The Frankie T-shirt

This past week I have made another garment from the Tilly Walnes Stretch book, this time the Frankie T-shirt.  I chose this because I like this style and I have made it before but using my own pattern.  When I did that I found my sleeves were not as wide at the top as maybe they should have been so it was interesting to see how they worked on this pattern.  I felt that this was an easy make so great for any beginners however I did find the fit very loose, far too loose for me in the body so I took it in by quite a chunk at the sides.  That said I love it and already have another cut out, it is great for using up small leftover bits of jersey for the arms and that is what I did here with mine.

I was in a hurry to wear it so a rather quick selfie here, I made a white t-shirt a while ago and these pieces for the sleeves were left over.  I did in fact have to put a mock seam part way up my sleeves as I wanted the see through stripe to lie horizontally on them and that was the only way to make them fit.  It is fine as the seam hides in the stripe.  My only worry now is that the red doesn't wash pink into the white sleeves.

For the neck facing I just turned the spotty fabric to the wrong side so that I could have it plain around the neck.

So far so good with that book and a bonus having got  from the library and another library order arrived just over a week ago too and that is The Testamnets by Margaret Atwood.  I ordered it months ago as I was on a list but it came and I read it this week.

 I enjoyed it and I was happy with the ending which is not always the case however The Handmaids Tale is now in for collection that I ordered at the same time!

  So I am reading them in reverse, I did know the story as I have watched the TV version but it will be interesting to read the original as the books are usually better.  I couldn't have saved this one either as there is such a long wait list for it you can't renew.   I did consider buying them both  before I ordered them but went with patience, after all they only sit on my book shelf once read and if I had bought and kept every book I ever read we would be a bit pushed for space.

 I tend to have a sort through every now and then and just keep my absolute favourites for my bookshelf.  Unfortunately I have lost a  few favourites along the way as I will lend them to people and then they are never returned,  that seems to happen with the best ones!

Last night I made a saag aloo to go with my other homemade curries that we were having for tea, I followed a recipe and decided the potatoes were too firm but it was tasty.  Next time I will be part cooking the potatoes before they go in the pan and I am sure it will be perfect then.  Honestly I don't think all recipes are tested  as I followed it exactly, well I actually gave it a little longer but it wasn't long enough to cook the potatoes through.

That's all for now, have a good week.

The Joni Dress

Hello, I had a nice surprise this week as a book I ordered from the library had just arrived, It is the Tilly and the Buttons  Sewing Stretch book.  I have watched a couple of vlogs of people who have made some of the items in this and they look really nice so I thought I would give it a go.  Fortunately for me it was in the library system and looking at it  I think I must be the first person to get it.  It is a lovely book, I picked it up on Saturday and yesterday I traced off the Joni dress and made it!   It was the first pattern that caught my eye that I thought I have to make that, also I had some fabric from Minerva that I pondering what to make with and this has been the perfect match for it.

Here is my dress...

I have to say that when I first made the twist bit at the front I thought it didn't look right but when it was all made up and on it hangs lovely.

I chose this navy as I wanted more work dresses but as you can see I will feel far too dressed up for work in this this!  It may be a rare going out dress but then that will feel such as shame as I do love it.

I won't put too  much about the process here as I want to do a full review of the fabric for Minerva but the book is definitely worth checking out.  I think it would be a wonderful birthday gift for someone and the directions are very clear.  My one gripe with this is that the sizing was perfect for me on this garment except for the arms which were too tight.  I am ok as I can redo the sleeves but as you can see I do not have massive arms in comparison to the rest of me and the rest of the fit is spot on.  Just be aware and cut your sleeves a little bigger as you can always run them in if too big but making them bigger is more of a job.

Here is the book...

So I have this book for three weeks as many people will have it on order so I have to trace off and make my way  through it in that time.  There is a raglan sleeve t-shirt that I am going to make next and I think I will use up leftover fabrics on that one.  Please let me know if you have this book and what your favourite makes were.  There is nothing like a deadline to focus the mind and I am beginning to think I maybe need deadlines, although that said there is an article in the book about slow sewing and enjoying the process which of course is great and I did enjoy my day of making yesterday.  I am sure that Tilly didn't have my three week library loan in mind when  she wrote that though. 

While I am on the subject of books I also had The Librarian of Auschwitz on one week loan last week and that was a very good book, hard of course given the subject but also I think amazing to think how people clung to hope and how important it is to keep people's stories alive from that experience.

I have tried a few new recipes this week, and this particular one I am not too sure about but they were best when just out of the oven.  They are strawberry and blueberry gf scones, due to the fruit in them they seem a bit soggy when they cool but most of them were consumed.

Mine look a bit flat don't they, not at all like the ones in the photo in the book.  I am dubious as to whether she followed her own recipe.

Anyway never mind I did make my own version of a walnut cake that I adapted from another recipe that came out really light and fluffy but that went really quickly, also my own version of a vegan carbonara.

How is your week going and what are you all making? Let me know in the comments.

February...ing

Here we are half way through February so I thought I would do an 'ing' post, the mornings are getting lighter so at least we are moving in the right direction as dark mornings are really not my thing.

Making more bags, as after a little lull I have sold two this past week so I thought I would do a little restock. It does make me happy to think that people want to buy the things I make and I always enjoy reading the feedback so here is to hoping the last two sales were well received.  I know not everyone leaves feedback so that makes the ones that do all the more special.  Here are the two bags I made this week and below the latest one I started to work on yesterday.

I have a shirt in this zebra fabric so the bits I used were left over from quite some time ago when I made that, it always pays to save your scraps you never know what you might use them for.

The mint on the table is what I used to draw around for the partial circle shape, use what you have on hand, ha ha.

Learning a new song on my guitar, now I tried to find a basic chord sequence for it online but I couldn't, there only seemed to be very complicated ones for experienced players.  So after two hours of tinkering around I think I have figured it out for myself, I played it for my husband and he said it sounded like the song so I am pleased with it, it may not be perfect but this is something for me I don't have plans to go on stage or anything!  The song is Secret Place by Phil Wickham and I keep playing it now to try and get it to stick.

Drawing a little something everyday, I got this idea from an excerpt I read from a book.  They are only little quick sketches and so far I am just doing them in my diary as a reminder to do it.  The idea is to keep your creativity flowing and I do really like drawing it is something that we just don't do very often and I don't really know why.  I am trying to build it in as a new habit, I may share them later if I feel brave enough, again this is not something I have any expertise in it is just something to enjoy.   The book I read the excerpt from is Conscious Creativity by Phillipa Stanton I am currently wondering whether to treat myself to the book as it is not available form the library.

Feeling under the weather, ok this is my one bit of negativity as it is half term again and I have had a cold. Anyone who works in a school will know this strange phenomenon it is like your body holds on until the last day of term then says 'that it you can be ill now!'  For me personally it seems to happen every school holiday but on a plus note you could say at least I don't have to worry about work and can just rest through it, every cloud eh?

Enjoying a course I have been doing on Open Learn called from Sound to Meaning, all free and there is so much on there so if you interested in learning anything new go and have a look at all the courses on offer.  I am about seventy per cent through it now but I do write down everything, I have to say my note taking is not very concise I will go back through it after and gradually condense it all down, that is just the way I learn.

Planning on making better use of my cook books over the coming months, I do cook from scratch all the time but think I'm maybe sticking to the same dishes a lot recently so I will  be trying to work on this and will of course share this as I go.  Since last November my husband has also been vegetarian  ( I went vegetarian at twenty and vegan three years ago) and I am so impressed with how he has stuck with it, due to this I have been buying more meat substitutes to ease him in but I feel now is the time to try and expand on that a little, we'll see how that goes  I enjoy all kinds of beans and veg dishes but I think the substitutes have helped him a lot.

That's all for now, I'm hoping for more days out and dry weather over the next month. Take care.