Victoria and Albert Museum Fabric by Rowan

I loved the few pieces of Victoria and Albert fabric that I bought at Suppose so much, but the fabric is so hard to find online.  I turned to Etsy and found a few sources and ordered about 8 or 9 yards (including these designs)!  You can find some at the adorably-named FlyingBulldogs Etsy shop here.

Sewing!

I got a new sewing machine, and I've been putting it to good use!  My first project was a tie for my husband.  (Pattern from the Purl here.)

Then I made some of these cute travel Kleenex pouches.  (Pattern from A Spoonful of Sugar here.)

This little pattern was so great that I was able to adapt it for other pouches!  I made this little Swiss dot pouch for my phone.

And then I made one for my Kindle out of some of the fabulous Victoria and Albert fabric from Rowan.

Cabinet Houses

I had not heard of cabinet houses before discovering Liberty's new collection.  They are fascinating little doll houses and miniature rooms made in cabinets in the 1700s and 1800s.  Here are some great examples.  The first is called the Killer Cabinet (named for the owner) from the Victoria and Albert Museum.  The other two examples are from the Rijksmuseum.  Such a fun idea.

The Ardabil Carpet

We visited the Victoria and Albert Museum last May, and we were fascinated by the diverse collection.  We were not impressed by their lack of guidebooks, though.  (It is understandable considering the vastness of their collection, though...)  Anyway, my husband recently found a book at the library that's a pretty good overview of the V&A - from the '70s.  It reminded me of the amazing things that we saw there.  One incredible piece is the Ardabil Carpet.  It was woven in the 1530s as one of a pair.  They were sold in the late 19th century, and one was used to patch the other.  William Morris viewed the more complete carpet in 1892 and urged the museum to purchase it.  It is gigantic - and fragile.  It is only lit for 10 minutes at a time on the hour and half-hour.

V&A Jewellery

Rooms 91-93 at the V&A are full of jewellery (as the Brits call it).  The collection is fascinating.  They had some pieces, like this brooch, that belonged to Jane Morris - the wife of William Morris.  Below is a sample of some of the other objects.  Tony liked the really sparkly things, like this tiara (bottom).

British Textiles: 1700 to the Present

When we were at the V&A Museum, I found this great book: British Textiles: 1700 to the Present.  It was large and hardcover and expensive, so I didn't get it.  (But it's a lot less expensive on Amazon... so I'll have to save my money!)  It's edited by Linda Parry, the textiles expert, and it looks like a fantastic reference.

Strawberry Thief Watering Can

I saw this watering can at TJ Maxx the other day and thought that it was fabulous. It is made by Navigate using William Morris's Strawberry Thief pattern (from the Victoria and Albert Museum, who, by the way, have a super online shop). Navigate has a whole line of cute gardening stuff. It's getting to be that time of year!

The Flowers of the Fields of France

A week or so ago I attended at lecture at NIU given by Christopher Breward, Head of Research at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. He talked about British design from 1948-2012. They are preparing an exhibit that will run during the London Olympics in 2012. It was a fascinating discussion. Here is one of the items that may be on display for the exhibit: a state evening dress worn by Queen Elizabeth II on a visit to Paris in 1957. It's called "The Flowers of the Fields of France." Lovely.