Sewing Supplies

 Hello, I hope you are all well and busy making, learning and doing wherever you are.  I have been having a good look through my offcuts of fabric this week and I would really like to make a lot of it up this year into something.  Now I am not sure what into yet and that doesn't neccessarily mean into clothing either, or even for me but I would like to make a good bit of space as there are a lot of pieces that have just ended up with me becasuse they are leftover from work, or bits that I have had donated to me.  I don't like to say no to fabric, this means that my small but perfectly functioning sewing room is bursting at the seams with leftover bits.

There are these places, also full drawers and the bottoms of cupboards.

I am not a fabric hoarder, or a person who has a  fabric stash , you know there are lots of people out there talking about their fabric stash and they buy fabric all the time and never make it up.  That is not me, also if people want to do that then that is entirely up to them but it is not something I have ever done.  I tend to buy what I need then make it up.  So why have I ended up in a situation where I struggle to store fabric? Well you may remember last year I was very kindly given two big bags of fabric from an acquaintance who had lost her mum.  I did share some of this with a friend but there was such a lot, some of it has been used but there is a lot left.   Then of course I do sew alongs for Minerva, now every time I finish a project there is always lots of bits from around the edges left, now wanting to be green I can't possibly just throw all that way.  However it is not all to my taste, or big enough for garments and there are only so many bags I can store if I make those!  So I need to get my thinking cap on.

One thought I had was could I think of something quick and simple that would be a scrap busting project that I could sell on ebay, I have to say Folksy gets no traffic apart from what I send there directly myself so that is not a great one for custom I am finding.   So ideally I need to come up with something quick to make that will use the scraps but not take too long.  This way I can feel it is being utilised, I am being productive and maybe make a few pence from it at the same time, after all I do work from home now so every bit helps.   If you have any suggestions I would love to hear about them. I think quilting projects are all very well with bits like that if you are doing them for yourself but not sell on as they take forever and often people do not realise the many hours that go into things.  

My other thought while looking through things was that I need to make a much clearer system for my notions, they are currently stored in different conainers and boxes but a bit all over.  Last week when I was making the pink cardigan I was sure I had four brown buttons of similar style, I did of course but I had to look in a range of places but I got them all together.  So yes I need to get on that and do some clear labelling.

This past week I finished my book  A prayer for Owen Meany, I have to say while it was well written and had a good ending to it I felt it went on way too long.  This is not because I have anything against longer books it was just not necessary.  Quite a big chunk in the middle I felt like I zoned out, conversations about some trivial topic lasting eight pages and so on.  So I am not sure if I will read any more by John Irving.   This week I have just started Lessons In Chemistry, so I am hoping for a more enjoyable read with this one.

This was another book from Abe books, just £2 for the hardback, I get many of my books from the library but I do often find that any of the more recent ones that I want to read I can be on the reserve list for a year so buying them second hand like this is also good.  Well I need to get on with some work now so I hope you all have a good week.  Bye for now.

Sew a Dog Collar, Recycled Project

 Hello everyone, I hope you have all had a good week.  Just when  I thought summer was over we are having a glorious day here, very hot and suuny all day and just when the children are set to return to school.  I think that seems to happen every year.

This week I have made three new dog collars and a dog bandana, I was just thinking the old ones were looking a little tired and I needed to buy new ones.  When you look at a dog collar though there is literally nothing to it, and as a dress maker the amount of small pieces of fabric that I tend to end up with it seems a shame not to make small things like this.  I also wonder why I have not made them before, they are not that expensive you may say, but I have three dogs so every time a piece of dog equipment needs replacing it is times by three, so that quickly adds up.

I used the existing clips and sliders from the old collars and doubled up cotton fabrics a number of times to make it thick enough for a collar.  I gave the clips a good wash first and pressed the fabric once folded.  In all these were very quick makes although I did have to sew very slowly down the length of the collars as it was thick enough to break the needle, I walked it over the fabric in a number of places .

The bandana was simply one pieces hemmed all around then folded in half with a channel sewn for the collar to thread through.  The hardest part was trying to get the dogs to be still and model for me.

This was the first, and if any of you shop with minerva you may recognise Inky Grove pattern!

This one actually has a floral design on it but this little guy doesn't mind at all.

He is not wearing the bandana now I just made it for fun and my husband is not big on dogs being dressed up either.  We may keep it for special occasions.

In other news we have started rewatching Game of Thrones from the beginning, this may seem odd but my husband put it on last week and I sat down to watch and now I am hooked all over again.

In books I have just finished The Dance Tree, and picked up a couple more from the library.  I had been very carefully recording my book a week on instagram all year but this last few weeks that has all gone a bit off.  Why is it you forget to do something once then it all goes out of the window, maybe that is just me. 

My Pilates which I have always done daily is also seriously out of favour too, this is something I will remedy this week.  I always think the start of a new week is like a blank page so I will get on top of things again. 

The last few evenings I have really noticed how much darker it is now early on, I do think this seems to happen all of a sudden every year though I am determined to make the most of the seasons.

Have a lovely week everyone. 

Festive Dog coats

 Hello everyone and first of all can I say thank you for all your kind comments on my last post, it is so nice to know people are still reading and blogging is still a form that people want. To be more structured in the new year I was thinking of using 'the morning pages' from The Artists Way book. I did not finish the course last time, just read through in the end! 

 Now when I did part of that course earlier this year I did find the morning pages really hard going and I did not continue with it.  This was mainly because you were not to have a purpose for them but just to a brain emptying session every morning and also not read back through it.  I found that very time consuming and also rather pointless at times, three whole pages even if it means writing down I can't think what to write.  However I am now thinking if I adapt it to suit my needs better it could be useful, I will read through, sort ideas and plan from them.  Not what Julia had in mind but better for me I think, so hopefully this will help contibute towards blog posts, projects and plans for things I want to make and do.

On the subject of making I have whizzed off three festive dog coats this afternoon using more of that ever dwindling Christmas fabric.  I really do use all of my fabric and there are only small amounts left of the original bits now.  This did mean sewing strips together down the middle to make pieces big enough for the coats and I did want all three dogs matching but there was just not enough.  So as it is Bonnie and Clyde match and Little Marvin has his own design.  I am very happy with them, there is a waterproof layer (shopping bag) between the festive fabric and sweater fabric  so if it does rain they will not have wet backs at least.  They are not big on rain anyway so we usually wait for it to stop but we sometimes get caught in it.   Here they are and they would not stand still!...

                                                            Trying to hide behind dad's leg.

My two Jack Russels are Thirteen now so they do feel the cold more, layering fabric in these coats is a good way to make use of all the odd bits too.

There is the argument that these will not look like this for long based on the state the dogs are in when we get home, but things wash  and at least all the fabric was what I had.  It is just velcro for the fasteners and the little collar parts are cord fabric leftovers.

Over the last few evenings we have been watching a  drama series called flesh and Bone (very raunchy) this will nbot be everyones cup of tea and did think of not continuing half way through but  stuck with it as I really enjoy the ballet side of it.  It was just a shame that there wasn't more of the dancing and less of the pointless nudity, not being a prude it was just a bit much.  A brilliant dance scene at the end though. 

We have had a very long cold walk earlier today, and tommorow I am out for brunch for my Christmas meet up with friends so I hope it isn't too frosty as I don't  like driving in those conditions.  Have a lovely time whatever you are up to.  Bye for now. 

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.

December...ing

 As December is well under way I thought it was maybe time for an 'ing' post, just one more week for us in School but out of School I am busy as ever and the weekends just never seem long.  Here goes...

Loving the children's attitudes in School at the moment as they have all been so amazing!  They came back after the summer with everything different and weird after being off for so long, they have taken to constant hand washing, being escorted for every toilet trip and segregated from the rest of the School and still carried on without complaint and lovely smiling faces every day.  I just wanted to say that first of all as I am sure it is the same every where, children are just so adaptable and brilliant.

Reading The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon, this is set in Barcelona and the story revolves around a discovered book and its mysterious author. I started it ten days ago so this is slow going for me but it is one of those books you can't rush.  I am fluctuating at the moment between loving it and wondering come on where is this going?   So I will let you know my final thoughts  later.

Also enjoying Imagine a Forest, this is a book on folk art that I treat myself to and it has been inspiring some of my latest handbags.  I am using tips from the book and then adding my own twist, of course it is a bit different as I am creating in fabric so anything I make cannot be too fussy or it would take forever to stitch. 

Making a few bags this past week, as I mentioned I am enjoying the folk theme so this is what I have been working on.  First of all I am trying to get back into writing down what I do each day in a creative way and adding any ideas or doodles to that.  If I get down things on paper as they come to me I find I have more ideas for what to make and in effect I do more. Here are the last two bags...

 

I have still been making my regular bags too, these more recent ones take me more time to complete as ponder what to put where and there is a lot more stitching.  Here are a few of my others...

The difficulty at this time of year is always when to take the photographs, I don't seem to be able to get good daylight in the house even at weekends and in the week it is impossible as you leave in the dark and come home in the dark. Speaking if which...

Walking in the dark and in the rain, there has been plenty of that. Wiping down dogs constantly and cleaning boots.  We went to Chatsworth to see it lit up the other evening as we really wanted to do something a bit Christmasy.  You have to book a slot and ours was 5.30, it was raining and very cold but we wrapped up and went in good spirits.  Now I have been to Chatsworth twice this past year and loved it both times but this did not do it for me.  It was £30 for the three of us and the part that was lit up maybe took twenty minutes to walk around (slowly) you could explore the rest of the gardens if you wished but in the pitch black nobody was doing that of course.  If you had an earlier slot you could have made the most of the rest of the gardens and then just enjoyed the lit part just before you left.  So without sounding like a party pooper please do that if you go and get your slot while it is light.  Other wise the only way you can stay for very long is if you stand around in the lit parts drinking over priced mulled wine.  Here are some very dark shot of it anyway...

As you can see out camera was not up to the task of taking such dark images, the bits we saw were nice but with an hour trip there and back you can see my disappointment that it was such a short event.

We have seen some lovely lights in out local neighbourhood for free, and I would urge anyone with children to take them on a dark walk around your area at the moment to spot all the lovely house lights. These are in the local community garden near the park, they look lovely lit up but I thought I would show them in the daylight so you can actually see what I mean.

Baking chocolate cakes, I have got quite good at vegan gf chocolate cake now though it takes a slightly different theme every time I bake it.  This time it was Belgian dark chocolate, apple and coconut, I know it sounds odd but I just got all involved in it then realised I had no bananas!  So applesauce it was and of course there was coconut milk that needed using up, it all worked a treat and my son preferred it.

This evening I am making date, banana and cashew bars as I now have the bananas and these will keep in the fridge. No images as they are still baking.

Watching The crown still, we are on the final series now and only a few more episodes  to go it has really brought home just how little I know about the royal family.  I know it is a dramatization but all the facts at the end and who they are related to is just so interesting, I didn't expect to enjoy it as much as I have.

Wondering what to make with the dress fabric I have bought and also my extra piece from Minerva, I have not been very inspired by the last few Burda magazines and I have two very pretty pieces that Don't want to cut until I am sure what to do.  I have also ordered a piece today to make a vintage style dress for my son's girlfriend for Christmas, that one is from Burda from the vintage edition.  She chose the pattern herself so I will have that to crack on with too. 

Shopping for a few bits for our sons today, we don't go mad here with the whole presents thing but we like to get our children something (well they are grown men now) and then they have money to do as they wish. We ventured out today to get them something to wrap up. 

Feeling very blessed that we are all safe and well, take care everyone and have a good week.

Simple Sew Sophia Top Sew Along

 This week I took a few photographs of this project that I made some months ago, the  skirt was the first thing I made and initially I wasn't sure about it because the fabric is heavy and the pattern required a lighter fabric I think.  Now that it is cold, I have changed my mind and it is just right with tights so it was not so much the wrong fabric choice at the time but rather the wrong weather when I first tried it on.   It is another simple sew pattern, The Sophia top and skirt  and I have made the top as well. 

 I actually made a video on how to make the top and it was my first ever attempt, I felt a bit awkward and as it turned out I have filmed it with the phone the wrong way so there are lines down each side!  I tried to remedy that by putting tips and comments in the black parts down the side.  So please excuse this novice production and with the making of the garment also I like to just do things my way and if this helps then wonderful just take from it what is helpful.  I felt very odd talking to myself and I think my dogs were a little confused too!  

 Here is the link to the video  I have put it on as private but you can view from this link.   Here it is being worn on a sunnier day. I thought adding a video was going to be a quick job but it wasn't and I also didn't realise I couldn't just add it directly until I tried because the file is too big then I had to do it through youtube.  So the sew along video is about half an hour long so you can either skip and just watch bits or make the top along with me for the whole thing.   

  

In the video I do state how the skirt came it a bit heavy and I'm not sure about it, as you can see I have changed my mind. 

There are still gaps in my wardrobe in the form of sweaters to wear with jeans, these have never been a thing that I have chosen to make as I am always drawn to the printed cottons.  That said they would be much more practical for this time of year so maybe there needs to be a plan of action on that front.

I hope you are all ready for the weekend and staying safe wherever you are. 

Sewing for Boys

I hope you are all having a good weekend,  I have spent the last two afternoons making two jackets for my friend's boys.  They are my latest make from the burda  June issue, the sizing didn't go down small enough for the baby one so I have had to create my own pattern from a little jacket my friend dropped off.  I made the bigger jacket first then worried it was a tad too short so I have added a cuff to the bottom to give it extra length and it also now has four buttons not three.

I chose to line the jackets but they are not lined in the magazine, I also faced them my own way as the pattern just shows it as continuous piping.  Always I have to go off on my own way, I think you just find your own preference for doing things after time.

Oops I forgot to take another picture of the larger one with the amended hem, it just has a cuff like you have on a bomber jacket but in cotton.  That is the only difference a bit more a big boys jacket.

It has been some time since I have made things for my boys, also they always used to want dressing up clothes making of whatever the favourite character of the moment was.

If anyone has a good idea about the sizings relate to UK ages it would be helpful, I know all children are different but I find the height info an odd way of doing it.

The fabric for the jumpsuit has arrived so that is next, I just need to trace those pieces off, I did find that I ordered a coral button to go with the coral fabric and the colours are nothing like each other, possibly coral can cover a range of colour shades.

This evening I have been watching Goodbye Christopher Robin, it makes no sense to me how the upper class could be so far removed from their children.  You would think if they had missed out on time and attention from their parents they would be more determined to change things but no it appears it just passed through the generations.

Well that is all for now, take care everyone.

Retro Sewing on a Rainy Day

A little bit of bag making today and I just loved this fabric as soon as I saw it when it arrived in my gift bag from Jo.  The colours are very 1970s I think and I decided to do a little bow design to keep it in that sort of same style, it was really fun to make with a bit of playing around with the bow to get it just the right size in the right spot.

I have used a number of fabrics on this one with three layers in the body, one of them being a waterproof piece as the outer body is not, there was only just a small amount of the black faux leather left so this has just been used as detail at the edges, underneath and on the strap.  Although I would have to say do we ever let our handbags get completely soaked, I think not but the extra layer gives a bit of protection from the damp.

I am happy with how this turned out and I may do other variations of this design, experimenting with where the bow can go and so on.

While I was making this I listened to a couple of videos about etsy, I say listened as it was just people talking so I didn't really need to look.  There were a few interesting tips but I am always left feeling very behind with the whole techy thing whenever I listen to this sort of stuff.  Everyone making these videos always seems so young and they have grown up  with IT as a first language while all us older people are still frantically peddling to catch up.  Or is that just me?

I also made a few more face masks for my friend and I will give those to her tomorrow at work, I really do not relish the idea of having to wear these things for any length of time. It can get very hot behind a mask.

People are making lots of these but I do find them rather boring to make, is because they are now a necessity and things like that are never as much fun?  I went to visit my mum earlier and she has an appointment next month so she will be needing some and my brother asked for some for his girlfriend so obviously I am not done yet.  I had better source some more elastic.

There are some lovely courgette flowers growing in the greenhouse and lots of buds on various plants, it would be nice to see the sun again although I do appreciate the gardens were in need of a good drink.  It is much more fun gardening when the sun is shining and you are not getting blown about, a few of the taller plants are starting to lean due to all the wind and just as they were getting stronger!  Lets hope this cool snap doesn't last long.

I have strarted a new book 'Things in Jars' by Jess Kidd it is nice to be reading something other than War and Peace after all these weeks and a nice change of pace.   I'm not fully into it yet as I have only just started it, I'll let you know if it is any good as the reviews were very mixed as they often are. 

That is all for now, take care. 

An Old Favourite

Today has been quite busy, finishing up a bag and planning another, making a couple of face masks for my friend and sorting a few things on my laptop.  I can say I needn't have worried, my son sorted it out with the new part, restored everything and it is now running much faster.  It is difficult sometimes to remember they are now grown up and capable of so much, where does the time go? I was talking to grown up son earlier about something and he said 'do you want me to come and have a look?' I said no it is fine I'll sort it. Ha! what is going on there, how the tables turn, wasn't I just teaching him to tie his shoes and now here he is building computers.

For me made May day 13 I have on a favourite dress, again a number of years old but I love it.  Now I did find it is now a little tight across the chest, not too tight just so you can feel it.  If I gain even the slightest it will not fit  and that will be such a shame.  It is a self drafted, fitted shift with a satin lining and side zip.  I do tend to make things so they really fit but then that doesn't leave any room for slight gain or even a large lunch;)

Leggings with this one today as it has been so cold, when I took the dogs out it was paired with a big fleece and trainers.  Still no jeans this month, aren't I doing well I made a promise to wear this little lot this month and get through it I will!

I feel I ought to stress I do not spend a lot on clothes, and wearing all these outfits it might seem as if I do but no.  I keep my clothes a number of years, new ones I make are usually the result of fabric bought with birthday money.  I have a good eye for getting all sorts out of just one metre of fabric, recycling charity shop fabric when I can, and more recently this last year or so I have been fortunate to fabric test for Minerva  so that has provided me with some lovely fabrics to try out. One product that I got to test was a grab bag with lots of offcuts in it, I made all sorts from that  including a lovely little shirt and matching hat for my friends son, all completely free!

Yesterday I shared a bag make that was to be for me, well there has been a development and I have decided to list that one and keep the grey one I completed today.  The grey is more quirky and I like that with the brown more traditional. My husband said maybe list the one that is more suitable for sale, well that is hard to know as I liked them both but do people prefer unusual?   Anyway I rant on, I am keeping this grey one here...

 This grey faux leather is a bit different and I like the colour differences in it, I have used it on the reverse of the strap as I did on the brown one too.

After watching the one show last night and the talk of making face masks I thought I would make a couple as my friend has requested one, so she can have one to wear and one to wash.  I am not sure of the size so one is slightly larger.  They were just the basic pleated version as shown on the show but there was no real talk of how big.

They are double thickness, I had a bit of elastic but will need to order more so one has very slightly thicker elastics.  I have seen images of these all over the place but I am still holding out hope we won't have to wear them unless in really confined spaces. How sad if everyone was always covered by a mask we want to be safe but to never see people smile...

Take care.

Making and Doing

Well another week passed and we have sort of settled into a routine here, my husband and oldest son are working from home again this week and they seem to be getting on fine this way.  A lot of what they do is on the computer or the phone so I suppose that sort of work is more suited to home working.  My husband was based in the office for the last two weeks as they are alternating the number of people actually in one place at a time, a sensible way to do it and that way it varies who gets to work from home.

I have been varying what I do during the day and also where I do it, having a change of room can be helpful I feel and that is why I never understand why my youngest lives in his bedroom. I know I was that age once and I'm sure I did the same but I at least went out in the garden.  The weather has helped and I have been busy planting more flowers, weeding and watering.  Yesterday  I treated the newly cleaned deck with a coat of protective oil so that was a couple of hours work.  It needs another coat but it won't be today as it looks like rain.   The lettuces I planted are just starting to come up and all kinds of flowers, I keep going into to the greenhouse for a peep and I am sure they are coming up by the hour just now.

My sewing scraps are greatly reduced but this is making me even more inventive with my bag making, I had a woven throw my friend passed on to me some time ago so  some of that has morphed into a bag.  Also I turned my sons chinos into knee length shorts last year for his holiday and saved the legs, these have also been repurposed into a bag and I really like they way the teal colour goes with the mustard scraps from one of my handmade skirts.

Just small pieces pattern fabric as that is all that is left of that.

I thought I would applique the birds to the pocket to bring it together a bit.

My daily walk is more appreciated than ever and fortunately we have had lots of sunlight to do it  in, I decided  to take a few photos the other day as the light was so beautiful in the park but a couple kept stopping about ten meters behind me so I had to carry on as I didn't want to hold them up. So I went a different way so that I wouldn't have to rush on and they stopped and changed direction and still came the same way!   How very odd, we wouldn't normally notice these things I suppose but with the social distancing we are all very aware that we don't want to get in each others way.  I did manage to snap a few so here they are...

Getting these three to sit down and pose is near impossible so I had to be very quick.

This week I changed my supermarket shopping day, I have been doing it Mondays while I have not been at work but after a fifty minute wait in the queue last week I thought I'd have a change.  It worked as the queue was moving along the whole time so I was only in it less than ten minutes, so Sunday morning first thing from now on. While I am on the subject of shopping I  had got into the habit of buying us these individual vegan pasties, not very cost effective at all but they were well received so I sort of got in a rut of getting them.  So this week I said no this is ridiculous as I make everything else I will make some, even with ready roll pastry it is much cheaper.  Yes I can make the pastry but this way it still keeps it a reasonably quick meal and you can get gluten free ready roll too.

It is a shame that the regular ready roll is £1 and the GF is £2 but that is the case with all free  from foods.  I used a whole pack of ready roll pastry and it made four pasties, but mine are not very pasty shaped more of a rectangle with a lid so little pies, but they tasted good.  Here is the breakdown if you are interested.

Lentil and Mushroom Pie

ingredients

one onion   20p

one can lentils in water  400g ( I like napolina)  60p

one pack mushrooms   70p

one knorr herb infusion stock pot   25p  (these are a £1 on offer at the moment)

one pack ready roll pastry  £1  (£2 if gf supermarket own)

oil

Method

Fry the onion in the pan until soft, add the mushrooms let these cook a little then add the stock pot and lentils.  Stir so it all heats together for a few minutes, arrange half of the pastry on a baking sheet and score either as a large piece or four small pies.  Score around the edge about a cm in then add your filling to here.  You won't need all of the filling you will have a little left to eat with a baked potato another day. Then arrange the tops of the pastry, cook in the oven but check your pastry pack for timings as they vary mine was about twenty minutes on a medium heat.

Here is one that was left, as youngest son doesn't like lentils.  I am no food photographer but they were really tasty and the verdict was better than the overpriced ones I have been buying.  So that is £2.75 for four pies or £3.75 for the GF ones.  Now the vegan pasties were £1.80  each so a big saving making your own and depending on the cost of your other ingredients/where you shop/if you make your own pastry etc it would be lower cost still.  So let me know if you try it and what you think.

That is all from me for now, back soon. 

  

Pattern Storage Box

Today I thought I would have a go at improving some of my sewing storage, I have been using old boxes to keep my patterns in under my sewing table.  Unfortunately  when I keep pulling them out the sides have got a little torn, they are also boring so were in need  of a makeover.

I had an image on a board that I liked with faux leather handles so as I have some of this from my bag making supplies I decided to recreate it. I have done my design as a slip cover for the box as the box is good for stability and saves the need for buying special fabric stiffeners.  Keeping everything recycled again also saves the pennies and solves a problem, I also think these boxes could be made for anywhere in the house as they can be on display.  There is another to be covered tomorrow and that one may have different fabric on each side to use up more pieces.

Here is the first, I used left over dress cotton for the sides and sheeting for the bottom.

I have used recycled denim to frame it around the top then just slipped it over the box, that way when it gets grubby it can be washed.  To make the cover I just drew around the box and then allowed a seam allowance.   The handles are faux leather back to back then just stitched straight on top.

It is better than a cardboard box and easier to handle now too.

Most people have probably got the odd box in need of covering.

Earlier today I finished reading The Temple House Vanishing by Rachael Donohue, I enjoyed it but found the ending a bit too predictable.  It was an easy going read and ideal for just before bed as it was not too taxing.  

I am currently half watching Location, Location... and wondering how people with such massive budgets still manage to look disappointed with all the beautiful houses they view, too much choice maybe?

That's all for now, stay safe. 

Something New

I have had this little embroidery hoop sitting around for a while and had been saving it until inspiration struck but you know how that goes and if you don't do something you don't do anything so I had a go. Having looked at my saved ideas I felt even more intimidated by how brilliant they all are so decided to jump in and have a try.  The words are from a journaling book and the other bits I just put together from seeing different designs, it is rustic and I know something I need to work on but I did find it enjoyable so I will be doing more.  This one will be added to and improved over the coming week.

I couldn't see my pencil marks clearly so the writing could have been better, the 'i' has been unpicked and re-joined correctly as it was only when I looked at this image that I saw I had weirdly joined it at the top!  I must have been distracted when I did that. I think it also needs some purple in there but that would have to be done in regular cotton.
The backing is just some scrap drill fabric, my needle was also just a yarn needle quite thick and hard to push through this fabric, I was just basically using what I had so please forgive my crude attempt I do aim to improve.

Little designs could be nice to put on other textiles like bag and cushions I know a lot of people do just leave them in the hoop to hang.  When I have a bit more experience I will try one in a bag panel and see how that turns out.

We have been waking vey early here due to the light mornings and I am very happy they are finally here. It is very quiet however due to fewer cars on the road and that would be a nice thing if not for it being a reminder of why that is the moment you wake up.

Yesterday I started reading The Scarlet Letter, now I have a feeling I read this when I was young as I have a vague recollection of the story but no harm in reading it again.  My reading is always a bit random, something modern, something classical then a non fiction book.  It doesn't work for me to stick with the same genre all the time, I generally walk in the library with no idea what I would like.

Well keep busy everyone I will be looking for my next make for tomorrow.

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.