Once again, I found myself blundering out of another month without a completed project for #sewmystyle. My flaw in April was that I completely forgot to prewash the fabric until the day I chose to cut out the pieces. I ended up washing it while I cut out pieces for another project on my list, and then with other deadlines appearing, April came and went!
March was a hectic month but I was pleased to complete a project which was on my list – The Freja Dress from Simply Sewing Magazine.
I’ve been swooning over many of the lovely pinafore patterns that have been around over the last couple of years, but opted for this one due to its A line style skirt.
I missed the #sewmystyle March project share last Sunday as March flew by at an alarming rate! I set aside time this week to catch up instead.
Usually, my poor family members get a handmade gift, whether they want it or not! However, my dad has learned this, and decided to make practical use of the situation. Sometimes, I ask them what they want before deciding myself. My dad was ready for the question when it came to his birthday gift.
One of my goals is to use up my stash for smaller items and gifts before purchase more fabric. For a friend’s Christmas gift, I followed this aim and found some fabrics to use.
Following a guide from Love Sewing Magazine (issue 01), I cut 4 rectangles of cotton fabric, two in each fabric choice, and then stitched them together to create a loop scarf.
One issue with using the stash is finding two fabrics which work well together. Although the purpose of the scarf is to have the option of two different looks, I didn’t want the fabric choices to clash too badly if you could see them both.
This was a nice simple pattern to follow and I am quite surprised at how warm a scarf made from dress cotton fabric can be!
It’s nice to pause and reflect back over the year before looking forward to the new year, so here are my highlights and lessons from 2016:
Highlights
Lessons
Just a quick post to reflect on some of the makes I have made this year for Christmas! There are a few which have been good or challenging which I wanted to share.
The upcycled t shirt cushions
My dad suggested that his old Hard Rock cafe tshirts should be transformed into cushions about two years ago but I wasn’t convinced and didn’t do it until this month. They have come out much better than I expected! I was worried that they were too faded, but I simply cut out the designs and appliqued them onto calico and created envelope cushions!
The 1940s tapestry bag and purse
This is another gift which had been on my mind for years but I had never got round to creating. However, I finally created it this year, even having time to create the matching purse (from Making Vintage Bags).
Hare bag
I wasn’t intending on making a hare bag this year, but when I clapped eyes on the fabric, I had to make something with it for one of Phill’s relatives who loves hares. I followed a free pattern online but I was a bit disappointed with the depth of the bag, which I would have preferred to have been a bit deeper, but I added a magnetic clasp to it to make it more like a shoulder bag. I did find a preferred tote bag pattern but I don’t have a photo of it yet so will write about it another time.
Oscar glasses case
This personalised glasses case was fun to make as well to add to my grandad’s collection of Schnauzer based gifts over the years.
Baby Showers Mobile
My biggest challenge was making this mobile for my niece! I gave my sister the choice of patterns for a baby mobile, and halfway through making this mobile I felt a bit of regret at doing that! However, it was a great challenge and pushed me much further than the other choices (and it looks much more impressive too)! I adapted the pattern from Chloe Owens (All Sewn Up) to what I had available, using Christmas tree decorations for the raindrops instead of jewellery chain. Glittery sequins were attached to the butterflies, which make light bounce off it.
I could not follow the pattern precisely as I could not get a needle through the fabric flowers when assembling as the fabric glue made it too hard. Instead, the embroidery floss was attached securely either side of the flowers.
I greatly underestimated the many stages to this mobile! I would recommend starting far in advance to ensure you make this in time to avoid the last minute stresses of making gifts! Fortunately, my mum helped ensure the clouds were sewn securely and to help with the final construction stage.
While on a bit of a dressmaking roll, I decided to delve back into the realm of knit fabrics. Having only made one successful garment with knit, I decided that I wanted to keep the pattern as simple as possible.
The simple question for this project was The Walkley Dress by Wendy Ward MIY.
This pattern requires two pieces to be cut out of your fabric, and they come from the same template. If you’re lucky enough to have 150cm wide fabric, you only need a metre! In this instance, I already had some fabric ready and waiting – a remnant from a fabric shop!
Setting up the machine proved the most difficult part. It’s been about six months since I last tried a stretch pattern, and it was a challenge to set up my machine. Following the advice from the pattern, I opted for the small zigzag stitch for the seams, and the three stitch zigzag for the hems. In addition, I attached a walking foot to my machine and loosened the pressure of the presser foot; without these adjustments, my machine did not want to stitch!
Originally, I planned to try a twin needle on the hems, but I managed to break my stretch needle one a while ago and haven’t replaced it yet. It turns out that I keep loosening the needle whenever I attach the walking foot to my machine!
I didn’t colour match the thread for this garment as I had recently acquired a set of threads in different colours (none of which were a perfect match) and I didn’t want to go out and buy more supplies on this occasion. The downside to this is that the hemming is a lot more noticeable than it would have been.
Also, I stretched the hem a bit while stitching (I did the hem before the neck and armholes). I didn’t have any stay tape or stabiliser, which could have helped to prevent this, but I did adjust my stitching technique to decrease the amount of stretching after noticing the issue on the hem.
The neckline is quite wide (though this could be in part due to my stitching ability!) but it’s really comfy and it is definitely a pattern which provides you with fast results which are satisfying! It’s a brilliant ‘first knit’ pattern too as there aren’t too many steps or seams to stitch which means you can focus on working carefully with the knit medium.
I think next time I use this pattern, I will definitely try out some knit stay tape to ensure that the garment lasts a long time. Also, I think I may opt for a patterned material.
I think I will give this pattern another go with the lessons learnt from this occasion in mind! As it only requires a metre of fabric to create a whole dress, and can be made in less time than a lot of the other patterns I have, I think another one will be made! As the pattern says, this make is versatile for all seasons as you can layer it for the winter or wear it as it is for the summer.
Last Saturday, I went to the stitching, sewing and hobbycrafts show at Westpoint, Exeter, UK!
My friend and I went as part of a day coach trip to avoid the prospect of driving. Unfortunately, the pick up point was not in our town, so we had to get a lift to Truro.
When we arrived, there was a queue which wandered around the building! Once in, we decided to dive into the middle aisle which seemed quieter as others opted to choose to tackle the show from one end to the other.
The first fabric shop we saw was Fabrcis Galore, which contained an array of wonderful fabrics. After deliberation, i went back later to buy some printed corduroy, which will be perfect for a project I have in mind to make after all the Christmas gifts are made (so probably January)!
Also I picked up a lovely polar bear print from another fabric shop, which will be used in a gift I need to make very soon (currently being prewashed so no photo)!
My very first purchase was this fleece. As the nights draw in, I think I will turn to practising spinning with my drop spindle once more, and I like to pick up small amounts of fleece for this purpose. I’m not a fast spinner, so this bag is a suitable size.
We managed to sign up to a wonderful glass workshop with The Glass Garden Studio where we learned the basics in stained glass construction. I took home this angel that I made.
Tactile Treasures was another stall I was particularly interested in. Now I have a niece, I am interested in making toys which will be perfect for her learning and development. this stall sold all sorts of attachments which are teething friendly and different stitchable surfaces, such as this mirror, which can be cut, stuck and appliqued onto items. I bought some rattle inserts too which will be great to use, and received excellent tips from the owners of the business on ensuring that the toys you make a safe and meet safety standards.
I came across an air erasable pen, which is something I have been looking out for having read about them. I’ve been having a bit of trouble with water erasable pens, which have at times caused the thread to run onto the background fabric. I’m not sure they this has happened as the thread should be colour fast, but I am intrigued to find out whether the use of an air erasable pen would be safer. I plan to review this in the coming month.
The block printing stall from The Arty Crafty place was lovely as well. When we finally managed to get up to the front and admire the blocks, we were very tempted with their £30 starter pack. However, I decided to select a couple of small blocks. They were packaged in a beautiful drawstring bag. We also found some simple leaf shapes for £1 on another stall, which we plan to try out for block printing too at some point.
There were lovely displays of artwork too, including an impressive stitched cardigan!
As it was a day coach trip, it meant we were there for the whole hog and were shattered by the time we crawled back onto the coach at 5pm! But it was an interesting experience. I found it a bit overwhelming as someone who tends to avoid large crowds, but the inspiration was immense and I feel as though I’ve been drawn to another handful of hobbies in a very short time!!
When I took part in the #miymarch16 instagram challenge, I put down this dungarees pattern as my sewing ambition (new Burda 3779). I bought the pattern from a charity shop for £2 just over a year ago because I loved the idea of making some, and bought some denim shortly after. However, the amount of pieces in the pattern felt overwhelming, and I couldn’t get started.
A couple of months ago, I asked my mum if I could bring along the pattern and fabric when I visited her to see if she could encourage me to get started. Over the weekend, I managed to trace the pattern, pin it onto the fabric, and then cut it out.
One of my main worries was altering the pattern to my size. However, we decided that as it was designed to be very loose fitting, I could cut it a size smaller than usual, which would ensure that the bottom half would not be too baggy!
I didn’t manage to pick it up again for about a month after this visit! Feeling that I still needed a boost, I went back to my mum’s for a crafty retreat to get the pattern finished.
It wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be. When I attached the bib section to the shorts, it didn’t provide a completely sealed finish, but I think I might have misread it. I would plan to take steps to create a better finish next time. Also, the inner sides of the bib are tacked in place and then secured by edge stitching and top stitching. However, I decided to slip stitch it in place by hand to secure it before the two rows of machine stitching.
The braces were simple to attach. The buttons have to be hammered on, but in my view, this is much easier than stitching button holes and working out where to place the buttons on the straps! There’s the added benefit that you can adjust it to size.
The pleats on the front were also a worry, but turned out to be really simple to complete. They were more like tucks. The denim material is so sturdy that it was easy to tack in place and press well at every step.
I think these may become my ‘uniform’ for craft days! I think I will have to make a trouser version for the winter though (I’m already imagining some navy polka dot material which could be used for the second pair…)
Harry did become jealous of the sewing project during its production, and kept sitting or laying on the instructions. When I moved the instructions out of the way so he couldn’t make any further holes in it with his claws, he decided to settle on the garment instead!
