Using up the Scraps

This dark and dreary weekend I have managed to use up some more of my fabric scraps, some of my own and some gifted from Jo at Three Stories High.  There are still plenty left so expect to see more over the coming months, I have also used some of the bag rings I recycled from the rescued bags my mother in law brought from the charity shop rag bag.  They don't put out on display bags that are tatty but the bag furniture does come in handy, I also hate to see zips going to waste.  Now zips can be a pain to unpick but you have the satisfaction of not having to buy a zip and saving the old one from the bin, win, win.  It is also not so bad to unpick listening to a podcast or watching a show on a dark night. Here are a couple of the bags I have made using odd bits...

So this one has some gifted denim and cord from Jo, cherry fabric scraps that have been appearing in all kinds of things for the last few years and will continue to do so down to the last cm! Also the lining is leftover from a mock jumpsuit I made in the summer.  The design is a bit different on each side for this one.

This second one has some recycled shirts in the mix, a skirt and some new vegan leather. Well not new this week but it was new when I bought it ;)  I also took a little photo of the process as I make a mess on the dining room table.  I am always surprised at going form 'oh what will go with that bit of fabric?' to 'Ooh I like that together!' It just goes to show don't be too hasty in throwing out those oddments.

I have my own little pattern that I made for my own style of bag I did wonder whether it might be something I could have printed up and market but as I am not a big name I wonder about the viability of that?  I know you can have your patterns printed but there  are so many out there already.  I was listening to BBC radio  on the laptop while cutting and sewing most of these, also a few podcasts, it keeps me company and you can learn something new.

The next bag is a custom order that I was asked to make for a colleague, I am certain the person she is gifting it to will have never heard of my blog so I am safe to share.

They have a bit of a love of flamingos in the family so this fabric was ordered just for this, I hope the recipient likes it and appreciates the one off nature of such a gift.   

There is such a lot of stuff out there at the moment that can be bought on mass, cheaper and quicker from China or elsewhere but unless we all want to walk around in exactly the same clothes with all the same accessories cheap and quick is not better in my eyes.  Well ok I do like cheap but when relating to pre-owned bargains not mass produced items.  

In relation to this I also find that I get more pleasure out of finding unusual bits in a charity shop or planning what to make with fabric than I would from just going out shopping for new.  This is probably due to the maker in me but if you go in a shop and there are rails and rails of the same garment doesn't it put you off? When I first began sewing in my teens I remember going out in a particular dress and lots of people asking where I got it, as I made it myself they couldn't go out and buy it off the rail.  They could buy the same fabric and try to recreate if they were inclined but I made the pattern too so chances are there wouldn't be any exactly the same.  I liked that and still do.

There was also an evening of making make up bags, more scrap busting and these smaller projects are great for using up random bits.

All of my above makes are available on my Etsy shop here  apart from the custom flamingo bag.  I do have fabric left so will make another but in a different style, or paired with other colours.

Productive?  Well I haven't been out much and the dogs have been getting restless, I had a hospital appointment Monday and been under the weather since.  A bit drained but I can sew from a chair so that is ok, what with one thing and another I am tired so wonder if I am now a bit anaemic.  Must buy some iron supplements to be safe I think.

On a plus note I did manage to get out today to have lunch  with my two lovely friends.  We went to Jameson's Tea Room and I have never been before, it was wonderful, piano playing, beautiful tea cups and pots.  I told my husband about it after and I could see he didn't get what was so cool about that.  It felt a bit like stepping back in time to a quieter more elegant time, although I do realise that if we did step back to such a time  I would more than likely be serving the tea rather then drinking it!  They were also very good about providing me with GF vegan options an the cook had made GF vegan scones this morning (I emailed a few days ago so my requirements didn't come as a  surprise).

I don't very often go to that part of the city so it made a lovely change and we do hope to get together again before Christmas but with everyone being so busy we can only do our best. 

There were a few books returned to the library, I borrowed a couple of Frederick Backman books more to follow on those later and I also checked my placement in the queue for The Handmaid's Tale I am number five now and The Testaments number 82!  I think I will make an exception and just treat myself to these but perhaps wait for The Testaments in paperback. I think Margaret Atwood has certainly seen a revival in sales from her book being televised.  I have read a few of her other works some good some not so much but all a little odd I think. 

Well that is all for now, let's hope for a brighter week. Back soon.   

A Day Out

We have had a bit of a change today and went out for the afternoon, my husband had booked a day off so we thought we would make the most of it.  We went  to Cleethorpes, we haven't been there for years and it is only an hour away. As it is a Friday we thought it wouldn't be too busy as most people go for the weekend and don't set off until Friday teatime.  It was still quite busy as lots of people were there with young children, there were also a couple of school trips on the beach.  Unfortunately we couldn't take the dogs down onto the sand but walked along the front instead.

 It has been a good day for the weather, the sun did keep disappearing behind a cloud and it was very breezy but I have to say that is better for the dogs.  If it had been blazing sunshine we would have had to get them out of the heat after a short walk, but with the wind and the cloud we managed a good walk.

There was also a lovely boating pond (no boats on it!) full of ducks that we walked around and had our picnic there. We were very prepared today, icepacks in the rucksack, sandwiches, tomatoes, crisps and drinks.  We also managed to park around the corner from one of the main car parks for free, very frugal!

This one clearly is clearly after some food, we didn't feed it as we didn't have  appropriate food.

 This area was beautiful and very well kept.

There was a path leading to a nature reserve, we didn't take that as it involved walking through long grass and two of us had bare legs, I am a bit cautious of getting a tick from long grass having seen one they are hideous things!

We didn't choose to walk around the town after but headed home before the work traffic started to build up, we always try and plan any outing around the least possible traffic.

When I got home I managed to get a load of weeding done and re-pot one of my planters with some of my seedlings from the greenhouse.  I have quite a lot of black flies/aphids on some of my plants I am finding the only solution where there are so many is to remove the affected plants.  It is not too bad as I have spent very little and the garden is full of colour at the moment, all the seed planting paid off. 

June...ing

Hi there, I thought I would join in again today with Christina  and Joe with another 'ing' post.  I have to admit that this has come around far too quickly and like many of you I'm sure, feel like I am in a constant battle with the clock.  Well enough of that here goes...

Growing all sorts of things at the moment, quite a lot has gone outside now. I'm very happy that from a few seed packets I now have lots of plants outside so this will have been quite a saving.  Although saying that I would never have bought that many flower plants as I planted out over forty on Thursday and there are still some to go out.  I have peas that need putting out and the lettuce that are inside are doing really well much better than the ones outside.

Reading 'Can We Live Here' by Sarah Alderton, this is a travel memoir and I wasn't sure when I first started it if it was for me.  I have continued with it and it has a funny moments however some of the language feels a bit young to me (or am I just getting old) for example calling people dude, as a grown woman is  a bit weird to me and phrases like that.   The young family in the book rent out their house and set off around the world with a little one in tow to find paradise, or at least something like it where they can live.  Some of the descriptions of places sound stunning and others appalling as you would expect when seeing the whole spectrum the world has to offer. It has been a good change to read something a bit different.

Drinking  tea, water and cordial only as I have decided to do one year no beer, not that I drink very much anyway but I have decided to do this after seeing it on a podcast and listening to a very interesting talk about it.  I probably buy a bottle of wine about once a week and I just decided why? To be honest I often feel sleepy after a glass anyway so I am giving it up.   

Deciding what to make with the lovely purple fabric from Minerva Crafts. I had thought an underwear set like the one below however it occurred to me that they require photos of finished products and there is no way I am being photographed wearing that!

Wearing tights again today and not happy about it, the building at work is cold and just when I thought the summer wardrobe was out to stay here I am walking around all day with a fleece on.  Hopefully this dreary weather won't last.  My son has been at Alton Towers this last couple of days too, not the best for standing in cues.

Eating pretty much the same menu each week recently, pasta, curry, stir fry and so on.  I have just felt it has been one less thing to think about and made shopping so quick on a Friday.  I find I go through phases of trying lots of new things then settle into a pattern now and again, I may have to mix it up a bit soon before the family complain;) I'll maybe have a new set menu for a few weeks.

Listening to the Rich Roll podcasts on YouTube, usually while sewing or ironing.  He is an ultra athlete, former lawyer who completely changed his life.  He interviews a variety of people and some I enjoy more than others.  I like to have something to listen to while I get on with things.

Waking up earlier, this is always so much easier in the summer and mornings feel more relaxed.  I don't stay in at the weekend anymore as I am just naturally awake earlier.  It would be nice to think this will continue through  the seasons but I will have to report on that later in the year.  Just reading a few pages and eating breakfast slowly is wonderful.  Does anyone else experience this more at this time of year or are you an early riser all year round?

Well that is all for now,  thanks for reading.

 

Bag Making and a Day Out

Last week I mentioned that I had finished another handbag and was about to list it on Etsy, well I did that although I am still not sure if it is the best place to get seen these days. You are something of a drop in the ocean of handmade sellers out there.  Anyway on it went and I am really pleased that I used up my last piece of the Paris fabric in this handbag.  I made a skirt in this about five years ago that I still wear, then it went into another bag that belongs to a friend of mine.  Later still it made up some of the hexagons in my lap quilt it can be seen here.

So it was only ever a metre of fabric but I really do try and use all that I can and that makes me happy that there is very little waste.  Here is the bag, all elements of this particular bag are recycled including the strap, I saved that years ago from a different bag.

Oops I just realized I bought the D ring on the front and the black ribbon new, I did make the little tassel.  I am very fond of these at the moment so every future bag may have a tassel :)

So the back is the same apart from the tassel, the fabric is in the style of an old newspaper.

Anyone recognise the fabric inside leftover from a dress I made a few weeks ago?

After pottering away with that on Friday I had a sewing free day Saturday as we  visited my sister in law at Bridlington for her fiftieth birthday.  She had rented a hut on the sea front and was having a get together there, it was a lovely day in terms of seeing people but the weather was not so good, grey cloud, wind and rain.  All week the forecast had been good for Saturday too, oh well she has the hut for the week so they have been enjoying it for the last couple of days too with better weather. 

While we were there, it was the Steampunk meeting and a classic cars event so plenty to see.  However we only went for the afternoon but we did have a look around and I managed to get a few photographs.

This camper was amazing, such a lot of work had gone into it and the couple (I presume the owners) in the photograph looking like pirates were posing for shots for hours.  I couldn't get any closer as there were so many trying to take pictures I didn't want to get in the way.   A lot of people had gone to great  effort over their costumes.

Inside the Bridlington Spa it was mainly stalls selling the Steampunk type of clothing but there were a few others with accessories I managed to find myself this...

I decided to wear it immediately and then someone said to me 'out of all that stuff in there did you manage to find the one thing with a sewing machine on?'  Ha! probably yes, it was calling to me. 

My husband found these lamps interesting...

Outside the Bridlington Spa were the classic cars, you really don't realise how big they are until you get up close.  We are so used to seeing the cars in films but can you imagine the costs of running one on fuel over here.

So it was a nice afternoon and a good chance to get to see family who are living in Bridlington now, also my sister in law had a bigger turnout to her party than she expected so that was nice.

That's all for now I am off to cook the dinner and finish piecing together a free print off pattern.

Etsy Shop Here

May...ing

I have decided to do an 'ing' post as Jo at Three Stories High and  Christina at a colourful life always do these and I think they are fun. The month is just flying by and I realise I have been a little blog absent these past few weeks so here goes.

Making - many things for the garden but I can't take credit for that it is my husband doing all the woodwork. He really has missed his calling there I think as he seems to be able to knock together just about anything. He has replaced more of the decking, made his own design for a little fence panel and decked the floor just outside the back door yesterday.

I said I think he should make those fence panels to sell, he does have a day job though!

This little area is much better with the decking on, it was just concrete same as the step below and that was fine except that there was a crack, also a manhole cover.  This meant there were certain places where you couldn't sit back with your chair without falling into a gap.  This has levelled it all out and made the space more usable.

I am currently making this dress with a simple pattern from a magazine, the fabric is left over from a dress I made for my mother in law last year.

I hope to share this later in the week, no rush as I am taking a relaxed approach to my sewing while the weather has been a bit better.

Growing- a mixture of flowers and vegetables, I thought I would try and grow more flowers this year as they are so expensive to buy and an ongoing cost in the summer if you want the pots to look nice.  I have nasturtiums, pansies, giant godettia and various other that I can't recall the names of!  On the vegetable front I have planted lettuce, peas, purple kale and radishes.  There is also some basil and parsley on the go. 

 Some of these really need thinning already, I did a few the other day but they looked a bit sad after.

 These radishes have been put up high out of the way of the dogs, they seem to think growing veg outside is a buffet just for them, or at least one of them does.

Bigger plants  are already moved on to bigger pots, I think I will put some more seeds in now to keep things going.  The only thing with this is the waiting, obviously popping to the garden centre you get instant colour.

Reading- having recently read Atomic Habits that has been the best read for ages, thinking about you habits, the order in which you do things, chunking new habits to old to make them stick.  Also the idea of deliberate practise and accumulated hours was really interesting.  If you are interested in changing a few habits and want to understand a bit more of the psychology of why habits stick or not then this is worth a read.  If you don't feel you have the time there is also a podcast you can watch/listen to on youtube Atomic Habits James Clear.   It is quite a long one so maybe watch it over a couple of sessions.

I also read The Summer of Impossible Things, this had a little bit of time travel, a bit of a love story and I would definitely say it is a beach kind of book, nothing heavy and not that I've been near a beach of any kind for a long time.  It was enjoyable if a bit sentimental in places but worth a look if you don't want anything too taxing.  

Currently I have on the go One hundred years of Solitude (again I didn't finish it last time)  and People in the Room by Norah Lange. I 'll let you know how I get on with that later.

Learning- Norwegian, I started a month long futurelearn course and I am also practising on Duo Lingo but I have to say that has you learning some bizarre sentences.  In addition to that I have ordered some CDs from the library.  It keeps my brain learning new things and I am doing a little every day with no excuses.

Planning- decorating my hallway and stairs, at the very least I want a new stair carpet but the whole drama of having to book people to come out just puts me off. The painting I can do but the carpet fitting needs professionals. People in and out talking and three dogs barking, I am not looking forward to it. 

Enjoying- sticking to my pilates routine every evening, I have done a month  now without missing any and it really has just become part of my daily routine.  The plus is that I always feel better after and not just because of the moves but  also because I know I have completed it.

Watching- a good selection  of world television, this last week we watched a series called The Night Out, it was Colombian and based on a real case. It was very interesting and there are other cases in the series.  We are currently watching Border Town and that is set in Finland.

Regretting- having more than two glasses of wine on a rare night out on Friday, I was up early yesterday with flu like symptoms? This must have been my body having a weird hangover as I am fine now!  I was tired all day so a bit of a waste of a Saturday.

Catching- up on all my blog reading, I love seeing what you are all up to and it is so lovely to have such a wonderful community to share with.

Well that is all for now, I have the usual Sunday evening ironing pile to tackle so I am off to do that while listening to a few podcasts.

Springing Awake

I feel like the cobwebs have really been blown away with all this lovely weather we have had recently. Easter weekend you could hardly get us inside in typical British fashion we were out, sandals on sorting the garden, with the odd bottle of beer in hand of course!  My husband has built us some amazing raised planters down one side, we need things like this as the dogs have a tendency to jump on dug soil and dig.  Sometimes they just walk through it just to get dirty and annoy us I think.

Anyway these will be really useful for the summer, they took quite a lot of filling and I have to say that buying soil is not fun.  The rest of the garden was given a wash down and a weed and now it is looking much better, I hope we haven't scared away the rest of the sunshine now.

So as things start to grow in the greenhouse there will be more plants to fill them up, just looking a bit sparse for now.  We bought an ornamental tree and a pear plus we moved a couple of aisas to the boxes.

I didn't feel much like being indoors sewing while the weather was glorious as you never know how long it will last, we also had a trip to Castleton and a bit of a walk around there.  The rest of the time was just spent in the garden . I

Now that the evenings are lighter I have felt much more productive and various ways, I am sticking to practising my guitar every night, doing 20-30 minutes of pilates and I have started a Norwegian course that I have been doing for just over a week. So that I don't forget anything I made myself a little tick calendar.

I managed to repair three pairs of jeans and turn another pair into shorts, I did a few tops and alterations for people I know and I completely reshaped a jacket I made a while ago but forgot the before and after photos.

I have been getting more books read, this is in part due to being more strict with my online reading.  I do love to read online but I have a tendency to jump through the links on a topic when I am interested.  This can be good for learning but also bad for concentration so I am trying to  limit my use of online articles or  read them alongside a book where I can.  I will share more on this another day as it is a topic all on it's own really.

On Saturday we visited a fabric shop in Barnsley as I needed a zip, only to find a closing down sale!  This is sad as the shop has been there for years however the last we visited it had new owners/managers or whatever  and the boss was clearly humiliating a member of staff in front of all the customers, we were embarrassed for her. So maybe there is a reason it is closing if that was a reflection of life for staff at the shop on a regular basis.   I did manage to bag a £1.50 remnant while I was there, it is not very big but enough for a small skirt, I will share another day. I'm off to work on my to do list :)  

My Happy Space

So today the theme for world craft week is the space where we create, I don't have a separate room for my sewing but I do use one corner of our sun room.  This tends to be the best place for me as I can be keeping an eye on whatever I am cooking (it is next to the kitchen), I can let the dogs out easily without too much interruption and I still feel somewhat sociable. My son's will sometimes come and have a quick chat while I am making as they pop in the kitchen for a snack, it works for me and the lighting is pretty good.

You may recognise this image as I also use it on my banner at the top, it does now have the upcycled sewing box in the image on the right.

I don't have a great deal of storage for fabric, just a box under the desk and some drawers in a bureau in the dining room.  This does mean that I do not really hoard fabric but I do save all the little bits from projects and they all fit nicely in a shopping bag that is also stored under the desk.

Most of my cutting is done at the dining table while I occasionally use the floor, that is not ideal though as the dogs want to be involved.  I have in fact trained the older two to stay on the sofa if I am cutting but the youngest just wants to be next to me all the time, he is getting better and will sit still now after a few prompts.

I have toyed with the idea of going up into the loft as it feels a bit of wasted space up there but then I would be tucked away from everyone.  I am not sure I would prefer that, although some of you may think that sounds like heaven.  How about you? Do you dream of a quiet nook to sew in or do you prefer to work in the middle of the house with life going on around you?

There was a skirt alteration to do this evening after work so I was actually relieved that todays theme for the challenge was an image of our craft spaces.  When I am making I like to take my time and ponder if it is something new, that is quite difficult if you only have an hour to get something made, photographed and published.  Tomorrow is my half day at work so that will free up a chunk of time for making.



Etsy shop

Five Frugal Things

I have decided to do a frugal things post this week as I have been reading a few on blogs over the past week, I particularly like Shoestring Cottage as she does a lot of these over there and it gets you thinking how you save each week. There are lots of these types of posts out there and of course you find you have more in common with some more than others depending on your interests and so on.  So here goes mine and just a few things I have found frugal and useful this past week...

• A free origami pattern over at Michelle patterns this is a lovely little butterfly and ideal for using up fabric scraps. Make one in paper first so you know what you are doing then it is just a case of choosing two fabrics to sew together then repeating the process.  It only takes a couple of stitches to keep the whole thing in place once it is folded, it could be used to embellish bags, add to a bouquet or as a brooch.  I also think it would be a lovely little craft activity for a girls party. Here is my first go at this, I'm sure there will be more...

• A trip to the charity shops that resulted in a bargain find of a wool dress, now ok this did involve spending money but at £7.50 it was too good to miss, it looks like new, is incredibly soft, it doesn't need an iron after washing (on cool) and after researching the label Edina Ronay it turns out it is a really good make.  I am not a label fan but it felt such good quality that is what prompted me to look it up. So feeling pretty pleased with this winter dress.

• Another thing I did this week was to print off another recipe to add to my own personal recipe book, I was having a browse on amazon at cook books and I almost bought a used one but then I remembered I only ever like a couple of recipes from each one I own or borrow so what is the point? Something I started doing a little while ago is to print off recipes and put them in a folder, I keep my favourites here now and if they are not a success they don't make it in.  This guarantees that this is one recipe book where I know we like everything in it.  This week it was a sweet potato and kale chilli, very good and one to keep.

  

  The recipes are all from different sites, whatever I spot while browsing and fancy trying.
  

  

  
  

  
  
•  In relation to that the next frugal thing is the three ready meals I have in the freezer from that recipe. I may take one or two to work for lunch or it will be something that is quick to heat up for when I come home from work.  I like to make sure when I am cooking my meat free meals that there is at least one portion left over to take for lunches, as we eat differently here that at least ensures the time and cost are efficiently used.

• I started another course on Future learn this time it is analytics and to be honest it is a little bit dry for me, I will finish it and quickly choose something more fitting.  I thought it was something I should understand a little better, but being a creative type all the data is sort of sending me to sleep!  I know there are those of you out there who are creative and good at that side of things but for me it does not excite.  I have learned a little bit already as you always do whatever you try but the good thing is this a great way to try free study in something you would not normally do.

I'm sure there were other things I could have added this week but these were the things that came to mind, I did a very fast shop actually on Friday and that resulted in a lower than usual bill.  We may find I have forgotten something as the week passes but I'm sure it will be fine.  I must do that as a matter of routine in future get in and out with my list as fast as I can, that way I will be saving time as well as money. I always enjoy reading how everyone else has kept the costs down from day to day so please share in the comments, I also noticed I have a couple of new followers so welcome to you and thanks for reading. 

Wentworth Walk and Books this Month

Today I discovered this wonderful blog called casual ramblers it is an amazing source of information if you like walking and are looking for a new route to take.  To be honest I can't even remember what I was searching at the time when I came across it because I know I did not put in any of those key words. Still it was very handy as we were just saying this morning what shall we do today, and did anyone want to go anywhere?

  When I stumbled on this  blog one of the first posts I read was about a round walk at Wentworth and while I have been to Wentworth garden centre many times I have not really explored the area beyond that. So I printed off the route and we got the dogs in the car, most of my dog walking takes place near my house but just recently I have been thinking there are lots of places just a short drive away so it is good to get out and see different scenery.

We parked in the beautiful Wentworth village and after crossing our first field we saw this...

It is a gorgeous converted windmill, actually people were sitting in the garden I noticed as we passed. I bet they get fed up of people taking photos of their house. Oops!

It is a beautiful area and you pass over lots of farm land on this walk, therefore the dogs remain on a lead.  It was just as well really as it warmed up and they would have got too hot had they been running around.  There were lots of areas of shade as we passed through woodland so this was a relief, it was cloudy and breezy when we set off so we thought an ideal time to have a good walk with the dogs!

The walk has a definite  route as I said it can be found online in the form of a leaflet called Wentworth walk 9 or if you follow the link on the blog above he gives very good directions too.  There are also lots of signs on the footpaths and styles saying doorstep walk. 

You pass this amazing structure called the Needle's Eye which was built by the Charles the second Marquess of Rockingham between 1730 and 1782, apparently to settle a wager that he could ride a horse and carriage through the eye of a needle. It is an interesting sight anyway and in a lovely location.

We think this walk was maybe between 4-5 miles maybe more 5 for us as we set off walking back up a field then realised maybe we should be going the other way, so a bit of backtracking there. Usually my husband tracks it on his phone but he forgot today and our route didn't state the distance.  Many of the other walks on the blog I mentioned  do state the distance and difficulty.

The route also takes you past Elsecar Heritage Centre which is a nice place to visit if you have never been there.  We just stopped to let the dogs have a drink then carried on.

More gorgeous scenery then back up through the village for a drink outside a pub.  This is a another lovely walk to return to and it will be interesting to see how it looks through the changing seasons.

As I have had a bit of time I have finished  a few books this past month, the good thing being I have really enjoyed the ones I have read.  This is partly because I have a new thing of deciding fairly early on if it is my sort of thing and if not I just stop and move on.  There are so many books there is just no point in persevering just because I have started something, I used to have a real problem with that I've started so I'll finish ideal.

So first up was Sacred Hearts by Sarah Dunant, it may not be for everyone as it is historical and about life in a convent but I really enjoyed it.

This story is set in Italy in the city of Ferrara. It is 1570 and Serafina is sent to the convent of Santa Caterina against her will.   This is a story about the ongoing struggle of one, strong determined young woman in a time when women were expected to quietly accept their lot. There is also a story of relationship, between Zuana the infirmary sister and the abbess who is not all she appears.  It is a  really good read which draws you into the setting with admiration for those who chose it willingly, and horror for those who never had that choice.   I read a little each night with this novel and I’m  glad I did not rush through it, it gave me a chance to think about the freedom many of us get to enjoy in this modern age. While not all women across the world  are so fortunate and for some little has changed.

Next I read The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden, I was really pleased to order this one from the library as I had it on my Amazon wish list.  Books tend to stay there while I make up my mind.  Now again this is a historical story but his time in the form of a fairy tale for grown ups, or at least that is how I would describe it.  Set in Russia, there is lots of folklore and magic but the characters are wonderfully believable and I was completely lost in this tale.  The main character Vasya is once more strong and capable in a time when this was not  favoured trait in women.

I did not choose these two books expecting a similar theme to run through them it just happened that way. 

After that I read How to get things done by Richard Templar, this book felt a bit of a cheat, 200  pages with every other one being a title or heading page so realistically a one hundred page book!  I read this in one sitting and of course most of it is just common sense, make lists, delegate, don't do unnecessary tasks  and  just get on with stuff.  So nothing ground breaking there but I would have been annoyed had I paid for this book, given that it was so short and misleading.  I mean if you ordered that online you would expect 200 pages and not 100 of them to be space filling fluff. 

My current read is How to Stop Time by Matt Haig and I am off to finish that now. 

Takara Blouse with Pink Flamingos

A few weeks ago I spotted a bundle of sewing world magazine on ebay for a couple of pounds, I bid on them and won, I thought they would be fun to look through while I was off work for the summer and may provide some inspiration. Plus what a bargain price, it is a collection of six magazines and yesterday I had a go at a blouse from the January 2017 issue.  This was ideal as I spotted some pink flamingo fabric while out on Saturday and just couldn't resist it.

I had just enough fabric to make the blouse in my size with one metre but the instructions state one and a half so it will depend on sizing. Initially I was a bit concerned about the neck detail because I thought it may just look like a mistake as the centre pleat is not straight (this is the asymmetrical style of it) but as my fabric is a polycotton and quite flowy it is not that obvious and the detailing is nice.

On the pattern it also states to put a hook and eye at the top centre back, I chose to opt for a button and loop as I had thin black ribbon and a selection of pink buttons to hand.  I feel this is more of a feature at the back neck rather than it needing to be there for functionality as you can easily get the top on without unfastening it.

The sizing on this pattern was pretty good although I did run the sides in a little but that is probably personal choice, even after doing that it is still roomy enough to be comfy and I will use this pattern again now that I've tried it.  At first I though what if I cut into this lovely new fabric and this weird neck thing doesn't work? Then I thought the feature was high enough up that if I didn't like it I could have worked it into something else so I carried on.

What I would say though is that I found the facings a little deep and when it was all finished the facing did appear to be pulling up on the inside like it was too small, I figured it may be the depth of it so I just trimmed it down, refinished it and then it hung flat.  After under stitching the facing I also added some very fine invisible stitching to the top on the inside to ensure the facing stays, this is not necessary but it just reassures me everything stays put

I was going to make the sleeves shorter but once they were done I actually like them this length, because they are loose they are comfy and also there is enough room that if a jacket pushes them up they won't feel tight on the upper arm. That is one of the things that usually bugs me about three quarter or elbow length sleeves.

Here is the blouse in the magazine, as you can see they have used a slightly heavier fabric so the neck detain is more prominent.

I look forward to seeing what else I can make from these magazines, as they are usually quite expensive they are not something I buy often so this little bargain bundle was a treat.  Has anyone else been looking through old magazines or books for inspiration this summer?  If so I would love to hear what you have discovered or revisited.

Today we have been out for a walk to a new place, not that far in the car and I only heard about it through a link form a friend on facebook.  So many lovely places close by that go undiscovered.  This place is a park called Glen Howe park, there is a little link here.

The dogs had a great time sniffing around somewhere new.

I love pictures through trees.

 A bit of paddling (not me)

So that is another place we can take them when we feel like a change, I'm sure we will discover some more walks that are not too far away.  It just goes to show you don't have to visit another town or country to see something new.