October...ing

 Hello everyone I hope you are all doing well and enjoying the Autumn.  I am really loving all the colours at the moment even though I would say I am very much a summer time person this season really does create some beautiful scenery. I thought I would close the month with an 'ing' post so here goes...

Travelling  to North Yorkshire for our last caravan trip of the year, we stay at a  little CL site called Spruce Gill farm and if you have a caravan I really recommend it.  Gorgeous scenery and it is a really well kept site.  It is also perfect for exploring the area and walking of course, we did have a really windy night one evening though and i thought we may end up finding the awning in the field opposite but it held up!

There were three caravans on the site while we were there now it does only aloow five anyway as it is a CL site but it really is gorgeous having so much space to ourselves.  It also means you can usually get in the toilet /shower block always a bonus. 😁

                              One of  our many and beautiful walks, it did rain a little but it soon blew over.

Dramatic grey skies, we saw a lot of people on this walk even though it was early and in term time.

Making lots of sweaters for work, I haven't got images of them all here as I have just chaged ny phone and they are not all on the laptop I nw realise.  Some I love some are being passed on, the latest one I made I think is my favourite and that is the one below...

Simplicity 8982 Brushwork Prints (Minerva)

This one is a really good shape, I did notice though that after having it on all day it made me a bit itchy at the front of the neck, I suppose that is the downside of having a high neck on a sweater knit.  Still love it though, I think maybe I had become a little warm.

                                         Simplicity 9385  Bubble Shoal sweater knit  (Minerva)

Simplicity 9450 Mimi G in Monstera street design (Minerva)

Simplicity 8177 Animal Glow (Minerva)

                                                    Rugged Trail sweater knit (Minerva)

So this last one has gone to my brother's girlfriend and the animal glow is going back to the office with a few other things.  I do find obviously I can't keep everything and in the spirit of not wanting to create waste I worry about this also I am sure a few other people will be with me on this.  No matter how much you love doing something you don't want to be responsible for added waste.  I would much rather things were used and loved. 

Reading  Priviledge by Guinevere Glasfurd, a really interesting story, historical fiction but with factual bits.  I always love a story about a period in history where the author has used real events it makes it much more fascinating and enjoyable.  I was pleased with this as I has a run of bad books before it.

Re-vamping my bathroom blind and also redecorating my bathroom, now the blind has gone through a number of transformations over the past fifteen years so you may have known me to do this before if you have been  around a while.  This time I used a thick oil cloth table cloth from Dunelm mill, as it was a nicer design than the fabrics they had on the roll.  It was a pretty quick job, just take out the old staples, remove the bottom bar or rod, sew a channel in the new fabric and restaple.

Framing some post cards tht I have had a year from Angelsey, they were just 30p each and the frames were £2 each from the charity shop.

                               It was a dark day when I took these photos, but I think they look cute.

Watching Buddy Holly and the Crickets tribute band at Penistone Paramount, we have had this booked for a year and they were really good.  We were sat right at the front which seemed like a good idea but then I actually felt quite conspicuous especially when they had everyone get up to dance to the slow songs.  A fabulous night out though.

Loving my new coat that I have just made, a friend gifted me the fabric as she didn't want it and the lining has just arrived today so I will be lining it now.   I will share more on this in another post.

Planning a bit of an overhaul of my wardobe, in terms of looking at what I can remake into more wearable items.  I make a lot now for work but it is not all practical  day to day or even my style.  The thrifty part of me thinks I should be using and wearing all of it so it is not wasted ans also so I don't waste money when I make clothes all the time.  However does this mean that I don't make clothes I love or that I have chosen the fabric for anymore in the spirit of being thrifty, and also making myself wear clothes that are not me is not going to make me happy is it?   I am going to be quite ruthless and refashion what I can, save some as they are for filming of course keep my favourites and of course whe have the option to pass on for demonstration purposes.  Anyone else feeling the same who is doing this?

Looking  forward to the new month ahead.  Thank you for stopping by today and if you have the time please watch my latest youtube video, I would also love it if you could comment and subscribe it would be great to meet you there.  Have a lovely week. 

                                                                                  watch here

 

Autumn Musings

 Hello, there is a definite chill in the air now so I have been planning what I need to add to my wardrobe.  A lot of what I have made this year has been for the summer months mainly due to work that I have been doing.  Lots of gorgeous prints and so on but now is the time that I am looking for ways to extend the life of these clothes, or pack them away for next year. I do find that with lots of things I can add a cami underneath, a long sleeved t shirt and I am good to go, or maybe the base layer and a cardi over.  Some items though are just too summery to do that with so they have been rolled and placed in a lidded box, a sad sign to the end of summer!  

I have just planned another coat, my husband will say this is not required as my wardrobe is full but the fabric was gifted from a friend when she was destashing and the patterns I already have.  In a recent video that I made for youtube I gave a few options of what I might make with it, now it is just a case of making the fabric fit what I choose.

Another little crafty thing that I did recently was to upcyle an old picture frame into a mini notice board for my sewing room.  I wanted to keep some of my personalty to it so I didn't want to buy one same as everyone else and also I am always all for keeping costs down.  So I painted the gold frame white, removed the glass and also painted the board at the back of the picture white.  Now this his taked about four coats as the board just drinks up the paint, the paint I had already so no extra cost there.  When it was all dry I made mini bunting, added fabric samples, a tape measure, a little sewing image, a few threads and a holder for my current pattern.  I am really happy with how it turned out and I think it does the trick.  I had been requested to add some colour to my space and I am all for colour but for the last year I had been under the impression I had to keep things plain professional and white background.  It does look more inviting with some colour, I also have to watch for darkening the space too much as it is a small room and my phone is not an iphone so I do all I can to keep the light in there.  Here it is below...

For research purposes I have been looking at the background of others in the sewing community but a lot appear to be in a much bigger space than me so if I start adding shelves and lots of stuff to walls I may lose a lot of the light quality.  I have been looking at second hand iphones, after years of saying never, I did look at filming cameras but got a bit overwhelmed by it all. 

Do any of you follow Kate at The Last Homely House on you tube?  Well this week I watched a video of her taking down her granddaughters quilt from her board, it is English paper pieced and the colours are just out of this world.  If you are not familiar with her channel go and have a look as her quilting is so beautiful and really they are works of art.   It has me inspired to have a go, she has been making it for the last three years, this is inbetween all the other things she makes and in the last video she also made a couple of quilted cushions to go with it, this was to teach people how to finish the edges. 

Other news, I am currently enjoyng House of  the Dragon, the Game of Thrones spin off, I have also been watching Bad sisters.  I don't really watch an regular tv we just pick a series to watch together then watch one in the evening usually after nine. 

For the rest of this month we have a few things planned, a night out for a curry for a family birthday, a long weekend away in the caravan to North yorkshire (Near Leyburn)  a  trip to the theatre to see a Buddy Holly tribute night and I paln to see a few friends for lunch one day.  So a few things going on, I don't usually have a very full month socially and that looks pretty full for me. 

I have been reading The Edible Woman by Margaret Atwood and it is just plodding along, so it has taken me longer than usual I am almost done.  Also read  The Penelopiad by her also dull, maybe I need to give her books a miss now? Also started After Alice but this is not grabbing me either, every now and then I  have a run of bad books and it makes you think this is why some people don't like reading, if they tried to get into it then made a few bad choices it would put them off carrying on.  Maybe I need to start and just bring home a reall random armful from the library and then just put them down if they are dull, my trouble is I try to carry on as I hate leaving them unfinished.

Yesterday I checked out a Sewing magazine from the inline library and it reminded me why I don't buy them.  I must have flicked through it in no time, lots of ads, space fillers and just afew articles.  Good that you have this option online to look at magazines though.

Well that is my bit of a ramble for today I will link my latest youtube video below just in  case you want to watch,  Have a good week.

                                                                        Find the video here

Makes and Trips

 Hello everyone I thought I would do a catch up as September has just gone in a flash!  We have been away last weekend to Leek in our Caravan and then we have just one more weekend away in it booked for this year and then that will be it for the caravanning for this year until next spring.  I know people still use theirs in the winter months but I would rather be home when it is very cold to be honest, and go out from here, it is so much easier to get the dogs dry and warm if it is a wet miserable day. 

So we went to Leek and that was very lovely, while we were their we also had a really good walk at The Roaches, staffordshire to Ludds church, which is actually caves and quite a workout on the way back up. 

As you can see from my images we are already experiencing the darker days on our little trips out, I am in full Autumn mode here with the candles it every night and a fleecy blanket to  hand.  We have checked the heating still works today then promptly turned it back off again, we will not go cold but we are trying our best to hold off as long as we can.  They are not profiteering off me!  Bizarre as it sound having the candles lit does make it feel warmer, or am I just imagining that? Either way it's good. 

I have made quite a few things this past month so I will share a few below, all in viscose challis...

Simplicity 1107 in Pebble stone (minerva).  I really like the shape of this one but it has definitely had its season so will  be worn next year now.

Simplicity 1609 in Pop Cheetah  Loving these colours and think I may be able to get away with some wild tights and a long sleeved t shirt under this  to extend its across season wearablity.

     Simplicity 9133 view E in popcorn Jelly.  T-shirts always  handy, a sweater can over this one to keep me toasty.  Notice I have keeping warm on the brain.

                Simplicity 8921 in Urban Cheetah  view B, a balck top under this would work I think.

Simplicity 9122 in expressive butterflies, agian I can layer up!

That is just some of them and I have also had to repair my patchwork quilt that I have on my sofa and one of the dogs sits on it and sort of rubs it to get comfy.  Well he has managed to make holes here and there with his burrowing so I have has to add to the design I will get a photo one day when the lighting is better. 

I would like to do more patchwork as I have so many scraps and I do hate waste, I have not done as much bag making this year as I have had very few sales and storing them is the thing plus paying out fees all year ok  the listing fees aren't  massive (they make on you when you sell!) but they all add up. Quilting may be the way to go with them but I am not super accurate with all the shapes, I watch Kate at the last homely house on you tube as she works it all out and I think no, my work is a lot more haphazard than that when it comes to patchwork!

Just having a catch up now on all your blogs, I feel as though I have not  really had much time this month for just having a read through, lots of making and editing, also been a bit unwell and very low in energy.  Hoping to shake that off and start the Winter good and strong. 

Well I hope you are all keeping warm, saving the pennies, and enjoying lots of making.  I am off to read your blogs now so have a good weekend. Take care.