Art Gallery Fabrics Red Dress

I have been wondering what to spend my birthday money on for a while now and as my birthday was a number of months ago I thought I would treat myself to this lovely fabric.  I am quite bad at buying for myself and I suppose that is not such a bad thing, I usually buy bargain fabric or very rarely anything above the budget range so this was a bit of a treat for me.  I only bought one metre and squashed a dress out of that!   I used an existing dress that I made the pattern my own pattern for and cut around that, it was a quick make and I went out in it last week for a curry with my husband.

I would have got a picture with it on but we were in a hurry to go out when I wore it and I have a faff  with the tripod on my own so here it is on my faithful model complete with dog bowls (keeping it real you see) no photoshop perfection here. Ha ha.

This has got to be the simplest dress to make and I see so many expensive patterns for this very simple style of dress and I have to say I really don't get it.  I must urge you to try it with some cheap jersey and experiment a little .  ( Maybe not the art gallery fabric!) You will learn far more than from an expensive pattern.

I have received my first copy of Simply sewing magazine, it is probably a bit basic for me but at £1 a copy for the trial I am sure there are bits I will use.  I decided to try the pattern for sizing for this Minerva fabric, I'll make the basic top to go with trousers and let you know how the sizing is.  This is another example of a basic top/dress so useful for those of you that want a very simple pattern for tops and dresses.  If any of you are interested in a series on ways to hack that pattern for lots of different looks please let me know in the comments and I will do some posts on that.

I hope to have some time to get on with this tomorrow, although I m not sure we will have the weather to wear it anytime soon.  This pattern on the left I made my blue mock jumpsuit from last year.  I made the trousers narrower and added belt loops I intend to do the same thing with this as it was such a good make. In fact if you are going to buy any patterns this one is really good value as you get three items, really good value for me as a friend gave it to me.

I hope you are all staying well and avoiding the winter colds, back soon.

A Charity Shop Bargain and a Few Makes

We haven't been very far this last few weeks it is that sort of weather that keeps you close to home, walks with the dogs and local but that has been about it.  I am looking forward to spring days but realise that is a way off yet!

Last week we had a look in the local charity shop St Lukes, and I found a pair of men's Levi jeans that are an excellent colour.  They are size 30 waist and 32 leg, my husband said they were nice but the leg was way too narrow for him but at £3.00 they were too good to miss.  I decided to buy them and size them down for myself.  It can be quite tricky to size down jeans due to all the bulk but I went slowly, walked the foot over the really thick parts and hand stitched the back belt loop back on.  There really was no way my domestic  Toyota machine was going over that many layers of denim despite it being the model suitable for denim and heavy weight! ( I sometimes wonder about that description)

Here they are with the sides and back unpicked, I then took a chunk in the shape of  a triangle out of each area.  I tried them first then guessed it but if you have not done this before you should pin, measure how much needs to come out but allow for your seams.  I have done this before so I am quite ok at guessing by just pinching here and there.   I am a size 8 ladies and only 5ft 4 so I also had to take them up a little.

They are low slung so only sit above the hips, I took them in right under to the crotch so they would fit correctly on the bottom.

I am really pleased with them, repurposed for me, it has saved me buying a new pair in future and I enjoyed the process, win, win.   I also found some more 'like new' children's  books that I use for prizes for some of the children I  work with, I like that if we look after things and pass them on they can be enjoyed again and again.  Just today I gave out Hansel and Gretel  as a prize and as we have been reading a version of this only this week the recipient looked very pleased.

Earlier this week I finished  a sweater top which is a Minerva make, I just need to do the write up for that and take some photographs of me in it.  The problem I am having at this time of year as ever is getting good daylight shots as when I get home it is dark, so I am waiting for the weekend and hoping for good light.

This is a bit far away from my usual fitted styles but I thought  I would try something new,   The sleeves are really wide so I will have to see how I get on wearing it day to day as it may be bulky under coats, we will see.    There will be a full write up and pattern details on Minerva at some time in the future.  I am wearing it tomorrow so I will have a better idea of wearability, it will be warm because it is a thick jersey.

At the moment I am toying with the idea of making a matching little tube skirt as there is a piece left and it may just do it.  If I go with it I will share next week.

There were quite a few books returned to the library this week along with 'Melmoth' and I really enjoyed that, so much so that I picked up  'After Me Comes the Flood also by Sarah Perry,   after enjoying the Essex Serpent too I thought I  would give this one a try.  I also ordered Stretch by Tilly Walnes as I have been watching a vlog where she made the whole book in a month (six patterns) I am not sure I want to make all of them as one is maybe not my style but it would be fun to try a few I thought.   I am second in the wait list so it may be a few months yet until I get it.

Of course I have to share a few of my latest bags, the foxy one was a custom order for a colleague and the other just an idea I had for using up oddments.

Just this week I have found a new current favourite song, it is Phil Wickham Secret Place, I love it go on over and have a listen if you have a minute.

I'm off now have a good week and take care.

A New Year, Making, Reading and Doing

Happy new year to you all and I hope you had an enjoyable Christmas and new year, I know I did but mine was probably a little different to many. We are not people who like to go out to pubs or host parties but we enjoy what we do and that is the key I think in having a good time, do what you enjoy and not what the season dictates.   I may have mentioned before Christmas that we were having and unconventional Christmas day this year, we chose to go out for the day to Derwentand and Ladybower and have a long walk with the dogs.  We took flasks, snacks and cake and had a lovely time, I have to say the weather was wonderful so that really made it.  When we got back later I made Chinese and spring rolls followed by Christmas pudding (my one concession, we couldn't leave that out!).  Being out somewhere scenic with the dogs is a favourite thing to do so what better way to spend the day, here are a few images.

 It was starting to get dark in this one but I loved the light and the moody image.

 Derwent dam

This was one of the first images and the sun was shining when we set off.

It was actually amazing how many people were there, we struggled to get parked, it seemed our idea was not so different after all.  The dogs were slowing down on the way back and that is a good sign a good walk has been had, our dogs take some tiring. 

We had a family meal with  our mums round to our house a few days before Christmas so we still had a traditional get together with them, I know sometimes people don't like others to change traditions so we didn't want to upset anyone. People do say well you can do what you want but there is that underlying tone sometimes of 'but why are you doing that?' well not even a tone actually, people did say it, well because we want to is the answer.

Yesterday for New years day we went off again this time to Dam Flask and once again the whole world and their dogs were there, more understandable this time I feel and I do wonder if new years resolutions had something to do with that.  There were quite a few runners there too, we got filthy and I had to bath all three dogs when we got back, still it was a lovely walk.

I have been reading quite a bit both on and off line, I bought myself The Silk Roads by Peter Frankopan but I bought the children's version simply because it is such a beautifully illustrated book.  I have read it but now I have ordered the full adult version from the library as I feel I have missed much information (the full version is quite long).  This may seem like an odd thing to do but I love illustrated books and the work that goes into them so this was a Christmas present to myself.

 It also has artistic maps of the ancient world throughout, if you have young people at home I highly recommend it, or buy it for yourself like I did.

 Here a re just a few examples but these photos don't so it justice, the artist is Neil Packer.

I have also just read Everthing Under by Daisy Johnson and this book was very well written and had me hooked but it is not a feel good book.  In fact I have come away from it feeling a bit unsettled for all the characters concerned. It gives a detailed account of two unconventional families one of which lives on the water in a canal boat for a large part of the story and the apartness of living on the outskirts of society.  Of course there is a link so I won't spoil that in case you want to read it, there is quite a shocking twist too, give it a read but I would describe it as edgy and certainly not uplifting.

Sewing wise I have been making more bags, I have a little routine now where I have an idea and cut out my pieces ready the day before even if I don't have time to sew straight away.   It reminds me of a story The Elves and the Shoemaker, he cut out the pieces and laid them neatly on the counter before going to bed, in the morning were beautifully stitched shoes, and the stitches were small and even.  Well no little elves are coming to make my bags for me, and where would be the fun in that but it does however keep the momentum going.  I have had ideas in the past and then never got around to making them up, this way it is cut and ready and I just need to get on, once I start I am lost in it anyway  so getting the cutting out of the way is a really good trick.

Jo at Three stories High gifted me the middle floral section on this one I enjoy trying to use the pieces in as many different creations as I can.

Here are the next pieces cut out for the elves or just me!  Quite a few recycled bits here too, the red floral fabric is from a £1 charity shop top, the plum pieces are old chinos used for stability.

I have joined a facebook group on going deeper too, if any of you read the Raptitude blog you might have heard of this but it is about mastering things you already know a little about, loving what you have and revisiting things.  A good choice I think, mainly it is posts from different people sharing how they are doing that but a nice change from the usual facebook feed I think.   I will be revisiting my language learning with the materials I already have, developing more skills in pattern making and continuing my exercise from home.  These are just a few but I am never bored there is always so much to do and I have never been able to understand anybody who states they are bored.   

I look forward to seeing what everyone is making and doing in the coming year, but for now I am off there is so much to do,  take care.