Quick catch up.

Whoops, I haven’t posted for awhile as it has been pretty hectic here lately and with the amazing weather we are having are at the moment I don’t seem to have much time for blogging!!

A quick catch is in order I think, Me Made May was a success as far as I am concerned, by taking part it had given me the confidence to wear my makes as part of my every day wardrobe – so much so I have set myself a challenge that by this time next year 80% of my wardrobe will be home made!

I completed my wrap dress for the ‘sew together this summer’ challenge and I’m really pleased with it, though I had to my a lace modest top to go under it as I couldn’t stop the gapping at the front and I’m not particularly blessed in the boob department! I absolutely love the fabric I used from a https://www.minervacrafts.com and the pattern I used was a free pattern with Love Sewing Magazine – McCalls M6884. I found it very easy to follow with clear instructions.

The end result….not a particularly flattering photo of me – I really must make more of an effort when taking photos of my makes!!

Blouse

I’ve been a busy bee month stepping out of my comfort zone with my sewing. I’ve revisited button holes and collars, then tackled stretch fabric!! Will I be attempting any of these again -most definitely!!

First the collar – I have avoided them in the past as I could never get the points equal or the edges didn’t line up at the neck or just simply didn’t sit right – so easier not to do them. The trouble with avoiding them though is I won’t learn how to do them correctly and improve my skills, which is what I am wanting to achieve with my sewing. So whilst trying to decide what to make with some pretty floral fabric I had bought my daughter suggested a short sleeve blouse for which I just happened to have a pattern for in my stash of old patterns. Although I felt unsure about it due to the collar and buttonholes I went ahead and gave it a go and I am so glad I did. Unfortunately I didn’t take many photos whilst making this blouse, just two actually, one prior to cutting out and the other waiting for me to pluck up the courage to do those button holes. I’m pleased to say it does now have buttonholes and buttons! I did several practice runs on scrap fabric and measured and double checked before I attempted the real thing and if I’m honest it wasn’t anywhere as bad I as expected or remembered. I think the key to it all is to take it slow, practice and chill.

I fell in love with this fabric the moment I saw it on the Fabric Galore stand at Olympia in March and I am delighted with the way it came together to make the blouse, which is already being worn and enjoyed in my everyday wardrobe.

The pattern itself was very easy to follow and to construct, one I shall be using again, not really sure where it came from, it may have been one of my mum’s.

Does anyone else have a fear of collars and buttonholes?

Star Wars

Back in Nov 2016 I decided to crochet a Star Wars theme blanket for my eldest daughters boyfriend’s birthday in May 2017. Well 18 month’s later I finally finished it. I did complete other projects during that time. It has turned out much bigger than I had intended due to my inexperience with crocheting. I have learnt a lot from this blanket, especially regrading how different hook sized can affect the size of items. I will never crochet in black again nor will I do the solid granny square. I struggled to complete this project due to the lack of colour and motivation – basically I found it so boring!!! It consists of 575 squares and 2 rows of single crochet for a border. I will be honest and say the first time I saw it in its full glory was when I saw the photo on my phone. I am absolutely thrilled to pieces with it as is Chris – well he has to be as he has no option, he has been very patient waiting for it as well lol. Now to complete something small!

Yarn used was Stylecraft Special double knit. I lost count of how many balls!!

My Me made May summer top.

I fell in love with this top the moment I saw it as a free gift with Sew Now magazine.

I didn’t make it straight away as I wasn’t sure what fabric to use and I had a trip to the Knitting and Stitching show at Olympia coming up, so hoped I would find something there – I actually found slots and lots there!!  This was my chosen fabric, I bought 2m’s.

It is beautifully floatly, super cool to wear and has a wonderful drape.  Unfortunately I don’t know the blend of fibres. I was a little nervous to sew with it as I haven’t really sewn much in the past with ‘slippery’ fabrics. Prior to staring it  I did take my overlocker in for a long over due service and I am so very glad I did, it is a dream to work with now and will be sewing a lot more garments over the next few months!  I did take extra time to tack the seams prior to sewing to avoid the fabric slipping whilst stitching.

The pattern itself is very easy to follow, I made view B, I thought the tie might be a bit tricky but not at all, the instructions are very clear.

I did wash and press the fabric before cutting out.  I have never washed fabric before when sewing but I really didn’t want this to shrink once it was made. Washing fabric is a new habit I am encouraging on my journey back into sewing.   I even have enough fabric left to make a camisole top.

My overlocker doing it’s stuff and below the end result!

I thoroughly enjoyed making this top and will definitely be making it again as well as some of the other views.  This top has easily become part of my everyday wardrobe.

 

My Me Made May 2018 – week 1

Well last week I wore two Me Made tops. One was the pleated top I blogged about here the reaction from my work colleagues was very encouraging and a real confidence boost. I chose to wear it with a pair of dark grey fleck trousers (charity shop bargain).

It felt very comfortable. I would definitely make this pattern again but using a thinner fabric.

The second top I wore was made from a remnant I picked up in my local sewing shop, the pattern I used I have had for years. I am pleased with this top but I think I should of made it slightly smaller, though it is lovely and light to wear. I added the lace at the bottom as it was a fraction short for my liking.

The fabric creases very easily as you can see!! I couldn’t find any buttons to go with it so covered some to finish it off.

Both theses tops will now be a regular in my work wardrobe and I’m looking forward to the rest of this month’s challenge, though I had best get sewing to ensure I have A bit of variety throughout the month!!

I also need to clean the glass before the next photo shoot 😂

Sewing Challenges

I just can’t resist taking part in a challenge, I think they are a great way to learn and achieve something in the process, as well as being a bit of fun.  So I have decided to participate in 3 sewing challenges in an attempt to improve my sewing skills and  build my confidence in wearing the clothes I make.  That may sound odd but I love making the garments but then don’t have the courage to wear them, which is silly as attitudes towards home made clothes is very different today compared to what it was 37 years ago!!

So the first challenge is My Me Made May 2018 

Basically it is “Me-Made-May’18 (#MMMay18 for social media interaction) is a challenge designed to encourage people who sew/knit/crochet/refashion/upcycle garments for themselves to wear and love them more. This challenge works on both a personal and community level. The participants decide the specifics of their own challenge, so that the month is appropriate and challenging for them (more on this below), and aim to fulfil that pledge for the duration of May 2018. Some participants also choose to document their challenge photographically (though this is in no way compulsory for taking part) and share them with other participants.” (Copied from So Zo’s blog).

My challenge is to integrate the items I have made into my everyday wardrobe and blog about those items during May.  Shouldn’t be too difficult should it??

The second challenge is called A Little Lawn Party and can be found here and here

This challenge involves making a garment that shouts Spring, it wasn’t until I had decided to take part in it that I realised it was a competition as well!

The third challenge is ‘sew together for summer’ and you have to make a wrap dress, an item on my list of Makes for 2018, so silly not to take part in it.

So that is my sewing sorted for the next few weeks, is anyone else taking part in these or any other challenges? If so please leave me a comment and a link to your posts 😁

My Crochet Journey – Part 2

As I stated in Part 1 of my Crochet Journey post, I am not very good at practising new skills I like to be able to create something whilst practising.  So having completed a few basic stitches and got the hang of them I searched for a square to do and found the sunburst square and tackled that, once again with the assistance of a Bella Coco video.  The result is below, not perfect but good enough to warrant a wool purchase to start my first ever crochet project, a blanket for me 😁

Unfortunately I didn’t take any photos of the blanket in progress – probably because I was just too excited for words at watching it grow before my eyes but more amazed by the fact that I was actually creating it!!

The end result is this

I am still in love with it as much now as when I made it.  I have learnt a lot since completing this blanket, my tension has improved and my sewing in of ends is greatly improved.

Wool used is Stylecraft Aran, the cream is Hayfield Bonus, 5mm hook.

 

 

Pleated top.

I was taught dressmaking by my mother and grandmother, first by hand (not my favourite way) then I was allowed to use grandma’s  Jones treadle machine, which I still have! I would make clothes for my dolls, as I got older I moved onto making my own clothes.  Mum and I could spend a whole day in Gordon Thodays (fabric shop), sitting upstairs going through all the pattern books and downstairs to choose our fabrics, it was what Saturdays were made for!!

Living in Cornwall now I am restricted to 1 fabric shop locally so I am learning to shop online for fabric these days.   I discovered Fabrics Galore through Love Sewing magazine 48 and one of their free patterns, I loved the fabric they had used for the top but it was all sold out by the time I logged on, hardly surprising as it is lovely.

These were my first 2 fabric online purchases from Fabrics Galore.

Although neither are colours I would normally choose, I fell in love with them! I had planned to make the top from Love Sewing magazine 48 with them, the lilac and green is completed and I am pleased with it.  The pattern is a pdf download and very easy to follow, ideal for refreshing my sewing skills.

My version,

I will make this top again but next time I shall use a lighter fabric with more drape properties that will accentuate the pleat detail and possibly a plain fabric.

I haven’t used the orange fabric yet as I am now thinking more of a dress, shorts or a skirt rather than top.  I have also made the skirt on the front top right corner from this issue as well but that’s another post.

 

 

My crochet journey – Part 1

One Sunday back in Oct 2016, I decided that if my eldest daughter could teach herself to crochet via YouTube then so could I. After watching a number of different videos and not liking them for one reason or another I came across Bella Coco’s You Tube Videos and I haven’t looked back since. I’ve never been very good at practising new tasks, I expect to be able to do it straight away, which surprisingly never happens!! My first attempts,

 

As you can see far from perfect but I was really pleased with them, so I carried on and bought some cotton yarn to make some dishcloths – at least my practice pieces would be put to good use then and being impatient I had to try a different stitch!  This dishcloth is still going strong, though the colours have faded and on first use they did run slightly!