A Work In Progress

It's been a busy few weeks in the studio as I'm getting the new Spring-Summer collection together. I would have shared the new prints with you sooner but my laptop decided at this most crucial moment to pack up completely.
Sadly this means you'll have to make do with some not so great photos taken on my phone, rest assured there will be better pictures soon!

From front to back; Milla,  Maddsie,  Thorpe, Meadow,  Mitsi.
All shown here as the reef knot tab bracelet I introduced for Valentines Day.

Keep your eyes on my Facebook page as I'll be taking pre-orders soon at a special discount before I list them all on Etsy.

www.facebook.com/bunnybosworth

Autumn-Winter Collection Is Here!

Hello again! It's been a while I know, but I've been squirrelled away in my work room getting my new collection ready, and finally it's all listed in my Etsy shop!
I've previewed it on my Facebook page, and at the few markets I've had recently and it's been very well received, so I'm super excited to make it available to everyone now. The prints I've picked for this collection are perfect for the cooler weather and longer nights, lots of dark florals, warm reds, plum, navy, and popping yellow and cerise for a flash of colour. I'm also very pleased to have collaborated with my friend Alex on the photo's for the new collection, I'm sure you'll agree the product shots are perfect, and I can't wait to show you all the lifestyle shoot, so watch this space!

Reef Knot Cuff in Elysian

Josephine Knot Cuff in Ros

Eight Knot Bracelet in Mirabelle

Reef Knot Bracelet in Thorpe

Re-designed for A/W - Josephine Knot Bracelet in Milla.

Hoop Drop Earrings in Thorpe

Knot Drop Earrings in Milla

Button Stud Earrings in Ros

Eight Knot Necklace in Thorpe

Reef Knot Necklace in Ros

Eight Knot Pendant in Elysian

Josephine Knot Necklace in Mirabelle

And if last season's brights are more your thing they're still available through Etsy with 40% off!

Making Plans

My studio suffers from an abundance of dress patterns, all safely stored away in an old filing cabinet, and of fabric, which is less safely shoved on a very bowed set of shelves for all the world to see. Fortunately there is one very simple solution to this problem; MAKE THINGS. Here is what I am thinking so far...

A Hazel dress by Colette in a retro floral cotton.

Some sort of pajama-y/night dress/shorts thing in these Tana Lawns I was given for Christmas.

 I've got loads of this poly-cotton madras fabric so potentially a cheongsam style dress altered from this pattern, and..

A 50s style shirtwaister using this Burda repro pattern.

Still not decided on this one, I LOVE the fabric, and am thinking a peplum top in a similar style to this dress. Or maybe a skirt? Or something else entirely?

 Possibly a blouse in this green print chiffon, although there's about 3m of it, so I could do a full dress?

 I got a copy of Drape Drape ages ago and haven't made anything from it yet so hopefully this navy stripe jersey will become a lovely dress like this one.

 And this blue and grey jersey might get the Drape Drape treatment too, maybe with a bit of contrast trim, or a printed yoke section.

For once I've been a good dressmaker and washed all my fabrics first, with varying success, that blue jersey is VERY blue and it's not afraid to share it. No major disasters, just might need to get some colour run remover next time I'm in town...

So, what's on your sewing pile? 

Sale Now On

Having a bit of a clearance over at my Etsy shop, with 20% off all the individual Autumn-Winter prints (not including gift sets or the Valentines range.)

When it's gone it's gone, but don't worry as there will be new Spring-Summer designs coming very soon....

A Valentines Collection

I've just finished listing a small collection of new pieces especially for Valentine's Day (February 14th in case you were wondering) and yes, you're right, that is my birthday too! How good of you to remember!

I've chosen another version of Capel for these pieces, the bright red one which I've been lusting after for some time now. It's a really true red which works brilliantly for V-Day.

I'm most excited about a couple of new designs I'm trying out, seeing which is most popular before I go into production on my Spring-Summer collection.

Both of them are based on a really simple figure of eight knot, this first one made of four knots in a symmetrical arrangement, suspended from chain either side.

 

 The second is more like my a-symmetric reef knot necklace, with the two knots extending into a continuous 'collar' which fastens with a clasp at the back.

 Which is your favourite? I'm leaning toward the first design, but I'm easily swayed, I'll definitely be taking one of them into next season's collection, and I've got some exciting new prints lined up for it too, so watch this space!

Back in the Swing of Things

After a month long immersion in the theatre world, followed by my sister's wedding and then a stinking cold, I have emerged on the other side, ploughing ahead with new work. Coming back to a studio with nothing but Christmas decorations in stock and having gotten to the end of all my 'good' fabrics (by no means the end of all my fabrics, that will take a few years yet) was more than a little disconcerting. It reminded me of Phillip Pullman's writing habits;

"I write three pages every day (one side of the paper only). That's about 1100 words. Then I stop, having made sure to write the first sentence on the next page, so I never have a blank page facing me in the morning."

I had come home to the BIGGEST blank page, and it took me bloody ages to write anything on it. For the first week I was just scribbling pictures in the margin and underlining the title 4 or 5 times, and the week after that I'd lost the page under a pile of snotty tissues. Thankfully I had some non-design tasks to get on with over the weekend, workshop planning and so on, which has given me a bit of momentum to get my act together today.

One useful thing I did achieve in my first week back was to choose a palette and shortlist some new prints to choose from for my A/W collection. I started with the colour trend report from Pantone, just so I wasn't trying to narrow down from an infinite selection of colours.

I have a feeling Etsy might reference the Pantone colour reports when they set the front page treasuries so it's a handy thing to keep an eye on. The other source I was working from is a still from a fantastic film by Wes Anderson.

If you haven't seen Moonrise Kingdom yet you really must, and if you have you should go and watch it again! Somewhere between these two things I have found my palette, and after much trawling of the site where I get my Tana Lawn I have chosen my prints.

 This first one is Tatum, a classic Liberty design that I haven't used before, the contrast between the dark purple ground and the acid yellow leaves is nice and fresh without being too summery.

I've been desperate to use Capel for a while now, I thought it would be good to have something a bit more solid in the mix and I think it'll really show off the detail in the knot jewellery.

 

This is a Betsy Ann, a smaller, less brash version of Betsy, full of nice stormy, autumnal tones.

This is a Claire Aude, another Liberty classic, but in a colour way I haven't used before, it's a bit softer than the other prints with some nice orangey leaf tones in it, I'd agree with my friend JM that it's a bit 1930's, no bad thing!

This last print is Nina Taylor, it's a seasonal design from the A/W 13 collection and was a last minute pick as I was searching for something with a bit more orange in it to tie the whole collection together, which this does perfectly. You should search the Nina Taylor print as there are some other beautiful colour ways available.

So now I'm waiting for everything to arrive before I can get making again, but if you are interested in ordering a piece of jewellery in any of these prints I am now taking orders over on my Facebook page at slightly discounted prices for the next two weeks. Just message my on FB with your contact details, the print you'd like and the style of necklace or bracelet and I can get started on it as soon as everything arrives, and it'll arrive in it's own Handmade by Bunny Bosworth gift box!

The Mini-est of Collections

This weekend sees the inaugural Summer Arts Market at St George's Hall in Liverpool. A two day event like the successful Winter Arts Market with over 100 artists and makers, craft classes and kids activities, I'm really looking forward to it.
For the occasion I have put together a tiny collection of Liberty print work, using up some Tana Lawn I've had in for a while and buying a minimum of supplies in. The prints are Mia's Island in a pale yellow, Strawberry Thief in navy with flashes of almost neon colours, and also sleep masks in a black print I have never been able to find out the name of, so if anyone can help me there... In total there are two a-symmetric necklaces, two josephine pendants, 2 josephine cuffs, 2 little josephine bracelets and two sleep masks in each print. 

 

When they're gone they're gone!