Nov 18

Butterick 6448 Dress

This pattern was another that came with Love Sewing magazine, and I instantly loved it. Instant search on Minerva to find some suitable fabric!!

It took me a while to get around to making this. The fabric was horrible to cut out. It was a soft crepe in a gorgeous teal colour. It was only really when I started making it up that I realised how much the fabric had slid around when I pinned and cut out. The front bodice piece was lob-sided, and the bodice parts all different lengths. Nightmare!

The zip was an interesting method for this pattern. It involved basting the back seam together and then sewing the zip in. It sounded a good idea! It meant the seam around the waistline should have met up perfectly, and the neckline too. Somehow the fabric stretched ever so slightly. The waistline alignment isn’t noticeable (unless you know), and I had to fold the top over slightly on one side to get the neckline to look right. Patrick and Esme would have noticed 🙁

I again got sizing slightly wrong on this one. I had tapered between 12 top and 14 bottom half, but the top is a little bit wide still. I need to start altering more accurately to fit I think.

I also fully lined this, rather than just the bodice. It means the skirt doesn’t stick to tights, and gives it a certain swish which makes an item of clothing feel special (I think).

Nov 18

Pumpkin

I am not sure what possessed me to make this… I think it was the fact that kids couldn’t do trick or treating this year, and this would last longer outside the house than a pumpkin!! It got soaking wet and very heavy hung outside! And we never get many trick or treaters anyway! I can use it again next year! It was just a random bit of fun!!

I made the pattern up. Starting with, I think, 8 treble crochet in a magic ring, and starting off like I would any circle, increasing 8 stitches each round. When it felt to be getting big enough, I straightened out for a couple of rounds, and then did some increases in each 1/8 to get it to bulge a bit. I also did some double trebles so it grew a bit quicker! Straightened off again for a bit, and then decreased back down. I doubled up and used 2 different balls of orange DK.

Nov 17

Dia de los Muertos – The Guy with a hook

Another CAL from The Guy with the hook, who also published Spice Market:

Dia de los Muertos mini-CAL

This CAL began in October with parts released each Sunday, to finish for Halloween / All Souls / Day of the Dead. I picked bright colours in Stylecraft Special DK – lots to choose from – I love these – different to what I would normally use!

This was another really enjoyable CAL. There were some mistakes in a few rows, but easy enough to work out what it should be, and the Facebook group was good to share the corrections. I made a few more mistakes of my own (sorry – individual design features!!).

  • Part 1
  • Part 2 – also included the 9 skulls
  • Part 4 before the embroidery on the skulls
  • Finished

I didn’t take photos after Part 3 which was attaching the skulls and all the black behind!

Some people had decorated skulls before attaching, but I think they needed the embroidery to flatten them to the black background (mine were sagging a bit!).

Paul made me the hoop, to size, from copper tube. I had never crocheted a mandala to a hoop before. It was fiddly, but simple. I did a double crochet in each 2 chain space of the border, chained 8 around the hoop, and then back to a double crochet in the next 2 chain space. The wool gets wrapped around the hoop and needs unwinding quite frequently.

This is now hung on the wall in the conservatory – lovely and bright.

Nov 17

Bright Shirts

August & September 2020

We visited Lady Heyes Antique & Craft Centre in Frodsham just before our wedding anniversary (18 years). The deal was Paul buys me fabric…. and I make him a shirt. Win win in present buying in my view!

He picked three of the brightest fabrics available, but unfortunately there wasn’t 3m left of one of them, but we got two.

When I got round to cutting out, I spotted there was only 2.5m of one of them, which meant I didn’t quite have enough to make the shirt. This resulted in a trip back.. as there wasn’t any of that fabric left, I ended up getting a contrast, which turned out a really good effect.

My go to pattern for his shirts is Burda 6874. I like this pattern. After some problems the first time with the collar and collar stand lining up correctly, I am now very careful cutting, and with seam allowances, so it works out fine now. The other thing I dread, but am much better at now, is the sleeve placket! I always seem to do view C.

The finished products, along with matching mask:

Nov 17

Baby Cardigan

September/October 2020

Another baby cardigan using James C Brett Fairground DK. One of my favourite baby yarns. I like the colour mixes. This is a small 0-3 months version. I haven’t been able to see my niece and baby Tod recently, and he looks to have grown quite a lot, so I think he will have outgrown this already 🙁 So I am going to make him a different one now, and send this to a colleague about to go on maternity leave.

Nov 17

Green butterfly top – New Look 6577

July 2020

I bought this fabric (Minerva again) specifically to make a second version of this top. This time the shorter version. I love the greens and blues in this, and the rather abstract butterfly. It is a pretty simple make, but where the back neck edges meet the front can be a bit tricky.

Nov 17

Kwik Sew 4188

Knowing British Summers, after all the nice warm weather we have been having, it seemed sensible to make a comfortable long sleeved stretch top. I liked the wrap around detail on this one. The fabric is from Minerva, and as I wear jeans a lot, I liked the denim-like colour of this. It was only when it arrived that I noticed it had camels on it. The wrap around detail is attached at the neck edge, which forms nice neat edge. It took me a while to work out which side was facing which to sew together, especially at the shoulder seam. The ruching at the side looks good. If I make this again, I would need to do something to stop the wrap around bit folding up at the edge. I guess with plain fabric, the same colour on the back as the front, it will be less noticeable when it happens, but I find myself constantly adjusting it when wearing it.

July 2020

Nov 17

T-Shirt – July 2020

Things to remember… read the instructions very carefully. I pondered on this neckline for ages, and in the end it was very straight forward! I have already forgotten though! The pattern came with Love Sewing magazine, which I have recently subscribed to. A nice treat to look forward receiving each month.

I had bought quite a lot of plain white t-shirt fabric, with the intention of tie-dying them. I have only made this one so far. I was trying to tempt my daughter into sewing during lockdown, with the tie-dying part! It didn’t work.

It is a good fitting simple t-shirt. I have tie-dyed it – need to take a photo!

  • look at that twin needle stitching!

Nov 17

Blouse Simplicity 8948

June 2020

I love the neck line on this blouse, and I found a lovely black crepe to make it in. I have worn this LOTS since we were allowed out again!

It has lots of rouleau loops… 3 on each sleeve, 3 at the neck fastening AND another 3 on the cummerbund. Doesn’t everyone love turning rouleau loops…. not!!

I tend to make a size 14 in commercial patterns as my waist isn’t that small! It is quite a loose fit anyway so the blouse is fine, but I still had to size up the cummerbund to the size 18, which is way bigger than the measurement for my waist!

And I made a matching mask obviously!

Nov 17

Purple top – New Look 6577

June 2020

I made the long version of this for over leggings. My daughter calls it a dress 😉 I bought this pattern to learn how the drapping works. Another easy top to whizz up! I made another a bit later in the summer with some gorgeous fabric. This looks very vibrant in the photo with the flash! It is a thin velour type fabric that I had bought to make an evening dress with … fortunately I found a better fabric at the time! This is a great colour, but not great quality!