Whilst many people are out and about shopping for pressies, I’ve been busy stitching up some hand made gifts for my Stitching Santa recipitant. Here’s a little sneak preview of some of the gifts which are being sent off to Father Christmas in the morning. 3 of these gifts I’ve made, 2 have been bought. I also have a piece of fabric that I’ve bought, but that’s going to be a surprise!
Thanks so much Sheila for organising this, you truly are Wonder Women fitting everything that you do!
Aren’t the donkeys cute!? These two live just down the road and we passed them walking down to pick the car up, having left it at a party last night. It’s a shame the local schools can’t borrow them for their nativity plays!
Before I start my Sunday Sevens I’m sneaking in a picture that’s not mine, but something one of my friends put on Facebook. Thought you might like a giggle, it certainly put a smile on my face!
Now onto my week in 7 ish photos, The Sunday Sevens, as thought up by Natalie over at Threads & Bobbins
1 A lovely lady at the golf club saves her Prima mags, complete with the free patterns, for me. Here is my 2013 collection, there’s a great shirt pattern which I might try and merge with the Archer.
2 Finished my Christmas bunting. I just wish I’d have spaced it out a bit more as it was a metre and half short to go all the way around the conservatory.
3 I used all the scraps to make 3 cushions covers using The Demented Fairy’s tutorial Here. They’re a bit bigger than hers, I just got carried away!
4 Yay!! Lovely hubby bought tickets for me, H and cyber mom to the X Factor Tour when it comes to Leeds!
5 So much rain this week, and flooding everywhere.
6 H went to Millichamp and Hall to collect his new bat and pads. They’re sponsoring him and initially he’s getting 30% off his equipment, which is a BIG help!
7 I’ve shortened my Wren and am really happy I did! It was a bit scary making that first snip but no regrets. I also made a belt that wraps round twice and ties where the faux wrap is. I wore it Friday and Saturday night to 2 separate 50th birthday dos and felt great!
8 Lat night it was one of my bestie’s 50th – Tina who bought me the wool fabric for my Woodland cape. She has Charlie who is seven and they had a table called “Tina’s Sweet Boutique”. The adult loved it as much as the kids!
A week without food piccies??? Oh, go on then! One last one just to make your mouth water…….
Lovely yummy waffles, ice-cream and chocolate sauce!
In case you think I’m 5 days early for Sunday Sevens, I’m not. I’m a couple of days late. Oops! No worries, I’m sure the lovely Natalie from Threads and Bobbins who invented Sunday Sevens will forgive me, hope you will too!!
1 Hubby is reasonably well trained in most domestic tasks and does his own ironing. He dropped the iron on the lounge carpet, scorching the carpet and breaking the iron. So he went off to buy a new one. I’m quite pleased with his choice – lots of steam and quite weighty so should be just right my pressing needs!
2 My Yorkshire take on the Omelette Arnold Bennet. Replaced the smoked haddock with chicken and sweetcorn, topped with diced potatoes roasted in olive oil and garlic and a sprinkling of red leicester cheese. Served with baked beans. Lovely, yummy comfort food 🙂
3 Cut out the triangles for my Christmas bunting. I won the fabric in Natalie’s giveaway to celebrate 1 year of Sunday Sevens.
4 Apologies if you’re peckish… more yummy food. This is my mums famous chowder. Well, it’s famous in Birkenshaw and when my mum cooks a huge pan of it we all turn up with big bowls and hungry tummies. Her kitchen ends up looking like something from Oliver Twist……. “please mum, can I have some more….!”
5 Saturday’s Park Run. Before Photo. It was Tara’s (in the middle) first time doing it for real, though she’s been doing the couch to 5k this was her first 5k.
6 Tara was surprised by how hilly it was. The weather was terrible, there’s usually around 120-140 runners but today there were only 89! That says it all! We did it in 49 minutes, and cheered her all the way round. She had to pass her car 1/2 way round and we nearly lost her. She’s not been put off and is doing it again! Yay!
7 Saturday night we went to a party and left the car. So Sunday morning I had another run, another 5k and went to collect the car. It made a change to run in a different direction to normal. It looks a bit dark and dreary but this was about as good as it got last week. Luckily we didn’t get the full force of storm Desmond but it was still pretty grim.
Feature photo at the top – we had a Christmas Fayre in the village and Santa turned on our Christmas lights!
One of the first things I lusted over noticed everywhere when I discovered sewing blogs was the Grainline Archer.
Source: Grainline Studio Shop…. Click on the photo!
They really were everywhere and I really wanted one. I’m fairly certain that most of you seasoned bloggers will have seen them about, but here’s a couple of my favourites…… Click on the photo to be taken to the owners blog post…please!
Carolyn from Allspice Abounds is to me the Queen of the Archers! Her attention to detail is just second to none. Overtime she made another and I read her blog post I’d want one even more!
Source: Allspice Abounds….Click on the photo for major Archer Envy!! 7 in fact!
Rachel from Sew South London made a gorgeous Chambray Archer which really showed off her stunning topstitching! And it was her post that lead me to a different way to attach the collar – which worked really well! Thanks Rachel!
Source: Sew South London…. Click on the photo!
I couldn’t bring myself to buy the pdf version, not with all those pieces. So when they announced they were selling a paper version I snapped one up immediately! Not sure now what all the rush was about. That was back in 2014. 30th September 2014 to be exact!
I traced it off in the week it arrived intending to muslin it with an old sheet. But for no reason I can think off I just never got round to making it.
Earlier on this year I even bought this Liberty Fabric – Travelling Threads – with the sole purpose to make the Archer.
Then something clicked in my brain just over 2 weeks ago and I thought….. “Hey! I’m gonna make that Archer!!”
I remeasured myself. I was about an inch smaller on the bust and waist than the size I traced off. I wasn’t going to trace it off again – it might take me another year to get round to making it!
I had a rummage in my stash and found this 100% cotton. I really love the edge on this which runs just along one selvedge. I decided just to use it on the lower part of one side to give an asymmetrical look.
I bought it from Lucky Fashions in Dewsbury when I was out taking photos for the Spoolettes meet up. I bought all this, all on a whim, all were £4 yard so I didn’t really break the bank.
I’ve actually used up 4 out of the 7 fabrics which is over half so I see that as almost stash busting! the the black/gold wrinkly fabric, the green/grey check and the chunky sweater knit left.
Talk about getting side tracked……!! You’re here for my latest make aren’t you, not me waffling on about my stash! So without further ado, tah dah……!!
Worth waiting over a year for??!!
Maybe it would have fit better a year ago with the extra inch in the bust! And maybe my arms would have been longer a year ago too! Or maybe not!
I’m happy with the length when you see the back view, but from the front it looks like it’s a bit short.
Maybe it’s the patterned lower left side that creates an optical illusion and makes it appear shorter. By the way I made those pants!!!
Is it me or do the arms look a bit baggy? I wonder if shortening the sleeves would make them appear less full. I’d already shortened them by an inch.
I’d spent ages getting the position of the button holes just right and look what we’ve got here…… GAPING!! Gutted 😦
I much prefer the sleeves rolled up. They seem much less baggy.
Verdict……. (………drum roll……….)
I really like it, but I’m not in love with it. It was only a practice so I’m not disappointed which I could have been after waiting so long to make it. It could have been the anti climax of the year!
Overall I’m happy. I worn it twice. And did i mention that i made those pants!!?? It was at the start of my blogging life. Before i picked up all the scary hype of fitting your own pants. I just made them and never worried about any drag lines!
Now looking at them I think they need some work before I make my next pair. It’s the first time I’ve worn these in ages and ages (pre archer trace off!) but now I’ve lost a few pounds they’re really comfy!
P.S. Rachel – do you recognise the fabric at the top of the pile from my shopping spree?
Hello from a windy and wet Yorkshire! I think it’s been fairly wild all over the UK the whole week which leads to not much outdoor photography. Apologies if a couple of the pix make your hungry and I hope number 2 isn’t too scary!
1 This was taken at Junction 22 of the M62 which is the highest motorway in England, crossing the Pennines into Lancashire.
2 I heard that sudocrem is great for chapped lips and flaky noses, so I gave it a try before I went to sleep! Bet you didn’t think you’d be picking up beauty tips on my blog!
3 My fabric arrived from my recent win! I also treated myself to a concealed zipper foot. I usually manage with a normal one but as everyone raves on about these I couldn’t resist any longer! (I’ve also made a couple of other purchases this week as a result of black Friday – I’ve bought SewOverIt’s Pussy bow blouse, Colette’s Negroni shirt (for the hubby!!) and a shirt making class on Craftsy.)
4 The back of the ambulance station overlooks Brighouse library. How does the old saying go…. “red sky in the morning, shepherd’s warning” ..it was true… More rain and high winds came later in the day!
5 I sorted out the bureau in the conservatory. I tend to squirrel things away here – new purchases, ongoing projects, magazines and anything that doesn’t get put away properly after use. I found things I’d lost – the fray check and the clear elastic so it was quite worthwhile!
6 We had our works Christmas do on Friday night. I was going to shorten my Wren but decided to leave it full length (for now!).
7 Last night I cooked something new that I’d seen on the current series of Master Chef. It’s called Omelette Arnold Bennet. It’s an omelette with a smoked Haddock filling and a Hollandaise sauce glaze. Stunning! Delia Smith has a version here. I cheated and bought a ready made hollandaise sauce which made it quite a quick and easy meal.
8 Tonight we tried a new restaurant in Leeds. For starter we had a “round the world Mezze”….
Feature photo at the top: I made an Archer!! Yay!! Can’t wait to show you! This has taken all my snippets of free time this week (and last). The buttons were sewn on today. Now I just need photos, hopefully in the next few days, and I’ll be able to share it with you.
Not heard of Sunday Sevens, or want to know more and join in? Head over to Natalie’s blog at Threads and Bobbins to read more about it! You don’t have to do it every week, or sign your life away – just join in when you can and share a bit more of your goings on outside your sewing room.
Helloooo! It’s still still Sunday and I’m posting my Sunday Sevens on time, SO that can only mean one thing…. I’ve got the weekend off! Yippeee!!
In the unlikely event that I’ve lost you already and you no idea what I’m on about, head over to Natalie’s blog and read more about Sunday Sevens. You can join in too if you wish!
Thinking back over the last week I don’t feel like I’ve done very much, but then I look at my pics and realise I have really. That’s the great thing about Sunday Sevens. It’s the photographic diary that I’d never keep up to if it was just for me. But sharing it with you guys makes it all worthwhile, especially when I read your comments.
So hear we are…..
Apologies for the accompanying text…. Tried to fix it from my iPad in bed and struggling. I’m up early so will look into it tomorrow… Sorry and night night 🙄
1. This may well be my new place to stand by in Elland when I’m working. I’ve not set foot inside yet but I do believe it sells all sorts of craftiness. All will be revealed this week if I get chance to pop in.
2. We dined out at an authentic indian restaurent, this was my starter – puffed rice eith green chillis, tomatos and coriander.
3. Yes…you’ve guessed! It’s my mum’s kitchen! Those who’ve been following for a while will have recognised it. My mum went to Stax with my dad (a local cash & carry sort of place) and came home with a disco ball! It even takes a memory stick and can flash to the beat (much to my dads annoyance!).
4. On Saturday I did my second Park Run. It was really muddy. I got a new personal best – 33 minutes and 15 seconds! In total I’ve run just over 18km this week. I’m feeling loads fitter and it’s definitely getting easier. Can’t believe I only started running in August.
5. H played footie (soccer!). It was soooo cold, wet and windy. I couldn’t get out of the car but managed to park so i could still watch.
6. Yay! I’ve finally gotten round to making the Archer! Not finished yet, needs collar, cuffs and hemming. I nearly didn’t get round to posting my Sunday Sevens as I struggled to drag myself away from the sewing machine.
7. I’ve had a hair cut!! It nearly didn’t happen as when I stepped out of the door I had a flat tyre! 😳 Luckily it’s within walking distance but I had to get wrapped up as it was blowing a gale with horizontal rain. My Colette Albion saved the day with its big hood.
The feature photo at the top is a photo of some fabric in our local Boyes shop. My friend is desperate to learn to make a frock in read tartan for Christmas and I’ve said I’d help her. She likes the Francoise from Tilly and the Buttons so we might have some progress to show you in the next week or 2!
A couple of weeks ago I entered a giveaway to win £50 of fabric over at an online shop I’ve recently discovered – WeaverDee.com
It was the first of 6 weekly giveaways, and there’s still 4 left. If you’d like to be in with a chance of winning then I’d head over there sharpish!
Click HERE to go to the Giveaway Page
Picture the scene – it’s 4am, I’m 10 hours into my first night shift with 2 hours still left. I’d been awake for 17 hours. I was flagging a bit. It was wild and windy outside and I was sat in the ambulance outside A&E wondering where control would be sending us next. I checked my emails whilst waiting…..
It’d only been sat in my inbox for 2 days!! An email telling me I’d won £50 to spend on fabric at WeaverDee!
I bet you can picture a very different scene now, inside the ambulance anyway!!
Needless to say the remaining 2 hours of my shift flew by and I couldn’t wait to get home so I could feast my eyes on their fabric selection!
It was really difficult to choose what to buy. I’m so easily drawn to pretty floral fabric and geometric patterns. This results in me having quite a colourful wardrobe, which is great in summer when I’m just matching a skirt/pants and a top, but come the cooler months when I need to layer 2 or 3 garments I can easily look like a 4 year old who has dressed themselves!
So instead I have a plan.
Here’s my fabric choices:
Might look a bit drab to some. No pinks or cute ditsy florals. But fabric that I’ll make wardrobe staples that will get lots of wear.
The first 2 fabrics are going to be made into snuggly faux fur scarves with a satin back. I saw them on WeaverDees blog, where handmadeJane had made one and it looked like a quick an easy pressie for christmas. Jane has a tutorial on her blog how to make one. (yes Mum, one is for you!)
The next is a soft navy suiting fabric – I’ve ordered a metre to make a pair of trousers. Think they’ll be the SBCC Manhattan Pants. I’ve made them before in a moleskin and now I’ve lost a couple of inches they fit really well.
I’ve ordered 2 metres of cotton lawn to make an Archer. I’ve had the pattern traced off for over a year and not gotten round to it!
Black georgette – I’m thinking another shirt/blouse – I don’t have a particular pattern in mind but i’m swaying towards a pussy bow blouse.
Lastly this stretch herringbone fabric (below). I’m going to make a pair of pants for golf. Depending how much stretch there is I might even use my Ginger Jeans pattern.
So, if you’ve read all this you’ve not yet clicked on the link to enter! Go on….what you waiting for!!
Good luck!!
PS sorry, I didn’t realise at first, but the giveaway is only open to those in the uk.
Hello! Sorry I’m a tad late but I’ve been working this weekend and I only have enough hours to sleep and eat between shifts so trying to catch up with things today. H doesn’t have a shirt for school tomorrow yet, but blogging comes before ironing!
Just to warn you there are photos of food! If you’re peckish you’d best go grab the biscuit tin!
1 My dad gave us a lift when we went out to our posh do on Monday night. The bestest dad ever! And not just cos he gave a lift!
2 Scrummy lamb at the awards.
3 The next day I was a bit delicate. We ate lunch and tea out. Here’s a selfie at Nandos.
4 Healthy mediterranean salad at Nandos. We’ve not been for a few years, was really good and will definitely be back soon!
5 H wanted to get in on the photo of my healthy tea! Not tried roasted beetroot before, yummy!
6 Friday night was the Yorkshire Junior Cricket Awards at Headingley. Was lovely catching up with all the parents who we’ve not seen since the end of the season.
7 Managed to make 2 squares for Crochet for Calais. Posting them off in the morning.
That’s my week in 7 picks. If you’d like to join in head over to Natalie at Threads and Bobbins, or if you’d like to see other Sunday Seveners Natalie has created a Pinterest Board.
Feature pic – doesn’t that cute doggie look like Maisy!?
Cheerio for now x
PS is it my imagination or has the it changed where we write our wordpress posts?!
PPS Just remembered I’ve another pic for you. I told this yesterday when I was working. The river in Elland where I was working was so close to breaking it’s banks.
Oh and another one for good measure! My big sis’ having a night out in my new Colette Wren dress:
Image from Colette (click on photo)
Here’s how it happened!
After taking my measurements I opted to trace off size large. I didn’t notice the chart for the finished measurements. If I had I would probably have saved myself some time. The pattern has negative ease and my fabric (being a ponte knit) wasn’t quite as stretchy as suggested.
The left photo shows my first muslin in a large. I recut it in a XL and lengthened the pattern pieces by 4cm (on the shorten/lengthen lines).
A lesson to all – Trace your pieces! I’d have been snookered if I’d have cut into my PDF pattern and would have had to print and stick it all together again!
The lower back bodice picture above is the first muslin. As you can see its tight and also there is excess fabric in the lower back. I lengthened the bottom by 4cm and then did a 5cm sway back adjustment – following this tutorial.
I ended up with a very odd shaped piece but it worked. Amazing!!
I had some gaping issues and The Material Lady suggested closing the dart on the pattern pieces. This worked really well, thankyou Kim! The 2 pics above are of the darts pinched out in the 1st muslin.
I also decided to raise the armhole a little at the front – you can see the original cutting line.
I also pinched out a section in the back and closed a dart i created in the back too.
I had made 3 adjustments to the armscye which caused the sleeve head to be way too big.
I needed to get rid of 2 cm for the front dart, 2cm for the back dart and 3/4 inch for the smaller front arm curve.
I marked each where it was needed to be pinched out and pivoted it with the centre point of the bottom of the sleeve. You can see the lines I drew that I then closed and joined together.
I’ve no idea if this is the correct way but it worked!!
At the end of all the pattern tweaking, you should have something like the above – odd shaped pieces and an empty bottle of wine!
I made a facing for the back neck at I didn’t want any visible stitching.
The next few pictures i hope aren’t too confusing. I wanted to lengthen the skirt to be floor length but still keep the 6 gored shape and slightl A line. I wasn’t too concerned if it would be too tight to walk in as I was adding a thigh length split.
First of all I worked out my skirt pieces needed to be 46 inches. This included the hem and also a bit extra ‘just in case’. Apologies for both cm and inches – I’m an immetric girl! I was brought up in the middle of the change over!
I lined the edge of the paper up with the centre seam and traced off all the pattern but only to the double lines which indicate where to shorten/lengthen.
Measure 46 inches down from the top of your tracing. Line this mark up with the bottom of the skirt and trace off your size to the double lines.
You can see on the left that’s there a big gap, a bit like someone being chopped in half in a magic show! Photo left shows a line blended between the top and the bottom.
I did this for all the pieces, except some of the pieces I needed to line the top and bottom halves of the pattern pieces with the grain line – keeping it parallel and also the double lines. This bit is likely to make no sense at all, but if you’re doing it do the easy centre front and back pieces first and I’m sure this will then make sense. If not, get in touch!!
Other things I did to make my frock posh:
Hand stitched the hem and the slit.
Hand stitched the front cross over bands.
Catch stitched the seams allowance on the sleeves to the bodice so they wouldn’t peak out.
That’s it folks! I think! The hand stitching took so long. 3 episodes of The Aprrentice and 2 Strictly Come Dancings. It was worth though and i just love it. And so does my sister. She’s just tried it on and is borrowing it to wear to a Black Tie do tomorrow! I can’t remember the last time either of us went to one, and now we’ll have both been to one in the same week.
Isn’t she the lucky one – it fits her too, even after all those adjustments!
You just need to do your hair and make up sis’ and you’re ready to go!
Just thought I’d mention before i go. This is for guidance as to what I did, and to remind me in the future.
The only sewing lesson I’ve ever had was this year, learning how to sew with silk. I’ve learn what I know about pattern fitting from trial and error and reading your blogs.
Apologies if I confuse you or there’s a better way of doing it. But if it helps you….YAY! Then ‘jobs a good un’ (as they’d say in Yorkshire!)
If you’d like to see the post of it at the Yorkshire Awards, and my midriff covered click HERE!
C’mon ladies! After reading this I’m going to put aside a couple of hours and make one – can you too?? Every little helps 🙂
Source: Crochet For Calais
T H I M B E R L I N A 