Floral Scuba Dress

It turned out that sewing the scuba fabric was a breeze, after reading that it had been mangled in someone's overlocker recently I did wonder how it was going to go but it was no trouble at all.  I like the fact that it doesn't fray as well, it does irritate me sometimes when I choose a fabric and then there are bits of it all over the place within minutes of cutting.  You know the kind that sticks to hands in a staticky  way and you walk it from room to room without realizing, well there wasn't any of that.  Aside from my scissors snagging on it a bit the edges don't even need finishing unless you want to.

So here it is just the one photo as I am doing a more detailed post on this for Minerva...

So this will be a fabric I return to if I see a design I like.

Here we are at the end of the month so this is the last time I will be blogging on a daily basis, I will return to my normal routine of once a week, sometimes more if I have something I want to share.  

What I have found by making myself post everyday is that we can find these little pockets of time do things, that doesn't mean I want to post everyday but it is doable even if the posts are short as mine have been.   I have noticed that others who post diary style blogs on a daily basis do tend to keep things short and other bloggers who post about once a month have very lengthy posts.

It may be something I do in the future but for now I am having the week off, I don't want this to start and feel like a chore.  There are a few makes lined up for the coming weeks so I will be back next weekend to share one of those.

I also want to catch up on my blog reading as I am a bit behind with the people I follow which goes to show we don't all get the time to read blogs ourselves everyday so is the daily post idea worthwhile anyway?  I would love to know your thoughts on how you arrived at your current post dates and why, or do you like to keep it more random?  

Sewing Scuba

On the sewing table today are the pieces for a dress for a  Minerva post, it will be a shift style dress in scuba fabric.  I can honestly say I have not worked with this before, it is quite thick and my dress makers scissors even seamed to be having trouble cutting through it on the double.  I have a feeling someone has used them for a non fabric project when I wasn't looking.  The pieces are all cut but on the pattern there are patch pockets at the front, I am undecided if they will go on as the fabric has a lovely rose design and I don't think they will add anything to the dress.  Maybe on a plain dress they would be better anyway I am rambling here are the pieces ready to go...

I have to admit to already altering the sides a little as they felt a bit too A-line for my liking on this fabric, it seems to me this lends itself to more fitting dresses.  I have been out with a friend this afternoon so everything has been put ready to go on the sewing table for the morning.  I don't think this it will take long to sew I am just wondering how it will respond under the machine given the resistance it put up under my scissors.  Last week I read that someone had tried to overlock  scuba fabric and it had got a bit chewed up in the machine.

There will probably be no need for overlocking as the fabric does not appear the have much fray so I will just give that a miss, hopefully a ball point needle is all that is required but any other tips on how it behaves would be appreciated. Also there is a reasonable size piece left, has anyone had a go at making a bra in this, it is not breathable for other undies but would it do a bra?  If you  have tried that let me know and if it worked I hate to see any bits of fabric go to waste.

I am in the middle of another Spanish drama 'Apaches' so I am off to watch that now, I loved Money Heist and now I'm on the lookout for what to watch next.

Basic Green T-shirt

Finally I am getting around to filling in some of the gaps and making some basic items to go with all my patterned clothes.  This is something I have been meaning to do as I often pull something from the wardrobe then wonder what will go with it, it is easier with dresses as you have the full outfit but skirts and tops don't work if they are all in different wild prints.

I have a lovely skirt I made last year but my lack of plain tops to with it mean it has only been worn once so far, in order to remedy that I ordered some green rayon last week to make a t-shirt, I had to promise myself I would not deviate from this plan as I often do that once the fabric arrives.   As I really like the shape f the red drop shoulder t-shirt I made last week I decided to follow the same idea.  Nice and simple and quick to make up.

It is comfy to wear, I made it long enough to tuck in or wear out if need be and it goes with the skirt which was the point.

This is a nice relaxing make as there a re no fiddly bits and you know it will fit, there are lots of times I spends hours on details only to find it is a seldom worn item.  Sometimes simple really is best.

Here it is just two pieces hastily cut around an existing top and a bit of green binding for the neckline. I think I will wear this a lot, just like my red one which has been worn twice already.

Out in the greenhouse  a pepper is growing quite big,  very exciting. There is something not quite right with the courgettes though as they are suddenly growing pointy and some have brown on the ends??

I will leave you with photo of this blue flower, I just love the colour.  It was a seed packet I scattered in some pots called sea of blue, various flowers in the packet and they are just starting to flower.

I may just have to paint a room that colour.

Sewing for Late Summer

I know it's not late summer yet, but just recently I have been making more summer items and currently I have no problem wearing me made everyday because I do tend to sew more for the summer. There are more items in my winter wardrobe that are from charity shops or ebay especially along the lines of knit cardigans.  I also find it is more fun sewing  for the summer as everything is so bright, in the winter we all tend to wear darker colours.

As I want to be able to extend wear of everything I am making I thought I should plan for later in the season when it is not quite so warm, or in this country that may be just next week, who knows.  I have seen a few ideas for cardigans that could be made with jersey or other soft knit fabrics.  There are some lovely styles but they also have to be wearable. The ones I have seen that are cocoon in shape or too floaty I feel would end up getting the sleeves dipped in the sink when I'm washing up or something.

Here are  a few styles that I intend to copy, as a cardigan is on my sewing to do list for this season.

This is from the next website, I like the tie front as it would go with dresses but perhaps make the sleeves straight.

This one is a more traditional shape it would be just a case of finding the right fabric, this particular one is quite expensive so I would not be buying it , copying it is definitely the way to go.

Has anyone else already began planning their sewing beyond this current heat wave, I am loving it but I also realise it will end at some point.

More Boudoir Shorts

It is so hot! I love sunny weather and like any typical English person I moan about the fact that it rains an awful lot here in England, or it's overcast most of the time.  As  a result of this we are not made for these sudden changes in temperature and I feel like I want to have a nap all the time.  The Spanish have the right idea and everything closes in the afternoon at the hottest part of the day for a break. As a result of this I have made more of the boudoir shorts from the free pattern I downloaded here, I had some jersey left over from making  dress a few weeks ago so it was an ideal way to use that up.

These were quick to make up just now after tea because I have made them before and made an adjustment to the pattern by taking a small pieces off each side.  The first pair were a bit wide so I had to alter them once finished.

That is it just those three pieces, I didn't do an elastic casing as I found last time there is enough room at the top to just do  a turn over and put the elastic in there.
They are so comfy because they are jersey so I am wearing them now, this is a really good way to use up small amounts of fabric and I am sure that you could even do two fabrics together and they would look good.  I only had enough lace to do the fronts on this pair, also it is elastic lace whereas flat trim lace would have been better, but it does the job.

Turmeric Cauliflower Salad

I just thought I would share this salad with you today as it took me completely by surprise how tasty it was from such a simple thing.  After reading quite a bit of the book, How not to Die there appears to be a lot of little things that we can  eat everyday that offer protection against diseases.

 Now I know that this is nothing new to hear, but some of the things are so small that it makes them easy to add in, that is without the need for juicing and consuming large amounts of superfoods to the point where you are going mad.  I had always thought of herbs and spices as flavouring but many help us fight off disease and boost the immune system, turmeric is a good one to eat everyday and a teaspoon is noted in the book to give us a boost, cinnamon can be added to oats and marjoram and oregano provide us with more than an Italian flavour to our food.

While I was making a salad I thought I would give it a twist by adding two of the key foods for health one being cauliflower (which can be a trigger for me so only in moderation!) and turmeric.

So all I did was slice the florets into discs, so that they would lie flat in the pan, then I added a little olive oil and a teaspoon of turmeric to the pan and lightly fried the florets.  This was on a low heat, more to colour and cook them a little rather than heavily fry.  The rest of the salad was, spinach, grated carrot, red pepper, tomatoes, cucumber and a tablespoon of nutritional yeast.  It was so tasty I will definitely be making it again.

This must serve as a little reminder to myself to keep trying different things with familiar ingredients, it can be tempting to make the same things when tired or in a rush.

Separates or a Jumpsuit?

This morning when I had removed the waistband on these trousers for abut the fifth time I was beginning to wonder if this make was a good idea, I don't  know why but it was one of those times when something just keeps going wrong.  Eventually though I got there and the trousers are a good fit, my issues were with visible stitches under my elastic, I kept unpicking until it was spot on.
Making up the top took no time at all as it is just two pieces copied from a t-shirt.

My worry was would it look too much being so bright but now it is finished I like it and it is a change from the things I usually make for myself.

Excuse my pose I look a bit awkward I never know what to do with myself for these photos!

I have added five belt loops and a long tie belt which is in a bow here but you can't really see it properly. There are also two small pleats at either side at the front, the front waistband is flat and the elastic goes just past the sides to the front.  As you can see I opted for straight legs as I had a feeling I would never wear the wide fitting style.  I am happy with how it turned out I just need somewhere to go to wear it now, it feels a bit overdressed for around the house and too loud for work!

These items can be worn separately so that is a bonus over making an actual jumpsuit, though that was never my intention, they were supposed to be the wide legged palazzo pants until I decided against that.

I bought the fabric from Minerva Crafts you can find it here viscose challis, it is a really good price and I also liked the blue colour option.

Winging it Again!

Today I wanted to start the Palazzo trousers from Sew Magazine so I went onto the site, found I had to register, did that then went to the page where the trousers were.  Well I clicked download the pattern and it is 47 pages, I was already wondering whether I wanted to print out 47 pages when I realized it was taking ages.  I had been sat there a good while when it was only on page 7, that was point when I thought I can't be bothered with this because it was already feeling like a waste of time.

At that point I went upstairs and grabbed a pair of cotton trousers that I already own, they are not wide leg but as I was unsure if that style would suit me I have copied the pair I know I like.  They have little gathers at the ankle and I may incorporate that too.  I had them cut out quite quickly with the other pair I would still have been sat going grey waiting for it to download!

Here it is my unconventional way of doing things but I don't care I do it for me. This is not meant to be a tailored trouser so I feel the throw it on and hope for the best way will work with these.
They are mostly made up and the waistband is partly on, I had to stop as I have a stiff neck so I will continue with these tomorrow.  I had enough fabric to cut out a top too and also a tie belt, the intention being that if I wear it altogether it will look like a jumpsuit.

Here we are so far, the waistband on my other trousers is flat at the front so I have done the same here then the elastic comes around and just past the sides, that is why you can see a pin either side.  It is stitched down but it is the back of the waistband where it meets the flat part that I was just keeping in line. I have left off pockets because I won't use them so why bother making them, it is a light fabric so putting things in the pockets would completely spoil the look.

 I love the colour I am just hoping it all looks like I picture it in my head.  We will see, I hope to have it all finished tomorrow.

Lovely Fabric

I went to collect my fabric today and I always feel it's a bit like getting a present when the fabric arrives, albeit one you have to buy for yourself.  I have a definite plan for it all this time which makes a change.  Here it is still in the bags...

The pink will be started on tomorrow as the trousers I mentioned a few days ago, not yet sure if I am using the online pattern or not.  I will decide in the morning,  the green and white will become tops and the blue a dress.

As the parcel collection place is very close to the library I had a look in there too and got a lovely surprise, the book I was uncertain about buying yesterday 'How Not to Die' was right on the shelves in front of me!  How weird is that?  It is just like it was there just for me, I have read quite a bit already and it actually is really good.  I also picked up this book...

This looks really interesting as that is my kind of sewing, I like to do things without patterns I am starting to use a few recently however as Minerva like you to use one when you blog for them and also I've noticed fellow bloggers like to compare.  Generally however I like to do things my own way so maybe I can pick up a few tips here.

Right I am off to do some pilates, if you haven't had a look at The Balanced Life with Robin Long   workouts on youtube go and have a look now. They are easy to fit in and she explains everything so well, I have been using her workouts for a long time now and she sends you updates when she adds something new like this week.

Almost Buying a Book

The wish list on Amazon is a lovely thing, if only because I can pop things in it and feel like I am going to get them and then at a later date when I have realised I don't really need them I can remove them.  It is a sort of delayed gratification device that often works in our favour I think.  I do love books and I can't always get everything I want from the library, but sometimes it is disappointing when you pay for one and it is just rubbish. Well that may be a bit harsh I should say not to my taste because I do admire anyone who can write a book and then get it published.  Not included in that admiration are any celebrities who use others to write books for them and then get huge royalties just because they have been on the TV at some point.  Saying that I wouldn't buy anything by a celebrity for that reason.

I do enjoy reading factual books and anything on health, psychology and faith.  I have seen quite a few videos by the doctor Michael Greger so I was interested in his book 'How Not to Die'   he is a vegan doctor and has done a lot of research in nutrition and disease.

So this book has gone into my cart then I stopped, I was sure I heard a colleague mention it some time ago so I asked her the next day.  She has the cook book that goes with it, she brought it in and I have had a look through.  Now of course it is not the same book but I am glad I have seen it, the book I wanted is all about the theory, why plant based, the science of what we eat and how it can affect us chemically.  He is not a chef so while some of his ideas may have been used to create these dishes in the cook book, it wasn't him and it is just another case of cashing in on something.

I may try and get the book from the library if it is in the catalogue but if not I am not buying it right now.  He has lots of talks online so perhaps I have already heard most of what is in the book anyway. So thanks to the wishlist it may stay there until I decide to remove it, either way it has given me the time to think do I really want that.

Growing

Well after a slow start the chilli plant is in full swing, I did wonder at first if it had been a wrong choice but now it is full of little chillies starting to grow and a couple of bigger ones.  I'm not sure how long they take to go red but there seems to be plenty on there for such a little plant.

My husband announced that he is not even bothered about chillies, well it looks like we better get finding lots of recipes for them where it is in there but not too obvious then.

Here is the regular pepper, also quite big already I think.  Maybe next time I will grow more peppers a these will get used in lots of things.  The strawberries seem to be getting picked a couple at a time and then we eat them as we go, I don't think there will ever be a bowl full ready at once as we don't want to leave them on to go mushy.  I heard someone else sat the same thing today so it's not just me.

On a different theme my fabric arrived today but as I wasn't home it's gone to the collection place which is closed of course by the time we get home.  Obviously most people who work are out during the day and the post always arrives late when people have left! It will be Friday now before I can collect it, they never seem to leave with a neighbour or in the safe place anymore.  The package isn't signed for so it's a bit annoying. My son once had a card saying they had taken his parcel to the collection place at the next town, after being driven there he was then told it was at the one near our home, ridiculous, really there ought to be a better system.

That's it for today after a very bad nights sleep last night I am starting to feel it now, hopefully I will feel more energetic tomorrow. 

Sewing Plans

After having a good look through the Sew magazine that I bought the other day I have decided to try two of the garments from it.  One is the frill front T-shirt that actually came as a paper pattern with the magazine.  This one...

I think style c, I had thought a but now I am thinking it may be too ruffled for me then I won't wear it.  I put a ruffle all the way around a neckline once before and never wore it at all.

The other garment is a pair of wide leg trousers but this time you print the pattern off, now I have not been on and had a look at the pieces yet, if it looks too basic to waste the ink I may wing it.  The other thought I have with that one is are they too wide?  I might make them then change them we will see.

 I really loved that fabric too but had a look and wasn't sure if I wanted to pay so much for an experimental make, I mean what if I don't like the style on me.  So I had a look around and found some nice magenta chevon patterned fabric at Minerva, much more reasonable.  However I did then go and put other things in my basket too like you do.

My order has been dispatched so more on those items another day, although I will say I have ordered plain white for the top I thought I would try and get at least a few neutrals in there like I keep meaning to.

This evening I made a green lentil and green assorted vegetable korma, I have to say it was not up to my usual curry standards and I think it was because I impulsively added toasted almonds at the last minute.  They seemed to alter the whole flavour, bad choice!  I will stick with adding cashews in future they go much nicer.

Best Version Gluten Free Vegan Cheese Toastie

My title states this is a cheese toastie, well that is not entirely correct as I fry the bread but as anyone who eats GF bread will know it is dry enough without making matters worse by putting it in the toaster.  As I don't eat dairy I  have tried a few vegan cheeses as well as making some of my own, currently the best store bought one for me Violife original flavour block.  It tastes good cubed in a salad and it will melt, the thing I have found is that it takes longer to melt than regular cheese and putting it under the grill gives varying results.

As I was missing my once favourite snack I thought I would try a few things to sort this out, frying the GF bread in a little olive oil on a low heat gives it a nice colour but also a bit of moisture.   I like to add a few cherry tomatoes to my pan as well, I may add a bit of onion sometimes too.

When I have fried it a little on both sides I slice some of the cheese then add it to one side and turn it face down to the pan,  (it will melt but not stick or run all over your pan)  it stays in more or less one piece and can be got off the pan easily with a spatula.  It is moist to hold so have a napkin ready to wipe your hands while you are eating.  If you are GF vegan and  miss a decent cheese toastie give this a go, it just shows there is an alternative way with most foods if you are missing something.

I think there may be lots of vegan cheese alternatives that are good but because I have tried a few bad ones I am sticking with this one at the moment.  It is a bit expensive to buy them to try and then not like them.  If anyone has any tips for any good ones let me know, I know there are mozzarella flavours but I have not tried those, it would be worth knowing if any were worth a try. 

People tend to say to me 'oh no what do you eat?'  because I am GF vegan, well I eat plenty and it is just a case of swapping things and experimenting.  Going out is always awkward as restaurants seem to have no vision at all and they have trained cooks working for them!  It is a bit annoying though when the family are tucking into fresh tiger bread which smells amazing, none of the GF versions are ever soft and fluffy like that, including the bread I've tried myself.

( My comments on Violife cheese are entirely personal preference, this is not a sponsored post)

Another Burda Shirt Finished

This shirt has been enjoyable to work on today, I have been back and forth to the sewing machine in between doing other things.  It helps that my sewing table is in the room next to the kitchen because you can hear the washer stop and check on food. This pattern is reliable and that is  why I keep using it although the take on it has been slightly different.  On this particular shirt there wasn't enough fabric for even a full short sleeve, but adding a small folded band from the little bits of fabric around the pattern pieces gave me just enough for a small sleeve.

I didn't add the front yokes as there wasn't enough fabric, also the back yoke is single whereas usually it is double so it hides your join at the back on the inside.  That is not a problem for me, you wouldn't know that just by looking at it when it is on.

The pockets are a bit smaller than the pattern too but again I had to work with the bit of fabric I had.

Another little thing I had to do was cut the collar in two pieces each, rather than on the fold. This was to maximise on all those little bits that are just not quite big enough.

This  has not affected the look of the collar and if anything makes sure it is central at the back!

Here is the little sleeve band, I will use this idea again as it gives a nice finish.

It was just a case of folding a strip, sewing it to the bottom, neaten the edge and then topstitching on the right side.

I shortened the overlength when cutting out too as this is quite a long shirt on the pattern. 

 I am very happy with it, and managed to force it out of one metre.  There really are only tiny bits left that have gone in a little box for applique or very small patchwork.   The pattern has been carefully  folded and put away for next time. 

Starting a New Shirt

I have started cutting out a new shirt today with some of the fabric I bought last week, now I only bought a metre so I have been stood scratching my head as to how to force this shirt out of a small amount of fabric.  Craft cotton too so not even very wide, well it wasn't going to beat me so after moving things around a lot, folding pattern pieces and deciding to omit a couple of the pieces I got there.  I will finish this up in the morning and share more on this tomorrow but here it is in mid jigsaw.

I have used this pattern a few times and I am sure I will use it many more, I make it slightly different each time I make it up and it has also been a dress you can see that version here.

There were a few treats for me when I went food shopping as I bought myself a couple of magazines, I don't very often buy them so this was a change I bought Sew and a gardening magazine because it had four packs of seeds in it.  I was pleasantly  surprised with Sew, quite a coincidence there was an article on repairing patches just days after I had done a post on that, also the free pattern for a dress is almost identical to one I am about to do a post on for Minerva.  There wasn't much gained there but I may give both the patterns a try anyway ( the other one was for a top) just to see how they turn out compared to what I would usually do.

Looking at the pattern for the top the only real reason I can see for the centre seam at the front is if you are going for option A with the ruffle which is what I'll do.  I don't think the other versions need it. Thoughts on that anyone?

We are going to watch a film as Netflicks offered films on a special deal for one month, we mistakenly chose one titled Mother the other night, what a load of disturbing rubbish. The synopsis stated psychological thriller what it turned into near the end was sick horror I ended up not watching all of it.  So if you have this deal I would say give that one a miss.  Nobody needs to have that film in their head.

Drop Shoulder T-shirt (Scrap busting)

As today is my day off I had a look through my oddments of fabric to see what I could do with them.  I had seen an image of a white top the other day with broderie  anglaise at the top and I thought I should have a look how much fabric I have left that is similar.   I made a red dress a while ago  and my fingers were crossed that there was a big enough piece to do the back and front top.   There was just enough red broderie anglaise and a big enough piece of jersey for the bottom, but only just!

I cut around a t-shirt so just two pieces, and I used my overlocker today which I don't often use, actually the blades are playing up so it was more of a joining exercise using it today there didn't appear to be any trimming going on.  A blade is out of place and no amount of faffing will seem to get it cutting, new blades as well.  I need to have a bit of time looking at that tomorrow. 

Here is my quick top, I like how it has turned out.

I had to put lots of pins in the jersey when I was stitching it together, it is extremely springy, I noticed that when I made the under dress for the dress I made.

A bit more ironing required on the front I think, I quickly ran the iron over it to take these shots, the fabric had been crumpled in a drawer. (It didn't get sorted into the tidy fabric box!)

Now that top was so easy I am going to see what other combinations I can put together from leftover fabrics to make more.  A few contrasting colours might work and may have to depending on what I have left.

There has been more repotting of lettuce and Kale today, I am also a bit disappointed that the pansies and violi have taken a beating from the wind, they were doing so well.

 The greenhouse is starting to look like a jungle, here is a peek through the window...

  I don't know where the tomatoes are going to go now they will just have to grow up along the slope of the roof and down the side!    Also I  hope the winds hold off now I don't want anymore plant casualties. 

Patching Jeans

Everyone has those favourite jeans that they like to wear the most and in my husband's case they are much worn and patched.  He has other pairs we are not short of things to wear it is just that he likes the fit of this particular pair and when he bought them they already had that distressed look with a couple of strategic mock patch areas.   The trouble with that feature is it has usually been stressed during manufacturing to get it just the right shade in certain areas, these areas are then of course weak and will not last under any strain.  That is what has happened with these, this will be the third time I have patched these and today I did three areas.  It is worth doing though as once they are done and ironed the effect is only the same as on the ones you buy in the shops.

This is where the legs off old discarded pairs of jeans come in handy, they don't have to be the same colour as it is going underneath.  Sometimes I use the right side of the fabric and sometimes the reverse.   The first job is to undo the seam down the side, I find it is just so much quicker to do this than try and force a large area of leg under the machine.

 It will be a quick job to just run that back in again it is only a straight seem after all.

Next I cut the piece of scrap denim a bit bigger than the area that is damaged and pin that in  place.

I used the wrong side of this fabric as it was a bit darker.

I then make sure that the hole is together and lying flat then I stitch forwards then reverse using a straight stitch, the effect you get is random criss cross, I concentrate more on the areas where the fabric comes together but up to the edge of the patch underneath.   The threads you can see in this image are just places where I moved it back by hand to line it up again, they are trimmed off afterwards.

Then when all the patches are complete just turn it through to the wrong side and sew the seams.

This is a finished patch near the pocket, I used a light blue cotton to go with the denim but you see some jeans where a contrast has been used to make the patched area stand out.  I think I prefer it less visible. 

Does anyone else have different ways of doing this?  Do you like to see the patches or make them blend in? Let me know in the comments section, I always enjoy reading the comments.

Sewing Goals and Fixing Sewing Errors

So far this year I have made a number of things and two of them were on my to-do  list from the start of the year.  I wanted to make a tie neck blouse and you can view that here and also a shirt dress that can be seen in this post here. I still have to make a fitted cardigan and some straight cut trousers but that is just a case of seeing just the right fabric for those two items.

I don't usually set myself any sewing goals as so many things just come up throughout the year, I am often just taken by something I see and then I want to create my own version of it. If I make lists I find that can be limiting but I know some people love them and this is how they function.  Saying that it is a good idea to know where you are heading but I always like to bear in mind that diversions happen and that is ok.

Sometimes those diversions can create design features that never occurred to you before.  I have made lots of clothes in the past where something went a little bit wrong or there was not quite enough fabric (because I buy the skimpiest amount in the name of economy!).  This is not the end of the road for a project, it make me sad when I read that someone has discarded a garment because they hit a little bump.  I know it can be hard when you have invested time in it but just set it aside and have a little think, jot down any ideas and come back to it with a clear head.

When I started to make my red sweatshirt I knew what I wanted but there wasn't enough fabric so I decided to split the sleeve into two halves with piping at the elbow to give it a feature.
Here it is here

There are lots of ways you can save a garment...

• You can change change the length of the sleeve if that is where the mistake happened.
• You can remove the sleeve or add detail to cover or join another piece.
• Binding can be added to necklines or changing the shape can help.
• Add a contrasting hem or panel if  the garment is too short.
• Strategic pockets may hide a rip or tear, or perhaps an applique.
• Godets can give fullness to a tight skirt, lots of colour options there.
• Contrasting side panels can save a tight skirt.
• If you run out of buttons - make them all odd so it is a feature.
• Experiment with darts, in the right places they make everything fit.

So if there is any problem there I haven't addressed leave me a comment and I will answer you, usually the only real reason I don't wear an item is because I decide the fabric doesn't suit me.  There is not really a lot I can do about that but you get better at choosing over the years.  Now I just make the odd blunder.

Quick Bunting

This post is going to be not only quick bunting but a quick post, I have just sat down from being on the go all day and I want to watch the last episode  Money Heist, it has been really good, it is a Spanish drama that we have been watching on Netflix and I love world television.  There is always something different.

After tea I made up the dust sheets that are going to cover the large open cupboards at work, nothing flash just a channel and a hem, I will put net wire at the top.  I then made a bunting using some scrap fabric and a long length of ribbon I bought for this purpose, it was quite difficult trying to cut with my pinking shears as the handle has snapped!  A gift to myself needed there I think.

I just hung it there to show, I actually made two , one for each side of the room.

Hopefully it will stop the dust sheets looking so bland, the biggest job was ironing the dust sheets as they were full of wrinkles they look a lot better now and I have tried to roll and fold them.  I have a feeling the will be the same again by the time I get to work tomorrow.

So that is it for today, I'm going to have a hot drink and watch the drama, bye for now. 

Mushroom and Spinach Risotto (Wheat free Vegan)

Today I have made a mushroom and spinach risotto, I make this a lot and looking back I don't think I have shared my recipe before.  I did share a kale and mushroom version from a magazine once but it was not as good as my version I felt. 

 

I also opted to pick two of my yellow courgettes today as according to a few gardening blog they were at the perfect size.  if they get too big they may lose their sweetness.  As I was already tied to a frying pan making the risotto I decided to chop the courgettes into chunk and roast them. I'm glad I did as they were really nice done this way.  Along with that I also did some crispy tofu in a pan then into the oven.

I always really enjoy this so I will share what I do below but it is not exact measurements as I just pop things in as I go and it works as it always comes out well.  The amount I make serves four if served with an accompaniment. 

Mushroom and Spinach Risotto

3 handfuls of white & wild rice ( that is how I do it, or just add your usual rice for however many)

1 red onion

3 handfuls of spinach

2 garlic cloves

1 punnet chestnut mushrooms

1 veg stock cube

2 tbsp. of nutritional yeast

2 teaspoons vegan cheese sauce powder

quarter cup of soya milk

tsp basil

salt and pepper

A squeeze of lemon juice (optional)

olive oil

water

This is my own recipe, that is why it is a bit random but worth a try because it does taste good.

Heat the oil in a pan and add the rice, let it cook on a low heat until it is a little transparent.

Chop the onion and add to the pan, when the onion is starting to cook add a little water just enough to cover the rice and onion.

Let that cook down a little then add the garlic, keep adding more water as it cooks off, next add the stock cube by sprinkling it in, alternatively you could add to water first.

chop and add the mushroom, season and add basil.

Add the chopped or shredded spinach.

Sprinkle in the nutritional yeast, keep adding a little water as it cooks down.

Add the soya milk and sprinkle in the  vegan cheese sauce powder keep stirring now until it starts to cook down and catch a little.  You can add a little lemon juice as a kick but it is good without too.

 Hope that makes sense, I do it all the time with no measurements so don't be too pure about it, you may add something extra to your taste. ( Oh I forgot to mention there is an extra bit of the courgette in mine today too)

Here is one of the courgettes prior to picking, and it did taste just right.