Burda Long Sleeve T-Shirt

 As it has been half term this past week it has given me a chance to do more sewing, always my favourite thing to do.  I had a subscription for Burda magazine over recent months that my husband talked me into as I was always looking at it but never buying.  We got it at a good price and I have made a number of things from them and there are still a number of things on my to make list.  I do find a lot of the patterns repeat though, I suppose in a way they have to as new people buying if for the first time won't have the back patterns and also there are only so many ways a garment can go together!  So much as I have enjoyed having it arrive each month I do wonder is it worth having it for a second year or have I already got everything I will ever need?  the main thing being that i always used to work without patterns anyway and also if I see a Style that is slightly different I can usually modify what I have to make the garment.  What are your thoughts?  Does anyone else have an ongoing subscription or do you just buy occasionally if there is a particular issue that takes your fancy.   That was what I was going to do originally  but then lockdown happened and we couldn't go in any shops to buy it anyway, they don't stock it at any of my local supermarkets. 

So after that little commentary on that, here is my make from the magazine dated August last year. I put it on my to do list then I bought this piece of jersey last week and thought it would go really well with the style.

So one thing I did do was to bring the shoulder in a little at the neck because in the magazine image it looked like the v would be really wide, now I don't know about you but in our cold climate here in the UK having my neck that expose would mean that I wouldn't be reaching for this top very often.  I wanted a top I can wear a lot so it needs to provide some warmth ,I   have summer clothes for warm days!

I was really happy with the rest of the fit of this pattern and as you can see the v neck sits well, I will be using this pattern again for sure.

The jersey is only lightweight but it holds the shape well, I thought it was going to be thicker when I ordered it but that was just me not reading the description properly.  It is soft ad comfy.

So that is another little make off my to do list and I have to say a relaxing and enjoyable one, it didn't take long at all.   I do enjoy pottering about in my sewing room with the music playing, but back to work tomorrow and that will cut into my sewing time;)

I made another nectarine and blueberry crumble this week it is a favourite at the moment but I will have to try not to over do it.  I also made vegan ricotta cake , you make the ricotta with cashews .

My sister in law has sent me over lots card, and bits for card making that is not getting used, I have already put them to use this week.  There is so much in there I have no idea where to start but for now I have just used the borders and cut out my own images for the cards that I sketched on the card before cutting out.    There are lots of ideas out there I will have to get a bit more adventurous with this I think.

Here is the crumble bubbling over, there is a full large tub of blueberries in there and four nectarines, it served three of us two days though and was very nice.

Well have a lovely start to the week everyone, back soon. 

Problem Fabric

I made a dress over the weekend and I had decided to use one of the patterns that came with the magazines  that I got for Christmas.  A nice style but I felt the recommendations for the amount of fabric were way too much but then they always are.  I used the red fabric I bought before Christmas and I really wish I hadn't,  it was awful!  Such a woven nature to it that it literally fell apart as you cut it, but instead of trusting my instincts which said this was a bad idea I carried on and it didn't make for enjoyable sewing.

The  sewing pattern is very nice, I will make it again but I will add a little length to the body as I feel the waist sits a little high on me, I will certainly  not use this type of fabric again.

This is the magazine it came with.

I liked the style of the sleeve and neck on the dress but I am  sure I would have made a neater job had I not been grappling with a self destruct fabric.

When I tried the dress on I felt it looked frumpy, I'm not sure if I have taken a dislike to it due the  problems with it but I can't see myself wearing it.  This is a shame but not all is wasted, I know what I like about the pattern, I know it works with maybe a small adjustment to bodice length and I know what not to buy again.  So like they say you always learn something.

The fabric is also quite thick which doesn't really suit the style so the gathers hang in a bulky way.  Never mind, in all the years I have been sewing there have only been a few items that I have really not liked, it is just a pity it is the first item of the year.

On a positive note I did a few alterations for someone I know last week and a few repairs for myself I also made a few birthday cards.  I am trying to stick to recycled paper for the cards, I don't like the way there are ready made things to stick on cards as this defeats the idea of making them yourself if you ask me.  With that in mind mine probably don't look polished, maybe more rustic (ha).

Maybe this is just me showing my age but I can't quite believe we are already so far through January, with feeling a bit run down and the dark evenings I just don't feel like I am getting much done.  Making something however small helps me feel a little productive so maybe I need to concentrate on small projects in between the bigger ones.

Charity Finds and Trying Something New

Yesterday the rain finally let up a little so I could actually get outside without getting drenched. In fact the sun actually came out for a bit I hope that was the case where you are too.
It made such a difference to my mood, after I had walked the dogs I brought them back and then walked down to the shops on my own.

First off I visited the library, I was pleased to discover two of the books I had ordered had arrived and while I was there  I also picked up a beginner book on crochet. Now this is something I have fancied having a go at for a while and I look at quite a few blogs that have some fabulous projects featured using this skill.

So I have had a look though (with a cup of tea and leftover chocolate coins) made a few notes and ordered some hooks off ebay, I just need to source some inexpensive wool to practise on.  (The hooks were only £2)  

One of the blogs I like that features lots of crochet is Attic 24 and if you follow that link it will take you straight to the gorgeous winter wreath she made last year which I can't stop admiring.  Now I am not thinking I will be able to create anything like that but it just goes to show what the accomplished are creating.

After the library I had a look in a couple of charity shops hoping to find a cheap hook and wool. Unfortunately they had no hooks but lots of needles (if you are a knitter get to the charity shops they had all sizes for 25p!) also the wool was £1. 90 a ball for 100g and I'm sure I can do better than that and really I would like smaller balls in  different colours, maybe part used for making the squares.

However while in the charity shop I saw this winter jacket at half price making it £3!

It is really well made and was too good to pass up so it came home with me.

Back home I got on with making a few more cards, I have found looking on pinterest useful for ideas I don't make them exactly the same but you can pick up a few things and switch them around.  The two below were inspired from there.

  As ever I didn't buy any bits but used left over papers, the pink papers are from the inserts from an old greeting card, the gold and brown is re-used wrapping paper, and the ribbon on the dress is the shoulder hanger ribbon from a top. I always cut these off as they are annoying but they are handy bits of ribbon.

I know lots of people buy expensive papers and the cutting and embossing machines for card making but I wanted to keep this a re-cycling activity.  I also made the envelopes to go with them from some gift wrap I had  around.

There is the re-used pink paper again to make little labels.

A New Year Patchwork Challenge

In addition to making clothes this year I wanted to do something a bit different, I have done a bit of patchwork before but aside from a quilt I made years ago (that I no longer have and really wish I'd kept) I don't usually work to any set design.
having looked at some of the gorgeous stuff others are doing in this area I thought I would set myself the task of trying at least one new item of patchwork a month and try out some of the many designs out there.
If I have more time or the items are quick I may do more but I thought one was a realistic starting point in addition to the clothes making and alterations I do.

I have completed my first item today and I copied this from this blog cluck cluck sew and here they are referred to as sprocket pillows. I love her fabric choices and the ones there look much neater than mine but hey first attempt so I am pleased with mine.  I can see it needs a bit of tweaking my home made cushion is a bit small in the case so the side needs to be made narrower I think.

As you can see it is a bit loose in the case I also think the button needs to be bigger and be pulled more tightly through the other side but I did not have the tool to do it properly. My husband made me something when I re-upholstered the old caravan but I don't know where that has gone!

The cushion inside I made from my old bathrobe and some toy filling that I had left from ages ago so I don't know how this will hold up under constant use, we will see.

I also didn't use the instructions from the website above I just made a circle then divided it up using old newspaper and added a seam allowance when I cut out the fabric.

I found this quite a relaxing make and you can use up lots of odd bits this way so I think I will be making more of these.  I did two pieces of each fabric but you could just do one and do more or less triangles.

Last night while watching the T.V I got a few more cards done, I'm going to store them in a box so I have a good supply for the coming year.

Frugal Five this Week

I haven't done this for a while so I thought I should get back into the habit as it keeps me on track. It also gives you opportunities throughout the week to look for ways to save which is always a good idea for your pocket and the planet.

First off is card making, I really need to do more in advance so that birthdays and so on stop creeping up on me so I am on that this week and here are a couple I made for friends birthdays last week.

Next is food bargains,  we really have been better this year at not wasting so much food and I have to say I no longer have a load to throw out of the fridge when we have been shopping.  I think this is mainly due to always checking before we go out and making extra for the freezer.  This past week I have had two meals from the freezer that were a result of freezing the left over portion.  This comes in useful as I am often eating differently to the rest of the family ( due to the GF) so cooking just for me can be a pain.

We always check out the reduced section and this week we have got asparagus for 28p.

Citrus drink for 15p, we don't often buy pop but the children like it occasionally. We usually stick to dilute.

We bought a couple of bottles of this and it is really nice, not too sweet, from Asda.

I also got a 2.5kg bag of potatoes for 10p, a pineapple for 10p and three peppers for 49p.  All of these items were perfectly fine so it really is worth checking the reduced goods.

My next saving this week is  exercising, now for the past couple of years I have a swim card.  This did give me a good deal on savings while I was using it, I used to go two to three times a week and the yearly fee cost me less than if I went once a week.  However I let my membership lapse earlier this year as I was no longer enjoying going.

The timings when swim club wasn't on were awkward, there were a few times the showers were not working, when it was open to public it was getting very busy and you couldn't swim properly without getting stressed argh! The list goes on so I stopped.

I do think it's important to exercise so in addition to walking my dogs I do pilates from home using online videos and more recently this fabulous workout I found at  sweatybetty it is great you alternate intense exercise with a cardio and is well worth a look.  There is loads you can find for free, I'm not saying I will not use the pool ever again I'm just not going to tie in to a membership or make it a weekly must do.

Frugal  saving number four is my 2016 Diary which is the same as last year only with new inserts which can be found and printed here I used this last year and as you only use a bit of your diary most of the time what is the point in paying loads for a new one.  I find it is the notebook pages that get most use so just get one of your notebooks and add some diary inserts to the front or back section.

I tend to stick mine in along with a motivational picture, then add a book mark of a paperclip for the month we are on.

Finally my last item is my library books, I have had some great ones this year not all of which have been listed.  Irma Voth was a recent favourite, I am currently reading  How is the Internet Changing the Way You Think . I did not hit my target of a book a week but then some of them were much bigger and heavier reading than others.  I have also bought a few which I now think were unnecessary although not expensive but as I really can get most stuff from the library it is sometimes just impatience. This is something I will keep a check on in the new year, I do like to own favourites, but rarely read them again so maybe I need to start and photograph them along with a few notes and just keep this in a file? 

So there they are, my minor savings. Has anyone else still managed to have some frugal successes during the Christmas week?

Homemade Recycled Envelopes and Little Guy's First Walk

I thought I would share a couple of the envelopes I mentioned yesterday, for the ones I made I used the T.V section out of a paper we were given. We were given lots of papers due to the puppy needing them for his house training, some of the pages were quite colourful though so I thought I would nab those.
Now all I do to make an envelope is to place the card on the sheet of paper to get an idea where to fold, it's just a bit like wrapping a package really, just make sure you are neat.
It is also a good idea to position the paper so that the colourful bit will be on the front  but that might not be relevant if you are using just print or phone book pages. If you were using something like that and wanted to disguise it you could make a load at once and do some printing over the surface then let them dry.
So here are the ones I made...

Now I think they look much more fun than plain ones anyway. It is one of those jobs you could do with an eye on the T.V if you are worried about cutting into your relaxing time. That way you would be saving the pennies and the paper without hardly noticing, 

Here is quickly what I did. Lay out sheet of magazine or paper, place your card on top.

Fold your paper around the card to see where you need to cut.

Make folds on four sides of the card to see where you need to trim.

Trim so you have a flap up each side of the envelope, ensure the bottom folds up and covers the card, you can also fold the top of this to give a nice edge. Trim the top short fold with rounded corners and glue the bottom fold up. Leave the top fold you can stick that one when you eventually use your card.

My desk was a bit of a mess but I made something useful and quick.

Today also saw our little pup venture out for his first walk, I say walk but it was mostly carrying as he hasn't quite got the hang of it, and we didn't want to tire him out. 

It is getting chilly and he has very fine fur, that is why he is wearing a coat, my husband thinks we are being ridiculous (but he was shivering!) he is only young and probably wont always need one but for now he is just fine.

Interesting floor!

Birthday Cards Using Recycling and the Sad Waste of Paper

I always like to keep bits of colourful envelopes it seems such a waste to throw them away when you have opened cards. The same could also be said of any envelope really, all those bits of paper just thrown away, that could be used for shopping lists, paper for the children to doodle on or cut up and fastened together for note books to keep in your bag for odd bits you need to jot down.

As you may have gathered I hate waste,so while I have to watch tree after tree disappearing through the photocopier every day at work I try to be a bit more sensible with my use of paper at home, and not just paper we try to re-use  and make the most of our stuff.
I have a cupboard full of gift bags which are re-used at Christmas and Birthdays, any I am given are folded and carefully stored, as are ribbons, and any re-usable bits of paper.  We recycle clothes, at charity shop if we no longer want them, I often buy there also or on ebay, my children also sell on games or donate and they also buy used games for consoles etc.
There are a couple of birthdays coming up so I decided to make a couple of cards for that today. I know that places like hobby craft are full of pre-made card and envelopes and I have bought these when they are being sold off occasionally. More often though I will use what I have and that is usually what most people will have lying around.

So the white card was A4 size but then cut in half and folded now quite often there is a pristine piece of white card on the back of any birthday or Christmas cards you are given. Cut this away carefully and store, ribbons often come on boxes of chocolates, around blankets or towels or can be picked up at charity shops.

 Buttons I always save the spares that come with any thing and any clothing that cannot be donated or reused is de constructed and all zips, buttons and useful bits removed.

The silver and white background card in my cards was from a bath gift set I was bought last year it lined the bottom of the box! The pink paper I used to make the flowers was a used envelope, your name is usually in the middle so there is loads of usable colourful paper on birthday envelopes. If you are not very good at cutting your own designs you can go on line choose some images and make yourself some templates ( just remember to save them so you are not creating more waste!)

The buttons are from my stash of many odd buttons I just sew them on, silver pens come in useful for writing on your greetings and save on printing. I don't usually add further paper inside I just write the greeting straight onto the card.

Now these cards now need envelopes to fit, I will do these tomorrow, you can use colourful magazine pictures (use the free ones that get pushed through the door) or any paper big enough even saved wrapping paper just make a little label to stick on the front.  I usually find people like cards you have made because you put the time in. I have been a  bit behind on all my handmade stuff recently so I am on a real push now to get back into it.

There are loads of ideas out there for re-using paper, card, jars, jumpers etc. I will share more later.

Repairs, Cards and Books

Today I managed to get some jobs done despite spending all of my free time watching the new puppy. I repaired the sleeves again on a shirt, repaired a rucksack for my son and mended a hole on a pair of jeans.  Nothing amazing I know but they are jobs that have been sitting there and it is a relief to get them done as I nearly always put off starting anything for myself while ever there are other repair jobs sitting around.
I also made a Christmas card, yes just the one but it is still October. It is quite a basic tree one, but sometimes you want to feel like you have done something no matter how small to get the ball rolling and get you back into making stuff.  So that is what this was, I have  decided I am going to make them daily, not all the same of course and this way they will build up gradually.

Now the colours are much brighter but this is a night time photo so it looks quite washed out.

The card I bought last year really cheap after Christmas for something like 30p for 6 with envelopes. The tree is cut out from vinyl samples I was given years ago and I still have loads left, other bits are recycled paper, some stickers I got free with a magazine I was bought as a gift ( a craft magazine as a present from a friend)

So I have ideas now but it is getting the time to make them a reality, watching a puppy as many of you will know takes loads of time and energy, every sniff we have to rush outside to see if he needs to pee or poo, When my son is watching him he has only half an eye on him so accidents are happening more then, so much as I should make him watch him more (he is supposed to be his, I laugh) I don't want to delay his house training so it is more effective when I can keep catching him and talking him out.

I have seen some fabulous ideas on pinterest 

How gorgeous is that sewing machine cover, I also saw this one...

Now I hope these images last because sometimes I share and then find the image has gone. However if I do one thing this half term I think it has to be making myself a sewing machine cover like one of these.

I have a couple of new books on the go this week, one of them is fiction, The Loney

I have only just started this so will let you know how it goes. The other one is by Cesar Millan called How to raise the Perfect Dog ( hah! again I will let you know how that goes also.

Right I am going to try to be back tomorrow as I am determined to carve out a little time each day for making.