Remember those Trays?

Here is what I made ...

Little Miss, EPNS, printed tin, brass, 7x4cms (brooch)

And here is how I made her ...

Firstly, I drew up a design, cut it out and stuck it onto a piece of deconstructed tray.

Then I whipped out the trusty jewellers saw and carefully cut out around my pattern. How do you like my "action" shot?

And here she is - basically done - a bit more sawing required, followed by a lot of filing and polishing but at this point I can tell I am gonna like her ... It took me a fair amount of fussing about to get the dress pattern just right. Also, given the size of my scrap tin collection I was a bit surprised it took me as long as it did to find a suitable piece. I tried tartan, I tried a retro pattern, I tried a lacey pattern. In the end I realised that it was actually a matter of scale. The size of the pattern on the tin needed to suit the size of the brooch! Duh! 

The silhouette of the figure was based on an illustration from this book ...

This gem, printed in 1961 promises to demonstrate "quick easy professional ways to simplify home sewing" . It includes handy tips such as "Style details with braid" and has a whole chapter devoted to "Accessories and wardrobe planning" which begins: 

"Making an attractive costume is only one part of being smartly dressed. Accessories - suitable belt, butttons, trimmings, a becoming hat, correct handbag and shoes, attractive jewellery - also contribute to the smart fashionable look of an ensemble"

Do you suppose Birkenstocks count as "correct" shoes? It is a great book full of wonderful illustrations and I used one from the "Sewing for children" section as the basis for my brooch. In the foreword, the editor says that the books primary objective is "...to encourage women to sew, and experience the rewards of this creative hobby." Well it didn't make me want to break out the sewing machine, but I suspect the editor would be pleased to know that all these years later the book has inspired another creative pursuit. Don't you?