Cape revamped

I made this cape last year - you can find the blog here link .  I wore it a lot, but I was never very happy with the hood or the belt.  Then earlier this year I lost one of the buttons and didn't have a replacement. 

I found some fur fabric and cream cotton to make a new collar and lining, and some rather nice buttons left over from a suit that I made.

I wanted to make the belt neater.  The fabric is very thick and the tie belt didn't sit well.  I couldn't find a proper buckle the right size but I found these two large gold rings that I bought for bag making, together they were just right.

and here it is.  

I just need to knit the slouchy beret and the long fingerless gloves from the yarn I bought on Sunday.

Of bags and berries

Here's a picture of the bag I made my friend. She was thrilled with it.

and these are the blackberries and elderberries that we collected on Friday lunchtime when we went on an impromtu berry collection , unfortunately we were only armed with my rather small lunchbox so the cache wasn't huge. They are now safely stowed away in my Freezer with a few that were collected last week. When I have a few more I will make my blackberry, elderberry and apple jelly - if I can get it to set. I think the vibes are all wrong in my house this year, none of my jam is setting well. Even the apple and ginger jelly that I made earlier hasn't set properly and that always sets.

I'm just about to order some lining fabric. I'm planning to make a walking cape from some thick black coat fabric that I was given a few years ago. There isn't much of it but I have had the cape pattern quite a few years (at one time I made a tartan version!) and I suddenly realised that there was enough black material to make a cape, but I don't have any lining so I will need to buy some. I have found a zip salvaged from a fleece top about four years ago and some buttons from an old cardi, so the lining is all I will need to buy.

Oh I nearly forgot to add that I had my hair cut into a neat 1920's style layered graduated bob. It had been getting quite long and with the 'new' wavy hair I was beginnng to resemble Crystal Tips. The cut was suposed to help me make it lie straight like it used too, but I can only acheive this with hairdryers and straightener's - neither of which I use (and I don't even own straigtheners). So my hair is still wavy and is now a little bit to short, but quite cute and very me!