Look What I Got - More Liberty of London Fabrics to Play With!

Photo courtesy of Rhapsody and Thread

There was absolutely no need for us to go back to Calico and Ivy today - because we already have some Liberty of London fabrics to play with and we've got more on the way from the UK - but we couldn't help ourselves! We've got so many project ideas and we're so excited about the gorgeous Liberty prints that we've seen online that we made the hour trip to Mosman Park in the pouring rain just to look at more! And then we spent another couple of hours (i'm not exaggerating :o) pulling out almost every Liberty fabric roll we could get our hands on to look at the prints and colours. I doubt the staff were very impressed with us...

As you can see from our picks, I was drawn to the florals and paisley's, and colours like pink, grey, and yellow. And mum loves big prints in bold colours. Dilemma. As much as we love the thought of making something out of every design we love, it just wouldn't work. There are so many different patterns and colour combinations... it's a little overwhelming. So we decided to just grab 2 each again and not get too ahead of ourselves.

The first choice was Liberty Tana Lawn - Judy Rose. I absolutely LOVE the combination of pink and yellow with grey and black. And the flower drawings and dot patterns give it a contemporary but sweet look that would work beautifully on a clutch purse or handbag.

Photo courtesy of Rhapsody and Thread

Photo courtesy of Rhapsody and Thread

My second choice was the Liberty Tana Lawn - Felix Raison. This print is really unique I think. Up close it reminds me of Native American Indian handicraft, but when you spread the fabric out the image transforms into feathers and ferns... one section even looks like a mardi gras head-piece! I love it, and again there are hints of my favourite colour at the moment - mustard!

Photo courtesy of Rhapsody and Thread

Photo courtesy of Rhapsody and Thread

The third choice was a design that mum and I both love, the Liberty Tana Lawn - Meandering Chrysanthemums. It comes in green, red, or blue backgrounds, and I'm sure we'll end up with all 3 at some point but we grabbed the green one yesterday to see how it translates into a handbag. Mum thinks the larger prints will suit the bags better and I trust her instincts as she's been making them for ages, so I'm excited to see how this print works.

Photo courtesy of Rhapsody and Thread

Photo courtesy of Rhapsody and Thread

And the last choice was Liberty Tana Lawn - Bourton. This is a bright paisley in colours that remind me of Spain. I'm not sure what mums plan is for this one but I'll show you when it's done!

Photo courtesy of Rhapsody and Thread

OH, and there was another stop we made - the Corner Store in Claremont. What a funky place!! We felt like we'd fallen down the rabbit hole with Alice! They sell all sorts of things from kitchenware to bed linen, toys, books, and beauty products. We just loved it, especially their little Liberty of London section. I snatched this Liberty Book of Home Sewing up as soon as I saw it and we ooh'd and aah'd over the pillows and lampshades and little notebooks. Love it.

Photo courtesy of Rhapsody and Thread

It was a great day, despite the miserable weather.

Can't wait to get started!!!!!!!

Look What I Got - Liberty of London Fabrics Discovered

On a fabric hunt last weekend, Mum and I visited Calico and Ivy in Mosman Park. It's on Glyde Street... a deceptively boring-looking street off Stirling Highway that actually has a gorgeous little strip of boutique shops and restaurants. We saw the window display for Calico and Ivy and practically skipped across the road. It was like walking into Willy Wonka Land for the creative heart. At first, you're bombarded with the most incredible range of coloured wools. My fingers were itching and I was already planning crochet projects in my head but I forgot them all when I saw the fabric section downstairs. It was a bit of a challenge logistically because I had my baby girl in her 3 wheeler (Her name is Isla and she is a shopaholic :o). I think I heard the typical sigh that accompanies the sight of a pram and/or baby, but she was as mesmerised as us and giggled as we piled her pram up with our favourite prints.

Unfortunately we had to behave ourselves (so said our purses) as the Liberty of London fabrics are quite expensive. But the unique designs and fine, almost silky quality of the fabric easily explained the prices. So with frowns and much procrastinating, we chose 2 prints each of the Liberty Tana Lawn and a gorgeous soft linen that had the look of old driftwood.

My first choice was Liberty Tana Lawn - Kalinich:

Photo courtesy of Rhapsody and Thread

Photo courtesy of Rhapsody and Thread

 And my second choice was Liberty Tana Lawn - Mistral:

Photo courtesy of Rhapsody and Thread

Photo courtesy of Rhapsody and Thread

Mums first choice was Liberty Tana Lawn - Mrs Robinson:

Photo courtesy of Rhapsody and Thread

Photo courtesy of Rhapsody and Thread

Photo courtesy of Rhapsody and Thread

And her second choice was Liberty Tana Lawn - Kate Ada:

Photo courtesy of Rhapsody and Thread

Photo courtesy of Rhapsody and Thread

This is the beginning of Rhapsody and Thread.

Mum and I have dreamt of this day for a long time, but neither of us felt the time was right until we found the uniquely beautiful designs and sophisticated quality of Liberty fabrics. Matched with our favourite linen, we plan to hand-craft a range of bags and accessories. There are so many different designs that we want to use, I doubt any piece will be the same. We're so excited to get started.