Burda Young Jacket and my Staycation

This week has been a relaxing one, we opted not to go away this week despite the fact that we both had the week off work.  This is unusual as we tend to take this week as an opportunity to get away somewhere but a string of rainy holidays helped us to reach the decision to stay home.

It has been great as the weather has been mainly warm and sunny, I have had time in the greenhouse and my husband has got a few jobs done, including clearing out his mother's garden shed. This was a big job and good one to get out of the way, in fact he has  gone off just now to take more items to the tip.  It also brought a few surprises like boxes of nails, screws and hinges that they didn't want but which will of course come in handy for future projects.

We also chose to go out for lunch twice this week, as a nice change and seeing as we have not gone away.  A walk down to the nearest pub with youngest son for lunch one day and an Italian meal on our own on Thursday.  I also managed a catch up with friends which is always good so overall a nice week at home.

My sewing has seen my odd job pile of family repairs disappear and I completed my Burda Young Jacket which is for a Minerva crafts post.  I will show a quick peek and then link to the rest of the post when it appears on there.

This jacket is made from quilting cotton, I wanted to do something different.  I wasn't sure if I had made the right choice when I first cut it out but now I am really happy with the result.  Of course it will only go with a select few items but we all have items like that don't we?

 Unless  of course you build a capsule wardrobe around a few pieces but I can't get my head around that.  I like variety and feel I would be a bit constrained doing that.  It may be something to try for a short period I know Carolyn does this on her blog sometimes.  She picks a selection of her handmade items and wears only those for a fixed number of days.  So perhaps that is the way to do that rather than saying forever and getting bored with your options.

While we were out having one of our lunches a quick peek in the charity shops was had and we came home with a nice summer shirt for my husband for £4 and a dress for me from the £1 rail! Both too good to miss of course.

I love the colour of this dress and it looks like new so I can't understand how it ended up on the reduced rail, I would have thought someone would have snapped it up before now.

There has been  lots of cooking and a few of my veg leaves made it into a curry yesterday, just for me as the rest of the family had fish.

Just a few as it was curry for one, along with a few veg from the freezer and some chickpeas.

I forgot to photograph the end result which also included a very tasty tomato risotto which everyone ate so in light of this I have decided to set myself the challenge to write a post everyday for the rest of this month.  I decided this today as I don't know why but when I do more, I do more if you get my meaning.  So as an exercise in self discipline I am going to do it,  and remember to take more photographs of recipes, walks, and just general stuff.  A friend of mine said I need to get on it as she waits for my posts ha! She may be bored of me by the end of the month.  

Anyway it doesn't mean I will keep this up forever but it may help me establish a better pattern and of course I enjoy looking back on things in this form.  It would be good to know if any kind of posts are preferred over the coming month and of course I always love to read your comments

 

Another Recycled Pallet Planter

Well the veg are growing so nicely that I am now wondering where to put them, things need to be transferred outside but up out of the dogs reach.  So currently I have large Kale plants on a sort of make shift shelf that my husband made, the chard is up on the hanging planter and now there is lots more purple kale and lettuce.

So we had another pallet and I asked if this one could be free standing and have legs, because if my dogs can reach they will eat anything.  I also had these large tins that the cook from work had been saving so they have hole drilled in the bottom and the front panels on the pallets were moved to fit these.

The whole thing has had a lick of varnish here as well, purple kale in the bottom and some lettuce in the top.  I had to stop at this point as I has ran out of compost, there are still eight kale and ten lettuce to repot as well as peas but I have been and got the canes and some pots for those today.  I am very happy with this to think is just made from items that would have been discarded and it has solved a problem.   I am not expecting to last forever but how many things do, maybe some upkeep on the frame.

These kale grow quite big so there will be another move at some point for these, with the younger plants going in here but they will be good for a while.

 The lettuces looked a bit sad after being moved but have perked up again now.

 How about this gorgeous flower on the courgettes, one opened the other morning and then it closed up and now this one today,  A lovely surprise when walking into the greenhouse.

We had intended a day at Bakewell today but as it was overcast and gloomy we stayed home and just had a walk and some lunch.  Also a long wait in the post office to post two dresses that were sold on ebay for a couple of pounds each, hardly worth it really but at least someone will get some use out of them.  I will stick with taking them to the charity shop I think,

Simple Summer Dress

This afternoon I made a dress because I needed to sew something rather than needing the dress. I have had the fabric for  a couple of months and it is a light summer fabric despite the fact that it is black which I suppose is not a very summery colour. However  I know it will get worn because it's black, sometimes I choose wild prints and then feel they are too dressy for work or every day wear so at least this is a practical colour.

It was another pattern free affair, I made sure I cut out a top shape big enough to pull over my head without any fastenings and then cut a semi circular skirt.  Not quite a semi circle each piece just a little under.

Now the shape of the skirt has made for a nice swirl but also a bit of a worry on a windy day so it may need an under skirt I don't really want to be adding a lining to this one.  Now do they still do underskirts is it worth making one?  I can honestly say I have never owned one but thinking about the amount of times the fabric is thin or floaty it might be worth it.  Maybe I am just showing my age but I don't want a see through skirt, and usually I just line everything.

I added a thin elastic at the waist, and a little turn up on the sleeve which pressed in nicely in this fabric.

 The reason I have gone for sleeves on this summer dress is that I have a few with bare shoulders and sometimes you need a cover up.  I am loving the sunshine we are having but it is hitting the shoulders so an option with a cover up it is.

Here I tried a pale pink belt to lighten it up a bit, not sure which I prefer.  The dress was a quick make up due to the lack of fastenings and detail, I also have a couple in jersey in this style and they are quick to iron so quite a no nonsense item.  I did try the outdoor photos today but the breeze was blowing the dress about!  That was what alerted me to the need for an underskirt.  

On a different theme the cook where I work has been saving the large tins from food and I now have a little collection that I can use for planting so there will be veg going in those soon.  Lots of lettuces are coming up now so it may be those but up away from pets.