The Liberty Dress

Hello I hope you are all keeping safe, I am trying to do a variety of things to keep things interesting and yesterday I checked my compost bin to see if any of it was ready and at the bottom there was dark rich looking stuff!  So I have planted to some flower seeds in my greenhouse.  Now I know I am supposed to use seed potting compost but as I have been unable to get out to get any I am doing this experiment to see if they will still grow.  You can plant some seeds straight into the ground so I am not entirely sure why it would be so wrong but I am just trying things out.

I did get a lot of the garden tidied up this week as I am sure many of you are doing the same, making the most of this lovely weather while we are at home, I found a couple of stray pansies growing out of the side of the path and gravel so I transplanted them to a bed.  Those sort of free plants are super don't you think?  I found quite a few last year springing up in odd places and a little collection filled a planter.

Sewing wise I made the liberty dress from Simply Sewing magazine, it seems a bit odd to call it that as in the pattern images they have used liberty style fabrics.  I on the other hand have used this John Kaldor stretch sateen from Minerva.  I did make the dress with the three quarter sleeves and knee length to begin with but I didn't really like it like that so I shortened both the sleeves and the hem.  I think it was my fabric choice with the pattern, in my head it looked different but we all have our off days and I am usually better at matching pattern to fabric.  That said I am happy with the result in its current version.

Here it is now, complete with dog bowls!  Then below the first take looking a little more dowdy I think.

So I have now utilised two patterns from the first simply sewing magazine I received, a few weeks a go I used the simple burda top pattern to make the top for my mock jumpsuit here.   The aim is to try and make something form each copy although I know this may be tricky if they replicate items I already have/make or if I just don't like what is on offer, so we will have to see.

You can see the lovely sheen and colour of the fabric in this image.

There has been lots of reading going on both on and off line, my current paper book is The Milkman by Anna Burns and was winner of The Man Booker prize 2018, now I am not always a fan of books that win awards some are fabulous and others leave you wondering what the judges were thinking. However I have enjoyed this but it is not a quick and easy read, she has a very different style of writing and episodes of rambling that leave you either laughing out loud or wondering what on earth is going on. It is very thought provoking and witty, it also reminded me of my childhood and hearing about the troubles in Northern Ireland on the news or from family ( my uncle lived there as my auntie is Irish).  We hear about things on the news with no idea what life must be like for those involved, restricted movements, freedoms and having your choices taken away, currently we are all having to live differently to try and slow this awful virus.  

Just today I have also been browsing the elibrary set up, I got a message from the library as we are unable to borrow actual books at the moment saying we should make the most of this service.  While I do have a few library books left I thought I would take a look, well it worked fine on my phone but I needed support from my son to get it on my laptop.  You have to download RBdigital which is fine on a phone or tablet but will vary on your laptops, have  look around but there is an icon at the bottom of their homepage for adobe at the bottom right so click on that if need be.  Using that app I read half a book this morning then got bored with it, at least it didn't cost me, there are also lots of audio books on there to listen to while sewing.

Another thing I have been doing is looking through my pinterest boards, I actually have one called stuff to make.  I have decided to work my way through it over the next few weeks, some of the things are very small and some are slightly bigger  and with that in mind I will be trying to post more frequently.  That may be each day or every other day as a way to share ideas that may help  keep you busy but also to keep my brain focused on an actual goal.

What have you all been up to? Please feel free to share in the comments I always enjoy reading them. 

The Bibi Skirt

Well here is my latest make from the Tilly Walnes Stretch book, I don't think I will make all the items from the book as I have very similar patterns already but the ones I have made are very nice.  I didn't have a contrasting fabric in jersey to make this the same as it is in the book but I did have some scrap pieces so I made mock piping to go down each seam so you would still get he effect of the panels in the skirt.   I really like the effect and I will do this again, so having less really does force you to be creative as I do not have the fabric stash of some sewers just a few pieces but lots of random bits that are not big enough for garment but might come in handy!

Here I have the top of the sweater tucked in but I don't wear it that way I just wanted to show the top of the skirt.

I am still undecided about the sleeves on this sweater but as I have been wearing it loads as it is so comfy and warm it can't be bothering me that much can it? Plus I was told it looked designer so I'll take that ha, ha.

With  the sizing on this skirt I played it safe and made the next size up but then it was too big so I just had to redo my seams, no big deal.  I think I was over cautious  as the first item I made from the book  the sleeves were a little snug and had to be redone and I always think it is much easier to take things in a little.

This is the cute version in the book with the two fabrics together, I do now have some stripy fabric but I have other plans for that.

While I was rooting around looking at left over bits of fabric I also found one my boys old t-shirts from when they were younger.  I managed to cut out the sleeves for another Frankie t-shirt and again used up various left over bits.  I  really love this make and my son said it looks like something you pay a lot for in a shop, high praise indeed.

I had to send these to myself from my phone and I have no idea why, wouldn't then save properly so screen shot from my email!  Weird, I hope these last few are clear enough.

I just have a feeling I am going to be making these tops for some time using all sorts scraps, oldest son has plans on one already.

This past week I finished The Handmaids Tale, remember I said I was reading them in reverse.
 I did really enjoy it.
I also read The subtle Art of not Giving a Fxxx.  I know, apologies if you are sensitive and he does use that word a fair few times in the book but I did watch a talk he did some time ago and he made a lot of sense.  The book was not about not caring about anything but the fact that what we care about day to day is just irrelevant and usually what people think of us, and that of course will really not matter and in a week or maybe even a day.  Priorities and finding what you really care about was really the message.  So if you can avoid the bad language and the fact that he can talk rubbish also sometimes (which he does of course admit his failings) then you will find some gems of wisdom in here too.

We will not be going anywhere anytime soon as my husband is now not well, constant cough and hot to touch. He is at the moment sleeping, we went online and of course we have to isolate too.   He was on the rota to work from home next week as was my son so if he feels ok he will still be able to get something done, at the moment I think he is too tired.

It is a worry for all the small businesses out there, I hope there is enough support  so that they don't go under but also wonder how long this period will last.  Stay safe everyone.

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The Frankie T-shirt

This past week I have made another garment from the Tilly Walnes Stretch book, this time the Frankie T-shirt.  I chose this because I like this style and I have made it before but using my own pattern.  When I did that I found my sleeves were not as wide at the top as maybe they should have been so it was interesting to see how they worked on this pattern.  I felt that this was an easy make so great for any beginners however I did find the fit very loose, far too loose for me in the body so I took it in by quite a chunk at the sides.  That said I love it and already have another cut out, it is great for using up small leftover bits of jersey for the arms and that is what I did here with mine.

I was in a hurry to wear it so a rather quick selfie here, I made a white t-shirt a while ago and these pieces for the sleeves were left over.  I did in fact have to put a mock seam part way up my sleeves as I wanted the see through stripe to lie horizontally on them and that was the only way to make them fit.  It is fine as the seam hides in the stripe.  My only worry now is that the red doesn't wash pink into the white sleeves.

For the neck facing I just turned the spotty fabric to the wrong side so that I could have it plain around the neck.

So far so good with that book and a bonus having got  from the library and another library order arrived just over a week ago too and that is The Testamnets by Margaret Atwood.  I ordered it months ago as I was on a list but it came and I read it this week.

 I enjoyed it and I was happy with the ending which is not always the case however The Handmaids Tale is now in for collection that I ordered at the same time!

  So I am reading them in reverse, I did know the story as I have watched the TV version but it will be interesting to read the original as the books are usually better.  I couldn't have saved this one either as there is such a long wait list for it you can't renew.   I did consider buying them both  before I ordered them but went with patience, after all they only sit on my book shelf once read and if I had bought and kept every book I ever read we would be a bit pushed for space.

 I tend to have a sort through every now and then and just keep my absolute favourites for my bookshelf.  Unfortunately I have lost a  few favourites along the way as I will lend them to people and then they are never returned,  that seems to happen with the best ones!

Last night I made a saag aloo to go with my other homemade curries that we were having for tea, I followed a recipe and decided the potatoes were too firm but it was tasty.  Next time I will be part cooking the potatoes before they go in the pan and I am sure it will be perfect then.  Honestly I don't think all recipes are tested  as I followed it exactly, well I actually gave it a little longer but it wasn't long enough to cook the potatoes through.

That's all for now, have a good week.