Rest and Relaxation

I have been doing some soul searching this week, after the break down of my relationship and the loss of my job last week. I have spent the past week getting away from it all, on the Isle of Wight.

I have been spending my days researching brands, collecting pictures of items i love, doing lots of sewing and fabric buying!
One day i hope to own my own gift shop, shabby chic in style of course :)

Here are some pics of things i love...

I also love this cushion, and have decided to try and recreate it...

I have sewn all the strips together, and once i find a cushion pad the same sort of length, i will form it into a nice snuggly pillow for my new life :)

I have been on the Isle of Wight for a week now, trying to get over my ex, and looking for a new job! My gran lives here, and as she used to be a seamstress, she has given me loads of lovely bits and bobs for my bag making. She is very talented, and i am so greatful for all the lovely things she gave me. As you can see there's loads! and im taking home another three carrier bags of fabric. Love it :)

Some really goregous lace trimmings.

Some vintage sewing reels from when she worked in a factory.

Lots of lovely buttons :)

Zips and lovely net fabrics.

Lots of padding and Interfacing :)

And my small pile of bags, which i hope to photograph properly soon :)

Please let me know if there are any ideas for project you have, or would like to see me try!

I am trying to broaden my project range, and develop new sewing skills!

Weekend Away...

I spent this weekend at my Dads house on the Isle of Wight. Unfortunately i wasnt there for Bestival, but just a bit of a break.

I stayed in a town called Ventnor, where there is loads of charity shops, and a very messy but cool fabric shop...View from the living room...spectacular!

Anyway here are my bargains from the weekend...

I bought three types of fabric. The first, light denim, i'd wanted for ages! Think it will look so cute with floral fabric on my bags! Or scented denim hearts with vintage buttons. I love it, and the piece it huge for £5!

Next i got a large sheet of calico, just cause! This comes in handy for anything! tote bags, cushions, oven glove fabric...list goes on. £2.50 a metre!

Lastly i found this really long kilt in a charity shop...£2. If i cut of the waistband and iron out all the pleats i'll have loads! I love it with the denim, and i might use it to line some bags, for scented hearts, or maybe just some decoration around a cushion or tea towels!

Bargains i think you'll agree!

Then i found this bag...£1 in a charity shop! Its a Next one, but i could pass it off as designer i think ;) Love!

And lastly, the woven labels i ordered arrived today! Yippee! I love them, Kinda wish the colours were different but for my first ones i think they're pretty cute! £11 for 36 labels which is about 30p a label? Bargain!

I will use one in the next bag i make!

If anyone knows where to get cheap but pretty labels, please let me know!

Im always on the lookout!

Ahoy Sailor and Shabby Chic

Hello :)

I have returned with a new bag, and a finished project which i started months ago!

My new bag is made from gorgeous new fabric from FabricLand in portsmouth. They were both ends of rolls, so for about 2.50 a metre...i actually got about a metre and a half so i was very lucky that day!

I also bought gorgeous new ribbons (also end of roll) so all in all it was a good day! The two fabrics together remind me of sailors and all things nautical. I love them.
I really want to aquire some light demin, i think half denim and half floral bags would be so pretty.

Now onto my project...I started this months ago when i first found my love for sewing. I sneakily went on heaps of fabric websites and asked for samples of their curtain fabrics! I made loads of scrappy hearts, and then forgot about them.

My mum sent me some cute ribbon this week so i decided to dig out the hearts and make a pretty garland for above our bed :)

All free and very shabby chic. (if i say so myself).

Bye for now :)

Haircut and Etsy Store Opening!

Hello :)

So recently i had my hair cut...Long gone are the knots, tangles and ugly limp hair. Along came the pretty layers, Soft fringe and Non split ends! I love it and i wish i'd had it done a long time ago!!







Porducts used for above face...
Bourjours Healthy Mix founcation, Elf Golden Bronzer and Complexion Perfection. Mac Shroom over lid, With Patina to add depth. Loreal superliner in carbon black, Rimmel sexy curves Mascara. Rimmel shake up pink with Gosh Darling over to make more wearable!

Also, today i opened my Etsy store! I now have 4 pretty bags for sale! Check them out here... http://www.etsy.com/shop/LilyRibbons Hopefully i'll be selling a few, and making many more! Its been a busy few months, but things have finally started to settle down, so bring on the sewing :)

I hope everyone is well, Competition still in progress! Keep tuned for prize info!

Lil x

Bag Lady.

Im back! Ive been gone a long time, Well a few months but it feels like years!
I almost forgot how to attach photos to a post! So yes anyway, Im back, Ive been busy moving house, job, friends, life basically! I now live in the sunny south of england, near to family, friends and great shopping :)

So that explains my absence! Im loving that i have kept on getting page views and new readers even though i havent been updating this! I am in long need of a giveaway! I reached 60 subscribers the other day (yey!) so i will be doing a nice (cheap) but very cute giveaway in the next couple of weeks!

So recently i've been doing my usual, Making bags!
Ive picked up some new slinky silky fabric, and have started to line the inside of my bags with it! Its so gorgeous, and one sqaure metre costs...99p! Its fab!

So here are two new additions to my bag family:

The large purple one is for my mum, as i realised she's not been given one yet! And the other one was an experiment with using ribbon, and i must say, i love it!

There is a local market in my new town, so im thinking of maybe selling some.


Also...i have new make up storage! Ive seen these boxes on lots of blogs, and spotted one on sale in WHSmith the other day, £9.99! bargain! I LOVE it!

Its huge! Even my mac pallette gets lost in it!


And lastly, despite being skint after deposits, rent, and a generally rubbish wage, I purchased some new nail polish to add to my ever growing collection!


I love these, so different to what i usually buy, yet so summery! Ive been wearing them all week, and although they do chip, they are still pretty damn gorgeous! They were 3 for 2 in superdrug, and each i think they were like £2.50 or something?



Anyway, Ive loved blogging again, i have missed it so much!

Watch this space for a 60 subscribers giveaway :)

Lil xx