My Stitched Self (3)

I thought that dressing tiny Stitched Self was going to be plain sailing. I was wrong! I couldn't make up my mind what she should be wearing. It was the same frustrating dilemma I have most mornings in front of the wardrobe, but on a miniature scale.

I had an idea to make her a tiny patterned silk tunic top, and team it with a diminutive denim skirt, but I couldn't find the right fabric. I thought it would be cool to cut her top from a vintage silk scarf, but visits to all my local charity shops came up with nothing suitable and I didn't want to cut one of my own up. Buying new fabric to make clothes with just felt like cheating, as it occurred to me that I wouldn't actually own the same top (or anything in that fabric) in real life, so it just didn't seem appropriate. It all became rather obsessional!

But then I had a brain wave - how about I make a copy of one of my own dresses, and make the fabric for it too? So that's what I did. I photographed my trusty and much worn purple toadstool dress, worked on the shot in Photoshop, then printed the image onto a sheet of printer cotton. When the fabric was dry, I cut the pieces for the tiny dress, setting in the sleeves was very fiddly work. I finished by edging the neckline in lavender coloured ribbon and, finally, Stitched Self has some clothes!

The idea for the knitted Uggs came way before the dress as I had some bits of an old brown sweater lying on my desk from another project. I only wear my knitted Uggs indoors (I just never understood the idea of woolly footwear outdoors where it's invariably wet!) Stitched Self, however, will be heading off to London in hers very soon!

Does she look like me?

Stitched Self is not too sure...

Millicent Chop's Raspberry Vanilla Cupcakes

This is Millicent Chop.

She likes vanilla cupcakes and raspberry jam. She's been ever so careful not to get any crumbs or sticky jam dabs on her dress because very soon she is going to live with Jeremy Sock (formerly Bill, The School Sock Elephant). She is rather looking forward to this and if she had a little suitcase I imagine it would already be packed and by the door - pink tutu, angora cardigan, and very, very soft and tiny cashmere socks.

Poor Millicent waited ages for me to finish her, but quite by chance, as well as finishing Millicent today, I have made some cupcakes that combine her favourite foods. She is absolutely delighted with them as you can see.

Millicent Chop's Raspberry Vanilla Cupcakes

(Makes about 8 substantial cupcakes or 12 smaller ones)

You will need:

100g soft butter

100g caster sugar

2 beaten eggs

1 tsp vanilla essence

100g self raising flour

25g ground almonds

1 tsp baking powder

a couple of handfuls of ripe raspberries, lightly squished.

To decorate:

50g very soft butter

100g icing sugar

2 tsp milk

a tiny drop of red food colouring

8 nice fat raspberries

What to do:

1. Line a cupcake tray with 8 large cupcake cases and preheat the oven to 170 degrees.

2. Beat the sugar and the butter together until smooth and creamy. Combine the eggs and vanilla essence then add to the butter mixture a little at a time, beating well. Fold in the flour, baking powder and ground almonds, and then the squished raspberries, distributing evenly.

3. Fill the cupcake cases to two thirds full, then bake in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes until risen, golden brown and springy to touch. Stand the cakes on a wire rack, and when cool combine the butter, icing sugar and red colouring* to make a frosting. Spread all over the cakes, and top each one with a raspberry. Delicious!

*tip: use a cocktail stick to add just the tiniest trace of colouring to make a very pale pink. Then beat, repeat, until desired tone is achieved. A little goes a very long way.

Millicent was inspired by a project in 'Sock and Glove' by Miyako Kanamori

New Year and the Bjork swan dress

I've always wanted to have at go at making this dress, and so, as soon as I got an invitation to a pop star themed New Year's party, it was clear who I should go as!

When Bjork wore her infamous swan dress at the Oscar ceremony back in 2001, the critics fell into two camps, either loving it or hating it. Either way it caused a stir and was a unique and iconic fashion statement. 

I didn't have that long to make the dress because I knew I was going to busy with Christmas, so I admit I cheated a little by buying a pre-made tutu from Ebay. I found one that had a drop waist, the ruffles starting from hips rather than the waist and therefore a little more flattering. I did make some modifications however, taking the whole thing off it's elastic waist and adding some darts to make it fit better also opening up the back seam to make it into a kind of wrap skirt which ties at the back with ribbons. 

Making the swan neck was the fun part. It was basically a shaped tube made from white jersey fabric, rounded at one end for the head, and wider at the other where it was going to be joined to the skirt. I stuffed it, then added lots of tulle ruffles, some fluffy marabou feathers on the inner neck, and made a beak from orange felt and a black fabric scrap. A couple of black buttons made beady swan eyes, and then it was ready to be sewn to the skirt. A few more tulle ruffles masked the join, and it was finished!

Caution: Swans like champagne - I'm sure that glass was full...