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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.

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 :

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.

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!

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.

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!