More Sewing

Hi Everyone 

At last, I’ve managed to cut out the fabric for my baby outfit. I mentioned this little project last week (read about it here) and I’m hoping I can finish it later today. It should be a very easy/quick Make, however - famous last words ! The fabric is lovely, a fine green and white stripe jersey which is so soft ; perfect for a new baby.

                         

I’m making a 3 months size and need such a small amount of fabric for the outfit. I have 2 meters in total and have lots, leftover. I’ve been wondering (for a few days) what I can make with the excess. I think, I’ll go for a Tilly And The Buttons CoCo top (see the red stripe version in my photo story). This is a simple easy to make top with a round neck and side splits.

The baby outfit includes some little trousers and a hat, all to be overlocked. I don’t see any problems sewing up the pattern, so I’m hoping the gift can be finished and wrapped before the end of the day. I’ll share a few photos before I wrap and any issues I come across.

The CoCo top will have to wait for a few days, perhaps I can find some time over the weekend ?

Thanks for calling in today.

Gathered Skirt

Hi Everyone 

Just a quick update on my latest cord skirt. I featured the plan here on the blog. The pattern is very simple (read my original post for more on the detail). I didn’t know (initially) about an error in the length of the waistband pattern piece . It appears there was a new updated version of the waistband measurement (about 6cms shorter). I didn’t see the update and developed the whole skirt around the initial waistband. As a result, the skirt did not fit, approximately 12 cms too big !! However, after some adjustments, all is well. The skirt is almost complete. I love it. I’ve overlocked the bottom and will handstitch the final hem. I also need to complete the waistband fastening. 

                

As you can see from my photo story I’ve practiced a button hole closure, there’s also an option to use a bar clasp (I’m hoping it’s delivered today). I’ll finish these little jobs and get back to you with the finished skirt in a few days.

Thanks for calling in today.

Polymer Beads

Hi Everyone 

I spent some time yesterday, developing my beads for the Turkish Flat Crochet bracelet (read back yesterday for the back story). My plan for the day, was to blend clay colours for beads to match my inspiration shirt and create an interesting polymer cane using the same colours.

              

My colour blending took quite some time. I created five shades in total. The blue colour in particular, was difficult to get just right. However, I managed to produce all the colours I needed and had a lovely time developing my cane. My plan was to use the pattern on my shirt to inspire some kind of pattern in the clay. I love how the cane cane out and will be making more beads using the cane. The tricky part is keeping my pattern while shaping the bead. Ideally, the bead shape needs to be flat to maximise the surface pattern area. I’m considering trying to make a flat bead alongside a gentle rounded shape. I’ll decide which beads work well with each other and which combinations.

The next move is to crochet the beads into the Turkish Flat technique. I’ll use the plain coloured beads in a random fashion and have decided on a navy thread.

Thanks for calling in today. I’ll be back tomorrow with another Making story.

Making Beads

Hi Everyone 

I’m working on a new Making Project today. This time it’s a beaded/crochet bracelet. The beads will be handmade using polymer clay. I’m taking inspiration from an item of clothing, my sample inspiration is a shirt. I’ve used clothing as inspiration before and find it a very successful way of choosing colours. It can be quite daunting to be faced with a full spectrum of colours ! where do you start ? 

My plan is to take the colours from my shirt ie red, blue, green and white and develop similar polymer clay, similar to the shades of colour in the shirt. I will shape the clay into lots of small beads. At this stage, I’m going for an organic round shape. It’s important that all the beads are as close as possible to the same size. I think, I’ll go for a red thread but this may change ?

The beads will be threaded and crocheted to make my bracelet. I’ve made some initial samples using a range of beads (see my photo story), the idea behind my samples was to explore thread size as well as bead size/shape and check how I could crochet the beads together. I had thought a finer thread would work well (top right image on my photo) but found this is not the case. A thicker material works better. I’m using something referred to as Turkish Flat Crochet.

                   

This crochet technique is very simple but a little practice is needed to get the initial loops nice and tight against the first few beads. As with most yarn/ stringing tasks, the beginning tends to be the tricky point. Once the pattern is established, the crochet technique is very simple. If you can cope with a double crochet, that’s about it. Initially, the crochet can seem complicated but very quickly the pattern becomes intuitive.

I’m planning to develop simple multi colour canes for the beads as well as making some single colour options. The pattern in my shirt will help me create the pattern on my cane. I would like to replicate an element of the organic, square shapes from the shirt into the cane. Not sure how that will turn out but I like the idea ! 

The workshop will be about developing specific clay colour and using the clay to make a unique bracelet, inspired by a piece of clothing. One other thing which is important with the crochet technique is using beads of a similar size and shape, so that will also be a key learning element of the workshop. Techniques for producing a batch size/shape beads will be included.

I’ll share the results of my experiments later this week. Thanks for calling in today.

Baby Sewing

Hi Everyone 

My next sewing project is a little baby outfit for a newborn. I’ve not actually made baby clothes before, not even for my own children (now grown up). But a friend has just had a baby boy and it seemed the perfect thing to do - make a little outfit. Im going to make a pair of little trousers and a hat. I’ve found a great (free) pattern by Pattern for Pirates, you can find their patterns here.

                

I have some green striped stretch cotton jersey for my little outfit. I’m hoping the outfit will be a very quick make and I will use my overlocker for the whole project. The pattern pieces are tiny, the trousers pattern is one piece (cut twice) and is printed on an A4 size piece of paper ! Unbelievably small. The hat pattern has several choices, I’m choosing the design with a little knot at the top. I like the option for little ears but as the baby is very new, I thought the knot design would be better. There are quite a few sizes in the pattern and I’ve gone for the 3 months size. Baby is 81/2 lbs, so not tiny. I’ll share my finished outfit in a few days, fingers crossed all goes well.

Thanks for calling today. 

Have a great weekend, I’ll be back on Monday.

Ready to wear

Hi Everyone 

My first handmade bra is complete and I’ve already worn it ! I’m super pleased with myself . Making my own lingerie is a key part of the handmade wardrobe dream, so it’s quite an achievement for me. I felt great walking around wearing the bra, no one knew but I had a big smile.

Having made the bra, it’s actually not that amazing ! However, I’m still very happy about my first attempt and I’ve already chosen my next bra make.

Generally, the bra is a good fit. There are slight imperfections in some of the sewing but most of my construction looks good. The size is good in terms of the chest measurement but there needs to be a very slight cup change. The cup size is slightly lopsided for my body shape. The front centre cups could do with being higher by a centimetre and the underarm section (of the cup) needs to be a centimetre smaller - so the whole cup could be in a slightly different position. This is quite a simple adjustment (I think ?). My next bra will be a slightly different construction with different pattern pieces and Im not sure if the same issues will prevail ? However, I will be aware of the fitting issues as I’m constructing the next bra. Here’s a quick look at the finished item :

                     

I was concerned that this bra design would not offer enough support but I’m very pleasantly surprised, although it doesn’t have any underwires there’s lots of elastic and lots of machine sewing which makes the bra quite a substantial item. All the bits and pieces eg clasps, different elastics, sliders etc. make the bra look very professional and quite pretty. All these bits and pieces came in a kit from here (a lovely Christmas gift) and extra notions are available from the same shop. My kit allows for one bra and a pair of knickers, so I will need more stuff to make my next bra. There’s enough fabric but I will needs the rings, clasps, elastic and sliders. I’ve started to source different fabrics for new bras but I’m very much about practicing at the moment and have lots of the original fabric available, probably enough to make quite a batch. I’ll share all the bras as they are made.

Thanks for calling in today.

Sewing News

Hi Everyone 

I’ve another sewing plan underway, today. This time it’s the cord skirt idea from Monday’s post. I’ve cut out the pattern pieces and am ready to sew up.

However, I need some co ordinating overlock thread ! I need to sort that today.

                  

I love the Makers Atelier sample in luxurious velvet (bottom right image). My version needs to be more of an everyday item but I will aim to make a fancy skirt too, if all turns out well. I’m already thinking about what sort of fabric I will choose - silk or a fine Japanese cotton print ?  

However, back to the present day. I love the simple design of this pleated skirt pattern. There’s only three pattern pieces, front, back and waistband. The clever design provides the very important (to me, every time) pockets using a button for the closure. I’m yet to find my button, it needs to be perfect. I’m thinking of making a button from polymer clay or possibly wood ? but I’ll still keep looking online for that perfect button.

The other piece of news is that there was fabric left over from this make. Guess what I’m using the leftover fabric for ? - of course, another LB Pullover ! This will be the third in as many weeks. It won’t be the last, I’ve already got another one in the planning. I clearly have a problem ! My previous LB Pullovers have been made from stretch fabrics and this fabric, a corduroy is a woven fabric, although there is a little stretch in there. The first sample LB Pullover which attracted my attention to the pattern design was made from a woven fabric, so I’m confident all will be well. I’ll share my completed skirt and pullover when Ive finished the job.

Thanks for calling in today.

The Accidental Make

Hi Everyone 

Over the weekend, I found myself making a pair of trousers and seemed to have a piece of fabric leftover from the job. For some reason, the LB Pullover pattern presented itself and I suddenly knew, that I should make it. My accidental Make was born.

                     

There is a story behind this fabric. A few months ago, I acquired a bundle of fabric at a very, very low price. I had bought the bundle specifically for a stretch tartan jersey fabric and along with several other fabrics this striped stretch crepe-like piece came along. I was prepared for most of the bundle to be useless to me (I thought I would probably donate it to my local charity shop). However, all the items in the bundle are good and I’ve got an idea for them all.

Getting back to the Pullover, although I had enough fabric for the pattern - there were issues ! The print quality of the fabric is not brilliant !  In several places around the finished Pullover there are, sadly, visible faults. The issues are surface ink print rather than fabric quality problems. I tried, for some time, to position my pattern pieces avoiding the fabric faults but this was not possible. I also wanted to use the direction of the stripes to add a design feature and decided to just go for the best directional position, for the pieces.

My solution is to use a form of visible repair. I like the idea of visible repair and have been re-reading Tom of Holland recently. You can read all about his work here. My plan is to identify all the spots (only five or so) and add a black bar of handing stitching to the pullover. The spots are in fairly prominent positions but are all very small. I love this idea and feel the whole Project has been a series of accidents, from acquiring the fabric in the first place to ending up with a pullover with my visible mending opportunities. Brilliant.

I have the trousers, ready for final fitting and will talk about them next week. I’m not sure I’ll be wearing both the sweater and the trousers together (perhaps it would be too much ? ) although maybe with a longline T-shirt or similar ? I’ve had a few ideas, already.

Thanks for calling in today.

Sewing Plans

Hi Everyone 

I had a lovely delivery on Saturday morning, the latest Makers Atelier magazine. This is a bi annual magazine from the pattern company Makers Atelier, you can read all about them here. I love their style and the way in which they present what they do. The magazines are always interesting and there’s a pattern included too.

This time the pattern is a poncho. I love poncho’s and was quite excited to see what Makers Atelier have done with their poncho. I was not disappointed. Although, their styling is beautiful, I wanted something a little, different. I’ve been pondering for a few days about what I could do with the pattern ?  I am on a mission to make a handmade wardrobe and there’s certainly a space for a poncho. As already mentioned, I love the samples in the magazine but I’m wondering what would suit my life and what I would wear, regularly as well as - where could I get the fabric from ?  I think, I’ve decided, I need to make a denim jersey version with some special buttons ? The buttons are a dream at the moment but Ive already started looking. I think, a denim jersey would suit me very well and be a useful item for my current wardrobe. I don’t have the fabric yet but I know where I can get it, locally. 

                       

My other sewing project in the planning stage is another Makers Atelier Pattern, this time a skirt. I’ve been thinking about making the skirt for quite some time and have some mustard coloured (fine) corduroy for the job. The fabric was a Christmas gift. The fabric is washed and ready to go. I’ve read through the pattern instructions and there are only three pattern pieces. There’s the front and the back (which are identical) and a waistband. The skirt has side pockets as part of the design with several pleats at the front. Buttons will feature again, each side closes with a button - so more buttons to find. This skirt should be a quick make. However, I like to take my time sewing, it’s not about how quick I can finish. I very much like the process. I enjoy spending time making sure everything is neat and well finished so I’ll spend a few days on the skirt.

Thanks for calling in today. I’ll be back tomorrow with another Making story.

Wall Art

Hi Everyone 

Just a quick project idea to share today. This project is all about Wall Art, rug punched wall Art ! I’ve not done this before but I’ve seen some lovely examples and am particularly drawn to a round shaped piece with a heart shape in the centre. I like the simplicity of the idea and love the colour combinations (see my photostory, bottom right). The idea is to use a embroidery hoop with some kind of hessian style fabric as a base fabric. The simple hearts inside a circle will be made from cut lengths of yarn, added through the hessian with a punch tool. Sounds simple !

               

I’m sure there are challenges to overcome but I’m keen to produce something similar to the examples in my photo story. The inspiration idea comes from Issue 101 of Mollie Makes magazine, the latest edition. You can buy the actual pieces of wall Art  from here but I’m going From Scratch, as usual !! I’ll share my sample when it’s ready and chat about the process, good or bad.

Thanks for calling in today. Have a great weekend. I’ll be back on Monday with more Making news.

Making Felted Brooches

Hi Everyone

A new Making Workshop next week is all about making felted brooches. I’ve taken inspiration from a landscape photo and through an experimental approach have come up with my brooch samples. I have two different brooches. Both samples use six different colours of fibres and a mixed range of beads for one of the  brooches. I used beads from a random sample, I felt would work, no plan as such. My approach for placing the beads was to collect a handful of the chosen beads and drop them, I attached each bead where it fell.

Both brooches have an element of embroidery. My embroidered tree is inspired by my initial landscape image and the other embroidered element is a random weaving style pattern on two places of the brooch.

The brooch will be worn via a metal bar pin, embedded into the brooch. I’ve created a small piece of fabric and sandwiched the pin with the brooch. I then, dry felted into the brooch, carefully - so as notto damage or alter the design on the front.

I’m sure there will be lots of interesting brooches, next week at the workshop. I’ll share the results.

Thanks for calling in today.

Bra and Bag News

Hi Everyone 

Exciting news about my Lingerie Collection. Look back last week for my introduction to this project. I’ve made good progress with my first bra. All is going well. I’ve had a few issues with my sewing machine, mainly to do with user error !  However, I’ve also added a special machine needle, designed for sewing with elastic and this has been very helpful. I’ve assembled all the pieces of fabric and am about to add fold over elastic to the top edges of the bra. The bra is looking good.

             

There’s not too much more to do (famous last words). I need to complete adding the elastic to the top edge of the bra, attach the clasp and add the adjustable straps. It all sounds very straightforward. I’ll give a thorough review, once my bra is complete. The big question is - does it fit ? I’ve tried on the bra and so far it seems OK. However, I think, it’s the kind of thing that needs to be completed (fully) before I can tell if it’s exactly right. 

My other bit of news is my new bag. Again, read back last week for the full story. I’ve added the handles. What a job ! I had thought attaching the handles would be a five minute job. The handles are made from quite thick leather and I had huge issues getting the first holes in the leather. The right size holes are key to allowing little screws to clamp the handles together, over the D rings. I just couldn’t squeeze the hole making tool hard enough to make the hole. I had a total of eight holes to make. In the end, I used a bench vice (very carefully) to help me fully close the tool. This worked great.

                

My photo story shows my bag both before and after the handles have been added. I love the bag. It feels great and looks good. I’m hoping, I can wear my bag with pride.

Thanks for calling in today.

Making Buttons

Hi Everyone 

I’m sharing the results of a little project today - buttons made from yarn. These are lovely items and I’m hoping I can use a version of them for a new cardigan (currently under construction). The button design and construction is known as Wheelhouse Buttons. 

                 

I’ve used some bright primary colours for my sample experiments and love the results.

If you are interested in making some of these buttons, Kate Davies’s has a great and very detailed tutorial on her website. You can find the link here.

Kate also shares examples of how she has used the buttons on her own knitted designs.

I’ve also seen a lovely little wheelhouse button brooch which I’m keen to make up. I can’t seem to find the original image but I’ll give it a go from memory and develop my brooch, sometime this week. The brooch is made from three (quite small) Wheelhouse buttons linked together in a row with a brooch pin on the back. I quite like the idea of using green, yellow and blue yarn for my buttons. I’ll share the results in a few days.

Thanks for calling in today.

New Bag Results

Hi Everyone 

Last week, I shared the first stages of making my new bag, you can check out the details here. I’ve spent some time finishing the sewing part of the bag and just need to add the leather handles. I have the handles ready, so my project is close to the end. The handles will fixed with little silver screws and will be completed in a few minutes. The reason my bag has not been finished,  is to do with my indecision regarding the length of the handles. 

                              

For some reason, I couldn’t decide on how I wanted to wear my bag. It’s definitely a handbag rather than a project or shopping bag so I’ve made my decision and I’m going for short handles. I have been undecided for a few days and like the possibility of a longer shoulder strap but in the end I’m decided and the handles will be short. I’ll attach the handles later today and share the final finished bag tomorrow.

This bag has been made from leftover red cord fabric (from a skirt I made a few weeks ago) and lined with fabric from a Christmas toiletries gift from one of my boys. The fabric was originally used to wrap my toiletries and is a very brightly coloured cotton. It’s perfect for my bag lining and adds a lovely vibrant feel to the inside of the bag.

Thanks for calling in today. I’ll be back tomorrow with more Making stories.

Knitting Update

Hi Everyone 

I’m sharing my knitting progress today. I’ve been knitting as usual over the last few weeks but don’t really have much to show for it. Other than the projects mentioned today, there’s also an unfinished item - the Tiny Tassels shawl. I’m still working on the tassels ! I had hoped, I would have finished by now ! There’s also a sweater, the Bright Sweater (look back on the blog for more on the Bright here). I do love this sweater design. I’m not sure why I’m  taking so much time on this knit ? For some reason, it’s caused challenges all the way along. I will resurrect the project soon and I’m planning to complete my sweater in the next month or so.

However, I’ve finished a pair of socks, the Red Robin Socks by Helen Stewart and am ready to start my next sock. I’m making another pair of Fragments socks, another Helen Stewart pattern. I’ve made several pairs of Fragment socks and am very fond of the design. This time, I’m using a very pretty Regina Design Line, colour 03655.

                   

My other knitting project of the moment is Jess by Kim Hargreaves. I needed to substantially adapt the pattern and am experimenting with the stitch numbers as well as the needle size. I’ve used a different type of yarn and I’m not entirely sure I’ve got it right. My plan is to complete the back of the cardigan and check if I’ve made a good job of the numbers. I’ll reassess the situation and plan my next move after that.

Thanks for calling in today. Have a great weekend. I’ll be back on Monday with more Making news.

The Making of a Bra

Hi Everyone 

Very exciting news to share today ! I’ve long had aspirations for a handmade wardrobe, including lingerie. Just to say, I’m a long way from this dream , However, I’ve started and am building momentum. 

Today, I’d like to share another lovely Christmas gift -  a series of lingerie patterns, including a bra kit. I’ve been so excited about this and have started the first part of this project. I’m calling the project my Lingerie Collection (for future reference).

For some reason, the idea of making bras is quite daunting to me ! I’m not sure why I think this should be a difficult job ? Having started, it’s not that difficult, so far. The materials (fabrics and elastics) and the notions are initially, a little tricky to work with. Small pieces of fabric are needed, precision is crucial and the fabrics are quite fine and slippy too. However, having said all that, it’s quite a satisfying process. I have a lovely pattern and lots of online pattern support from the designer. The designer is someone called Evie LaLuve . Im taking things slowly and I’m really enjoying the process. 

                 

I’ve chosen one of four styles for my first bra. There are a seven pattern pieces in total, which all need to be lined and I’m doing OK, so far. I’ve constructed all the fabric pieces and my next job, is to add elastic to the bottom of my bra. I’m hoping the bra fits well but the main point of this first Make is to get the size right, so that’s my goal. I’m assuming, I will need to adjust the pattern to give a good fit. Wish me luck.

I’ll report on my progress over the next few weeks.

Thanks for calling in today.

Making a bag

Hi Everyone 

If you called in last week, you will have seen my recently completed red cord skirt. I had a reasonable sized piece of red cord left and immediately knew I needed to make a bag. My bag will be a hack from the wonderful Merchant & Mills Jack Tar Bag Pattern. I don’t have enough cord to make both the outer and lining pieces of the bag, I need an alternative lining and have just the thing !

                       

My lining is a scarf/fabric wrap from one of my special Christmas gifts (from one of my boys). The fabric was used to wrap a lovely collection of toiletries from Lush and will be a bright and colourful lining for my bag. I’ll think about my gift each time I use the bag. I’m going to change the height of the Jar Tar Design Bag and add leather (short) handles rather than the fabric style. I will leave out the shoulder strap so the final bag will be a very simple handbag with a few internal pocket compartments and a magnet snap.

So far, I’ve cut out the pieces for the bag and will add a fused interfacing to my lining fabric - later today. The bag should be a very quick make and I’m hoping it will be a well used everyday bag. 

Thanks for calling in today.

Slightly Distracted

Hi Everyone 

Despite my very long list of jobs yesterday, I found myself rather distracted by a new sewing pattern. I’ve had the digital version of the pattern for about a month but it’s been sitting on my iPad - just waiting ! I did manage to work until around 11am and completed a few items on the ‘to do’ list but it was a struggle. Then, I came across my waiting pattern and new, I needed to ‘start’ something. My initial plan was to download the pattern and make it up, ready for using some time soon. However, I noticed a recent fabric purchase had been washed and was ready for sewing and that was that ! 

The pattern is called the LB Pullover by Paper Theory. There are two options for the pullover neckline, a turtleneck and a regular crew neck. I’ve chosen the turtle neck version. This pattern is very simple Make, only four pattern pieces for the whole pullover. I also used my overlocker to sew the entire thing, so a very quick sew. I’m yet to hem the sleeevs and the bottom but I’m almost finished.

                     

The fabric is a bold red and white stripe cotton jersey. It’s a lovely strong but lightweight fabric for my pullover. I like the fit of the pullover, it’s quite a loose fit but I’ve shortened the body slightly and graded to shoulder/top of the pullover down, one size. I often find loose fit patterns are much too broad on the shoulder area to fit my body shape but this pattern works very well. I also tend to have problems with sleeve length, again the sleeves will be perfect with a 2 cm hem.

I’m really pleased with my new pullover. I’m already planning to make more of these tops. I’ve seen lovely examples made in linen and other woven fabrics. As an extra bonus,  I bought this striped fabric from a local fabric shop, it was stacked in the sale section at £2 per meter, amazingly good value !

Thanks for calling in today.

The Making Queue

Hi Everyone 

I have (an exciting) new dress project to share today. This dress pattern from Merchant&Mills has been on my Making list for some time. I love all things ‘Merchant&Mills’ and could make all their patterns but this one, in particular, has always stood out for me. The pattern is another Christmas gift. Initially, I wasn’t quite sure about which fabric I wanted ? I had thought about a navy linen or a cord and then a standard denim. However, after a visit to our local fabric shop, I saw this lovely stretch fabric which looks just like denim. It’s quite a heavy weight and is a lovely deep denim colour. I’ve decided to use a white crisp cotton for the collar and cuffs.

                   

The dress pattern has a traditional rugby shirt feel but has a fitted bodice and side pockets. I think, it’s a relatively easy Make and am looking forward to wearing the finished article, soon. The only slight issue will be the front placket detail, always a bit tricky to get a neat finish especially using a contrast fabric.This project will need to join the Making queue, it’s currently number 3 in the list. I need to wash my fabric today and when it’s dry, I’ve a feeling it may jump the queue ! However, it’s also back to work day today so plans for sewing all day are not an option.

Thanks for calling in today. I’ll be back tomorrow with another Making story.

Knitting Udate

Hi Everyone 

This is a quick update of my current little knitting projects. I’ve spent most evenings knitting for short bursts (over the Christmas break) and feel I’ve been working away as usual, however, I’ve not much to show for my efforts ! I concentrated on the Tiny Tassels shawlette project (my Advent Knit) until the 24/12/18, knitting my 7 or 8 grams of yarn each day. Read back in December for more details on this project. I enjoyed the project very much and will certainly repeat the idea for next Advent, perhaps with a new pattern. I still need to complete the actual tiny tassels part of the project (the long edges of the shawl have lots of these Tassels sewn into the edge) and will probably manage that this weekend. I hope so, I’m keen to wear my little shawl. The colours are lovely together and it will be a useful little accessory.

My next project is the Red Robin Socks, the final Helen Stewart Socks from this years Handmade Sock Society. This project started at the beginning of December but Christmas gift knitting got in the way, a little. I’ve made reasonable progress and have one sock done. The second sock is ready for the heel flap (about half way). The socks are lovely. I can’t wait to finish them. I’m hoping I can complete the project by next weekend.

                      

Next is a new project. I’ve already talked about the Jess Cardigan by Kim Hargreaves on the blog but it’s now time to get the project underway. I’m using a different yarn from the pattern suggestion, it’s a lighter weight and the gauge is very different. I spent a little time yesterday playing around with swatches and I have a plan. I’ve done the Maths and I think, I will be OK. The cardigan is knitted flat and my plan is to begin and complete the front left side. It’s a potentially quick knit - famous last words ! However, I’m committed to my plan. If the gauge and the Maths are wrong, it’s no problem - I’ll start again.

That’s about it for my knitting summary to date. There will be more knitting news, next week, after I’ve reorganised all my knitting stash, yet again ! I’m hoping to find a few unfinished projects (not too many) hiding in the storage bins. As it’s the beginning of the year, I’d like to clean up my plans.

Thanks for calling in today. Have a great weekend. I’ll be back on Monday.

New Sewing Plan

Hi Everyone 

I’m sharing a couple of Christmas gifts today. A new book : Breaking The Pattern, this gift came with a year long subscription to Love Sewing Magazine. So, lots of exciting sewing opportunities each month combined with this beautiful book of patterns. Breaking The Pattern is written by Named patterns and is a Collection of ten patterns (each has several different applications). I love their work generally but this book is such a great collection of ideas. I’m genuinely finding it difficult to choose which pattern to start with. I want to make all the things in the book.

My other gift for today is a 3m length of fabric from Sea Salt. The fabric is called Anemones Night, it’s lovely shades of blues with grey. The fabric is very pretty and will work well with the dress pattern I’ve finally chosen , the Solina Dress. I want the dress to be a everyday sort of dress and will make a few modifications (to turn it into something less formal).

                

I’ll make the wrist ties smaller and shorten the dress (to mid calf) and keep a simple skirt shape. The original dress design has quite a long slit at the centre front. I like this idea but for my first version, I’m going for a simple finish. The dress in the book is made with a medium polyester crepe and my fabric is a much lighter cotton/viscose. I’m thinking, at this point, I will line it with a fine cotton. I’m not sure when I will start the dress, I have a couple of other Makes on my list which will take priority. I’ll share any developments as they happen.

Breaking News, my skirt, from yesterday, is almost there. I’ve added the Bar Tacks and have decided on the length. I just need to machine the final hem and it’s ready to wear.

Thanks for calling in today.

Happy New Sewing

Hi Everyone 

Happy New Year to everyone. Hope you all had a good week or so, since my last post. I’ve had a lovely Christmas break and am inspired and invigorated, I think ! I seem to have spent lots of time eating (plus making meals) and sitting around with family and friends as well a little bit of Making. Breaking news - I also received lots of lovely Christmas gifts (mostly Making things) and will be sharing each one over the next few weeks.

One very exciting bit of news, I managed to make my red corduroy skirt (almost). The skirt is the same one from my Harrogate posts - day 5. You can read all about it here. I still need to finish the hem, this will be machine stitched with a double needles so it’s a very quick job. I’m also going to add a couple of Bar Tacks to each of the skirt pleats, again quite a quick job. My only stumbling point is - what length do I want to make it ? I need to try on the skirt with a few different pairs of shoes. I’ll probably wear my skirt with flat boots but I’d also occasionally like to wear heels. I think, I’m going for a  mid shin length ?

                  

I started by drafting a pattern and only needed to make one change, a single adjustment at the side width of the skirt, so that worked out very well. The skirt pattern has only four pieces. A front, back, waistband and pockets. I’ve developed four, 6 cm. pleats on the front and back of the skirt and added side seam pockets. The waist band is made from a light weight jersey fabric, turned over with a piece of 1inch elastic. The waist band is attached to the corduroy with my overlocker. The idea is to turn over the waistband to give a snug fit. I love the result. It’s a very comfortable fit and the corduroy gives the skirt ‘volume’. I feel very ‘fancy’ in my new skirt, sort of dressed up but not ! I’ll take some photos of the skirt in action, when I’ve  completed the extra details.

Thanks for calling in today. I’ll be back tomorrow with another Making story.