charmeuse

I’ve had a lot of people say that they would love to use “printed linings” more often if they could only find them. Wouldn’t we all? Printed linings can be really really fun. Surprisingly, I’ve found some pretty high grade polyester charmeuses at Joann that would do the job of a lining quite well. No they aren’t as fabulous as actual silk, but especially in a jacket, polyesters can do really well. So keep your eyes open for polyester silky prints at your local fabric store and expect to be surprised at how much nicer they are in comparison to the actual “lining” fabrics you find there.

from left to right, knit lining and two stretch woven linings

What about linings for stretch fabrics? Stretch lining can be practically impossible to find. Seriously. We carry a few a Yellow Bird Fabrics and I always tell customers about them because of their rarity. When looking at a stretch lining, there are woven stretch linings and knit linings. I have a great resource for both below. Be aware that these linings are rarely, if ever, all natural fibers. But that’s OK! Stretch woven lining should have lycra (or spandex, same thing) and you can use it with stretch wovens or knits. If you need more stretch, go with a knit lining. These are like swimsuit linings – the kind that are slick and fairly opaque. If you are wanting more of a luxury stretch lining, opt for stretch silk charmeuse. Yes, stretch silk charmeuse! It’s got a little bit of lycra in it and makes a wonderful stretch lining for say something like a ponte knit jacket.

rayon crepe back satins

Last, but not least, coat and outerwear linings. There are a few options for lining a coat. You’ll want something substantial. For the money, I like rayon crepe back satin. This is a heavier weight than say, a bemberg rayon lining and you can also find linings that have flannel backings which are very nice. If you’re looking to line something really special you can opt for silk crepe back satin which is a heavier, more substantial version of silk charmeuse. It still retains a slick surface in addition to being drapey too.

Now for the moment you’ve all been waiting for! Yay! Here are my online sources for finding these great lining fabrics:

luxury lining

Let me acquaint you with my favorite luxury lining – silk charmeuse. Yes, you can use silk charmeuse as a lining. I find it very interesting that people get so turned off by this idea or that they laugh in my face because yes, the price is a little astronomical, but I’m telling you, you have not lived until you have a garment that is lined is silk charmeuse. There is a very valid reason that couturiers use this fabric as a lining. Now don’t get me wrong. I’m not saying that you should line everything in silk charmeuse, but when the lining really counts, silk charmeuse is the ticket. Plus you can get printed silk charmeuse for extra special garments. And it is worth every. single. cent.

silk crepe de chine, printed & solid

iny park

This is a follow-up post to this post and again, if you don’t have Easy Guide to Sewing Linings by Connie Long, you need it and you should buy the e-book right now! Today, I wanted to share my online resources plus a few tips on what kinds of fabrics can work as a lining. Sometimes ideas from others make a big difference in how we view the usefulness of a fabric. So here goes.

bemberg rayon lining

First let’s talk lining fabrics and what kinds of fabrics work as linings that aren’t labeled “linings.” So there are the typical “lining” fabrics that you can find at a fabric store. They are usually labeled “linings” or a sales associate will most likely point you in that direction when you say you’re looking for a lining. You probably already know what I’m talking about too. Usually the “lining” fabrics are all solid colors, many are polyester or acetate and they all have that “slippery” quality. But let’s say you’re pretty much tired of these low-grade low-quality, unbreathable crummy linings and you’ve decided to expand your search for something else. What do you do? Well, there is a great lining that is called bemberg rayon lining or ambiance. It comes in a variety of solid colors, its breathable, it high quality and lasts and feels wonderful against your skin. I use bemberg for most of my lined garments. I have easy access to this fabric and quite frankly its the lowest cost/highest quality lining “lining” fabric out there. But wait, there’s more!

wednesday morning

Wednesday morning I was helping Miss S dress when I noticed the first few spots appear - the un-mistakable spots of Chickenpox.  All this week I had been working toward making a medium-sized wedding cake for a special tea party to celebrate the Royal Wedding, so I had the sudden realisation that neither her nor I would be able to attend the party.

No matter though, I finished the cake and dropped it off this morning and  before I left, I shot some pictures of the fantastic decorations my friend Emma had put up...

Union Jack bunting.

Don't you just love that Royal Wedding playmobil?

I made a couple of little rose arrangements to echo the cake topper.

Meanwhile, back home at Chickenpox central, Miss S and I were having the most lovely day.  About an hour and a half before the ceremony, while we were watching the guests arrive, we laid out all the feathery, flowery, ribbony and sparkly things we could find and made ourselves some fascinators.

Totally her design... I actually liked her one better than my own!

Despite our plans changing for the day, I have to say that I had the most amazing day.  I was four (same age as Miss S is now) when Charles and Diana got married and I can remember staying up to watch that on the TV with my family.  I hope that today I helped to make some great memories for Miss S that she will treasure always.

Well, it's minutes to the all-important balcony appearance and kiss, so I will sign off and plonk myself back in front of the TV so I don't miss it.

I hope you enjoyed the ceremony - if you did something special to celebrate, let me know in a comment below.

wedding pin

I received an email from a reader last week who has been asked to make some Pohutukawa themed cupcakes for her friend's wedding.  She found a picture of the toppers I made last year for Master J's Kiwi Party, and wondered could I do a little how-to?

The Pohutukawa flower was one of three "Kiwiana" themed cupcakes I made for my son's 2nd birthday.

You may be asking, what is a Pohutukawa flower?  Well, it's the flower of thePohutukawa tree, a native of New Zealand and it does this very special thing where it flowers right on Christmas.  

They are a coastline-hugging tree so in addition to being New Zealand's Own Christmas Tree, they are associated with many a happy summer memory, especially for me!

So, before I get too homesick, here is the tutorial for Donna, and for the several others who have asked.  Sorry it's taken so long!

So, to make a Pohutukawa Flower cupcake topper, you will need:

* A small amount of red fondant (or red gumpaste, if you want the topper to dry really hard)
* A small amount of sage green fondant (or gumpaste)
* A circle scone/ cookie cutter or object to cut around (mine was 7cm wide)
* Sharp knife
* Icing sugar (confectioner's sugar) for dusting your work surface
* Rolling pin

darker green

To make the nests:

Melt the chocolate in a saucepan over a medium/low heat.  When it's melted, add the cornflakes.  Mix well - don't worry about breaking up the cornflakes a bit - the nests will be easier to make if the cornflakes are slightly broken up.

Spoon the mixture into cupcake cases in a muffin tin and with the back of a teaspoon, drag the mixture up the sides of the cases to form a nest.  Refrigerate until needed.

Decorating the cupcakes:

Divide the buttercream between two bowls and mix up two different shades of green (you may just want to use one shade of green which is fine).  Attach your leaf tip.  Pipe leaves in the first green shade all around the top of the cupcake.

hbd jasmina

I made leaves by piping green royal icing using a leaf tip onto parchment paper and letting them dry hard.  They stuck to the ganache easily.  You could also make the leaves out of fondant.

I had a punnet of red currants quite by accident as when my groceries arrived from my online shop, I had bought them thinking they were cherries.  A happy accident, indeed!  You could also use coconut thread dyed with a little green food colouring, for "grass" or pipe grass or leaves directly onto the cake with royal icing or buttercream.

You could also poke these into a loaf of brown bread, or a piece of foam covered in clingfilm (you don't want the marsh mallows to touch foam if you can avoid it).  As an alternative to chocolate cake, you could use brownie.  They would also look good just lying on a plate if you don't have the time or inclination to do anything else.

I finished my marshrooms off with a spray of edible shellac, to give them some shine, but that is totally optional, as not many of us have that lying around!