Me Made May '14 - Week Three

Getting a bit behind on the blogging, but I did manage to take pictures at the time...

Named Patterns Dakota dress

I'm still not convinced about this one, although it is comfy to wear as its jersey.  I think it's because I was so puzzled about the shawl collar and I'm still not convinced I did it right.  For some inexplicable reason, as well as adding my usual inch to the bodice length I also lengthened the sleeves and now they're seriously too long. Other than that, I love the skirt shape.  You can't really see it in this photo, but it dips down at the front/back and up at the sides.  At some point I'll make a skirt from the pattern, one day.

Simplicity 2451 skirt

Again.... this week it's not raining and you can see the shaped waistband and pleats.  No idea why I'm looking down again.

Tilly's Miette skirt

New make, just finished! I bought this fabric last year in Goldhawk Road and wasn't really sure what I'd use it for, but it's perfect as a summer wrap around skirt! This counts twice for this week, it's so happy I had to! More details in a later post (if I get around to it).... Oh and I forgot to say, I actually really like this length, and this photo - I don't know how but my legs look skinny!

Grainline Moss skirt

Another new make - cheap grey chord and kick ass turquoise top-stitching. I managed to completely muck up the fitting though and had to take in loads of the back seam. Ho hum. I might post more details on this later...

Me Made May '14 - Week Two

OK, now we're into week two and it was a bit more challenging this week as I was down at my parents for a few days (hence the not great photos).  I've also realised now that I haven't actually blogged any of these makes so I might add a few more words to this post rather than create other posts....

Sewaholic Renfrew top
I love this top and I wear it loads, in fact we did a  last minute week in Majorca last autumn and I basically wore it all week.  This is the cowl neck version with 3/4 length sleeves, and I have another version in white (bad choice of colour) that has full length sleeves but a short bodice.  I wore this version a couple of times during the week.

Tilly's Mathilde blouse

I love how sophisticated this top looks (sorry, naff picture).  It's from a lightweight ivory fabric - I guess poly cotton mix as it washes well but it was a nightmare to sew as it kept moving around.  It does have red buttons down the back though. Which rock!

Deer & Doe Datura blouse

I had scraps of both of these fabrics left over from other projects and just about managed to scrape enough to make the top although the facing yoke pieces are from the patterned cotton rather than the plain linen (as it is in the instructions).  I also complete mucked up attaching the bias binding around the neck and ended up with too much fabric between the cutout points so I folded and hand tacked the excess.  I made the bias tape too narrow as well (as there wasn't much linen left) so didn't want to undo the stitching and reattach it.  As a wearable muslin I'm really happy with it, but as well as doing the neckline properly, next time I will drop the darts, reshape the armholes and take in some of the width on the hem line.

Simplicity 2451 skirt

Sorry, it was pouring with rain! This is my first ever fitted skirt, the fit isn't great but it's comfortable and I wear it loads.  I've got second one with better fit which will be along later in MMM!!

Me Made May '14 - Week One

Wiksten Tova top  - my first ever make, the fit isn't perfect (bit tight on the arms) and the finish isn't up to my usual standard (no french seams) but not bad for a first attempt.

Kwik Sew 3764 jacket - my latest make.  I am ridiculously proud.

Friday I'm in Love

This is Hazel's fault.  She posted up her beautiful version of the Kwik Sew 3674 jacket and I was instantly smitten.

I had many plans in quick succession and finally decided on some Navy wool mix from eBay and pink polka dot cotton poplin for the lining from Minerva Crafts (next plan involves Harris tweed, next winter).

Topstitching rocks.....

I was determined not to rush to finish this, take my time, not cut corners and if it's wrong or I'm not happy with the finish, to unpick it and go again.

To that end, I overlocked the edges of all the wool front and back pieces before starting the construction (it's all in the prep- but the delay was killing me!)

I topstitched (2.6mm stitch length mostly, 2.8mm on the waistband), with topstitch thread on needle and normal thread on bobbin.  I'm not sure if that's right, but you don't get much topstitch thread on a reel and I wanted to make it last!  My machine managed with this as long as I took it slowly, especially where I was sewing through +4 layers of wool. I used my Janome red needles which I usually use for quilting and have a bit more strength than the blue ones.  I did have a few breakages - needles and heavy metal zips don't interface too well!! My machine was sounding quite unhappy about that one....

The pattern doesn't include a lining, although there is interfacing on the front crossed over lapel panels and a back yoke. I made the lining for the jacket by basically just making another jacket out of lining material apart from the front lapel pieces, used the wool for these. Also yoke piece was attached to the back lining by just laying it over the top and sewing around the neck line.

Who wouldn't be happy with pink spotty sleeve gusset?

I attached the outer and lining by sewing all the way around the lapels and neck as per the instructions.  When it came to the bottom, I basted the two together and then attached the waistband as instructed.  For the sleeves I attached the facing and gusset to the zip/outer, then for the lining I cut another facing, made the opening 1/4'' bigger and turned them 1/2'' shorter then ironed it and hand sewed all the way round.

Sunshine, dark wool, pale lining, photographer malfunction

Snaps were surprisingly easy to go in... the epaulette ones are fully functional.  And you'll notice they are the correct way around, sewn in at the shoulder with the snap at the collar - unlike the instructions...

I started sewing up the bottom and waist band and then changed my mind about the inside lapel.  Originally I was just going to put in a button and buttonhole to hold the lapel in place when I do the jacket up, but then decided I'll probably end up wearing it with the jacket half open and the lapels folded out most of the time so it would look much better with a snap on the left lapel.  And I didn't want the back of the snap showing on the outside of the right lapel so this had to be only attached to the lining/facing (hence the unpicking, contorted snap hammering, and the sewing back up of the waistband!)

I love this jacket.  I'm going to wear it all the time!!!

My reasons for sewing are pretty much as a creative hobby (which is why most of my quilts are given away), and the fact that I have something to show for it at the end is a bonus, along with the fact that (when I have more idea about what I'm doing) they might actually fit better.  But a couple of people have asked me how long it took to make my jacket and I have no idea, as it tends to be a half hour here and there, so I'm going to try to start making a note.

And for interest the total cost for this jacket was about £50 which includes the pattern, wool, lining, thread (inc posh top stitching thread!), three metal zips, and a big pack of snaps and the fitting tools (so I now need to make more clothes with snaps....). 

The Battenburg Quilt

I bought a fat quarter pack of 8 fabrics from Cotton Patch of the Dan Bennett Cosmos Daydream range ages ago when they were first advertised and the plan was to make a quilt for the snug.  I also got some plain cotton sheeting in a purple/pinky colour from Abakhan to go with it.

I didn't really decide on a design at first but I had some ideas about a trellis type pattern (squares on point).  Then I saw some pictures of a disappearing 4 patch  - this one in-fact, and fell in love with the design so had to start straight away!

From each FQ cut 3 strips 5'' by 22'' then cut these into 4 5''x5'' squares so you end up with 12 squares from each FQ. Also cut 3 strips 1.5'' by 22 - you might only get 2 strips depending on how well the FQ has been cut, these will be used for border.

Cut the same number of 5'x5' squares from the plain fabric, then join each patterned square to a plain one, and join two of these pairs to make a square.

Then to make the disappearing 4 patch, cut an inch either side of the centre seam in both the horizontal directions, then rotate each of the middle strips so you end up with something looking like this:

Then join everything back together!

And you end up with a stack of 48 disappearing 4 patch squares...

These I joined into 8 rows of 6 patches. Then I cut 1.5'' strips from the plain fabric for the first border.  The strips I cut from the patterned fabric were joined together and used to create the second border. I had just about enough fabric to make these 2.5'' wide and be long enough to get around the entire quilt.  I would have liked a wider outer border but there wasn't enough fabric - I used up every last scrap of the FQ's, so much so that if you look closely you might see a tiny bit of selvedge!!

Once I'd finished the top, I got distracted with making other things (clothes, and quilts as presents), and this sat languishing in the drawer for nearly a year.  But this spring, I decided to clear out some of the backlog of planned projects and WIPs so this top came out and was pinned and quilted.

I've gone with free motion quilting on the 4 patch centre as I need the practise!  My speed of movement/speed of needle still isn't perfect so the thread tension is a bit off on the back but I'm definitely getting better.  For the borders I quilted the ditches and 0.5'' from the seams, then bound the quilt with more plain fabric.

The backing fabric came from the fabric bins at Abakhan (the teal block-work one is left over from the unfinished/unblogged Wintersmith quilt, I really need to crack on with that one!)

This one is mine.

Linking up to Sew Cute Tuesday at Blossom Heart Quilts

Promise

Sometimes you have to spend all your time in the garden... Spring is here and there's so much to see and do.

I'm building up my fern collection for the damp shade under the willow trees and I just love the way that the fronds are unfurling at the moment.

My hellebores for the same area of the garden are growing nicely in their pots - they started off as (cheaper) tiny seedlings but are now big enough to produce flowers, and the colours are lovely.

I've spent my time tidying everywhere, the polytunnel is now looking acceptable (point of note:- if you leave your turnips in the tunnel they bolt and reach the roof with bright yellow flowers!) and I even have one surviving pea plant at the end. I planted four for overwintering (last August) but I was too keen and there was too much growth last year and they just rotted (a common problem in the tunnel).  However there are pea pods on my survivor so fingers-crossed!!

My seedlings (16th April planting) were grown enough for potting on and moving from the window ledge to the tunnel. Here we have a couple of different tomato varieties, the one germinating cucumber, peas and mangetout. Oh and if anyone wants foxgloves, shout! I have loads planted from seeds collected last year (a lovely variety called Pam's Choice - creamy white with pink throat).  And there's the one surviving pepper plant from last year - I don't have much success with them either, hot and damp tunnel issue again....

While I've been tidying and potting, Mal and his Dad have been busy designing and constructing new veg beds.  The long term plan is to move all of the veg growing to the area next to the tunnel, and last year he built a couple of beds.  But we decided because of our heavy clay solid and poor drainage, we needed something a bit more substantial.

More pictures to follow - these are yesterday, and two beds were completed today I just didn't get around to pictures. I have to say they are mightily impressive!

I am Number One

Last Sunday I did my first Tri of the year - hopefully there will be more to follow! I did the same one for the first time last year and enjoyed it even with a hideous chest infection. But then the rest of the year was a write off with various other cold/coughs (all attributed to evil work air-con).  I'm really hoping that I can keep the exercise levels up (training is to strong a word for it!) and actually improve on my times rather than just getting round. 

Saying that I did actually finish 2 minutes faster this year! The 400m pool swim was endured (having only been swimming a couple of times this year!) - but I wasn't first out in my wave (the first wave as well hence I was #1!!) so didn't have that couple of second leading the race like last year! I was quickly over taken by other Club racers but I did manage to catch up with the girl who'd beaten me out of the pool. That's the trouble with being in the first wave - there's no one to chase down and overtake...

The outward leg of the bike phase is ever so slightly uphill - so it's not obvious you're gaining height, it just feels like you're knackered!! Returning felt so easy just spinning along - I probably should have been working harder!

Out of transition for the is straight up hill so you feel knackered and wibbly legged but after 5 minutes or so I started to get back into running rhythm. I was feeling surprisingly good on the run phase, even with the lack of training. The chest infection must have taken it out if me last year. 

Finishing the race I did feel I should have pushed myself further, especially as I realised afterwards that I was only a few second behind one of the Club gents, so might heve been able to catch him if I'd upped my run pace a bit.

Oh well there's always next year (and Deva Diva in the summer, and Newbury in autumn)....

Me Made May!!

I've been planning for this since I started sewing and heard about it on the Blogosphere last year, and now it's finally here.

If you haven't heard already, it's all about pledging to wear your own clothes throughout May as much or as little as you want with no pressure of panic sewing beforehand.

More about it on Zoe's blog here.

And this is my pledge:

I've gone with five days a week as at the weekends (in May) I'm usually pottering around in the garden wearing scruffs.  I'm hoping that this will highlight the things that are missing from my handmade wardrobe and help me plan what to sew for the rest of the year (rather than succumb to the latest Blog fad!!)

Fan girl

Looks like I'm turning into a bit of Deer and Doe fan girl - first there was the Belladone, then the Chardon, and now we have the Sureau.....

I had this grey/blue linen sat around for a few months - I think it came from Abakhan and the plan was always to make this dress and jazz it up with some piping.

Is it a bird? Is it a plane?

I cut a 38 bust and graded it to 40 a the waist and added an inch to the length of the bodice and the fit is not bad (I'm getting better).  It might be a 1/4 inch too long in the bodice now, but meh who's going to notice?!

Oh look, a zip

I didn't do anything fancy with the side zip, just followed the instructions.  They're really easy, the instructions that is, and the dress came together without any head scratching, procrastinating, or the seam ripper.

I *love* the contrast piping, and the wooden heart buttons (found on eBay). I'm so impressed with the finish as well (pats self on back). I tried to not cut corners or rush and it really shows.

And I was even a little OTT on the finish on the inside - every seam is bound.... Well it's linen, it's going to fray like billy'o (although it was fine when I was sewing). 

Possibly a bit too much?

All in all, I love this dress!!! Yay!!!!

Slow, slow, quick...

Now usually it takes me ages to finish a quilt, and it sits there for weeks between stages (evidence the half finished Butterfly quilt top, the finished Battenburg quilt top, and the half quilted Wintersmith quilt).  However, the first grandson of my lovely friend and colleague Laura arrived 10 weeks early and I decided that he'd need a quilt to keep him warm!

As I said in this post, this was made from a charm pack of Kate Spain's Daydreams collection for Moda (I'm a little bit of a Kate Spain fan...), and 5 FQs of solid pastel colours - ideal for a baby quilt I thought.

Given I started with the charm pack I decided to keep it simple (and quick), just cutting the FQs into 5'' squares, and then joining everything together to make the quilt 10 squares in both directions.  I didn't think about the placement at all, just divided everything into ten piles then joined everything in each pile to make the rows.

The backing and binding fabrics came from the craft cotton bins at Abakhan. I love the marble blue sparkly one - might have to go back and see if they have any more! For some reason I was being a complete spanner and it took me a few tries to join enough fabric together for the back (rushing, not thinking).

As the design was so simple, the quilting stayed simple as well, just joining the corners of the squares to divide them on the diagonal.  I didn't mark or draw anything at all, doing it all by eye.