Kittenish Behaviour

Kittenish Behaviour Sewing Retreat At Lisle Combe and Swifts & Swallows May 2019

2018-11-27T17:28:00.001+00:00

Kittenish Behaviour Sewing Retreat

Lisle Combe and Swifts & Swallows St Lawrence,

Isle of Wight

9th, 10th & 11th May 2019

Peeps! It brings me great pleasure to announce the first KB Sewing Retreat (of hopefully, many)! I have teamed up with the lovely Ruth from Lisle Combe to bring you a spectacular weekend filled with lots of sewing, yummy food and Isle of Wight goodness! Here’s what you can expect….

The Make

Our sewing adventure will be bag making! The pattern will be confirmed in March 2019 and I will be sending out fabric, interfacing and hardware requirements. I will be offering hardware and interfacing kits to purchase if you only wish to worry about picking your fabrics!

Itinerary

Arrivals from 3.30pm at Lisle Combe.

You’ll be met with welcoming beverages and yummy homemade cake.

You’ll be introduced to your accommodation, which will be your home for the next couple of days.

6.30pm : Everybody

Everyone to meet at Lisle Combe for carriages (fancy way of saying Taxis) that will whisk us away to The Spyglass for dinner whilst overlooking the sea.

10.30pm : Everybody

Carriages return to Lisle Combe and Swifts & Swallows.

Friday 10th May 2019

8.30am : Breakfast

For those staying at Lisle Combe this will be served in the dining room.

For those staying in Swifts & Swallows a self catering breakfast will be provided for you to help yourselves.

9.30am : Sewing Class Peeps

For those taking the sewing class we will meet in the lounge/sewing room to start on our sewing adventure.

10am : Island Tour Peeps

For the Non-Sewing Peeps that have braved the trip to the Island you will be whisked away in another of those fancy carriages to enjoy a tour of the Island. There will be plenty of refreshment stops between the beautiful sights the Island has to offer plus there will be a lovely lunch included. You will be back at Lisle Combe for 4.30pm.

11am : Sewing Peeps

We’ll have a break at this point for some tea and biscuits…..it’s been a long morning!

1pm : Sewing Peeps

Time for lunch! Finger sandwiches and cream teas all round.

3pm : Sewing Peeps

We all deserve a well earned break right about now for some more tea and biscuits

4.30pm : Sewing Peeps

Your Non-Sewing Peeps will be arriving back at base around about now so it’ll be a fab time to break for the day, giving you time to relax and prepare for the evening….

6.30pm : Everybody

We’ll all gather in the grand hall for pre Gala Dinner Drinks with time to admire everyones outfits. Feel free to dress up as much or as little as you like.

7pm : Everybody

Dinner is served.

10.30pm : Everbody

Probably about time to start thinking of your beds as you have another busy day ahead of you tomorrow!

Saturday 11th May 2019

8.30am : Breakfast

For those staying at Lisle Combe this will be served in the dining room.

For those staying in Swifts & Swallows a self catering breakfast will be provided for you to help yourselves.

9.30am : Sewing Class Peeps

For those taking the sewing class we will meet back in the lounge/sewing room to continue our sewing adventure.

10am : Island Tour Peeps

For the Non-Sewing Peeps that have braved the trip to the Island, you will have the pleasure of being shown around St Lawrence, the Island’s best kept small village (2016 & 2018….we don’t talk about 2017) by the Kew Gardens trained horticulturist David Trevan. He’ll show you around our beautiful village and make sure you all work up an appetite for your lunch at the Buddle Inn, Niton (please note that this is a walk of 4 miles) … You will be back at Lisle Combe for 4.30pm.

11am : Sewing Peeps

Again, we’ll break at this point for some tea and biscuits…it’s been another long morning

1pm : Sewing Peeps

Time for lunch! Finger sandwiches and cream teas all round.

3pm : Sewing Peeps

We all deserve a well earned break right about now for more tea and biscuits.

4.30pm : Sewing Peeps

The Non-Sewing Peeps that have braved the trip to the Island will be arriving back at base around about now so it’ll be a fab time to finish. They’ll want to admire your handiwork and you’ll also need to get ready….

6.30pm : Everybody

We will all gather in the lounge for Pizza and Pyjama night! Be sure to wear your fanciest or wackiest pyjamas as we settle in to the lounge to watch a fabulously cheesy movie (there may be singing involved….you have been warned!) If the internet allows I’ll be live streaming the event so that the Peeps around the world can join in.

10pm : Everybody

I’ll definitely be thinking of my bed right about now, it’s been a long and busy weekend!

Sunday 12th May 2019

8.30am : The Final Breakfast

For those staying at Lisle Combe this will be served in the dining room.

For those staying in Swifts & Swallows a self catering breakfast will be provided for you to help yourselves.

10.30am : Everybody

Check out and say our goodbyes.

INFORMATION

The prices listed below include ALL of the food and entertainment as outlined above.

Alcoholic drinks are NOT included but will be available. Lisle Combe operates a cash bar only.

Discounted Ferry tickets are available through Lisle Combe.

Travel between the Ferry terminals and Lisle Combe is NOT included in the prices.

If you would like to be picked up from any of the foot passenger terminals on the Island (West Cowes, Ryde Pier Head or Yarmouth) please let me know and I will arrange a taxi on your behalf.

SEWING MACHINES

I will be able to hire sewing machines for those unable to bring their own. Please let me know when you book if you are bringing your own or if you would like to hire one. There will be a small extra charge for machine hire.

PRICES

Sewing Peep : Lisle Combe Shared Occupancy of Double or Twin Room

£620 per person SOLD OUT

Non-Sewing Peep Island Tour : Lisle Combe Shared Occupancy of Double or Twin Room

£520 per person SOLD OUT

Sewing Peep : Swifts & Swallows Shared Occupancy of Double or Twin Room

£550 per person SOLD OUT

Sewing Peep : Lisle Combe Single Occupancy of Double Room

£850 per person SOLD OUT

Sewing Peep : Swifts & Swallows Single Occupancy of Double Room

£700 per person SOLD OUT

Examples:

LISLE COMBE ACCOMODATION

1 Sewing Peep and 1 Non-Sewing Peep sharing a double or twin room in Lisle Combe will cost £1140 for BOTH Peeps

Sewing Peep £620 + Non-Sewing Peep £520 = £1140

2 Sewing Peeps sharing a twin room in Lisle Combe will cost £1240 for BOTH Peeps

Sewing Peep £620 x 2 = £1240

1 Sewing Peep staying in Lisle Combe will cost £850 for single occupancy of a double room.

SWIFTS & SWALLOWS

1 Sewing Peep and 1 Non-Sewing Peep sharing a double or twin room in Swifts & Swallows will cost £1000

Sewing Peep £550 + Non-Sewing Peep £450 = £1000

2 Sewing Peeps sharing a twin room in Swifts and Swallows will cost £1100

Sewing Peep £550 x 2 = £1100

1 Sewing Peep staying in Swifts and Swallows will cost £700 for single occupancy of a double room.

There is 1 Twin and 2 Double Rooms available at Lisle Combe.

There are 2 Double Rooms and 4 Twin Rooms available in Swifts & Swallows.

There are 12 Sewing Peep places available and there are an additional 7 places available for the Non-Sewing Peeps Island Tour. These will be allocated on a strictly first come first served basis. I will be running a wait list in the event that anybody cancels. This sewing retreat is fully booked, if you are interested in the retreat and would like to add your name to the wait list please email me at sian@kittenishbehaviour.com with your name and the type of room you would potentially like.

Please note that there is only enough room for 10 Sewing Peeps to have SINGLE occupancy between Lisle Combe and Swifts & Swallows, sharing is advised.

PAYMENTS

I appreciate that this is an expensive time of year so the initial deposit to hold your spot will be £50 per person.

The remainder of the deposit will be £150 per person due on the 1st February 2019.

The final balance will be due 28th March 2019.

PAYMENT SCHEDULE

Holding Deposit £50 per person due immediately, NON REFUNDABLE.

Remainder of Deposit £150 per person due 1st February 2019.

Full Balance of Retreat due 28th March 2019.

PAYMENT METHODS

All payments will be taken through PayPal. You can still use this service if you don’t have a Paypal account the website talks you through the process.

If you would like to make payments towards your retreat in-between the deposit being paid and the balance due date you can do so by buying gift vouchers through my website and these will be deducted from your final balance. Make sure that you add your name and “Sewing Retreat” to the voucher when you purchase it.

REFUNDS

If the balance has not been paid by the 29th March 2019 I’ll send you an email to confirm that you still wish to take part in the retreat. If I don’t hear back from you your £150 deposit will be refunded and the first person on the wait list will be approached.

If for any reason you can’t make the retreat and need to cancel after the 28th March 2019 there will be no refund but your ticket will be transferable by your own arrangement.

If you are sharing a room you will need written consent from your room buddy that they are happy to share with whomsoever takes over your spot. All monies will be dealt with between yourselves.

THE NOT SO SMALL PRINT

As I have mentioned places will be allocated on a first come first served basis.

Please buy your non refundable £50 holding deposit through my shop HERE and message me with the following:

The type of room you would like.
If you have someone in particular that you would wish to share with please let me know.
If you will be bringing your own sewing machine.
Any food allergies or preferences.

Once we have the rooms allocated I will message all the Peeps with the name and email address of their room buddy so you can get to know each other (if you don’t already) before you arrive!

If you have any questions please let me know, my email address is info@kittenishbheaviour.com

ABOUT LISLE COMBE

Lisle Combe is a family run Bed and Breakfast, owned and managed by husband and wife, Robert and Ruth Noyes. It is situated on the southern side of the Isle of Wight, in a picturesque haven, with uninterrupted views over the English Channel.

The peacefulness of the surroundings create an atmosphere which can inspire all of us. Essentially a retreat from the hustle and bustle of working life, Lisle Combe is the ideal place to stay. We cater for couples, families, solo travellers and groups. Come and reconnect, and recharge, surrounded by stunning scenery, as well as all the local wildlife, including the island's famous red squirrels. There is easy access to charming coastal walks, rocky chines and coves where in days gone past smugglers, and maybe even pirates, where known to frequent.

As a family run business, we at Lisle Combe understand the importance of an enjoyable and stress free break, it's what we do. We will do our very best to make your stay the very best experience it can be.

ABOUT SWIFTS & SWALLOWS

Bank End Farm, the farm by the sea, is located in St. Lawrence, Ventnor. It is beautifully hidden away on the south coast of the Isle of Wight, in a truly idyllic location, one of Britain's most famous Victorian health resorts due to its unique micro-climate.

SWIFTS

Swifts has wonderful sea views across the fields. The nearest cove is just a 5 - 10 minute walk through the farm. It has been furnished with great care and provides attractive and comfortable accommodation which is all on one level. There is off road parking for up to 2 cars.

Swallows

Swallows has wonderful sea views across the fields. The nearest cove is just a 5 - 10 minute walk through the farm. It has been furnished with great care and provide attractive and comfortable accommodation which is all on one level. There is off road parking for up to 2 cars.

The walk from Swifts & Swallows (New Bank End Farm) to Lisle Combe is a short one! On dry days it can be accomplished through the property gardens and on not so dry days the road is advised! There is parking at Lisle Combe so car pooling around the corner on a rainy day would be recommended!

Friday I'm In Love - The Tatty Quilt

2016-06-10T22:27:00.001+01:00

Hey Peeps!

It's finished....it's finally FINISHED! I'm talking about Tatty's quilt which is her 40th birthday present...her birthday is the 2nd February....this year....so I'm only five months late! This is the third quilt I've made and the second one I've finished....I'm currently averaging one a year....I'm happy with that. It's the Rings That Bind pattern by Phillips Fibre Art and I love it. A Double Wedding Ring with only one template? Yes please.

I've had the idea for this quilt circulating in my brain for a really long time now and the only reason I hadn't started before January this year (yes THIS YEAR in time for a 2nd of February deadline......much planning....so organise......WOW) is because I couldn't find fabrics that I loved which also fitted with Tatty's aesthetic. I like either 50's florals or really modern florals whereas Tatty has a thing for 70's florals.

Finally it occurred to me that as I was planning on adding a TON of floral embroidery the background fabrics could be plain!

These are Kona cotton solids in Dusty Blue, Thistle and Sea-foam which is the palette Tatty requested. I added in a batik fabric from Thousands of Bolts and Only One Nut to give a little bit of interest and just because I thought it was pretty.

I've made this pattern before (as a birthday present for another favourite) so I knew (sort of) what I was doing. I decided on solid arcs this time around to really show off the decorative stitching and embroidery I wanted to add....

......which is the Bouquet of Floral Filigree from Embroidery Library. I had forty different designs to choose from but given the colour scheme I was given I tried to pick all the whites, pinks, purples and blues available with a little bit of yellow thrown in every now and then.

The embroidery was definitely the most time consuming part of the process but also the most fun! I find the whole embroidery process fascinating....which is a good thing as some of these designs take nearly two hours to stitch out.

As ever Chiana was diligent in her fabric fluffing duties...which I only allow her to indulge in when it's a present for someone who thinks the addition of grey fluff will add to the beauty of the finished object.

Once all twenty five blocks were embroidered I then had to add the outer arcs which give the quilt it's traditional scalloped edged. I also trialled some quilting options out and this was the winner...

...I love the overall looks this gives the quilt even if it was a bugger to actually do......there are one hundred and twenty arcs on this thing!

After getting all the outer arcs added and quilted I then had to decide on the final layout...

....this was like a giant jigsaw and took the entire front room floor and lots of head scratching but we finally got there. Once the layout was decided it was just a case of sewing the blocks together, quilting the arcs and repeat.....

....one hundred and twenty times!

I decided to film each stage of this quilt so I could create a "Making Of...." video for my YouTube channel which will be up in the next couple of days.

I've only got about eighty two time lapse clips to edit together......everything about this project turned out to be mammoth!

Out of curiosity I also decided to time every process inlvoved so I could accurately answer the "How long did that take?" and the "How much would you charge for something like that?". Now I know....

7492 minutes, which is ...
125 hours, which is ...
5.2 days!!!
Meaning the cost is approximately £2000 (I charge £15/hour plus materials)

......WOW! I was so delusional when I started this project midway through January thinking I'd have it ready for Tattys' birthday two weeks later! Now obviously this is a gift and not for sale but I did work on this at the shop and was frequently asked how much I'd be willing to sell it for......people mostly went green and slunk off as quickly as possible when I told them the current running total! I can completely understand that though.

Quilts are beautiful works of art that are super labour intensive which is why they are (mostly) made as gifts for loved ones. I enjoyed ~~every~~ nearly every minute of this quilt and I can not wait for Tatty to see it in person.

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Friday I'm In Love - Baggy Trousers

2016-05-27T22:09:00.000+01:00

Hey Peeps!

How are you all this week? I've had another fun week....lot's of sewing, lot's of new commissions and this weekend I have (part of) the family visiting which is awesome. There is lots happening at the shop over this weekend; live demonstrations of jewellery making, painting, paper crafting, wax art and more! So if you find yourself on the Isle that is Wight head on over to Island Artisan and have a look.....

So this week I thought I would share one of my April makes with you.....

.......it's the jumpsuit I fudged together from this vintage pattern...

....and the trousers I copied from a RTW Dorothy Perkins jumpsuit that I've had for years. I've never made a pattern like that before but I thought "how hard could it be!?" and decided to give it a go. Turns out not to hard. It's certainly not perfect by any stretch of the imagination but I'm learning as I go.

Excuse the derpy expression....it was bloody freezing the day I took these pictures!

When I muslined the bodice I had to tweak the fit a bit as the vintage pattern was the correct size for my boobs which meant it was way too big at the waist, that was an easy fix.... I just shaved off the extra inches in the side seams and darts....it worked. I tried the bodice on and it fitted but it wasn't a tight fit...I kinda liked that. It gave me the idea to try something very fluid like this rayon.

I had initially intended to make some kind of full skirt to go along with the drapey bodice but I was also working on my Liberty Carline jumpsuit which gave me the idea to try the trousers with this bodice and a close fitting waistband. I love how it's turned out....the only thing I would change is the length of the bodice. As I was working from the traced copy of the original pattern I didn't notice that I had already added length which is a standard adjustment I have to make to nearly every pattern I get (damn my long torso). Usually I mark the alterations I've made but apparently not this time.....ooops! I'd added enough length that I wouldn't have needed the waistband so the top is now too long but that only really shows in the back. I may go back and remedy this at a later date but I have worn this out and it's super comfy and (I think) very flattering....there will definitely be more iterations of this in my future!

I bought the rayon from an eBay seller Indian Royal Treasure and it's lovely, so soft, very fluid, washes well, very reasonably priced and it's not too much of a bitch to work with! I've got my eye on a few more prints....

1 / 2 / 3 / 4

.....can you tell I have a thing for florals?

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Friday I'm In Love - Cosplay Ambitions

2016-05-20T22:01:00.000+01:00

Hey Peeps!

Happy Friday, how is everyone? I've had another hectic but fun week with more of the same....lots and lots of sewing. The beauty of sewing is that even though the actions are the same the end results are always very very different....... unless of course you are trying to make multiples that is.

This week I thought I'd share something a bit different with you. I am completely obsessed with Once Upon A Time (as any normal person should be), I love the concept, I love the twists they put on the fairy tale characters that you've grown up with and I absolutely ADORE the costumes. Sooooo much sparkly goodness.....*le swoon*. I'm sure it will come as no surprise to anyone that my favourite costumes belong to The Evil Queen (although I do covet Regina's wardrobe nearly as much)....

.......the beautiful Lana Parrila could make anything look good but oh my does Eduardo Castro know what he is doing!

You may know that I class myself as a huge geek and I love going to conventions, I really enjoy the cosplayers and I'm always amazed by the effort and creativity that goes in to some of the costumes they've made.

So far I haven't been brave enough to attempt a cosplay myself but I've been wanting to make something hugely elaborate and over the top for a while. I have plans for a butterfly gown, and I've also been toying with the idea of an armoured peacock costume (I REALLY want to try Worbla and I have plans for a feathered corset.....) but after seeing the OUAT season 5 finale.....

....I'm thinking an Evil Queen gown or riding ensemble could possibly be in my future.....this would please my inner magpie greatly!

I already own the McCall's costume patterns...

.....which will be a great starting point. Now I just have to narrow down which costume of the Evil Queens is my favourite and then start picking fabrics, jewels, feathers, trims.........how will I cope!

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Friday I'm In Love - The Trashy Diva Fan Girl Edition

2016-05-13T21:09:00.001+01:00

Hey Peeps!

How is everyone today? I've had a very busy week and it's only really just starting for me....since opening the shop I've been trying to balance my hours there with the hours at home I need to spend prepping projects so I have something to actually do whilst I'm at the shop. I've mentioned before... with all that balancing I seem to forget to have a day off but this week I remembered and gave myself Wednesday off which was lovely. Mum and I went in to town to do some shopping, have lunch, get poked with needles (that was Mum, not me) and go to the cinema. We saw Captain America: Civil War and I thought it was fab. So many good movies coming up this summer.....I can't wait!

So today I thought I would share some of the newest release from my favourite brand Trashy Diva....

.....first up is the very newest print Ruffled Feathers, oh my it's gorgeous. There are lots of styles to choose from but I particularly love the Lena Sarong which is a style I've not tried yet but I think this might have to be my first! Then there is the beautiful Crimson Clover, another firm favourite of mine. I have the Obi style I've shown here but again there are some lovely styles to pick from.

Next up we have the Deco Daffodils and Victory Florals....

.....and I've picked the Blanche style which is a super flattering wrap dress. Both of these prints are knit fabrics which means you can eat the largest of lunches and still feel comfortable.....always a plus in my book!

As you know I stock Trashy Diva in my shop, the beautiful prints and designs were part of the reason I started the shop in the first place. I always look forward to their new print releases and so far this year has lived up to expectations! Which is your favourite?

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Friday I'm In Love - Pansies Are My Favourite

2016-05-06T22:42:00.000+01:00

Hey Peeps!

How are you all this week? I've had a very busy but rather lovely week. It was my birthday last Sunday (thirty seven how did THAT happen?), Papa and I cooked an amazing roastie beastie which was followed up by very yummy chocolate cake and fizz. Monday and Tuesday were spent filming and editing some YouTube clips which was a total pain and took way longer than it should have but so worth doing. The only reason it was a pain is that I was using Papa's camera which is awesome but I have absolutely no knowledge of it's workings so there was a steep learning curve involved! Wednesday I spent prepping sewing projects to take to the shop, yesterday actual sewing occurred (!) and today I finally started cutting out the fabric for the wearable muslin of the Sewaholic Robson Trench Coat! Phew! Construction of that will start tomorrow I'm hoping but first there are a few little projects that need finishing off.....I can do it!

Today I wanted to share the last of my March completed garments and I think I saved the best till last....

.....it's another KB Grace dress but as I mentioned in my last look book vlog if you have a tried and true pattern that you love then I see nothing wrong with making many MANY versions of said TNT. This iteration is in a stunning pansy print which I've been hoarding for years now waiting for the perfect pattern to come along. First up I was thinking some kind of wrap dress, then I was considering the Butterick "Walk Away Dress" but I didn't really have enough fabric for those so it sat on the shelf mocking me.

After working with a few border prints it occurred to me that I could also cut this fabric on the cross grain giving me a skirt width of at least two and half metres which is approaching the fullness I love. For my summer dresses I prefer the skirts to fall below the knee which means a skirt length of 27" which only left me a 15" width of fabric to cut the bodice out of so it really has to be some kind of strappy bodice and the Grace dress is perfect for that. I ended up with the tiniest scraps left over...not big enough for a bag lining even but there will some of this in the "All The Dresses I've Ever Made" quilt that I'm planning........in the huge list of quilts I want to make......my brain really needs to stop coming up with new project ideas......at least for a little while!

One of the vlogs I uploaded this week is my May Fabric Haul and Sewing Plans and these are some (yes SOME) of the fabrics that will hopefully be turned in to beautiful things....

Dress for Me / Dress for Me / Dress for Mum
Dress for Mum / Romper for Me / Skirt for Mum
Dress for Mum / Cushions for Cousin / Skirt for Sister in Law

.....there are seventy two days in May right? This picture doesn't even included the commissions I'm working on! It'll be fine.....who really needs sleep?

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Friday I'm In Love - The Palazzo Print Anna

2016-04-29T23:13:00.000+01:00

Hey Peeps!

How's your week been? Mine has been busy and a little stressful but fun nevertheless. I've been splitting my week between working at home and sewing at the shop which is working out quite well I do seem to forgot to have a day off though! The only thing I can't really do at the shop is draft patterns and cut out fabric as the long table I have there isn't tall enough to comfortably do those activities but I have some Ikea trestle legs on the way which should solve that minor issue.

So today I have another By Hand London Anna/Kittenish Behaviour hybrid to show you.....

......this time it's the Timeless Treasure Palazzo print quilting cotton that my Mum bought a couple of years ago. If you follow my YouTube channel you'll have seen this in my March Sewn Look Book.

Mum initially bought this for herself but it was very kindly donated to me as it really isn't a colour way she is usually attracted to.....especially as they also make it in this colour way...

....there may be a few yards of this on it's way.....! I don't really have anything new to tell you about the Anna/KB hybrid, this is the fourteenth (I think) that I've made and it still won't be the last. It's easy to make, comfortable to wear and I like the versatility of the different necklines and hemlines.

Now I have more fabric than I could possibly sew up this year but that doesn't stop me browsing my favourite fabric shops for more (MOAR!) to add to my collection. This week I've been drawn to these....

Michael Miller Verity / Sew Over It Honey Bees
Sew Over It Imogen Blue Floral / Sew Over It California

.....the first print is not available anymore (I believe) but I've managed to get hold of a small bolt so there will be some available in the shop soon if you're interested. I have so many dresses that I really ought to make myself some separates......who am I kidding...this will definitely be a dress! Next is a gorgeous cotton lawn with little honey bees, I really like this pink colour way but I'm also eyeing up the olive one too (I must have all the fabric....) I think it would make a gorgeous shirt and I've drafted just the pattern for that! Then we have another cotton lawn this time with a beautiful little floral print, I think this would make an adorable shirt dress with red topstitching and red buttons. Lastly I was really drawn to the beautiful print on this fabric and it turns out it was originally designed for woven swimwear and behaves like a lightweight cotton! I think if I do get my hands on some I will take Sew Over It's advice and make a circle skirt out of it.....but with more fabric in my stash than I can reasonably tackle this year I ought not to buy any of these.....well maybe just ~~one~~ two of them. That'd be ok....right?

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Friday I'm In Love - The Grace Dress

2016-04-22T23:52:00.000+01:00

Hey Peeps!

How on earth is it Friday again? It's been another very busy week which is great. Lot's of things being made and I've completely rearranged the shop! It's first layout didn't really give me enough space to work whilst I was manning the shop so I've moved everything around and squeezed in a long table top which allows me cut out and iron projects. So far it's working very well and I got this dress finished today.....

......it's a UFO that's been floating around for about a year! I love the fabric but I only bought 2.5 metres the first time around. Originally I made a different bodice which I ended up scrapping as I didn't really like it. I knew I wanted the skirt to be 26" long and that only allowed enough fabric left for a strappy bodice like the KB Grace dress. After leaving it hanging forlornly in my wardrobe for a year I finally ordered myself another 2.5 metres of the fabric and got busy.....I LOVE it now. Definitely worth the effort of unpicking and remaking. I think this dress is the 15th iteration of the Grace bodice.....and this is the 16th.....

....I bought this fabric from Goldhawk Road whilst I was up in London in February. It's a cotton with a little bit of stretch and the most gorgeous sheen. I spotted it in the window of one of the shops and I knew I had to get some. My first plan was to make it in to a skirt but whilst I was cutting it out my Mum pointed out how fabulous it would look as a dress....

......I'm so glad she changed my mind. It's a border print so it's cut on the cross grain, because of the stretch I decided to cut out the lining on grain which has worked out really well I think. I used the same skirt design as the Bartowski Regatta dress but this time I used an odd number of pleats which I prefer. I like the fullness of gathered skirts especially when mixed with the slightly flatter look the box pleats give. Theres not much more to say about this pattern....I love it.....I have about ten more that need blogging. I know some people may not be interested in seeing the same pattern repeated multiple times but I love seeing what different fabrics people sew up their TNT patterns in. Is that just me?

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Friday I'm In Love - The New Shop

2016-04-15T22:05:00.000+01:00

Hey Peeps!

I hope you've all had a fabulous week? Mine has been hectic, exhausting and stressful but brilliant! I've been dropping hints about what I've been up to all over social media this week and today was the big reveal.....

.......Kittenish Behaviour in real life shop form! So if you find yourself on the Isle of Wight you can find me at Island Artisan, Holliers Farm, Branstone, PO36 0LT.

A few weeks ago Mum and I went shopping for some salad dressing from the infamous House of Chilli and whilst we were there we had a mooch around the antique shop, the wool shop and also a new feature.....Island Artisan.

Basically it's a poly tunnel which has been given the make over to end all make overs and turned in to a gorgeous space for local artisans (love that word!). There is all sorts of gorgeousness available from amazing shortbread biscuits, fine art paintings, beautiful jewellery, handmade teddy bears and, as of today, gorgeous dresses, fabrics, purses, notebooks, photo albums, cushions and bags made by yours truly!

Ever since I started the Kittenish Behaviour online shop I've been aiming at having a real life "bricks and mortar" location and whilst there may not actually be bricks or mortar (there is a lovely smell of wood though) opening this little space up today has made me immensely proud.

It's been a lot of fun getting the space ready. I started out with this....

.......given the teeny budget we definitely had to get creative. Good old Ikea to the rescue with the Expedit cubes that I've been using as bookcases (poor books are now stored in plastic boxes) ......

.......and yes that is a camping shower tent which has been repurposed as my "Super Glamorous" changing room....

.....for now it works but we (Papa really) are going to build a proper changing room with actual walls and even somewhere to hang your own clothes whilst you try on something new and fabulous.

It's so lovely to see all the different things I love to create displayed together and I'm having lots of fun changing the mannequins in to gorgeous new outfits when I arrive in every morning!

I've also been able to indulge my quirky sense of humour whilst designing my little space...

.....I've always wanted one of these signs and on the island it's quite possible that the "days since last incident" could change anytime now....

.....this photo was taken by Small Girl Type Creature when she visited me last year.....strange pets they have here.

So..... as I said if you find yourself on the Island pop by for a visit.....even if it is only to say "Hello" and grab a sweet!

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Friday I'm In Love - Secret Santa Edition

2016-04-08T23:16:00.000+01:00

Hey Peeps!

Happy Friday. I hope everyone has been having a lovely week? Mine has been super busy but with all things I find fun so that's been awesome. Next week is shaping up to be incredibly hectic but for an amazing reason that I will be sharing next Friday. I'm so excited.

So I have a new dress (I have many MANY new dresses to share but I'm so behind with blogging my makes) to share.......in November the lovely Charlotte from T*rexes and Tiaras set up a Secret Santa swap which I promptly signed up for. I ended up with the most amazing Santa in the form of Vicki (vicki_mostly_sews on Instagram) who sent me this bunch of goodies....

......an oilcloth bag, a weekly planner, a cute pen and nearly five metres of the most beautiful fabric. How lucky am I????? I couldn't leave this gorgeousness sitting in my stash for too long so I decided to go with something I had made before so there would be no fitting required. I ended up picking the By Hand London Flora faux wrap bodice and the Megan Nielsen Cascade skirt which is a combination that really works.....in my opinion. This is the result....

....and I LOVE it! I turned the faux wrap bodice in to a real wrap by just removing the seam allowance and cutting it on the fold. I stabilised the neckline with the selvedge from the waistband fabric which is exactly what I did last time I made this dress. The only change I made to the bodice was to take half an inch out of the shoulder seams as the bodice was just a touch too long before. Initially I was going to line the skirt in red cotton lawn which is what I used to line the bodice but I decided against that and just finished the hem with satin bias binding which I finished off by hand (that is a long hem!). This skirt has plenty of twirl-ability as I tried to show with these very derpy photos! I had also planned to cut out the waist ties out of the floral fabric but I didn't quite have enough so I bought some red cupro which has ended up being a very happy accident. It's a bugger to work with but so worth it in the end I think......

.....I cut out one waistband piece in red cotton so it had some structure where it needed it but the rest is just cupro which feels so lovely.....I see some drapey cowl neck tops in my future! Whilst I didn't have enough fabric to cut all the waist tie pieces ( I cut six as I didn't fold them over as you are meant to when you just make the skirt) I did have enough left to squeeze out a gorgeous little peasant style top for my lovely customer Sarah.....

.....super simple but so cute.....I see a few of these in my future too! All in all a most excellent Christmas present from Santa Vicki, thank you!

So If you've seen my March and April sewing plans Vlogs on YouTube you'll know that I'm attempting to make myself a version of the gorgeous Sewaholic Robson trench coat. Now whilst I love this pattern the majority of things I wear are very (VERY) full skirted so I thought I would attempt to alter the pattern and make it full skirted trench coat. Here are some of the things I've been pinning as inspiration...

......the first picture is my absolutely favourite even though I have no idea what the front looks like! I've also been drooling over these jewelled beauties by Burberry.....

.....my inner magpie is so happy with me. Whilst lost in the depths of Pinterest I found a tutorial by Erica over at Honestly WTF and everything clicked for me.......I CAN MAKE MY OWN! I'm not sure why it took me quite so long to put two and two together but I got there in the end. Whilst I was over in Saudi I picked up the jewels from EXO (which we have lovingly christened Alladins Cave as the whole place just glitters when you walk in)....

.....so I hadn't intended on straight up copying Erica's gem clusters but when you speak very little Arabic and just show a photo of what you are after......well you get exactly what you've shown on the tin as it were. I really don't mind though as the selection is beautiful. Fabric wise I found this gorgeous sanded olive twill from Fabric.com (unfortunately they've completely sold out) it's very very soft and drapes beautifully....

.....I'm planning on lining it with this amazing shot twill lining from Stone fabrics. I know the Robson is designed to be unlined but I couldn't resist. I've even got a beautiful dusky pink satin bias binding all ready to go......I just need to pull my finger out and make the damn thing!

Before I jump straight in though I want to test out my idea so I'm planning a wearable muslin out of some bright turquoise gabardine that's been sitting in my stash for a few years now. I've traced and cut out the pattern all I need to do now is just get on with the pattern tweaking........and the cutting out......and the construction! I am determined there will be a finished wearable muslin by the end of April......watch this space!

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Friday I'm In Love - The Googley Eyes Escapade

2016-04-01T22:21:00.000+01:00

Hey Peeps!

Happy April....how did that happen? So this week I have a few things to share with you, first up is the "April Fool" prank I played on my Papa today....

.....googley eyes everywhere! It's not really a prank but I'm not overly fond of scaring/shocking people, saying that I only have to walk in a room to make Papa jump out of his skin.....not sure if I'm a super stealthy ninja or just that shocking to behold! I got as many of these stickers everywhere I could find whilst Papa was outside and when he came back in I asked him to rescue me from a gigantic spider in the pantry that was staring at me...hilarity ensued....honest....he noticed them way quicker than Mum did!

Next up is the Bartowski Regatta dress (so named becauseI was rewatching Chuck whilst sewing it).....

.....it's a Kittenish Behaviour Grace bodice with a box pleated AND gathered skirt.....

......made with this gorgeous Michael Miller Regatta border print. I wanted to use the whole three metres of the fabric but I didn't want all the bulky gathering around my waist so I decided to add box pleats spaced evenly along the length and then gather down the space between pleats to get the skirt to the required waist measurement. I really like how it turned out but decided that I would use an odd number of pleats for the next iteration in the hopes that it would give a sleeker finish (it did). I was given this fabric for Christmas and whilst this dress is wildly inappropriate for this time of year I couldn't wait any longer to make it!

Photobombed by The Ginger Terror

It was a particularly beautiful day on Thursday so I wasn't completely frozen after taking these picture, my parents dog was a little bemused by my random twirling though!

The very first version of this dress had a waistband cut out of the striped part of the print but as this is a very shaped waistband and the stripe I used wasn't quite wide enough it ended up looking a little funny. I finished the dress put it on my dress form and stared at it for a while.....I still wasn't completely happy with it so decided to pull it apart and try a solid red waistband and I love it. I also used solid white for the straps as I didn't have enough fabric to cut them out with the stripes running horizontally and I'm so glad I did as I love the finished dress now. If you're interested I've made a two minute "Making Of" clip which you can see on my YouTube channel. (My Sister-In-Law aka Big Bird just asked what a wasitband is.......it's the super cool red thing which is way better than a bog standard waistband!)

As it's Friday I had to share some of the things I've been loving this week especially as my birthday is coming up soon and I'm being asked for gift ideas....

Teal / Wine
Green / Purple

......these are the beautiful Lana Orchid headbands from Crown and Glory. I already own the red one but I'm one of those girls who, if I find something I love, has to have it in every colour! I've also been hearing really good things about these books....

Chinelo / Gertie

.....I loved watching Chinelo on the Great British Sewing Bee, I found her technique fascinating and think it would be really fun to try. I also love the idea of Gertie's mix'n'match approach with her third book, I did get a chance to flick through it whilst I was over on the mainland but decided not to get it for myself as I have soooooo many (150+) patterns that need to be sewn but if someone were to get it for me as a gift.......that wouldn't be classed as adding to my pattern hoard.....right? This wish list wouldn't be complete without me adding some fabric to the mix now would it? I seem to be on a total Michael Miller fan girl kick at the moment....the new spring prints are gorgeous.....I ~~want~~ need them...

Sapphire colourway

Coral colourway

..... these are the from the Bed of Roses collection and they are stunning! Now you all know I love a border print so those were a given really but I love the coordinating prints my tiny little mind is working overtime coming up with combinations......ahhhh the fun I could have!

In parting I shall leave you with this shot of me fighting the constant battle I have between my love of full skirts and brisk breezy days....

.....thankfully no knicker flashage this time!

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Friday I'm In Love - The New Fabric Edition

2016-03-25T20:27:00.000+00:00

Hey Peeps!

Happy Zombie Jesus weekend! How is 2016 treating you so far? For me it's been mostly totally awesome....apart from being hospitalised by my teeny tiny house cat! Turns out if you are bitten by a dog, a cat or a human you must immediately take yourself off to your Dr's for antibiotics.....something I did not do which lead to me spending Valentines weekend in a hospital with my arm in a Bradford sling....joy.

Enough about that though I'm here today to share with you some gorgeous fabrics and patterns which I've had my eye on. First up is the beautiful Michael Miller print....

.....called Meadow Path. One of my wonderful customers had asked me to find her some Spring like fabrics and my local fabric shop has just received this which couldn't have been more perfect! I snapped it up and put a picture up on Instagram which got a few enquiries that lead to me buying up more of this print and sending it off to a couple of other people as they couldn't find it online anywhere. I then got a few emails about the print so I went back to my local shop (who don't have their own website) and picked up an entire bolt! So if you'd like some of this gorgeous print for your very own you can buy it here.

I have also totally fallen in love with this gorgeous print....

Flamingoes Make A Splash

......which was designed by Kari Smith and is called Flamingos Make A Splash and it was the winner of the Watercolour Design Challenge. I'm a little bit gutted that Spoonflower no longer offer the cotton/silk blend which was amazing so I'm trying to decide which fabric to buy this on. I want something floaty and light but I don't really like polyester which means either the cotton lawn or the silk crepe de chine.....decisions decisions!

Pattern wise there are a few that I've been coming back to over and over and today I finally hit the buy button! They are as follows....

Trousers / Capelet / Blouse

..... Empire Waist Trousers, Capelet and Butterfly Blouse from Decades of Style. There are many more of their patterns that I'm drawn to but I kept returning to these three in particular and I think they will fit in to my wardrobe very well. I've also have my eye on these....

Anderson / Tulip / McCall's 6696

....Sew Over It's Anderson Blouse and Tulip Skirt I haven't purchase them as yet but it's only a matter of time. I very rarely make separates which means my wardrobe is bursting with many many dresses and I want to try and balance that out a little bit plus I'd like some comfy but smart clothes to wear whilst I'm working from home. Currently I have the comfy thing covered but I'm not sure airline pyjamas could ever be called smart even if they did come from first class! A pattern that I have bought though is the well loved McCall's 6696 shirt dress, now I know that it's a dress pattern not separates... but look how pretty! I having a feeling there will be many new shirt dresses in my future, I'm hopeless I know.....

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Friday I'm In Love - The Present Edition

2016-01-01T15:43:00.000+00:00

Hey Peeps!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

Now that I've gotten that out of my system....Hello again. I kinda disappeared off the face of....well not the planet but off this little spot of the interwebs. Last year was all kinds of weird; lot's and lot's of total awesomeness (Parentals coming home full time, Baby Bother getting MARRIED, meeting new friends......you get the gist) but there were some totally s**t bits too. Unfortunately the s**t bits are still ongoing and will be for a little while yet but there is light at the end of the tunnel and thats enough about that!

Today I'm going to share some of my gorgeous Christmas presents and also some things I've been eyeing up in the "sales"....

.......first up is this beautiful fabric by Michael Miller called Regatta. I got my three metres from The Village Haberdashery but it doesn't look like they have it in stock anymore. I have found some here so if you like it you can still grab yourself some. Miss T also bought me this.....

.....a Toothless hoody!!!! I absolutely love it, it's handmade by Pretzl Cosplay and arrived just after Christmas so my gift opening got stretched out over quite a few days which was actually awesome. In other geeky related pressies.....

......Miss K sent me these awesome Funko Pop figures.....Miss S has a huge collection which I covet every time I go to visit her in London and now I have some of my very own.....there are only a ~~million~~ few more that I'd like......what have you started Miss K?!

I also got some gorgeous Project Life goodies! I bought myself one of the core kits last year in the January sales but I never got around to using it as I wasn't sure where to start. Well I'm addicted to watching YouTube process videos and I've decided that I'm going to just start and see how I go. I've already got my pictures printed out for the last five or so years so I've got plenty to keep me busy... much to Chi's annoyance......she really would rather be the centre of attention.

Lastly there is this absolutely amazing bed linen set from M&S....

......it's called Ophelia and I'm in LOVE! Mum and I stumbled upon it whilst we shopping for stocking fillers for Papa and if I hadn't already had my main present from the Parentals this would have totally been taken home and wrapped up. However Mum had already sent me some Spoonflower vouchers so I just drooled over this for a little bit and then walked away with Mum saying I could always get it in the January sales.....GENIUS! Bloody M&S haven't put it in their sale though so I'm still drooling away......maybe it'll still be about in time for my birthday.....GENIUS!

Again...... Happy New Year Peeps! I hope 2016 is super shiny for you.

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Friday I'm In Love

2015-10-23T12:00:00.000+01:00

Hey Peeps!

How is everyone doing? During my blogging hiatus I kept myself busy and at least a little time every week has been spent drooling over gorgeous fabric on the interwebs. Now I don't need any new fabric, my stash has grown to gigantic proportions, but that has never stopped me looking for new pretties to adopt. For example....

White Orchids / Poppy Border
Garden Floral / Black Orchids

.....these floral lovelies are just begging to be turned in to dresses, I don't care if summer is over I want all the flowers. I also want.....

Berries / Chocolates

.....all the food related fabric it seems! Yesterday I posted a dress I've made with chocolate covered cherry fabric and there is also the Addiction dress with chocolate covered biscuits. I started off a little healthier with this gorgeous berries print but then I saw this chocolate and fruit combo and it was definitely love at first sight. Besides with these fabrics you are wearing the calories rather than ingesting them.........

I saw a lovely blogger (I can't remember who now!) who had made a gorgeous shirt dress out of the white/gold colour way of this beautiful Michael Miller border print and it took me no time at all to track it down and add it to my huge ~~need~~ wish list. Not only did I fall in love with the border print but I also added these metallic polka dots and chevrons to the list, I think all of them would make beautiful dresses which might be a little more Autumn/Winter appropriate than the florals above, what do you think?

Glitz Confetti / Glitz Polka Dot / Glitz Chevron

While I was in the metallic mood this gorgeous Michael Miller "Fairy Frost" fabric in this beautiful rich red and gold colour way jumped out at me. I have some of this fabric in a pale silver/white combo which got turned in to a dress last Christmas but I wasn't really in love with it (the dress that is not the fabric) thankfully I have enough fabric leftover to alter the bits I don't like but it's ended up on my mending pile where it's been languishing for months now as I hate alterations and repairs! I'd much rather make something new from scratch!

Fairy Frost in Hollyberry

Last but definitely not least are these amazing fabrics......

Blood Spatter / Sailor Foxes
Lightening Sky

......I've never minded what has become known as "Stunt Dressing" (I have dresses with half naked pin up girls and robots all over them) and I think all these fabrics would make awesome additions to my wardrobe. I particularly love the blood spatter one (not sure what this says about me) and I think it would make a fab dress to wear to a Halloween party if an all out costume wasn't required/your thing.

So there we go yet more fabric goodness that I wish I could buy but won't......who am I kidding.....at least one of these is going to end up in my stash......well maybe ~~two~~ three......but only ~~three~~ four. Someone stop me!

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Three Graces

2015-10-22T17:05:00.001+01:00

Hey Peeps!

So I made these dresses whilst I was out in Saudi visiting The Parental Units. I took loads of different sewing projects out with me....in fact I think I had more fabric in my suitcases than actual clothes! Given that it's roughly a million degrees and you have to wear a big black sheet everywhere you go out there my packing did mostly consist of bikinis and cover ups (true story: I went to lunch in a 5* hotel wearing a bikini under my abaya..... I felt very naughty) but still this bunch of fabric is very well travelled!

I fell in love with all these fabrics on first sight, the pink roses I found it in a shop in Ventnor (Isle of Wight) and the other two were from Fabric.com. I got around to photographing these dresses once I was home from the desert in May and then I did nothing with them until now, whoops.

So you remember me telling you that I went blonde.....? Yup I went really blonde which was a whole bunch of fun from the bright red my hair had been. I think these photos show the blonde at it's best. I did like it but it didn't really feel like me, I missed the red. Anyway! The dresses.....

.....I made these three out in Saudi and to date I've made eight......! It's a Kittenish Behaviour pattern which I've christened Grace (not overly sure why but I like it). It's a fitted sweetheart bodice with waistband and five panel circle skirt.

I initially designed this dress to be used with the beautiful laces I've brought back from around the world like this gorgeous specimen from Singapore....

.....shown here over the calico muslin. I decided that the bodice shape would work just as well without the overlay if I just raised the neckline a little bit so that's what I did.....

I think it's worked out quite well but it did mean that I needed to add twill tape to gather the neckline so that it didn't gape......

I also wanted a low back but I still wanted to be able to wear a normal bra so it hits just above the back band of my bra.....

I really love these three cotton dresses and this pattern, so much so that I used it as my bridesmaid dress which I'll share in another post.

Before I go I thought you might like to see some outtakes....

....here I'm being dive bombed by a bumble bee (you can just about see him) and here I was ~~trying~~ failing to get twirly pictures....

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Project Floral Bag

2015-10-20T22:02:00.000+01:00

Hey Peeps!

Long time no see, how have you all been? I've had the most amazing summer I can't quite believe it's October already, how did that happen? I've been very busy.....so busy it seems that blogging kinda fell by the wayside. I've had birthdays, been on holiday, spent time with my fabulous friends and family, gone blonde.....and back to red, watched my Baby Bother get married (third times the charm LLB!) and generally been very busy making all the things! I've got a list of unblogged items that is nearly as long as my arm..... dressing gowns, dresses, coats, a WEDDING DRESS (yes I made my Sister In Law's aka Big Bird wedding dress..... so scary but also so amazing!), bags and last but not least photo albums.

Today I'm going to share my latest make.....Project Floral Bag......

......I finished this bag this evening and my first reaction was......"meh"......!!!! I think this meme explains my mindset though......

......I find I go through this process with nearly everything I make, sometimes it takes a while to progress past Stage 4 but I almost always do. Today and this bag was no exception. The "meh" lasted all of about forty minutes but they were a long forty minutes. I've had Project Floral Bag percolating in my head for a while now; about ten years ago I bought this bag....

.....from Accessorize. It was love at first sight, my inner Magpie was very happy indeed with all the sparkly bits and beautiful embroidery. As you can see it is now falling apart, not bad for ten years of hard use. I've never really been a bag person, I've owned one designer bag which was nice but I eventually sold it as I knew someone else would love it more and it was just a little bit too grown up for me. I like my bags shiny and impractical (c'mon that Accessorize bag is made of velvet and beaded!).

Project Floral Bag started out life in my head with me trying to recreate my Accessorize bag exactly, so I started out playing around with peacock motifs...

.....which I liked but it dawned on me that I could rectify all the things about the Accessorize bag that had bugged me; a little too small for ALL the things I like to lug about with me, no zip and only one internal pocket. So I went back to the drawing board and drafted (ha! that sounds so fancy for what was in fact drawing out a very simple shape) a new and improved Hobo bag pattern with all the bells and whistles I wanted.

Once I had the basic shape of my bag decided on I drew it out on the brushed cotton twill I'd bought to give me a rough guide for the embroidery motifs.........oh the embroidery motifs!

Bloody Hell that was a labour of love. I'm not sure how the original peacock embroidery idea mutated into edge to edge floral motifs.....

......but five whole days (and some evenings) later I finally had a finished bag front and handle! There wasn't really a plan with the motifs I used.....there's some fruit, a parrot and many many flowers in there and overall I think they work. If/when I do this again I think I'll work methodically from left to right instead of hooping one side then jumping to the other which meant I ended up kinda smooshing things into awkward gaps that were left in the middle. (It's Stage 4 of the creative process again there!) I used regular machine thread instead of embroidery thread for this project as that was all that I had available and I think it's worked out really well, a few of the motifs aren't quite right colour wise as I didn't have the hugest range of tonal colours to choose from but it looks beautiful all the same. (Embroidery thread is definitely on my Christmas wish list! I have so many more projects simmering away in my brain.....)

Next up was construction.....I did get the fear a bit when I thought about cutting into the embroidered fabric....what if I make a mistake??? All that work ruined! But I gave myself a stern talking to and just got on with it.....whats the worst that could happen??? Thankfully no huge errors were made and things went smoothly, I got the interior pockets I wanted.....

.....one zippered and one perfectly sized for my phone, I also added a key loop which I'd had in a previous bag and loved (this is a big bag to be fishing around in trying to find your keys!). Lining wise I fell in love with this shiny two tone lining fabric from Stone fabrics but decided that it was probably not a great idea to add pockets etc straight to that so I added a facing and lots of interfacing.....those pockets aren't going anywhere! The strap was interesting with a lot of trial and error (I've never made a bag before, there was definitely a learning curve.....) but I love how it's turned out. I'd originally thought of using an ivy leaf motif for the embroidery but it just wasn't on the right scale when I trialled it so I used these star/circles instead which I think are simple enough to not clash with the main body of the bag.

All in all I'm very happy with my new bag and hopefully this one will last me the next ten years!

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Friday I'm In Love - The Birthday Wish List

2015-04-03T11:57:00.000+01:00

Hey Peeps!

Happy Zombie Jebus weekend everybody! I hope you all have lots of lovely plans for the long weekend? Mine include lots and lots of sewing (no surprise there then!) I'm hoping to get the quilting finished on my second quilt and a few dresses made......totally doable.........I think.

This week I thought I'd combine my birthday wish list with my Friday favourites, two birds with one stone and all that! So yup it's my birthday coming up.....again. How is that possible? I'm sure I just had a birthday!! I can't possibly be another year older.......right? Right???

So the good thing about birthdays is that lovely people give you lovely things; hugs, cake (mmmmmm cake) and also pressies! It will come as no surprise to anyone that fabric features heavily on my wish list this year.....

Feathers on Black (2 metres) / Primevera Iris (4 metres)
Botanic Garden (4 metres) / Pansies (4 metres)

......first up is this gorgeous cotton sateen from Truro fabrics, I think it would look amazing as a wiggle dress (Papa has seconded this) which means less fabric which is good 'cause $$$$. Then we have this Iris print which I'm totally in love with, I'm thinking circle skirt and tight bodice (because of course I am!). Next is this oh so pretty cherry blossom print again I'm thinking circle skirt but Papa suggested making a two piece instead of a dress which I think is a genius idea, I'm thinking a little bolero jacket rather than a shirt though as these quilting cottons don't really lend themselves to drapey shirts. Lastly there is this totally drool worthy pansy print which is so beautiful (I think it's my favourite although I don't play favourites with my fabrics....honest...) these pansies will definitely become a dress.......tight bodice, circle skirt naturally.

Next up, if anyone was feeling super generous, we have this lovely thing.....

.......a huge fluffy petticoat from Vivien of Holloway given all the circle skirts I make it's surprising that I only own one crinoline! Mine is a gorgeous green vintage affair that I love but it doesn't really go with everything so I was thinking a cream one would be a great idea! Given how much these are I would happily welcome gift vouchers to help towards buying myself one.

And finally my geeky side is showing.....

Thug Kitchen
Sonic Screwdriver / Chop-Sabers

....the Thug Kitchen has always made me giggle and drool at the same time, I think this cookbook would be so much fun. Next up is this Sonic Screwdriver.....I'm thinking of cosplaying at this years LFCC so this would be very handy and also awesome! Lastly light up chop-sabers.....NEED!

So there we go family and friend Peeps, I hope this helps!

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Chiana vs The Bernina

2015-03-30T12:20:00.000+01:00

Hey Peeps!

Why is it that whenever I decide to get my act together and start exercising my bodies first reaction is "oh no you don't! Here let me give you a cold so I can stop you in your tracks!" grrrr! Yup I'm feeling all poorly and sorry for myself....again! On a positive note spring has most definitely sprung here on the island.....

......the magnolia tree is in bloom......in the background you can see the hail storm that hit us about twenty minutes after taking that picture! Ahhhhh the joys of living in the English countryside.

Despite feeling like death slightly warmed over there has been plenty of activity here, mainly of the crafting variety. I has the lovely Miss L come to stay for a long weekend which was mostly spent making yummy foods.....

Chocolate Orange Truffles

Chocolate Mousse

........embroidering leather.....

......and generally messing about with paper.....

.....oh and we also fed the badgers, it's the only sane thing to do with your left over roast chicken.....

........as they will eat the entire thing! All in all it was a lovely few days and Miss L has even agreed to come back in the not too distant future.

So I've been sorting out my photos and I found a whole bunch of Chiana over the last year and half, she used to be so teeny. It gave me an idea to do a Chiana vs..... series as she does seem to obsess over some of my inanimate objects. First up.....my Bernina, more specifically the embroidery unit of my Bernina....

.......when I brought her home she pretty much made a beeline straight for it. You can't really blame her, there is a perfect kitten sized hole ready made for napping in. The only problem is that is really was a kitten sized hole....

....totally acceptable when you are only fourteen weeks old, but......

.....unfortunately fourteen week isn't fully grown! Chi was convinced she still fit a few weeks later.....(she totally wanted that leg poking out at that awkward angel....honest)......

....but by six months there was no fooling anyone, the kitten sized hole had been totally outgrown. Chi will occasionally try and fit her butt back in it these days but never looks comfortable and never stays in it for long......she's been trying out other pieces of equipment though....

.......also not so comfy and also not napped on for long!

All in all March has been pretty awesome (despite the stupid cold) and there have been lots of things made.....

.....just none finished! I really have to be in the mood for hand sewing it seems.....Chiana judges me....

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Two Years Old And Counting...

2015-03-21T13:58:00.000+00:00

Hey Peeps!

The Kittenish Behaviour Boutique is two years old! Fancy that. Today I thought I would go through some of the questions that I get asked on a regular basis......

Q. Kittenish Behaviour??? Where did that come from?
A. My very bestest friend nicknamed me Kitten many many MANY moons ago (we are talking like eighteen years ago, so thats a lot of moons!). The reasons were......on one of our first meetings I ended up curling up and falling asleep with my head in her lap and the other reason was our shared love of Georgette Heyer regency romance novels the lead heroine in one of our favourites is called Kitten. When I started this little blog back in 2010 Kittenish Behaviour seemed like the logical choice as I was going to be writing about my life and the crazy things I got up to. Two years ago when I decided to open up the boutique it seemed totally natural to keep on using the name. The rest is (recent) history.

Q. Why did you open the Kittenish Behaviour Boutique?
A. About twelve years ago I got myself my first computer and about eleven years, eleven months and twenty nines days ago I got myself my very first eBay account.......I have always loved vintage clothing and the USA seems to have the best selection. I spent hours trawling through the vintage listings and got myself many many lovely dresses. One day someone had listed something incorrectly and I stumbled upon Trashy Diva.....that was it. I was hooked! I think one of my first orders was for at least ten items (mostly sale items) and boy was that a shock when I got the import fee demand! I opened up the boutique because I love these American designers but was fed up of paying nearly £30-£40 extra per dress to have them in the UK, postage costs were high and the Import Fee Powers That Be were always cruel to me. I thought that if I wanted these dresses there had to be other UK Ladies that wanted them too. I worked out that if I imported the pretties and sold them myself then I could reduce that extra £30-£40 each individual dress was costing quite significantly.

Q. Is it just you?
A. Yes it's just me! Well unless you count Chiana my parcel inspector....

(she only inspects the parcels once they have been completely sealed, she gets no where near the contents!) and the hamster in the attic that keeps my dial-up modem running (ahhhh the joys of living in the land of no/little interwebs!).

And now some more of the serious questions I get asked.....

Q. Why are your UK postage charges so high?
A. The UK postage charges are high in general. If I'm posting to somewhere in the UK I charge £8.50 for tracked and insured service, the actual cost of postage is £8.45 (for one dress). I charge a flat rate of £8.50 (packaging is free!) regardless of how many dresses you order.....not that I'm trying to encourage you to buy more dresses!

Q. Why are your international postage charges so high?
A. Again the UK's postal charges are generally just high! Posting to the US for example costs from £19 upwards. I charge a flat rate of £22 (packaging is free!) , if your postage is significantly lower than this I will issue a refund for the difference but if your postage comes to more than £22 I won't ask you for the extra!

Q. I'd rather pay for a cheaper postal service with no insurance!
A. Really???? Think about it.....you'd rather save between £5-£10 on postage costs on your £100 plus dress. What if it gets lost in the post (this happens, it's happened to me)? Your dress has gone and your down £100, I can't send you another one.....was saving that £5-£10 worth it? I'm sorry but I won't send anything without insurance.

Q. Why do I have to pay import fees? Are import fee's covered in the postage costs?
A. I have no control over the import fees of other countries (wouldn't it be cool if I did though?!) I have to fill out a customs form for any parcel I send abroad and then it's in the hands of the Import Fee Powers That Be (bow down and worship them.....they might spare you!). Import fees are NOT covered in my postage costs and I can't be held responsible for them if the Import Fee Powers That Be are not kind to you.

Q. Why do you offer free worldwide postage and then wait so long to post my item?
A. I offer free worldwide postage only when I'm lucky enough to be going away on my holibobs (holidays to those of you that don't speak fluent Siân) which means that I am physically parted from all my lovely stock (believe me it's a wrench leaving all the pretties alone) and can't send your items out until I return from whatever distant land (usually Saudi Arabia or Nuneaton) I've been visiting! This is my way of saying thank you for your order but sorry I can't post it immediately, I know waiting for the pretties is tough!

Q. I'd like to buy one of your smaller items why have I got to pay the standard postage cost???
A. You don't! Contact me and I'll get you an accurate quote for the item you have your eye on.

Q. Your prices are higher than the designers prices for Trashy Diva and Bernie Dexter dresses, whats going on?
A. Yes my prices are slightly higher than you would find buying direct from the designers and that's because I've had to pay shipping to the UK and the import fees for the pretties (the Import Fee Powers That Be are never kind to me). I've tried to keep the prices as low as I can though.

Q. You have items on your boutique that are out of stock......why!!! Why you tease us?
A. I keep items showing that are out of stock because in most cases I can order you another one. I do take down items that are no longer available from the designers.

Q. I would like to buy a certain dress but you either a. don't stock it or b. you stock it but not in my size?
A. Get in touch I'm happy to order in specific dresses for you, you just need to let me know!

Q. Woop! Woop! You'll order me a specific dress? I love you! (Steady on there!)
A. Yes I certainly will. If you are after a specific dress I am happy to order that for you. For me to place an order with either Trashy Diva or Bernie Dexter I have to reach a minimum spend amount. What I do is put you on the Custom Order Wishlist. As soon as I have enough orders (usually 3) to meet the minimum spend I will contact you to check if you still want your dress. If you do still want your dress then you buy Kittenish Behaviour gift vouchers, I place the order.....happiness ensues! (If you for some reason don't like your dress I will issues you a cash refund so you aren't stuck with gift vouchers that you might not be able to use for a while but I only offer this refund on gift vouchers if they are directly connected to the Custom Order Wishlist service)

Q. Can I exchange my gift vouchers for cash?
A. Only if they were bought as part of the Custom Order Wishlist service otherwise I'm afraid not, but if there is something you really want that I don't currently stock just ask.....you never know I might be able to order it in for you!

Q. I love the dress but in real life it just doesn't work for me.....*super sad face*
A. Online shopping is both awesome and sucky in equal measure. No crowds, ability to eat chocolate whilst shopping from your comfy sofa but no ability to try on your pretties before you spend your hard earned cash. If for some reason your item isn't exactly what you'd hoped it would be I will of course refund you. You just need to return the item to me within a week of your receiving it and you must use an insured postal service!!

Q. Sizing!!! Argh...... unclear, are they UK sizes are they US sizes?
A. There is a lovely sizing chart linked to the measurements of each item on the item page but as a rule of thumb, if you are drooling over a Trashy Diva lovely then the sizes listed are Trashy Diva (USA) sizes. Same goes for Bernie Dexter beauties!

Q. You don't reply to my emails?
A. This is odd as I love to chat! If I'm not replying to your emails it's because I'm not getting them (my Tech Guy is willing to back me up on this) there have apparently been a few problems with the service which we (HA! We! Read that as though I'm asking and my Tech Guy is doing) are working on fixing. In the meantime there are lots of ways to contact me...... email me at sian@kittenishbehaviour.com if that doesn't work message me on the Facebook Page or you could even call me on 01983 857144 I promise I don't bite (unless you ring me at like 7am....then I probably will bite....you have been warned!)

If you have any other questions please feel free to get in contact with me, like I mentioned I love to chat! These last couple of years have been quite an experience but I wouldn't change them for the world!

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Friday I'm In Love

2015-03-13T09:46:00.000+00:00

Hey Peeps!

Twice in one week! Don't faint, stranger things have happened......can't think of them right now but I'm pretty sure they have. I thought I'd get back in to posting my "Friday I'm In Love's", I really like looking for new fabric and even though I'm not buying any new fabric at the moment.....honestly (except for linings that is) I still like looking. Just looking.....there isn't 3 yards of stripy goodness on it's way too me as I type.....but as soon as that's arrived then that's it......promise. Well of course there is three weeks in Riyadh coming up but after that no more fabric until I've used everything I already have......because of course that's going to happen!

Anyway shall we have a look at this weeks addiction fuel......

Iris and Orchid / Gold Arrows
Baby Avengers / Lilies

.......first up is this gorgeous digital print. As it is the scale would be too small for my tastes but the great thing about Spoonflower is that you can contact the designer and usually they are willing to work with you so you get exactly what you want. Unfortunately they seem to have stopped offering the cotton silk blend I love but they do have cotton sateen which is the same price so I shall try that out next time I place an order......which won't be until I've turned all the fabric I already own into clothes, quilts etc..........*cough* moving swiftly on. Next up is the gold arrows which I think is so beautiful and I already have plans for interestingly pieced bodices *le sigh*. Then there is this cute Baby Avengers fabric which would make an awesome pair of PJ's and lastly another digital floral print which again I would ask for on a slightly different scale to the current one.

I also thought I'd share what I'm loving ~~dancing to and singing along badly with~~ listening to at the moment.....

......I don't watch TV very often and when I do I tend to get up and do something during the adverts because I'm an advertisers dream....must have all the things! Well the new Cadburys advert has "Yes Sir, I can boogie" playing which I love and led to the purchase of this album, it's awesome. Now if you'll excuse me I'll be over in the corner practising my hustle!

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Coming Up Roses

2015-03-12T15:29:00.000+00:00

Hey Peeps!

How is everyone? I'm aching all over as I have (yet again) decided to take up exercise as a daily thing .....why???? Well I know exactly why.....I've put on well over a stone and a half since moving down to the island last year and my clothes have started feeling a little.....restrictive shall we say, not good. My diet really wasn't helping (pancetta, cheese and sour cream baguettes taste soooooo good) so I've started eating much healthier food which has gotten me a stone towards my goal weight but I've realised that as blessed as I have been in the genetics department diet alone will no longer cut it.....ahhhh they joys of getting older. So I'm making friends with Jillian Michaels.....again.

When I started this blog back in 2010 (ohhhh mmmmm geeeee how long ago?) I was well in to a fitness regime involving Ms Michaels and it was really working. I kept a daily log of how I was feeling and coping with her videos which I found recently......it made for interesting reading (well for me it did). When I started back then I was at what I would now consider my goal weight (ha!) and trying to get down to a weight I had been at my very skinniest purely so I could wear a lovely (and very expensive) pair of jeans that had been tailored to fit me perfectly. Now while I wouldn't mind getting in said expensive jeans I would be very happy if I could just get to what my starting weight was back then! This time around I have taken some "Before" photos so I can see how far I get but until I'm totally (mostly) happy with the "After" pictures there is no way I'm putting them out there for the whole interwebs to see. I still can't believe it's been five years since I started this! How on earth does that happen???

So I do have something new to share with you today....it's this.....

.......I'm so in love with this coat. I made it ages ago but totally chickened out of finishing it when it came to putting the buttonhole in. I was terrified my machine would chew it up and spit it out and I would cry. I had no grounds for these fears my machine has behaved beautifully anytime I have ever asked it to do buttonholes but for some reason I got the fear! Looking back I think I would try a bound buttonhole next time (and there will be a next time) but for this version I finally settled on a giant press stud as the closure which works perfectly but left the front of the coat looking a little plain. Enter Big Bird......she took me shopping in Stratford which has so many lovely little shops and in one of them I found this awesome 1930's (apparently) brooch which the magpie in me was very happy about.

The coat pattern itself is something I copied from an All Saints coat that I have and have nearly loved to death (sooooo many rips in the lining...sad face) the original is actually a tail coat but it really doesn't work over the huge 50's style dresses I love to wear so I played around with the back pieces until I came up with this.....

......I found the fabric years ago on eBay and snapped it up. It's a heavy weight barkcloth type fabric and as soon I saw the huge green roses I knew I wanted it to be a coat but put off doing anything about it for so long....I'm very glad I finally pulled my finger out! I worn this out a few times since I finished it and it always gets comments....so far they have all been complimentary!

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P.S. Yes Papa I took these photos back in February.....that is still my old hair do!

There's Been A Crime In The Village

2015-02-11T17:18:00.000+00:00

Hey Peeps!

How is everyone? I've been having a lovely time. I got to see my Bestie for her birthday celebrations even though this involved driving on the M25 (actually not so bad) and some time spent in Ipswich (also, not so bad). I've very nearly finished my Minoru coat (just some top stitching and hemming left to do!) and I have some gorgeous dresses that are all cut out and just waiting assembly. Plus one of my other Besties has just booked herself train tickets to come and see me next month, 'citin!

Today I thought I would share another of my, until now, unblogged makes, here it is.....

......it's a By Hand London Floranna dress and I love it. I got the polka dot fabric from Fabric Land in Southampton and it wasn't quite wide enough for the skirt panels to be cut normally so I cut them on the cross grain which worked out great. Stupidly though I also cut the bodice pieces like this which was totally unnecessary given the tinyness of the dots......ooooops! This has resulted in the bodice being a little snug (which of course has nothing to do with the two stone I've put on since I moved here!) but it still does up so I'm calling this a win! I love the shape of these two patterns combined.....

.......and I can see many more of these hybrids in my future.......although I still want to try out the Flora wrap bodice dress......mmmmmm moar dresses.

In other news Chi and I have officially been living on the island for a year today and what a year it's been. It really was a shock to the system moving from central London down to a teeny village that didn't even have a pub but I've come to really love it here especially since I learnt to drive and can get around this beautiful place more easily.

Despite it's remoteness (and lack of pubness) there are some definite upsides to living in a tiny village and one of them is the crime rate! Last year some family friends asked if the could store their little "tractor" on our drive as they were having to move house (because of all the rain we had washing away the road they lived on) and had no where to store it. "Of course, no problems at all." The tractor was delivered to my driveway, all sorted.

Now a couple of days later I had my Over the Road neighbours over for dinner who, during the course of the evenings conversation, asked me where the little tractor had gone!? After I'd replied that it was on the drive and they assured me that it wasn't (we even braved the evening air to go and check) we got all excited and decided that there had BEEN A CRIME IN THE VILLAGE! Duh duh duuuuuuuuuuuh! My first thought was "oh crap Papa will kill me, I've lost his friends tractor!" and then "what do I do?", do I call the family friends and let them know their tractor is missing or do I try and find out what's happened to it first and then let them know???? Argh! Over the Road neighbours said not to worry they had the number for the local neighbourhood watch people and the local Police Person we can report it!

I thought I ought to check with the tractors owners before calling the authorities just in case they had arranged to have it moved again and I had somehow missed the message, quite possible given my aversion to landline answering machines and the fact that I live in a mobile blackspot meaning the only way I get phone messages is on the landline answering machine. Luckily my gardener turned up the next day before I had made any phone calls, I thought it would be a good idea to just check with him to see if he had any idea where the tractor might be. Turns out he had been worried about it being left on the driveway for all to see......and possibly steal......so he had driven it further up the drive and covered it with a tarpaulin! Crime solved. I let my Over the Road neighbours know about the latest development and I have to say we were all a little disappointed.....I think we'd been imagining swarthy criminals in black and white striped tops with SWAG bags driving the tractor down our little road at 10mph!

There are of course other benefits to living in the country (have you seen my sea views!?) but the low crime rate is definitely high up on the list!

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Epic Fail

2015-02-01T12:33:00.000+00:00

Hey Peeps!

It's February (just in case you hadn't realised) where did January go? Did anyone notice? Whaaaaaat? I swear the months are getting shorter. I actually had a very busy and enjoyable January. I realised a couple of months ago that whilst I've been living down here on the island I really haven't been taking advantage of it. There has been lots of work done (yes Papa, LOTS of work) and lot's of me leaving the island to visit friends but very little exploring of this lovely little island has actually been done. Which is just stoopid. It's beautiful down here and there is loads to do....even in the Winter.

Now given that the people I know down here are my Parentals friends my social scene was a little limited so I joined a Meet Up group called the "Isle of Wight Hobnobs" and it's been brilliant. Last month we went on a leisurely stroll along the east coast of the island, listened to live music, watched the awesome film The Theory of Everything, came second in a pub quiz and danced our little socks off. It's a really interesting mix of people and it's lovely being able to meet people that you otherwise might never have come across, it's a rather fab thing 'tis the interwebs! My social calendar is just as jam packed this month plus I have Small Girl Type Creature coming for a visit in-between university interviews, February is shaping up to be awesomesauce.

I actually haven't done any sewing at all so far this year but I do have a few creations that as yet haven't made it to the blog, this being one of them......

.......it's a By Hand London Flora but in skirt form. Looking at these photos I love it but in real life it's an epic fail. The material is totally wrong.....sad face. I made it out of the Gaberdine that I'm making my Sewaholic Minoru out of, once I'd cut out all the coat pieces I had loads of fabric left over so I thought I'd try a skirt.....big mistake. It just really doesn't work it's way too stiff for a skirt plus it makes a really loud rustle noise when I move which is weird, so yeah sad face.

It's only saving grace is that it looks lovely when you hold still as the fabric really shows off the skirts beautiful shape plus it's great for twirling.....

........mmmmmm swirly twirly. This particular skirt is destined for the scrap pile (the enormous scrap pile that is threatening to swallow me.......really must get my quilting head on!) but there will definitely be more Flora skirts in my future.

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Toadstools and Terrariums

2015-01-19T02:28:00.000+00:00

Hey Peeps!

I hope everyone has had a lovely week? Mine was rather excellent (except for the sort of mini/half cold I had, in the mornings it felt like Man-Flu and by the afternoon I was fine again....oddness) because I finished off all my late Christmas presents. I know, I know Christmas presents are meant to be given on or before the 25th December but I ~~stupidly~~ wisely decided that I was making all mine last year (that feels so weird to say/type!). I started in October and everything would have been finished with plenty of time to spare if one stupid but essential item had turned up when it was promised.....not the next bloody year! Grrrr argh! Ah well it arrived last week et voilà eight finished presents. I shall be sending them all out this week which will hopefully brighten up a few dull Januarys.

I also managed to photograph some of my unblogged makes from last year (the making part is so much fun why is the photographing part such a pain......well not pain....it's the weather that's the pain!) so without further ado I give you the Toadstool Dress.....

......it's the Deer and Doe Belladone dress and I love it. The print is from Spoonflower on Kona cotton (I toyed with the idea of cotton/silk but I wanted this to be a casual dress) and it's beautiful my only regret is not ordering four yards. The pattern pieces fitted easily on to the three yards I did have but I couldn't really attempt any pattern matching, unfortunately it kinda looks like I did try and just failed but hey-ho you live and learn! If it really bugs me I could always get myself some more (MOAR) fabric and try again but I think for now I'll live. The dress itself came together really well, this is the second time I've made it (the first was for Small Girl Type Creature and it was in an awesome Star Wars print) I had to make my usual adjustments to the bodice.....

.......a FBA and adding length. I did a little tweaking with the help of Mama (I muslined this out in Saudi Arabia) to the back pieces as I was getting a little gape above the cutout, I think I could adjust those a little more next time though and there will be a next time. I love the bodice and the waistband and the pockets the only thing I'm not sure about is the skirt shape on me, I like it but I'm so used to huge circle skirts that this one feels a bit restrictive!

All in all I would have to say that despite the few little errors in this dress it is a favourite and has been worn a fair few times since I finished it. I really must like it as I'm thinking that I'll use at least the bodice/waistband pattern as my bridesmaid dress for Baby Bothers wedding later this year! That is of course after I've finished making the brides dress, the other bridesmaids dress, the grooms waistcoat and possibly something for Mama too (EEEK!) what have I gotten myself in to?

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Christmas Presents & Hobbycraft Goodness!

2015-01-13T18:25:00.000+00:00

Hey Peeps!

So my final pressie arrived last weekend and I thought I'd make a ~~quick~~ video of all my loot.....to ~~show off~~ share and of course to say thank you to everyone that treated me this year. It's taken this long to upload to YouTube because of the terribly slow internet where I live......which is basically in the 1990's......no jokes, I have a hamster upstairs in a wheel powering the dial up modem!

I hope you enjoy me rambling on and if you make it all the way to the end.....congratulations....not quite sure how it ended up being that long.....although the aforementioned rambling might have had a little something to do with it! How lucky was I, so many lovely gifts. I hope you were all just as spoilt.

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