October Plans

 Hello everyone I hope you are all well. This past weekend I attended the Minerva Pop up shop in Manchester and was there all day. If you were there too you may have spoken with me, I met lots of lovely people who love sewing and it was such a nice atmosphere. Now that it is all over I may keep adding in a few of the recent makes I did for it as I was uncertain about sharing before the event.  I also have a few things to make for myself now that the rush is over. 

Unfortunately one of the things i had planned I put in my order for on Sunday then today recieved a message that there wasn't enough fabric left so I have had to cancel the whole order as it contained matching thread, buttons zip etc which were no good without the fabric, also sadly it cannot be reordered.  It was a lovely dusky pink twill for some cargo trousers, oh well I will have to choose another shade.

I have just finished reading Learned by Heart by Emma Donoghue, the story was very engaging and she writes very well but I have to say a bit vivid in places! I am always interested in books that are based on real life people or historic events. As we are in the Autumn now I feel the need for some spooky reading so I will choose later which book to start next.

This week is a slightly slower pace as I am waiting on some work, I do however have a bag to make for my friend which is almost complete.  I have been working on it all morning while listening to a podcast, now I can't normally do that when I am filming.

October has a few plans ahead, we don't normally have very much going on but this month we have a birthday, an anniversary, a meal out with family, a meet up with friends and a trip to the ballet at Buxton planned.  That is a very busy month for me, I think I am very much a close to home person and I have accepted that is ok as we are not all the same.

Here are a few recent makes, some of these are actually for me and a couple were event pieces at the bottom.  First up is the croissant bag that I spoke of in a recent post, I opted to make it in a leftover pieces of cotton sateen, I backed it in linen, lined it in lining fabric and also did a youtube for it here is the link I haven't used it yet but as we are out  for a meal soon I will use it then.

So the bag was from Burda September as was this next make, and this is a zip through top also in leftover fabric but this time a vsicose jersey.  I am making the most of all these bits I have left. 

A very easy top that I have worn twice already as it is so comfy, I had to do the sleeves in two sections as in scrap busting there wasn't enough fabric to cut them all in on piece.

For the event I made two more coats recently, the named Isla trench coat...

This was a very time hungry make, I had thought I may make one for me but realistally I am thinking when would I wear this, unless I modify and make it a short version so perhaps I will do that.

Then I made the kelly anorak...

I had to save a frame from a video here as I can't find my still images of it, my son took a fancy to this as I think it is quite neutral. 

So that is all for now as the dogs need walking, enjoy your sewing whatever you are making this week and I'll be back soon. Take care.

Coat Making

 Hello everyone, I hope it has been a good week for you and at least we are still getting a bit of sunshine in the mix here in the UK. That said I am moving towards my warmer makes and this week I have made a coat although it is not for me I thought I would show it here in case anyone is planning a coat for the coming season.

Now this coat is a sample, and it is Butterick 6720 and made up in boiled wool, now that is something I wouldn't buy for myself and I have to say if you making this you need a strong machine as the layers are thick.  Sewing seams of double thickness is fine but once you get onto the areas where it has pockets and lots of layers around the collar it is super thick.  Of course this makes for a very warm coat but do be aware that you will be walking it through in many places. 

 Unless of course you have an industrial machine and then it will be a breeze.  I have a very old one in the garage that I can't have in the house as it is so noisy and is not working properly anymore, time to time I think of getting it repaired for times such as this however as I can't have it in the house there doesn't seem much point.  I don't wish to sit and sew in the garage amongst my husbands mess and that would not be a nice video either when I am filming.

I made version B of the pattern that is medium length, belted and with four larg buttons up each cuff, although you do have options for length and adding a fur cuff or contrast if you wish.  It is fully lined and has shoulder pads, again had this been for me I would have left omitted the shoulder pads.  The boiled wool comes in lots of colours if you are interested and this shade is red but there are a few different shades of red.

When I made a coat for myself I used the vegan wool coating and I thought this to be much easier to handle and super soft if I was wanting a fabric that was easier to handle for this particular coat and if you are vegan you mat prefer to make this in the Vegan wool coating.  Both fabrics and the pattern are from Minerva.

Winter makes aside, yesterday was so glorious that we went for a walk around Dam flask, lots of people were out walking and running and generally making the most of the late sun. We stopped at The Plough for lunch half way round and also noticed that a cute little ice cream parlor has opened up across the road from the pub.  It had four flavours of vegan ice cream for me, this was unexpected and most welcomed.  I had the mango flavour which I think I enjoyed all the more because I thought I was only going inside to buy one for  my husband.

In other sewing I have cut out the pieces for the Croissant bag that I have planned to make from the Burda magazine and also purchased some fabric for a bag that my friend wants me to make for her.  I am still planning what other bits of contrast I want to add to that one though.

Here is the Croissant bag, pictured above.  I have to say I do think Burda sometimes give limited instructions and make things look harder than they are.  This bag would be finished already I had I just made it my way and not opted to show how it it is put together for the magazine version.  In fact I may still do that and explain my way.  

Well have a good weekend, and take care. 

Sewing Plans for Autumn

 Hello everyone, this week I have been thinking about what I would like to make for the coning season, I usually just make whatever takes my fancy and this does not always fit with the weather ahead.  I often think my wardrobe is more suited to the Mediterninean, and a lot of wishful thinking on my part.  This involes wearing summer dresses with three hundred denier tights in february and wondering why my clothes don't match.  So I thought I would at least do a tiny bit of panning this year and to aid in this I bought myself the September issue of Burda.

Now if you read this blog you may know that I have subscribed to Burda for a year in the past, so I have a number of copies.  I know a lot of styles repeat but it is good to have a brouse as a treat and also to see how things are put together, which may or may not be to your taste. (I do think some of the Burda styling is odd at times)

I have chosen a few things I want to make over the coming months and I know I do have similar patterns in my stash the odd thing is I rather enjoy the whole tracing them out of the magazine and hunting for the lines it is part of it somehow like doing a puzzle and very relaxing.  There is also the fact that I often find the Burda magazine patterns to be the best fit and far better than the bought print copies of the patterns.  This makes no sense but they always turn out well.

One of the patterns that I have chosen is along the same theme as an outfit I maded for work this week by Know Me Patterns by mimi G.  So the trousers I made from that set had a two tone effect here they are...

So here the two tone effect is in a wave across the trousers and the top, now this outfit is not for me.

The pattern I saw in Burda has french pockets and the effect at the bottom of the leg is in a straight diagonal across the calf like this...

I did have the idea to make these all in one colour and just use the diagonal detail as topstitching detail on the piece, my husband said if you are going to the trouble of cutting the pieces you may as well use two colours.  So this will mean buying an extra bit of fabric, as I already had the navy I intend to use for this.  My thoughts are this, much as I like these will I wear them much in two colours? As does that limit what they will go with? 

The  next choices are a zip neck top and dress plus a sweater for my husband and a croissant bag, just because it looked fun.  Those are the choices for now, I do tend to come back to these magazines later on too as the ones I own I tend to get out occasionally and have a look through with fresh eyes.

If you are interested in a look through the magazine I did a little flick through here on my youtube...

My youtube channel

Have a lovely week wheverer you are. Take care.