Monthly Archives: May 2010

Recycled fabric door hanger

Rumpus’ room is small, and he’s a terrible collector of small bits and bobs – so we end up with piles of “stuff” all around his room because there’s simply nowhere to put any more storage.

It struck me some time ago that a door hanger would do the trick – give him somewhere to stash his treasures without me going demented when I tried to clean his floor … but of course time has *always* been my enemy.

So, this weekend, I resolved that I was going to get the job done.

The whole thing is constructed from strips of his old trousers (I think I used 4 pairs in all for a piece 50cm wide x 100 cm long), and incorporates not only the fabric from the legs, but also the pockets and other details as far as possible.

I’d got stored some of his favourite t-shirts, now outgrown, a plaid flannel lumberjack shirt I’d loved him in when he was teensy, and a little white-and-silver waistcoat he’d worn when he was a pageboy at my sisters’ wedding (aged 18m!!), so I used those to make larger pockets – interfacing the t-shirts first, of course – and then double-stitching them onto the joined-together strips of trouser fabric.

I backed the whole thing onto a rather nasty piece of faded 80′s fabric my mum gave me … I wouldn’t use it for anything else, but it worked perfectly with the colours … and quilted it on (using the machine for speed, shame on me) just to strengthen the whole piece.

Four loops at the top hold the whole thing onto a set of hooks (IKEA Gruntal over-door hanger) … and there we have it.

Rumpus is thrilled with it – he loses out rather in the making stakes to the girls, so it was nice to do something specifically for him (even though I can see the shortcuts & mistakes I made as a result of going for speed over quality ;) ). Still, I think it’s pretty cool, and I hope he doesn’t grow out of it too soon.

He has named it his “Door-drobe” – because it’s like a wardrobe, but for a door … and has already stuffed the pockets with all sorts of special *stuff* … I’m not enquiring too closely, I’ve just laid down a rule that nothing that’s either alive or wet should be stored in it.

Summer 2010 Accessories – Blush

One of this year’s colour themes, “blush”, gives a chic twist to ‘pretty’, with underwear becoming outerwear, glamourous and sensual. Chiffon, lace, satin ribbon, pearls, crystals, mother-of-pearl and feathers in soft natural tones of pink, rosewood, skin, cloud and cyclamen are strong features in this look, so I’ve added to my range of accessories to work with that look:

Old-fashioned charm, invoking nostalgic images of tea-dances and village garden parties, using soft creams and whites with subtle hints of colour, worked in vintage lace, broderie anglaise and scraps of ribbon – these clips work equally well in a formal setting or for a hint of glamour in everyday use.

Still staying with the theme, but moving into the warmer golds and caramels of the season …

Flowers and butterflies, from soft and subtle golden ribbon roses to bold caramel alice bands and delicious honey-gold carnation ruffles, these accessories give a chic twist to any outfit … and they don’t need a special occasion to be enjoyed.