I have promised myself (and my husband) that I will finish at least three works in progress this week before I start my next project. I got them all out to see what I should crack on with and oh my gosh, there is definitely more than I thought….
I shall keep you updated on how I get on :s
My husband really wanted pyjamas for Christmas and he didn’t get any so I said I would attempt to make some for his birthday. I have a two and a half months so giving myself plenty of time. I searched eBay for a decent pattern and found this one. Classic!! I wanted to do something floral but I took my husband to the fabric shop to chose and he wants fabrics with a map of the world on. Not sure if his choice was made because he liked it or it was the first fabric he saw in the door way. I think I’ll go for the latter. Also last night on the sewing bee was pyjama making. Perfect to get me warmed up for my upcoming project!!
Today we received our invitation for our friends wedding in the South of France. I am going to be doing the flowers so my husband says it was silly to let them know we were going as they knew we were going but I felt they sent us an invite even though they knew we were going so it only seemed polite to respond. Gosh that was a long sentence. I have a pack of cards that I made as “Thank you” cards when Iris was born that we never actually got round to sending so now they need to be used up. I have to do some careful sticking over bits and cutting bits out but at least they are getting used.
I used the scalloped stitch on my new sewing machine – hurrah!! I’ve got some stamps from Muji to do the text. Simple, took about 10 minutes. There was even no queue at the post office so the whole process was complete from receiving invite and responding in less than an hour.
Hello everyone, as promised, the dresses I have made from the Yoshiko Tsukiori pattern book I reviewed last week.
I loved this pattern as it was the first project that I had started and actually finished. I went on to make two more dresses using the same pattern, each one I got quicker and quicker therefore successfully finishing within one sitting and not just being put into the pile of WIPs. The third one I changed slightly, inserted a zip and a Peter Pan collar.
Here they are…..
The first dress was the stripes one. I had a vision of having a stripes dress so off I went to the fabric shop and there a roll of it was. How had I not seen it before, and a bargain of £1.50 a metre (there may be a reason for that). I then went my book as I was disparate to use this fabric and disparate to make something from the Stylish Dress Book. So I combined the two and I absolutely love it. It goes so well with my red wellies.
The second was the black number. I had to unfortunately go to a funeral and realised the night before I had nothing to wear. So where to turn? Back to the trusty pattern. I didn’t have enough for the whole dress so I had to put in the polka dot panel. I think it worked quite well. I don’t really wear black but this dress has come out on more than one occasion.
The third was also made from scraps in the material tin hence the two tone. This is my favourite. I wore this to my works Christmas party (that’s how much blogging I have to catch up on) with some killer chunky black heels and tonnes of gold jewellery, looked pretty damned cool I’d say. Sausage Baby came with me and she wore a Santa outfit. She was the cutest baby in Shoreditch House that night, she was the only baby but still the cutest.
Please give this pattern a go and alter it and make it your own. You’ll love it!!
Happy sewing!!
Stylish Dress Book: Wear with Freedom
and
Sweet Dress Book: 23 Stylish Outfits from Six Simple Patterns
Both by Yoshiko Tsukiori
I found out about these books from another book review I came across on the Stylish Dress Book. I can’t remember where who who the review came from but all I remember how interesting the book looked so I purchased it. I really loved the dress on the cover so I made it. The whole process was so simple and perfect for the impatient sewer like myself.
This book is full of beautifully simple photography, really clear drawn out instructions and all the patterns are drawn out on big sheet at the back of the book so you just have to trace them onto so pattern paper, cut it put and you are ready to go.
It took me one evening to draw out the pattern and the next evening to make the dress. It really was that simple. Post to follow very shortly.
I was so taken with the ease and simplicity of it and how well my dress turned out (I like it anyway even if the fabric choice isn’t to everyone’s liking and probably not I keeping with the spirit of this book) I went on to make two more dresses, one of which I adapted the patter to make it slightly different. As the patterns are simple shapes and nothing very fitted, you can easily adapt them to make them more your style.
I was hooked so I bought Sweet Dress Book and this book is even better!!
It has the same pattern as the dress I loved it and and more. I have since made a top from it, again post to follow shortly, slightly changed as I didn’t like the flappy bit.
This book has the same beautiful photography. It has a page of basic instructions which are very helpful as a reference when you haven’t flicked through the book for a while in regards to seam allowance etc. It again has all the patterns drawn out in the back ready for you to trace and what’s more, there is even a cupcake recipe. What more could you possibly want from a sewing book.
Even if you don’t make anything from these books they are enjoyable to look through at the beautiful, elegant very cute pictures.
Can not recommend these books enough. I need to buy them all!!
Happy Reading!!
Every year I make the now husband a valentines day card (apart from last year as I forgot). Luckily this year I remembered before I start the dreaded 3 Day Valentines Shift at work so I’ve been making my card today and trying out the new sewing machine. Everyone’s a winner.
All I did was try out a few stitches on a piece of calico. I used black on cream which I think worked really well but you could do all sorts of colours. Cut out a heart shape, stuck it on a bit of card, got out the trusty stamp kit and card made. It’s actually quite sweet and took no time at all.
Happy Valentines Day Everyone
Xxx
All though I have just quit full time work and have no guarantee of when the next pay check will be coming in, I decided it was time for a new sewing machine. I was sold at Auto Tension.
It does so much compared to the old machine which could only be used in waking hours else all hours became waking hours due to industrious bewailing.
Just some of the wonderful things it does that the old one didn’t….
1. Makes me very happy if not a little guilty (I’ll get over that I’m sure).
2. Auto tension, no more skipped stitches or chewed up fabric.
3. Button hole with one press of a button. Oh my gosh this bit is good, you put a button into the specially designed foot, press a button and… Tadaa!…button hole made AND the button fits through the hole.
4. Really pretty stitches including flowers, hearts, little circles and my favourite, the scallop stitch.
5. Self threading needle, enough said.
6. One hand thread cutter. My old machine did have this, it just didn’t cut thread and you needed more than one hand.
I could go on but I’m actually a bit excited and I need to go look at it.
See you in a bit xxx
Well just a short post for my return to get back into the swing of things.
Before I went on maternity leave from work, we went and sorted out the storage containers which is full of crap, my boss is more of a hoarder than myself. I found this Pouffe and this cross stitch that I new could be something fantastic. My husband didn’t agree but has kindly let me keep it In the bedroom gathering dust and looking uglier and uglier.
Last week the husband said I had to sort it out or it gets thrown out. I had originally planned to cover the top of the pouffe with the cross stitch but unfortunately the years of dust from the storage unit plus the year shoved down the side of the wardrobe meant that the cross stitch was out. The pouffe was salvageable and poking out from under the craft table (that’s also a mess at the moment) was the perfect fabric that had no project currently attached to it, I just bought it because I loved it.
Then … Ta Daa!! … One staple gun, and an hour later…one pouffe I can’t stop looking at.
Hello everyone, sorry it’s been a while but I’m back.
Blogging unfortunately fell to the bottom of my massive pile of being a mum, working full time, all the dirty washing and of course a bit of crafting. Now however I’ve left work (well now I’m living the life of a freelancer) so I have more time to be a mum, do the washing, crafting and now finally blogging again.
Hurrah!!
Today this arrived all the way from America….I won the birthday competition on Ray’s Sew Crafty’s blog, you should check it out. I’ve never attempted cross stitch before so this will be exciting. Hopefully it will be finished before we move house (we haven’t even found one yet so I think I have enough time) and it will be the first picture to go in Sausage Baby’s new room.
Thank you Diana and Ray of course x
Makey Baby 