Ugandan Bark Cloth

 I bought my first bark cloth the other week. I was wandering around a market celebrating fairtrade at the Uganda Museum. I found a woman who was selling things made out of bark cloth. All her items were lovely, but having little money I had to be strong and decide on one thing. I bought a small bag.

Bark cloth is made from the inner bark of a fig tree (so I've been informed). 

Bark cloth is traditionally used to make clothes. They have some nice examples at the Uganda museum. 

Now I just have to try and source a bolt of the stuff from somewhere so I can play with it.

Dress a girl around the world (and boy)

I recently stumbled across a great charity called "Dress a girl around the world"  through Louise Horder (@SewScrumptious), who is their UK ambassador. This charity encourages people to make dresses (and shorts) for underprivileged children around the world out of pillowcases, or leftover fabric. The patterns are easy to follow and the resulting clothes are really lovely.

As someone who has recently started working with an orphanage in Uganda (more on this later) I can really see the use in this charity. So many poor children in the world wear worn second hand clothes. having a nice piece of clothing that is theirs and was made just for them can make a big difference to their self-esteem. It may seem like a small thing when these children often don't have enough to eat. But  I think knowing that a stranger cares enough about them to hand-sew them something has the potential to improve their lives, if only minutely and for a short time. The photos of children receiving their clothes speaks volumes I think.

Malawi 2011

Uganda 2012

You can believe if I had a sewing machine I would be making up a batch of these straight away. However, as I don't I will instead be collecting a bundle of clothes from Louise in August and bring them back to Uganda with me instead. 

If you have some spare fabric and time please think about making some clothes for children around the world. You can read more on this, including where to get patterns and how to donate here on Louise's blog. There is also a useful magazine article pattern here.

Let's all dress some children!

Beautiful African Fabrics

These are block printed on cotton. I bought them from a tailor's shop but I plan to do a proper hunt for a good fabric shop. I need more of these. There was such a beautiful selection (forgot my camera - sorry). Choosing just two was really hard!

I chose the red and green one because it made me think of tentacles. No idea what to do with these fabrics yet but the collection has begun!

Indian hand embroidery

When we were in Jaipur (India) over the Christmas holidays as well as block printing we also saw men embroidering fabric by hand. They were working on a man's wedding jacket and using real gold thread. It was beautiful work.

Piles of goodies in Jaipur

In Jaipur we were treated to piles of gorgeous things that the shop owner pulled out to show us whilst we drank tea. The above are silk bed covers. The photo below is Indian patchwork made up from pieces of old clothes. 

Block printing in Jaipur

Woodblock printing is a technique used on fabric and paper throughout Asia. Jaipur is particularly famous for it. This being so when our taxi driver offered to take us to a 'textiles place' I had to say yes. I was really glad I did as it turned out to be a shop with a small studio attached showing the different techniques used.

So many blocks!

The technique involves dipping a carved wooden block into dye and then pressing it onto fabric (or paper).

Above you can see some table-cloths in the process of being made. These are waiting for the next layer.

Here the worker is applying the next layer of block.

The pads where the colour is applied (above).

They also showed us one quick run of the process.

The bit where it got washed in salt water and changed from red to green was pretty magical.

This was a great technique to see being done in person. It made me itch to block print my own fabric!

A red-riding hood box case for a Galaxy Ace

A month or so ago I accidently destroyed my mobile phone. This was my old, reliable, Nokia that cost £7 and could do nothing fancier than send text messages and make calls. Oh, it also had a torch. On the night of Diwali I left it next to a bottle of water. The condensation from this bottle then formed a pool around my poor phone. It's battery was completely destroyed. 

Old phone and new phone

So I was forced to buy a new one. I had been sneaking covetous looks at my boyfriend's smart phone so bought one similar, but an older model (I don't need to go overboard with the fanciness). As I had a new phone I needed a new case (old phone didn't even have a case so unconcerned for it's well-being I was).

I pulled out the pelmet vilene, bondaweb, fabric scraps and embroidery thread and started to make a case.

Measuring

Checking for size

Pieces waiting for assembly

Ta da!

It is ever-so-slightly too big. Blast! And I did so much measuring. I think the problem was that I gave a seam allowance which I didn't need because I sewed the pieces up using blanket stitch. It is fine for it's purpose though.

I Spy: Ben Venom and heavy metal quilts

Ben Venom. Image from http://benvenom.blogspot.co.uk/

I was reading this list of male crafters when I spied Ben Venom. He makes the most amazing quilts made out of old heavy metal t-shirts. Apparently he tours around the U.S. with them. I love his designs and the up-cycling involved. Amazing!

Guest Post: Working with fabric when you can't sew

As I've briefly mentioned I'm off to India this week! (eek!). As I am busy cramming everything I own into two bags mrsmcindoe offered to write me a guest post. f you haven't seen her blog yet you should pop over and have a nose. She makes really beautiful paper-cuts and the most amazing lampshades. If I ever have a house I am so commissioning one.

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I love fabric. Always have. Such fond memories of trips to Weekes department store in Tunbridge Wells to look at the haberdashery department, along with Barsleys in Paddock Wood and Beatties in Solihull. Mum made many of our clothes when we were little, along with various home furnishings - done as many mums at the time did, in order to save a few pennies. Seemed to me like all mums could make replacement seat pads and school pinafore dresses when I were a lass! Mum also made amazing wall hangings - these days they would be called mixed media installations I think! Fabric and ribbon and buttons and twigs and pine cones and shiny stuff all sewn onto a hessian backing. And of course all those other things that go with small children - kit bags, Indian headdresses, cowboy waistcoats, school play costumes, soft toys for the church fete, patches on knees, hems up, hems down!

So I think I just assumed that one day I would be able to sew. I managed the basics at primary school and even managed to sew a stuffed owl (although I did glue the eyes on). I only had one bad incident - when sewing Brownie badges ono my uniform, which I did on my lap, I managed to attach the badge to the uniform, but also to the skirt and tights I was wearing - many tears and much unpicking. When I was a bit older I had a go with Mums sewing machine. I managed to do a straight line, kind of, and a little bit of round the corner-ing. Forwards, backwards, even a zig zag! And I kind of thought that was it, I could sew. Dreams of doing all these wonderful things when I was a mum, just like mine did.

Then disaster. Mum upgraded her sewing machine and I was entrusted with the old one - its a really lovely thing - the soft glowing light, that special sewing machine smell, and the most fabulous 'singer blue' colour. And so I thought Wowzers, I can make all sorts of stuff now. The problem is, well, firstly it was that there was no instruction manual. I managed to find the original one online - some kind person out there had scanned in all the pages - how lovely of them! Didn't make any difference. Then the problem was the wrong thread. So I changed it all, re-wound all the bobbins and so on. Didn't help. Then it was the material - it was obviously too thin/thick/stretchy. Didn't help. Um... then needle - needs changing... and the machine needs oil. Didn't help. IT NEEDS A SERVICE! Yay, surely...... but no...

So I have unfinished cushion covers, a bag from John Lewis with a simple dress pattern lovely green material, zip and trim, still neatly wrapped up, a very odd looking mouse shape that looks more like a breast implant - I can't even remember what it was supposed to be! And the machine is tucked away in the spare bedroom, gathering dust. My love of fabric has to stay tucked away in the corner, and in the third draw down of the bureau (thesewing basket and the lovely fabrics, and the zips and buttons - plus the knitting needles and wool - a whole other story!)

It is all very sad. Sad that I can't sew, and sad that I don;t have the time (and not even the inclination really) to learn how.

So then it is all very odd- that I am now working with fabric! My lampshades are made out of fabric!! It does make me chuckle a little to myself every time I make a new shade - I can make things out of fabric without having to sew - how very delightfully wonderful! And I have plans.... plans that involve more fabric! But my involvement will have to be strictly limited to the design side, and I will employ someone else to do the sewing for me. So I will have fabric in my life, even if I can't sew!

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Thank you mrsmcindoe!! I have to confess that somedays when I'm feeling particularly lazy I have been known to whip out the glue to finish something off rather than sewing it down. There are lots of things you can do with fabric rather than having to sew it.

Shiny pretties from Fabric Rehab

Shiny!

My delivery from Fabric Rehab arrived! Yes of course I ended up buying something from there. I have no self control and will very likely have to hide my debit card this month. Only I'll have to be really cunning about it. You have to be when hiding things from yourself.

Don't be fooled by this late posting into thinking that delivery from Fabric Rehab was slow. It wasn't. It was very prompt and gratifying. This bundle actually arrived last week. I was just too distracted by having to go back to work to blog about it. Apologies.

As you can see I bought Snow White fabric, Hansel and Gretel fabric and a charm pack from Moda.

I think the charm pack is my favourite:

'A walk in the woods' charm pack from Moda.

I love the foxes and red-riding hood. It's a good thing I've resolved to hide my debit card because I could easily buy a whole bolt of fox fabric. The designer of 'A walk in the woods' is Aneela Hoey, whose blog I just found. And it looks adorable!

I've already used some of the charm pack to make some patchwork kindle cases (which are unfortunately doomed for an unrelated reason, more on this later).

All in all I am very pleased with my purchases.

Huzah!

I Spy..... Fabric Rehab

Image from Fabric Rehab website

I recently stumbled upon a new (new to me) online fabric shop. Oh the danger! It's called 'Fabric Rehab' and sells all kinds of pretty fabrics. I especially love the range of Japanese fabrics they have. They stock, among others, fabrics from Alexander Henry, Robert Kaufman, Moda, Michael Miller, Kokka, Cosmo, Stof and Daiwabo.

I can sense my debit card weeping at this new discovery. Muha.