Practical Sewing and Secret Makes

This week has seen another batch of alterations, with a few more in the coming weeks.  Shortening pyjamas for my mum, a ripped seam, darned socks and replacement zips.  I also have a zip for a coat in the coming week and some curtains to shorten. I did do some sewing on Friday in the form of a new dress for our Christmas night out, I can't share that right now  though as the post was for Minerva fabrics.  I did however make an infinity scarf with the piece that was left...

I will share the link to the dress in the future if they decide to use it.

It is that time of year when there is lots going on and you try to fit in seeing everyone, going out and getting presents and cards delivered.  We don't go the whole way and buy for everyone, we decided as a family years ago we would just buy for the children of the family and there are a few friends but that is all.  It has taken all the stress out of it, one of my friends told me they always do theatre or other nights out as their present as they never know what to get.  

I put my tree up today, a little later than I usually do and had a nice meal and a catch up with my friends. The tree could probably use some new tinsel I have been getting out these same decorations for years now but on the whole the rest are ok.

  I also got out my Christmas handbag...

Blurry picture I know, my camera doesn't do dark nights.

So feeling a bit festive and I'm sure that will only increase as the week goes on at School, I still have the rest of my cards to write and none of the children's presents are wrapped but being older there are not lots of little bits.  

We went into town yesterday as well and I got the fabric to make my Christmas jumper, well mine will be more of a Christmas top but I would have been uncomfortable in a big thick jumper all day.  I will share later in the week when that is finished.  It is not needed until a week on Wednesday, we are finishing close to the big day this year. 

Hope the snow is not too disruptive wherever you are, it is lovely to see but soon becomes a pain when you need to get to work.  Have a lovely week. 

Winter White Long Sleeve T-Shirt

This little top that I have made has come out better than expected, you know sometimes you buy fabric online then it arrives and you are not that inspired? Well this was that fabric for me, I was trying to keep with my resolve of not always buying wild patterns so I chose this plain off white with a semi transparent stripe.  I have stared at it a lot and thought oh it will be just too plain, today I cut it out and made it up within an hour and I love it.

 So sometimes less fuss is better, as soon as I put it on I thought it will probably get lots of wear, the fabric is good and thick so time will tell how it holds up after a few washes.

I used a satin stretch bias binding around the neck this time and that was good to work with, just a simple hem on the sleeves and a curved hem again but a bit shorter than the last top I made.

I have cropped these photos but there is a dog trying to creep into every one and cock their leg, here one of them succeeded! 

Here is my baking paper pattern in use again that I made a while ago, I think it will see many outings in various forms.

Happy to have got that finished I then took up the sleeves on a coat for a colleague while watching a few Ted talks and powered through my ironing for the week curtesy of my new iron. My old one gave up on me last night just as I was about to go over a dress I was going out in, fortunately it only had a few wrinkles from being hung in a cramped wardrobe.  The night out was a treat to myself, I went to see the Northern Ballet perform The Little Mermaid it was wonderful, it was the original story not to be confused with the Disney version!

I don't  know what it is with us and irons as we seem to get through a lot, always just after the warranty has expired annoyingly.  There are some who tell me they never iron, how is this possible? Why are people not constantly crumpled if they never iron?  There must be some secret non ironing society that I have been left out of and doomed to buy a new iron every year or so.  If you have details of the non ironing secret please feel free to pass them on.  However being a dress maker there will always be something that needs a press to finish it off won't there.

This week I have tried out some lovely new recipes one of them being the Masala Cheela Pancake

it uses the gram flour and is the closest I have come to feeling like I ate a pancake since turning vegan.  I probably added more veggies than stated but it was lovely so have a look at the Hungry Gecko blog for more recipes just follow the  link above.

Raspberry Broderie Anglaise Dress

I have had this dress sat on the dummy this week in various states of progress.  I had intended on having long sleeves but when I added them they just looked too old fashioned with the style of fabric.  So I chopped them off and they are short now, it is not a problem as I just layer clothes in cooler weather and this dress does have an under dress too.  I used the shape of another dress for the skirt part and a little blouse that I made for the sizing of the top section, after that it was just a case of trying and pinning on the mannequin as I went along.

All these pictures are dark I'm afraid even though it was only three forty five when they were taken.

I was going to go for a full collar but I like the mandarin style as it is so I left it at this point.

Not sure about the shoes or tights with it but I just threw something on to get a few pictures, I will decide on that later.  It will really be ideal for summer but I just got this idea in my head now that I wanted to make this.

This is the dress I made to go underneath so that it can be worn across the seasons, it also gives it a bit more substance as the fabric is so open in places you are good and covered up. 

Originally I had also thought I would do buttons all the way down the front but due to the way I cut the skirt I thought it may hang off centre with the line of buttons so I stopped at the waist and added a side zip.

I am happy with the way it turned out considering it was a bit of mixture of ideas, when I decided I wanted to make a dress like this I had seen a green dress and that was the colour I wanted.  This is a really lovely colour though the dark pictures just don't do it justice.