LazyArchives

Spinning Plates !

Mon, 01 Jan 2018 00:00:00 +0000

Wow! Hi there! It’s been a while, is there anyone out there still reading?
Don’t you hate the culture of “busy”? I know I do, but you know what, I have been really flipping busy! I started a new job last April as a Textile Technician at my local sixth form college. Only two days a week, but add that to my work at Ministry of Craft and for Sew Now magazine, plus the volunteer work I do for LLLGB and my WI sewing group.…..hmmm you get the picture?

Shed Love

Thu, 01 Jun 2017 00:00:00 +0000

It is at this time of year, when I can fling open the doors to my shed that I probably love it most. In the winter I love it because it is cosy, but the summer gives it a whole different feeling. I think it’s about 3 years now since I took over the garden shed and made it mine. I’m so very glad I did too. Our house has 7 people in it and the shed is my quiet little sanctuary.

#MMMay17

Mon, 01 May 2017 00:00:00 +0000

So here we are again, another May of Me Mades’s. Head on over to Zoe’s blog to find out more. Honestly this year I’ve started out without a pledge or plan, just chucking on my me mades as usual, but today I think I have decided on my focus for this #mmmay17

Yes that is a giant pile of clean laundry on my sofa! #mmm17 day 3 and I have been feeling guilty for not giving myself an actual challenge this year. I wear me mades most days, but I have gained a lot of weight recently….gotta love the peri menopause and a knackered thyroid 🙄 Trying hard to focus on body positivity instead of diets which make me sad….anyway this all means that lots of my clothes just don’t fit well anymore, so this month I am weeding those out and starting afresh! Today I am wearing a #maudeskirt Which co incidentally I am talking about on my You Tube Channel; this week it is part 2, just search Lazy Seamstress on You Tube to find me 😊

Pinafore Obsession

Wed, 01 Mar 2017 00:00:00 +0000

I have been casually searching since sometime last year for the perfect pair of dungarees and the perfect pinafore. The dungarees are for another day, this week I have been concentrating on Pinafores!
I was planning to draft my own pinafore, something vaguely 70’s inspired and fitted at the waist, since that might suit my rather ample curves. Then I spotted the Freya dress pattern that came free with a copy of Simply Sewing, and it seemed to fit the brief well, yay! No need to draft my own pattern!
I firstly made it up in some faux suede. I made the largest size, but sadly was a bit snug, though wearable.

Time for an update!

Wed, 01 Mar 2017 00:00:00 +0000

I’ve been a little bit (unintentionally) quite on here recently. I do hate when blog posts start with an apology, but I’m going to apologise anyway, to myself if no one else!
Life around here has been very busy with work, so I can’t complain about that, at least I love my work!
I have still managed to fit in a few sewing projects for myself though, and if you follow me on Instagram you will have seen those, already.
There have been a couple of circle skirts :

A Good Foundation

Sun, 01 Jan 2017 00:00:00 +0000

I have a slight obsession with underpinnings! Just take a look at my lingerie board on Pinterest!

As a dressmaker, I know only too well that no matter how beautifully I sew a garment, if I wear it over unsupportive, unflattering, poorly fitting underwear it’s just not going to show that garment off at it’s best.

Vintage or reproduction vintage garments especially need appropriate underpinnings!

This is something I never tire of reminding my clients when I am teaching.

Happy New Year!

Sun, 01 Jan 2017 00:00:00 +0000

Yeah, I know it’s already 12th January! My children didn’t finish school and college until 23rd December, which means they only went back to school and college on Monday…is it really only four days ago? Why am I so tired?
Poor Eden had to go back to college on her birthday! She was less than impressed to say the least. I now have two adult children, since Eden turned 18 on Monday! It’s a strange feeling.
Christmas was quiet (well as quiet as it gets around here!), and I did a lot of cosying up on the sofa, a bit of crocheting, but not a lot of anything else, which felt good. In fact so good I’m finding it rather hard to get back into the normal routine. Grey January skies certainly don’t help.

Distinction

Tue, 01 Nov 2016 00:00:00 +0000

Two years ago I signed up to do a City and Guilds Level 3 in Fashion at a local sixth form college. I already had an A level in Needlework and Dress from my school days, and of course many years experience, but I had only ever taught myself pattern cutting, (thank you Winifred Aldrich!) and wanted to expand my knowledge in that area. So, every Wednesday night for two years I pootled off to college, and I thoroughly enjoyed it! I loved having that time to do something ‘just because’. I met some fabulous people, not least my lovely tutor Heather Lightfoot.

Catching up!

Sat, 01 Oct 2016 00:00:00 +0000

Wow! So it’s been a while! Summer was tough, house full of children and all their needs, plus freelance work that needed finishing and you know, life. I still have been sewing for myself, but in a rather haphazard way, with no plan, and well it all has been feeling a bit disjointed. I might be having a mid life style crisis! ( I might also be being overly dramatic!)

Cosy

Sat, 01 Oct 2016 00:00:00 +0000

This time of year calls for cosy , and cosy for me is anything that feels like pyjamas, but looks enough like clothes to wear during the day! This dress is soooo comfy, it really feels like a nightdress, can be layered with various jumpers and cardigans, worn over jeans or leggings, or tights.

I used my Nell pattern again, but probably could’ve gone down a size, it is a little big.

Vintage Pin Stripes

Sat, 01 Oct 2016 00:00:00 +0000

One day last week I decided I hated most of my clothes. I was sick of trying to fit my ever expanding waistline (sad face) into dresses and skirts that refused to co operate. So over half of my wardrobe went in a charity collection bag…well, more than one actually! I have only kept clothes that I really love, and my new sewing resolution is to sew things I really want to wear, and to satisfy my urge to sew random clothes I will sew with someone in mind and spread the joy.

No Waste!

Mon, 01 Aug 2016 00:00:00 +0000

My friend found this fabulous vintage housecoat a few months ago, and knowing how much I would love it, she sent it to me. Sadly it wouldn’t fit over my ample boobage and so hung on a hanger for a while, while I pondered what to do with it. I felt kinda guilty hacking into it, not something I usually worry about, but it was a gift…

40's Style Dungarees

Fri, 01 Jul 2016 00:00:00 +0000

I had a hankering for dungarees, much to the amusement of a couple of my friends! I’m 47, I’m curvy (overweight) and I’m short, with short legs! Undeterred by these facts I went ahead and made myself a pair anyway, albeit rather half heartedly. I was convinced I would make them up, hate them and then having satisfied my desire for something I would hate that would be that!

Procrastination or Therapy Sewing

Fri, 01 Jul 2016 00:00:00 +0000

I sew every day, I sew for work, I sew for myself, I sew for college and I sometimes sew for gifts. July is a busy month here, three birthday’s, end of school year…this year it’s even more hectic with Sid about to leave Primary school, so lots of events and visits and special days and parties and assemblies. Sid has ASD so all of this has to be handled carefully.
Florence’s birthday takes a lot out of me emotionally, grief even after 7 years is exhausting, it demands your full attention, and if you don’t give it you soon know…
Work is easy, I get my deadlines and my projects and I get on with it happily.
College is finished now, but my coursework needs handing in by the end of August…guess who is very behind with the course work? So, a normal person might spend their time catching up with that rather than starting three million other projects right? Seems I am not a normal person…this past week instead of course work, I have sewn a pair of dungarees, two teacher gifts, pyjama bottoms, a summer kimono robe, and this dress!
I can’t actually decide if it is procrastination or therapy sewing, maybe both?

Finally Nora is here!

Wed, 01 Jun 2016 00:00:00 +0000

Gosh I’ve been slow with this one! The Nora dress and her sisters Nell and Nancy made their debut on my blog last summer, and I kept meaning to release them as a pattern, but then kept putting it off, with one excuse after another, then Sam Sterken the editor of Sewing Made Simple magazine expressed an interest in Nora and asked me to let the magazine release her, which gave me the boot up the bum I needed to get things going again with this design.
I’m really pleased how the chambray version turned out, it looks great on the model. Nora is such an easy dress to wear. I have several of the first drafts that I wear in rotation over leggings or jeans at least once a week.
The pattern can be downloaded from the Love Sewing website here the instructions are in the magazine, which also comes with two free paper patterns.

Denim Maude

Sun, 01 May 2016 00:00:00 +0000

It’s been a while since I made myself a Maude Skirt. I do love this pattern so much; I can squeeze it out of a metre of fabric usually, it stitches together super quick, even with the pockets, and it’s a flattering easy style.
I had made one up recently for a future issue of Love Sewing Magazine (you’ll have to wait to see photos of that one.), and I was reminded how much I love making up this skirt, and also how I have wanted to make a denim one ever since the very talented Jayne had made a denim one when the pattern was still being tested.

Three Dresses.

Sun, 01 May 2016 00:00:00 +0000

I rarely buy sewing patterns these days, unless they are vintage finds. I prefer to draft my own designs. Last week though I aquired two new sewing patterns for me! I was smitten by Marilla Walker’s Bennett Dress as soon as I saw it, and knowing Marilla’s style, plus the need to stitch up something lovely in a hurry I thought I’d give it a go. I wasn’t dissapointed, in fact I was really pleased with the result, and wore the resulting dress twice in one week!
I used a lightweight poly cotton blend I’d bought in Abakhan.
As always Marilla’s pattern and instructions were faultless. I chose the printed pattern this time, and I love the cute hand printed envelope it came in . Trust me, packaging is hard to figure out when you are a small independant designer with an equally if not smaller budget for such things, and I’m quite envious that I didn’t think of doing something as cute with my paper patterns! (Which are still on pause…best not talk about that right now! )

My feet ache!

Fri, 01 Apr 2016 00:00:00 +0000

I’ve been working at Ministry of Craft today. I love my job teaching classes, even if I do go home with aching feet like I have today.
Ministry of Craft operates mainly out of the basement at Fred Aldous, right in the heart of Manchester’s lively Northern Quarter, offering classes in almost every craft you can imagine; embroidery, knitting, screen printing, paper cutting……it’s a very long list!
I teach most of the advanced beginner classes, focusing mainly on pattern cutting and fitting. Today was an Introduction to Bodice Fitting. A class I always enjoy, it’s intense and the students always work so hard…there is a lot to fit in to five hours, but we always manage.

Ponderings and a new frock.

Fri, 01 Apr 2016 00:00:00 +0000

So, I had a birthday, I’m now the grand old age of 47, and feel every second of it recently! Angus often jokes with me that I have outlived my biological usefulness now that I am no longer having babies or feeding them, lately I have felt, all too keenly the truth in that joke!
India turned 20 on Saturday, and spent her first birthday away from home. I can’t quite believe I am the mother of a 20 year old! She has grown into a lovely young woman, but she will always be my first baby.

Bodice Fitting

Tue, 01 Mar 2016 00:00:00 +0000

I’m still working on perfecting the fit of my new bodice block. I’ve been working on this dress on and off for a few weeks now, finally finishing it last week only to put it on and realise despite all my tinkering it still doesn’t quite fit right!
I re drafted the front into a princess seam, which I think works well on a larger bust, but kept the back bodice darted, which hasn’t worked well at all!
My upper back is rounded and wider than might be expected, while my rib cage is actually very narrow, so fitting my back is often more of a challenge than fitting my bust….the problem with learning about fit is the more you know, the more you find there is to learn….actually that’s how it is with sewing anyway, and why I love it so much!

Cats in Paris

Mon, 01 Feb 2016 00:00:00 +0000

One day last week while feeling rather sorry for myself I nipped in to the local furnishing fabric shop. They have a room full of remnants that I like to browse just in case they have anything interesting.
Before I even made it to the remnants however, I noticed the shop was now stocking some rather lovely printed canvas fabrics, including this Paris scene with little black cats. I couldn’t resist and buying just 3 metres cheered me up no end.

Dress Form

Mon, 01 Feb 2016 00:00:00 +0000

I’ve had my dress form for several years now, she was rather broken, picked up from Freecycle. Back then I taped her back together and replaced her stand with that of an old standard lamp, also picked up on Freecycle. My first attempt at making her my size was moderately successful, but after a while I pulled her back to her naked self, covered her with a tube of cream ribbing and just used her as a stand.
Like so many of us, I’ve seen various ways to DIY dress forms, on Pinterest and other blogs. I had been planning to make a calico toile and stuffing her, but yesterday after being up half the night thinking up various designs I’d like to try draping, I thought I’d give the Duck Tape version a try!

Dressmaking I haven't blogged.

Fri, 01 Jan 2016 00:00:00 +0000

I don’t always blog everything I make, but I do usually share most things on Instagram
With February almost here…how did that happen? I thought I’d just do a quick and dirty blog post of my January makes, the good, the bad and the downright disastrous!
Firstly the Doris Sweater above. I love this version so much. The fabric is a super soft loosley woven wool blend, and it is so cosy. I feel the cold even in this mild winter we are having, so any excuse to cosy up is most welcome.
It’s been a bit of a Doris’y month actually because I also ran up this quick Doris Dress from some vintage fabric I found in a charity shop while visiting my Mum who lives in Somerset.

First make of the year!

Fri, 01 Jan 2016 00:00:00 +0000

The children all went back to school and college today, India is still home from University, but she was out today and I made the very most of the peace, and most importantly lack of demands to be fed, (children do need feeding so often! ) and spent a very happy morning in my shed running up this Weekend Doris Dress with a twist…or two!

It is a basic Weekend Doris, made with a retro style wool blend. (I sized up to accomodate the woven fabric.) I added in seam pockets*, a wider neck band to form a 60’s style “cowl” neck, and hem band. The dress and sleeves are lined.
I’m really quite pleased with it, the lining has made it a substantial winter dress, so I’m ready for the coldest most miserable winter months of January and February, even if it is so mild at the moment that the daffodils are popping up at the park!

Little Luxuries

Fri, 01 Jan 2016 00:00:00 +0000

I love modern technology, browsing other blogs, joining in sewing forums, watching videos on line, but nothing quite beats curling up on the sofa with a cuppa and a magazine.
I’m really thrilled to now this month have my work in two great sewing magazines!
Firstly Love Sewing Magazine has a free supplement this month called Learn To Love Sewing, especially designed for beginners. There are fab tutorials in there, many by my fellow tutors at Ministry of Craft, and including my lovely Flossie’s Pinafore. I’m so happy with the photos and design of the pages, the pinafore looks lovely.

So here we are.

Fri, 01 Jan 2016 00:00:00 +0000

Happy New Year!

I only got one little piece of stitching done between Christmas and the New Year, and that was this grey Nora Dress for Eden. I’d cut it out back in September, she’d been waiting so long for it, she had forgotten all about it! I’ve another cut out at the same time for India that she can’t remember either!

I’m not one for making resolutions really, but maybe I should at least make one about making things up as soon as I cut them out…anyone else have a pile of garments cut out, but not yet sewn?

Man Bag

Tue, 01 Dec 2015 00:00:00 +0000

I rarely make gifts these days, I’m a very selfish seamstress, and lately with teaching most weekends at Ministry of Craft, plus working on various other freelance projects and putting together a collection for college, there is not much time to sew for myself at all.
Despite that though, I made an exception for India’s boyfriend, John. He is a stylish young man with very clear ideas about the kind of clothes he likes, (I realise my description of him makes me sound about 110 years old! ) as you can see from his blog.
He showed me a tote bag he liked and lost for ideas of what to buy him for his birthday a couple of weeks ago, I thought I would make him a bag very similar to the one he showed me.

Merry Christmas!

Tue, 01 Dec 2015 00:00:00 +0000

Christmas is very almost here, and I have had to face the reality that ~~most~~ all of my pre Christmas sewing plans are not going to happen. There is a not so little pile of cut out garments sitting out in my shed waiting for me. I’m a little sad at the thought, but on the other hand, I can look forward to going out there after Christmas festivities are over and taking my time instead of rushing to a deadline, that let’s be honest I have set myself.
Even my little christmas tree hasn’t made it out to the shed this year, instead it sits on a side table next to my spot on the sofa where I work on little hand sewing projects.

My Crystal Tips skirt

Sun, 01 Nov 2015 00:00:00 +0000

Tuesday was the day of my yearly mammogram so Woody had the day off to take me to the hospital. This year’s appointment was in the morning, so we went for lunch in Stockport’s Old Town afterwards, and did a little bit of vintage shopping at the same time.
Stockport is well known for it’s Vintage Village and over the past few years a few vintage shops have also sprung up around the market place.
I found this piece of vintage fabric in one of the shops for £5, probably a bit more than I’d usually pay in a charity shop, but still reasonable, and so bright and cheery I couldn’t really resist!
It is a home dec fabric, the kind I think we had bathroom curtains made from when I was young. Of course it’s intended purpose never bothers me, I knew I wanted a simple A line skirt in it. The Delphine skirt by Tilly Walnes is a fab A line pattern, a nice high waist and the kind of exagerated A line I love. I do think that this is my current favourite A line pattern, taken over from my own draft!
I’m calling it my Crystal Tips skirt because the bright colours remind me of a childhood cartoon Crystal Tips and Alistair.

Post Punk?

Sun, 01 Nov 2015 00:00:00 +0000

I spotted this gorgeous orange plaid/tartan* wool fabric in Abakhan quite some time ago, I stroked it and admired it, but at £10 a metre it was a teeny bit pricey for me, so I left green with envy at the lady buying several metres of it to make herself a coat.
Fast forward and on a recent shopping trip, I spotted the very last metre left on the roll and figured £10 was actually not at all too much to pay for enough fabric to make a skirt and I snapped it up.
I’d had an urge to make an asymetric wrap skirt for a while after spotting one in TKMaxx and several in Marks and Spencers.
I used my skirt block to draft the pattern. The back is one piece with waist darts and the front under wrap is one piece, while the overwrap is yoked. The skirt fastens at the right waist with a hidden button and at the front with an exposed open ended zip.
I cut the front wrap with the straight grain going vertically from the waist, but in retrospect that was a mistake, as the edge of the front wrap doesn’t hang as nicely as I’d hoped.
Still a great skirt though, and has a kind of “post punk” vibe with the exposed zip. I wore it with my pleather biker jacket and my vegan dm’s which I think works.
The offcuts of fabric made a cute beret too, but I’m not sure I can really get away with being so matchy matchy, so haven’t braved wearing the two together yet, despite encouragement from India.

A lovely War!

Thu, 01 Oct 2015 00:00:00 +0000

Last week I was a parent helper on Sid’s year 6 school trip to the air raid shelters in Stockport. I have been wanting to help out on this school trip for several years, but always had a small child or two at home to take care of. This year I didn’t and jumped with joy at the opportunity to help out. I do love local history, but mostly I just really wanted to dress up!

Can I spring clean in Autumn?

Thu, 01 Oct 2015 00:00:00 +0000

Very much feeling the need to clean up around my blog and my Etsy store, so having a little sale. All my PDF patterns have been reduced to £5.00 plus VAT where applicable, and the remaining tweedy brooches also reduced…they make a nice little Christmas gift.

So, if you’ve been meaning to buy either Weekend Doris or Maude as an instant download then now would be a very good time to do it. I’m thinking about no longer selling PDF’s, sticking to printed patterns only, would love to know what you think about that, let me know in the comments. What do you prefer? The instant gratification of a PDF pattern or a printed pattern popping through your letterbox?

Odd but lovely fabric find

Thu, 01 Oct 2015 00:00:00 +0000

I had this notion that now I’m childfree during school hours I would have so much time to complete all the projects I seem to constantly have on the go, but somehow that hasn’t happened! I’ve been working every weekend at Ministry of Craft , the only weekend I haven’t worked I was hosting the La Leche League Great Britian National Workshop along with my co leaders from LLL Manchester. Add to that general Mumming and it’s all been a bit hectic!
So no, Nora, Nell and Nancy my newest pattern is not yet available to buy, but soon, soon, I promise. I’m currently looking into alternative printing options for my paper patterns, but I’ll update here as soon as they are ready.
Of course, no time to sew for myself means I have to plan and planning means shopping…I think? My sewing friend and neighbour offered to let me tag along next time she went up to Burnley to Immanuels, and all I can say is WOW!!!
I may have won the competition to see who spent the most out of those of us who went. I only spent £38, but I got a huge amount of scrummy fabrics for that price. Including this odd, yet somehow divine quited yumminess!

Linen Nell

Tue, 01 Sep 2015 00:00:00 +0000

My recent trip to Anglesey meant a trip of course to Abakhan in Mostyn, North Wales, much to my children’s dismay…although Eden likes to shop with me and the others can be placated with treats from the cafe.
I bought a few lovely pieces there including this chocolate brown linen blend, which I knew had to be a Nell dress.
I’m still slowly working on the grading and sampling of all the sizes of my Nora, Nell and Nancy designs. I wish I were quicker, but I do all of my drafting and grading by hand with pencil, ruler, tape and scissors. Technical I am not, although one of these days I’m going to invest in a course to teach me how to draft and grade on the computer.

Ministry of Craft : my weekend

Tue, 01 Sep 2015 00:00:00 +0000

Wow, this weekend was a busy one! Saturday I was teaching the new “Clone Your Closet” class at Ministry of Craft ,
A busy fun day was had by all, and everyone went home with a clone of one special garment, we had trousers, dresses, vintage coats..

Cloning a much loved item in your wardrobe is so satisfying. The lovely lady in the photos above copied beautifully a fit and flare dress…and btw how fabulous is her Weekend Doris dress?

Nora, Nell and Nancy

Tue, 01 Sep 2015 00:00:00 +0000

Starting this post with a silly but happy photo of me. After my last post full of doom and gloom I decided this place needs a bit of silliness and some smiles. Summer is tough around here, and it’s hard not to let that affect everything. Thank you so much for all the lovely comments and messages of support after my last post, I appreciate every one, you are all wonderful!
This photo was taken last week in my mother in law’s garden in Anglesey North Wales. We stayed there for five days, and it really was a lovely break from routine. Eden and I had a lot of fun taking photos in the garden of one of my new designs.
Yes, despite my low mood I’ve still been working over the summer, planning classes (see my learn to sew page for more details on those.) and designing three new dresses.
Nora, Nell and Nancy are not only the names of two of my friend’s children that I have always loved, but the names of the three new dress patterns I plan to launch this month…..yeah I know I should probably keep quiet for now, have a big launch when they are ready, but come on, you should know me well enough by now to realise that’s not really my style.

A cure for the sads.

Sat, 01 Aug 2015 00:00:00 +0000

I don’t look too happy do I? I spent today making this plaid circle skirt to distract myself from the thought of a dentist appointment at the end of the day, and because yesterday I saw a deeply unflattering photo of myself, so the need for something pretty to cheer me up was very needed.

A simple mid length circle skirt with large patch pockets, high waistband and belt loops. Fabric from Abakhan, thanks to my lovely friend Mary who keeps an eye out for fabric she knows I’ll love. I already have a dress in this same fabric, in the yellow colourway, and I love that!

Another 40th Birthday means another new frock!

Sat, 01 Aug 2015 00:00:00 +0000

It seems a few of my friends are turning 40 this year, and of course any excuse for a new dress. I’m still refining this self drafted princess seamed bodice, and am now I think finally happy with it.
The fabric I’ve used for this dress was bought in three small remnants from a local soft furnishing fabric shop for 50p!!
I do love the challenge of making a whole dress out of a few pieces of fabric. These pieces were fun to work with because the right and wrong sides of the fabrics are equally beautiful. Not being able to decide which sides I liked best combined with such small pieces to work with meant that I used all sides in a kind of (hopefully) successful way!

When things don't go quite right.

Sat, 01 Aug 2015 00:00:00 +0000

I sew a lot, a heck of a lot and for lots of reasons;

I love clothes, I don’t often like clothes available on the high street and if I do I can’t afford them or they don’t fit.
I have a compulsion to create and make, sewing is my preferred method.
Sewing eases my heart and my soul. I can’t explain it, but something about the process brings peace.
It’s my job! I love designing patterns, and I love teaching at Ministry of Craft or one to one classes in my home.

Although I sew lots, not everything works out. I rarely am 100% satisfied with anything I make, I am always striving for a better finish, but sometimes things just really don’t work, like this skirt.
The beautiful fabric was picked for me by my ~~fabric dealer~~ friend, Mary. She knows my taste so well and often picks things she knows I’ll love.

A mouse took a stroll....