Check out the photos on my Instagram page of some the items I’ve recently made. - http://instagram.com/madebynomes
Custom made “Party Waistcoats”
Handmade Party Blazer
Some items are for sale through my online shop - www.MadeByNomes.etsy.com
On Saturday 23rd November, IWAP is hosting a charity Christmas Market in Prague at the Diplomat Hotel (Evropska 15, Dejvice, Prague, CZ). 10am – 4pm.
Proceeds benefit the charities Amelie and DOM.
Free entry and goodies for sale include (but not limited to) delicious baked goods, new & used books, Christmas gifts, toys, handmade crafts, wine, homewares, bric-a-brac, jewellery and much more.
I have been busy in my sewing studio making a few things to donate to the market. I hope to make a some more things if I have time in the coming 2 weeks.
purses / pencil case/ make up pouch / ipod case …. a small bag to hold your things 
Christmas stocking and xmas gift tags
And I’m planning to make some delicious baked goodies … maybe some meringues, brownies or choc chip cookies (these cookies are listed on my recipe page). YUMM!
If you’re in Prague and looking for some unique Christmas gifts, I hope you can stop by the Diplomat Hotel on Saturday the 23rd November 2013. 10am – 4pm. For more information about the Christmas Market visit the IWAP website.
blue, brown yellow double sided shweshwe fabric from Durban, SA
green, blue black double sided shweshwe fabric
The arrival of the indigo cloth emerged after the 1652 establishment of a seaport at the Cape of Good Hope. Natural indigo dye was obtained from the Indigofera Tinctoria plant.
In its raw form, the 100% cotton fabric was heavily starched in order to protect it from the damp as it travelled across the ocean in the holds of ships sailing between Europe and Africa. The Xhosa were the first to adopt the fabric from the settlers and they soon began adapting it to give it the uniquely African feel that it retains to this day. It was the Xhosa women who gave it the name “Shweshwe”, imitating the swishing sound of their skirts as they walked.
Original Shwe Shwe carries a watermark on the back and is now available in a large variety of colours – blue, red, brown, aqua, green. Some of the ranges available are: Three Cats, Three Leopards, Fancy Prints, Coral Tree and Toto Shweshwe.
Shweshwe has a distinctive prewash stiffness and smell due to the starch which was previously used to preserve the fabric. Shweshwe fabric fades with washing in a manner similar to denim.
More information: http://www.shweshwe.co.za/story.html
http://stylefabrics.co.za/?page_id=73
And here are a few of the special things I have made out of South African sourced ShweShwe.
Madiba cushion covers
African shwe shwe blue fitted mini skirt
I was given this Madiba Shweshwe fabric almost a year ago and I really wanted to make something special out of it.
After a few measurements and plans, I decided to create 2 cushion covers. To make the most use of the fabric, I cut 1 length of fabric for each cushion -50cm x 100cm. Added an invisible zip on the 50cm length side and then stitched together the 2 side seams. Total sewing time less than 1 hour.
The zip will be either at the top or bottom of the cushion, depending of how the cushion is placed on sofa. Front and back of cushion are the same print (but one is upside down)
Ta da! Don’t these look great!
Madiba cushion covers
Finished dimensions of cushion cover 48cm x 48cm – suitable for 50cm x 50cm cushion.
My boy calls me a hoarder, but I don’t think I am. I’m happy to depart with items of no use, clothing that is too small but when it comes to my fabric. Well that’s a different story! I find it very difficult to throw away any remnants and smalls pieces left over after cutting out a pattern, as I know I will find a good use for them, no matter how small. so here are a few things I have been constructing to make use of those fabric scraps.
I drafted a pattern for a luggage tag to use up some of the “bigger” scraps of fabric.
I used the instructions from Stitch and Hem Blog - but the size pattern sizes were too big. Below are my pattern sizes for making a tag for standard business cards.
You will need fabric, interfacing, plastic/vinyl, elastic or ribbon
pattern for fabric luggage tags
luggage tags
New key fob for my house keys
Cut 2 pieces of fabric – 3 inches x 2 inches. Add interfacing, length of ribbon and keyring
fabric key fob
Fabric covered tags for my handmade items
Cut and glue fabric to craft luggage tags (see previous post about swing tags )
Fabric covered swing tag
Fabric ribbon
2 inches wide fabric, join widths to make desired length. Fold in the sides, and fold in half (to hide the raw edges), top stitch. Ta da!
Perfect for wrapping up gifts
Fabric scraps made into fabric ribbon
As I have a few more hours “free time” during the day, I’ve been planning sewing and craft projects. I’ve had a couple of busy weeks sewing items for my Etsy shop, and I still feel like there isn’t enough hours in the day. So many plans…. never enough time to get them finished!
So my plans for the next 2 weeks are:
- create a couple of interesting purses using this fabulous South African Shwe Shwe fabric to sell on Etsy – MadeByNomes.Etsy.com
Red Shwe-Shwe fabric
- Design and plan the construction of my first ever patchwork quilt using this beautiful Liberty fabric, which I bought in London before I moved to Prague. It looks as though I will have enough fabric for a single bed cover … so hopefully it wont take me months to complete!
liberty print bundle for patchwork quilt
- Buy some modge podge (or is it mod podge? somewhere in Prague …Any ideas??!) and cover these boards with some interesting tribal or geometric fabric. Yellow doesn’t really work in my apartment
Wooden boards to be covered in fabric
- Create a wrap around skirt pattern (or something similar) for a reversible skirt. I have doubled sided Shwe-Shwe fabric that I think would look great if both sides could be seen and worn.
green, blue black double sided shweshwe
- Sew a cushion cover using this Shwe-shwe Madiba fabric. I’d like to find a complementary fabric to use on the back, and have Madiba’s face just on the front.
Madiba shwe-shwe fabric from SA
And here is something I finished today -
Appliquéd hippo on a cushion cover. It’s so cute. I think I’ll give this cushion cover away as a birthday gift next month
I’ve also started taking pictures of fabric and products I like and putting them on Instrgram.
Made By Nomes 
Goodbye London … Hello Prague.
I’ve been living in Prague now for almost 2 weeks. The time has flown by! I’ve spend my time exploring the city and trying to get to know the place from the perspective of someone who lives here, rather than a tourist visiting.
Our furniture and boxes are still in storage, and wont arrive for another 2 weeks. It’s strange to be without some many loved items. I’m missing my sewing machine and sewing paraphernalia, especially as I have free time when I could be doing lots of sewing! So if I can’t sew, I should start investigating where I can buy fabric and other sewing items.
Step one – English to Czech translation of fabric, sewing machine, haberdashery, textiles
Step two – Research and translate websites from Czech to English
Step three – handful of metro tickets, iPhone with Google Maps and comfy shoes for a day of walking around the city.
TIP: I love taking photos with my iPhone as the photo stores GPS location, so I can always find my way back to the shop!
Here are some of the shops I found so far.
Textil Forum – Uruguayská 416/11 120 00 Prague 2-Vinohrady – http://www.textilforum.cz/
These next 2 are opposite sides of the road on Moravska.
Latky Galanterie – corner of Budescka and Moravska – Vinohrady. Prague 2
Látky Červený a spol – Budečská 1026/14 120 00 Prague 2-Vinohrady. http://www.latky-cerveny.cz/
inside Látky Červený a spol
Šicí Centrum Haišman -
Na Poříčí 1758/14
New Town, 110 00 Prague
sicicentrum.cz
Bytovy Textil inside Kotva Dept Store – Náměstí Republiky
I’m looking to purchase an Overlocker but I’m having great difficulty finding a dealer in Prague. Any suggestions?
Do you know of a fabric shop I haven’t found … please let me know.
Check out my online shop for handmade clothing and gifts Made By Nomes Etsy
Thanks, Nomes. x
***Amendment: ***
Here are a list of a few more fabric and craft shops. Thanks to everyone who got in touch.
www.madebynomes.etsy.com online shop will be closed for 6-8 weeks (from June 1st to mid-July 2013) as I am moving house and my sewing machine is getting packed away.
Be sure to find me on Facebook to stay up to date with news and adventures – www.facebook.com/MadeByNomes
or I can be contacted at naomi[at]madebynomes.com
Here is a selection of items, some of which are available in my shop (subject to change – some items may have already been sold)
African print messenger bags for kids
size 4 ruffle skirt. Liberty print fabric
green, blue black double sided shweshwe group fabric
