A New Coat

 Well it has got a lot colder all of a sudden and I finished my new coat at the weekend, it was an unlined pattern but I do like a lined coat so a few days ago I purchased some emerald green lining and I am going to add that to it.  It will be a pretty quick job to do that as the coat is already complete.  It is just a case of cutting out the front, back and sleeve  pieces again in lining fabric, attaching them and slipping it inside before hand stitching around facings, hem and cuffs.  I do like a bit of hand stitching, I know it is not everyones cup of tea but I do find it very relaxing.

The pattern for the coat is depicted on the cover using a much lighter fabric from what can gather, I have made this in vegan coating.  To me if it is warm enough to wear a light weight fabric then it is warm enough that you won't need a long coat, but that is just my opinion.  So I feel making this in a heavier fabric makes it a more wearable winter garment.   I also think that a coat slides on and off much better when it is lined aso that is why I have gone for this extra step.

I made the belt a little narrower although I still think it is a wide belt, there are pockets in the sides of the coat.  There will be some photos of it on when I get around to it.

I have cut out another wrap over top so I will be putting that togther over the next few days too, it is in a striped fabric and I look forward to seeing how this works on this style.

Earlier in the week some new sewing scissors arrived, an early gift for me that I needed as mine keep on snagging the fabric even though they are not old (they do get a lot of use)  I am not entirely sure  a family member may have used them for none fabric purposes at some point, I can't be sure but they did go blunt suddenly a while ago and you will know what I mean.  It made me laugh as someone said to me the other day is that all you are having as a gift? Well it is what I need and want so in that case it is perfect.

This  week we have been watching a series called Guilt on iplayer and I am enjoying that, we saw a bit of the second series and didn't know what was going on, then we realised it had a first season so we looked for it.  I am glad we have found something as there is a an awful lot of rubbish on at the moment and I do like to have one series we can pop on before bed.  After dinner early evening we do other things but after nine I like to just watch for an hour or so.s

The Christmas tea is out now too so we know it is getting close, I really fancied buying myself some mulled wine tea bags and then I saw the postage was almost as much as the tea so I didn't bother.  Any tips for what I can add to my tea in terms of spices anyone to get the same effect? (not actual red wine though itgives me headache!)  Here is my current cup...

 Have a lovely day.

Christmas Making

 Hello I thought I'd share the little bit of Christmas sewing I have been doing as promised, I have a home for one of the bunting strips and I moved on to making a few gift bags like I mentioned a few days ago.  I will be making more I was just trying out the different ways that they could be tied or fastened. If you haven't already maybe check out the post on Sum Of Their stories to see the ideas there, I shared the link in my previous post.

I opted to used the recycled pillow slips  that I had been wanting to reuse anyway, then I chose to dress them with small amoun ts of new fabric to make them look festive.   I did a dawstring tie on one, the ribbon tie attched at the side, tie loops at the top on another and a button fastening.  I don't know which will be the prefered way I suppose it depends what you are putting inside as some methods maintain more usable space inside.

The little scrap bits are also being saved as I cut out as these can be used on gift tags, here are a few so far...

Of course these will have to be done on a cooler wash as I have mixed some bold colours here with the white.

It makes quick work of wrapping things.

Here are a few of the finished bunting, it is making me feel quite Christmasy taking photos of these things.

I found just draping the ties in the cupboards above mymachine is a really quick way to hang these.

I have various bits of this fabric left over from last year, all odd strips and some random shapes.

Someone has requested this one with the ginger bread men.

Now I am wondering what to make with all the little offcuts, it may be too close to the season to start a patchwork style project I will have to have a think.  What sort of things are you all getting ready for Christmas? 

Right I must get on as I am in the middle of making a coat, it is unlined in the pattern but I am thinking I will make it up as it is then when I can get hoild of a bit of lining I will line it.  It is quick enough to do and I never see the point of not lining a coat as they go on so much better with one in. 

 Have a lovely weekend.

Sewing Morning

 Hello, I don't know if I mentioned this previously but I have dropped a day at work to give me more time for other things that I like to do.  Mainly that is sewing of course and while I am always sewing in my free time in recent moths I have not had chance to share everything I make or sew and sometimes things are becoming a rush.  I am certainly not a big spender being a maker so I made the decision to have more time as that is what is important to me right now. 

My time goes by so quickly when I am making too!  So there never seems to be enough of it and I do realise that this is because I am having so much fun. There are quite a few things that I have made for videos that I will share images in the future and I will be replenishing my handbag making over the next few weeks.  

Here is a little peek of a dress I made last week and this one is one is simplicity 8874AA in viscose jersey from Minerva I will add a link below if you want to check out the pattern and fabric.

Fabric here  and pattern here

I did treat myself to another  tripod light for my tiny sewing room last week as I was finding it increasingly difficult to get good light in the room to film with it being so much darker during the day now.  I always film in the daytime and I do already use a studio light but there is just no substitute for natural good daylight. My son does insist I need an iphone but to be honest after seeing the filming on his phone it is still a good light issue I feel and not a camera issue.  Well ok his camera is better then mine but my phone is good and I am not big on buying new gadgets when things are working well it is just so wasteful.  I guess my generation do  not have that urge to replace technology all the time like the younger ones, I will come clean and let you all know if I ever give in an upgrade!

Typically this morning after gleefully saying last night I will turn my alarm off as I don't need that I work up really early unable to sleep.  After a restless hour or so I got out of bed  and my son came down for work and said what are you doing up? Well of course because I don't need to be anywhere I am wide awake, why is it when we have to rush off to work we are sound asleep when the alarm sounds?

After complaining about my current book a few days ago 'The Beloved Girls' I am now enjoying it, I suppose I just had to gt into it properly and perhaps let go of what I thought it should be like.  It is ok to read something light occasionaly and just go with it.  

There has been a little Christmas making (I know sorry too early for all that) in the form of bunting, no pictures yet I need to pop it up to photograph.  It will be here so soon though and every year I think  it is too early to start meking this kind of thing and then suddenly it is upon us. I did read over on  Sum of their stories.com about making reusable fabric bags for Christmas presents and if you have not read that go and have  look now.  This was really funny becasue I have planning the same thing myself rooting through scraps this week and thinking how I can add a little trim here and there to make fabric more festive looking.  A few well placed felt holly applique pieces or snowflakes can jazz up an old remnant.

I also saw on facebook that people are using fabric from the charity shop to wrap presents creatively. 

 Fabric wrapping is a good idea and I hope that as more people do this the people receiving it do the same and do not just throw that in the bin.   I have been using some Chritsmas boxes for my boys since they were small, they have snowmen and Father Christmas on them.  Even now as grown men they will still get anything that will fit placed in those.  Last year my oldest opened his presents and as he doesn't live here now I said make sure you reuse the boxes Ha Ha. We have to keep it going don't we?  I also love gift bags that just fold flat and go in the cupboard, now if we are all careful there is no need for those to ever stop being circulated (well until they completely fall apart). 

Well I hope you enjoy the day whatever you are up to, back soon. 

November...ing

 Hello everyone, it has been a few weeks but I am recovering from the dreaded Covid.  Just before half term I strted to feel unwell and it quickly got worse, my husband and I have both been very poorly with it.  Two weeks mostly in bed and I have been back to work lasy week (bad idea) and I was wiped out when I git home.  Anyway trying to do bits here and there to not feel very useless! I have managed some sewing and there are a few sewing bits from weeks ago that I forgot to share too.  It really makes you think how you take your energy levels for granted and also how not  being unable to get up and do all the things you normally do is very depressing.  Well enough of that and here is my slow start to November so far.

 Making a couple of videos for Minerva, so I have had to do these in stages as I have been so tired and these were completed this last weekend and yesterday.  Just a bit at a time, which is unusual for me as I normally make things in one sitting.   So an apron, a dress and a top and these will all be on the site when all the others go live I believe.

Everything is a little odd as I have taken stills from the videos.

I do think this last one turned out really nice although it will have to wait for next summer now.

In other sewing I started a blouse before I got ill and I finished that last week, there were just the sleeve plackets and buttons to stitch on.

This as Art gallery Fabrics cotton poplin and this was from Minerva also I have put this in the #sewshirty21 challenge I don't know if any of you are doing that.  I didn't think I would be able to as the deadline arrived and I was ill but they extended it.  I always think i will join in with more instagram sewing challenges to be more a part of the the community bit then things happen or there is always some other pressing sewing to be done.

Selling a couple of bags on Etsy, that always cheers me up to think someone has wanted to buy something I have made, well, one make up bag and one handbag.   I only sell them occasionally but it is a nice little boost when I get a notification.  I did make a slightly larger one a while ago that I listed and I have also bought myself some little faux leather labels to go on any future bags I make so this was the first one with a label too.  Joe at Three Stories High gifted me some of the fabric used in this one and I always mix in other offcuts and recycled bits.

Watching well binge watching they call it! The Handmaids Tale season 3 and 4 while I was ill and unable to do anything else.  Now I did get bored with this a while ago as the tv show had left the books behind long ago but as I was too drained too do anything than watch bits of tv I thought I would give it another go.  Don't do it! It becomes increasingly dark and I did watch it to the end but was left feeling very unsettled and any sympathy I had for the main character was long gone.  Did anyone stick it out and watch the whole thing?  All I can say is it was a very bad choice for when you are already feeling down but I should have known that!

Appreciating the way the garden is just not giving in, the cosmos are just going crazy still and the dahlias it is really looking cheerful considering general neglect of late.  The weather has not been that bad though.  I do have a very sickly looking pear tree at the top, it has not faired well at all this year so maybe it will have to come out.  The rest though has been grand and pretty much taken care of its self after the initial growing and planting of seeds.

Reading or trying to, The Beloved Girls, not sure if this is for me but determined to press on as I have abandoned three books recently in disgust at how bad they were.  I seemed to have a good run over the summer and now I keep picking up poor choices.  I ordered this one form the library but already feel the writing is not to my taste, however I bet my mum would love it as it seems to be the kind of thing she likes.  My mum never reads anything I tell her too though, I gave her a book a while ago that I got from the charity shop and enjoyed.  She passed on it and took it too the charity shop herself, a few weeks later she was reading the same library book in her room and told me how good it was!  I said I gave you that a few weeks ago and she said 'oh did you I don't remember'.     I have also tried a few recently off the Libby library app but again it is hard to know if you like them without flicking through a few pages first, at least it is not wasted money this way.

Baking a lovely carrot and walnut cake yesterday from my Ainee Carlin book  The New Vegan (one of them I have about four) I have made this cake before but I like to try different peoples recipes to see how they turn out.  It was a good cake personally I think it could have done with just a touch more moisture to it, maybe just a little more rapeseed oil.   Still it has gone down well and we do need building up. 

Needing a really good sort through my sewing room.  It has just got out of hand and it started out so neat and tidy, I keep going in to do bits and just organising the very main work space but behind me there is a chest of drwera stuffed fill, piled high and a wardrobe with a piling system going on inside it.  I do like to keep all my offcuts for bag making and recycling but I am very disorganised at the momnet.  I think I will pick a section at a time to keep at it, I know this is  not very Marie Kondo she says you have to get it all out and tackle it head on.  Well I am not up to that right now so it will have to be small steps.

Planning making some Christmas cards before it suddenly arrives, I am going to get a few ideas together in a shoe box and bring some some supplies down to have beside my chair so I can pick things up and get on with them while watching the TV.  When we watch something in the evening I often get bored with what is on offer and would much rather be doing something else, however we don't always want to go and be alone do we? So this way I can be present but still busy, I know a few of you knit so solve it that way.  I do not have those advanced skills, I can knit but haven't done so for years and I was never great.  It also took me about a month to knit a jumper so if i didn't like it I was gutted. 

Well take care everyone, I hope you are having a good week.