Thursday 21 October 2010

Sew It - The Holly Sleep Mask

It was a few weekends ago now, while spending the day watching Audrey Hepburn films (and generally avoiding doing anything that could be considered as useful) that I was reminded of the wonderfully eccentric sleep mask that Audrey wears in 'Breakfast at Tiffany's'.

After spending a dreary bank holiday in a, cold and very damp tent in Norfolk, lying wide awake by 5.30am every morning due to the light streaming through the thin layer of canvas, I realised I need a sleep mask so that I could stay sound asleep and warm for as long as possible.


Having been obsessed by the sleep mask Audrey Hepburn wears in 'Breakfast at Tiffany's' since I was a child I decided to make The Holly Sleep Mask. The Pattern is definitely inspired by, rather than a copy of the mask Audrey wears, but is just as fabulous and best of all is really easy to make plus it will bring a touch of Glamour to even the coldest of mornings.


~ The Holly Sleep Mask ~

The Butterfly Balcony - Holly Golightly Sleep Mask


Ingredients: 
The template Found Here
Outer Fabric - I used a cheap blue satin. 
Matching thread 
1" x 24" wide strip of Fabric or length of ribbon (for the ties) 
Padding - Thick Felt, fleece or wadding 
1/2 Meter of Brocade, Ric Rac or Ribbon 

    The Ties
    1. Cut your fabric to 1"x 24". Fold in half (right-sides together) and give a blast with the iron.

    2. Sew down the length and across both ends.

    3. Fold the fabric in half (each tie will be 12" long) and cut across the fold.

    4. Using a blunt pencil or the back end of a knitting needle, turn each tie the right-way out.

    5. Stitch over the raw end to stop it fraying inside the mask once attached.

    The Mask
    1. Fold your outer fabric in half (right-sides together) and give it a quick blast with the iron, this is really useful when using a shiny fabric such as satin as it build up a bit of static which, stops it slipping around as much.

    The Butterfly Balcony - Holly Golightly Sleep Mask
    Padding Pinned to Outer Fabric

    2. Pin the pattern to the fabric and cut making your cut line a little larger than the pattern by aprox. 1/2 cm.

    3. Pin and cut out the padding fabric cut this to the same sizes as the pattern.

    4. Keeping the two outer pieces right sides together pin the padding fabric on to the top.

    The Butterfly Balcony - Holly Golightly Sleep Mask5. Stitch around the edge of the padding fabric leaving a gap on the left and right sides (this is where the straps will go).

    6. Trim the outer fabric close to the sewn line and then zig zag around the edge, following the same line as the straight stitching.

    The Butterfly Balcony - Holly Golightly Sleep Mask
    Gap left to turn right-side out


    7. As carefully as possible, turn the mask the right way out, try avoid pulling too much as it may fray the outer fabric.

    8. Insert the raw end of each side strap in to the gap, turn the edges in so that you have a smooth edge and pin closed.

    9. Sew over the gap either by hand or on the machine - the brocade will cover this stitching so it wont be visible.

    10. Pin your brocade around the front of the mask starting at the nose arch. Once you have got back to where you started, leave a small bit to tuck under to stop it fraying.

    The Butterfly Balcony - Holly Golightly Sleep Mask
    Pined and ready to be hand sewn.
    11. Hand sew your brocade to your mask with a matching thread. Making sure that the ends are tucked in neatly then your done!


    If you did want to make your mask more like the original, I am sure it would be quite easy to do, following the same pattern but using a light blue felt for the main fabric, use felt triangles for the eyelids with a large glass beads underneath and use gold Ric Rac for the brows and trim!!

    Now your ready to sleep in till noon and then have your breakfast (well lunch) at Tiffany's!!

    Wendy x

    Wednesday 6 October 2010

    Take a Time Machine to the Twenties

    I was completely blown away when I saw this film clip on YouTube and just had to share. It is a test reel taken in 1922 and filmed in Kodachrome. It is just beautiful to watch and gives us a rare colour glimpse in to the past.


    The first actress on the reel is Hope Hampton who is coquettishly modelling costumes from the silent film The Light in the Dark (1922)also known as The Light of Faith which contained the first commercial use of Two-Color Kodachrome. You can watch or download it for free from here!

    Hope Hampton
    Next up is Mary Eaton, she was a leading was stage actress, singer, and dancer in the 1910's and 1920's who enjoyed success in the stage production of the Ziegfeld Follies.

    Mary Eaton (Photo from Here)
    The Last Actress on the reel is Mae Murray who appears ethereal in a wonderful silk dressing gown.
    Murray was a multi-talented woman she was actress, dancer, film producer, and screenwriter. Murray rose to fame during the silent film era and was known as The Girl with the Bee-Stung Lips and also The Gardenia of the Screen.

    Mae Murry (Photo from Here)
    Until next time!
    Wendy x

    Saturday 2 October 2010

    Things To Make & Do - A Quick Catch Up

    I have had a hectic few weeks at work due to organising our company's annual event at the Imperial War Museum Duxford - I work for a model bus company and every year we help sponsor Showbus which is a bus rally held at the museum. Having worked all of last weekend, it is only now that I have found the time and energy to update you all on all the things I have managed to cross off my to-do list over the last few weeks.

    Firstly, it was the 1st Birthday of Keira, my friend Christine's little girl. I decided to make her, her very own version of the Teddy Bear that I have made for her cousins Willow and Emily.


      Due to the lack of time, I decided for the first time to stitch it where possible on the sewing machine, I would normally hand sew as I feel I can make it neater, This actually worked really well and saved me loads of hours of painstaking hand stitching. I also decide to make him a little more individual, so I trimmed his nose a little bit more than I normally would, this worked well, though I got a bit carried away and he does have a small bald patch! oops!!



    Next to be finished was the George cushion for my God Daughter Willow. This was promised to her on her 2nd birthday when I gave her the Peppa Pig one, luckily being only two she didn't hold it against me that it has taken four months to finish.

    And last, but by no means least, is the Debonair Jumper . After a few weeks putting off finishing the last sleeve, I have finally sewed all the bits together and have my very first self-made jumper.  I hope to wear it very soon, but have to confess I am a little scared in case I ruin it ,or catch it on something, as it has had a lot of time and work put into it, I would be heartbroken to spoil it!


    I have spent the day whilst typing up this being very lazy and watching lots of Audrey Hepburn films. Which has given me an idea for an Audrey-inspired post, so watch this space!!

    Wendy x