So much to do so little time…

As I said before my life has gotten a whole lot busier lately, sewing has really taken a backseat but I did manage to finish one thing.  Way back in June I bought my self a Jelly Roll to make myself a full sized quilt.

Well eventually I decided to try the Stacked Coins Quilt from Moda but had to increase the size as it was for a cot quilt.  Well after lots and lots of calculations and research and head scratching I eventually worked out how much fabric I needed to complete the project so I ordered backing fabric Moda Bella Solid Sisters Pink, some binding from the Sophie collection Leafy Swirl Pink, some white Moda Bella and full sized poly wadding.

I’d already come to the conclusion that I wanted to hand quilt it as I’ve come to quite enjoy hand sewing (never thought I would say that!!) and we were going on holiday and I wanted a project to keep me occupied if we had rainy days (2012=bad summer!) so I set about piecing it together during the Olympics! 

With some trepidation I unrolled the Jelly Roll

and then started cutting and arranging into groups.  I didn’t have a set idea about how the colour/fabrics should be arranged so its purely random, I tried not to have too many of the same design/colours together within a strip. 

Once I’d started it was clear that I wasn’t going to get it done in time for the holiday so it went away again from a while.  Once I got it back out I realised I’d miscalculated the backing fabric and had to order more.  Now I was ready, so one Saturday whilst watching Strictly I laid out the backing, wadding and quilt top and with the aid of funny safety pins I put it all together. 

Then came the fun part, I sat there night after night, sewing it together.  I wanted to hand quilt because I thought the quilt needed either free-motion quilting in the white areas or stitch-in-the-ditch quilting.  Now, there's now way I was going to be able to do free –motion quilting on this quilt (I don’t have a walking foot, the expertise or the patience to gain the expertise) and I didn’t think my seam lines were straight enough or my sewing accurate enough to stitch-in-the-ditch by machine.  So I decided to stitch-in-the-ditch by hand this way I could control where the stitches are.  So I used pink quilting thread and the worlds tiniest needles to quilt the layers together and I have to say it was lovely.  I really enjoyed the excuse to snuggle under the quilt on the evening watching TV but still creating something.  It kept my hands busy instead of looking for something to eat!  I enjoyed the rhythm of the process, rocking the needle back and for, although I’m not convinced I had the correct technique, but it took me most of October to quilt it and then the binding just took a couple of days.  And where they big reveal you might ask….

extra points if you spot Miss C sneaking into shot!

sorry the pictures are a bit dull, they were taken at night although I’ve tried brightening then in Paint.net.  Here are some daylight shots…

backing showing the stitches coming through, don’t think I was very consistent in my stitch sized, in fact I preferred the look of larger stitches,

lovely colour and I love the contrast with white, I’m always drawn to the Modern Quilts which although I’m not exactly sure what the definition of Modern Quilt is they seem to have high contrast colours. 

binding shot I cut the binding 2.5” wide and sewed with a 1/4” seam allowance. In future I think I would cut 2 1/4” binding as I think its a little too wide, not enough to make me change it but a lesson for next time. 

isn’t ladder stitch great!

mitred corner – back

mitred corner – front

lovely colours in the sunshine!

Action shot!  Its already been used and loved, I’ve fallen asleep on the settee under it a few times and Miss C and Miss M argue over it (luckily its big enough for all of us, that's why I made it this size) and Miss C spent all day Saturday under it as she was ill.  So an all round success!

So there's my first proper quilt, I really enjoyed the whole process especially as it was so slow but I could leave it for days and come back to it and just pick it up straight away.  Very different to dressmaking which I find I can’t leave for days otherwise I forget where I was.   When I finished my husband immediately said ‘What's yours next project?” oh how well he knows me, the trouble is I’m just so busy at the moment with college and work and kids and birthdays and Christmas although I’m half way through making a Tudor dress for Miss M’s school topic!  Watch this space!

Advice needed

I've been having a bit of a bad run with dressmaking lately, allsorts of problems but mainly around fitting.  I am pear shaped with rounded shoulders and a High Rounded Back (Don’t want to use the Dowager Hump description!!) so I always seem to have to modify patterns a lot and I don’t feel I’m doing it properly and every pattern seems a uphill battle.  Of course Sewaholic patterns aren’t so bad as Tasia is designing for me…

…but the Big 4 are giving me problems and I get very disheartened.  So I came to a conclusion yesterday that I need to find the ultimate solutions to all my problems, specifically the HRB/DH.  I’ve found lots of resources with lots of possible solutions to the problem, ranging from shoulder darts, to a kinda FBA on the back to moving shoulder seams to easing the fullness into the seams.  My first thought was that I would get a pattern that doesn’t work for me and try each method out and see what works the best.  Once I have the best solution I could apply that to any new pattern.  Then I got to thinking, how about I drafted my own bodice pattern?  Surely that would immediately cater for my lumps and bumps as I would have measured around them and dealt with them.  Once I had that bodice pattern I wouldn’t need to buy Big 4 patterns as most of my patterns are the same, Fit N’ Flare dresses so in theory I could use my ultimate bodice pattern, adapt the neckline (scoop, boat-neck, jewel, sweetheart, peter pan), add sleeves (cap, short, 3/4 length, full) and a skirt, (circle, a-line, full gathered etc.). 

I’m fairly conventional in my likes and dislikes and I seem to keep buying similar patterns and I don’t mind wearing the same dress pattern over and over again IF it works for me so why not spend my time building and reusing a block/sloper?  Although I don’t have a huge amount of experience in drafting there are loads of resources out there I could use. 

So what do you think, neither solution is quick n easy, they both require time, commitment and measurements but I can’t decide which to do

1. Find my optimum adjustments and apply them to commercial patterns as I need to?
2. Draft my ultimate bodice and use that to design  my own dresses/tops

I think I’m veering towards option 2 as that's always been my long-term goal but I’m just not sure if its something I could accomplish?  What do you think, 1 or 2?

Flowery work top

Honestly I have been making stuff!  So a month ago I said I got some fabric intending to make Simplicity 2599… well I did!

My family say I look like a teacher in this top so I must have done it right!
I made view E without the side bow.  I liked this pattern its very simple and versatile.  I cut out size 16 and the only adjustment I made was to take the waist in a little after construction, it needs a bit more taken in but its ok at the moment.  I need definition on my waist as it so much smaller than my hips and bust that things just hang off me like a sack and I look pregnant!  I omitted the fastening at the back and just sewed up the back seam, I didn't;’t even have to take the shoulders in which I usually have to do.  I wouldn't make view E again, the fabric is a bit flimsy and floppy so the ruffle hangs down in a little weird way but its ok. I would probably make view D next and give the waist more shaping. 
I had bought 2 different knits with the intention on making a Renfrew or two but then Tasia said she was going to do more detailed posts about the Renfrew pattern so I decided to hold fire on the white with black stripe knit.  I decided to use the coloured stripe to make a dress - New Look 6802.

I’m still working on this at the moment and I’ve made quite a few fitting adjustments so once its finished I can post the details of that. 

p.s. I really like this Skater Skirt from Boden

source

Does anyone know a good pattern or method for this?  It a wool A-line skirt that when you look at the close-up you can see its pieced together to give the drape.  I'm not experienced enough to work out whats going on... help!

Ditch the plan, get a new plan…

You might have been forgiven in thinking I’d dropped off the face of the world but I have seriously lost my sew-jo this summer.  I set myself a challenge at the beginning of the year to sew a dress a month (I know this is nothing compared to some other sewers but a lot for me) well that was an Epic Fail!  I’ve ground to a halt, the dresses I’ve made I like and have been wearing all summer but having a commitment made it too much of a chore.  Over the summer I started a quilt for myself and I really enjoyed the fact of having no deadline, no commitment (other than winter!) and no pressure!  I haven’t finished it yet (need to get some more fabric) but I don’t care!  I will finish it but I don’t feel obliged to finish it by any particular date.  I’ve also been on holiday and the change of routine of the school holidays has really put a dent in my enthusiasm. 

So now we’re in September and the kids are back to school and this year things are different, I’m back to school as well!  For the last half term before Summer I was working as as dinner lady at Miss M’s Middle School and I’ve returned to that, on top of that I’ve taken a job at Miss C’s First School as a Casual Teaching Assistant.  I’ve been volunteering at her school for a number of years since my kids started going there and came to the conclusion that it was the kind of job I could enjoy doing.  I don’t have any formal qualification in this area so I’m also starting a  course next week to get a qualification in Supporting Teaching and Learning in Schools!  The Teaching Assistant role is covering sickness and absence for the Teaching Assistants at the school and I’ll be part of a team so I’m not sure how much I’ll get called on,  so I’ve come to an arrangement with the Middle School that if I get called into be a TA I don’t have to be a Dinner Lady that day as well!  Does that make sense? We’ll have to see how it goes…

So this is my first job after 5 years out of work and I suddenly realised that I don’t have any suitable clothes!  I need practical clothes that are smart but friendly given I’m dealing with children aged up to 8.  So I got some black trousers (that workplace standard) and a couple of blouses, I’ve also got some fabric to make my own!

Simplicity 2599

I’ve had this pattern for well over a year after seeing so many great tops made all over the blogosphere.  As I’ve been concentrating on dresses I’ve just never got the pattern out of the packet.  It looks like it can be a good basic top with plenty of options.   The fabric is a viscose with small flowers, my husband said ‘That looks like you work in a school!’ so I guess its the right fabric!

Sewaholic Renfrew

Again I’ve had this pattern since it was released but never got it out of the packet.  I’ve never found a jersey I liked as my local fabric store doesn’t have a great range of jerseys so today I went to Fabricland in Brighton where they have loads of jerseys.  I have photos of all my patterns stored on my phone so I can check the details when I’m in a shop to find out how much I need, I did that today and looked at the back for the largest size and saw 3, so I asked for 3 metres of each jersey.  What I didn’t appreciate is the width of the fabric, so I actually have loads of jersey!  We might end up being a family with matching t-shirts soon! 

 

So these are my plans, not too taxing, no deadline, but with a reason to make them rather than a nice to have.  How do you get your sew-jo back when its wandered off?  Change of plans, ditch the plans, or keep plugging on regardless?

Olympic Rings by Miss M Music by Muse

For the last two weeks of school Miss M's school like many across the UK, is having an Olympic Theme.  She was tasked with making a representation of the Olympic Rings in any medium she wanted, lots of kids made cakes & cookies, there were models and paintings but Miss M couldn't decide what she wanted to do.  I remembered a great set of films that Ashley at Lil Blue Boo had done recently and suggested she did something like that, she loved it and this is what she made!

The music is the official Olympic theme by Muse and it was filmed by propping up the laptop so the webcam was pointing down to the table.  The webcam has an interval timer on it so we set that to 1 shot per second, this gave us a film of 26 minutes after all the colouring and sticking.  We used Movie Maker and added in the music and played around with the playback speed until it matched the length of the song.  I think its great and the kids and her teacher loved it, I especially like the way the glitter moves around and I think the song really makes it special!  

New fabric shops!

I had to take Miss M to Lewes on Saturday as she had been invited to an Enrichment course at Lewes Castle, although we live very close to Lewes I’d never really had call to visit there before.  My only knowledge of Lewes was concerning the bonfires which I went to years ago and had to be taken home as quivering wreck as it was all too much for me!

(source)

It wasn’t worth leaving and coming back for her so I did what any good sewer does and Googled fabric shops!  I was very happy to find there were a few!  So once Miss M was dispatched to Lewes Castle, off I went using my phone for sat nav.  Lewes is a charming town with lots of olde worlde charm.

The Fifteenth Century Book shop!

This is where Thomas Paine lived before leaving for America to become a Founding Father.

Would you put this as Regency or Georgian?

A very cute door that Miss M fell in love with!

Lots of Twittens

Anyway onto the fabric shopping, first up was The Patchwork Dog & Basket which can be found at The Needlemakers, a brilliant collection of vintage shops, craft shops and cafe. 

 

curtain material and vintage clothing

Medical Supplies

Vintage patterns and fabric

High End Retro Clothing

When I dragged myself away from all the other lovelies I found The Patchwork Dog…..

ribbons and ric rac and felt and beads…

…fabric and fabric and more fabric…

…books and patterns and thread…

…buttons and buttons and buttons…

…and more fabric if there wasn’t enough!

I spent ages browsing and chatting to the lovely assistant.  I’ve been wanting to make my first proper quilt for ages since making my Christmas Tree Quilt but I’ve had real trouble making a decision.  I wanted to get a Jelly Roll and go from there as I wasn’t confident about picking fabrics that work together but then there's so much choice in Jelly Rolls!  I finally plumped for pretty and vibrant Sophie…

I’m still umming and aahing about what to do with it, at the moment I’ve veering towards a stacked coin quilt but nothing definite yet.   I’m going on holiday to France for 2 weeks in August and I’m think maybe I could take it there to finish the binding as that takes ages.  But then again it might not happen for ages yet! 

I also bought some buttons for a specific project I’ll get round to making soon….

Another fabric shop in Lewes was The Stitchery which is located in the Riverside which is a lovely little shopping arcade with a great style and mixture of shops. 

variety of fabrics

even more ribbons

drawers of trims and motifs

lots of poly cotton

habby, who doesn’t need habby!

right opposite the brewery!

There was even a tiny little fabric shop selling more upholstery type fabrics

and a workshop making clothing from ethically sourced cotton

where the staff are making the clothing right in the shop!

All in all my day out in Lewes was great, its a very arty town with lots of pretty things to see and shops to visit.  I imagine it costs a lot to live there but I’ll look forward to visiting again some day soon….

 

P.S.

I know I owe you a dress for June, I’m working on it but making slow progress I might even skip a dress for July, its my challenge and I can cheat if I want to!!!!

THE WEIRD THINGS YOU END UP SEWING…

So something I probably haven’t mentioned before is how bonkers Miss C is, she’s the crazy one in the family and nothing makes her happier than being silly and throwing herself all over the place. I’m sure she has a screw loose!  Recently she mastered the art of cartwheels (something I never managed!) and compulsively cartwheels everywhere, garden, school, living room etc etc.  Anyway, on Saturday she was cartwheeling around the living room and decided to stand on the settee and attempt to cartwheel off it. ( You know where this is going, don’t you….) Needless to say it wasn’t the best decision she’s ever made!  She landed in a heap on the carpet and started screaming.  I checked her over and tried to recall my first aid knowledge (something about checking symmetry and looking for swellings?) to check her arm which she complained about and all seemed ok.  She did cry a bit longer than normal but half an hour later was jumping around again so we thought she had gotten away with it.  Later that night she complained about it again and first thing on Sunday morning she complained about it.  I don’t know why but my instinct said it needed checking out so 8am Sunday morning we arrived at A&E to get it looked at.  One of my best friends was the Triage Nurse on duty that morning and I’m not sure if it was her doing or because she was kid but we got seen quite quickly.  One x-ray later the nurse decided it was greenstick fracture  and she needed a cast.  They put a temporary cast on her which made her very upset as she realised what she had done.  It also meant no swimming, trampolining, kung fu, school sports (including sports day!) so she was gutted. 

 

Yesterday I had to take her to the Fracture Clinic to get it checked out by a consultant.  4 hours later….. the consultant decided it wasn’t a fracture and so she didn’t need a cast, unfortunately Miss C had her heart set on a purple cast and had ‘pinky’ swore her friends she would get one.  To say she was inconsolable would be an understatement!  She sobbed and sobbed all the way back to school as the Dr has given her an ugly blue sling to rest her arm in for the next 2 weeks.  This sling was an adults version that they had to cut down but it was still too big.  

Her friends in school all made a big fuss of her and she felt a bit better but I thought ‘we can fix this’.  So a quick Google search produced a useful post, a visit to the fabric shop after school to get supplies and this is what  I produced.

Its padded with some polyester wadding I had knocking about and I’ve also made a little protective cover to protect her neck from the strap and clip.  She wore it to school today and was very happy.

As I was making it I reflected on the weird and wonderful things that I have ended up making as Sewing Mother, over the years these have included clothes for bears, water bottle holders and lunch bags, Lion, Pirate & Roman Costumes, crazy Harry Potter stuff and now slings! What's the weirdest thing you’ve ever ended up sewing for someone?  Does it make you feel glad you can whip something up or does it raise peoples expectations too high?!  Last time we were in the fabric shop my girls were plotting what clothes to make their bears, ‘Mummy can make jeans for the bears as well’ I heard!  Mummy can’t make jeans for herself never mind a bear!!!!!