I wonder if you know the lovely world of Gudrun Sjoden? I’m a big fan and regular customer at their lovely online shop (good news, they have a real shop in London now too!). Today, by complete coincidence, I’m wearing a cosy & very flattering velour top I bought there, and tomorrow, when I go up to London, I will be wearing my gorgeous Gudrun dress – my go-to outfit when I want to feel comfy, confident but not too much one-of-the-crowd.
One of the reasons that I have chosen to buy from them is that I strongly identify with Gudrun Sjoden’s environmentally conscious aim to create clothes that have long-lasting quality and style. I like to try and buy quality and keep longer. I also ADORE the fact that the company uses women of all sizes and ages to model the clothes – it makes them feel like clothes for real people! But, most of all, it’s because I can’t resist the gorgeous colours and the folky style of the designs.
I was so delighted when Rachel, from the Gudrun PR team, got in touch to see if I would like some of their beautiful fabrics to work with and write about, because I have also long desired some of the beautiful, colourful, fabric and home textiles that they sell.
You’ll spot Gudrun’s twin design influences – nature, and Scandinavian traditions.
As soon as I saw these gorgeous grey home dec weight fabrics which Rachel sent, I thought I’d like to use them to make a bag. The grey chevrons (so fabulous) were crying out to be paired with this fantastic grey/black/teal floral:
The bag is based on this fab pattern at Skip to my Lou, but I have given it lots of extra structure with some fusible fleece, and added a teal-trimmed slip pocket on the outside, and a zip pocket on the inside. The bag is lined with the wonderful chevron patterned fabric, which I also wanted to show off on the slip pocket and the fastening tab.
I wanted to share my free-fabric good fortune with you lovely readers, so, who would like a bag?
Yep, this rather nice bag is up for grabs – just leave a comment on THIS post to say that you’d like it. If you like, you can tell me your favourite piece of clothing of the moment (or favourite EVER if you like), or you can go with the tried and tested ‘pick me!!’. I will do the draw for the winner next Thursday 21 February, so get your comment on the blog by late Wednesday… The giveaway is open to all, and I am very happy to post overseas….
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And while you’re here… I hope you don’t mind if I direct your attention to this page please? Gretel is a hugely talented craftsperson who is much in need of support just now… I wouldn’t normally include something like this in a frivolous giveaway post, but I wanted lots of people to see it….
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Guides to buying felt, linen, haberdashery, Liberty Lawn & organic/fair trade fabrics.
I love, love, love the gorgeous bag you’ve made! I thought I’d already commented but it appears not! Clothes have not been my friend of late, but thanks for the introduction to Gudrun Sjoden and I might just have a favourite dress of Sus & Dus jumping off their page at me
It’s good to see Funds for Gretel doing so well.
Love the fabrics in this bag, I particularly feel drawn to greys.
My favourite piece of clothing is my male long johns which I am wearing right now !!!
Pick Me xx Love the bag and my fav item of clothing is currently my purple corduroy shirt dress. My 2013 challenge is not to buy any ‘new’ clothes, so it was a fab find in my local charity shop
love the fabrics, so fun, can’t help to cheer you up
Is it too late? Pick Me Pick Me! LOL. My favourite clothing at the moment are my wool socks bought for me by my MIL for Christmas. Luxurious enough to justify them being my main present, and just toasty toasty without being too think to wear in normal boots. LOVE them.
Gorgeous bag, I love how you’ve paired the fabrics together. My favourite piece of clothing is my Animal fleece. Wearing it is like being snuggled up under my duvet, so I can have a “kind of” duvet day – with 3 kids I wish!
Would love to win xx
I love your bag. I have started reading lots if different blogs and really enjoy yours. I have recently been diagnosed with M.E and have decided to start making thing to keep me motivated while I am off work. Your blog helps give me inspiration. Thank you
Just found your blog – looks great. And would love the bag! (But probably a bit cheeky as I’ve literally only found it this evening!
What a stunning bag! Favorite piece of clothing is currently a flirty skirt: brown, lime green and bluish green floral/leaves with a brown ruffle on the underskirt — it makes me happy!
PICK ME PICK ME. I love it, seriously you did an awesome job. I wish i was better at sewing but i think i will stick to crochet
A very expensive coat from a rather well known and somewhat expensive UK catalogue. The first time I’ve had a coat that gts compliments, looks smart everywhere, and has the most fantastic print!
Pick me!
What a gorgeous bag! I don’t think I really have any favourite clothes at the moment, nothing fits quite right since I had my little boy almost 3 years ago! I do have a favourite pink scarf though
I hope you had a wonderful weekend in London. I absolutely love your bag. I am not talented enough to make bags yet but I always admire the ones you make. Thanks!
Like it? I abslutely LOVE it! the fabric is gorgeous and right up m y street. thanks for the oppotunity to win it.
My favourite all time dress was a wine coloured printed one which when worn with a ‘wonderbra’ gave me a lovely cleavage.. Couldn’t possibly get into either now lolxx
Loving the bag!:) my favourite piece of clothing is the party dress I wore recently:D
What a fabulous bag! I love the fabric you used!
My favorite piece of clothing is a red summer shirt that has lacing halfway up both sides of the shirt.
I love my cream cable cardigan at the moment, so so cosy! x
Brilliant Giveaway Ali – gorgeous work, perfect. My favourite item of clothing is my snuggly, warm dressing gown – so nice to put on at night and really snuggle up in it. I’m only small at 5ft 1″ ( every little helps) and a dress size 8-10 but my dressing gown is about 3 sizes bigger and a long length so it really does wrap round well. Thanks for the chance to enter xxxxxx
Pick me! Pick me!
Wow, double-wow and triple wow! Not only have you received the gorgeous fabric but you’ve made it into a wonderful bag AND you’re offering it as a giveaway.
I can’t think of one favourite piece of clothing I have but, like you, I prefer to buy quality to last (or second-hand), and I like to be comfortable and a little bit different.
Teresa x
this a lovely bag with a great pop of colour with the green my favourite top is a sloppy joe so comfy
Luverley bag!! Favourite clothing has to be my big cosy navy cardigan.
I would love to tell you about my favourite piece of clothing, but my clothes come from George, F&F and Primark! Oh to be rich…
Ohhhh please pick me!! This bag is everything that is cool about fabric and sewing and design. Yum yum! Oh and my fav piece of clothing is a pale green grotty old sweatshirt I bought in Canada a number of years ago. It is falling to bits but it is so comfy that I keep it and wear it when I need a hug!
I love it and can’t quite believe you’re not keeping it! It’s sad but at the moment my favourite piece of clothing are my long vest tops – perfect for wearing under tops in the winter and, for a change, they’re actually long enough to reach my hips! I’m looking for some more but can’t find any
(
The bag is awesome – we are so lucky to be given the chance to win it. Thanks so much!
I was thinking ‘Wow, I love this bag!’ and then came the chance to win it …
Love everything about this bag! Please pick me!
Beautiful fabrics. Gorgeous bag. I have a very favourite necklace at the moment…. Different shades, shapes and sizes of purple buttons, does that count?
That is one gorgeous bag and would go lovely with my grey coat
That’s gorgeous fabric, and you’ve done it justice by turning it into a fantastic bag.
Love, love, love the bag, especially with the teal accents. Thanks for sharing. My favourite item of clothing changes quite a lot. Presently it is a teal zip up onesie that my husband bought me for my birthday, I am quite happy just to live in it during the day too if I don’t intend to leave the house..
Beautiful bag, beautiful material.
great bag, lovely fabrics – generous prize.
My most loved item of clothing was a pair of clogs – bought in the 70′s (!) really high wooden base and red leather top with a white and yellow ‘fried egg’ on the front. I wore those shoes everywhere, they actually fell apart after several years, I was gutted.
What a fabulous material\bag combo. My favourite piece of clothing is a denim dungaree dress worn with wooly tights – your bag would look fantastic with it!!
What a fabulous bag/material combo. My favourite piece of clothing is a denim dungaree dress paired with lovely wooly tights – which would look fab with your bag!
Gorgeous fabric and you’ve made it into a fab bag. Would absolutely love to win it!
I think my favourite item of clothing I have at the moment is a Wombat jumper that is sadly slowly wearing out. I don’t want to stop wearing it though!
A truly beautiful bag that would look wonderful over MY shoulder!!!!
Pick me! Lovely bag Ali. My favourite bit of clothing is a long skirt in red and grey tweed I got from People Tree. I am shortly to be on a mission to get someone to copy it, as I don’t think I can do without it!
Lovely post – am about to go to the site to look. Beautiful bag (as always!). Have a great time in London.
I love this bag. It would be perfect to put all my new baby stuff in alongside mine. My favourite item of clothing at the minute s my hat because it’s so cold.
Bag is wonderful
Fav clothing at the moment – my long black cardi
Gorgeous bag, love it
I pinned this bag yesterday as I had already fallen in love with it. Gorgeous! Cannot believe you are giving it away, but happy to put my name in the hat for a chance to win.
Congratulations – you won the bag!
Love your bags and this one is fantastic! Faconite clothingrightnow is a heathery cowel that I can wear outdoors and in:D
I love it and had already been looking at fabric to make one after I’d seen yours. My favourite piece of clothing is probably my navy spotty jersey dress – always makes me feel happy when I see it.
This bag is so gorgeous and would love to have it or any of the stuff you make for that matter!
I love all your work Ali!
Everything is sewn in such a perfect way, one can’t but admire the effort and love you put into it. You make it seem so simple yet I know how complicated tit is because a long time ago I started to learn to sew clothes then gave up because it needs lots of patience!
I haven’t had a favourite outfit for 5 years now since I started my study, sad I know! May be after I finish I will start living like normal people!!
First of all…I LOVE this bag. So clean looking with such clean lines. Now, to my favorite piece of clothing. I don’t have one favorite piece, but I do LOVE ALL of my sweaters. I just can’t have enough of them!
I would just love to win your bag and you have also turned me on to a new place to shop, how nice is that! My fav piece of clothing for years now has been this little cotton thigh length skirt that I bought at a street fair.
Hi!!! Very pretty bag!!!! Favorite clothing is an old pair of jeans and a comfy shirt!!!
My favourite piece of clothing at the moment are the pj’s which are waiting for me – I NEED to go to bed! I want to know how you manage to take such wonderful pictures on your blog – do you have a superdooper all singing all dancing camera or are you just a talented photographer as well??? PS. Pick me!!! x
I love that bag – and want to know how you get such wonderful pictures!? Do you have an all singing all dancing top of the range camera, or are you just a talented photographer as well as ‘sewer’ (I know that doesn’t do justice to your talent, but can’t think of the right word at the moment – my bed beckons…) Which leads me on to my favourite piece of clothing at the moment is my pj’s which are warming nicely in the bed! PS. Pick me x
Such a lovely bag.
My current favourite item of clothing is a grey layered net skirt. It’s got acres of fabric and is so swishy, it’s so fun to wear
Lovely bag! Pick me please! Thank-you!
I love it, Pick me!!
Have fun up there in that there London! Beautiful bag, it would go very nicely with my winter grey wardrobe
x
That is a gorgeous bag and I really must get into bag making!
My favourite clothing is something comfy but smart and preferably with some button decoration!
This bag is beautiful! I’d never heard of Gudrun Sjoden before but I’ll definitely research her fabrics now for my soon to be open shop. Thanks for introducing me. Kind regards.
I love Gudrun and the gorgeous bag you’ve made out of their fab fabric! Thanks for the inspiration and your generosity, Pati xx
My own skin!
Gorgeous bag Ali! Wasn’t aware that there was a fabric range from Gudren! My Mum in law is a MAHUSIVE fan of these clothes, her influence and expensive taste has a tendancy to rub off on me so I am sure that I will be purchasing some of this loveliness soon! In the meantime I am obsessed with Seasalt after purchasing some clothing last year, you can’t beat a Breton stripe (in every colour I hasten to add……ahem!) Thanks for chance to win! xx
xx 
This is beautiful I would love to be in with a chance to win please x
Very stylish!
x
My favourite party outfit when I was a little girl was a raspberry velour polo neck mini rara dress with pink spotty tights and maroon patent t-bar shoes – mmm, maybe not quite so stylish
What a gorgeous bag – great fabric too
Thanks for the chance to win 
xxx
I used to LOVE my Tiger fur fabric bondage trousers (handmade by me when I was 17yrs old!), unfortunately they moulted many years ago but I still remember them with pride
Amazing bag! Your attention to detail is outstanding. I too have been a Gudrun Sjoden customer for years. Their ethical approach to clothing is admirable. My fave Gudrun item is a boxy, embroidered jacket made with coordinating fabrics. It never fails to attract comment (favourable!). The bag is wonderful, please include me in the draw.
Wow this bag is brilliant. please pick me pretty please.
luv Jane XX
Love that bag! My favourite piece of clothing at the moment is a red empire line dress from Wallis that make me feel so confident
I would LOVE this bag….. I adore Gudrun Sjodens work, her clothes and ideals, I find her clothes a breath of fresh air, slightly off kilter, perfect for my individual lifestyle. I want everything in the new catalogue, nothing new there then! but probably most of all the patinated linen coat dress in Indigo.
Have you seen the prizes up for grabs in raffle……It’s lovely to see all these lovely bloggers coming out in such force for such a worthy cause
Sue
Another fabulous bag – I love the colours. I only hear about the company this week when I saw an advert in my Mollie Makes magazine.
My favourite ever item of clothing was a 1940′s pintuck blouse of my grandmothers that I wore to death in my late teens. I loved it.
What a great bag, i love the chevrons, and the colours are beautiful. So, pick me! : )
Thank you for introducing me to this beautiful shop. The bag is fabulous and I’d LOVE to win it. Pick me! 😊
wow this bag is gorgeous perfect size for a sketch book and on the go crochet project too. My favourite piece of clothing is a bit odd really it is a cardie that was made for me by my great grandma when I was 9 it still fits me now and I am 29 safe to say growing was not my strong point lol
good luck to all x
Fab bag! My favourite item at the mo is a dark blue cord skirt with mini lions on it! I have to ration my wearage =)
Your bags are more beautiful than my orla Keily!
The bag is just gorgeous and so are you for sharing it with one of us. I would love to win it. I would hold it and love it and show it off to all my friends and call it MINE. I have always been a jeans and t-shirt kind of gal. Growing up in the 80′s has kind of stuck with me.
I love Gudrun Sjoden fabrics & I have made roman blinds & curtains & cushions for my home from them! This new grey fabric is amazing as a bag! Love love love it! My favourite item of clothing ever is impossible to choose-probably one of my hundreds of scarves collected on holidays with my daughter!
Great bag! Generally I’m a fan of nice slouchy cardigans in pretty colours.
That is one very stylish bag Ali. It looks really professional. I have just looked at the Gudrun Sjoden site and I love it. I would love any of her outfits but the favourite outfit in my own wardrobe is a multigored skirt in a dirty sage green linen. jennylarking@gmail.com
Ooh pretty! I’d like it, actually I’d like to be able to make it, that fabric is lovely.
Oh I love your bag
My favourite piece of clothing is my winter parka type coat.
Di x
Love, love ,love this bag and would love to own another bit of Very Berry. I think my mini art wrap would look good in it;o) x
Don’t like it – absolutely love it
(as my daughters always tell me) x
Unfortunately my favourite piece of clothing is so old that it is starting to fall apart….I can’t remember when I bought it…maybe 12 years ago at least….it is a dress of black with beautiful giraffes printed all around the skirt….two layers of fine fabric and the underskirt is browns and oranges….the top has straps which are shredding now even though I only wear it abroad if we go somewhere warm…..I think I may have to make it into a skirt soon!!
Will always love my red ra ra skirt I had when I was younger
Your bag is fantastic I love the design and
Material totally suits the design you’ve used.
I’m new to following you and have been so
Inspired by your great designs and fabrics.
My favourite piece of clothing is a lovely fluffy
Jumper my husband bought me for Christmas. Thanks.
Gorgeous bag, I wish I was as talented. Fav clothing at mo is leggings. Sounds boring but with babe nos 2 due in 6 weeks it is the only comfy thing I can wear. I am looking forward to getting back to some nice summer dresses when I can finally fit into them!
love the bag my favourite ever clothing was a sailor type blouse when I was 11 I wore it till it was threadbare I really thought I was the bees knees in it lol
I loooooooooove it. Pick me! Pick me!! Thanks!
My favourite item of clothing ever are my pjs. I love coming in from work & changing into my comfy pjs to relax for the evening. Nothing beats it!
That is an amazing bag! Love it. Hope I win it.
Gorgeous, gorgeous bag. I would love the chance to win it please x My favourite piece of clothing at this present time is a jumper I got for my birthday last August from Warehouse. I seem to have wash & worn it constantly since then. I probably will continue til I have worn it away! Sue x
It’s beautiful – I’d love it. My fave piece of clothing was a black fishtail denim skirt which I no longer own
Gosh – I’d love your bag!
My favourite piece of clothing is a green weird fish macaroni!!
My favourite piece of clothing in my wardrobe is a black skirt with green flowers.
The bag is gorgeous by the way.