Beth Sprouts Purchases; Africa! Africa!

I busied myself with Brisfest last weekend, the new version of Ashton Court Festival. Went last year and drank too much cider and it is known in our household as 'Fightfest'. Nuff said.

On the Sunday I was taking things easy, my head was a little heavy, so to make myself feel better I did a little retail therapy. A shop called The Feather Tree had a stall there, I think they mainly aim to sell their feather hair extensions at festivals, but they also had lots of lovely simple pieces made from African fabrics. Well, you gotta love an African print, and it is more accessible these days with things like ASOS africa etc. They work with a guy in Kenya, buy the fabric second hand and then pay him for each piece he makes, so that he can benefit directly.

I'd check it out because at the moment tops are a tenner...but obviously I am not supporting cheap cheap clothing, but still you can't deny a bargain!

P.S there are boys clothes too!

Beth Sprouts Handmade; me and my teddy bear

So here is my 'fairtrade' creation.

A pair of saggy bottomed cerise velvet overalls. I have already washed the car in them, of course. The little ted was a gift from my mum a few years ago, it is amazing the colour is exactly the same! And amazing how I managed to get such a teddy bear shaped rear view on the overalls.

The little clutch bag is of the same fabric, with a contrasting blue zip. You can't see it, but it is lined with a lovely liberty fabric remnant. NOW, I am pretty sure I have somewhere in my sketchbooks from a few years ago a design for the bag - which I never made - and then of course Celine has gone and done it.

I should also mention the T-shirt is also fairtrade - I have made two striped shirts with this pattern. I love it. Very airy, and there's something a bit more interesting about a T-shirt not made from jersey.

Beth Sprouts Handmade; The sun always shines, on blue jeans

Having a blast on iPhoto today.

You've seen these curtain trousers before, today I have added a charity shop found vintage cropped denim jacket. I like cropped items but I am not keen nor is it the weather to do midriff flashing. I'd rather bust a high waistie.

Also, have you noticed the thick white soles everywhere? Carvela did these last year, certainly keep your tootsies warm.

Oh I was also sucked into an 80s Norwegian music video.

Beth Sprouts Handmade; 3 way

In my feeble little mind I believed this to be truelly revolutionary. One bag - 3 ways! Until. I was poo-pooed by a man.
First way: a simple clutch with large bow
Second way: a shoulder bag turning your clutch into a useful for dancing with bag
Third way: a long strapped bag for chucking over the shoulder in the cycle ride home
WOW

But no, apparantly it is one bag, and still silly because you can't fit a laptop or wear it as a rucksac.

Who uses a laptop? It fits an ipad.

Beth Sprouts Handmade; Oddments

Hello, a post here re. my jumper.

The textures - OH the textures, you can create by pulling out all the tiny balls of wool from the ends of other creations.

Some thought should be used to find complementry colours, but the more different the yarn - the BETTER!

I love the fluffy white line in the middle...

Beth Sprouts Handmade; pah to buttons

I was also working on these trousers on the weekend. I have developed a pattern which I can pretty much turn into any style of trouser/shorts etc. just by tweaking the shape/length. And because I have developed it around my own shape it seems to be pretty flattering every time. On my posts it has been the foundation for the curved shorts, the blue houndstooth trousers, the jumpsuit, and now these.

I always try to, when making shirts, make them as low maintenance as I possibly can. So blouse collars, abscence of cuffs, and in this instance it is taken from a man's shirt style so I havn't needed any buttons. I think this gives it a nice minimal look (and minimal effort, yes!)

I love wide leg trousers, again because of ease of wear, so comfortable to get into them after days of leg restriction in skinny's. I have loved the ankle swingers popping up on quite a few of the A/W shows. To be done soon I think!

I actually have strangely un-smelly feet. I suggest buying lots of shoes to combat odours!

Beth Sprouts Handmade; skjorta

First swedish lesson. Skjorta = shirt. (Pro. a bit like who-worta) (ish).
Anyway, this is another shirt, I was going for 'square' as the pattern.
It was a key player in my summer wardrobe.

Beth Sprouts Home-makes; pallet sofa

I think this is my largest usable creation to date. Having seen a pallet bed in a design magazine years and years ago, of a suitably stylish laydee, where her manolo's were displayed between the dusty wooden spaces beneath, I was pleased to trip over one on some blog somewhere maybe two years ago. I have been waiting for the space and the pallet ever since.

Found it. Outside someone's renovation-in-motion house. And gave boyfriend a purple bruise on his drunken hip carrying it home in the dark on his bike. See below.

Here is my hunk-a-junk. I sawed off the end planky bit and then cut out the corner and attached it, well see below. (Hanging around in the distance is our Tomte and 'gnome henge'/'brick henge')

So. Held in place with metal bits with screws in.

We visited the Bristol Wood Recycling Centre yesterday and bought another pallet fo £3, and some planks as I had decided on a design for the back rest involving nothing more difficult than slotting them down the back - genius. Undecided as to whether they will be chopped back a bit.

Then spent 3 solid hours sanding off the gnarly edges - upper body stength is lacking so chance of splinter=high.

In the lounge.

Purchased some garden cushions from ikea. To be covered, but the weather is too nice to do any vehicle based outings.

Ahah! Almost!

Result - comfort undelivered by previous 'iwasastudentandhadtobuyikeascheapestsofa' sofa.