Stuttgart.

The four of us set of from Stasbourg on the 12md train to leave France and enter Germany to travel to Stuttgart, so that we may visit the Mercedes Benz museum and pick up our E class Mercedes hire car.
We arrived early afternoon, checked into our hotel, then back onto the subway to go out to Esslinton for the Xmas and medieval markets.

 As it is winter in Europe it is dark from 4.30pm and not light until 0830hrs os the days are short and trying to fit everything in to daylight is difficult, so a lot of evening photos have been taken.

The markets are all very pretty and beautifully decorated, but they are all beginning to look the same.

Essenglin also had the medieval markets so this market was special.

Everyone was enjoying this bread on a stick which also has rosemary in the dough

This gentleman was selling menthol and fanning it with real wings of a bird

A great collection of old buttons, I did purchase a few special ones

This was a great little game, you bet on the mouse to go intro into your picked house number, it cost 3 euro and if the mouse picks your house you get a toy one, very innovative and a good way to make a quick buck.

The local apothecary 

Leather masks

Overall our visit to Stuttgart was brief, as it is an industrial town, but as informed by my brother our GGGf was from this area, as we have German in our ancestral tree.
The visit was for the Mercedes Benz museum and to pick up our hire care, off to Bamberg.

Fun with altering a mans shirt

Recently whilst browsing Pinterest, "How to alter a mans shirt "was posted by www.moldesedicasmoda.blogspot.pt, pinned by Patchwork Fundamentals, my mind went into overdrive and I thought how great it looked. As if I, have not enough to do, in the midst of organising a quilt show as a fundraiser for Staffy Rescue, I set out alter a shirt that my son was tossing out.

My sons shirt, before the alteration

Sleeves cut off to a 3/4 length and lace sleeves added.

Pockets and tabs removed to re relocated.

Shirt front buttonhole tabs removed, 

A piece of decorative fabric inserted for pin tucks .

Pin tucks need to be inserted to help align the neckline.

Front of shirt.

Cut of the bottom of the shirt, leave the buttonhole tabs.

After shirt bottom fabric has been removed, with buttonhole tabs left intact. 

Front of shirt after bottom removed.

Coordinating fabric gathered and sewn to bottom of shirt, finishing off behind the button tabs.

Next the collar removed to form the neckline 

Collar removed

Zigzag around the rough edges of neckline.

Pin tucks inserted at top near neckline.

A decorative lace for an attractive collar.

What I have achieved so far.

Pockets relocated to waistline.

? Decorative button placement, love this fabric and kitty's.

Buttons removed

And glass buttons from my button collection sewn onto shirt.

The finished product, only one kitty button used and relocated, as the large buttons dragged down the pockets, kitty button relocated to lace motif.

Relocation of kitty button.

All in all this alteration took a few days to complete, I am not sure if I will attempt another one, but will enjoy wearing my creation.

We only have 1 weeks to go before Heathton Creations Quilt show, hope to see you all at our event and we raise some well needed funds for our furry friends.

Our banner is on display

Gardens mulched and now for the rain to stop.

See you all soon.

Wearable Handmade

 

For some time now I have been wanting to make a jacket with an assortment of different fabrics and add buttons

and unusual motifs that I have collected on my journeys. With the help of my very good friend Sandy, this was made possible. I made some fabric from an assortment of patchwork, dress and furnishing fabrics and Sandy made the jacket for me. 

 

 

A closer view of  the buttons used.

Overall a great effort from us both and very comfortable to wear. A number of generous comments from the crowds at the recent quilt show in Sydney.