag, secondhand shop.

 

Outfit details:

Beautiful vintage brooch, gift from a friend.

A detail shot of the waist of my skirt, look at those lovely buttons!

Bamboo and green wooden bracelets....and dream shoes.

Hair accessories made by me, find them on my Rosie Alia Hair Accessories Facebook page.

I'll try not to stay away too long this time, promise!

Pip pip xx

Sew What?: Doggy bandana!

Today I bring you photos of a very cute dog!

My mum/step-dad/sister have flown off abroad for a 3 week holiday, leaving their lovely pooch in our care. She arrived on Friday and I am absolutely LOVING having a dog to keep me company!

Before her walk yesterday, I popped a bandana of mine round her neck because, let's face it, who doesn't love a dog in a bandana?

 

Tired pup after a very long, soggy and muddy walk!

She got lots of compliments on her little scarf whilst we were out, so when we got back I decided to make her one of her very own!

I dug out some fabric from my stash and set to work!

20 minutes later, she was sporting her new accessory with pride....

 Kitty the lurcher is modelling her very own I'll Be Darned! reversible floral/gingham doggy bandana.

I think she looks rather beautiful, don't you?

If you have a pooch in need of a custom made doggy bandana then do get in touch!

Pip pip xx

My new business venture- I'll Be Darned!

Of late, there have been a few changes in my life- namely, I've gone from full time employment to working freelance and setting aside some time to start my own small business!

Elegant ladies and dapper gents of blogland, may I introduce to you all......

 I'll Be Darned! is a London based business offering vintage clothing alterations and repairs. Don't worry if you live further afield though, as you are more than welcome to pop items in the post to me.

Of course, I can also alter and repair non-vintage garments too, so please don't hesitate to get in touch!

Email me at rosie-alia@hotmail.com for more information.

If you would be so kind as to head on over and 'like' my I'll Be Darned! facebook page, and help me to build my business I would be forever grateful! Please share this with anyone you think might be interested in my services and wish me luck with my new venture!

Pip pip! xx

Attention, attention! Vintage knitters, seamstresses, crocheters!

For those of you who haven't already stumbled across The Vintage Pattern Files, you really must go and check it out.

No, really, I insist!

It is a new blog by Wendy of The Butterfly Balcony, where she intends to keep an up-to-date online link-library (if you will) of free vintage and vintage-inspired sewing, knit and crochet patterns. This is going to be so incredibly useful...you can even sort them by decade!

 

Here are a few of my favourites, to give you an idea of the sort of wonderfulness she has links to on the blog:

Clockwise from top left:

1) Source, 2) Source, 3) Source, 4) Source

Pip pip! xx

My accidental collections: Royal souveneirs of the past!

Hello all!

I hope you have all been having a wonderful long weekend of Jubilations for Queenie.

Now, today I thought what would be better to share with you than my collection of royal memorabilia. I call it an accidental collection as it is one which has come together somewhat by...well...accident. I adore the images on vintage royal memorabilia, and the glorious colours, and so after picking up a a few little things and showing my admiration of certain other pieces, my family soon began to gift me items they found.

And thus, my collection came about!

 

My first piece of royal memorabilia, a jewelled carriage brooch from the 1953 coronation! Gifted to me by my Auntie.

This darling little coronation toothbrush mug was a present from my lovely chum Frankie as we perused a rather fruitful carboot. I bought him a royal mug at the same carboot, a sort of royal present swap!

 

 I also picked up this beautiful coronation flag for only £5....near perfect condition and rescued from under a pile of junk in a box. I told you it was a fruitful carboot that day!

 

Silver jubilee mugs: gift from my Dad and Step-Mum, coronation mug: gift from my Mum.

Silver jubilee glasses: gifts from my Dad and Step-Mum.

Silver jubilee shot glasses: gift from my Dad and Step-Mum.

1937 coronation book: a super bargain at only 50p from a carboot.

Look at the photos of a young Queen, with her Mum, Dad and sister!

My gorgeous tin coronation souvenir plates: a gift from my Dad and Step-Mum. 

These live on the wall either side of the bed, Queenie on my side and Philip on Mr Mike's, naturally.

My parents gave me this beautiful framed print of the Queen that had been hanging on the wall in their house making me jealous for years! She has glittery jewellery and crown!

 

Coronation hairclips! Purchased from ebay.

Wonderfully grotesque Diana and Charles teatowel: gift from my Dad and Step-Mum.

My lovely pal Hannah sent me this vintage postcard.

 

This impressive tankard has a copper lustre effect and is 13cm high! It was produced by Ridgways in 1953 to celebrate the coronation and is truly wonderful.

It was bought for me by my Dad and Step-Mum.

This little chap is a beefeater given to me by my Dad and Step-Mum.

 

This wonderful item was produced to celebrate the 1937 coronation of King George VI. It is a 3 piece brass-plated money box, and I was lucky enough to pick it up from a carboot for £3.

 

This odd looking chap is a beefeater that lives on a rug in my flat. I, in fact, have two....no idea of why they exist, but I am rather fond of them nonetheless.

Passed on to me from....well, can you guess?

Why, my Dad and Step-Mum of course!

 I  don't think I realised quite how much I had until I set about on my mission to photograph it for this post. Blimey!

I hope you've not dozed off just yet, for I have one more piece to show you...

 

 This is my very own homemade Diamond jubilee souvenir; a pretty royal rosette badge!

I spent Sunday working in the WI tent at Battersea Park, teaching soggy but excitable children to make these as souvenirs for the day. The rosette's went down a treat, and I had a jolly good time!

And the best bit? It is based on a rosette badge that was given out as a souvenir for the 1953 coronation, which my boss was lucky enough to find and decided to recreate.

Have you got a collection of royal memorabilia? Have you been making anything special for the jubilee?

Do show and tell if so, I'd love to see!

Pip pip xx

Sewing machine of my dreams....

Has anyone else seen the Singer 160 years anniversary machine?

 

This beauty is available from John Lewis for £399.

It has been designed to reference the iconic design of the early metal singer machines, but with the needs of the modern dressmaker in mind. And I think it's pretty darling.

I dislike the design of modern sewing machines; there seems to be a rule about making sewing machines white and boring nowadays, and it has always baffled me. Sewers are creative people....and creative people like things that look pretty, right? I know I am a sucker for a practical item that has been designed to look more interesting than the norm, hence my laptop purchase being swung by the fact that I found a pink one amidst what was then a sea of black and chrome (That might just be me, although I'm sure it's not!).

I feel like the world is unjust because I can't afford to own it! I'm pretty sure that my life would be much improved by this glorious machine.*

Are you an advocate of form over function (or at least form equal to function)....or a practical buyer who is not taken in by bright colours and retro style?

Pip pip xx

*NB if you are rich and frivolous/kind and would like to donate me said machine, I will be forever in your debt....FOREVER!

Hats off! (and onto the wall): A DIY storage solution

I have had this big picture frame in my possession since I was about 15...my Step-Mum painted it pink for me and it had been housing various things within it's frame since then.

Now, as we are finally making some headway with the spare room of me & Mr Mike's new flat I thought that the frame was ripe for reinvention! And what better than a novel way of storing and displaying my hats?

I thought I'd share with you all how to do it.

What you will need:

 A paintbrush, your chosen paint, some strong wire or twine for hanging the frame, a hammer, nails, and a large frame.

*First, be sure to cover the floor with newspapers to avoid any disasterous spillages*

Now get painting!

Make sure you get into every nook and cranny of the frame. I painted the back board in the same paint as the frame, but you could cover the board with a beautiful fabric from your stash, or simply a contrasting colour paint.

 

Wait until the paint is thoroughly dry before hanging in it's designated wall space (you may be an impatient kinda gal like me, but you certainly don't want paint marks on your wall, so just hold tight!). 

My frame is a particularly large and heavy one, so I restrung the back with wire bought from a local hardware shop to give it plenty of strength.

 

Hammer nails carefully into the back board in whatever arrangement you like, thinking about spacing to fit your glorious hat collection in as best as possible.

Et voila!

A simple solution to the age-old problem of so many hats, only one head!

It keeps them from getting crushed in boxes, airs them to minimise the attack of damp that always seems to strike (at least in our home) in the cold winter months, and saves precious space for....well, more stuff!

This is also a great trick for fellow renters who are looking for storage and display solutions without putting too many nails in the wall!

I was feeling a little trigger-happy with the paintbrush so I also gave this chap a little lick of paint as his yellow pine-y appearance was just not cutting it...

 

Pip pip xx

 

Photos from Christmas number 2....just four months too late!

Hello blogland!

It's been an absolute age and I'm really not quite sure why I've been away so long...a January full of nightshifts, then a change of job, some of my best friends moving up to London, and the continual settling into/decorating/unpacking and sorting of our flat seems to have left me exhausted and constantly busy!

But for those of you wondering, I am still here, and filled with good intentions when it comes to getting back into the blogosphere! I have certainly missed you all dearly.

*  *  *  *

Now this is a post which I have had unfinished in draft form for several months now and it seems a shame to waste it. So please excuse my absolutely incredible (ridiculous, some might even say) lateness with what is to follow...

Christmas part two: Norfolk

Having had a pre-Christmas with Mr Mike, I set off for a nightshift at work, followed straight after by a very bleary-eyed 6:30am tube/coach/train journey homeward.

Needless to say I was KNACKERED. But this would certainly not be allowed to spoil my Christmas this year. Last year was ruined by my catching of Bird Flu on Christmas eve which meant I spent the Christmas period in bed/sleeping/not eating/feeling generally awful. And I was not going to have a repeat of that!

I got myself a few hours sleep when I finally arrived home to my Dad's house, and then proceeded to start the festivities with my family and best friends. We drank mulled wine, ate mince pies, went to the pub, and then went to midnight mass (where we met a man who genuinely claimed to have once been 'The best choirboy in England', before singing incredibly badly/loudly to all the hymns).

On Christmas morning we travelled to my Nan and Grandad's where we opened presents, ate huge amounts of food (as is obligatory over the festive period) and laughed at my Nan who got so drunk she fell off her chair and crawled to the kitchen!

 

 

 Stuffed to bursting, we headed home and just SAT all evening. We watched tv and ate cheese and crackers and lots of cholocate. Just as it should be.

The next morning me and my brother headed off to my Mum's to exchange a few more presents and eat yet more food!

 

 

All in all, it was a jolly wonderful couple of days.  

A VAST improvement on last year.

Pip pip xx

Christmas part one: London

Christmas for me came in two parts this year.

I spent Christmas eve/day/Boxing day at home with my fam in Norwich, Burnham Market and Wymondham.
So the day before Christmas eve, me and Mr Mike hosted our very own Christmas morning. This included stocking opening in bed, present opening around the tree, eating my homemade chutney with cheese and crackers, and a big Christmas dinner (on our laps in front of some aptly Christmassy tv).

All this before 2 pm when Mr Mike had to rush off for his homeward-bound train!

Here's a peek at some of my delightful presents...

 

I've had my yellow and green knitted stocking since I was a baby, and I use it every year.

Mike didn't have one, so I made him a tweed one 3 years ago....I made it huge, so every year I have to buy a lot to fill it! Whoops!

The third photo is the aftermath of our stocking opening. There was paper EVERYWHERE.

 

These are some of my wonderful presents from Mr Mike. 

 Top right is a glimpse of a Tara Starlet dress, and the high waisted Paloma Faith for La Senza knickers I had been pining after for ages. The boy is good!

 

This is me in my new dress on NYE.

I adore it.

In my previous post I mentioned that my mumma and little sister had come up to visit at the beginning of December for some Christmas adventures in London. Well, when they did, they bought me and Mike's presents from my mumma, so I could save them for my Christmas part one, and not have so much to lug back after my stay at home.

My main present was a vintage 1940's dress that her and my auntie paid for when they visited me in November. I am a very lucky girl indeed!

My other treasures from her all came encased in an old suitcase to add to my growing collection (don't ask me why, I just bloomin' love them.).

 

My mumma helped my little sister make me the candle in the teacup...it is glittery and smells of roses!

And my clever old mumma also made me the cigar-box dolls bed. I fell in love with this cigar box for its beautiful colours and the portrait featured on it of King Edward VII (who I have a fascination with for his influence on the development of menswear; I wrote my dissertation on this)!

 

She also made me this cake stand! Isn't she clever? 

She picked these plates up from a carboot. South Creake is a village in Norfolk that my auntie used to live in. Now some people might think it a little odd, what with not being at all religious, that we own things like this! I just own things I think are beautiful, and am thoroughly in awe of some of the wonderful imagery and iconography used in religion. I love the simplicity of these plates and there's something intriguing about knowing how much these little plates have probably seen over the years before they reached us!

This is how I spent Christmas part one (before shuffling off for a horrible pre-Christmas nightshift). 

Pip pip! xx

How I prepared for christmas!

I know I am pretty late with this one! The world of bloggers are all posting their new years resolution, and yet I am just catching up with some Christmas posts. Whoops!

Now, it just so happens that the period running up to and including Christmas is my absolute favourite of the year. I usually start my present shopping in around October (or earlier), and spend many a cold night curled up on the sofa making presents, wrapping up presents and writing cards. I watch numerous Christmas films on my days off whilst making delicious christmas food and planning my presents. I choose presents for people carefully, and theme my wrapping too!

Some people may say I put too much weight on Christmas, as technically it is only another day. But seriously, who can say they don't enjoy the sight of twinkly lights, decorations, opening a thoughtful present, and of course....eating tons of wonderful food! And the opportunity to see members of your family you maybe don't got see often enough throughout the year!

Here's how I readied myself....

My mumma and little sis came to visit at the beginning of December, for Christmas shopping, Winter Wonderland, films, mince pies, putting up my tree and making some decorations!

I got my house ready for the festive period with lots of decoratons, and presents under the tree!

I crafted the following for my fam and friends...

I knitted a cushion cover for my mumma.

I made an owl cushion for my little sis (she literally nearly exploded when he opened it), and a fox for my friend.

I made my dad a set of family portraits in a Victorian silhouette style.

(top row, from l-r: my brother, my dad, my step-mum, me)

And I made some food too!

I made shortbread in 3 different made-up flavours (cranberry and orange rind, ginger liqueur and clove, spiced white chocolate).

I also made some Christmas chutney using my own improvised recipe.

I put bundles of shortbread and jars of chutney in amongst some posh shop-bought food and drink and decorations for hampers for some of my family.

That is how I prepared for Christmas in my little flat!

Pip pip xx