A Gift

This morning I received a lovely package of fabric from Jo at Three Stories High I am so grateful as these pieces come in really handy for bag making and all sorts.  I was immediately grabbed by this one particular piece that I thought was just right for shorts, remember the baggy shorts were not for me. Well this piece will be more fitted from a pattern I often hack and I have them all cut out and ready to go...

There are no pockets on the pattern I thought a couple on the back might add a bit of interest.

Here is my fabric pile I will a have a lot fun with that, and a few patterns too thank you Jo...

My mind is going around wondering what to use first I do have my eye on the orange and black.

A couple of weeks ago I made a bag for a friends birthday and as it was today she has opened it and I can now share it.  She loves giraffes so I had to find the perfect fabric to go in her bag, I also used some of the blanket that feature in my tropical bag on the back.

 This fabric is quite heavy and as I was only buying a small piece I was relieved it had the giraffe on it!

The blanket goes really well with the faux leather, I say blanket it is more of a throw really.

Returning to the pattern I shared in the first image it was same one I used for the mock jumpsuit I am wearing today for me made May 2020 day 28,  and my other two that I shared earlier this month.  It is basic wide leg trousers so it is just a case of adding the bits you want to make it suit you, I make the legs narrower and add belt loops and a belt for this look.  I paired it with a basic burda top pattern that I got with  a magazine.

While this weather has been glorious today it is way too hot to walk the dogs in, I have to keep mine in as best I can because they just lay in it otherwise and overheat.  I tried letting them sit under the lounger that was in the shade earlier but they kept getting up to lay in full sunshine so we all went in!  A quick nip to the post box at the top of our street and I knew the pavements were so hot, it is a shame because we long for this kind of weather and I feel it is too uncomfortable for the dogs.

Both of my sons have  gone off to play basketball again I haven't known them this active in years, it is good that they are getting out to do something.  I am out in the garden a lot but they don't really spend any time in it.

That is all for now, take care.

A Change of Plan

I got a bit distracted from my sewing plans today, the weather was far too nice to sit inside and there were too many plants looking sad in their pots that needed to go out in the garden.  Also the dress I am planning to make is quite thick jersey and I had intended the three quarter sleeve version as I will get more wear out of it through the year.  That sort of sewing is not motivating enough when you think you may not be wearing it yet, plus my little sewing area was roasting hot.

Here is the pattern and the fabric for another day...

It is even stripy like the one on the cover, I bought this fabric just before lockdown began from our local fabric shop Happy Hare follow that link if you want a peek she has a shop on Etsy and lots of lovely fabrics. I have been saving it to work on as a treat so there was no point doing it when I wasn't feeling like it.

I did alter two dresses when I got up first thing, the one I am wearing was a little big in the arm holes so I sorted that plus a bit down each side. Another dress has a cross over bodice and gaped a bit on one side so I unpicked and sorted that too, to wear another day.

Last night we finished watching the last episode of a series on TV called white lines, what a lot of rubbish I don't know why we stuck with it, so if you come across it give it a miss.

Here is my me made May 2020 day 27 ...

This dress is about five years old I think, I remember the fabric was only about £5 and I chose to use it a bit differently to create this v at the front. My own pattern another skater style dress, the colour is actually a peachy beige not white and I added a bit of lace around each arm hole but you can't really see that in the picture.

Another dress that I will get out more often now instead of saving them for what I don't know? It is very satisfying to see all the hangers turned the other way showing that everything is getting worn.  However it would have been different had I been in work more as some things I wouldn't wear for work or you have to take into account how cold the building is even in summer or if you are out on duty will you get cold etc.  

So far as I am aware I will be in work on Monday unless anything changes between now and then, my son has been told they are now going to go back to the office a few in and a few at home on a rota as of next week. Things are starting to move but is it going to be unpleasant with everyone dashing out of each others way, I'm not sure how I feel about it, this fear of others that we have spent so long protesting about is it now going to be the norm? I hope not.

Bye for now. 

Useful Scraps

Today has just flown by and I have been sewing as usual so maybe that was because I was enjoying myself so much, I had emptied out a scrap bag of fabric bits onto the table this morning and spent some time browsing that.  I don't always know what I will use until I have had a look through and thought about what else I have that might go with it.

There wasn't a very big piece of this strawberry thief fabric left so I have done each side of the bag a little different.  I took the scraps off, or a quick iron and they looked instantly more useable, then I paired them with denim from jeans, some strips of faux leather and recycled duvet sheeting for lining.

I spent so long pondering because I was trying different pieces next to the birds to see what would look good to border it.  It is not always what you initially think, as I certainly didn't have that turquoise in mind originally, I really like it together though.

Here is the other side...

This is what my table looked like and though these are all just little bits you will see them feature in something at some point in the future.

The bag has not been listed yet I may do that tomorrow, I do intend to make a dress tomorrow so  I will be using a whole piece of new fabric ooh!

For todays me made May 2020 day 26 I am wearing an old dress, it has become quite faded on the  black parts now but still wearable.  I often wear it in cooler months with a black top under it and tights so it has been very versatile.  It was made to my own pattern in skater  dress style.

We haven't been very far today one of my dogs has been a bit sick, I am not sure if he is just too hot so we stayed home and I tried to get him to just rest. I hope he picks up tomorrow he has been better this last few hours, or we will be visiting the vet.

That's it for now, take care.