Some more - capes?

Well, finally this weekend the sun has come out. It was alleged to be raining according to the weather man, but in Britain meterological science might as well be a case of seeing if the cows are lying down(rain), whether the sky is pink at night(sunny), whether you're getting a funny head(thunder) . It's really no wonder we're obsessed by the weather. The last few weeks it's been torrential rain/grey mist/roasting hot/blasting wind/suffocating stillness.

However, after all that, the sun is here and of course I celebrated by not going out at all but instead hunkering over bits of suede and old beads and sewing till my finger tips hurt.


The white cotton is very old, as usual, I prefer old fabric to new, even a bit stained and water-ruined. It's all pleated around a beaded and painted suede neck band.


The full effect can be a bit too much for going out but under a nice tux jacket it's dressed down and looks very nice.Some details. It's not finished, I want to do some more beading and painting and then i'll line it....Lining things is not something I enjoy. For a start I tend to hand sew - I have a sewing machine but I can't stand the noise or the aggressive march of stitches - It's daft I know. So everything takes forever, especially lining, and it has no aesthetic effect on the outside, so for me it's utterly boring.



Detail of the black pleated cotton neck - what? I don't know what to call it at all.


Some attempt at professionalism there. It's actually a nice little technique I aw in the Craft zine. Just take t-shirt transfer and iron it onto ribbon. It really works well!



This also looks nice and quite dressed down under a black jacket, however I don't have a picture of that as my camera started to flash it's 'I'm dying' light. This one is the only one really finished. The others all need some manner of finishing (the dreaded lining!)