Minnado's House

bits and pieces - the view over here

2012-02-09T00:00:00.001+11:30

The view after bedtime story (don't worry, I don't leave them both to sleep there, Rocket Girl does go in her moses basket)

3 and half weeks old

This is kind of a bits and pieces post...

Thank you to all of you who left good wishes here following baby news. It is so nice to feel part of this blogging/crafty community.

Life here is currently very domestic. We are set in a pattern of two hourly sleeps, lots of breast feeding and not too much else. Oh yes, quite a lot of gazing at baby who is changing daily. I make the odd foray to the shops when I have to. Last night I managed to go out to take the kids to their swimming lessons in a whole family outing that involved tag team parenting. Rocket Girl slept throughout the swimming lessons.

I had two weeks' grace without having to take the kids to school. Then just as the temperature outside fell, I was back on school run duty. Baby Rocket Girl gets well wrapped up and is out in the car at 8.20am. Luckily since it has been so icy, another mum at school will often take my two older ones from the car and walk them in for me. Next week we have a week's holiday from school- hurray! I am hoping the weather will warm up soon. I am now desperate for Spring and echo Alessa's sentiments in her recent post.

I thought I would share some thrifty finds here. The pictures have been hanging round my folder for a while now. The shoes I bought before Christmas in the charity shop near the school. They look unworn and were £4. They are Kurt Geiger (tres posh?) and will be so nice to wear with skirts or dresses when it warms up. The cardigan I bought at the start of January. It is Boden and is a lovely warm wool. I love the retro detailing and it has pockets, always a bonus. I have been wearing it a lot recently. Just befire Christmas, I also found a cream aran style cardigan, very granny-chic, from Damart, which I think is a true granny label. To me Damart is synonymous with thermal underwear catalogues, sensible vests and petticoats. Any one else? My cream cardigan has pockets and brown leather-look buttons. It is a synthetic substitute for the real wool aran cardigan I would love to own. It also has multiple food stains so is in the wash and unphotographed.

I have a little pile of Good Things to photograph and share soon. I have been lucky recently with receiving lovely stuff from fellow bloggers, and want to show you. I am just doing it slowly, so watch this space, I will get there eventually. x

Sew maternity: a retrospective

2012-01-28T21:21:00.017+11:30

Hello, it’s Scruffybadger here, guest posting for Minnado’s House. I’m sure there’s a lot of warm fuzzy feelings thinking about family Minnado and their new addition. I hope they are all getting on just fine & are enjoying getting to know each other.

So when Minnado asked me to do a guest post, I kind of knew what I wanted to post about, having been so impressed by Minnado’s clever positioning and creations for the Fall Essentials Sewalong to make her capsule maternity wardrobe.

Minnado's Lingering Layers Skirt

Dressing for pregnancy is the perfect time to think about how to maximise your clothing, because unless you’re dripping in cash, or you plan some serial baby brewing, you don’t want to invest too heavily in clothing that has a very limited life. Most people when they are pregnant end up with less clothing than normal & wear it into the ground. Maternity clothes therefore are best acquired to maximise the options you have in wearing them. But I’m not going to post about today’s maternity wear. No, I was always encouraging Minnado to sew some vintage maternity clothes, suffering with the illusion that they would be super cute. And then I did some research – not too much mind you, but enough to gather some thoughts & memories (some made me choke with laughter!)

Hands up if you can remember pre-lycra maternity clothes? Hands up if you wore pre-lycra maternity clothes? Now I fell into this category, just about graduating into jersey during my second pregnancy possessing a single pair of leggings, but always wearing them with a floral bum & bump obscuring smock top. During my first pregnancy (late 80s) tents & pinafores (jumpers) were in. That’s what we wore. Clothing that emphasized how huge we were. Clothing that perpetuated the feeling that we were carrying a huge load, but in a vague tent-like way (no credit given for the small & perfectly formed pregnancy). The idea of showing our form & the beauty of our bumps was just not conceivable. (But please don't think I'm writing this with any kind of bitterness!)

I therefore looked up the history of maternity clothing & found some interesting articles. There is this one at the Huffington Post by Lindsay Mannering. “ A brief history of maternity clothing”, which explains how medieval women who were preggers wore aprons, to cover up where clothing didn’t quite meet around their belly anymore. Clothes were loose and not particularly figure hugging so this was not an issue. It was from the 14^th century that western clothing became more form fitting, & this would require seams being let out as well as the advent of tailor made dresses for those who could afford it. The first maternity gown was created during the Baroque period, 1600-1750, and from then on clothing developed over the centuries to even accommodate breastfeeding with dresses with bibs.

The author identifies pinafore dresses as the maternity uniform throughout most of the 20^th century, with little profit in this market for designers, until that is the rise of the paparazzi. Lindsay credits the increase in the designer market for maternity wear during the late 90s to the media interest in celebrity & their need to remain glamourous with bump. Look at Widepedia and it claims that designers such as Givenchy designed for Lucille Ball’s pregnancy in the 1950s. It made me chuckle that non pregnant models were used to showcase the design! Now I'd also suggest that the rise of technology and different fabrics, lycra and elastic helped progress maternity fashion, surely providing far more comfort, but in later years, also allowing allowing celebration of the bump. Which leads me to focus on my quest in this post. What kind of patterns were available for the home sewster ? How did fashions/ practicalities change over the decades?

I have to credit some fantastic sources of vintage patterns here - most of the pictures I have snaffled from Momspatterns.com - but it is a treasure trove! Here are some other fab places to look as well:

thebluegardenia
grandmashouse and the following Etsy sellers:
LaughingCrowKnits
HeyChica
TenderLane
stumbleupon

Are you ready now for some pictures?

From Moms Patterns

This one’s a WW2 blouse and jumper dress from Moms Patterns. These drawings look most definitely unpregnant though! Details provided indicate an adjustable waist & it is not clear what happens to the blouse as you balloon. Perhaps it is more floaty than it looks.

Moms Patterns

Another one from Momspatterns, this 50s pattern looks like normal wear (you know for women with waists!) But it all seems to be in the waistline which is adjustable- the skirt laps over at each sides to softly pleat, held with snaps & a French tacked tie belt. But what about room for busting bazonkas? Let’s face it, bust size changes & even the smallest chest takes on the guise of large tropical fruit. And one can also acquire extra arm fat– I’d imagine the bolero would not be comfortable in the later stages.

Moms Patterns again

Now look at these trousers/ shorts from Moms Patterns – described as “something new in maternity pants and shorts”. It has an expandable and adjustable covered front.

Betsy Vintage

This above from Betsyvintage.com and the one below (Hey Chica on Etsy) show slim skirts with adjustable waists with A line smocks over the top, but don’t they look very chic? Is it possible when you feel like a whale?

(Simplicity 2476) Hey Chica

I had great fun scooping up 60s patterns – it seems to be a design era I am drawn to. Anyone watching Mad Men will remember showing pregnancy on both Betty and Trudy (& Betty’s friend) through their latter stages & looking huge! Yay! Beautiful, glamorous and obscured in volumes of fabric. (Sorry no pics, here's a link to Trudy in a babydoll)

For the home sewster I found these patterns. From 60s, there seemed to be many “Easy to sew", lots of pull ons, I guess with the widespread availability of elastic (I’m sorry I haven’t done any research to date elastic, so this is pure supposition).

Moms patterns

The trouble with maternity patterns is that they are shown on non pregnant drawings & actually look really cute! I love the tabbed empire line for this pattern. And I REALLY like the shorts + smock look (& actually wore shorts & smock 90s version myself during mine ....)

Ready for something more ridiculous?

Moms patterns

NO! And no again! The dress is OK, but the triple triangle styling in caramel just reminds me of the pyramids ....but go to Moms Patterns if you fancy it....

Onto just one from the 70s, found at Etsy at Tenderlane.

Tenderlane at Etsy

Strangely enough, being a child in the 70s this clothing is similar to what I was dressed in by my Mum! I had a pinafore like view 3 in bottle green needlecord (with a beige peter pan collared bishop sleeved blouse. Hmmm. It was even a birthday present. Thanks Mum!).

I don’t know about you, but I want a trip down my maternity memory lane & I want me some laughs. I am just going to now bombard you with some images from the 80s. And I will point out any items that I had in my maternity “capsule wardrobe”. Mompatterns again comes up trumps .... from the McCalls “Today’s Mother “ range ...

Gathered dungarees anyone? I had some khaki ones (bought mind you) for my 80s pregnancy. I just KNOW they were awful - big bump at the front, pulling all that fabric from my behind...could be worse - I could have dressed like my baby to come - ref pink shorts romper!

Moms Patterns

Ha ha ha! No, none of these featured, but I had you guessing. I did not have any occasion to need such finery. Interestingly enough there are quite a few “career” maternity patterns out there, showing the rise of the working girl. Luckily that wasn’t me, didn't quite start my career before children!

Moms Patterns

Think Lady Di anyone? I had a bright pollen coloured yellow jumbo cord pinafore. But not quite like this one above. It was more of a tulip shape. There are stacks of Lady Di maternity patterns out there. Thankfully I did not have the urge to follow that trend....(bonus of being pregnant young I suppose)

Moms Patterns

See the shorts & smock look? For my second pregnancy I sewed more & although it wasn’t this pattern I made, I had something similar. Still looked the size of a house.

And at last.... a maternity pattern showing someone looking pretty pregnant!

Stumbleupon at Etsy

Honest modelling! I made something similar to the sleeveless short smock for shorts, but found short sleeves were better than sleeveless (arm fat struck). This has that "dress up, dress down" adaptability that many of the 80s patterns seem to have- a capsule wardrobe in one pattern.

I hope you have enjoyed this trip down maternity lane. It’s been long, if you managed to get to the end, well done. I’m not a Blogger user, so if I am slow replying to comments, that will be why (& sorry!)

FO: a girly girl

2012-01-23T23:00:00.004+11:30

This post is brought to you with one fingered typing.

Ta-dah, here's one I made earlier! I have to say I am besotted.

After the super speedy (1 and half hour labour) and early (by 10 days) arrival of the now-dubbed Rocket Girl, I am taking it slow here. No time for painkillers unless you count biting the seatbelt in the car, I now feel hard as nails (not really).

Thank you for all the good wishes.

Right I am off now to eat something before she wakes up. xx

PS: BIG Thanks to Winnie and Mimi for guest posting.

Scraps to pretties

2012-01-21T20:42:00.000+11:30

Hello! Magpie Mimi here guesting for Debbie whilst she's otherwise engaged, I suppose a baby is quite a distraction...hehe! Congratulations Debbie and family on your new little girl!

In the spirit of reduce, reuse, recycle I thought I'd show you this scrap busting tutorial for two different types of fabric flowers as it uses up those long thin pieces you sometimes end up with. The first is a twisted style flower and the other is a ruffle style flower. So without further ado, here we go!

First things first, gather together your supplies:

strips of fabric, I'd say anything from 40cm upwards, anything smaller and it's going to be tricky and small
scissors
needle and thread

Two strips of leftover fabric, scissors and needle and thread

Pick whichever piece of fabric you want to be the twisted flower and attach the cotton to the end of the fabric making sure you stitch it securely as you don't want it coming loose.

End of fabric with thread stitched on

Now, start to twist the fabric and put in slip stitches as you go to secure the twist.

twisted fabric with needle and thread coming through

Keep doing this until you get to the end of the fabric and secure the thread again as you don't want it unravelling. Don't worry about it being evenly twisted or stitched, it's nicer when it's not so uniform in my opinion, which is why I leave all the edges raw too, but obviously it's personal opinion so go with what finished look you feel happier with.

Fabric all twisted and stitched

Then you need to start rolling the fabric. Roll it tightly at first to get the centre of the flower and then more loosely after a few rolls to create the look of petals. Secure each roll of the fabric to the previous layer by stitching it together just one or two stitches per roll will suffice. You could glue it, but it may take time to dry and it may mark the fabric so I stitch it.

Roll the fabric tightly at first and secure it by stitching it together at the bottom

Mid rolling and stitching process

Then when you get to the end, fold the raw edge in on itself and stitch to the layer next to it to finish it off and voilà a finished flower!

Flower in the palm of my hand

The length of your fabric determines the size so think about how big you want it as it takes up more fabric than you think. All you have to do then is decide what you're going to use it on, be it a hair clip, hair band, bag or top! The decision is yours!

Here's the ruffled version:

As before secure the thread to the end of the fabric

Twist and slip stitch as you go along

Here's the difference though, don't secure the thread start pulling on it whilst pushing down the fabric towards the secured end so that the fabric ruffles

Once you've spaced your ruffles to your fancy start rolling and stitching as with the other flower

Ta Da! Finished ruffle flower in the palm of my hand

Both flowers in the palm of my hand

Hope you have fun making them!

I'll leave you in the capable hands of Scruffybadger tomorrow.

Do you want to know the news?

2012-01-21T06:16:00.002+11:30

Hello everyone! It's Scruffybadger here, standing in for Minnado (any idea what's keeping her?)

Well, I'm sure you're dying to know ........

Debbie and her family have been joined by a bonny baby girl!

And while I can almost hear you all making "cooing" and "ahhhing" noises (to join my own) here are some details:

She was born on January 14th at 12.16 am, coming in as a 6lb 15oz bundle of loveliness.

To quote Debbie,

"She was a superfast delivery, almost born in the car park. I even still had leggings, boots and coat on!"

Well done Mum! You've clearly got a dynamic one there. Wishing you and your family huge congratulations on your new addition & welcome to the littlest one. Hope you're settling in easily & enjoying getting to know each other.

This message was brought to you via the Sewing Blogger grapevine...

Whilst Debbie is otherwise engaged, you'll hear again from me & also from Magpie Mimi with a couple of guest posts to keep Minnado's House warm for her!

FO: Here we go bag

2012-01-10T01:14:00.007+11:30

Kids back to school, feet up. In the name of displacement actitivities (I am so bad at just waiting) and in between granny napping, I finished my changing bag. I used the "Here We Go Bag" pattern from Anna Maria Horner's Handmade Beginnings book and stash fabric.

I used to have an old rucksack as a changing bag so it feels fun to have such a smart new one. The size of the bag attracted me to the pattern plus it has side and internal pockets and an inside divider. I hate just having one huge bag in which everything gets jumbled up and which I have to tip up to find my phone or keys. I started making the bag before Christmas and just had a small bit of finishing off to do over the past two weeks. With all the parts the pattern seemed confusing at first but once I worked through it, it became much clearer and the bag went together faster than I had expected. I would recommend this pattern, it is nice and straightforward and gives you lots of options for different ways to put it together. There are lots of opportunities to use up fairly small fabric remnants in this pattern which was fun.

For the main part I used some dark denim from the Rag Market as I wanted something hardwearing and not likely to show too much dirt. I lined it with some left over Amy Butler fabric, which also was used for the handles and also with some tea cup fabric. I used more dark denim for the central divider to try and have a fairly rigid divider. Then I used my final scraps of apple fabric to make the top edging and the side pockets. I made three internal pockets of varying sizes. The bag also has a matching (yes, co-ordinated, I know get me!) changing mat from the Amy Butler fabric which rolls up inside.

The only addition to the bag is that I am going to put a magnetic popper inside it to keep it closed.

Not New Year Resolutions

2012-01-04T01:23:00.003+11:30

There have been lots of sewing resolutions and planning posts across the blogosphere the past few days. I have enjoyed reading these but am holding back on making a grand plan.

I have some projects I would like to do, some skills I would like to work on, but everything I think of then has the proviso added to it (in a high semi hysterical squeaky voice) ..."but I'm due to have a baby, soon". Eeek.
I probably won't have time or energy for sewing for a good while. My body is going to be changing shape so I am not really going to be able to work on garment fitting. I will be super sleep deprived so no complicated projects. So, I am going to step away from big sewing plans for now, maybe in a few months I can work some out.

HOWEVER, and there always is a however isn't there? Like lots of other blogging sewers, I did receive the Colette sewing book for Christmas and my little brain is ticking away at how to amend the liquorice dress to give it a front fastening so it is easier to feed a baby while wearing it. I also thought about sewing up the taffy blouse as it looks relatively quick. I still want to try sewing more knits but haven't found it very easy to buy knit fabrics.

I also bought myself a present "Simple Modern Sewing", subtitle: "8 basic patterns to create 25 favourite garments" Such phrases are music to my ears. The clothes in here do look quite simple to make and also look sympathetic to a post pregnancy body.

Lots of layering and floppy shapes. Also the unspoken message, make these clothes and you too will be a serene, happy woman in a peaceful clutter free house.

Loose baggy trousers are a weakness of mine

I am going to carry on with not buying new RTW clothing. This will be my third year so it no longer feels like a resolution, it is now just how I live and has become the norm.

I do want to work on the blog and improve its appearance and my photography but once again the little voice creeps in (the one about that baby).

As the recent months have been tough, this is my main resolution: I am resolved to be kind to myself, give myself a break and as I muddle through 2012 not to compare myself to other sewing/crafty bloggers out there in a negative way. I have so enjoyed making connections with other bloggers this past year, a continual source of inspiration and fun. Long may it last. xx

Lingering Layers Skirt

2011-12-29T06:49:00.000+11:30

So, I made it through Christmas, without an early baby. You have no idea how many jokes I have heard about whether it/he/she would come early on the 25th and I would have to call it/he/she, Noel or Holly.

Christmas day was knackering due in part to the 2am wake up...yes, 2am, from T age 8 and half. "I woke up and saw Santa has filled my stocking, I can't go back to sleep" This went on for an hour....till Mr Minnado took the unusual but slightly desperate step of taking T out for a walk, giving me an hour's much needed sleep and trying to wear T out. So then at 4.30am he came back and woke me up to tell me he had had a walk and now hot. Then of course he woke his little sister up. What can I say other than it.was.a.test. of.maternal.devotion. (Not sure I passed, as at breakfast T said "You did say some swear words when I couldn't sleep") We held out till 6am and then let them open the stockings....looking back I am happy he still believes in Santa, and keep wondering if this will be the last year?
Anyway enough festive ramblings, last week I was able to reconnect the camera with a new usb cord. (thankyou ebay ) I am catching up on the last few FOs. The Lingering Layers maternity skirt sewn back in late September.

Here is the photo from Handmade Beginnings. The skirt has kind of petal shapes at the top and a jersey panel for the bump. There is also a version without the jersey panel for non-maternity wear. Ideally you can alter the panels so the skirt's life is extended after pregnancy.
As you can see my version is much less feminine and floaty.
I made a few changes to the pattern:

I obviously left off the ruffle.

I also added inseam pockets which have slightly spoiled the side line of the skirt but are so comfortable and useful that I don't mind.

I added a centre front and back seams instead of cutting on the fold, in order to make my chevron stripes.

I used some stash fabric that started out as white with a duck-egg green stripe, found in a remnant bin. I had dyed it grey about 18 months ago.
I had a small piece of this stripey fabric to work with and had to play around with the pattern placement to get enough pieces out and also to play with the stripe placement.
The grey jersey panel was an remnant from t shirt making last year.
I ran out of fabric for the back yoke and so used a grey spotty piece instead. The back view shows how this fabric does crease through the day. Once I had put the skirt together I realised it needed lining as it was too see-through. I had to attach the lining from the curved seams as I couldn't line the stretchy tummy panel, if I had it wouldn't be stretchy anymore! Tricky and fiddly - I sewed it first it on the inside and then sewed it from the right side with a stitch in the ditch.

Back in September when I made this skirt it was too big and kept falling down, but it fits okay now. I am annoyed at the creasing issue of the fabric but I can live with that for a casual everyday skirt.

FESA /maternity round up

2011-12-18T18:30:00.000+11:30

Looking back and uploading these photos, I realised I have sewn more maternity clothes than I realised. I also have still got one skirt and a dress to show you but the camera is currently awaiting a new cable. Plus I refashioned a pair of brown velvet jeans found at the back of a cupboard at my mum's house and never photographed them.
Making these maternity clothes has been an exercise in making myself a little capsule wardrobe, something I have thought and read about but never managed to do.
The most used item? It has to be the mariposa jersey dress - it has accomodated my growing bump and can be layered over long sleeved tees and leggings as the weather has got colder. Dresses are so comfortable at this stage. Interestingly, the mariposa dress is one item friends have seemed surprised is home made. I think it is meant as a compliment when they say "You made that??!!"
The trousers have been good but tend to fall down a bit, a problem I have found with many maternity trousers. The grey trousers were being worn a lot but it is now too cold for them. I have also worn my shorts a lot, I love them, most recently I have been wearing them over leggings as I cannot be comfortable in tights anymore. I also love my pyjamas.

Mariposa dress Pyjamas using Burda pattern

Now to work out the cost:

Purple cords for refashioning: £2

Green trouser fabric: £2

White tunic top : £4

Mariposa dress: £6

Navy blue knit: £6 (for unblogged dress)

Black tee for refashioning:£ 1.50

Burda 8376: £8.00
Handmade Beginnings Book: £8.50

Total £32. Not bad, when the cost on the high street of one pair of maternity jeans is about £29. I also hope some of these clothes I will be wearing after the baby, and I can alter them to fit eventually.

All other fabric and notions were already in my stash. I reused old tee shirts for stretchy panels.

I now feel like I am on a wind down with maternity sewing. I was sorely tempted to make a jacket but just didn't have time. It has been a journey for me. In my previous pregnancies I was given lots of maternity clothes so never made any. Then I gave them all away and started this pregnancy with no maternity clothes stash. In fact, I thought you couldn't really make maternity clothes. I thought you needed some special techniques, special fabrics and special measurements. Sewing maternity clothes has been liberating and super speedy in some ways as I have largely given up on zips, button holes etc. Elastic becomes the maternity sewers friend instead. It has been fun to think in a different way to my usual train of sewing thought and I have enjoyed using up so much of my stash fabric.

I found the Burda 8376 pattern became my basic trouser block used for refashioning as well as making from scratch. I also like the Anna Maria Horner book, her patterns are well written and easy to follow. The book has a lot of things in it that are for baby which I haven't made but would use for present making in the future. I am however, tempted to make a changing bag from it now.

Now, once my camera is fixed I can show you the final two items.

Apples for teacher

2011-12-12T07:40:00.000+11:30

I have not made many home made gifts this year but here are the few that I have done.

As well as Christmas on the horizon this is Little I's last week at her nursery before she starts primary school after Christmas.

I know I will cry when she has her last day, I cried when her brother left the same nursery! (Maybe I can blame it on hormones.) It feels like the end of a special time and even more so because after Christmas everything will change again. (I am not great with change, can you tell?)

We are very fortunate that our local nursery provision for 3 - 5 year olds is an outstanding Reggio based nursery where she has had an amazing time. Her brother also went there so we feel connected. He still remarks that he feels it is unfair that he cannot spend time there. I have to prise him out somedays when he comes to collect his sister as he quickly gets busy working with magnets or lights and mirrors.

So we have been making some leaving presents for the nursery teachers. It is hard to think what to make, they do get lots of tins of biscuits and chocolates at this time of year. There is an unspoken tradition there of giving a picture or storybook when you leave so it is a present to the nursery. We are doing that but also made some personal gifts.

We made a fabric covered journal for her headteacher. Little I drew on some calico and then I tortuously sewed it into a cover for an A5 notebook. It was quite quick to sew up but was a bit fiddly to insert the book at the end. The cover is fully lined with some scrap William Morris fabric, I tried unsuccessfully to get a picture of this.

Then I knitted a scarf for her main teacher. The variagated yarn is ribbon-like rather than wool. I bought it four years ago and can only remember that it was italian and from a lovely knitting shop. I trimmed the ends with some velvet ribbon. As the yarn is graduated in colours I decided to keep the actual knitting simple and plain to hopefully show off the colour changes. The embarassing truth here is that I bought the yarn four years ago when T was due to leave the nursery with the intention of making the self same teacher a scarf. Needless to say I ran out of time and never did make it. During my November declutter I emptied and sorted my knitting supplies and found this yarn. I decided it was too good to waste. The fact that I actually did make it this time means maybe I have become better at time management?

A recent obsession with Little I has been drawing her teacher's picture. I keep finding these pictures. She recently started drawing them on fabric with some fabric felt pens. I took a small one and sewed it up, filled with some wadding and added a brooch pin to the back as an extra present for her main teacher.

Finally T was set to work on saturday....her made this coaster for his class teacher from Ikea Pyssla beads. This is his teacher's first year of teaching so we decided she probably doesn't have a large enough collection of child-made gifts yet. He decided upon the pattern himself. I think it is reminiscent of a granny square. At age he can sit and do this kind of fine motor skills task (though not for too long) while his little sister tried for about ten minutes to copy him but then ended up having much more fun running her hands through the beads, spilling them everywhere to the point where I had to take her into another room.

That's about it apart from bulbs in a pot for the lady who provides snacks at the nursery...a very, very important person in Little I's world for the past year. Oh no, I mustn't cry on friday, I try and remember I am British, we don't do that kind of thing...do we?

Pyjamas and Scrooge-fest

2011-12-04T19:32:00.000+11:30

I have the distinct feeling that I am on a sliding scale of time, or maybe one of those airport moving walkways which is speeding up, first stop end of term, second stop Christmas, third stop start of school, fourth stop new baby...eeeek....can't someone stop this moving walkway? I have decided I want to get off. I have recently been having some good days (plenty of energy) and some bad days. On a bad day I lie down a lot...on the sofa, or even when it's really bad on the hall floor. Then I follow my bump to stagger to the school and nursery for pick up time.
Anyone else live in a family where Christmas preparations fall mainly to women? We set ourselves ludicrous goals, rush around getting everything sorted...I keep hearing and having conversations that revolve around "Are you ready yet?" "Have you bought everything for Christmas?" Do you want to put your fingers in your ears and stick out your tongue when you meet someone who has had all her presents bought and wrapped since October?
I decided to drop a few christmas activities this year in the interest of saving my sanity and retaining some energy and a bit of money. Plus cut down on waste. First for the chop is Christmas cards, I am just not doing them, except the mandatory half a dozen for elderly relatives who will ring and complain if they don't get one. (yes, they will and/or sulk...seriously). Second, I contacted various friends a few months ago and asked if we could just not do presents for children or ourselves this year...everyone said yes and seemed relieved, lots of people are feeling a lack of money this year. I am still doing presents for family and a couple of friends, but I feel so glad I don't have to have a long list this year. Am I now an offical killjoy? I have to say I do love Christmas normally but what I love is the lights, trees, advent, decorations, food, and most importantly seeing family...not the grind of hard work and over consumerism. As I am going to be only three weeks off the due date for this baby I cannot go to visit my family this year, they live 200 miles away and I don't think I can manage that car journey! So I plan a simple Christmas meal here just me, Mr Minnado and the children and lots of sitting on the sofa. We have a "Christmas box" which recently came out of hibernation, in it live Christmas and wintery story books and a small collection of festive dvds. It caused great excitement when we opened it on 2nd December. We are currently reading one book a night from the box and plan to watch the dvds nearer the big day. So, I am not completely mean. Anyone else have mixed feelings about Christmas?
Now then, deep breaths....camomile tea....and back to some blogging about sewing.
I've made some super-comfortable maternity pyjama trousers. At the end of the day it is a pleasure to put these on. I am doubly pleased with these as I have used some some stash fabric and every little bit of decluttering gives more space, plus I didn't have to spend anything on them!
The first pair are from an Ikea duvet cover found in the charity shop quite a while ago. I made a skirt in the summer from the matching pillowcase. You can see the big bump panel which I used the scraps from my mariposa dress for.
The second pair in greens and blues are made from a duvet cover I bought in the summer. I had used a large piece of the duvet cover for a skirt I am also just in the process of finishing off a maternity dress. I had other maternity clothes to sew but that running-out-of time feeling means I may just stop here, put my feet up and knit till the baby comes.

Chest of drawers, to paint or not to paint?

2011-11-30T19:31:00.000+11:30

I expect most people reading this will have read Zoe's fascinating and impassioned post on consuming.

I was reminded of her post while putting this post together. When I realised I needed a new chest of drawers to store my baby clothes (second hand of course) I didn't even bother to think about buying new. For one thing it is out of our budget at the moment, and secondly I haven't bought any new RTW clothes or shoes for myself for 18 months now, and this attitutude has definitely filtered over into other aspects of buying. I talked about where I found the chest of drawers here.

I think for my money (£10) I got a sturdier, better made chest of drawers than if I had bought something flat pack.

Looking inside the chest of drawers has the label Lebus furniture. A quick google showed that Lebus was a British furniture brand whose arts and crafts furniture at the beginning of the twentieth century is apparently considered their best works. Mine is obviously later than that, but as the firm closed 1969 I am guessing mine is a 60s piece. I am not overtly patriotic but it feels nice to have something manufactured in Britain.

I have already filled it with baby clothes. Absolutely filled it. And still have some baby clothes planted on top of the chest of drawers. But I am considering painting it white, putting on coloured glass handles and giving it to Little I for her clothes. She has a white metal bed already so I think a white chest of drawers would go well with her bed. It is also easy to open these drawers so she can access her clothes more easily. The baby stuff can then go in the chest of drawers I currently share with Little I. Thoughts on this? Is it sacrilege to paint a piece of furniture like this or am I just extending its life. I am not really a great shabby chic fan but I do have a weakness for painted furniture. I always have. I was thinking about painting the chest of drawers before I even got it home, then I saw Tors' dresser and was swayed further towards the white. I have a great desire to paint furniture and walls white, to have lots of peaceful spaces. This is kind of risible given the way our family life goes. Peaceful? Ha! It may well be a side effect of looking at too many Scandinavian blogs.

There is also the matter of whether I can summon the energy to sand and paint. I have the intense feeling that I have to do this before the baby comes or I will never get it done. Then I look at the nice shiny wood and think it may be foolhardy to paint it white. It looks quite sweet as it is....decisions, decisions.

Oh, and I also have a yearning to paint the chest of drawers a bright glossy red, I have a great love of shiny and red together, but I know that will go down badly with everyone else in the house.

PS: One interesting aside to buying second hand furniture on a budget, is how you get it home. This chest of drawers cost only £10, the delivery charge would have been another ten pounds. So to save money I got a friend to come and collect it with me. Of course, it wouldn't fit in her car with Little I as well so eventually after much trying it this way and that, my lovely friend drove the chest of drawers home to my house while Little I waited with me by the road side. I had to wrap Little I up in my coat as it was cold, while I shivered for half an hour. The thought, "This wouldn't happen if we were buying flat pack from a well known chain store" did cross my mind. But it wasn't as bad as the time I bought two sets of fully assembled second hand shelves which I had to carry home while pushing a child in a pushchair at the same time.

Declutter update

2011-11-24T21:10:00.000+11:30

Thank you for the lovely comments on the maternity top in the last post. I really appreciate reading every one of them and I am determined to try and reply to comments but at the moment it is a slow process.

After a cold-induced pause my declutter mission has been continuing. Oddly the house is still a total mess though. Hmmm...how does that work?

4 x out of date lens solution - recycling
3 x out of date make up
old suncreams and aftersun creams x 3
1 cardigan
1 hoodie
2 dresses
1 top
3 pairs girl's trousers
4 pairs outgrown children's pyjamas
7 books
6 assorted babygros
Bin bag of scraps x 2 - recycling
2 x tee shirts
1 shoe horn (just one, not a pair)
1 pair Mr M's broken shoes - recycling
sewing kit - present to friend
1 broken unmendable cushion - recycling
2 old sweatshirts - cut up into cleaning cloths
2 curtains - sold on ebay

Total = 45/90, plus previous total of 35 = 80/90

I cannot believe how much crap we accumulate. There is something about having lots of stuff that scares me. I don't know why, I know some people are reassured by having lots of possessions butI find it oppressive. (The above declutter list was been done with me hardly venturing near the kids' toys. How easy it would be to chuck lots of those out but how much trouble would I be in?)

This scary photo is of my bags of childrens' clothes to go in the loft, plus Mr Minnado's spare cable collection. I am trying to get him to sort it out.

All this sorting and decluttering has led me to a few thoughts. Of course I am going to share them with you! I was further prompted to write these questions after reading Eleni's recent post over at Seamless.

I am lucky in that we get given nearly all the clothes we need for my two children. They happen to have cousins a little older so we get their cast offs. We also have some friends with girls who give us their cast offs. However, and I am not ungrateful here, we get clothes sometimes two or three years in advance, so I have a fairly laborious storage system...we also sometimes get so many girls' clothes that I have shared them between three other little girls as well. This can call for sessions of mass sorting and storage. I think we are lucky to get these clothes, so I cannot really grumble at having to sort. I was also given two binbags of baby clothes last month which I have weeded out and sorted, resulting in a bin bag of excess baby clothes for the charity shop.

A fortnight ago, I had a huge session, sorting bags and piles into seasons and age groups, ready to go into the loft. By the end I had a bin bag of girl's clothes to go to the charity shop. The excess was partly because we get so much. I found myself wondering how many pairs of trousers one age 4 girl really needs...also there are some things my daughter cannot wear, for instance trousers are often too big round the waist.
As I sorted through the stuff others had given me and also sorted through my own possessions to declutter, it made me think a bit about the etiquette of charity shop donations and passing on possessions. Do you pass on stuff and do you have rules? I mean would you put lots of unmatched, odd dirty socks and tights in a bag of clothes for a friend? I have received this before now at the bottom of a bag of other clothes. As someone is being generous enough to pass on their things I don't grumble. But I don't think I would pass on odd dirty socks to a friend.

I try and only pass on clothes in decent and clean condition. I try and think about what I would like to receive myself. I also tend to think about whether I would want to put my hand in a bag and sort through the items in it. I am not fussed about paint or pen stains on kids' clothes so I would pass those on to someone who also is not fussy. Anything that is too stained or holey I tend to put in a separate rag bag. My local charity shop gets paid for rags so I give them my rag bags. I assume they get recycled for cleaning cloths or go into fabric recycling, but I don't actually know! Sometimes my son's school do fundraising where they get paid by weight for old clothes and other textiles. I am again not sure what happens to these clothes after the school gets its percentage. Do the clothing collectors sell them on, are they the clothes that you hear end up in markets in Africa? Does it really bother you where your old clothes end up and who profits from them? And do you have an etiquette for what you give away?
I know several people who volunteer to sort donations in charity shops and hear stories of grubby underwear (eek) and other unsavoury items in donation bag...

Vintage Maternity: McCalls 5921

2011-11-18T19:48:00.000+11:30

This has been a week mainly of cough, sneeze, splutter, splutter as I caught Little I's cold and cough. She was unwell for one night and croaky, but happy, for four days. I have been coughing, sneezing, and bunged up all week. The sad highlight of my week has been the opportunity to go to sleep for half an hour in the afternoons propped up on four pillows to prevent coughing while she is at preschool. So sewing has been put on one side. I even felt too crummy to read many blogs. (Yes, that bad!) I am a champion at self pity. But powered by hot lemon, paracetamol and granny naps I have a new maternity make to share, finished a week ago. It is McCalls Carefree 5921,. Roobeedoo kindly sent me this pattern from her stash a few weeks ago. (If you don't read Roobeedoo's blog, then I suggest you hop over there and have a look at some of her beautiful clothes and knitting. She dresses how I would like to dress if I only had a waist.And she can knit, as in really knit, all I can say is look at Betty Jean )

And, Roo, I really do have a belated little parcel waiting to be posted to you in thanks. It is sitting with the other overdue parcels on my table, I will post it it soon.

I like how this called McCalls Carefree. I am guessing the carefree bit relates to the ease of the pattern making-up, rather than that you will be carefree wearing these clothes. Carefree is the last thing I feel at the moment, careworn perhaps. Check out the great illustration at the top of the post, and notice how these women are very discreetly pregnant. I have been looking at a range of maternity patterns and this illustration is in contrast to the modern Burda 8376 pattern shown here where the model's bump is proudly on display. Though to be honest it is still fairly discreet. I am just curious about these illustrations and wonder if they serve to give a slightly inaccurate view of pregnant women. I have a future blog post brewing about this very subject so for now, I will get back to the sewing.

I was tempted by view E, the sleeveless red top but reminded myself winter is fast approaching and opted for view C, the long sleeved top, drinking tea. Maybe in some distant galaxy I can be that carefree pregnant tea drinker!

I used some white dotted cotton that I bought for £2 a metre from the Ragmarket. The shirt was much easier to put together than I expected. The finished item does make me think of something like a bucolic tv adaptation of a Thomas Hardy novel, I think it's the yoke and gathers that make that association.

I like the extended (drop?) shoulder and arm seams both of which have gathers. I also liked the gathers beneath the yoke. I used interfacing on the yoke but I wanted the collar to stay quite floppy so I left out the interfacing for the collar.

The only thing I changed was to make the sleeves three quarter length rather than full length and to add deep pink rose buttons for the cuffs.

I had a little google of this pattern and found a fab dress made here polka dot overload from the pattern. It is very inspiring...I found myself mentally searching my stash for dress options after seeing it.

Declutter month

2011-11-11T05:56:00.000+11:30

Over at Thrifty Mrs it is Declutter month. She has set herself the target of 90 items to be decluttered in 30 days. This chimed in with me and my compulsive nesting/decluttering behaviour, so here I am joining in. This is the total from last weekend:

toy fire engine that was under the stairs for three years, surely no one will miss it? - charity shop

model making kit - charity shop

bin bag of scrap fabric - recycling bins

9 books - charity shop

two broken rucksacks - recycling bins

one summer shirt - charity shop

one pair jeans - ebay

one piece tweed fabric - ebay

one knitting book - ebay

1 pair of outgrown, worn school shoes - recycled for charity at local shoe shop

outgrown sports shoes x 3 pairs - charity shop

one barbie type doll(shhh....) - charity shop

1/2 duvet cover found under the stairs - remade into pyjamas

2 pairs of wellies - charity shop

various pieces missing from board games

1 bottle perfume, unused gift - charity shop

6 cardboard boxes that have sat on T's shelves, empty, for 2 years - recycled

35/90....not bad going, but this is addictive....watch out. And the house is still full of clutter, although certain areas are starting to look a bit clearer! If you came to my house you could not sit still for long or leave your coat and bag lying around as I would pick them up with a maniacal glint in my eye and stick them on ebay or stuff them in a bin bag for the charity shop.

I am in an odd position where I am trying to get rid of clutter but then there is some stuff I need to store. I need to get rid of some stuff to make room for more stuff. Witness what is my car boot: a complete set of clothing for 0 -3 months, hats, sleepsuits, even a snowsuit. These were kindly given to me by a friend of my sister's. I don't have anywhere to put them as yet. I was determined not to have to go and buy brand new furniture, so this morning Little I and I went to a second hand furniture shop run as a local charity. Donated furniture is collected, renovated and given out to low income families or individuals free of charge. (They have to be referred by a key worker to access this scheme). Recently the charity opened a small shop selling excess furniture to the public. There was one chest of drawers, a really sweet three drawer little one, I would say 1960s, with gold filigree style handles for £10. It is slightly bashed up but has a granny-chic charm. (Some people would say "old lady crap" but I say Granny Chic). I have to go and collect it next week as the shop is only open part time. I am in two minds about whether to paint it and add new handles or leave it with its granny look. Photos to follow after collection next week, then maybe someone can tell me what to do with it in terms of painting.

FO: Maternity clothes #4

2011-11-08T20:50:00.001+11:30

Apologies for photo quality - the light here has been dim and gloomy for the past few days.

More finished items - I am just not sure about the colour of these trousers. They are bright acid yellowey green.

The fabric was only £1 per metre from the Ragmarket. The colour for me is reminiscent of something a 90's raver would wear. It is hard to find things to wear with this colour so I opted for the safety of black or white. I also am really stumped as to what shoes I wear with these without looking like too much of an old 90's raver who cannot quite give up on their youth. So these are trousers I have mainly been wearing around the house. My version of wearing jogging bottoms at home! I cannot help but loathe jogging bottoms. Seriously, those big baggy ones with cuffs at the ankles as everyday wear? No, no, no! (Sorry if you are a jogging bottom person, no offence, we all are different.)
I used Burda 8376 again and added side pockets using some stash fabric and some dark green velvet ribbon down the outside leg seam. This pattern has been well worth the money spent on it - so far I have made two pairs of trousers, one pair of shorts, one tee shirt, and two pairs of pyjama trousers from it (still got to blog the pyjamas). It provides me with basic useful maternity clothes, rather than anything radically exciting but basic maternity clothes are what I guess I needed to tackle first. The more exciting and interesting clothes are in the pipeline....watch out for a future post. (60s and 70s retro, ScruffyB?....wait and see...) The plus side to these trousers is they are supremely comfortable to wear, they have pockets and are a good weight/warmth for this time of year. The inside of the fabric has a kind of silky feel to it which is lovely. T was so impressed with the feel of this fabric that I am making him a pair of trousers from the left over.
The downside is the weird colour...it is a marmite colour, sometimes I look at it and love it, sometimes I look at it and hate it. Rachel also bought some of this fabric on our shopping trip and I look forward to seeing what she makes of it. And how she deals with the colour.
The tee shirt was an XL man's tee from the charity shop which I resized using the tee shirt pattern from 8376. I was able to use the existing neckband and hems and just cut and resewed the shoulder, and side seams to make it into a maternity tee shirt, adding a bit of the green velvet ribbon. As an XL men's shirt it was miles too big across the shoulders and had too much fabric at the back. I am looking for more XL tees to resize as I would really like one or two long sleeved ones for the winter months, suddenly it is much colder here. Maybe in plain colours to wear with the aceeeeedddd trousers. Ha, I just couldn't resist the aceeeeeeeddddd word, sorry. Maybe I just need to accessorise these trousers with some glo-sticks and a luminous whistle? Hmmm... should go down well on the school run.

FO: Purple and paisley

2011-11-02T20:48:00.001+11:30

A finished top and trousers.

Purple and paisley are not usually my thing. But here I am finding myself in ...purple and paisley. This is due to the fact I am trying to sew without spending much money and using second hand fabric where ever possible, so fabric choice is limited by what came out of gifted bin bags. The top is my completed Mariposa tunic by Anna Maria Horner. The fabric came from my Devon bin bags. I started making this tunic back in September as a wearable muslin but got frustrated when it came to trying it on and found it was too big on the top half and the modesty panel was massive making the top very immodest. I took the modesty panel out and decided to wear it with a vest underneath instead (is that camisole if you are reading this in the States?) In September I wondered if the too big top would fit by now, well, the bust is still a little too large and hangs awkwardly. This is partly due to the fact that I lined the front bodice with fabric (again a found free fabric) that is maybe slightly too heavy and doesn't drape well. If I were sewing normal non maternity clothes I would probably take time to alter this but as it is maternity wear for only a few months and I may still get bigger up there (eek) I am going to leave it. The top ties under ther the bust - I have tied it behind my back today.

The trousers are purple H&M cords that I bought in a charity shop last week. I've been looking for some cords to alter for a while now as I wanted some warm winter trousers. Finally I found these for £2.00 in a favourite charity shop in Devon last week. I used the tummy panel from the Burda 8376 trouser pattern and cut a panel in jersey left over from making this dress. Then I cut out the panel from the cords and sewed in my new stretchy panel. I added buttonhole elastic in a casing.

View of the stripey panel...

Verdict: I cut the panel a bit too low so I can only wear long tops with these trousers. These cords are also really very flared. I am considering taking them in a fraction. Any opinions? Or advice on taking in flares? Apart from that they work well and are so much better than the Next maternity jeans I bought on ebay. The maternity jeans I bought are awful, they fall down way too much, they are supposed to be skinny but are too big on my legs so they wrinkle and bag out giving a Norah Batty effect and the feeling of falling down tights. I think I am going to resell the jeans on ebay and stick with my me-mades. Hah....lesson learnt here. I cannot resist finishing this post with a picture of Norah Batty just for those of you who may not know her.

Norah Batty: Style Icon (image source)

Linked to Recycled fashion Finds here

Sewing for others - part 2

2011-10-24T03:48:00.000+11:30

Bags, bags, bags...I know I am pregnant due to the recent frantic bouts of nesting activity and organising. If I had an appropriate cupboard or set of drawers I would use it but instead I am making bags to rein in the winter stuff I recently pulled out from under the bed.

See exhibit 1:
A combat bag for T and alphabet bag for Little I from stash fabrics. The straps are from my collection of belts...a really easy and effective way of making bag straps. My genius plan? Each family member is to have their own tote bag with their winter gloves, scarves and hats in. Each family member is therefore able to find said gloves, scarves and hats by themselves without recourse to shouting at me. Of course this plan relies on everyone putting their hats, scarves, gloves back in their own bag... I need to train everyone to do this. I am not going to be placing bets on this working in mid-winter.
Mr Minnado has a combat fabric bag for his winter things and I made one for myself from the left over duvet cover fabric used for a summer skirt.

A wrinkly washbag for T fromstash fabric, lined with the stripey blue and white. I made this for him to take to cub camp. "What's a toiletries bag?" he asked me, reading the equipment list.

Finally a P.E. (sports) bag for Little I to take to school in January (yep, forward planning inaction here). Made from rag market fabric and I used some embroidered trim also fromthe rag market to make the strap.

Oh no, more maternity sewing: Mariposa Jersey Dress

2011-10-17T20:07:00.000+11:30

When I bought my stripey jersey at the Ragmarket I was originally thinking of t shirts but changed my mind and decided to have a go at a mariposa-based dress. I saw Mad Mim's jersey version of this pattern and decided to have a go at using a non-stretch fabric pattern with stretch fabric. I can't carry off long skirts and also have a tendency to trip over the hems so I made it to the knees.

The Mariposa pattern by Anna Maria Horner is from this book and can be made into a tunic or dress. The picture above shows the dress version illustrated in the book.

I like the fact that the maternity patterns in the book all have non-maternity options or are adaptable for after you have had the baby. I had started making a Mariposa tunic back in September from stash fabric. When I came to try it on I had quite a few fit issues. There is an insert called the "modesty panel" which was much too big on me and was very very immodest! So I have taken the panel out and still haven't finished the tunic.

My half finished tunic

The pattern calls for the front bodice pieces to be lined and the back piece to have a neck facing. I decided to line the backpiece fully so in effect made two bodices and then put them together. This works well with jersey and eliminates any flapping facing. I also cut the sleeves slightly longer then the pattern piece. I decided to leave out the modesty panel on this dress and just wear it over a vest. Then when it came to making the skirt I decied to just wing it with a rectangle of my remaining jersey, sewn up the side seam and then ran a gathering stitch round the top before pinning it onto the bodice.

The jersey was much more forgiving of this approach then a woven fabric may have been.
The dress fastens with ties which currently meet behind my back. It is designed so you can undo the ties for easy breast feeding once you have had the baby.

What do I think? I like this dress. It is so comfortable and so wearable and I do love stripes. How can you not be happy wearing a stripey dress???? But the stripes highlight any wonkiness in the belt and I did botch it together. I hope to be able to adjust it after having the baby so I can keep on wearing it. It was a pleasure to sew with some good quality cotton jersey after having sewn with not so good jersey before. It just sewed up so much better, no snagging or terrible holes with the needle. The jersey was £3 per metre from Rag Market. I used about 1.75m for this dress. The stall holder told us it was "best Marks and Spencers Jersey", maybe this was true... I should have bought some more for t shirts! I don't want to go back to sewing with crappy jersey again.

FESA happiness

2011-10-15T18:57:00.000+11:30

Happiness, happiness this week...is a pair of maternity winter shorts. I used Burda 8376 again and the fabric was a grey wool mix with a tiny blue stripe left over from my Uniform Project dress. (I am planning to post the dread details of that dress soon, it didn't exactly turn out well, and it feels like a mammoth post to write). As you can see the pattern photo shows a summery sort of pair of shorts worn by the lovely sporty looking blonde amazon. Hmmm.... I changed all that and made some wintery nerdy shorts.

I liked the idea of putting on the large side pockets with flaps which are more meant for a casual combat trouser look but I like to play around with ideas of suitability within fabric types. I thought about addding giant buttons to the flaps but decided to restrain myself.

The pockets and flaps are lined with some blue floral scraps from my stash.

Like the trousers already made from this pattern the shorts have an insert for the bump made from an old tee shirt. This type I followed the pattern instruction and used buttonhole elastic (bought on ebay) in the casing. What genius invented buttonhole elastic?

So I wore them on wednesday with a charity shop top and again on thursday with my me made nautical top. This thursday photo is especially for Ali, after she had asked about favourite jackets in her recent post, I was spurned on to wear one of my favourites, this red 60s style Zara jacket (via charity shop again).

The shorts are super comfortable, use up some stash, tick another item off the FESA list, and they go with lots of different colours, kind of obviously I guess.
I just wanted to add a note to say sorry if you cannot comment here - I am hoping this is a temporary blogger hitch as I cannot see what to change in my settings. I also wanted to thank everyone who left congratulations - for a week or more I couldn't respond to comments on blogger but I am trying to catch up now.

Birmingham Bloggers Meet Up

2011-10-13T20:22:00.000+11:30

"What?? " shrieked my friend on the phone "I can't believe you are six months pregnant and went running round the Ragmarket on Saturday".

Yes, instead of spending saturday lying on a couch being fed grapes as befits a woman in my position, I went off to Birmingham and met up with five lovely bloggers. You have probably already seen Scruffybadger's superior account. (If not, go and have a read).

This was my first blogger meet-up and I was a little nervous. ("What if they are, like, really old?" said my sister when I first mentioned a blogger meet- up to her last summer. Hmmm, she is in her forties, not fourteen by the way).

Well they were lovely, and very good company. As for the Ragmarket...I thought it was great and am ashamed to say I have lived 45 minutes away for 8 years and have never been before. We had a good look round the inside and outside stalls, trying not to get too muddled in my case. Then a late lunch. Cafe Soya looks like not very much from the outside but the food was fab, especially for a vegetarian like me, and generous portions. Rachel had the never-ending bowl of soup. I wish had taken a food blogger type photo now.

Then back to shopping:

Lots of prints

So many trims, with so many colours - even the zips were embellished.

And onto my haul, some looky-likey swiss dotted cotton in white, £2 a metre, for a top. Some dark denim with a bit of stretch. I bought this thinking of trousers but I am not so sure now - I think it would make a better skirt. A darkish blue mystery blend that looks like linen but isn't. Probably trousers. A yellowey green, I think this was £1 a metre. It has a silky feeling reverse so won't need any lining. Some stripey cotton jersey knit. I was very happy to find this as knits were high on my shopping list.

You can read Melizza's account of our day over at
pincushion treats

and Sarah's is here at Not Found

Their blogs are both new to me so an added bonus was to discover them and be able to add them to my reading list.

You can see a better picture of the green fabric hanging on the line.

If you live near to Birmingham I would definitely recommend a trip to the Ragmarket (a return trip next year has already been suggested) but a word of caution - check what days the markets are open - I am not certain if all the outdoor stalls we visited on saturday are there every day.

Ch-ch-changes and Finished FESA item

2011-10-07T18:33:00.000+11:30

Sit down... I have a confession to make...

I made the first pair of trousers on my Fall Essentials Sewalong list a few weeks ago. They are a grey chambray cotton with 5% linen blend. And now it is time to confess a little something... I have given myself an extra challenge in my FESA sewalong as I am expecting a baby! He or she is due in January. So I am about 25 weeks now. This was an unplanned surprise, so much so that I had given my maternity clothes away. To someone who lives in Poland - too far away and costly to post them back. I had also given away the cot, moses basket, car seat, highchair attachment, most of the baby clothes...etc, etc, are you seeing the situation? The only big item I still had was the pram.

So recently I have been thrifting and buying second hand things for baby. I managed to buy a beautiful cot bed (actually much nicer than our old one) from a friend of a friend, and a first stage car seat from another friend. I have been buying bits and pieces of baby clothes in the charity shops.

I cannot afford to be buying maternity clothes though. I just allowed myself one pair of second hand maternity jeans on ebay. They are at that stage where tend to fall down all day resulting in me permanently hoiking them up. I keep reminding myself that soon they will fit.

I have been lucky in that I happened to have made quite a lot of loose tops like Simplicity 3835 and my portfolio dress - these have been great to wear in this mid stage. BUT I am aware that at some point I may need a little extra space in my clothes.
So, I decided to start with maternity trousers. My trusty gap charity shop jeans saw me through to 22 weeks but just are too tight now. I searched for maternity patterns and to be honest the big pattern companies don't have many. I read some reviews of Easy Burda 8376 and decided to use this one as a good basic trouser pattern. Any pregnant readers out there, believe me, these are so easy to make. Only five pieces.

Seriously, this maternity sewing is great...no zips, no buttonholes, no waistbands. I loves it.

The trousers have a jersey panel that goes over the bump and they have a simple casing and elastic waist. I used an old t shirt to make the panel. The panel looks to me like a teddy bear's stomach but it is super comfortable. When it came to cutting out the trousers, being the meanie that I am, I tried to squeeze the 2 metres required from 1 metre of stash fabric. It worked but only just and I had to make an extra casing for the back from another piece of spotty scrap fabric. To give them a bit more length. They are just, just long enough but only because I have short legs! My only concern is that they won't be warm enough in a month or two. So I am thinking of making another pair in some winterish fabric, I am also thinking of using the jersey panel pattern piece to refashion some pre-made trousers into maternity but I just haven't seen any charity shop trousers I like recently.

However I liked making the trousers so much that I made some grey wool mix winter shorts from the same pattern. I have almost finished these. The photo shows the side pocket detail. I used the left over fabric from making my Uniform Project dress last year.

I am in love with these shorts even if I will look like a strange gender-mix of pregnant woman and school boy. That is weird I know. But they do look a bit like my son's school shorts. I will just have to make sure I don't wear them with a school jumper and satchel.

More sewing for others

2011-10-04T18:39:00.000+11:30

I have been doing a fair amount of sewing but no blogging recently. I have several items almost finished to share but most recently I have been doing more sewing for others:

A birthday tee shirt for Little I's friend whose favourite colour is green and a bag for her to keep treasures in.

The teeshirt I did at the last minute, well an hour before the party. A new sewing shop opened near me and I really wanted to like it. I live in a sewing shop desert. The owner was lovely and helpful BUT she sold me fusible interfacing that was ironable-fusible on one side when I had asked for fusible on 2 sides- bondaweb type stuff. Eeeek.

I didn't have time to go back and change it before the party, and so I just used the interfacing for the tee shirt applique. I think it is going to fray more now though than it would have done with the double sided stuff.

The new shop is five minutes drive from my house, located on the edge of a small industrial estate, and has loads of patterns and fabrics and a bit of haberdashery. There were lots of useful lining fabric (I bought some grey for a skirt I am in the middle of making) and some pretty floral cottons (didn't buy any, thinking of the stash I already have). There was quite a bit of fabric that was not my kind of taste but which made Little I gasp and say things like
" Ooohh, look shiny rainbow, glittery,stars material...ooohh pink princesses material....! " (Can you imagine a world styled by four year old girls?)

I did buy a length of fake suede in emerald green and some brown fake suede off cuts. Don't worry, this is not the latest FESA wardrobe plan. Nor am I going to the Birmingham Bloggers meet up in fancy dress. I'm making T a Robin Hood costume for friday night's cub camp. We googled Robin Hood costumes (found a strange flickr group devoted to men who like to dress up as Robin Hood, let's just not go any further) and found a simple one that met with T's approval (he is not keen on dressing up) so I am spending my sewing time making it now. It is basically a tunic to wear over his normal khaki green trousers - no way this boy would wear green tights! But I have had a request for a pointy hat as well.

We only had one week's notice about the costume which is a little short don't you think?? T is very excited as this one night and one day camp is his first cub camp. I can't believe he is old enough and brave enough to go. I may cry into my cocoa on friday night - this is my just desserts as before I had children I used to be so unsentimental and laugh at soft-hearted parents.

Ottobre Love Autumn 2011

2011-09-22T19:53:00.000+11:30

Quite a while ago Ali blogged about using patterns as blocks and having

some pattern books which can be adapted to make a whole range of different clothes. I have found that Ottobre magazine sometimes delivers on this score. The subscription is 15, 90 euros per year which gives you two magazines. This comes to about £13.84, so under £7.00 per magazine. A bit more than Burda magazine but the sizing and styles of Ottobre are more to my taste and fit than Burda.

My copy of the Autumn Winter Ottobre magazine arrived a few weeks ago. It then got lost for about ten days after a hasty tidy up before guests arrived. I was happy to find it again on Monday. I had started to question how carefully I had checked the recycling box before it was emptied.

Reading this Ottobre makes me wamt to sew knits. Sadly I have no knit fabric in my stash, but happily I am going to Birmingham's rag market in October so I plan to write a Ottobre based list and look for some affordable knits.
Lots of these items are of the wardrobe staple variety rather than the "wow" sort. For instance, the turtle neck would be ideal to wear with layers in the colder weather.
I have one ancient GAP black ribbed turtle neck that has been mended many times. Definitely time for a me-made replacement.

The everyday t shirt speaks for itself, though it would present a new challenge of buying ribbing. Maybe its the changing season but I have a yearning to make these cosy trousers for home.
I have never been a big fleecey casual clothing wearer but a good zip up hoodie is ideal for cosy evenings and pulling on for going to school pick up.

I am also intrigued by the idea of making this wool knit duffel coat. I just don't know if I could find or afford to buy the fabric for it. I am going to have a good look though on the forthcoming Rag Market meet up.

Finally, I have to say it is a "no, no, no" from me for this coat...it just makes me think of a butternut squash in its shape. What do you think? This would look good on a little girl but I am not sure on a grown woman! Nice tights though.

There are also some great vintage style dress patterns in this magazine...I will show them next time.

Remake and mending

2011-09-20T19:35:00.000+11:30

Such a gloomy morning today. It is our first proper rainy morning since school went back. Windscreen wipers on, anoraks for the kids. Despite his anorak, T looked soaked by the time he got to the school gate. He is of course at eight too old to carry his bumble bee umbrella, though Little I was happy with her lady bird one. "Everyone will think I am a giant insect". I noticed one of his friends with a smart rocket patterned bottle green umbrella. Not too toddlerish at all.
Anyway I am feeling a bit cheesed of with the rain and ensuing gloom. Do other people feel fed up with all the detritus and mess around? I am no great shakes at house cleaning but sometimes a big clear up makes me feel much better. Over the course of the summer holidays things got more and more chaotic here.
I have been fixing and mending, I was so fed up by the mess everywhere in our house, that I decided to tackle The Piles....first up the school uniform pile. Little I starts school in January but we had been given a pile of old school clothes (a year ago!) which I had dragged out from under the bed to see what was there. Added to her brother 's old school sweatshirts and PE kit (t shirt, shorts and plimsolls), plus my summer car boot haul, she only needs me to buy the grey socks and black shoes. Hurray for other peoples' cast-offs. I have to make her a PE drawstring bag but have promised to find some pink fabric. So, I decided to sort and name it all now so all we need to do in the Christmas holidays is buy the shoes. As it is named, each item goes in a shallow plastic box under the bed so all the school stuff is in one place. I have been sewing name tapes in which is apparently a rare and archaic act these days. I like sewn name tapes though, apart from anything else they are re-usable, so in the longterm save money. Once I sat down in front of the tv with my pile of clothes and name tapes it only took two evenings to do.

Then I tackled some of my mending pile, first up was my Portfolio top.

I had made it from Simplicity 2245, view C and a limited amount of stash fabric. I have been wearing it but felt it was just a bit too short for me though so I added a contrast band in brown and white polka dots from the scrap pile.

Next up...my 3835 tunic top had a large and getting rapidly larger hole in the lower centre front. I sliced the bottom five inches off below the hole and then reattached it without the hole. Sorry no before photos to explain what I did. I had worn it out in the summer with the hole which horrified my friend's clothes conscious eight year old daughter. She will be pleased to know I have mended it.

I added purple cord to cover the seam and to give the top a bit more ...something...structure? The purple cord was the cord I had taken from my bumble bee cardigan refashion.

Finally to cheer myself up today I am wearing this new pendant. I made it with Little I and her aqua bead set.

Okay, more clearing up to do... more photos to follow. Hope you guys are feeling more cheery today.

Bumble bee cardigan

2011-09-16T20:32:00.000+11:30

This is my bumble bee cardigan. It is dark purple and mustard stripes and started off life as a sweater with short sleeves and a cord threaded through a casing at the bottom hem. The cord made it quite baggy. To me there is something counter-intuitive about a short sleeved sweater or cardigan. I mean, I am either cold enough for long sleeves or too warm for a sweater.

I bought the sweater at easter in a charity shop near Exeter. At the time my mum said I would look like a giant bumble bee if I wore it but I ignored her and bought it. (Do we all ignore our mothers like this?) I had not planned to wear it as a a sweater as I don't particularly want to go out dressed as a giant bumble bee. Are you surprised at that?
It had an open neck and four press studs at the top. It has been lying in my to-do pile since easter and last week I finally took scissors to it. I just sliced it up the centre front and then zig zagged a tiny hem on each side. I left the original four poppers as I liked them and their detail. I think it is mainly a cardigan for wearing open anyway and for layering up. Despite my short sleeved cardigan reservations I like it and how it adds a pop of colour to the greys I have in my wardrobe. (Worn above with me-made anna tunic and me made nora tee shirt from Ottobre magazine, Autumn 2010)
This refashion is shared at Recycled Fashion Finds

Self stitched September catching up

2011-09-12T02:21:00.001+11:30

Thursday 8th September - Simplicty 3835 made with charity shop curtains.

Friday 9th September - Simplicity 3835 made with Amy Butler fabric

So, another catch up with September pictures. I have tried to wear skirts and bare legs the last couple of days while I still can. The Amy Butler top I made last week. I had the fabric in my stash and the colours fit with my autumn FESA planning. Simplicity 3835 is so quick and simple to sew up. It is my no-brainer, pattern block to sew when I want to have a wearable top quickly. The top hangs slightly stiffly as it is quilting cotton
and so the sleeves puff up a bit too much at time. But the colours and pattern compensate for the awkward fabric.

Saturday 10th September - Me made stripey tee (Sew U Home Stretch), me made denim skirt (Sew Hip Magazine Summer 2009), me made jersey scarf

I am excited about the response to our Birmingham meet up...excited and a bit of trepidation. Sunday 11th September - Me Made top from Simplicity 2295 with vintage lace trim from stash. Self drafted skirt. Both fabrics were from my bin bag stash.

High Noon in Birmingham

2011-09-10T20:31:00.000+11:30

Yes, what a catchy title. Scruffybadger and I have been planning a little bloggy meet-up/fabric shopping expedition to that glittering metropolis Birmingham. The date is Saturday 8th October, rendezvous at New Street Station, 12 noon.

Our plan is to meet up and go the Rag Market to check out the fabric and haberdashery stalls. There is also a fabric shop nearby. And of course some lunch and chat.
Lots of victorian architecture, museum, art gallery plus the new Selfridges and Bull ring development. If you are into RTW bargain hunting there is a big TK Maxx outside the station. Oh and canals...did I mention canals? Well, there's canals.

It would be great to see other bloggers on this meet up. I seriously would not recommend driving into Birmingham if you have not done it before. New Street train station takes you right into the city centre so is much much easier. If you are interested in coming along, just leave a comment with your contact email and we will be in touch with meeting place and details.

Autumn planning

2011-09-09T22:22:00.000+11:30

I have joined the Fall Essentials Sewalong hosted by Rhinestonesandtelephones, Farbenfreude and The Wardrobe Reimagined.

I have found that sewalongs help me think out my plans and also help me to carry them out!
I am going to try and use up fabrics from my stash before buying any new ones.

The fabrics lacking in my stash are knits and plain fabrics. I deally I would like to buy second hand fabrics but I have to say I find it hard to buy second hand knit fabric and second hand plain fabrics (except for sheets). I am inspired by the latest edition of Ottobre magazine. I am sorry to be so vague and I will post photos soon but at the moment I have lost my copy. It was last spotted on my sofa a few days ago....
There are a number of categories for the sewalong. I have only opted for some as I want to keep this achievable and also I am trying to make things that fit in with my existing wardrobe. Below are the ones I have decided to concentrate on:

Fashionable foundations for frosty weather:

I am making a pair of light grey trousers (fabric is second from right in the top picture). I also hope to make a skirt using the black and grey stripey fabric in the top picture. Then I also have some grey poly-wool mix fabric with a thin blue stripe left over from my Uniform Project dress. I am not sure if I have enough for trousers. If I don't have enough then anothe skirt beckons.

Chic chemises for cooler climates:

I am half way through making a tunic top in the paisley patterned fabric shown above. This came from my bin bag stash and is more patterned than I would usually go for but I like the colour palette and it is good to try something different. In the middle picture it is next to my grey trouser fabric and I think the two go together well. I have just finished a Simplicity 3835 top from the Amy Butler spotted fabric in the top picture. I have already flickr-ed it in Self Stitched September.

Fabulous frocks

I would like to make a knit tunic dress...no fabric yet. I have got some gorgeous raspberry wool crepe to make a very simple dress with but have to admit I am scared of using it as it is such lovely fabric. I have read up on trueing wool crepe and I am scared.

Those cosy nights

I am planning on using a knit jersey trouser pattern from Ottobre and if I can find fabric also a kint hooded cardigan. Okay, that's enough planning for me.

Self stitched September Round Up

2011-09-07T22:36:00.000+11:30

Day 4 - Simplicity 3835 top made from a piece of fabric a friend gave me.

I missed photographing the first few days of September, if I promise I was wearing me made clothes will that let me off the hook?

Day 5 - Anna tunic pattern by Amy Butler

I was too busy rushing around to take pics but I cannot remember what I was doing...oh, yes, I was mainly being a taxi service taking the children on last minute meet ups with their friends.

Day 6 - refashioned polka dot top

Day 7 - Simplicity 2245 Portfolio denim dress.

This dress is so comfortable I could wear it almost everyday. Right that's it for now...Little I has returned to nursery today so I am going to do some sewing.

Summer thrifting - part 2 and some digressions

2011-09-04T19:34:00.000+11:30

Thank you to those of you who commented on the last post, it has been fun reading about different sorts of second hand shopping. More please....

This may seem hard to believe given the nature of this post but I have cut back on second hand shopping in the past few months. (Don't snigger into your coffee, it's true!) My summer thrifting finds stretch from June to the end of August. I have tried to cut back due to lack of funds and lack of space to put anything. I also don't want to buy stuff just for the sake of it, just so I don't leave a shop empty handed without having found some treasure.

I have been sticking to my "one-in, one out" strategy and this past fortnight 4 carrier bags have gone into the charity shops and one big bag of books went to the nearest National Trust second hand book shop. I have been told that children can "never have too many books", well, when the bookshelves are overflowing, books are piled on the stairs, the end of beds, on the chest of drawers, on the floors, then, maybe it is time to get rid of a few. We have been given lots of books second hand from friends with older children, plus my in-laws like buying new books for the children, plus normal birthday and Christmas presents. After all these sources I realised we had four different junior atlases, numerous nature and insect books, multiple copies of Roald Dahl and Enid Blyton, the list could go on and on.I know my children are lucky to have so many books so I decided to share that good fortune around and donate a bagful.

Enough digression, let's get on and show what I have for you today:

This fabric is a pair of full length curtains. They are home made by someone and in quite a lightweight fabric so it will translate well to dressmaking. They are photographed here in their unironed state waiting to be washed. I had thought someof this fabric would make a good autumnnal skirt. But I keep having an idea (or even an inspired vision) of this fabric made up into a shirt dress using the Traveller dress pattern view A from Sew Lisette. (As pictured above) Would that be retro-chic or just terrible-frump?? I am even imagining yellow piping.

I bought the curtains in a new shop opened near to T's school. From what I can work out, it is a hybrid shop, part of the profits go to local community groups, I am unsure how much percentage of the profits this is. It also sources supplies and goods for local community groups and all stock is donated by local people. (Yes, they are big on "local" here, it makes me giggle) It is quite a junk shop and I mean that as a complement. It would be a great place to go if you were setting up your first home as it has lots of crockery, kitchenalia and small furniture. There were some lovely wooden chairs and coffee tables. But you do have to hunt as there is also a lot of tat, and broken tat too. These curtains were priced at £20 by a staff member who wasn't working that day. The lady on duty sold them to me for £5. Twenty was out of my budget. I think that in this particular town and in this shop twenty pounds was way over priced. The shop assistant on duty agreed with me! I know if it were new fabric priced per metre this may be what it would cost. How much would you pay for second hand fabric though?

One thing I look out for in charity shops is picture frames and I found this Ikea one in a different shop. It was still in the wrapping. We are about 40 minutes from the nearest Ikea and this is the second time I have found still-wrapped ikea frame in this shop. I wonder if people have succumbed to the Ikea Madness and got carried away with all those cheap frames, and swedish styling, only to regret it once they get home. This frame has plexiglass in which I like for the children's rooms especially. Mr Minnado darkened the wood for me with some wax polish to take away the cheap pine look. I have put in a picture T painted at school two years ago and which has been waiting for a frame since then. (Yes, it is the ubiquitous Van Gogh sunflowers primary school painting, but I still like it).
Two tunic tops for autumn, the pink one is White Stuff via the charity shop and I like the pin tuck detailing. Do you get White Stuff outside the UK? It is a very popular brand with the mums at T's school. The second top is from Zara via the car boot sale and in a soft cotton jersey.

That wraps up this little collection. I am now off to sort out and photo some goods to sell on ebay. Oh and to brush my hair so I can take a Self Stitched September pic.

Summer thrifting part 1

2011-09-03T00:58:00.000+11:30

A pair of Laura Ashley curtains - they are a bit flowery for my tastes but they are fully lined and ready to hang and I thought they would be perfect for Little I's bedroom when we eventually move. I had originally planned something more modern but these were five pounds, money is strictly limited and I don't think I can make fully lined curtains for a fiver.

Somehow "charity-shop-shopping" doesn't roll off the tongue as easily as "thrifting". Usually I am not a big fan of using americanisms in my everyday writing but what alternative is there to the easy term "Thrifting"? If I am being pedantic (a family trait for me) isn't it true that US thrift shops are not exactly the same as UK charity shops? Do thrift shops operate for private or charity profit? Are they staffed by volunteers? I am curious...anyone enlighten me? And of course there are op shops in Australia...are they charity based? Anyone else got a catchy alternative name for charity-shop-shopping?

In recent years I have seen many UK charity shops undergo a professionalisation although often they are still mainly staffed by volunteers with a paid manager. I like those charity shops which have a distinctly amatuerish air to them, and which are slightly messy and junky.

Anyway, this post is part one as there is still some stuff in my car boot to photograph. Hispanitas sandals, great for days when I want to hide my chipped nail polish.

An earthenware casserole pot with lid. (£2!) I am thinking warming winter casseroles in here.

A fifties fairground plate. How cute is this? I bought it at the start of the summer at a summer fair held at the sheltered housing complex near our house. It was on the white elephant stall for 50p. I have used it for cakes when we have friends round.

Polka dot refashion

2011-08-29T03:23:00.000+11:30

Ahhh, what's this? A refashion? It's been quite a while. But I won't bore you with my excuses. Just an apology for poor quality photos.

This started out as a second hand blouse with a zip up the back. It had been handmade by someone once and is made in a synthetic fabric. After I bought it, it languished in my wardrobe for about 8 months. I liked it in theory but everytime I put it on I felt awkward. The neck was too high on me and the sleeves came down past my knuckles. There was just TOO much of the blouse. It seemed to scream "I have an art degree" at me. (Do you know what I mean?) Anyway, I only thought last week of refashioning it while I was having a bit of a wardrobe clearout. (More on that in another post)
I unpicked the zip and the high neckband. Then I recut the neck with a scoop t-shirt shape. I used some yellow bias binding that was at the bottom of a binbag of second hand fabrics. I do like a nice pop of bright yellow against black and white. I made a simple loop fastening with a daisy button and stitched up where the zip had been as far as possible while still allowing myself to get the shirt on. I cut the sleeves and hemmed them with the bias trim about 1/2 inch above the hemline. Then I inserted elastic into the casing to give the sleeve hem a bit of shape.

I am much, much happier now with this top. I mean, polka dots, yellow trim, daisy button...what more can I ask for? I have been planning my autumn sewing (note to self, that means another promise of a future post!) and I am hoping this will fit with my planned grey trousers and also with some of my existing me-mades.

And on a final note, I am signing up for Self Stitched September 2011, but do you know what? This time I am taking the pressure off myself and I am not doing daily photos. I haven't decided yet how I will do it instead. I thought about not taking part this time as I don't have lots of new me-mades to share and it could be a bit dull and repetitive viewing. BUT I do hate to be left out. You will probably be seeing this polka dot top in September.

And my thanks go to...

2011-08-23T04:24:00.001+11:30

A while ago the lovely Caroline from Gran Plumley nominated me for a Versatile Blogger award. Thank you Caroline.
I am supposed to tell you seven things about me, hopefully things that you don't already know, well I couldn't think what to tell so here are some random things:

1. I bought this Quiksilver bag for £1 in a Devon charity shop two weeks ago. I love it as it is big enough to hold drinks for me and Little I without being bulky. I can fit a paperback in there too. It also has a good size phone pocket, a camera pocket and a keys pocket. Plus it has little bits of red trim on. What more can I ask for?

2. I like the little things in life. I like blogs that celebrate this. See no. 3.

3. I have a new ring from here
Do you like it? It makes me smile.

4. My mum taught me to sew and until recently she was my go-to reference person for sewing advice and techniques. Yes, I would phone her (200 miles away) and ask questions about bias binding or preparing fabric.

5. Now my mum has memory problems, this is my go-to reference book for sewing techniques. I found it in my local library a couple of years ago

and a friend then kindly bought it for me for my birthday. I think finding a sewing reference book you can really get on with is quite a personal and individual thing, not everyone will like working from the same book.

I don't have any affiliation to Ruth Singer but I love this book, it has clear step by step instructions and photos. She also has a blog here. I have included a photo of the page on bound buttonholes (see I am always thinking of you, Ms Scruffybadger)

6. With regard to memory problems, I am taking part in a sponsored walk for the Alzheimer's Society next month. Somewhat ironically, I had forgotten all about it until today and haven't got any sponsors yet. Ooops. Let's hope I remember to turn up onthe day.

7. Ummm, can't think of a number seven fact...errr...how about this? I was doing a PhD in my mid-twenties, I left with an MPhil, having had to decide whether to take the MPhil or do substantive rewriting (unfunded) and I think walking away from the PhD was one of the best decisions I ever made! Seriously, I think it saved my sanity. My thesis resides in a cupboard at my mum's house, though I believe it would make a good doorstop. It took about five years until I could bear to look at it after completion. It also took a long time before I would tell anyone about it as I thought it meant I was a failure. I always used to think that I shouldn't give up on anything because you should doggedly See Things Through. Now I think that sometimes you should walk away from some things in your life and that to leave can take more courage than to stay. (Is that a bit too serious for this blog? Caroline, look what you have started!)

Now I am supposed to nominate five blogs to receive this award, these people may have already had this award, sorry if you have, but at least you can feel a warm glow of happiness (??)

1. Scruffybadger

2. Alex Mason

3. Makings of an urban rustic

4. Allana at High Maintenance Hippy

5. Kate at two Little Cabbages and Cie

Sewing for others - explorer waistcoat

2011-08-20T23:27:00.000+11:30

After finishing my Summer Essentials sewing I have taken a break from sewing for me.

Instead, I've made this waistcoat for T from "Little Things to Sew" by Liesl Gibson. It is a lovely book of projects to make for children. With beautiful illustrations, that will look familiar to anyone who knows Liesl Gibson's pattern line Oliver+S.

I used some camo fabric that I was given on freecycle about three years ago.

You can see the waistcoat in the book is much more preppy looking. However, T wanted something for being out in the woods and chose the camo fabric from my stash. I was a little concerned he would look like someone waiting in the back woods for the end of the world, but I guess at eight years old you can get away with a bit of camoflauge. He requested no buttons so there are none.

The lining is made with the remnants of fabric I used to make my trousers and skirt. The arm edges are bound with self made bias binding.

The instructions are clear with diagrams and easy to follow.

The trickiest bit was making three pockets (two front, one back) with bellows. The book gives you the choice of patch pockets or the bellows ones. I am glad though that I did the bellows as they give more roomy pockets for collecting treasure. Now I have made them once I have been thinking they would be great pockets for a bag.

Summer holidays

2011-08-19T02:08:00.000+11:30

Picking beans at Grandma's

I didn't mean to take an extended break from this space!

There is not much sewing going on here as we are deep into the summer holidays. I am finishing off a piece of sewing for my son at the moment, to be blogged soon, and making vague autumnal plans. This is a picture heavy post and I know blogs are currently full of holiday photos but indulge me...honestly these are heavily edited.

We did a paper monster making workshop at this art gallery. Ther's a pop up paper cafe where you can have coffee and do some paper craft, it's still on if you are in the Exeter area in August. Can you see that Little I is going into a giant window paper envelope?

Back in Shropshire we have been camping...

Today we did a fab bushcraft family day (free thanks to PCT funding).

Eating fish cooked on the open fire. ("Mmmmm, yummy")

Shelter buildingLearning to use fire sticks to light a fireNot surprisingly this is the end of most days. They do both have separate beds of their own but often like to fall asleep in one bed together.

I will be back soon with normal service, some recent charity shop finds and a bit of sewing.

Flirting the Issue Duvet Skirt

2011-08-03T20:53:00.000+11:30

The final item from my Summer Essentials sewing list is the Flirting the Issue skirt from Anna Maria Horner. This is a free pattern/tutorial you can download as a pdf here. It is very simple though and probably many of you could whip it up in no time. Just a rectangle of fabric and a rectangle of lining, side seams and join the lining and main fabric together at the top, then you make four sets of casing for elastic, thread through the elastic and hem. I made life more complicated for myself as I had the not very genius idea of making it reversible. (At the time I thought this was such a clever idea). It just got complicated trying to match

the hem of the lining with the main fabric hem. I had to unpick and re-do it.
The main fabric used was a duvet cover from the charity shop. In my great wisdom I decided piped patch pockets were an essential to this skirt. There is something about the fabric that to my mind calls for some definition...I don't know why...but I decided piping was the answer. I had just enough scraps from my pirate trousers to edge the pockets. Sadly not enough to edge the hem. Then the lining fabric was a piece I found in another charity shop for a couple of pounds. It is a lightweight fabric, probably polyester but I am not sure. Once I had started cutting it I decided it was too nice to hide away as a lining and hence the reversible skirt idea was born! However you can just glimpse the floral pattern through the stripes, especially if you know it's there. I like the floral side with the pockets but the stripey side to me seems more stylish and cute. The floral fabric is heavier and so (to my mind) doesn't fall as nicely from the casing as the lining fabric does.

This is a fuller skirt than I would usually wear but I am hoping it will make great holiday wear especially as I am off to Devon at the weekend. There is plenty of room in the pockets for ice cream money, so what more do I need? I hope to enlist my age eight personal photographer to get some holiday action pics of this skirt and the rest of the SESA clothes over the next week as they are forming the mainstay of my holiday packing!

I am planning on making this skirt again in a grey or rust colour for autumn if I can find fabric with the right amount of drape.

Ridiculous Pirate Franken-Portfolio trousers

2011-07-26T19:02:00.000+11:30

Warning - this is a long post, you may want to go and get a cup of tea and a biscuit before reading.

I had Sew Lisette Portfolio trousers (Simplicity 2245) on my summer essentials list. Here is the pattern drawing to show you what they look like. They are supposed to be three quarter length trousers. I started them back in May. The instructions are clear, the pattern is straightforward to follow. I worked away and they came together quickly. Too good to be true? Well, my mistakes are all my own and not down to the pattern design at all, but I tried them on before putting in the zip, they fit fine. Once I had put the zip in, uh-oh, I couldn't actually wear them and breathe out at the same time. Do you see there could be a slight problem here? They fitted fine around the hips, thighs etc , just the waistband was too tight.

So I did the mature and sensible thing...I left them screwed up in a heap down the back of the radiator for a few weeks. Then, deciding I wasn't going to let my work so far go to waste, I fished them out and tried them on again and the top picture. As you can see they are very creased from their sojourn down the back of the radiator. They also have the rough turn up before the nice neat cuff is made. I decided to lower the waist as they were too tight only at the higher part of the waist. So, off came the tabs (which I really really liked), out came the zip (which I had ironically sewn in very neatly for once), off came the waistband. I sewed up the seam where the zip had been. I made the cuffs at the trousers legs and added the tabs that had come from the waist with some nautical buttons from my stash. I liked the tabs too much to lose them.

Nautical button and tab details

Then I made a simple casing at the waist and inserted elastic. But uh-oh, now the waist was just a tiny bit too low. I wore the trousers for half a day but it was no good, too too low. Like builder's derriere low. I could have kept them like that if I wanted to spend my days pulling and twisting up my trousers.

So, taking a deep breath, I unpicked the casing, and ironed it flat. I dug though my fabric stash and found the remains of the blue fabric I had cut the trousers from. I used this to make a new waistband which was basically a long rectangle. I folded it over and inserted elastic. I know elastic waisted trousers are kind of "old lady on a coach trip to Llandudno" but it does mean I can now wear the trousers. And my shirts cover the elastic style faux pas. So maybe sadly higher waisted trousers are not for me, I see many other sewing bloggers looking fabulous in high waisted styles, but think I am going to let them pass me by for now.

Slanted front pocket

So, back to the trouser making, fed up having no pockets in many of my me-made clothes I added a slanted patch pocket to the front, using the pattern shape from the Sew U book by Wendy Mullins. This book is such a great resource as it has different pattern pieces for different pocket shapes and styles so you can quickly pick out what you want to add to an existing project. By this stage I only had a few strips of blue fabric left so I joined two with a centre seam to create enough width for the pocket. (I am hoping the centre pocket seam looks like a deliberate detail, not a make-do measure.) Then I lined the pocket with a lovely pink fabric patterned with sailing ships.

I only have a small piece of this ship fabric from the bin bags of fabric I was given back in February, I loved it so much that I saved it for a lining project like this one. I also cut out a little ship and sewed it into the pocket side seam as a little badge detail. (This is still making me smile!) I am going to try and see if I have enough fabric left to make the pocket for the other side. But for today I wore them with one pocket only - just for testing out purposes of course (nothing to do with impatience).

I think the laborious, drawn out process and seam ripping within this project makes it qualify for Jessica's Ridiculous Challenge. Plus the fact that I have finished with a pair of trousers that make my daughter shout "Ahoy there me hearties" every time she sees the buttons. ("Why you got pirate trousers?" she asked me) And plus the decidedly unstylish elastic waist, something I know my sister will despair of when she sees it.

Yay - finished objects or New/Old School Style

2011-07-18T00:16:00.000+11:30

I have been sewing in small pockets of time for the last month, based on my Summer Essentials Sewalong Plan. And finally I have two finished objects to share. Yippeee - it is so nice to have actually been able to finish some things. I don't know what you will think but think both these items have a vintage air to them. Like many other Me-Made Month participants, I identified the need for plain tops in my me-made wardrobe. The top is Simplicity 2259 (again, sorry about that, really must try and find another pattern). It is made from some not-very nice white fabric I found in my bin bags stash. Seriously, it isn't very nice fabric, maybe it is some kind of cotton/poly blend but it is a little stiff and creases quite a lot. I would love to be able to make this top in a nice cotton lawn or cotton pique, but I am trying not to buy new fabrics and to use up the stash, so the not-very-nice fabric it is.

Lace detail

I started making the top back in May hoping to have it finished to wear in Me Made June but other things got in the way. First of all I made a peter pan collar to go on this but I made it wonky and the fabric was so thin it showed all the seams. So that went into the scrap bag. Then, I had a plan to make it with a small box pleat down the front. Then, when I rolled the neck edge and hemmed it, it looked a little clumsy so I covered it up with lace instead.

This was about the only white lace I had in my stash, most of the lace I have is creamy or coffee coloured. I have looked at this piece of lace for ages now (only about three years), wondering how to use it. I like it on this top, and think it gives it a bit of a retro look.

A view without cardigan

The skirt I made from a piece of fabric I also found in my bin bag stash. I love this fabric. It has a barkcloth texture and I am guessing it is 1960s or 50s. Despite washing and hanging out on the line over several days it still has a faint eau-de-musty to it. I kept the skirt really simple, just a rectangle with a casing and elastic for the waist because I was so reluctant to cut into this fabric! I also lined it with a very lightweight leaf patterned fabric a friend passed on to me. This may sound nice but really, believe me, the leaf pattern is old-lady blouse and not in a good way. It does make good lining fabric though.

I had hesitated over making the skirt because I liked the fabric so much. But I rationalised that it is better to give it a new lease of life than be stuck in a cupboard.

The only thing I spent money on in making these two items was the elastic and at some time I would have bought the thread. Plus two pieces of fabric rescued from being hidden away in the cupboard.

A house in house - work in progress

2011-07-15T18:49:00.000+11:30

Sometimes I wonder if I am doing things more for my benefit or for Little I's. We have started this ongoing project of making her a wendy house from a large cardboard box. Really it is more of a screen with the front and sides only. Placed in front of her toy kitchen it created a little house. She chose to paint the front pink and purple. She drew the window shapes and I cut them out with my craft knife. She then asked for flowers by the door. Next up, she has asked for a letter box. On sunday we wallpapered the inside of the house. On tuesday we hung a calendar. Next up? Some pictures for the walls.
Oh and some days I have to pass her meals in through the door (after knocking and announcing "It's the Food Lady" of course).
Back with a sewing post soon, I've just got a load of hemming to do. And it has been a busy time with school recently, I added up: two school music concerts, one open afternoon, one sports day, one art exhibition, one open morning. Phew....I will be as relieved as T when the term finishes next week.

Do try this at home

2011-07-12T00:06:00.000+11:30

Some kitchen sink type science. I found this here

All you need is:

white vinegar,

washing up liquid,

food colouring,

bicarbonate of soda.

See through containers/glasses are best and if you are as messy as us you need some newspaper. Half fill the glass with vinegar, add a few drops of washing up liquid and food colouring. Then get your little one to add a teaspoon of bicarb, and watch. This kept my eight year old and four year old amused for quite a while. I have been asked to go and buy more supplies today so they can do it again.

Car Booty

2011-07-08T16:38:00.000+11:30

Last sunday Little I and I went to a car boot sale held once a month in a very picturesque village near us. We got lots of bargains and if I had been on my own I would have got even more, but once Little I had bought a fairy doll with pink hair she was ready to leave. I haven't photoed the doll or the bag of school uniform I bought for Little Ibut here is the rest of my haul:

A fake leather bag, (£1) I am so fed up with carrying my things in a rucksack! I have plans to make a bag one day.
A light up globe (and it works)

A set of play scales with weights. T and I have wanted one of these for ages, so when the lady selling them said "£2" I was jumping up and down with glee inside.

Embroidery threads - how many lovely colours?

Yellow buttons

A danish dress for Little I (it's age 6 years so is a bit big for now, when I showed it to Mr Minnado he had a confused but nervous look on his face as he said "Is that for you?" . He was probably thinking "How am I going to tell her it is miles to small for her?")

More buttons. Little I dragged me past the lady selling odd zips and trimmings, the 1960s playing card sets, the stall full of coloured glassware, but maybe that is just as well as I would have spent all the grocery money quite happily.

Presents and a finished object

2011-07-05T03:50:00.000+11:30

Some time ago, well in May I think, I was lucky enough to get a parcel from Ms Scruffybadger. Not only is she am amazing sewer (her blog is having technical problems at the moment so,see her recent flickr) but she also happens to be a lovely person too! She had traced three japanese patterns for me. They are beautifully traced and labelled. There are two dresses and one top. Both dresses are so cute I can't decide which to make first. So I opted for the top!

This one (no.13) is an A line shift dress with raglan sleeves and two front patch pockets. It has a zip fastening at the back.

No. 12 is a sleeveless top with front gathers and bias binding on the neck and armholes.

I used this sunflowers cotton lawn. This is quite a bold and big pattern for me. I have to say if I had more money to spend, then I would use this fabric to make a beautiful summer dress. It was so fine I had to line the top in the interests of public decency! Looking around for some lining type fabric in my stash, I found two old muslin cloths which we used to use to mop up baby sick when the children were babies. They are clean now honestly. They are light enough to make a lining that doesn't change the way the top hangs. Each cloth was just big enough to form one piece of the lining. When finished the top was a bit too short for my liking so I sewed an extra band of unlined fabric on to the front and back. I left it open at the side seams (but hemmed) I am not sure what you call that...vents? The finished top is quite A line but I think it could be nice on a hot day. I was also considering its layering potential in the autumn. Thank you ScruffyB.

New Look 6907

2011-07-04T04:08:00.000+11:30

Things that are probably not sensible to say to a four year old - at 8am on Sunday morning with a party due to start at 10.30am..." Yes, I will finish sewing your new dress for the party". Cue me in pyjamas and an hour of sewing, followed by trimming threads, pulling out the tacking. Finished with half an hour to spare!

I used New Look 6907, and mostly followed view A, the large photo. I didn't use contrast fabric for the lowest piece (because I had run out of scraps of the polka dot fabric) and used contrasting polka dot bias binding for the neck and pockets. I used some pink and white floral fabric that had come out of my mum's friend's collection. The pattern was really easy to put together. You bind the neck so there are no facings. I liked the sleeves with their slight puff-ness, they were a bit fiddly and I would recommend hemming them before inserting the sleeve.

You are supposed to put in a zipper at the back but I cheated and used snap fasteners. I traced and cut age four but it is a bit big around the neck and chest, although I am happy with the length - still at least it gives her room for growth.

Little I liked the pinkness and the pockets.

I don't often buy children's patterns but I liked the versatility and options that I get from this pattern. I was thinking the dress could also be made as a tunic to wear in the winter and I plan to make the shorts too.

The good thing about reckless promises to finish a dress and frantic finishing is that the dress which had languished half made for weeks is finally done and being worn. Oh and the other good thing was the gasp of delight that she gave when presented with the finished dress.

Sewing it up at the last minute brought back memories of last minute essay writing at uni. So, do you sew better under pressure, with deadlines, or in a relaxed way?

MMJ at the end

2011-07-02T02:34:00.000+11:30

Day 26: Amy Butler sundress from Anna tunic pattern
Day 27: Nautical skirt made using Built by Wendy Sew U book skirt block. Fabric from my mum's stash. I hardly ever wear this skirt, partly due to lack of suitable tops to go with it.

Day 28: Simplicity 2259, Tate denim skirt

Day 29: Self drafted skirt from tea cup upholstery fabric. My friend Emma's cast off t shirt.
Day 30:

Refashioned tunic from an old dress shirt of my dad's. It has great pintuck detailing at the front which unfortunately you can't see here! Believe me it is there. Me Made bag from a cushion cover and a belt.

So, Me Made June is over. I found this month a bit of a slog in terms of daily photos as I haven't been well for much of the month and some days it has been a case of smile for the camera, then go and lie down! Lots of other blogs have posted their thoughts and conclusions. I don't have many except:

1. I need a couple of plain tops, in white and in black. I was making a white 2259 top but have lost momentum on it. I am often don't wear my patterned skirts due to a lack of suitable tops to go with them.

2. I realised I don't like the look of myself in teeshirts. As in cotton stretch knits. This is strange as I always used to wear them so much - did they always look so bad I wonder? From the photos I would say they don't suit me. So this re-emphasises point number 1.

3. And I need to make a half slip ....I did make one last summer but lost it!

4. I have discovered some great new sewing blogs from other MMJ-ers. Always good to "meet" new people. Especially as in my real life I meet so few people interested in sewing.

Summer Essentials Sewalong Planning

2011-06-25T19:38:00.000+11:30

This post has been sitting in my drafts folder for several weeks. I thought I must post it or summer will be over.
I am behind in planning my summer essentials sew along. Though I have been planning away in my head. The list divides between those items I already have fabric and pattern for, and those which I only have patterns for and no fabric.

Sun dress:

I have already made this dress using Amy Butler's Anna Tunic pattern.

Tees, tunic and blouses:

I have a big gap for white tops in my wardrobe. I am half way through making a Simplicity 2259 top in white with a placket and box pleating.

I also plan a pinky-rust top with giant sunflowers on it from this cotton lawn bought on ebay.

Clamdiggers and co

I have some dark blue cotton and there is just enough for a pair of cropped trousers. I want to make something that will be versatile and go with my many patterned tops. As I already own it, I am using the Lisette for Simplicity 2259Portfolio trouser pattern. Just to see what it is like. ISweet and sassy skirts

I have made my pink pillowcase skirt but am also hoping to make a skirt from my duvet cover fabric pictured above. I have changed my mind many times about what skirt to sew. I was thinking of a reversible wrap skirt with green and white polka dots on the reverse. Then I found this skirt pdf pattern from Anna Maria Horner. Once I read through the instructions I realised I needed lining fabric. Obviously it is meant to be that I make this skirt as I then went into the local charity shop and found a large piece of green, white and navy stripey lining fabric! For £2.

Cover-ups

Maybe because the weather isn't warm, but I keep wanting to have a loose-ish pullover top, maybe a hoodie, probably with pockets. I need to go on a fabric hunt for this. I was thinking of using a pattern from the Sew-U Home Stretch book.

Another dress: I have some that I really want to try out - the traveller dress by Lisette for Simplicity. I just don't have any fabric.

So that is:
white top - started

sunflower top - started
pair blue cropped trousers - started

pink scalloped skirt - completed

floral skirt - pattern and fabric

traveller dress - pattern only

sundress - completed

Cover-up Hoodie- no fabric

I could carry on planning fir ever, but am going to stop myself here. I am not sure if this is too much already.

Days 22 - 24

2011-06-24T20:26:00.000+11:30

Here we are again, a quick catch up before I go to "Healthy Tots" group (yes, what an awful name) in the local library. It is a strange mix of library, planting seeds and eating foods with an obligatory story or two and sing song. Bonus is Little I loves it. I quite like the vicarious thrill of small children playing with potting compost and eating spinach...in a library! Could we sow seeds in the carpet?? Anarchy beckons

Day 22 - I had to go on a visit to a farm today. T's school are lucky enough to do lessons at an organic farm and today parents were invited for the afternoon. We went on a plant hunt, did a quiz, and then had to dissect and label a poppy. We came home with a bag of broad beans that T's class had sowed and harvested. I had to wear something sensixble for walking across the fields

Me Made Nautical stripey tee based on a pattern from the Sew U Home Stretch book. Refashioned glittery red cardigan made from a sweater.

Day 23 - tidying up, this was my chant as I picked up small things from T's bedroom floor "lego, lego, playmobil, lego, cereal, meccano....playmobil, lego, lego" Sound familiar?

Sorry for the blurry photo, I am not sure why that happened.

Me Made trousers from Built by Wendy book, Simplicity 2245 Portfolio top.

Day 24: Me made dress using the dirndl block from Built By Wendy Dresses book. I found the fabric in a charity shop last summer. This dress has french seams on the skirt, so it looks nice on the inside too. I cheated a bit and made a snap fastener at the back instead of a zip.

More MMJ - 18, 19, 20 and 21

2011-06-21T20:55:00.001+11:30

The days just seem to go by so fast with MMJ posts to catch up with. Thank you to those of you who commented with your thoughts on MMJ and blog posts. It was fascinating to read them.

Day 18

Up and out early to take Little I and T to tennis club. This will be funny to anyone who knows me in real life as I am a very unsporty person with great uncoordination and yet here I am - tennis mum. Who would have thought it?

In the afternoon it was T's school summer fete and funny weather. I wore Simplicity 2259 - this was the first one I made and I wear it a lot. It is quite a light fine cotton. As it was chilly I wore charity shop gap jeans and boots. I needed to wear something with lots of pockets for holding the kid's coins at the fete. The fete was good fun the bouncy castle was bouncy, the cake stall was full of fairy cakes with sprinkles on top, and I found a great bargain of a set of wooden painted coat pegs on a board for 20p. I will be putting it up in our new house to encourage coat hanging up.

Day 19 - Sunday

This is the only day of the week when I don't have to get up and be somewhere early! I was so tired. I snuck back into bed three times but Little I and T kept finding me. Honestly - these children - I mean they wanting feeding and everything!

I wore a stripey pink and white t shirt made using the Sew U Homestretch

t shirt pattern. I gave this shirt a scoop neck and three quarter length sleeves. I don't think it is particularly flattering on me but it is comfy and good under other things! However, I thought it would look nice with this

old pink cardigan and the photos showed me it looks not so great! The t shirt sleeve bunches up under the cardigan. Bleurgh.

Day 20

Not a great photo to show detail of my top. But look I am shockingly out of my house! It is an Amy Butler Anna Tunic. This was the first Anna tunic I made and the neckline is a bit high. I have made two more since then and have lowered the neckline on them both.

Here is an old photo showing the tunic slightly better. I love this pattern. It is really easy to follow and can be made to different lengths to give different results. I didn't line this tunic as per the instructions but just bias bound the armholes instead.

Day 21

Me Made Simplicity 2259 floral top and Me Made skirt from Built by Wendy

I hope this outfit would in magazinespeak be subtle muted neutrals, not dull and boring.

Little I was determined to join in. Please note the shoes...they are ebay Keds bought at easter but I hadn't blogged them yet. They are quite comfortable, with a quilted inner sole and have lovely spotty trim and spotty wedges. And even better they were only £5! They have hardly been worn. I love them as I like wedges, and I like spots. I tend to fall over in heels. (Even without any alcohol)

More MMJ and a sneak peek

2011-06-17T20:52:00.001+11:30

A sneek peak at what is on the ironing board, in-progress today. For once it is not a Simplicity 2259.

Now, Me Made June, and I have more updates - does anyone read these? I hope so. I have come across comments on other blogs complaining that MMJ posts are boring and filling up blogs. What do you think?

Day 15 - Me Made tate skirt, me made Simplicity 2599 top. Both these have been worn before this month but not together. I like how these me-made months make me think about how to combine my me-mades in different ways. A great outfit for me as it is practical and easy to move around in, the skirt has big roomy pockets.

Day 16 - Portfolio dress - Sew Lisette for Simplicity 2245

Such a comfortable dress. I can see myself wearing this in the winter too with boots and tights.
Day 17
The mini challenge today was a photo with a loved one, so here we are in our florals.
Me - Simplicity 3835 made from a curtain I found in a charity shop.

Little I in Simplicity 8495 also found in a charity shop. The fabric was a piece of cotton lawn bought from an old lady at a church fete. (A rare occurance to find fabric at a church fete!) I graded the pattern top make it bigger for her. I love this pattern and keep meaning to make more versions of it.

Vintage Dress Giveaway - Stash Bustin

2011-06-16T20:37:00.000+11:30

Did that title grab your attention? I hope so. I am having a giveaway. Some of you may remember that we are involved in The Longest Most Drawn Out House Move in History (that's TLMDOHMIH). A recent inside shot of the kitchen...

As you can see not quite ready for habitation (no doors, no windows...half tiled roof) but a benefit of this slow-moving (as in slow food, slow fashion) is that I can do slow sorting of what we want to take. We have started with the garage and understairs cupboard. This has coincided nicely for me as I wanted to do a giveaway. So, there are two items salvaged from the understairs stash. They are suitable for a refashion project.

First is this dress I bought at a nearly new sale in February. It looks like it was homemade. It measures 22" from underarm to underarm when lying flat. It is approximately 40" from shoulder seam to hem. It has a back zip, waist darts in front and back and bust darts. It is pale green and white. It has the little loop detail on the front that you can see in the picture. I guess it is a polyester fabric.

Second is this 1970s tunic/ top. It has a zip up the back and white piping round the neck and sleeve edges. It feels like a cotton with a slightly silky smooth finish. It is small. It measures 18" from underarm to underarm and is 31" long. As you can see it is not hemmed at the bottom or onthe sleeves. It came from the collection of a friend of my mum's who used to do dressmaking in the 1960s and 70s and then became a quilter. Some of the clothes in her stash have obviously been chopped up for patchwork. I am not sure if that is what happened to this top or if sshe simply never finished it.

It is really pretty but miles too small for me.

I would like to send them out separately to two different people.

So, if you are interested in either item, please leave a comment saying which one, with email details. It would be interesting to hear what you would do with the clothes. I am happy to post them worldwide. I will leave this open till 24th June. If you link to this on your own blog let me know and I will give you an extra "ticket" in the draw!

PS: If you have trouble leaving a comment, just email me and leave your comment that way.

12th, 13th, 14th June

2011-06-14T20:41:00.001+11:30

ON Saturday I wore my 2259 brown floral top but didn't get a photo. We spent most of the day in the woods with some friends and their new dog. He is from a rescue kennel and is thought to be a corgi crossed with a collie. Imagine that... he is corgi size but with a long sweepy tail.

Sunday - Day 12 - so cold and raining all day. I hadn't expected to wear this tunic in June as it is a wool mix and usually for winter/autumn but I did. It is made from Amy Butler's Anna Tunic pattern with added patch pockets. I love wearing it as it is so comfy but I think (and hope) not too frumpy. There are still rain spatters down the front in this picture. Later on I did something so very stupid...I got a big blob of pva glue inthe middle of the front of the tunic.

Day 13 - I wore my me-made nautical t shirt from Sew U home Stretch but sorry no photo again. It was a busy day, in the morning I took Little I to the theatre to see the stage version of The Tiger who came to Tea
A great show to take little kids to, I recommend it if you get a chance.
Anyway, enough digression, back to me mades,
Day 14

Self drafted skirt from furnishing fabric with home made bias trim. Little I had grabbed it in this photo and was pulling the skirt at an awkward angle. There is a better picture of the skirt here

Verdict: A happy skirt but one that creases a lot and could do with either lining or a half slip underneath.

I have a glamorous day planned...no not really... I have to clean out our sand table as we forgot to put the lid on it and next door's cat has peed in the playsand. How nice is that? I hope you are doing something more fun with your day? Can anyone top cleaning neighbour's cat pee in the "howdidmylifecometothis" stakes?

MMJ catch up and assorted notions

2011-06-12T23:09:00.000+11:30

I need to catch up on MMJ but first here's a couple of pictures from life this week.
It was a very rainy sunday here today so Little I and I made this camera. Here is the link for instructions by Jessica Wilson.

She also blogs here at scrumdillydo where you will find lots more ideas. Our camera is not as beautiful as Jessica's but Little I wanted to be in charge of the making and design.

My latest ebay purchase, this collection of Coates cotton for £1.64.

They are lying on some dark blue fabric that I am currently sewing up into the Portfolio trousers from the Lisette for Simplicity 2245 pattern, part of my Summer Essentials Sewalong plan, which I really need to blog in detail.
Kiki doll from Clothkits. I sewed this doll for Little I's birthday at the end of April. I bought the pattern on sale last autumn meaning to sew her up for Christmas but ran out of time!

Day 10 -

Me Made dress from Simplicity 3964 - Built by Wendy for Simplicity. It was cold so I wore this with leggings.

Verdict - a great dress - comfortable. But one of those could-be maternity dresses. I have lost the self fabric belt that goes with it. If I made it again I would make it a tiny bit longer though. It creases a lot by the end of the day.

I love this dress but when it is hot weather I have to wear a half slip under it as the skirt is a bit transparent. I made a slip last summer for it and then promptly lost it. I think it may have accidentally gone in a bag to the fabric bins as I cannot find it anywhere. I hate it when I do stupid things like that. It is usually due to too much rushing around.
So now I have make another slip and annoyingly have no suitable fabric in my stash.

Day 11 - Me Made top from Simplicity 3835

Verdict - it is hard work trying to ride a bike that is too small for you!

7th June and 8th June

2011-06-08T19:48:00.000+11:30

Day 7:
Me Made Simplicity 2599 top, tate skirt - an outfit I am comfortable wearing. It got too cold by lunch time though and I had to swap my skirt for some trousers. The top is so nice to wear as it is made from some cotton lawn, really light and lovely, originally blogged here.
Verdict: I could wear this every day. (Though that could get boring and a bit smelly) I find it almost impossible to be sad in this top.

Day 8:

I am trying to wear some of my unworn me-mades that languish in the back of the wardrobe. Me Made stripey vest blogged here and refashioned denim dress. Scarf made by my mum about ten years ago. I have never worn this dress. I bought it last summer in a charity shop and shortened it and made patch pockets for the front. Every time I try it on I am worried the poppers will pop open as I wear it. It is so cold that I put jeans and boots on underneath. But that may change if I get warmed up!

Verdict: The vest is a great staple, especially for wearing underneath other items. The denim dress? Unsure, ask me later.

5th and 6th June - Simplicity 2245

2011-06-06T21:33:00.000+11:30

Day 5 - ugh - I felt so ill all day. I fell asleep in the middle of the afternoon on the carpet outside the bathroom. Not good. I had a carpet pattern on my cheek when I got up. I wore Lisette for Simplicity 2245 top made from stash.

Verdict: Lovely top, very wearable. A straightforward pattern to make.

Moving swiftly on, Day 6 Feeling much better.

Lisette for Simplicity 2245 dress made in denim. I made this while I was offline in May. I was given some money for my birthday so like any self respecting sewer I spent some of it on fabric. The pockets of this dress are lined in a scrap fabric from my stash. You can see in the photo that this denim does wrinkle a bit as I go through the day but nevertheless I love wearing this dress. It is so comfy to wear and was simple and straightforward to make.

I went down a size when making it as my last one was a bit too roomy. I also gave it short sleeves as the three quarter length ones on the pcket photo just look wrong on me. I don't know what it is but they do.

Verdict:
A great dress, useful pockets.

I bought the denim from doughtysonline - and would like to say what fab service they offer. Half an hour after placing my order I had a phone call to say the denim I had ordered was out of stock but would I like another in a slightly darker shade! I said yes and it arrived the next day.

Me Made June, Days 1 -3

2011-06-04T04:18:00.000+11:30

So first three days of Me Made June have passed already. It's half term here and it has been hard to find time for blogging. I hope to catch up next week. In doing the Me Made June challenge I want to try and test out my me made clothes this month and look critically at what does and doesn't work.

An over exposed pic but the only one that shows the length of this dress - see Day 2 for details.
Day One:
Simplicity 2599 top and Tate skirt, sewn from Sew Hip Magazine.

Look - an Action Shot

I made this top at the beginning of May from a brown floral print cotton that came out of my Devon binbags. I have not blogged about it yet, I will try and do that once half term is over. (I do like spending time with my kids honest) The skirt is one I wear a lot. It has big pockets which I love but when I look at it in photos it seems a bit too wide. Especially with this top. But, this was a great outfit for the purpose of a day mucking about with mud, walking the woods. The big pockets are great for car keys and holding the stone collection we always gather in the woods.

Verdict: Yay..goodie goodstein outfit.

Day Two

Hmmm..... where to begin? This dress was refashioned from two t shirts. I based it on the Home Stretch Sew U pattern. It was easy to make but after wearing it I have realised it needs a few tweaks:

It is too long. That should be straightforward to fix.

When I made it, I took the bodice sides in, copying the bodice shape from Sew U but it still kind of bags out around the bust making me look bigger-chested and much saggier than I really am. This is not a look I am keen on!

The dress is very dark navy, I think it could be good for winter or season changes.

My main problem with this dress was the fact that I was really aware of my rounded tummy while wearing it! Especially when out in a museum and I took my daughter to a special child and parent toilet with a child height mirror. A child height mirror which started at an adult's waist and went to about mid calf. Ugh, what a perspective. I am considering the possibility of magic knickers now. (And exercise, less cake, etc, etc) If you were to look back at my me made clothes in this blog you may notice that I tend to always sew and wear things that cover my stomach area. Wearing this dress really did challenge my own neuroses. No one else noticed or cared. (Or if they did they are English and therefore probably wouldn't say anything anyway).

So Day Two was definitely a learning experience. On a positive note the dress was really comfortable to wear and felt lovely.

Verdict: Just don't know...seemed good in my head and on the hanger, not so sure in real life.

Day 3:

Refashioned skirt.

I am glad that Claudine in the flickr discussions suggested a spinning pose for today as it meant I wore this skirt solely for its spin potential. I remade it about 6 weeks ago and hadn't worn it. It is fuller than I usually wear a skirt but I really liked it. The photo below shows what it was like originally. It was too long and too narrow for me. (It also came out of my binbags of fabric) It is a beautiful cotton fabric which I loved. It reminds me of lying down and looking up through a tree on a sunny day.

I cut it where it got wider and made a new waistband and side fastening. I was able to keep the hem and side seams.

Verdict? I like it. I just need to find suitable tops for it. I think it could look sweet with a retro style cardigan and blouse...
Off to do some sit ups now...just joking..off to bed really.

Easy Summer Skirt aka pillowcase

2011-05-30T03:08:00.000+11:30

I had my birthday in May and recieved this book from my friend Lovely Sarah. I thought I would try the "Easy breezy skirt" which is a skirt made from a pillow case.

It is really simple, you just cut open the shorter seam on the pillow case, try it on to check the length, and make a casing, insert elastic. Bingo...one skirt.

I was inspired by Alessa's links to scalloped hem tutorials to try and add a scalloped hem too. I read both the tutorials and then just traced my scallops onto the reverse side of the fabric using a tumbler. Here are tutorial links here and here

I used an Ikea pillow case that I bought a while ago together with matching duvet cover from the charity shop. Now I just need it to get warmer as it is too damn cold to go out in my new skirt!

Anna sundress

2011-05-28T20:51:00.000+11:30

During my offline hiatus I made this orange summer dress. It is made from a piece of quilting fabric I found in my Devon bin bag stash. Is this stash endless I hear you ask? Well, it does go on and on but there were not many pieces of fabric this big.

Using a familiar pattern is great as it is a no-brainer and I made the dress in two days in between school run and the usual daily nonsense, sorry I mean, stimulating and fascinating activities.

I used the Amy Butler Anna tunic pattern which I have used twice before, but I made it longer this time so it is more of a dress than a tunic. Previous versions are posted Here and here. I like the way that each version of this pattern that I make is so different and so wearable. I think this dress has a sixties flavour to it. I am saving the photo opp of this dress being worn for Me Made June.

I am scratching my head about how to photo myself for June - can you really bear another month of photos with such messy backgrounds?

I am back

2011-05-27T03:01:00.000+11:30

This is a view I have been looking at A LOT for the past few weeks. Little I had a (second hand, of course) bike for her birthday and she rides it to preschool everyday. I am glad to report we have now got a basket strapped to the back so her doll no longer has to be tied on with a bit of string but can ride in more style.

I have been busy sewing while offline - pictured is a Simplicity 2599 top I made from a piece of fabric that I found in my Devon binbags. I only had a small piece and was just able to cut the top out.I ditched the facings for both neck and armholes and instead did a tiny hand rolled hem on each. This has become one of my go-to tops now and I wear it several times a week.

Other misadventures include a morning in A &E last week when Little I swallowed a 1p coin. Ah, the joy of parenting. She had an x-ray to check where it was, then we were left to let nature take its course. (Which it did, I will spare you the details)

I have more sewing to show you soon, and a giveaway to celebrate being back online again.

thrifty 365 update

2011-05-07T20:45:00.000+11:30

Still no PC in our house, but here is a post I scheduled a while ago. I hope normal service will be reumed in time for me-made June.

In relation to thrifty 365, I have quite a lot of related stuff to post so this is just Part 1.

I have been trying to spend mindfully and, only buying what we need or what is really lovely. Several times I have deliberately stayed away from shops, cafes etc and concentrated on doing something else else. There are some mornings when I definitely feel like going shopping, having a coffee but I am moving away from this. I have been to a local charity shop a couple of times, though I usually go just before I have to collect T from school, that way I get a walk, and can go without Little I who always wants to buy lots of toys. I always try and stick to the rule that something has to go into the charity shop before something else can be bought!

I am really glad I went in recently (two carrier bags of kid's clothes and a few of my old clothes went in) as look what I found, the Boden jumper above. I do love stripes. I wore this in Devon at easter a lot.

I also bought a set of 1970s glasses. At the moment we only have plastic drinking cups in our house. We may have only half a roof and no floor in our new house, but at least we now have a set of glasses.

On a recent trip to my local library I went to look at their second hand book sale and found a bag ful of books for £1. Yes, that is one pound for the whole bag not per book. There were lots of cross stitch books there which I left behind and a couple of sewing guides. I couldn' t justify bringing them home despite the price. However, I did get this "Secrets of the Couturiers" it is a very eighties book in the illustration style. It looks at a different designer in each chapter and analyses their work, then presents some idea for the home sewer to integrate into their sewing to use the ideas of the designers. It includes Poiret, Vionnet, Chanel, Schiaperelli, and Dior.

Lots of inspiration inthere. I also got the book below, "Fairy tale Quilts and Embroidery" which has lots of embroidery ideaas and examples, and shows start to finsih on projects in photos.

I also bought a book on storage solutions which includes instructions on how to build pigeonhole style shelving., a book for Little I and a healthy living type book for women.

I have also been having a big clear out, sorting the childrens' clothes and mine. I have started putting some clothing bundles on ebay to raise a bit of money. I usually leave my paypal money in paypal and use it to buy craft supplies. But I have to confess I have been browsing clogs on ebay and summer shoes and was thinking of saving my ebay money for those. Never mind those children and their crafts...buy shoes!

not too far away

2011-05-06T00:41:00.000+11:30

I am sorry for the lack of posting recently. This is because our computer broke two weeks ago and we cannot get it to work. On the same day some one drove into the back of my car at a roundabout and it is a write off! (That was not a good day). The good news is none of us were seriously hurt, just shaken up.
So I have been occupied over the last two weeks with phone calls and insurance paperwork. I have also been busy with little I's fourth birthday last week. Sadly as I have no PC I cannot show you any photos. I am just writing this on a public access computer in my local library, I am not keen to load my photos onto a public access PC.
I am really missing my blog friends and all your lovely comments and reading blogs. I feel so left out!!

BUT with the extra time I now have in the day I made quite a lot of things...of course I can't show you photos today but trust me I am telling you the truth...I have made two Simplicity 2599 tops, missing out the ruffles and facings. I made Little I a Kiki doll from Clothkits for her birthday, and I just have the hem left to do on an Amy Butler Anna mini dress. I've also started making a dress for Little I. All these clothes are made with fabric from my bin bags hauled back from Devon in February. Hurray for free fabric!

I hope to have things up and running and back to normal blogging service soon - I hope you can bear with me. I just have to find a replacement car superfast...this is not the kind of shopping I enjoy! Once that is all sorted I will be able to relax and sort out my computer situation.
I have an old drafted post that I forgot to publish last month to share with you soon.

house of quilting

2011-04-19T19:37:00.000+11:30

We just got back from a week at my mum's. She is a quilter. There's a lot of quilts in her house. I thought I would share a glimpse of just a few. We sleep under them, and they hang on the walls.

Now I see them together as a group I feel impressed! We all take the quilts for granted in our family and don't really consider them or the skills taken to make them. Time for rethink?

If you go down to the woods today...

2011-04-19T05:37:00.000+11:30

...you had better take your ear plugs.

Completed ATC Cards

2011-04-17T16:52:00.000+11:30

Little I's completed cards. T's are more comples, involving a series of puzzles and mazes, they are going to take a while to complete.

Dee groovey

2011-04-15T16:41:00.000+11:30

I had a huge list last week, one item on it was my brother's birthday cushions. Fabric is genuine 1970s (?) from the bags of fabric I was given in Devon. These were fabrics from a quilting friend of my mum's who sadly passed away last year. Her son had brought about 5 bin bags of fabric to my mum's house.

There is a great collection of fabrics spanning 1960s to the noughties. And moving from dressmaking to patchworking. There are a couple of tiny cocktail dresses (she was very petite) and some cut up paisley 1970s blouses, either they are half finished or she was cutting up her old clothes for patchwork scraps.

In a way I can see her life through her sewing which is both moving and sad. As I have been making things from her fabric I have been thinking about her and her sewing.

But my mum reassures me she would have been pleased to see her fabrics being used.

Plans

2011-04-12T19:28:00.000+11:30

I found this duvet cover in the charity shop on saturday. I was thinking of making the skirt for the Traveller dress view C (top left corner of pattern envelope) I think to make another shift style dress in this fabric could be too much holiday kaftan-like for me. What do you think?

The duvet cover is currently doing duty as a play tent in the garden prior to being cut up for a dress.

2245 in action

2011-04-10T19:21:00.000+11:30

I wore it, I was happy all day. I had a postcard, car keys, phone, and lego in the pockets though not all at the same time. It survived Little I's painting session, making cakes, nursery, running around to do errands.

Wearing smock type dresses is something to get used to, no waist bands is different. Could I fit a cushion up this dress? Probably.

I made it just about hitting the knee as I like my skirts that length if I am going to wear them with my little bare white legs out in the summer. On this occasion I wore it with leggings as it was not quite warm enough for me to brave bare legs.

thrifty 365 days part 1

2011-04-09T23:17:00.000+11:30

Look what Little I's nursery teacher gave me ...vintage barkcloth Noddy fabric, sorry for the creases. What do you think I should make from it? I have a couple of ideas...

In the spirit of Sarah's Thrifty 365 , recently we have been finding things to do that do not involve spending much money....we have been planiting seeds to grow vegetables. These are hopefully going to be pak choi.

I found a load of old mount boards in my mum's attic left over from when I last exhibited my art work (eek, too long ago, seems like another life). I bought it home and it looks great with childrens' watercolours on so we are using the last pieces to make our ATC Kids' Swap art cards. Little I did one big piece that I had drawn a grid of 3.5x 2.5 " rectangles on. Then I cut them at her nursery borrowing their big guillotine. They look lovely once cut up, the thickness of the mount board gives them a real Special-Object-like quality when you hold them.

I will photo them but right now the sun is shining and my kids are shouting at me to come and play.

Dress to tunic top refashion

2011-04-08T00:22:00.000+11:30

This was a UK size 20 dress in the local charity shop. It is a silk cotton mix and the fabric feels lovely, it is also lined in cotton. I liked the pattern and colours and bought it. Though I am not sure about the fabric if it is too old lady or not, I just cannot decide. So I am wearing it and then I will decide!

The first thing I did was to trim the sleeves, cutting off the edging bands. Then I altered the dress to be a tunic using my Amy Butler Anna tunic as a shape and size guide. I drew round the Amy Butler tunic on the inside of the dress using tailor's chalk to show my stiching line. Then I trimmed away the excess fabric after sewing.

I am hoping this will be a good top for summer.

2245 dress or the ongoing dress nirvana quest

2011-04-05T18:30:00.000+11:30

In my seemingly never ending quest for dress nirvana (i.e. a comfortable but good looking dress, one that can be worn in everyday life) I made this dress. Seems like it was a really quick dress to make, it took a week from cutting out to final hemming. But I guess the pattern was fresh in my mind from having made the 2245 top recently. I used view A but used the sleeve length and cuff for views B and C.

The back view of the fabric

Back buttons from my stash. Even though they will not be seen by many people I like these little details.

While making the dress I kept thinking this could turn out to be a really strange dress, due to the fabric. I wanted to make this dress in a lightweight denim type fabric but I don't have any spare money this month to go and buy dressmaking fabric so I decided to use up some of my stash, specifically some of the fabric that I brought back from Devon in February. I was also a bit concerned it would look like an over-sized school girl dress.

The fabric was labelled"Liberty" "Country of origin: GDR, 2m 50" It is 100% cotton but has a weave shown best by the back view. This meant after washing it developed a slightly quilted look which disappears with pressing. However at times it seemed I was making a quilted dress which kept me wondering about how the end product would turn out. I had to do careful trimming of seams as they did bulk up a bit, especially in the neckband.

I have been thinking that as the country of origin was GDR this fabric must be pre 1989 and as the measurements are in metric it must be post 1971.

I think this is going to be a good day dress, useful and comfortable with the all important pockets (yay!). You can expect someout and about dress photos soon.

Memade March

2011-04-04T18:30:00.000+11:30

Round up of Me made March:

I enjoyed most of March though it was blighted by having a cold, and an eye infection. I missed about three days of photos but did manage to wear something Me Made each day. Taking a daily photo made me more aware of my moods and energy levels

I put pockets into my sack dress

fixed the wonky hem on the red button skirt pictured top.

I took apart and resewed my duvet top giving it bigger sleeves.

I am really glad that I had the impetus to do these little adjustments which made the clothes much more wearable.

I am coming to not mind (not quite at liking yet) my own image in photos although I did crop off my head some days as I just couldn't share the bad hair, no make up, under eye bags.

There were a few of my clothes I didn't bring out for March as they are too summery

I tried a bit harder with different tights and boots which was fun

I couldn't keep up with Flickr this time

I could really do with a pair of shoes to wear with skirts, hmmmm, thinking about this one

I do have a good collection of Me Made clothes but am lacking trousers

31st March - Me Made Simplicity 2245 top, Me Made Tate Denim skirt

Kids ATC Swap

2011-04-01T19:48:00.000+11:30

We are signed up to participate in the kid's Art Trading Card Swap organised by Ellie and Abbie at Bright Eyes + Blue Eyes. The closing date for registration is 4th April. For those who may not be familiar ATCs are usually about 3.5 by 2 inches and are cards with images on by an artist. In this case they are to made by the children (ages 4 upwards). The kids are to be put into age groups so for instance my eight year old will swap with other eight year olds. (You have to be prepared to pay postage for your cards) Are you in?

29 and 30 March

2011-03-31T18:30:00.000+11:30

Me made top fromSimplicity 2245 and a different view in my house. Sorry this is a bit blurry but you can see me "la, la" posing for photos and T in the background. Soundtrack to this photo would be "Muuuuummm....oh mummmmmmy..."

Me Made ruffle shirt from Built By Wendy Sew U book. I used some fabric given to me in a bag of remnants. I wanted to try out the pattern without splashingon fabric in case it didn't work. It is a strange colour that I don't know how to match with other clothes. Mainly I don't know how to match it with any of my cardigans - aaahhh I can't seem to dress without a cardigan. Too cold for short sleeves too warm for sweaters.

Me Made March Catch Up and a digression or two

2011-03-29T20:27:00.000+11:30

I need to do a Me Made March catch up here. Some crappy photos. Some bad hair. Sorry about that. Thursday 24th - Me Made top from a duvet cover and using Simplicity 3835, charity shop Gap jeans, Boden sale cardigan

Friday 25th March - Me Made nautical t shirt and refashioned cardigan, charity shop Gap jeans

Saturday 27th March - Me Made top from Simplicity 2245, stash fabric, another pair of charity shop jeans, Boden sale cardigan

No photo for Sunday but I did wear my me-made table cloth top.

Monday 28th March - Me made Amy Butler Anna tunic, very old Zara cardigan, those charity shop Gap jeans again

Okay here's the digressions:

The eagle eyed amongst you may notice in the last photo that the map has moved.

Little I is very interested in her alphabet so last week I finally cleared out the craft cupboard and then on sunday I put up the alphabet poster I had been searching for in the craft cupboard. I love this poster. It is by

Jan Pienkowski one of my favourite children's illustrators (I've loved his silhouette illustrations since I was a child - I cannot think how else to describe them). If you have small kids I recommend his website (in the previous link) if you go to "fun and games" he has some fab printable colouring pages. And if you read the "About" page you get a brief glimpse of a fascinating career.

Sometimes tidying up has its bonuses, I now have an idea of what is in the cupboard. I had forgotten we own sun print photo paper, a box of old fashioned wooden pegs for dolly making and many coloured lolly sticks.

Digression two - the Boden cardigan was bought when I went to a Boden end of line sale a couple of years ago when I still bought RTW clothing. If you get the chance to go to one it is funny and a good people watching experience. It was in an exhibition hall and clothes were on tables, in boxes and a few on rails. It was kind of like an upmarket jumble sale for middle class, middle aged women. We got there an hour after it opened and almost all the kid's clothes had gone. If you are especially small or big you can get some great bargains. There was a make shift communual changing room where you tried on clothes and tossed the unwanted into cardboard boxes where staff would put them make out the front. While I was there someone had put her own clothes down only to find they had been shoved into a box and taken out front for selling! I tried on lots of things but bought my mustard cardigan and have worn it so much since it was a definite good buy. I saw quite a few women I know vaguely from toddler groups or school run and do you know the weird thing? Boden's relentlessly jolly marketing kind of irritates me - they are a bit of a cliche and their prices are way out of my range - but all the women trying on dresses, tops etc looked really good. The Boden clothes seemed to fit and flatter middle aged women so I guess they must know what they are doing.

Clock without hands top, new pattern love

2011-03-27T19:26:00.001+11:30

I rarely buy new patterns but feeling fed up with my sewing and wanting to use my stash of fabrics for garments that I will actually wear, led me to do a spot of online shopping and so I bought two new patterns last week. I think I will get my money's worth from these. They are both Lisette for Simplicity. You may know the work of the designer Liesel Gibson through her childrens' clothing sewing patterns, Oliver and S, or through her blog disdressed. I read somewhere that these patterns are not super fashionable but then, a lesson I have learnt partly from doing Me Made months is that I don't actually want to be super fashionable nor do I want to be making clothes designed for a twenty year old or clothes that are more suitable for my almost four year old daughter than for me. These clothes look as if they are wearable in my life. (I will let you know if they are as I progress) But I have to say making this top was a pleasure, simple and straightforward, it has made me happier about my sewing again. (My needle jammed three times while sewing this top despite me giving the machine a clean and changing needles. So I am now planning to take it back to the shop where I bought it next week.)

I tried out the top view C as I didn' t have enough stash fabric to make the longer version. I also have quite a few long tunic type tops now and a shorter one will be good for summer.

I used cotton fabric from my Devon stash. I didn't have enough fabric to make the sleeve cuffs but just gave them a tiny hem instead. The fabric does crease a bit but apart from that I am happy with it.

The fabric is cotton and has a pattern that looks like a handless clock on it. This pattern is easy to make up and has clear instructions and diagrams. I didn't rush it at all (honestly) but made it within 24 hours from cutting out to finishing off. I may have also found it straightforward because the top used similar methods to other patterns I have already sewn. It is also a quick top to make because it uses no buttonholes or zips. The neck facing is sewn in a "stitch in the ditch" so I have none of the problems I have had before with facings flapping around.

Back view - buttons came from my grey cardigan. I thought they looked frumpy on the cardigan but I like how they are with this fabric AND I like to re-use. I used ribbon to make the button loops instead of self fabric.

Okay, so I now have new pattern love for this pattern. I really liked wearing this top yesterday, and I want to make the other versions too now. The View B longer top and the View A dress have big pockets created from the centre front piece. Regular readers will know my love of pockets. If you are squingting at the pattern cover photo trying to see the pockets, I apologise, it is not clear to see them in the picture.

I would like to make the dress in a denim-ish blue as an everyday dress, maybe with some piping? However I don't have that in my stash, but I do have some liberty cotton in a reddish woven check. I am off to measure how much there is now.

Cardigan refashioned

2011-03-26T01:14:00.001+11:30

A hand sewn refashion. The silk and wool mix junper was bought last year at a nearly new sale. It has glitter thread in it, just in case you haven't noticed. I tried it on but I had not worn it at all. So in thrifty 365 thinking this was not so good...it may have only cost £2 but if I don't wear it then that is £2 wasted. I only really wear jumpers if it is very cold. So on thursday I took my scissors and cut it up the centre front, hand hemmed a tiny hem edge on each side. Then I got out my new toy...a pair of Prym pliers (bought half price in a closing down sale) and a pack of pearlised press studs. After some struggling, fiddling and muttering to myself, tah - dah, I have press studs on the new cardigan. It is unlikely I will ever fasten them but I like how they look.

I like my little glittery cardigan, it brightened up yesterday's school run.

23rd March

2011-03-25T05:15:00.000+11:30

I am taking advice from the comments left on the last post. We have slowed down here. I put the UP dress away. And the sewing machine.
We have made "prototype one" of a water clock. It worked but was not big enough. We now need more empty bottles to make what I told by T is to be the test model.
I have done some (for me) exciting online pattern shopping. More to follow in another post about that.

We made a cafe in the living room. Some fabric from the bags I bought back from Devon makes a perfect pink and white tablecloth.

"You like coffee? Milk?"

Yesterday's MM March outfit is below.

In the background Little I is getting busy with the tub of mud and water...

Me Made top based on Nano Iro pattern.

I made this top as part of a sewalong last year. It originally looked different with a dark brown neckband. But I felt it looked too much like a shepherd's costume in a nativity play and the brown and ochre combo made me think of Captain James T Kirk in the 70s Star Trek series. So I changed it around and altered the neck adding bias binding made from the remnants of my ruffle top. Then I never wore it. It is light cotton from Kaffe Fssett and is too thin to wear much in colder weather. It has languished in my cupboard until today. And I have to confess it is a good top to wear on a warmish day. It is comfortable and just easy to wear. I didn't take my photos till 4pm and one criticism is that this fabric does crease. I also didn't get the neck binding quite right and it doesn't lie flat. But I got a couple of compliments on it.

22nd March

2011-03-23T01:21:00.000+11:30

With all these Me Made posts I haven't done much about making with kids recently.

We have been reading this book a lot recently and current project is the water clock from it (T's choice). We were given this book as part of a job lot from some friends with grown up children. It was published in 1976 but is full of good projects and ideas. Lots of games, craft and a science section. Reading the introduction the only bit that felt dated was the advice to ask your local hospital for old syringes, gloves etc. This seems so shocking now in our HIV-aware and health and safety culture.

Anyway it is a great book and when I checked there are some copies on amazon here. (Iam not benefiting in advertising this, just wanted to share) After the water clock is done I want to make a shoe box loom!

Puppets are a big thing here at the moment. We made some sock puppets last week. Of course Little I wanted pink ones.

I am feeling screamingly fed up on the sewing front. I have managed to half sew in the sleeves for the U.P. dress. While altering a skirt on sunday I broke my machine needle. Ever since then the machine has been doing strange things, needles jamming, needles unthreading. I changed size of needle and fiddled with the tension. It just jammed horribly while sewing the U.P sleeves. I just realised that I never found the tip of the broken needle and think it could be in there jamming the machine. I wll have a look later, otherwise I think a trip back to the sewing machine shop is due. I feel as if this U.P dress will never be done. I have made so many stupid errors on it. I feel like screwing it up into a ball and putting at the back of the scary understairs cupboard.

Instead I am going to go for a walk near T's school and take some deep breaths, probably stopping to buy some chocolate. And I shall be mainly wearing the outfit featured below:

Me made dress Simplicity 3964, refashioned yellow cardigan, Gap jeans via charity shop.

Hope your sewing projects are going more smoothly than mine. Grrrr...

21 March and a catch up

2011-03-22T01:26:00.000+11:30

This is a hydraulic climbing system. You have to work out a sequence of pressing buttons to make the "things" climb. This exhibit clearly demonstrates how differently my brain works from my son's. He can figure it out, I am clueless, in a kind of foggy, cotton wool head way.

On Sunday morning we went once again to this place. (Can you tell I have an annual pass?) This exhibit which T is working on shows how materials can be sorted for recycling. It is very clever, but to my mind it also demonstrates the repetitive futility of processes - as soon as you think you have completed all stages you have to start over again, and again, and again. What is it that children like so much about repetition and adults don't? Anyway I don't want to get too metaphysical and make you have to THINK, so quick let's get back to clothing.

17th March - Me made Amy Butler tunic, ebay jeans and ancient Zara cardigan. Apologies for over exposure. And somehow thursday got missed off last week.

19th March - Me made t shirt, Me Made Tate skirt, H&M cardigan

20th Me made Simplicity 3835 top but no photosorry I was too busy putting balls into machines in the museum (again and again and again).

21st March - Me made Simplicity 2559 top, charity shop trousers.

Delusions of majesty

2011-03-18T22:57:00.000+11:30

Me made dress using the dirndl pattern from Built by Wendy Dresses book, Me Made crown.

I have some fit issues with the top half of this dress, my bust has shrunk a bit since I made it! Yes, I am wearing a felt crown. I recommend anyone feeling a bit Meh in your clothes, pop on a felt crown and instantly you will feel much better.

There is a reason...it's Comic Relief day and Little I's nursery are having a family party with fancy dress. She is going as a fairy. She wants me to go as a Queen.

This is my most regal dress. Sadly I have no pearls or court shoes or white gloves.

16th March

2011-03-17T01:14:00.000+11:30

Me made Simplicity 2599 top, Me made trousers from Built By Wendy Sew U. Refashioned cardigan.

15th March

2011-03-15T22:18:00.000+11:30

March 15th - Me made Nora T shirt under Simplicity 3835 top.

This top was originally longer. Last summer I saw some pics of me wearing it that a friend took and decided it was too maternity-tent-like at that length so I shortened it. It is quilting weight cotton so it doesn't drape as well as a lighter weight. The top is made from Amy Butler fabric and the grey flowers in it have faded a lot. I don't know if this is my washing powder and wonder if anyone else has experienced this with Amy Butler fabric? My washing powder was just supermarket non bio.

I woke up this morning with one gummed up infected eye. Yuck. During March so far I have tended to do my hair and put on make up more often. Now no more eye makeup for me due to the red itchy eye. I feel like I am 14 again back in school with conjunctivitis from when we would borrow each others' eye liner and draw inside the eye lids.

Sewingwise I am working on the Uniform Project dress and have been making stupid errors such as sewing the shoulders on the wrong side. I am getting very well acquainted with my stitch unpicker. I am longing to do some quick projects but am trying to concentrate on getting this dress done with much muttering and talking to myself.

14th March

2011-03-15T01:26:00.000+11:30

Nautical necklace from Tatty Devine via Lovely Sarah

14th March. Gone nautical - me made t shirt, me made Tate skirt from Sew Hip Magazine very old H&M red cardigan.

I would like to wear this outfit with some bright pillar box tights but haven't found any yet. Shopping tips?

Last night - 6pm we went to fly the kite until we got too cold. T is jumping up and down below the kite to try and catch it.

Finally if you are able to access radio 4, go and listen again to today's Woman's Hour, they had a great piece about the 70th birthday of polyester. There is a great interview conveying the excitement of second hand clothes shopping. The following discussion includes the chilling thought that polyester will not biodegrade. And the timely reminder that the only way to tackle waster in clothing is to change the way we think about shopping and disposable fashion.

13th March

2011-03-14T04:02:00.000+11:30

I just think ooooowwwwwww looking at this corset. Old sewing machines on display.

Memade Amy Butler Anna tunic with added patch pockets, over me made Nora t shirt. Looking at it I think maybe a bit too short.

I took T and Little I to a design and engineering museum this morning. Trying to get a shot balancing the camera on a bench was tricky, a headless one is the best of the bunch! They were very excited to be there. It is the sort of museum with lots of buttons to push and things to do. They spent most time at the water/hydro electricity display. You can stick your hands in the water and not get told off, though best not to drink it. I feel like my head is swivel mode from trying to watch both of them, careering off in opposite directions. Luckily it is a fairly small space with only one exit.

12th March

2011-03-13T03:08:00.000+11:30

Instead of a trip to the gym yesterday I stay stitched my U.P. dress pieces in preparation for princess seams and tacked them up. Then I left early for school which allowed me walk into the small town centre where

I visited the charity shop and bought this ring for £3.00. Pretty. And more satisfying than the gym.

12th March

Refashioned t shirt blogged originally here,and me made skirt from Sew U skirt pattern.

11th March

2011-03-11T20:53:00.000+11:30

Me Made Sack dress with pockets

And on the way back from taking T to school, no make up, crazy lady hair, Little I wanted to join in.

It was windy

And a roof - hurray. I spotted our roof across the field as I drove down the lanes. A sight to lift my spirits.

10th March

2011-03-10T20:33:00.000+11:30

Me Made 3835 top made from a duvet cover and dyed grey, originally blogged here., Me Made Nora tee from Ottobre magazine worn underneath as a vest. My friend Emma's old jeans (thank you Emma xx).

Thursday mornings are "Tots tennis" with Little I so I need to wear something I can run around the sports hall in and comfortably sit down without showing my knickers. This is a community tennis programme where we only pay £1 each week. Isn't that a bargain? I hope it won't be cut in the current climate of funding cuts. Little I is quite a sporty girl and likes going to tennis. Sometimes she even manages to hit the ball. Cue great excitement and high fives.

I am very tired at the moment. Reasons why? After christmas flu, I have had three colds. Most recently one caught from Mr Minnado.

Little I is finally sleeping better. (She has always woken at least four times a night since being a baby, even now she is almost four years old). But recently I stopped going to her at night simply because I was so exhausted. I just had to do something to improve her sleep patterns and this seems to be improving things. She goes back to sleep by herself much quicker. Sometimes I can't get back to sleep. She still gets up at about 5.30 - 6am - this is good as she used to want to get up at 4.00am - 5.00am. If she sleeps in till 6.00 or 6.30 you can guarantee her brother will get up at 5.00, but at least he can go and read in bed.

I was awake for no reason between 12 and 1 am this morning. Little I had woken me with shouting in her sleep "No, Michah, stop it" (one of her preschool compadres). She didn't wake but I did.

So does anyone have any tips for getting some energy? I have started trying to eat more healthily (I am vegetarian). I have read some articles recently about raw food diets and how after a few days of feeling crap you suddenly feel great, have loads of energy and lose inches round the waist! I don't really have time to do completely different diets for me and the rest of the family. I have been trying to eat more raw food, more seeds and nuts. But I have to confess that all fell by the way side in half term when we went to visit my mum.

Anyway, I need some help: Should I be eating raw food, no dairy, more dairy, less bread, more bread, taking supplements. Should I do less or should I exercise more?? Should I give up coffee (NOOOOOOO...) I did make to the gym one day last week and I did feel better for 24 hours afterwards. I have to confess I find the actual gym a bit boring though. This is a commuity run gym for women only and is only on a friday afternoon and a monday morning. It is a bit of a squeeze timewise to get to, I have to leave Little I at preschool, go to gym for 45 minutes then leave with just enough time to change and get to pick T up from school. I am not certain if this is a good thing to keep doing as I hate all the rushing to get around everything. Bonus of this gym is that it is affordable. But I am tempted to just use my spare hour on fridays to do some sewing!

To finish off this post, I keep failing to get my shoes in photos so here they are, tah-dah, knackered converses.

9th March, excuse the mess

2011-03-09T21:20:00.000+11:30

Yes, I must tidy up the craft cupboard, things are tumbling out of it.

Me made top Simplicity 3835. Me Made trousers from Sew U book.

Little I has a friend coming to play this morning so time for a quick tidy. The friend has a baby brother so I have been dragging out some baby toys and hiding the playmobil, small lego etc. The blue knitted thing in my hand is actually a knitted whale made by a friend for Little I when she was a baby. I made this top last year using Simplicity 3835 and some fabric from the charity shop. I think it was sheets or possibly curtains. I am not sure if I like the top or not, though it is very comfortable to wear. It is just a bit too patterned for me. But that is one of the things I like about doing these MeMade months - it makes me get out the things I don't often wear and try them out again.

I want to tidy the craft cupboard in the top picture and do a post about it. Both cupboards there came out of a skip at a school. They are really good quality wooden cupboards. I just don't understand why they were being thown out. One day I will round to tidying them up. The little school chairs in the photo were given to us on freecycle when a local infant school replaced all its chairs. Bonkers thinking on behalf of school budgets, but benefit to me (that's BTOBSBBBM if you want a Sigrid-style acronym for the day).