Spring/Summer 2014 bags and purses.

Spring/Summer 2014 bags and purses.

The Casa del Duende website has been updated to include a selection of new traditional Japanese knot bags and purses. They are all up cycled from vintage kimonos or fabric with have been ethically sourced and each piece is a unique one-off.

The full selection is available on www.houseofelf.com . Have a look around and you may be able to pick up a special gift for your Mum on Mothering Sunday or just treat yourself!

This season I have been looking at embellishing the bag shape, to date I have added frills, buttons and added embroidered appliqué  They have been well received and were a favourite at the Landmark show that I have recently attended. Below are a selection of the bags that have been added;

Casa del Duende official website

The Casa was launched as a 'proper' business in October 2013 and starting trading via a website that i designed myself - http://www.houseofelf.com  Have a look around and see what's on offer for Autumn/Winter 2013/14.

Dress a girl around the world

Earlier this year I read an article by Sew Scrumptious at http://sewscrumptious.blogspot.co.uk and as I had just got a sewing machine i thought that it would be great to take part and make a couple of dresses.    Then I promptly forgot about it until a friend gave me a bag of fabric; the fabric wasn't stuff that I would normally make anything out of but it was perfect to make some little dresses with.

So that's what I did - it has been my first major project on my new sewing machine and after a period of hating the machine and swearing at it for ages I have managed to change the thread on the bobbin (the first dresses all had red thread as I couldn't figure out how to change it nicely!) I have made ten dresses now and see below. Please note that there are no close up in case my sewing friends notice any flaws!

I plan to carry on making these dresses so if any of you have any fabric that you don't want or has been sitting in the wardrobe for years, please send it to me. Please contact me through this blog or Facebook. I am going to India on Tuesday and it is eye opening to see real poverty and it makes you realise just how lucky you are and how much we have.

My lovely new model

Meet Nick, who is sporting some of Casa del Duende's wares. I had to wait several months as he was very busy with his other assignments... 

Seriously, things are hotting up and I am working on a new project and will launch it in the next few weeks. There will be regular updates and I have got a lovely trip to India to look forward to!

Opps; been a bit off the radar lately...

Hello November, I am back after a wee little break. Mr. Dalton and I have had our first period of time together for years and we have been doing nice things like fixing up the house, going on little holidays and having fun!

Here are some snaps of the things that we have been up too...

Mr. Dalton having a little rest at the place that we stayed in in Kandy.

Some horrid monkeys picking each others bottoms. This type of monkey are the ones that launched the attack on me. Pah, I showed them!

Mr. Vettori how caused me to be interested in cricket. Please don't retire yet!

Daniel Dalton in his work environment and looking very much like a film star!

The Tooth Temple in Kandy

Afternoon in Colombo

Colombo is amazing and the people who live here are so cool and friendly. Mr. Dalton and myself took a lovely stroll down the prom...

You can't imagine just how blooming hot and humid it was.