Sunny Days

 Hello, I hope you are all enjoying the sunshine if you are here in the UK it has been a long time coming and to everyone everywhere I hope you are all having a good week.  We have been making the most of it here in Sheffield and I am reluctant to do anything in doors for fear of missing a bit of the sunshine!  I am currently typing this next to the back door so I can  see the screen with the door open, yes I love the sunshine.  We have had a few meals outside and I am just generally enjoying the garden.

These Alliums are finally opening and looking beautiful, I have taken quite a few pictures of these I have to say.

Just be prepared for a few garden pics first of all or skim down if you are not interested in the garden, as soon as it is nice out I have to take a few every year to see how things are looking.

There are such a lot of things on the brink of opening so I will be sure to take more over the coming weeks, currently there is a lot of green, and I know I foolishly pulled out a lot of my seedling the other week when tidying.  Note to future self wait for thing to open and weed out later!

We have moved this seat a lot further back as it was in front of that tree before, it has created the look of more space.  Our garden goes to a sort of point at that top end so we thought this was a good idea.  There are also conifers all the way down that left side while providing privacy they also intrude into the garden by quite a way.  We are thinking of just trimming the bottom branches off like we have at the top on that big one, that way I can plant down that side with woodland plants, has anyone else done this and if so what are your thoughts?  It would certainly give us more space on that side, I keep the center area as slate due to the dogs, the grass used to look lovely but they churned it up and spoilt it.

On Sunday we had a lovely bike ride out to Wentworth it is always very scenic out that way and also a decent ride from our house.

Monday we had a lovely walk around Dam Flask first thing before all the people got there, we like to that as it can get very busy especially on weekends and bank holidays.  There is something very special about arriving while it is still quiet and peaceful.

I have been tinkering with a new top, I used the same pattern as last week from the mia set but this time I have hacked it.  I have altered the sleeve, the shoulders (they stood a little proud) made it a bit narrower and I am going to do a tie at the bottom front too but I haven't added that yet.  I started it yesterday morning but then had a day of visiting people so it got left.  I will post an image of the finished blouse on in a few days, here is the work so far...

Here it has one side pinned just to check the sleeve, I got his far then my mum called and I went over to her house for a visit.  Can you see my mannequin has tape around the neck?  The neck sort of exploded a few weeks ago and a spring came out, it won't go back in properly so it is tape for the time being.  I will probably put ribbon around it as I don't need the neck to go wider it is quite big to begin with.

I have started one of my new books from the charity shop 'Tidelands' it is interesting so far...

Also found a place for the two pictures I got from the charity shop, one is in my sewing room and the other is on the wall just outside, they were £3.50 and I am very happy with them.

Well that is all for today, have a lovely week. 

The Mia Set Blouse

 Hello this week I have made a few things but again can only share the one, the first thing was a top and I will have to share that at a later date because it was for a video post and then I made a purse for a friend but forgot to take the picture before wrapping and giving it!  Oh dear, anyway I can share this blouse that I made using the Mia set pattern that came with a magazine.  The magazine was Simple Sew and it was quite some time ago so a few of you may have this pattern knocking about the place.

I have made it before but last time I made it as a dress, again I have only gone for the one layer to the sleeves as I think two layers looks a bit much on me, plus I tend to get too much sleeve caught in things. The fabric is from minerva.com and is shade carmine  my husband did say it looks like reindeer but I have made this top as a summer make not a winter one as I feel they are just stags and that is a design for any time of year.

If you are going to make this design I would say check the shoulders are sitting correctly before you finish up, I found that I had to run them down a bit as they stood up on me.  Just try it on to be sure other than that it is quite a straight forward easy pattern.

I did a bit of tucking in there at the front as the blouse does hang quite loose  at the bottom, I also chopped about 4cm off the bottom of the flounce because they were a bit long and I wanted three quarter sleeves.

I had to take a chance last week and plant out a lot of my greenhouse plants, it has been so rubbish here that I didn't want them to get a shock but they were so big I just spent the afternoon putting it all out.  They did initially flop but now seem to have perked up I look forward to having more colour out there to share with you.  There will be more garden pictures as the weather improves I'm sure. 

We managed to get out for an Italian meal last week also the first in a long time, we went during the day time as we like it quiet but there were still a few in for a Friday lunch, that is a good sign for the business.  I suppose people are just eager to get out and do something.

It is the school holiday now so I have a full week off to look forward to, I hope you are all keeping well and staying busy I will enjoy having the time to get around all your blogs and seeing what you are up too. Bye for now. 

McCall's Dress

 I have quickly made this dress over the last few days, it was an nice one to work on and the fabric is great so that always helps.  I have made this before but in a fabric that was quite stretchy and I ended up taking that one in quite a lot, I chose to leave this one a bit bigger but I still added my own darts as I don't like things to hang too loose.  In fact this till feels quite big to me but the style is not supposed to be super fitted so I will leave it for now at least I will be able to move in it. 

This is a cotton poplin Art Gallery fabrics print from minerva, it is actually called catch and release. The weather is gloomy again so I braved it for the photo then put my jeans back on! Oh the British weather. 

I have lined the dress but not the sleeves, I also used a regular zip in the back then top stitched to make it invisible and I have to say the zip goes up and down much better than the invisible ones.

I have also been and sorted some of my patterns that I have cut from trace off from Burda.  I don't know if anyone else is such a messy dressmake as me but I have ended up with bits pushed in drawers and a box next to my sewing table!  I have made nice covers for them and put them neatly in a box that I have covered with paper.  I will try and do this as I go in future, well I say that now but lets see ;)

This way I also remember what I made in it rather than just a sketch on the front of the line drawing. 

After I had done that I had a look through my magazines because I was wondering about renewing my subscription for Burda as it has just ended. Looking through there are still things I have marked down to make and a lot of style do repeat so for now I will stick with what I have got. I can always buy it if there is a particular one I want.

There are at least three things marked on my to make list in this box so it is pointless adding to it for now. It was nice to have it drop through the letterbox once a month though.

Now this next bit of news is for anyone who suffers with their  tummy after food, I have this issue and all kinds if things can set me off with cramps.  This week I| was not well and I have discovered fennel seeds, they seem to be working and I don't want to speak too soon but ever since I have been eating them I have been so much better.  I just bought them from Asda in a pot and chew half a teaspoon after each meal slowly until all the flavour has gone then swallow. It feels a bit like a magic cure but lets hope it lasts, I am not a fan of the flavour but it is worth it.  Why not give it a try if you are having the same issues.   My mum said it is all that veg you eat but now that is a good thing, I am not going to eat junk to avoid bloating. 

Anyway that's enough medical advice I am not a Doctor, I hope you all have a lovely week back soon.