December...ing

 Hello, I hope you are all well and ready for the festive season. We like to keep it small here so it will be just us and our grown up children plus my mum. I have had more family over in the past but sadly due to the passing of my husband's parents and my father it is just my mum now. My oldest son's girlfriend likes to have her lunch with her mum and little sister.  I am pretty much sorted and the tree has been up a few weeks now as I love to see it and it brightens the dark evenings.  So here are a few things that we have been up to this last few weeks...

Eating  a meal out with friends.  This is something that we haven't done in such a long time, first they were ill then we were ill and time just passed while we all recovered.  So went for a curry locally and a couple of drinks after (literally a couple it is all I can manage these days!) It was so nice to sit and chat and just do soemthing different really.  I did get a compliment as my husband said the curry was not as good as the one I make. 

Sewing various items, a couple of bomber jackets, a cardi, a few tops and some gifts I will share a few pics below but not of the gifts because they may be seen. I did make two brooches for one of the teachers I have worked with and she has opened them but I forget to photograph those.  I have said when you wear them take a pic for me.  She said she loves them, I do hope so. I have seen her wear simialr things so I think I have captured her style, it is such aperconal thing making soemthing specific to a person.

This is one of my favourite recent makes, the rib and lining are recycled from an old hoodie belonging to my boys.  The outer is dashwood studios from minerva.

I don't know why this pic is so grainy, cowl hood jersey dress.

Cardi/jacket in stretch cotton it's a cor style fabric.

Jersey dress with pockets.

My second go at this top, it os sparkly but it doesn't show in the image.  I think I prefer the non collar version of this top that I made a while ago.  That is just some of my making not all of it, I need to stay more current with my updates as I am losing track of what I have done!   Also the coat  I made was lined and I redid the belt with a buckle.

Oh and this is the other bomber jacket, this one is in textured jersey very warm, all these fabrics are from minerva.

Watching Ghostbusters at the cinema last night, Penistone Paramount and I loved it.  I think you have to be about my age and clearly remember the first one to fully appreciate.  I remember winning tickets in the Junior Sheffield star to see the first one and I took a friend, going to the cinema was a big treat for me back then. 

Also a new series called Carnival Row it is very bizarre but I am somehow getting into it. 

Eating too much chocolate, vegan chocolate but still.  I had some bought for me for my birthday, then my husband bought me the nomo advent calendar then I have more from school.  I appear to have acquired a taste for it again now and every time I pass through the kitchen I have to have a little nibble.

Dreaming of places we will visit in our caravan next year, we have a couple of trips booked.  So let us pray that we do not end up in another lock down in the new year. 

Leaving my job to do more work for myself in the new year, scary but also very freeing.  I already feel lighter and excited. If it doesn't work out I can always go back to working a day job but I am giving it a go. 

Intending to be more organised next year, I manage to get lots done but it is often in a whiz of fabric and mess. My sewing room currently looks like a bomb has hit it, it is very small so all the more reasxon to be more on top of it.  I will try.

Whatever you are up to I hope you are safe, happy and well.  

A New Coat

 Well it has got a lot colder all of a sudden and I finished my new coat at the weekend, it was an unlined pattern but I do like a lined coat so a few days ago I purchased some emerald green lining and I am going to add that to it.  It will be a pretty quick job to do that as the coat is already complete.  It is just a case of cutting out the front, back and sleeve  pieces again in lining fabric, attaching them and slipping it inside before hand stitching around facings, hem and cuffs.  I do like a bit of hand stitching, I know it is not everyones cup of tea but I do find it very relaxing.

The pattern for the coat is depicted on the cover using a much lighter fabric from what can gather, I have made this in vegan coating.  To me if it is warm enough to wear a light weight fabric then it is warm enough that you won't need a long coat, but that is just my opinion.  So I feel making this in a heavier fabric makes it a more wearable winter garment.   I also think that a coat slides on and off much better when it is lined aso that is why I have gone for this extra step.

I made the belt a little narrower although I still think it is a wide belt, there are pockets in the sides of the coat.  There will be some photos of it on when I get around to it.

I have cut out another wrap over top so I will be putting that togther over the next few days too, it is in a striped fabric and I look forward to seeing how this works on this style.

Earlier in the week some new sewing scissors arrived, an early gift for me that I needed as mine keep on snagging the fabric even though they are not old (they do get a lot of use)  I am not entirely sure  a family member may have used them for none fabric purposes at some point, I can't be sure but they did go blunt suddenly a while ago and you will know what I mean.  It made me laugh as someone said to me the other day is that all you are having as a gift? Well it is what I need and want so in that case it is perfect.

This  week we have been watching a series called Guilt on iplayer and I am enjoying that, we saw a bit of the second series and didn't know what was going on, then we realised it had a first season so we looked for it.  I am glad we have found something as there is a an awful lot of rubbish on at the moment and I do like to have one series we can pop on before bed.  After dinner early evening we do other things but after nine I like to just watch for an hour or so.s

The Christmas tea is out now too so we know it is getting close, I really fancied buying myself some mulled wine tea bags and then I saw the postage was almost as much as the tea so I didn't bother.  Any tips for what I can add to my tea in terms of spices anyone to get the same effect? (not actual red wine though itgives me headache!)  Here is my current cup...

 Have a lovely day.

Christmas Making

 Hello I thought I'd share the little bit of Christmas sewing I have been doing as promised, I have a home for one of the bunting strips and I moved on to making a few gift bags like I mentioned a few days ago.  I will be making more I was just trying out the different ways that they could be tied or fastened. If you haven't already maybe check out the post on Sum Of Their stories to see the ideas there, I shared the link in my previous post.

I opted to used the recycled pillow slips  that I had been wanting to reuse anyway, then I chose to dress them with small amoun ts of new fabric to make them look festive.   I did a dawstring tie on one, the ribbon tie attched at the side, tie loops at the top on another and a button fastening.  I don't know which will be the prefered way I suppose it depends what you are putting inside as some methods maintain more usable space inside.

The little scrap bits are also being saved as I cut out as these can be used on gift tags, here are a few so far...

Of course these will have to be done on a cooler wash as I have mixed some bold colours here with the white.

It makes quick work of wrapping things.

Here are a few of the finished bunting, it is making me feel quite Christmasy taking photos of these things.

I found just draping the ties in the cupboards above mymachine is a really quick way to hang these.

I have various bits of this fabric left over from last year, all odd strips and some random shapes.

Someone has requested this one with the ginger bread men.

Now I am wondering what to make with all the little offcuts, it may be too close to the season to start a patchwork style project I will have to have a think.  What sort of things are you all getting ready for Christmas? 

Right I must get on as I am in the middle of making a coat, it is unlined in the pattern but I am thinking I will make it up as it is then when I can get hoild of a bit of lining I will line it.  It is quick enough to do and I never see the point of not lining a coat as they go on so much better with one in. 

 Have a lovely weekend.