All posts tagged: fp

Keeping It Cosy

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I don’t always take part in a lot of challenges, but there’s a few that’s caught my attention in 2017. The January ‘Keep It Cosy” #dressmakingbloggerchallenge is the first one I’ve managed to complete! I’ve had 1.5m of this ridiculously thick sweater knit for about 2 years. I bought if from Fabworks for £10 a metre with no project in mind. the squishiness just drew me in and I just had to buy it!  I has a thick slightly felted feel so it, and has 4 way ‘give’ rather than a proper stretch stretch. I wasn’t sure if it had been pre washed so I did the sniff test.  It smelt ok so I’m thinking I must have done.  I’ll wash it cold when it’s made up just in case it hasn’t been washed. It’s been in and out of the stash box for ages, and when i saw the challenge was to make something to keep you warm I knew it was coming out for good this time! The pattern choice was a no …

Goodie Bag Guidance!

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For the next Yorkshire Spoolette’s Meet Up on the 25th February there’s going to be a goodie bag swap.  It’s not compulsory to join in but it is compulsory for it to be fun! A few of you have been wondering what sort of thing you could put in so I thought I’d give you a few ideas. I’ve not even got any photos together yet, I’m going to find them as I write.  And guess where I’m going to look first? SEWCHET’s Stitching Santa posts! She is the Queen of all craftiness and has the most amazing ideas.  I think they’ve started to rub off onto her followers because everyone who took part in her Stitching  Santa have made some great gifts.  So that’s where I’m going to start!! Before you start looking, don’t get worried.  They’re just ideas and you don’t have to make a huge bag of goodies! A key ring – made by Lyn at Tialys   A Zipper pouch – we can never have enough zipper pouches! Also made by …

STOP Everything for Cleo!

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I couldn’t help myself.  I know I was supposed to be getting on with making blocks, especially stretchy ones, but I just needed a Cleo so badly after seeing them popping all over IG and the blogasphere! And I had these shoes which I recently purchased, and had nothing to wear with them!  And a Cleo or 2 with opaque tights would be just perfect! So I whipped it up in an evening (I’d already traced off my size). The only measurements you need to take into consideration are your hips and waist.  I’m a tilly size 5 on the hips (I like Tilly’s sizes – they make you measure.  As they are sized 1 to 8 you can’t just go with your ‘normal’ size and be lazy. I would be a size 6 waist, but looking at the finished garment size I knew there should be enough ease in the size 5 for it to fit my waist. And it did.  Perfect!  No muslin!!  Not even One!  Which is a miracle as I think …

The Harrogate Knitting & Stitching Show and The #BVSEWALONG Afternoon Tea

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  I thought I’d share with you my whole day as those of you like me who have never been to anything like this will be wondering if you should make the journey and go to one near you (the show not the Tea Party – the Tea Party is a bonus!) So how do you start your day if you’re going to be attending a Vintage Tea Party? With your hair in rollers of course! (Excuse the bare back, at least it’s not the front!) When I bought my ticket for the Tea Party a few weeks ago my initial plan was to go on my own.  But then I mentioned it to a Glen & Mags who I play golf with and they really wanted to go too so we all travelled together. When we arrived we headed for a coffee first, there was a bit of queue, it was so busy, so be prepared to queue for the loo and refreshments if you’re heading there in the next 3 days. There’s a few …

Me and O – The Start of Something Marvellous!

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Here’s a quickie (with quite a few piccies) about how me and my new assistant O are getting on. Anyone who knows me in ‘real life’ will know I’ve a bit of a thing for instruction manuals.  It drives me bonkers to have something and not know how it works properly, and what all the different functions do.  (hence the hubby still can drive me crazy as his mum lost the manual I was supposed to get when we got married!) So when O arrived I was super excited, had downloaded and read the manual more times than I could remember and felt fairly confident that I could jump in feet first and make something. But I didn’t! Instead I cut some strips of fabric and started from the beginning of the instruction book and began working through the different stitches. As I practiced each stitch I wrote on the fabric what the stitch was, but soon thought this could get a bit disorganised so stuck them onto paper using a regular glue stick. I was able to write …

My First Pattern by Gertie – Butterick 6390

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Back in September I attended my first proper meet up – Sewbrum.  I had an amazing day and met some fabulous ladies.  Sitting down for lunch outside a pub with lots of women I’d never met felt really strange, but it was stranger that in no time at all I felt like I’d know them all ages. One lovely lady I got talking to was Lucy from Sew Essential. and not long after returning home she got in touch and asked if she could sponsor a post on my blog.  Could she!!  I was really excited, and it took ages for me to decide what to make.  I came up with a few ideas – I wanted to make a casual style jacket but in a dressy up style fabric.  I found Gertie’s close fitting button down jacket and thought it would be perfect for me as I’m short waisted and not very tall. Lucy suggested their faux silk dupion.  I was sold!! It came it quite a few colours.  As I wanted my new jacket …

Do Not Adjust Your Screen – Espresso Leggings

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They really are that bright!! This colourful fabric, an ITY knit, has been illuminating my stash for over a year.   As my gym joining experience has continued and not just been a flash in the pan I thought it was about time I added to my ‘gym wardrobe’ which is over 5 years old, with the exception of the VNA top I made last year. I’ve made leggings before, but not ones that needed to withstand 6 minutes of squats in a Les Mills Body Pump class.  But for starters, and for a speedy make I dug out my TNT Sewing Cake custom made Espresso leggings pattern.   I’ve made loads of these, about 7 pairs I think, but not for a couple of years. In legs than an hour i had them cut out and sewn up except for the waist band:   And then I had a busy couple of days and put them aside.  I googled making active wear leggings as the basic elasticated waist wasn’t gonna cut it for these pants. …

The BIG Vintage Sewalong – Vogue 9082 & Sonja Dress Hack

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What do you do when you’re too excited to sit still and watch TV, not that I’m good at sitting still anyway?!  Well, for me I’m going to drink Rose wine and tell you about a frock I finished a couple or 3 weeks ago. Why am I excited?!  It’s Sewbrum tomorrow! EEEK!!  I’ve wanted to go to Sewbrum for the last 2 years but the dates just didn’t agree with me.  But this year it’s fallen on my weekend off so I’ve bought my train ticket, and I’m good to go! My first Vogue 9082 which I’ve worn 3 times already and had loads of compliments when wearing was only supposed to be a practice for my niece’s wedding.  It was no way a muslin,  I’d already made 3 of them so I knew it was going to fit when I finally cut into the stunning chosen fabric. It was to wear to Ripon races back in June. So the plan was to make another in different fabric. I bought this stretch cotton sateen when I …

An Invisible Invisible Zipper Tutorial

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Because not all invisible zips are invisible. SewPhotoHop from Rachel of House of Pinheiro is back! It’s day 2 which is “Your Favourite Skill”.  Knowingly or unknowingly we’re all quite a skilled bunch out there and a lot of them skills we don’t know we have.  We’re also a generous bunch too who like to share our skills with other lovely sewists out there. Over on IG i’ve posted that my favourite skill is inserting invisible zips, or zippers depending where you are in the world.  I also mentioned I could share how I do it as it works a treat every time with no pins and no tears.  As there were quite a few who wanted  me to show you, here we are. 2 things for me when inserting an invisible zip are important. it’s invisible any seams match up So here’s how I do it. Gather your supplies: an invisible zip a pencil iron on interfacing if your fabric is anything other than denim or a robust fabric. a normal zipper foot   1  Open …

Inspiration from People Watching – #pictureheavypost!

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One of the pitfalls I find of making my own clothes is feeling a bit ‘our of it’ when it comes to knowing what’s in fashion. Though I don’t see me self as a style guru, I still like to have a look around to see what colours and styles on on the high street and copy some looks that I think would flatter me.  If I’m not careful I could end up looking like an 80’s throwback! So when I went to the Ladies Day at York races yesterday my eyes were out on stalks!  Such amazing colours, styles and hats.  There was even a catwalk should you fancy your chances at winning the best dressed! If you’re attending a big event soon you might want to see just what’s out there, so I’ve taken lots of pics to share with you.             I           Well,  I’ve come to the conclusion that at a big ‘do” like the races, anything goes!  It doesn’t matter if your spotty and …