Jun 17

Tweedy jumper

Jun 17

Embroidery – various

Still at the stage of buying designs… even though I spent a lot on PE Design 10. It is really complicated, and some of these designs are only a couple of dollars on-line and instantly downloadable. Although it is easy to lose a few hours scrolling through what is available!! I do like the free standing lace (FSL) though. This is where the design is stitched on a water soluble stabiliser that you then wash away!

Some bought designs which I made into tree decorations / Christmas cards for family.

Mask for Robin for dancing as he didn’t like having face paint on. The left hand part of this design was a nightmare, and kept ripping the water soluble stabiliser.

A 3D skull for my friend

Card for my Nan, who loves owls:

Various adornments for my morris dancing hat:

And some sewing related charms:

Jun 17

Scale Mail Gloves

I came across the idea for these while browsing pinterest! I had no need for scales for any steampunk project (because we were rarely attending any events!), but had the brainwave to make some for morris dancing. It can be pretty cold hanging around outside waiting to dance in winter, and I could make them look ‘wavy’ like water, and match the Bollin Morris theme.

It took me a while to source decent priced scales (I got them from The Queen Ring), and to understand exactly how to knit them into gloves, I did buy the pattern I had found via pinterest (only a few quid!). They were amazingly easy to make, and I used a chunky wool, so quick too. Made a pair for my son, and then a slightly longer pair (with a bit of rebelious purple in) for myself.

Everybody admires them when we are out dancing 🙂

Jun 17

Patchwork

I think the previous patchwork I had done was mainly made up of half square triangles (HST). These are magic!!

Take 2 x 7″ squares and place them right sides together. Sew along the red lines, and then cut along the black lines, and you end up with 8 HSTs to put together in various different ways. I was really impressed with this. These are both mainly HSTs.

The next method is paper piecing. You still have a paper template, but you sew a rectangle on at a time, covering the next numbered shape each time, and ironing each time too. It seems a little wasteful on fabric, and is much more time consuming, but can be even more effective!

Still enjoying the HSTs I made another of those though. This is a rarely finished off cushion!! I enjoy the patchwork element, but not finishing off into a cushion!!

Jun 17

Lymm Festival – Under the Sea 2018

I contributed some crocheted items to be put up around the village, and some embroidery for the under the sea picture. I bought the embroidery designs. The seahorse was a nightmare to stitch out. It is very thick in places and was either getting stuck, or ripping the soluble stabiliser. Cute though – yes?

Jun 17

Kids things

This was the first clothing sewn for grandkids. I didn’t want to be stereotypical, so she got blue and trains! I loved the bubble / puffball skirt on this.

Next I tried a very simple jersey ra-ra dress:

I then continued to put off trying the baby-gro, by doing some knitting instead!!!

Before finally being brave and trying the baby-gro. Bits of this were surprisingly straight forward. It was the leg popper strip that was hardest:

  • bias binding on the nect
  • psyching myself up by looking at the legs!!
  • zig zagged sleeve hems
  • finished, with poppers on the legs

Jun 17

Summer dresses 2018 – New Look 6206

I had found a lovely cheap fabric browsing in Abakhan (while daughter trampolining probably – or that’s my excuse), so had to find something to make with it!! I chose this New Look Project Runway pattern, with different variants.

There are some fiddly bits to this one, particularly where the front bits meet. This was my first version – the long one with the cross-over front.

  • this is the fiddly bit!
  • overlocked seams
  • zigzag hem

One thing that bugged me wearing it though was the knot on the back of my neck. So when I tried the second version – shorter and not crossing over – I thought I would just do it to pull over my head.

However, logic failed me at some point when doing this, and how to turn the lined front pieces the right way round and join them together at the back had me frustrated for a while. I can’t think why, but I remember it not going 100% according to plan.

  • very fiddly overlocking where the fronts joined together
  • nice neat overlocking at the back!

For some reason I can’t find pictures of me wearing either of these, or actually in progress of making them. When I get up to date with current projects I promise to include more information on what was going wrong or right!

Jun 17

Cold shoulder tops 2017 & 18

I had bought this first fabric a while back with no idea what to make with it (for a change!), but wanted to make something I could wear all the time. I love the sewing machines on it etc. I found this pattern which I thought was simple and stylish!

It is okay, but the wrong choice of fabric for the type of top. Doesn’t hang quite right. So I made another a year later with a jersey fabric which is better.

There are only 5 pattern pieces, including the sleeves and neck binding, so it is really simple to construct though. This second version, because it is a knit fabric, was sewn mainly on the overlocker, except the neck binding, and the hem, which is just zigzaged.

I will definitely make this again 🙂

Jun 11

Teacup dress 2018

I got this offcut of fabric in Abakhan. Not much of it 🙁 I love china and teacups and saucers, so this was perfect for me, but what could I make with such a small amount? The lady in the shop suggested an apron, but somehow I managed to get a dress out of it, albeit probably shorter than I would normally go for!!!

I learnt from the Owl dress though – this time I lined it with a plain white lining fabric which doesn’t cling or cause it to hang badly. I don’t think the pattern is fully lined, but I think it needed it!

Jun 11

Patchwork 2017

I always like a new challenge, and decided to have a look at doing some patchwork for some reason! Possibly because every fabric shop you go into has those adorable fat quarters of co-ordinating fabrics!! Never enough to make something I would normally make i.e. clothes, but irresistible fabrics!! I had probably bought some so needed to try some patchwork.

I bought some magazines to have a look, as sometimes the internet can be a bit over-whelming! I did pretty well as one of the magazines has some really good designs, and really good instructions.

I thought some patchwork cushions would make original Christmas gifts for some of the family.