All posts tagged: fp

On The Ball! Simplicity 1613

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Being on the ball is not usually my forté but since my trip to the recent SewUpNorth meet up I’ve actually used 2 pieces of fabric I acquired at the swap and used a pattern that came free with the current issue of the Dressmaker magazine. I’m not a regular of the Dressmaker magazine as I subscribe to Love Sewing and Sew Direct.  I think the hubby would raise an eyebrow at more sewing publications dropping on the mat, but I still have a peek at the others when I’m out shopping. This pattern caught my eye immediately and I was drawn into buying the mag’ and I knew just which fabric would be a perfect match. This John Kaldor ITY knit which was kindly donated to the swap from RuthRuth at Ruth Creates. The pattern was a super simple make, I whizzed it up in a couple of hours (after cutting out) despite having to unpick the off the shoulder part – I’m not sure what it’s name is.  The shoulder band maybe? I’m …

McCalls 7577 – A playsuit with frilly legs!

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Back in February I joined Slimming World.  I’d lost about 10 pounds on my own, well not entirely on my own, I’d been hitting the gym classes with my bestie but I needed a bigger push to shed another 20 pounds. One of the things that spurred me on to loose the weight was the Mc Calls pattern 7577. As soon as I saw this cute little playsuit I really wanted to make it for my June holiday.   So as the inches melted away I rummaged in my stash and found the perfect fabric for View A but without the sleeves.  I bought this crepe from Leeds Market last November in the first SewUpNorth meet up.   Shockingly (for me) I didn’t trace the pattern and I didn’t make a muslin! My thoughts on tracing have changed slightly.  Before I used to trace absolutely everything as I was hoping to be a smaller size in the future, now i’m tending to cut straight into the patterns as I’m adamant I’m staying the size I …

The 2nd Half of MeMadeMay17

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No don’t rub your eyes, you have read correctly, and yes I am that behind! No apologies necessary, absent friends don’t need to do that….right?  I hope so! I’m here, I’m back and I’ll just get on with it! You can read the first instalment of MeMadeMay HERE.  With me writing this so late I’m just so pleased I posted on IG otherwise it would be a struggle writing this! Day 18 & 19 – I worked 10-20 so it was uniform all day.  If I’m starting earlier or later I do tend to wear ‘my own’ clothes either before and after my shift but with this rubbish shift it’s all work, PJs then bed.  But my trusty Brooklyn Hoodie saves the day when I need me made on a work day – this was made with a colleague’s old fleeces that were destined for the bin! Day 20 – I took part in the Forget Me not Trust Colour run.  My jazzy Espresso leggings were perfect.  I looked like I’d been splattered even before …

#memademay17 – Halfway there

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I pledged to wear me made every day and post on IG and so far so good!  It’s been tough at times as I discover more clothes that are too big for me, but on the plus side some of my older makes have been dug out of the archives. 1 – My first Molly Top from Sew Over It has had lots of wear since I made it back in October, and is still in regular rotation. 2 – Me Made May sprung me into action the night before a game of golf when I didn’t know what I could wear that was me made.  I up cycled an unloved golf top that belonged to my hubby. 3 – Day 3 and I managed a whole outfit!  A fairly recently make, my Cynthia Rowley Skirt (simplicity 1783) and a top using a Simple Sew pattern from last year (sorry I can’t remember which one!) 4 – My first and only Fehr Trade VNA top.  I really need more of these for my new action packed …

A Quick Polo Shirt Refashion

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I think MeMadeMay spurs us all into action and opens our eyes to gaps in our wardrobe. Last week I was wondering what I could wear for golf, then I remembered a top the hubby had discarded and put aside for the charity bag. It was kinda huge on me but I thought the collar the the zip opening didn’t look too big and once the sides were taken in it would still look in proportion. I measured it and decided to take the side in for it to measure 40″. I measure 39″ so I thought with a little stretch in the fabric 1″ of ease would be enough.  I’m still now sure now if i remembered to include a seam allowance as the finished garment is a bit snug (though I could get off my butt and go measure it and find out!). The marks drawn on were with a frixion pen.  I recently bought some felt tip style ones.  I’d always recommend testing to make sure the heat from the iron removes all marks …

Simplicity 1783 – A Cynthia Rowley Pattern

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I know there’s a lot of Cynthia Fans out there and I’m quickly becoming one! Here’s 1873 Last year I made the top from this pattern, you might remember it as the ‘save all your kisses for me‘ top! A few weeks ago I was looking to make a denim skirt for summer and stumbled across this pattern in my stash and thought this would be perfect. I frivolously chopped my paper pattern!!  Shock! Horror!!  This is not something I would normally do, but I’m not planning on being a bigger size anytime soon so I thought what the heck! It’s actually about a month or so since I finished this.  There’s not a lot to say about the construction except to was fairly straight forward, including the zip fly. I changed the order of construction.  Instead of sewing the side seams then attaching the waist band, I completed the front (inc the fly) added the waist band, but not the facing.  Then I sewed up the side seams to get the fit spot on. …

Molly Top Hack #SOICITYBREAK

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I’d say the majority of the fabric in my stash is in 1-1.5m lengths.  As I’m very lucky and surrounded by lots of real life fabric stores I tend to pick up quite a few bargain remnants when I’m out and about.  These keep my stash topped up and I can usually make a top or skirt from these shorter lengths.  If they’re less than a metre I often have to have a mash up of 2 remnants and let the creative juices flow. Like this cardigan….. boiled wool and a ponte knit….who’d have thought these would have gone together so well: And these 2 pieces of jersey fudged together for a Molly Top: So as you can see I usually have a happy ending when it marry up patterns and fabric. But the Molly Top from SOI has had me almost loosing sleep.  The grown on sleeves just make it that little big too fabric hungry for some of my remnants that are just shouting out to be a Molly.  Like this wide striped ribbed knit I …

The Cold Shoulder – Lekala 5669

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I was browsing through the Lekala website a couple of weeks ago and stumbled across this little on-trend beauty!  Lekala 5669….. I just fell for it straight away – the cold shoulder detail was bang on trend but subtle enough for a someone approaching middle age to wear – not that I feel it. So it was downloaded and stuck it together before you could say boo to a goose.  Then came the hard bit. I have quite a few jersey’s in my stash.  32 to be exact if I check my Cora App!!!  And true to form I fancied making a muslin of this pattern.  Mainly because it looks a bit confusing how it’s put together, not because of the fit – when I’m sewing with jersey and using Lekala I generally find the fit to be spot on. So I had a rummage through the app on my phone and decided upon this very stretchy see through mesh fabric. I had bought 5 panels, each being 1.2m, for less than £6 inc P&P …

The Dress of Many Colours – Just Call Me Joseph

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  When I started browsing the likes of Harrods, Harvey Nics and other designer stores looking for inspiration for my Designin December make, little did I thing than I’d end up upcycling 29 of my husbands ties! I came across this skirt in Harvey Nics selling for a whopping £850!!  It obviously wasn’t made from ties, but the diagonal striped and pleated  fabric gave that appearance.   Unfortunately my husband’s tie collection is quite a bit more conservative than the colours in the skirt, but after a little persuasion he parted with around half of his tie collection. I butted the ties against each other and auditioned a few stitches to see which would sew the ties together the best: Number 22 in the photo below was the stitch of choice: First off I sewed the ties together in groups of 5, and the first ones that were sewn together I trimmed the top off – big mistake! If you plan on sewing ties together don’t chop anything off until you’re ready for fitting, or …