A Little Makeover

 Hello everyone I thought i would share this as i actually meant to do so a few weeks ago and forgot!  I have a footstool thingy in my back room where my husband likes to go and sit to do gaming and it is all beaten up from the dogs sitting on it.  It is leather and I don't buy that now but we have had it some years, so I bought some faux leather in grey (well I thought I had ordered grey!) when it came it is a metalic colour and I had not checked the box correctly, well oh well I made it up anyway.  It does look so much better than berfore but it is not perfect.  Here it is....

                        

                              

It was a quick make so I didn't spend too much time on it I just needed to give it a refresh as my husband does use it to put his feet on and there is handy storage inside it.

So if I had been more on the ball this last few weeks you would have seen this already, I have a few other makeover bits that need doing too.  We have recently moved out the troplical fish tank as the last fish bar one had died, the plecostomus has gone to the pet shop to be with friends.  There is now a gap and I have a bit of charity shop furniture that needs to go in the space but not before i have done it up so I will share that with you when I get around  to it. 

This week I have made a jacket for a friend so I must remember to take images of that before she collects it.  Also I have more videos on you tube so if you are not already a subscriber please go and take a look.

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I have got the above book from the library just like I did with my other Tilly  book beofre finding one in the charity shop.  I also have put in a request for the latest one as a buyer request so fingers crossed they get that one in too. 

My husband has a new shirt that I made and he wore it for a night out, so now that I know that he likes that one there will be more to come, I did need to alter the cuffs though I don't know how big they think peoples wrists are, these were quite big before adjustments.

It is a cotton chambray and I have to admit to ironing it about a million times before he wore it.

This t shirt was another tilly make using leftover bits, I am very pleased with this as I love a use it up project.  

Well I hope you are having a good week and enjoy your weekend, take care and bye for now. 

A New Month of Sewing

 Hello where ever you are I hope you are doing well.  I have had such a busy month and it has just flown by.  Last week we went to the Cotswolds in our caravan and that was lovely as we had to postpone our trip to the lakes afew weeks ago due to the weather.  Having a small van and three dogs we at least need some dry weather for it to be enjoyable and this time it was, a fair amount of sunshine too.  I will share a few holiday snaps with you...

This is the tower at Broadway,   we did the walk from the bottom of the hill and up across the fields.  I love this village it is so pretty with beautiful buildings and cute little shops we also had chips at the best chip shop called Russel's with a glas of wine no less.  I had vegan pie too and my husband a a fish.  He is mainly plantbased now but will occasionally have a fish.  I really enjoyed this as we don't often eat out when we are away I always cook and to be honest there is rarely much on offer for me to eat so this was great.

 Here I am looking pleased with my lunch outside!

This is our little caravan set up, we mainly use CL sites now as we like the peace and are not big on large sites with clubs and so on because we wouldn't use them.  

This is one of the many pictures of churches that I took and this particular one is at Blockley where some of father Brown is filmed if you have ever heard of that. I have watched it and there is such beautiful scenery in it, it made me want to visit the area.  The show is filmed over a number of places in the Cotswolds and other places I believe.

I stood there because I thought the car went well with my memade jacket, only a dress maker would understand.  This was in Chipping Camden.

So that is first little jaunt in the van for the year and we have a few more booked in, not too far way I think the furthest we are going is Angelsey.

There has been much sewing and I have just been doing that today too, I have shortened and fully lined the trousers of two jumpsuits this morning  for a customer and she came to collect and dropped off another.  She does love a jumpsuit.

Here are a few of my makes this month...

I enjoyed making all three things from this pattern and the jacket is a lovely fit.

Another Tilly dress from the stretch book i have made four of these now and this fabric was only £2.99 a meter so that was a win.

This is a beautiful dress but requires a night out to wear it, it is fully lined and a super shape.  I really like the colours.

This coat with the oversized collar, I am sure that huge collar will keep me super toasty next winter.

My mustard t shirt from sweatshirting fabric, great for an inbetween day, I had a piece left that I didn't want to go to waste.  I hacked a sweatshirt pattern and added the pleat details myself to pull it in a little bit.  I have worn it a few times already.

Gingham shorts, another good fit so all we need now is a good bit of sunshine worthy of shorts!

A coat or maybe a cardigan either way it is warm, this is teddy coating.

All my fabrics are from minerva.com I haven't listed all the pattern numbers here just because I don't have them to hand right now, but if you are interest in any in particular just leave me a comment and I will let you know the pattern make and number.

Me made May has started today  too, so I will be trying my best to keep up with posting on there so if you don't follow me already you can have a look at that @sewingreenlady.  Are any of you taking part, if so let me know so I can follow your makes/wears too.

Well that all for now, have a lovely week. 

A Random List for Today

 Hello and a lovely day to you all, I am starting with something a little different today because as I was having a tidy through my blog I cam across a post from  October 2015 that made me laugh as a few things have changed but some are still the same.  It just goes to show how nice it is to get things down and out of your head so you can later come back and look at them, ideas and opinions change, we grow, our lives move on but some things are constant and that is reassuring too.  I got the idea from a post on another blog but that blog is now private so the link is nolonger working, the ideas expressed are my own however it was just the list idea I shared.  So with this in mind I have included the original list below with my updated thoughts below each item, if you recall this format doing the rounds or want to join in with a list of your own please link me in and let me know so I can see your lists too.  (For those of you here for sewing I will share more of that over the next few days!)

This list is inspired by Annie feel free to join in, I have read a few of these myself and they are great little snippets into peoples lives.  (I have amended to the current day in blue.)

• (2015) I don't believe in people always telling it like it is, sometimes we need to be kind. If is not essential and nobody's life is in danger if you don't say that mean thing, then maybe don't say it. 

This still holds true and I am pleased to have written this long before the whole be Kind movement onto t-shirts, badges and mugs!  We do need to censor our speech to protect the feelings of others because there is just no need to say things that will hurt people.  I recall the person also who I had in mind when I wrote this as she was fond of saying 'I tell it like it is' after some nasty comment.  In recent years I have noticed quite a lot of people posting on social media 'Be Kind' wearing the clothing with the slogan and then proceeding to do and say very unkind things to those around them who they work with, are friends with etc. It is not just a catchy slogan! So with this in mind I will amend the first of my list to...

• I think you should choose your words with care and compassion for others, cruel truths don't always need to be told. Also make your actions match your words (and your t-shirts, ha ha)

• (2015)I love cheese which is odd as I cannot tolerate milk, cream or yoghurt but God decided to let  me get away with cheese. I am very grateful for that.  

Well this one has changed for sure, I have been vegan for quite a few years now so no actual cheese for me but due to growing demand I do get to eat the vegan alternatives so I suppose I still love the idea of it as long as it is plant based. 

• I love following a plant based diet and I am grateful for the variety of options available and the growing awareness around this choice.

• (2015) I am a Christian, currently between churches and a confirmed Catholic. Experience over the years has made me question the need to attend a specific place of worship but I read my bible and have a deep faith.  I am just not sure having a specific leader (usually a man) and a set of social activities centred around a church building makes anyone  a better Christian.

This one remains the same however I would nolonger consider myself between churches, I have my faith and do not need a building or leader to tell me so. If being part of that community helps you that is wonderful but telling people they have to go or they are not believers is just not helpful to anyone. I think people find their own way and music, nature, silence, actions all bring us closer than just one way. 

• (2015) Pets are good for you (unless you are allergic) I've not met one person who  hasn't smiled on seeing our new puppy and not just puppies our other two dogs bring such a lot to our lives.

Such joy in the moment, we all need a bit of that!

Absolutely still agree with this, these guys look a bit younger here they are now 13 and the pup who is not pictured here is now 6.

• (2015)I cannot read just one book at a time I don't know why maybe I have a little ADD. I always have some non- fiction plus a fiction title on the go and sometimes I will be dipping in and out of a book I'm re-reading. (weird I know)

Yes this is still the same I have two on the go at the moment, one non fiction and one fiction.

• (2015) I long to be a morning person but I'm really not.  I have battled with this for years and it is a recurring new years resolution. I manage a week or two then it is back to hitting the snooze button. Anyone who has overcome this after years of failure please let me know.

I am there!  I am always awake early in the morning so it must eventually stick or is it just a getting older thing? So I will amend this...

• I am a morning person yay!, awake early, in fact I don't have an alarm anymore I leave my phone downstairs and just wake up and look at the clock on my bedside (it is just a regular clock) I do wonder if the leaving of the phone downstairs has improved my sleep quality as they do say it disturbs you without you knowing it. 

• (2015) Music makes me smile it always has, rock is my favourite, it has to have guitars, electric, acoustic, you have to hear them. I am learning to play myself with the help of Justin 

Still true, always, music when I sew, when I cook, when I read.  I came on very well with the guitar (well I think so!) but have not picked it up for a month so back to it.

• (2015)I don't know what I want to be when I grow up ( oh yes that already, happened well anyway!) I was a sewing machinist for many years, teaching assistant for the past nine years but only got into that as I wanted to teach, then talked myself out of that. I often look at University courses in textiles and design and wonder about if I'm too old?? Or maybe moving abroad and starting a holiday let?? You see I really do not know.

Yes while this is still somewhat true, some things have changed with time as they always do.  I remained a teaching assistant until December last year then I resigned.  I am currently  creating online sewing content, who knows how long this will be me but I am enjoying life and not worrying anymore that I never thought of a label that I wanted 'to be' . 

• I believe we can be many things in life and that only makes it more interesting, I don't want to know what I will be when I grow up😊

• I am an eternal beginner at Spanish! I know quite a bit now but not if a native speaker starts to quickly speak to me! I try and try but without conversational practice here I stick. 

I am  an eternal beginner at Spanish.

• There are so many things I am interested in I never know where to begin, I make lists, read motivational books, ( much to the amusement of my children ) but getting stuck in is a sticking point. I'm working on it! He, he! 

Yes this remains true, I have many interests, lists, and I love a motivational book I don't think any of these are  bad so I am not looking to change this. 

Well that was something different and it does just show what can change over time and what remains the same.  Please let me know your thoughts below I would love to hear if you have made a list too.

Take care, back soon.