A link laden post for you...

These are some of my daughter's old pencil cases - we've decided to write the year and her teacher for that time inside them as a keepsake of a school year. I hadn't realised that she'd been saving them when she brought them home at the end of the summer term, but it's lovely that she has. I'm imagining that years later seeing them will transport her back to a particular classroom at a particular time in her life and open up a box of memories of topics taught, projects undertaken and friendships made. Yesterday we went and picked some fabric for her next pencil case. There will be NO PINK this time. She chose small print blues and greens by Tilda...although when we were on our way out of the shop we spotted some Kate Spain and both wished we'd seen that first. However, I love the zip that she chose to go with the Tilda fabrics - in reality its a far more zingy green than it appears to be in these photos.

Pencil cases aside, a stack of links that I've been wanting to share with you has now built up:

• I read on the Sew Tessuti blog last week that Stylish Dress Book 1 has now been produced in English. For anyone who's always wanted to try out some Japanese dress patterns, but been intimidated by the lack of instruction this might be exciting news, especially if you live in Australia near Tessuti. I haven't seen in it in England yet, but I'll let you know if I spot it. 

• Have you seen these amazing leafy table runners, the pattern for is featured in this issue of Fat Quarterly? I've fallen in love with the rich simplicity of both the shapes and colours. I'd added them to my Pinterest boards last week, but hadn't had a chance to look into who they were created by, so it was a lovely surprise this week when Alex of Teaginny Designs contacted me this week to say that she had just finished making a sleeping bag from my Three Bears' Sleeping Bag pattern and on scrolling down her blog I found she was the maker of the much admired leaves.
  

• In the last few weeks, it's finally clicked for me with Pinterest - I now understand why others love it so much. When I glanced at my own boards for Style and Dressmaking Inspiration the other day, I was struck by what a true reflection of taste these boards are too. As in life, I have subconsciously homed in on things that are navy or yellow...or a delicious combination of the two. The fullness of the dressmaking and quilting boards also speaks volumes to me about where my interests currently lie when it comes to sewing.

• Appealing to the aforementioned obsession with the colour navy, Kate now how some delicious Amy Butler wale cord in her shop, which makes me think of cooler weather dressmaking.

• For those of you who have been following along with my adventures in making several Miz Mozelle dresses and who are considering making their own, then you might be interested to see Vanessa's lovely version and to read her thoughts on its fitting issues.

• I saw this insanely lovely quilt on A Life in Lists a few weeks ago - couldn't you get lost in the detail of every single hexagon? Jo gives full quilt-along details in the post, but I'll also link here to the quilt's creator, Lizzie Broderie, as her blog is new to me and it's a treat. She is wonderfully talented and the inspiration she provides is overwhelming (both in its loveliness and in its ability to produce envy at her stitching capabilities).

• Finally, I've just started reading Gertie's sew-along posts for Stitch Magic at Melanie Falick. Have you bought a copy of Stitch Magic: Sculpting Fabric with Stitch or seen between the covers at the bookshop? I'd love to know what you think as I'm considering popping it into my Amazon basket. The Melanie Falick blog is new to me, but it was quickly added to my feedreader as there's lots going on, including an interesting post here about learning to design a fabric with Heather Ross in anticipation of her forthcoming book.

Right, I'll stop there due to fears that you might get a repetitive mouse-clicking strain injury as a result of reading this post.

Wishing you a happy Thursday,

Florence x