THE VERY LAST VERITY HOPE DRESS HAS NOW SOLD OUT... : (
and also the Kitty Pinafores : ((
However....
I'm preparing for a new handicraft range, so to make space, many items in the Susannah Dashwood Etsy shop are now under $20 for clearance...
These include:
And these items under $25
Thank you for looking.... ETSY
Susannah x
I'm getting ready for a completely new handicraft range, so as a consequence, I am selling off current stock at super low prices.
Verity Hope dresses...
and Kitty Pinafores:
have all sold out : ( but there are still a number of pleated and flounce frill pantaloons in the shops...
I have a couple more one off dresses to add over the next few weeks to go with those!
I will be continuing with aprons here and there in the future as well as the handicraft range:
The 'Effortless Elegance' range was a fun one to be a part of...
I love the Neo-Classical style and it was inspired by the Victorian artist Lawrence Alma Tadema
I especially loved working with the little rustic roses...
and beautiful muted toned feathers...
and these lovely corsage buttonholes...
This is the Gretta flounce skirt from the range, made from 100% organic bamboo viscose:
I do get asked alot if I will be bringing back any more Verity Hope dresses in the future, at this point, I really don't know when. I do dream of going into production with them again, in even more sizes including young girls.... if I do, it wouldn't be for at least a year to 18 months while I concentrate on my new venture, but let's see what the future holds.
Thank you for visiting....
Susannah X
I love adding floral bias binding to my vintage dress creations, especially to aprons and wrap around dresses. It gives an authentic, nostalgic charm.
This is a very pretty ditsy floral bias binding, measuring half inch wide and is available here:
For 'one production run only' I decided to produce an additional dress to wear with Pantaloons. I wanted something uncomplicated to throw on and could just sling over a jumper (urm...or 'sweater' depending on where you are)or a light t-shirt for the Spring and Summer. Basically, I wanted as little wardrobe decision making as possible...
So here it is...the Kitty Pinafore Dress (urm...'Jumper' dress, depending on where you are)... Gosh, now I'm confused...
I selected a slate blue gray 100% linen fabric because I wanted a dress I could also sling over jeans and the slate colour looked really nice against denim blue. Of course, it does look nice with good old Pantaloons too...
The KITTY PINAFORE comes in SMALL, MEDIUM and LARGE and is available at:
or
Jeans are great, but at times I just want to feel more dreamy yet still be practical...
The solution?.....Pantaloons!!
These have revolutionised my wardrobe.
Wear them under or outer and if you already have the Verity Hope Dress they go hand in hand...
I have different sizes and styles of Pantaloons in the shops, all styles complement the Verity Hope Dress and Kitty Pinafore...
For further info please visit either:
or
The original linen Verity Hope Dress and Pantaloons are back!
I have had so many requests for the return of the original style and am pleased to introduce:
The MOCHA Verity Hope dress...
Verity Hope Dress 2011 in Mocha now available HERE
made from 100% linen in sizes SMALL, MEDIUM (sold out), LARGE AND X-LARGE
and...The Rosewood Verity Hope Dress...
Verity Hope Dress 2011 in Rosewood now available HERE
made from a linen/viscose blend which has a lovely soft and flowing feel.
Both dresses are very limited stock and size MEDIUM is already sold out in the MOCHA linen Verity Hope...
SUSANNAH DASHWOOD ETSY SHOP while stocks last x
I am offering a whopping 30% off the last two flower ball bouquets in the...
Inspired by the English country gardens of my British homeland...
click to see:
I have only two of these Flower Posy Balls left and am now offering 30% off to those who use coupon code:
BOUQUET30 at checkout...
click to see:
Enter coupon code BOUQUET30 at checkout and save 30% off one of the last two flower posies...
The are now just 4 purple Verity Hope Dresses left at
The last four dresses get 10% off at checkout if you enter coupon code: PURPLEVERITY10
Only 4 left!
Get 10% off this dress if you enter coupon code:
PURPLEVERITY10
Available at SUSANNAH DASHWOOD
I have only FIVE more purple/mauve Verity Hope bamboo dresses left in the ETSY SHOP
I am giving 10% off to the last 5 people who purchase one!
Enter coupon code PURPLEVERITY10
Usually $95 with coupon code $85.50
Enter coupon code PURPLEVERITY10 to get 10% off one of the last
five purple Verity Hope Dresses.
Enter coupon code PURPLEVERITY10 to get 10% off one of the last 5 purple Verity Hope Dresses.
Butterflies are in the air...
Flowers fully blooming...
Time for a change...
But what style this week?
That again?
Why yes of course!
So many ways...and never short of an opportunity...
Last few Butterfly Wraps available from
May Day is about us!
Dancing round the May Pole...
Morris Men skipping to the sky...
Ice cream cones...
And lots and lots of cups of tea!
It wouldn't be England without that!
Good old England... and Scotland... and Wales... and Ireland!
Proud to be British....
All that countryside...
Spring flower meadows...
The language of flowers that adorne our days... if we surround ourselves with their beauty and fragrence...
'Tis the season for a jolly hair do!
Everyone who loves all things English country garden.... Catch them while you can.... before the Spring is over!
Find these currently for sale on SUSANNAH DASHWOOD ETSY
A limited number of original style linen
Verity Hope dresses
will be available on Etsy in June
Watch this space...
See current availibility - Etsy Shop
Love to stroll....
All by one's self....
Birds in the sky...
Sea shore beckoning softly....
Takes me back to old fashioned times....
Last few Gretta Flounce Skirts left then that's it!
Weddings are in the air...
Love is all around... Which will kate choose?
A dress fit for a Princess.... that's it!!
ONLY SIZE LARGE LEFT !!
Good old fashion times...
I love the way they dressed...
Victorians and Edwardians...
And everything grand and British...
Whos says we still can't be like them!
Last few Gretta flounce skirts left... and then they will be no more!! Just a distant regret...
Sizes left in SMALL, MEDIUM and X-LARGE only from
Hello there.
I'm off to India for a while, orders can still be taken in the ETSY shop and will be shipped after 2nd Ferbuary 2011.
Susannah Dashwood x
For latest in shop SUSANNAH DASHWOOD ETSY
Greetings all!
It has been a long time in the making but we will be launching a brand new website around the Summer of 2011.
We are going back to roots and returning to the highly successful 'Rustic Chic'linen style which was first launched in 2006 under the MALPHI name.
This will include the original Verity Hope Dress and Pantaloons and introducing some brand new additions.
If you would like to be the first to hear about the launch and new ranges, please contact us with your email address and we can add you to our newsletter. Your details will never be passed on or used for any other purpose.
In the meantime a very happy start to 2011 to everyone!
Susannah x
2010 items currently still available at:
MAINE
GRETTA FLOUNCE SKIRT AVAILABLE ON ETSY: HERE
Is it any wonder why animals love the winter forest?
It's quiet and warm when it's storming out there
Some pass the winter in a torpid state
Others become more vigorous
Way inside the forest,
one can hear...
a tiny bird singing,
a twig creaking in the wind,
sounds of slumber.
Snowflakes, snowdrops, snowfall,
snowdrifts, and snowbanks are bountiful
Trees with their branches ice covered
Streams flowing smoothly and uninterrupted
Nature's way of keeping all intact...
by Sharon Nyberg.
Hmmm now, what to do?
Looks quite cold out there...
Memories of summer a distant past...
SUSANNAH DASHWOOD
Verity Hope Dress AVAILABLE ON ETSY: HERE
One last SWISH...
... SWISH ... SWISH...
And then retire to bed....
With a nice cup of tea...
Visit:
I've just returned from a most glorious week in Maine...
My entire family flew over from England and we stayed at my husband's family home...
I always love it up there, surrounded by nature and water and listening to the birds singing high up in the trees...
It allowed the perfect opportunity to wear my newest Verity Hope Dress in a beautiful mauve colour...
I hand dyed a select few dresses in contrasting hues for the Autumn...
The drive up from New Hampshire allowed us the view of the changing autumn leaves in all their finest autumnal glory...
GRETTA FLOUNCE SKIRT AVAILABLE FROM HERE
I love the in between seasons the best. Spring for it's emergence of new life in the plants and Autumn for the changing leaves and cosiness...
Here's a little sneak as to why we were all up in Maine last week...
Verity Hope Dresses and Flounce Skirt all available from SUSANNAH DASHWOOD ON ETSY
I'm writing this from England, glorious England...
that I have fallen so in love with. I spent years thinking...
the grass was greener elsewhere, that life...
would somehow come together and become easier if I lived in a different country, under a sunnier sky, even perhaps a different language...
For the past 15 years I've come and gone, packed my bags, taken to the skies...
to settle in lands far away. Eventually life would always bring me back to these Isles, heart sinking...
as the plane would start to cross the English Chanel, thick dense clouds over head...
....hmmm, here we go, that's England for you, rain, dark clouds and heavy weighted energy...
Never in a million years did I think my heart would be sinking at the thought of finally leaving England for good....
for that is what I'm about to face...
ironic to say the least. It's true about the saying...."you don't know what you've lost 'till it's gone"...
But for now at least, I will get to enjoy and appreciate what I had previously been blind to. I will enjoy the blossoming spring, the sprouting of riverside meadows...
endless cups of tea and the little cottages sprinkled around the countryside...
There are weddings to tend, dresses to prepare, designs to create. All so quintessentially British...
and hopelessly ideal... who knows...maybe this green, luscious land will eventually become home... maybe that small inkling odds of a chance...
may increase out of the blue...maybe I can hold onto...
my favourite saying, "How do you make God laugh? Tell him your plans". For now I will rejoice in the coming of Spring...
Spring by Sir Lawrence Alma Tadema
It has been absolutely ages since I last posted a blog. Life has been full of changes, hopping back and forth across the Atlantic and setting up the new 'SUSANNAH DASHWOOD' collection.
In the meantime I took a few moments to play around in the latest Verity Hope dress. I have continued with the popular sleeveless version as Spring is now here...thank goodness and it means I can wear different cardigans and wraps over the top of it.
I've also added lace and ribbon to the bottom of this season's bloomers...as hotly requested....
I will miss the Malphi style linen bloomers and dresses, it's been fun leaping through meadows.......photos!!!
skipping through poppy fields....
and gathering the fruits of the earth....
Now that I am concentrating on the new Effortless Elegance range, the Malphi country look has to take a back seat. The website has taken a whopping six moths to re-vamp (when it actually launches) and so much work has gone into sourcing new fabrics. Bamboo is the chosen one but I'll go into that more in detail later....
Meanwhile thank goodness Spring has now finally sprung in the English countryside and once more, buds are peeping through and the grasses are growing up nicely...looking forward to leaping through a few meadows again and a nice cup of tea in the afternoon!
There are many multi-way convertible wraps available to choose from and we hope you enjoy our version which features a fun ruffle around the edge finished off with lettuce edging. We have produced it in limited numbers using a soft jersey stretch fabric.
The leafy print has a tropical feel, perfect for strolling along a beach listening to the soft breezes whispering through coconut palms. Here are just some of the many ways they can be worn:
SARONG
KIMONO
TOGA
GRECIAN OFF SHOULDER
WRAP SKIRT
Continue reading "Convertible Multi Way Dress Skirt Wraps" »
I'm going to be going overseas again soon so have been extremely busy getting as many dresses made up and in stock before leaving.
I had a mountain of beautiful cotton lawn fabric I'd collected last year from London with pretty delicate tiny flower prints along with some mini black and white polka dot fabric...always a favourite....
and also a Java print from Indonesia....
I decided to make some apron style wraps with the fabric...the kind that had a nostalgic war time feel...
I imagined an old 1940s wooden ironing board with a lady standing behind in her cover up protecting her day wear.
Most of the versatile wraps have satin bias edging and are looser fitting than my regular Verity Hope Dress line.
Speaking of which...VH is staying but will be transitioning to a new look for 2010. The current sleeveless variety currently listed in my shops will be the last of the linen line.
Maybe not forever and ever but at least for a few years probably....
It's because I have found a new fabric that I am very excited about and will be developing a mix and match range based around the signature Verity Hope dress...
Each piece will be interchangeable to allow an effortless versatile wardrobe ideal for relaxation and vacations...
I can't say anymore yet but hope to get some preview photos up around October time or a bit sooner. A first photo shoot is scheduled in California in September which I'm very excited about! Will keep you posted!
All current dresses are available on Etsy.
Oh, I wish I'd looked after me teeth by Pam Ayres
Oh, I wish I'd looked after me teeth,
And spotted the perils beneath,
All the toffees I chewed,
And the sweet sticky food,
Oh, I wish I'd looked after me teeth.
I wish I'd been that much more willin'
When I had more tooth there than fillin'
To pass up gobstoppers,
From respect to me choppers
And to buy something else with me shillin'.
When I think of the lollies I licked,
And the liquorice allsorts I picked,
Sherbet dabs, big and little,
All that hard peanut brittle,
My conscience gets horribly pricked.
My Mother, she told me no end,
"If you got a tooth, you got a friend"
I was young then, and careless,
My toothbrush was hairless,
I never had much time to spend.
Oh I showed them the toothpaste all right,
I flashed it about late at night,
But up-and-down brushin'
And pokin' and fussin'
Didn't seem worth the time... I could bite!
If I'd known I was paving the way,
To cavities, caps and decay,
The murder of fiIlin's,
Injections and drillin's
I'd have thrown all me sherbet away.
So I lay in the old dentist's chair,
And I gaze up his nose in despair,
And his drill it do whine,
In these molars of mine,
"Two amalgum," he'll say, "for in there."
How I laughed at my Mother's false teeth,
As they foamed in the waters beneath,
But now comes the reckonin'
It's me they are beckonin'
Oh, I wish I'd looked after me teeth.
See my apron collections at www.apronologie.com
Mia Half Apron.
Mamma mia, here I go again
My my, how can I resist you?
My my, just how much I've missed you
Why, why did I ever let you go?
My my, I could never let you go.
A one off wonder inspired by the colours of Italy!
by Pam Ayres
Yes,
I'll marry you, my dear,
And here's the reason why;
So I can push you out of bed
When the baby starts to cry,
And if we hear a knocking
And it's creepy and it's late,
I hand you the torch you see,
And you investigate.
Yes,
I'll marry you, my dear,
You may not apprehend it,
But when the tumble-drier goes
It's you that has to mend it,
You have to face the neighbour
Should our labrador attack him,
And if a drunkard fondles me
It's you that has to whack him.
Yes,
I'll marry you,
You're virile and you're lean,
My house is like a pigsty
You can help to keep it clean.
That sexy little dinner
Which you served by candlelight,
As I do chipolatas,
You can cook it every night!
It's
you who has to work the drill
and put up curtain track,
And when I've got PMT it's you who gets the flak,
I do see great advantages,
But none of them for you,
And so before you see the light,
I do, I do, I do!
Hello
It's been ages since my last posting but I've finally got some new Verity Hope Dresses and Bloomers listed on www.malphistyle.com and on ETSY. I have a small batch of them in each colour and size.
I decided to do sleeveless dresses this time for a change and have kept the Bloomers more minimalist....
My favourite colour VH dress has always been the Blue (atlantic) so I couldn't resist a few more of those...
and the beautiful weeping willow tree...
Then pink for a new colour...
a nice summery shade and easy to wear...
and lastly the ever popular deep red (ruby)...
The red shows up quite bright in the pictures but it is a beautiful deep rich red colour...
They will be the last Verity Hope dresses that I'll be doing in the linen and in the different colours, the style isn't going away it will just be changing and evolving to a slightly different look in the future.
Here's Malin from Sweden wearing a custom made Verity Hope Dress and Bloomers in white linen. She sent me this wonderful picture of herself in her outfit posing outside her delightful gift shop in Sweden! She has wonderful gifts and treasures and you can see them all here: www.unikkollektion.blogspot.com.
Thank you so much Malin for sharing!!
Bye for now!
Malphi x
Top of my list of To-Dos when I return home in a few days is a photo session for the aprons I've just completed. I've been doing them on and off over the past couple of months in between the Verity Hope Dresses etc (the next thing I must get to re-stocking!!).
My favourite projects are those with no pre-planning. I love just starting with either a colour or in the case of these aprons....a shape. When I cut the dresses and other aprons out I'm left with so many interesting shaped pieces of fabric which are ideal for pockets, parts of a frill or a waistband etc.
I love random colours which some how find a way to blend in with the next. I find if I give too much thought to the way something is going to look before I've even started it some how takes the excitement out of the project. I thrive on the unknown....and seeing something develop in front of me.
Maybe it's because you use a different part of the mind when it's allowed to roam free. If I'd sat and thought about the colour combos too much I probably would have found every reason not to put the colour peach against a deep red for example, or a deep peacock green with pale turquoise but when I just let my higher mind take over without judgment or 'buts' THAT'S when I know it truly comes from me.
These aprons will be available very shortly...
Susannah x
aka MALPHI
APRONS APRONS MORE APRONS...OH I DO LIKE APRONS. HERE ARE SOME MORE TO SHOW OFF.
HOLLY RUN FOR IT! APRON
She ducked...she dived...and dashed as fast as her little chicken legs could move...over the stream and across the valley but still no one caught her!
Precision patchwork makes this frilly apron a treasured dream.
PINK 'N' PERKY GINGHAM APRON
Be a cheeky monkey with this perfectly pretty gingham number. With side pocket trimmed off with red and pink rose.
A LA CAMPAGNE HALF APRON
With decorative red flowers and an antique hue c'est un tablier magnifique! Feel the wisps of the French countryside come to life as you skip around in this number. For the imaginative at heart only. I made this one myself from an old table cloth and runner.
A pretty little number with hand appliqued flowers and leaves. Trimmed off with cotton lace and a very handy pocket.
HENRIETTA'S PATCHWORK SMOCK
Oh what a pickle! Oh what should she wear!
Put it together and skip in the air!
This delightful patchwork smock is truly one of a kind. Worn with or without the belt with two deep pockets to hide treasured finds!
MRS YAKKI MARKET APRON
a dozen eggs
3 bananas
loaf of bread
Mrs Beaten's jam
a box of radishes
feathered hen
something tasty for supper
LEAF CASCADE HALF APRON
Get in amongst those leaves and see what you find!
Flamboyant white flowers cascade down this vintage wonder.
And last but no means least to finish off may I show off this beautiful apron I bought from Annie's Attic on Etsy.
She makes the most wondrous original aprons using hand embroidered linens and scrumptious prints including Amy Butler. I had my eye on this apron for ages...then succumbed! You can follow her happenings on her BLOG and Thrift Shop Annie.
Here are a few more of her wonderful designs to drule over...
THANK YOU FOR VISITING MY APRON SHOWCASE!!
Susannah
aka Malphi x
As I'm going to be away for the next couple of weeks I thought I would showcase some more aprons from my collection. Some I sell and some I keep. We had great fun shooting the pics at a local country Estate owned by a Duke. I'm not a friend of his I might add but hope to be invited over for tea one day! The local gardeners must have thought it a bit odd to see me diving in and out of various aprons and leaping into their vegetable garden but I think it made their working day more memorable!
TEA WITH MYRTLE APRON SMOCK
"Tea for two except for you and a couple of teacakes please...
Except for you may have some water and a bit of cracker".
Quaint Paisley design exploded over custard cream.
MINTO BOHO APPLIQUE APRON
A pretty little number with hand appliqued flowers and leaves. Trimmed off with cotton lace and a very handy pocket.
FRANKIE'S CHANCE GINGHAM SMOCK
Frankie got a chance, she pondered, she knew, this gingham wonder had that lucky charm!
PATCHWORK PROMISE REVERSIBLE APRON
"I promise that I will do my best,to do my duty to God,
to serve the Queen and to help other people
and to keep the reversible patchwork apron law"
THANK YOU FOR VISITING MY APRON SHOWCASE!
I don't know what I would do without my wellie boots and spotted these rather wonderful rustic looking racks...just what I need!
This lovely cast iron rack can be found at Dibor a lovely website selling French style for the home. The rack is currently £89.00 and measures 64x76x34 cm.
But I'm rather loving their Wellie boot bags too. They're made from tough durable jute cotton and priced at a much less painful £19.95.
This is a rather nice rustic wooden boot jack from greenfingers.com Made from pinewood and priced at an even better £12.71. Strange price but I suppose that's because of the recent drop in VAT. Anyway I rather like this one because of its originality and those bristles would come in very handy after a muddy walk along the river.
Queen of Wellie boots in my eyes is Ilse Jacobsen from Norway. Her range is just to die for. You could wear these boots in the town or country and they'd be just perfect.
There are so many colours to choose from (I particularly liked the brown from last season) but have a look at these aqua ones!
Rather scrumptious indeed!!
Phew!...I've finally completed the last two Verity Hope Dresses in the new colours...Loganberry and Forest.
This is the Loganberry....
Now it's a question of having all the sizes in stock....oh how I wish I had some little Elves to help me! Wouldn't that be so nice to wake up in the morning greeted with a chirpy "good morning" by some little friends with smiley faces ready and eager with thread in hand.
But in the meantime I'll get the full four sizes out as soon as I can over the next two weeks. The Loganberry is similar to purple but less blue and more muted if you can tell by the swatches...
I don't produce many dresses in each size because of my Elf shortage which is why they're quite often not available along with the Bloomers. This is the Forest...
I have a tiny amount left of the Ruby and Atlantic...
so after making some more apron kits up will see if I have enough to do a couple more dresses in those colours too.
I'm guessing sizes large and x-large would be the best sizes to do.
I'm dying to make an apron (or two) and have such a large pile of fat quarters, scraps and trimmings all waiting for creative inspiration. I'm also feeling a doll making session come on as a result of my search last week. I dug out this little friend I'd started a few years back....
and to my joy I'm further on completing his/her friend than I'd thought. Just the hair is needed on this one...
It usually happens this time of year. I suddenly get hit with so many ideas. I've been dying to make some dolls out of papier mache too. Has anyone used one of those pourable ones? I've heard that Li-qua-che is supposed to be good but they're really hard to find in the UK. Can you sculpt with them too or just cast does anyone know? I really like Julie Arkell's work. She's one of the leading folk artists in the Uk....
I first saw her work at an exhibition in London last year and fell in love with her style. Particularly her papier mache rabbits...(oh and that apron she's wearing)...
She uses the traditional form of papier mache. Oh and I love the cloth watches she makes out of old vintage scraps...
She holds workshops in and around London and sometimes abroad. I am dying to go to one....otherwise I think I shall burst!!!
I'm going to have to try really hard not to jam up. What I mean is...you know when you just have sooo many projects all trying to squeeze through and then you end up either not doing any of them or starting them all and not completing....(hence the dolls). Another reason why I need my little Elf helpers!!
The first thing I want to say is that I got a reply from the buyer who bought the two dolls that I made Winifred (in yellow) and Milicent (left) and then regretted selling.
Well it was good news and bad news. The bad news is that they're not for sale but the good news is that it's because the buyer said she loves them so much and doesn't want to part with them! It is good news because I was so happy to hear that they went to a home that really appreciates them and is taking good care of them. They're both together and obviously being looked after very well and the buyer sounded very kind, so although they won't be returning to me it's made me feel so much happier and I'm glad I asked. I feel inspired to maybe start making them again and do have a few that I never finished....it'll be a nice Winter evening project and this time I won't be selling them!
On to Malphi news....
The first Verity Hope Dresses for this season are now available on Etsy and www.malphistyle.com. As previewed before this is the Verity Hope Dress in MOONLIGHT....
It's available in four sizes...
They're in very limited numbers and I'll be adding the remaining sizes as soon as I can along with the Bloomers in OATMEAL...
They're also available in four sizes...S M L XL Waist 26"-28" 30"-32" 34"-36" 38"-40" Hips 35"-37" 38"-40" 41"-43" 44"-46"
This is the new darker BROWN Verity Hope Dress...
If a size is not available I'll try and replace it within a few weeks so do keep checking back....
S M L XL Bust 34"-36" 36"-38" 38"-40" 42"-44" Waist 26"-28" 30"-32" 34"-36" 38"-40" Hips 35"-37" 38"-40" 41"-43" 44"-46"
This is the line up of colours that are already out or coming out:
Moonlight Brown Loganberry Forest Oatmeal (Bloomers)
HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!
It's been a long time coming but my new line of Linen Verity Hope Dresses are finally on their way! I have four new colours for the Winter months: a deep blue called moonlight, deep forest green, loganberry and the brown was so popular I've brought it out again but slightly darker. I'm so pleased with how they're turning out. Here's a peak at the Moonlight...
The new dresses vary slightly from last season. These ones have higher frills, no bow and the arms are slightly looser around the elbow. I love experimenting with little ways here and there.
I'm hoping to get the Moonlight in the Etsy shop as early as this week along with more Bloomers. They'll be available in four sizes: SMALL, MEDIUM, LARGE AND X-LARGE and the BROWN will then follow.S M L XL Bust 34"-36" 36"-38" 38"-40" 42"-44" Waist 26"-28" 30"-32" 34"-36" 38"-40" Hips 35"-37" 38"-40" 41"-43" 44"-46"
I have so much I want to work on including some more Dana Ashley Dresses (a more casual Verity Hope minus the frill) out of some amazing prints I picked up in London last week. Here's one I've just finished which is now on Etsy and on RUSTIC CHIC.
It's a size Medium in a soft touch cotton with a subtle satin sheen.
We took the photographs locally this time down by the river. I don't know why I didn't think of that location before...the flowers were still out in full bloom in some places and it felt like summer.
I'm thinking of incorporating Paypal into the main website www.malphistyle.com to make it easier with the currency and I know I always prefer the familiarity of Paypal. A project on the 'To do list'. Would love to hear from anyone who does use a Paypal shoping cart on their own website and whether they would recommend it over another?
I just had to show you this apron! I didn't make it but it epitimizes everything I love about aprons! Feminine, cheerful, floral, floaty, dreamy...
I added some little buttons here and there sewn with green embroidery thread to match the tiny leaves.
I was getting it ready to put in Apronologie™ but I love it so much I've decided to keep it! So many aprons and dresses pass through my hands that you forget sometimes to treat yourself now and again and enjoy the things you love. A few years back I made some dolls and still regret to this day about selling them.
Here's little WINIFRED....
and darling MILLICENT....
I knew at the time when I was taking them to the post office that I was really going to regret letting them go. Fortunately they both went to the same home. Two years have now passed and I STILL think about them so it's time to TAKE ACTION! I made a grand decision last night!!!....I've actually contacted the buyer!!! I emailed her last night to let her know that I would be very interested in buying them back if she ever wanted to sell them. It's a long shot, they may have moved on already...and I know they're only dolls and there are far worse problems in the world but since I have that chance then I SHOULD TAKE IT! Haven't heard back yet but fingers crossed!! X
I absolutely adore aprons! half, full, vintage, war time, frilly, practical...there's always room for another so for the next week or two I'm going to simply show off aprons that I've gathered on my new Apronologie™ site. A showcase of Aprons!
(APOLOGIES TO NON APRON LOVERS BUT I HOPE YOU CATCH THE BUG!)
MADDIE'S PUDDLE VINTAGE APRON
Is it a splish or a splosh or maybe a squish?
The little puddle duck on this vintage wonder will have the answers.
TIFFANY REVERSIBLE HALF APRON
" Oh whata ta do ta di today ata minute or two ta two,
A thing distinctly hard to say and harder still ta do!"
Flirty reversible apron with pocket and bow decoration.
TROPICAL TEA POT APRON
Show off your tea pot collection with a touch of tropical elegance. Throw the odd pineapple in why not! Two nice deep pockets on front.
I LOVE APRONS! DO YOU?
It's always nice when you can finally see the end result of a lot of hard work. I've finally managed to get together the new batch of Verity Hope Dresses this time made from a variety of prints.
This first one is called 'Promenade Des Fleurs'.
There are oodles of tiny meadow flowers sprinkled over a forget me not blue background and the fabric is a medium weight cotton.
It's my absolute favourite shade of blue and has everything I like in a printed fabric. I only had a little bit of fabric so could only make one. It's in the Etsy shop and I'll be putting all the dresses on the website over the next few days.
Next is 'Meadow Bed'. This print reminds me of the tiny flowers scattered over the floor of a wild field. Okay I'm dreaming a bit but I love being around fields and the outdoors in general and love prints that reflect that.
It's nice to be girly and the dresses can be dressed down over jeans. Again I could only make one of these but may have enough fabric left to produce a wrap top...we'll see.
Next is a very Wintery fabric. It's made from a fine wool.
I made two of these in different sizes.
Last but not least is the cream of the crop.
My Dana Ashley Dress in a floral LIBERTY OF LONDON print.
A Dana Ashley is the same as the Verity Hope dress with the three bust darts except that it doesn't have a frill. It's more of a casual wrap over. Some one told me they using theirs as a wrap over in their dance class.
I absolutely love Liberty fabric prints. They use bright mixes of colours without being garish. I know a small shop in London where they stock rolls and rolls of past season Liberty prints. I drule over them each time I go but even though they're last seasons it's still sooo expensive. I'd love to see the warehouse where they get it all from. Better still I'd love a trip around the factory where they print it all and then be directed to their sampling section.
It's a bit strange but I'd actually love a holiday going around a load of different factories and seeing how things are made. Has anyone seen 'How It's Made' on the telly? I think it's so interesting to find out what the products we use every day have to go through. Modern machines are amazing, I remember they said it took less than a minute to produce a pair of Jeans! It was true, the Denim just shot through the machine quicker than lightning. I suppose it would have to be that fast with all the Jeans on the planet. By far the most useful item ever known to man! My favourites are Wrangler and Lee.
My new Linen arrived a few days ago in the new Winter colours so over the next weeks the dresses will be coming out along with more Bloomers...hold on to your hats and thanks for stopping by xx
Wow! I've had a busy few days on Etsy! Couldn't work out at first why I suddenly got so many messages. I usually get about four or five enquiries each day but suddenly I was getting about fifteen! It wasn't until my sister emailed me that I realised why...
I'd made the first page of ETSY! Whippee!! (Bottom right corner).
First of all a huge thank you to Erin from Anatomy of a Skirt for adding me in her favourite picks which is what my Verity Hope Dress was featured on. If you don't know Erin check out this wonderful bag she makes and sells in her Etsy shop...
It's made from industrial weight wool felt and comes in black too! Read about her adventures on her blog and her latest robot project on www.robotaday.com.
And a huge thank you to to Kalurah for taking the screenshot otherwise I would have missed it. She has an amazing blog called While They Play and sells a wonderful selection of these crochet patterns and more in her Etsy Shop. Here's a peak...
They're all on pdf so you can get them staraight away!
I've had lots of enquiries about whether I'll be bringing out more Verity Hope Dresses and Bloomers in Linen again and in the differents sizes. Well the answer is YES absolutely but I'll be cutting down on some of the sizes.
Doing seven sizes is great but it means I can't stock as many of the popular larger sizes as I want to so I'll probably stick with about four sizes at least for the moment. That's not to say I won't be doing size small or XS but they just won't appear as often. I'm overwhelmed at how popular the dress and bloomers have been and with all the supporting emails and Etsy conversations over the past months. It's always lovely to hear feedback and to chat with everyone.
I've got a lovely selection of printed fabrics which I intend to make up very soon, I'll probably do the short sleeve version with the prints...
as they go over Jeans well and I've got a tiny bit of the Linen left which I'll make up into the original Verity Hope dress without the satin edging...
And then once I've run out of all that it will be time to order in a new batch of the Linen again. I have to order it in huge quantities so need to make sure I have the space first and that I've run down sufficiently with stock. Think I'll go for the brown again but a darker one for a change and I really like the denim blue...
But I can be swayed?
Have a lovely weekend XXX
Here's an idea for a quick but highly rewarding project using a mohair shawl...
I first gathered a whole bundle of mohair and cotton crochet flowers, berries and leaves...if you don't crochet you can cheat like me and buy them ready made...
I always prefer toned down colours so tea staining is ideal for the job....simply make up a brew and throw the whole lot in!
Even if you don't want to do anything more with them at this stage...it's worth dunking them if only just to see them floating around prettily! Easily pleased me!
After leaving them out to dry naturally...
so they stay nice and fluffed up...
it's time for the really fun part! I don't like too much of a symmetrical design, I prefer a more
whimsical look so arranged the flowers out in that manner. I like the
mixture of mohair flowers with the cotton cherries but avoided using
sequins. (A) they would get lost in the mohair and (B) think it would
make it look more factory made somehow.
I tried to use a variety of sizes with the flowers to the whimsical appeal.
After tacking them initially in place I then secured them properly with needle and thread...Voila!
At long last I've manage to win the much sought after book 'How to Make Aprons' by Roxa Wright...
I've lost a couple in past auctions as they've always gone for a really high price (this one no exception), but I decided I was going to win this one no matter what since aprons are a rather big part of my life. It was published in 1953 and contains fifty apron patterns and ten pot holder patterns all on mini grids which you can enlarge up. They may even be good as is for making doll aprons. The patterns include Mother and Daughter Pinafores, Cobbler Apron, Picker's Apron, Handkerchief Tea Apron, Gardening Apron to name but a few. I probably won't actually grid many up but it's worth it's weight in gold for the inspiration.
A must have book for any apron lover!
I've always like those long 1940s war aprons. I think it's because they look like they could be worn as dresses as well as being practical and also look great over Jeans.
But MOST of all for some bizarre reason I'm really drawn to what old Grandmothers wear in places like Greece, Italy or France. I like to imagine these old women spending their lives out in the olive groves, skin a bit leathery from the sun, but still in fine health from their country lifestyle.
I doubt they put much thought into what they wear but I just love the way they layer up, tunics over jumpers or a long wrap over...it's almost like a uniform. Is it a style particular to a certain generation? or perhaps one day you reach a certain age and that's it!...on goes the smock!
Anyway that idea inspired me to do a small batch of Verity Hope dresses with more of a casual look which could be worn over existing clothing.
After all who doesn't like wearing jeans? I sling them on all the time and any item of clothing I have that goes with them STAYS in my wardrobe because it means I WEAR it.
And with the winter months fast approaching I'm now on the look out for ways to layer up my clothing too and make extra use of them.
Short sleeves don't just have to be for sunny days (which seem to be non-existent in the UK) so I thought I would make more use of my short lived sleeveless clothes all year round if I wear them over something warm...
Hey presto...makes an ordinary outfit look a bit more interesting I'm telling myself...
Now I want to head down to a rural village and sit on a balcony in a rocking chair...sun gleaming down over looking olive trees...easy pace of life with a big loaf of bread in my basket.
I doubt that really exists...
Visit: Etsy and www.malphistyle.com for latest designs.
I've just received the most amazing apron through the post. It came from a vintage textile collector in New York.
It's a sheer cotton lawn tea apron delicately embroidered with buttonhole stitch with white on white florals, even on the pocket and trimmed with lace. It dates from around the 1920s and measures 19"x19".
For the past 25 years the collector has been designing one of a kind wearable art. Her trademark was to integrate antique and vintage textiles with luxurious new fabrics.
She frequently traveled to Europe in her quest for the most beautiful embroideries, appliques and trims and her art coats, jackets and gowns graced many red carpet award shows, weddings, charity balls and the like.
Using brilliantly dreft sewers her creations sold for as much as $10,000. Her label The Gallery of Wearable Art which originated in Soho, New York can be found here: www.galleryofwearableart.com.
I'm carrying on my approach to have things just pass through my hands to enjoy for a while and then move then on to make way for the new. So if any apron collector is interested I've put the apron up on Ebay (item number: 200250614423) this week to pass it on.
Visit: www.malphistyle.com
My Mother modeled this latest Darcey Mae apron amazingly! She has the figure for it and I think it shows her curves off beautifully....
I call it 'Tutti Frutti" because the colours remind me of sweeties. This is one of the aprons photographed by a little farm yard we came across on our photo shoot day out...
It was so ideallic with Donkies, chickens, an old tractor...everything you could imagine from a Beatrix Potter story book all tucked away in a tiny village. The first Darcey Mae Apron was in pink only but I was dying to make it again again using a mixture of colours...
And in case anybody else would like to make one, I've brought out a very limited number as KITS. They're available from www.malphistyle.com and on Etsy.
Now what to do with those linens? Lots of ideas are looming...
And I must also get my act together and bring out some more Verity Hope Dress Kits...that's high on the agenda now! Thank you so much to everyone who voted for their return in the polls XXX I've made the last few remaining available again, then will change the colours. That's a hard decision...
So many to choose from. I like the blue (and that was also popular in the poll) but my sister thinks the green will be good for Autumn....Mmmm hard hard! I'd love to bring it out in as many colours as possible but as Malphi is not a multi million business! small quantities have to do to keep costs down for all. I might go for two colours though....thinking on.
So much to do...so little time..so many ideas bursting...
another one coming through....what will it be called...who will use it...
who will take care...walk in the puddles....kick in the mud...fetch some....bury treasures...run and jump
...skip and hop...help when needed...sew a button...more ideas...running ahead...gather all the bits...this one or that...put this together...try this...almost there....
something missing...that's nice...that's much better...now it's taking shape...
Well...I managed to get the blue apron project finished in time for the shoot...
It was a fun afternoon, this image was shot on one of my favourite hills, it has stunning view points...
I used a combination of satin binding and lace to make the straps and pocket edging and the fabric is linen...
Here's the apron on my mother, I think it looks nicer on a fuller figure as it holds its shape better...
We have plenty more pics from the shoot which I'll show you over the next few weeks.
Have a nice weekend X
ONE QUICK NOTE: Apologies to anyone in the past if it appeared that I may have ignored comments and questions.� Silly me did reply to them all but used the WRONG LINK! so answers probably never got to you!...Oops!!
I bought this pattern for a reproduction Peg Wooden Tuck Comb doll a few years back on Ebay. The seller is oregonraindrops and here is the link to her shop: http://stores.ebay.com/Vintage-Patterns-and-Transfers. She sells wonderful cloth doll patterns too! It's a copy of one produced in the McCall's Needlework Annual in the 1980s. Not being a wood crafter myself (though I'd love to try) I kept a look out for ages on Ebay to see if a ready made doll would come up.� I couldn't believe it when one by the well known Fred T. Laughon came up for auction AND with a costume just like the one in the original pic!
When she arrived the dress was quite faded and blue in colour so I soaked it in a green dye to bring the colours up again and more in line with the drawing.
Her Bloomers and Petticoat also needed a good wash.
I repainted her body and face so that she would feel all new again.� I'm really not great with a brush and paint so cheated a bit and used a fine nib pen to do the small features.
Now I'm writing this because for months after her first repaint she stood happily but 'sternly' on my desk but we just didn't bond.� Her mouth always bothered me, it didn't suit her and her eyes didn't look kind enough and the white colour made her too much like a China Doll...which was what she was not! SO I've finally taken the plunge and scraped off her wonky mouth and repainted her to a more golden glow.
I'm so pleased I did it and she's never looked back. Her features may still not be the greatest artistic work in the world BUT she stands taller, brighter and much more approachable altogether. Okay I know she's not smiling as much now but her cheeks are Rosy perky and we've now bonded! Does anyone else collect these dolls? I'd love to hear.
