Bargain Gypsy Top Finished

Well I have to say I am really pleased with how this turned out considering I had no idea what to do with the fabric until last week.  My husband very kindly took the photographs but I always feel such a fool posing in items I have made but I do understand that people want to see the garments being worn and not just always hanging on a mannequin.

I rescued the frill that had been put on upside down  and hemmed the side vents, it took a few tries to get the straps in just the right place so they don't show the bra straps but that is always the case, am I right ladies?

I thought I would stand somewhere pretty then saw the cobwebs in the garage window! Oops.

The level is about the same front and back on the neckline.

Happy that the straps stayed covered though.

That side vent lets it hang a bit more freely.

The fabric was quite nice to work with some sort of cotton mix. I didn't use my overlocker for tidying inside seams just a zig zag stitch, sometimes I really can't be doing with the thread hungry nature of overlockers.

I have some more fabric big enough  for a top just waiting to be transformed I will have to get to work on that.  The only thing is I have used it twice before, once in a patchwork cushion and once in the runner  here on the drawers in my hallway.  Is it ok to match your soft furnishings? I am not sure but maybe I will give it a go. The fabric is very bright and I think that is probably why I haven't used it in a garment yet.  Probably a simple top with no fussy fastenings will be best.

Today I have added a few new pictures to Pinterest from something I have been working on, I had them all saved then got around to adding them today.  It is based around faith art, not for everyone I understand, that is why I haven't shared on here but I feel that sort of creativity could be used in connection with poetry or other inspirational works so maybe I will post on it another day in a non-biased way.

  In relation to this I have treated myself to some new coloured pencils, Inktense  they are called, very rich colours.  I am considering this an end of School year gift to myself.  The good thing is I ordered them then got a message saying they were going to give me a £6 refund!  They must have gone on sale as they were £12.95 when I bought them, very good of them to honour it as I didn't know.  They were from Amazon.

Gluten Free Vegan Pizza with Homemade Cashew Cheese

Since I had to cut out wheat from my diet I have found that I miss pizza, bread had been the big one but I have mastered that one now so I thought pizza is just the same surely just a different shape.   Now there are probably master pizza chefs thinking absolutely not, it is different altogether but I just want to eat a pizza so here we are...

Easy Gluten Free Vegan Pizza

Now I really like a thin base so that is what I aimed for, if you want it thicker you will have to adjust the quantities. I just used my bread recipe that I have been tweaking and just used less of  it, I also left out the potato starch in this one. It was really tasty and I will definitely be making this on a regular basis.

 Base

30g brown rice flour

40g Quinoa flour

30g SR GF flour

2g of dry yeast (about a third of a 7g packet)

1/4 tsp xanthan gum

5ml oil

100g tepid water

pinch of salt

Put dry ingredients in a bowl and mix except for salt, add water and oil and mix gently then add salt when all ingredients combined. 

Line a pizza tray with greaseproof paper and oil lightly, spread mixture on paper thinly, just pour it in and spread don't over handle.

Cover and let it rise for about 10-15 minutes it will only be a little rise, then cook for 10 minutes at 200c.  While this was cooking I added peppers and onion to a roasting tin to cook a little.

Cashew Cheese

40g cashews

1 desert spoon nutritional yeast

juice of 1/4 lemon

pinch of garlic granules

water

Blitz nuts in a food processor keep going until they are as fine as they will go, add nutritional yeast, garlic granules, lemon juice and a little water.  Blitz again and only add more water if needed to make a thick paste.  This is so nice you can eat it as it is.

I know it doesn't look much but it is really tasty.

Cover your pizza with whatever toppings you like, I put tomato puree, the roasted pepper and onion, some tomatoes and the cashew cheese.  Pop back in the oven for 8-10 minutes until hot.  The good thing is the pizza just slides straight off the paper onto the plate and is nice and crisp around the edge.

Enjoy

£2 Gypsy Top with Straps

I have had this little piece of fabric sat in a drawer now for a couple of months, I bought it because it was a remnant and only £2 but I wasn't sure what to make with it.  As it was only £2 it was too good to pass up and I knew inspiration would strike at some point.

Here is progress so far. One of the frills is coming off as it is upside down! But you get the idea.

Last week when I went for something to eat with a friend  she was wearing a lovely top, I mentioned this fabric and said I thought it would be just the thing for something like the one she was wearing.  Now I had the image of her top in mind so it may not be the same but the style is along the same lines.  There was a t-shirt already hanging in my wardrobe that was a similar shape so I used it as a starting point.

This t-shirt is very baggy so as you can see I folded it in a bit.

I cut two long strips and gathered them to make the frills for front and back.

It is now on the mannequin with the side seams sewn and the straps pinned in place, I'm going to do a vent either side at the bottom.

This didn't take that long but I had to start cooking, go off and do my pilates and now I am being reminded that Game of Thrones is on in a bit so I guess it will wait until tomorrow.

This little label that was stapled to the bottom of the remnant made me smile, how often can you make a garment for that price these days?