Free Cami or Jumpsuit Pattern

Hi there, I know a few of you love printing off these free patterns so I thought I would share this one that I found on the Simply Sewing website.  I love the idea of the camisole with a different colour frill so I think that may be on my list of things to make.  I personally like to make my own patterns where I can so for my cami top I will not be printing off the pattern, it is about forty pages for the whole thing!  The idea is lovely however so this is where I have taken my inspiration but I do know that lots of people like to have a printed pattern to work to so I thought you might enjoy this link if you haven't seen it already.  Simply Sewing Camisole and Jumpsuit free pattern.


Now I am in the planning stage of this make because I have a few bits of fabric that are just big enough to go with a solid colour for the rest of the top.  Well one of the pieces I just bought but it is a small piece. Apparently the free pattern is from 'The Great British Sewing Bee: Fashion with Fabric book, does anyone own this book? If so is it worth a peak?  I may have to see it available from the library.  If they don't have it I may suggest they buy it, you can do that you know. The library have a fixed amount to spend and a librarian at my local  library told me they don't always know what to buy so they welcome suggestions. I made a suggestion of a book before and got a new copy as soon as it was in stock so that is worth knowing I think.

Any how back to the pattern here is a little taste of what I am thinking for my top. I am leaning towards the white with the pattern as the green is not the shade that is in the pattern so maybe it will be a bad match? On the other hand the colour would be more practical as I tend to always splash plain white, even when I don't normally do that when wearing other colours.  I seem to wait until I am wearing a white top!  Does anyone else have this issue?   I feel this could be a good way to use up odd fabric, I bought the long quarter of the bird fabric just this week because it is so cute. Just a couple of pounds spent.

Tonight I will play around with a few shapes and see what it looks like, the free pattern does look like it may be cut on the bias with the way the frill is hanging.  If I am using the bird print I can't do that as the birds need to be the right way up.

This past week I have been finding it easier to get up, also I have switched my pilates (free at home in pjs) to the morning and this seems to be working well as I feel I have achieved something for me immediately.

Tomorrow we have a school trip so that will be nice, lets all pray it doesn't rain.
Bye for now.

Silky PJs

After pondering what to make with the silky aubergine fabric intended for an underwear set I finally decided on some shorts pyjamas.  I didn't use  a pyjama pattern but rather one intended for a  top and a modified trouser pattern.   I will give you a peek here but the full details are being saved for my Minerva post.

This is the top but I have to say I have since made the flounce a bit narrower as my husband was not a fan of it.

I do hope I won't look too much like I am about the enter a boxing match wearing these silky shorts!
One of the details I enjoyed was making the bias biding out of some scrap fabric that I had, it is only me that sees it but I like knowing it is there.

After I finished these today I sat outside in the sunshine with a cup of tea, my new cook book that I bought last week from the charity shop and I planned a few new meals to try for the week.  We had one for tea tonight, a gorgeous broccoli pesto. I made half the quantity and there was still loads left I don't know where they get there portion sizes from sometimes?

I have more of the purple fabric left so there might be just enough for a short wrap, or that might be a squeeze, we'll see.  That's all for now just a short one today.

Charity Shop Finds and an Elephant Bag

On Saturday we  went for a walk in town and had a browse in the charity shops, I am not a fan of shopping as something to do but we were treating ourselves to lunch out and there are quite a few nice charity shops on the same street.  Whenever we are near one I will have a look and often come out without anything but there is always that chance that you will spot something you need/want and that is the fun part.  Going and buying things new the minute the impulse takes you is not great for the purse but I can appreciate if it is something you truly want and you can afford it then why not.
I love the fact that you are saving unwanted items, getting a bargain and benefitting the charity so it makes the whole process feel a lot more satisfying to me anyway.

As I often mention on this blog I get most of my books from the library but sometimes if there is a particular cook book or reference book that I know will be  read more than once I sometimes buy them.  So with that in mind I was delighted to find this Deliciously Ella book for £2.50, I would not be able to buy that cheaper on ebay as you have postage costs so that was my first bargain, it is a hardback too and looks like new.
The pretty little skirt above is from Oasis originally and I paid £1 for that from the reduced rail, it is a little big so a little bit off each side seam and it will be perfect, it is fully lined too. The glasses were £2.49 for four and I love the fruit design on the sides, finally there is the cute cake tin for £1.50.  My husband did not get why I was so thrilled with this but it was the design more than anything, I think it may stay in sewing area for non food related items ;) it is too much fun to stay in a cupboard.

I finished another little bag yesterday and I am afraid I want to keep this one, I know I will not get very far stocking up if I keep taking a fancy to them myself but it is also sad if they sit waiting to sell and I could have been enjoying them.   This was made from elephant fabric leftover from my blouse from a while back, the stripy blue and white skirt I made last year, duvet cover lining and new vinyl.  Oh and the charm is just odd bits and beads.

I am wondering if white is a good idea on a handbag but it will wash. 

We have been watching a new French drama on Netflix this last week, it is called Black Spot  (Zone Blanche in French and that doesn't mean black spot but rather white zone or area so that bit of translation is a mystery).  Anyway it is a crime drama set in a small town surrounded by a forest with high levels of crime, a lot of it centring around this  forest. There is an unusual police force and the town seems to follow it's own set of rules. We are really enjoying it and I have seen other French dramas with the similar backdrop of the sinister forest, it seems to be a recurring theme in a lot of their television.

I have finished two books this last few day Small Move Big Change by Caroline Arnold and Make Your Bed by William H. Mcraven  I found the first book interesting and the second very repetitive they both cover the subject of positive habits but Make Your bed is from  a military perspective and I really don't feel that all the yelling and screaming from drill sergeants or whatever they call them is always the making of people.  In fact I wonder how many are actually broken by the whole experience, so while discipline is good and needs developing in the mind I think there  are healthy limits.  That's all for today, thank you for reading.