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Colour Blocked Cabernet Cardigan

Published by Thimberlina

Due to a recent and severe case of cardigan and blazer envy I’ve unintentionally made the Morris Blazer, The Oslo Cardigan and now The Cabernet Cardigan! Thank goodness for blogging!

I first heard of SBCC’s latest pattern when Lladybird made this striped one, and this leopard one.

I knew straight away I want to make one and as Betsy was offering free P&P (from America!!) I didn’t hesitate and ordered a hard copy. Although I don’t mind PDF’s, if time is on my side and it’s not too expensive I do prefer a hard copy. I think it took around 2 1/2 weeks to arrive, which I didn’t think was too bad.

I was in a bit of dilemma before I could order my pattern. The sizes are split in 2 – skinny bitches and curvy chicks. I’m sort of somewhere in between. Maybe a curvy bitch, I’m not sure! And also, I didn’t realise the sizes shown are for the finished measurements. Doh! So I ordered the sizes xxs-l, which has a finished bust circumference of 42 1/2 inches for a large. I measure this so had no ease on the chest!

I was a ~~bit worried~~ devastated that I’d ordered the wrong size, and I did quite a bit of reading about FBAs. I measured my upper bust and decided the way forward was to go with the large and do a 1 inch FBA (adding 2 inches in total) and hopefully this should fit!

This is how it looked when I’d finished. I used the instructions in the GBSB series 3 book which were really easy to follow. I wasn’t entirely convinced it had worked until I measured the side of my new front against the old back piece and it fit perfectly. It was magic before my eyes!

And just a reminder to myself in the future, and anyone who might forget the obvious, if there are other bits attached such as hem bands and front bands then they need extending too!

I’d recently bought some Wool Blend in Foxglove Pink, and a Ponte Jersey in Indigo Marl from one of my favourite fabric stores which happen to sell their remnants on Ebay. I’m probably going to regret putting their link on as I’d like to think I have first pick at their bargain fabrics!

The middle and the right fabric are the ones I used, the left is a chambray that I bought at the same time and and am still wondering what to make with it.

Once I’d cut out my pattern (I didn’t bother tracing – yippee – as I was making the biggest size) and cut out the fabric, the making up was plain sailing.

There was a funny moment near the end of construction when hubby and son both dived into the bag of buttons thinking they were sweets:

The instructions were really straight forward and the fabric sewed like a dream. There were one or 2 things I did differently which were:

Stay-stitched the front of the cardigan and the back neckline.
Top-stitched everywhere I could – I love top-stitching!
I even stitched down my bust darts which I think make it look more RTW

I’m so so so happy with the finished garment, and have had lovely comments too. Yesterday I played golf in a team match – the civilised ones where we change for tea afterwards. The lady sat to my right only happened to be a retired seamstress and teacher! OMG!! A friend told her I’d made my cardigan and she immediately asked to see inside!

I brazenly flung it open and proudly flashed my innards!!

And then today I turned up to work in it at 6:45am and was asked if i’d not been home. Cheeky monkeys thought I’d come in from a night on the town last night as I was looking unusually smart!

So without further ado, here is photo overload……

THE PICTURE BELOW IS PROBABLY THE TRUEST ONE SHOWING THE COLOUR – ESPECIALLY THE SLEEVES WHICH THOUGH DESCRIBED AS INDIGO, REMIND ME OF A HEATHER COLOUR.

The main thing I would do different next time is to use dark interfacing instead of white. I never gave it a thought that when I opened up my butten holes that the white would show!

Oh, and fancy some button envy………. and doesn’t my blingy necklace go with it!

After work tonight we had tea at my mum in laws and I got H to take some pics in the front garden before it got dark. Can you spot George the bull dog? I never realised that whilst H was taking the pics there was a stick near my feet and George was eyeing it up!

So, how do you like my new cardi? That’s 3 different outer wear things this month, 2 casual tops and a little bit of crochet. Oh, and 2 #jumpingintojune muslins! Luckily I’ve only had to work 9 days this month as I’ve taken some annual leave, and had lots of me time!

How’s your month been? And will you be jumping into June?
This post is part of Helena’s link party over at Gray All Day, Sew It Chic in a week!

The Oslo Cardigan from Seamwork & Tips on hemming a slinky knit!

Published by Thimberlina

I was a little late subscribing to the new digital magazine from Colette at the back end of last year so I missed out on the free pattern.. including The Oslo. At first it wasn’t a problem, but then they were popping up all over, even in the Supermarket! And I needed one to snuggle and slouch in, with so splashed out!

I went down to Dewsbury to Lucky Fashions and spotted this scrumptious knit with an amazing drape for an even more amazing £3 per yard. I snapped up 3 yards and dashed home!

Before the sun set I had my very own Oslo. And boy has it been put through its paces. It’s gone with everything! (as you’ll have seen on MMM15). It seemed a bit daft taking pictures of me in the Oslo for this post, what with all the selfies of me on MMM, so I sweet talked my lovely niece into putting it on for a few photos. That was the easy bit, The hard bit was getting it off her!

I made a large, as per my side, but as you can see, Lucy is no way a large but it still looks fab. Teenagers wear all that oversized stuff so well!

As I mentioned in the title, here’s a tip how I hemmed this tricky fabric!

I was thinking to just run the bottom through the overlocker, turn and stitch. But noo! The overlocking skipped and jumped and did’t like it. That never happens usually!

So I had a think. I’d heard of using interfacing but couldn’t be bothered cutting strips, then remembered I had some wundaweb and thought I’d give that a try.

I stitched it along the edge, just roughly, no pins but guided it close to the edge.

Whizzed it through the overlocker…..

So it looked like this:

Then turned and stitched it….

once it was pressed the wundaweb gave it a really sharp finish…. The right side is pressed, the left hasn’t been.

Just to mention, I didn’t bother with the sleeve bands, the length was ok without them, and i think it would have made them too heavy as this fabric has a bit of weight to it. I hemmed the sleeves same at the bottom.

I also used clear elastic for the first time: usually I just use some trim out of my trim box.

And I top stitched the shoulder seams:

I think these little touches really finish it off and make it look more RTW, or less home made.

Phew….that was a quick one. Lots of pics and not too much writing. Must dash… having to work today so I can have an extra day off next week to watch H play cricket!

Me-Made-May Part 2

Published by Thimberlina

Me-Made-May continues for many of us and we’re over half way! Most of us are learning about gaps in our wardrobes and I’m no exception. What I’ve discovered is I live in my RTW jeans nearly all the time. Luckily I have quite a lot of me made tops, and also a few skirts and dresses, but when the weather is a naff has it has been so far this month, a girls legs need to be covered. I think it’s time I stuck my Ginger Jeans pattern together. I’ve already printed off.

Enough rambling, here’s day 8 to now of my me made May….. (I may struggle to remember what I was up to when some of these photos were taken… all my days seems to be merging into one!)

8. My recently made denim Lekala dress and much loved, goes with nearly everything, Morris Blazer.

9. Another recent make, going out for lunch with the girls. Newlook 6217 with ‘r’ Morris.

10. …. cricket, which didn’t warrant my smart blazer, but I did wear a Sewaholic Renfrew with my Jeggings made using Sewing Cakes Espresso Leggings pattern.

11. Aw…love this, another Newlook 6127

12. A cold and miserable day. I wore my Colette Albion – this has definitely been a worthwhile make – worn it so much, not just in May! With a top I made hacking the t shirt pattern from the GBSB book 2.

13. What a difference a day can make! I wore my Lekala sun dress which was originally a muslin for my Valentine dress but turned out ok. It’s not hemmed, just overlocked, but only me knows! Bit blurred I’m afraid, the camera mustn’t be used to sunshine!

14. Cricket for a change, and it was freeeeeeezing! I wore a vest (RTW), another vest (RTW), my newlook 6217 linen top, my Oslo Cardigan (finished the night before, hidden under layers but had to wear it!), my Colette Albion, and my big crocheted cosy heart shawl. Phew! That was a lot of clothes, but they were needed!

15. Another Renfrew with Jeans, and some stretch woven black pants-ish made with my sewing cake espresso leggings pattern, plus an inch all the way round. Wear these a lot for golf as they look smart-ish.

16. A cropped Coco jumper. This was originally cover the bum length but one day I needed a short jumper so hacked and hemmed it!

17. This is a T Shirt refashion – it was origally all stripes and on the reverse side it was flowery. I chopped it in half, turned it and stitched it back on! Excuse belly sticking out. And also miserable just about to start a night shift face! Oh! And not forgetting the Oslo!

18. Yesterday I wore my drapey Athena Top from Gray Day Patterns. This is unblogged as it was made when I was pattern testing. Worn with, yes you guessed, good old Olso!

19. This is a cowl neck top that I made at the back end of 2013. I whipped it up in a morning before I met some friends in the afternoon. Comfy and easy to wear. Something else that looks good with my Oslo Cardi.

Mmmm. What else I have learnt. I wear a lot of stripes. I need more cardigans! And it just so happens I’ve nearly finished the Cabernet Cardigan from Skinny Bitch Curvy Chick (top pic’!). Must dash, just got another 4 buttons to sew on! Might be able to put Oslo in the wash tomorrow!

Sunday Sevens Week 36 (me 11)

Published by Thimberlina

Hi, another week, another Sunday Seven! These weeks sure fly by, I’m just managing to squeeze this post in before I set off to work for my last night shift (this week, not ever!).

1. I thought it was about time I tidied up the front garden. No after photo just yet but I did make enough progress that hubby noticed I’d done something outside of the sewing room.

2. I made Viola’s Shephards Pie using a recipe from Sewing With Scooby Snacks! Delicious!

3. I chose the lounge carpet! The other 2 samples are my couch and love seat. They won’t be here til the middle of June. I’m counting the days!

4. H played cricket and at the side of the pitch there were a few animals including these 2. I think they’re Alpacas – correct me if I’m wrong!

5. Started my first of 4 night shifts. Grabbed any old pair of socks out of my drawer!

6. I went into a house about 4:30 am and it was pitch black outside. When I went out later in the day light I was met with this view. Stunning! Fancy waking up to this view across the hill every morning.

Note patient was safely in the ambulance with the crew and I’d handed over when this was taken!

7. I did a burns test on my new floral top as I’m not sure what the fabric is. Still not sure! It smelt ok, not a nasty burning smell if that helps anyone.

Head over to Natalie’s blog over at Threads and Bobbins to here about her brain child – The sunday sevens!

Taking a breather from my Holly Jump suit – Newlook 6217

Published by Thimberlina

This week I’ve muslinned (? a proper word?) the Holly Jumpsuit twice. And I went shopping for fabric (and bought 2 extra pieces)! Then I needed a quick fix before I dived into my Jolly Hump Suit, mmm…, or should it be Holly Jump Suit?! (i’m laughing here, that was initially a typo but it’s stopping! lol….still lolling……! (I’m Jumping Into June in case you didn’t know! If you want to read more about it and see who else taking part head over to Chris’s blog here…….)

Anyway, moving swiftly on. Whilst looking for something else I found this pattern which came free with the Love Sewing Mag (I think!!)

Without delving in my stash I knew I had the perfect fabric for the top – B. The fabric I’d just bought to make my Holly Jumpsuit! I did buy an extra 1/2 metre so it’d be ok. It was really quick to make, except I used bias binding nearly everywhere. It was ready to go out and meet the girls at 3pm for a late lunch date. Here it is with me Morris blazer. I’m really loving my Morris!

I like to use bias binding to finish my edges and hems. I didn’t want to use the actual fabric and then not have enough to make my jumpsuit. I found this orange and gold in my stash bought for 25p metre on the Spoolettes trip to Dewsbury.

It wasn’t the neatest application of bias trim I’ve ever performed but it’s all on the inside and it’s passable.

I didn’t want to add any extra weight to the arms so just overlocked the raw edge, turned and stitched.

There’s not much to read about this pattern online, so I didn’t find out until it was too late that the neck opening is too wide and shows my bra straps, and the opening at the back is totally not needed. I reduced the neck be an inch either side on the next one and still can get it on easily, and stitched up the full length of the back seam. And I wore a strapless bra so it didn’t drive me mad.

For the next one and any future ones I will cut the piece on the fold and eliminated the centre back seam, and reduce the neck opening by 2 inches.

The next one is an unknown chiffon fabric. Really soft so probably polyester! But it creases, so it might not be! It presses like a dream but frays like mad. The making of the bias trim was a particular challenge!

This panel was £7 and was only just big enough width ways to fit on both the front and back pieces. I arranged the pattern pieces right to the top making use of the plain area, so I’d have enough of the busier floral for bias binding.

As you can see below I didn’t have much left!

I managed to cut enough strips to make 5 metres of bias trim,

My new Janome made light work of stitching this fabric. I changed to a fine sharp needle and used my straight stitch plate (1st time) to prevent the fine fabric being pulled down into the machine.

It took forever to add the binding. I did the bottom hem first as a sort of practice where it would be less noticeable. My binding was single folded and I applied it like a mini facing.

I did the same for the neck like but had the bias showing on the outside. I sewed at the slowest pace ever and really took my time. But true to form I didn’t use a pin once and I didn’t press anything until it was all applied (except the bias which I’d pressed already). I use a combination of Janet Prays tips and Sewing on the Edge – both from Craftsy.

I finished it yesterday, but it was too chilly to wear. Todays a bit brighter and I’m taking my lovely mum out to lunch so will be wearing it. Rory & I had a little photoshoot on the patio this morning. (the scruffy looking door is the garage door not the one to the house!)

Quick wardrobe change…..see how the neck opening is way too wide…

Both these tops are going to be really useful and I’m going to have a rummage in my stash to see if i’ve anything to make a couple more. Last summer I wore my Sorbetto’s quite a lot, but they’re no good unless is a warm sunny day. Hopefully these will fill a little gap in my wardrobe.

This post is also part of Helena from Gray All Day’s Sew It Chick in a week link party!

Sunday Sevens Week 35 (me 10)

Published by Thimberlina

Hi Everyone – Happy Mothers Days to those mums who aren’t in England – we’ve had ours, but if I’d have known there was another I’m sure I could have hood-winked my family into celebrating it again!

So here we are again. What with Sunday Sevens, Me-Made-May, and now Jumping Into June I don’t know whether I’m coming or going. So long as I put the pix into the right folder on the computer we’ll be ok! To read more about Sunday Sevens head over to Natalie’s Blog at Threads & Bobbins….. it’s never too late to join in!

1. Yorkshire isn’t just famous for it’s Yorkshire Puddings. We have Yorkshire Mixtures too!

2. My office. An unusually quiet and sunny morning at work.

3. Picked H up after work. I tried to take a pic of my mum through the kitchen windown, but also got me, H and the garden behind me!

4. H acting the goat wearing his Grandpa’s reading glasses!

5. About a couple of weeks ago I ordered the Cabernet Cardigan from Skinny Bitch Curvy Chick. I’ve bought a couple of Betsy’s patterns before as PDFs but noticed she was offering free P&P, even all the way to England from America. So I ordered one, and it arrived, and on proper paper too. Not that flimsy stuff.

6. I met up with 2 fab friends for lunch in Halifax. We’ve not all been out together for just over 2 years. We all work shifts, one lives 90 miles away now and they’re both busy studying for their paramedic exams.

7. Now this next picture wasn’t taken in the last week. It was taken 3 years ago, but I’ve got to add this because this is the first time (above) that we haven’t gone out in our matching jumpers (below). Our jumpers have been everywhere, from walks in the park, to some pretty posh restaurants. You wouldn’t believe have much people look away and act really normal towards us when we wear them! Mandi’s moved house and can’t find hers and mine wasn’t me-made so I shouldn’t. But this is us at Go Ape….

We laughed a lot that day too! We going to meet up soon at the sea side, where shelly lives now, and I’ve promised to make us matching play suits for on the beach!

Hope you’ve had a fab weekend. Sorry I’ve no cute animal shots this week like I’ve had occasionally in the past, does the 3 cheeky monkeys above count!?

Me-Made-May 2015 – Part 1

Published by Thimberlina

It’s my first year taking part in MMMay as last year I would have had the washing machine on none stop as I did’t have enough me made garments to get me through the week never mind the month.

So here I am in my Rookie week of Me Made May!

1. Just a day of mooching around, catching up on things and shopping. Wore my Newlook Top made with a soft viscose Jersey.

2. On day 2 I made my Morris blazer in the morning (wearing my dressing gown! – not me made hence no photo), but then in the afternoon we went to the cricket club for a bite to eat and then out shopping to buy a sofa! I wore my new blazer of course with my one and only Polly Top from BHL.

3. What a cold a miserable day the 3rd of May was! Out came my favourite Coco from Tilly and the Buttons.

4. Things brightened up on Bank Holiday Monday and I did too! Here’s a top I made using a pattern from an old Prima magazine.

5. I had to go to work (sad face). I wear a uniform for work but usually go in my civies as 12+hours with steel toe cap boots on is too long. I went in one of my first ever renfrew tops (unblogged) and jeans (I will wear something else when the weather warms up, honest!)

My uniform sort of counts for MMMay too – we are issued with a fleece jacket and a fluorescent jacket. As I work on the response car I’m too warm in a jacket, so modified my fleece into a gilet. I’ve since done one more for a colleague and have 2 more requests!

6. Another work day (only 2 this week, yippee!) and it was so cold setting off to work at 5:30 am. I wore another Coco, and my lovely snuggly armed knitted scarf.

7. Golf… our first A team match of the season. I had to wear my team T shirt but wore my simplicity amazing fit trousers. The trousers are aptly named. Every time i put them on I’m amazed they still fit me, thanks goodness for stretch cotton!

Afterwards it’s all very civilised and we had to change for a 2 course dinner – ham & egg pie and chips – yum yum!! I wore my Dahlia dress. I’ve not worn this for ages, and looking at the photos it makes my want to get it out of the wardrobe a little more often!

Me Made May has made me realise my main short fall in my wardrobe is ‘bottoms’ for colder weather. I need more me made trousers and jeans, but I’ll take care of that later, in time for Autumn because I have a feeling summer’s going to be a scorcher this year!

Holly Jumpsuit BHL Muslin No. 2 #Jumpingintojune

Published by Thimberlina

Not much tweaking was really needed after Muslin No.1. I’ve added a ruler width to the body length, which turned out to be 1 1/4 “. I just guessed and as it happens, it’s turned out ok. I’ve chopped the excess length off the legs, cut them to 30” for now so I can try them on with flat and heals.

I’m feeling happy after my second muslin. The thing I’m going to change tho is the width of the top which causing slight boob gapage.

If I was a bit younger it wouldn’t bother me, but I’m not and it will so I don’t think it will be a big job to reshape it. I’ll add extra fabric when I cut out the top piece and shape it on my when it’s nearly at the finishing stage – I think!!

Now the big question is what fabric am I going to choose.

How’s your “Jumping Into June” project?

Have you chosen your pattern yet?

Or are you wondering what I’m talking about?

If it’s the latter here’s the post from Chris of Handmade By Chris (who I’m blaming for this, and of course Teresa of Navy Blue Threads) telling you about it and who’s joining in the fun. If you want to join in too leave Chris a comment and she’ll add you to the list!

Jumping Into June – My first muslin of the Holly Jumpsuit BHL

Published by Thimberlina

I accidentally created a new page instead of a new post. It’s late. So if you’d like to read about my journey so far in the quest to be able to jump into June click HERE to be directed to the page. Hopefully I’ll sort it out soon and it will be a post! Here’s a taster of what’s over there………!! You may not want to bother!

Jumping into June Update: Those who dare

Published by Thimberlina