Wednesday 22 April 2015

In the past few weeks I have been spending a bit more time with my sewing machine again. I had forgotten quite how much I like sewing. Knitting and crochet are a bit more portable and it's something I often do when we're out and about - if we stop for a coffee in town, the kids will go off and have a look at shops they like, leaving me behind with my cappuccino and my knitting. They're also hobbies you can pick up for just a few minutes here or there, but sewing is something you have to make more time for.

I'd had a denim dress cut out for ages, but as it consisted of 20 pattern pieces, I was a bit reluctant to start. Once I got going though, it went together very quickly, and when you can see it coming together and looking how you imagined it, you just can't stop!

I'd finished the dress the day before we went to London and insisted on wearing it, but it was really a bit too cold. It is very light fabric which gives it a nice drape, but although we have had lovely Spring weather, there is still quite a cold breeze too when you'd rather be wearing jeans and a fleece top! I'm hoping to get a lot of wear out of it this summer.

I spotted the red buttons when I was in the fabric shop for some more thread. I tend to wear a lot of blue as it is by far my favourite colour, and I had planned on getting blue buttons to go with it. Red buttons never crossed my mind, but these little flowery ones were so cheerful and actually went really well with it, that I couldn't resist. And then it was only a small step to red shoes... (ha - see what I did there?)

It's a bit of a step out of my comfort zone of jeans and tshirt but I love the dress, it was so much fun to make. The biggest compliment was being told by a friend that she hadn't realised I'd made it.

Talking of making things, this is happening in my conservatory:

16yo and I started a collection of cacti about a year ago, that is now taking over the table (we probably have about 25 of them). In my kindness I managed to kill one, after which I was under strict instructions by 16yo not to water them so often... They obviously like the regime of neglect and sunshine and heat, because this little one is flowering its heart out. And there is another one with buds that are just about to open. It's a different type of cactus and the buds are really unusual, and I can't wait to see what the flowers will be like.

We're in full-blown GCSE revision mode here, with regular Fashion&Textile crises, notes spread all over the house and Post-Its stuck to doors... Another three weeks until the first proper exam!

Sunday 10 August 2014

When the kids were younger, I used to sew a lot for them. I even did a pattern drafting course while I was at university, and used to draft my own patterns because they were both tall and skinny.

But the day inevitably came when they weren't that keen on hand-sewn things anymore. It actually coincided with the time I was knitting and crocheting more and I didn't really miss sewing for them all that much.

I've kept some of the more treasured clothes, but the rest went to charity shops and the women's refuge, and I thought my days of sewing for them were over until maybe one day I become a grandmother. But then I sewed my skirt a couple of weeks ago, and when I'd half finished it and showed it to 15yo, she loved it straightaway and immediately asked if I could make her one.

Feeling very flattered, of course, I let her choose some fabrics at Crafty Baba and let her choose a pattern for a top - figuring if it was all her own choice, she'd be more likely to like it and wear it.

It was an easy pattern but good fun to make and a good one to get my confidence back. It's supposed to be worn over a skirt or pair of trousers and she's wearing it tucked in, which means it looks a bit rucked up, but it fits her pretty well - with hindsight, it probably could have been a size smaller but she's still a very small grown-up size.

I really enjoyed making it, she wore it all day yesterday and says she likes it. I just hope she isn't saying that in order not to hurt my feelings, but the proof will be in how often she wears it in the future! In the meantime, I've already cut out a skirt for her. My sewing enthusiasm is definitely back!

Thursday 20 June

I wanted to do my WIP Wednesday yesterday but had used up my computer time - well, I've got to set the right example to the kids don't I! And tonight's not much different, so only a short post.

Colours aren't very good as I took the picture last night as the light was fading (even though the days are very very long at the moment - love it!). The pink is really bright pink and the lilac is more lilac, but you get the idea of the ruffles. I still want to add a few more but to be honest I'm getting really bored with it. One ruffle row takes a couple of hours at the very least, and as it is something I'll probably only wear once, I don't want to spend so much time on it. It's turning out more frilly than I had imagined but I'm quite pleased with that.

Again the colours aren't perfect, the shirt isn't orange but pink! It's a lovely pink seersucker which I've had for a long time. I've been trying to get back into sewing and when I do, I really enjoy it. I used to sew a lot for the children, but I seem to have lost my confidence a bit. Every time I get to a new step, I procrastinate over it. All that's left of this shirt is the band around the edge of the right sleeve, the hem and the buttonholes plus buttons, but the buttonholes are scaring me. I've never been that good at them, they always have that homemade look. Plus I haven't got any buttons for it at the moment. I should finish it off though, we finally had some warmer weather in the UK this past week and I could have worn this. If I wasn't so scared of buttonholes that is!