A Fair Exchange

Recently I made a couple of bags for a friend and as I don't like to take money from friends we did a swap.  You can't beat a good old fashioned barter!  I'd suggested to her that I wanted to try my hand at weaving and so if she had any left over bits of yarn they would be appreciated.  However, I wasn't prepared for the amount she had spare.  Carole is a very prolific knitter and I was over the moon with the stash she gave me - this is a very deep basket as well!

So, because I couldn't decide what to make from my recent purchase of linen (beautiful, lovely linen) I got to work sorting out the wool.  First I put it into colour groups, then changed to types, ie wool, boucle, cotton, manmade etc. then finally settled on just groups of what looked pleasing together.
Unable to stop there - the night was still young - I started to crotchet.  Using four strands together and a 8mm hook it only took a couple of evenings to produce this little blanket.  It's simply done in trebles and when one colour ran out I just introduced another one.

It's just a rectangle of wooly colours that suggest tweed to me.  I thought it would be nice to sit on in the garden on the stone steps - a bit of padded warmth with my elevenses.  It was so therapeutic that I want to make another one - maybe greens and browns next time.

Second Hand Fabric

Just thought that I would show you my latest bargain purchase of fabric yesterday.  I wasn't really looking for fabric (actually that's not true - I'm always looking for fabric) but when I went into a charity shop in town and realised that somebody must have been having a clear out of sewing related stuff I was delighted.  There were spools of unused threads - admittedly unusual colours - but I couldn't resist.  Then there was this piece of charcoal needlecord, only half a metre but 60 inch wide; I thought a pleated skirt on a yoke with the yoke cut along the horizontal stripes would be rather nice, only £1.49 as well!

Then, the most lovely piece of fabric in the whole wide world to me - indigo blue linen!!  OK I may be alone in my happiness (my husband certainly can't understand the excitement of finding such fabric) but to me it's the ultimate prize. 

I washed them both as soon as I got home and they're still damp in these photos, so they probably don't look too inspiring to you.  My blue linen was only 2 metres long unfortunately (cheap at £2.49 though) so my biggest problem is what to make.  There's enough for dress, shirt, pinafore, skirt or trousers - but not all - I'll have to see what I can squeeze out of it.
Here's a close up with a better depiction of colour for our indulgence.  Garments will follow shortly I hope!

A Pale Blue Sewing Day.

 It was a very wet rainy day yesterday and I had the whole day uninterupted, so what better creative thing to do than to make a few more clothes from my favourite sewing book.  This is a raglan sleeve blouse which I made from a fine blue and white striped cotton.  The pattern suggested a small keyhole opening for the front fastening with a loop and button.  I rather fancied making a placket with half a dozen small buttons.

Then after lunch (only time for a coffee and a toasted tea cake) I chose my next pattern.  I decided to use the pinafore pattern and added the small sleeve and a couple of patch pockets.  It's one of those dresses that can be worn with layers underneath or just by itself.  I love the versatility of being able to wear them all year around.

The fabric I had was a mid blue cotton which is quite thick but also soft and snuggly.  I used some left over fabric from my daughter's climbing pants for the facing around the neck - it's a cotton lawn from Liberty.  I love the wrapover shoulder seams - they remind me of the vests I used to wear as a small girl.

Summer Shoulder Bags

I've just put these 3 lovely Shoulder Bags on my Etsy and Folksy websites to sell.  I made them from some canvas that I've been keeping for the Summer months.  I think that the bottom one is particularly jazzy and fun - just right for getting us in the mood for some lovely weather!

Purple Pompom Primulas

My Purple Pompom Primulas are blossoming now (try saying that quickly!)  There is also a rogue white pompom too - just the one.

The Sweet Peas and Nasturtiums have now ventured outside into their summer positions too.  I'm hoping that the pleasant weather we've been experiencing this week holds out, otherwise I'll be regretting my decision - I always find it difficult trying to decide when to plant out the tender young things that I've grown from seed - I feel sad for them if they get too cold during the night!

Pintuck Blouse

When I started doing Pinterest boards last year, one of my first Pins was of this beautiful spotty blouse with a few pintucks on the front.

 

Well, I've just found some spotty fabric of my own, albeit in brown, and I was so excited that I tried to re-create this object of desire.





It's turned out to be not quite the same shape - a bit fuller around the middle - but I'm still happy with it.  Why not take a look at my Pinterest boards (link on the right) there are some fantastic linen clothes from a company called Envelope - I'd love to find a good source of linen so that I could get a similar look, but we're a bit short of fabric shops for dressmaking around here, not good for a seamstress like me!

Busy Sewing Bee

After watching the final episode on BBC of The Great British Sewing Bee I was inspired to make myself some new garments as recently there have been a lot of bags, purses, cushion covers, curtains etc going through my sewing machine.

First up is a little shift dress made in Liberty Cotton Lawn that I found as an end of roll remnant a few months ago for only £2.00 - can you believe that price for such wonderful fabric?
The pattern that I used was from my favourite Japanese Pattern book.  I used the pinafore pattern (extending the shoulder seam out a bit) and then added the sleeves from the blouse pattern.  I put some waist darts in as well for a bit of extra shaping.

The sleeve pattern is gathered at the top and is supposed to be gathered into a little band at the bottom but I decided to do an inverted pleat there instead so that it didn't look too rounded.

Next I unpicked an extremely large dress that I had bought from a charity shop in the winter.  I loved the fabric - it is a soft brushed cotton - and there was yards of it in the skirt.   In fact I was able to make this long tunic with three quarter length sleeves and a skirt as well.  I'll wear the tunic over a grey long sleeve T shirt whilst it's still a bit chilly, and maybe a black cardi over the top to break up the pattern, although  I do love checks.

 

The patterns were from the same favourite book.  This time I used the body from the sleeveless top (again, extending the shoulder seam out  a bit) and added the sleeve from the dress pattern. There are no darts or shaping but it hangs nicely.
The skirt is the actual skirt pattern, but instead of a box pleat in the centre front I put in two - one at either side for a change.
I had no intention of wearing them together but when I put them on my dummy  - with the top tucked into the skirt I thought that they actually look OK as a dress - maybe a bit frumpy but we'll see.