Liberty Open Call - Last Chance to Vote

Today is the last chance to vote for me if you like my design.  Please vote here:

https://www.libertylondon.com/uk/features/design-and-living/liberty-open-call-voting.html

Thanks for all the support received so far :-)

Sew Over 50 :-)

It's been a while since I last posted and I've been undergoing a bit of an overhaul personally ....  I seem to have a bit of spare time now (unusual for me!) and I can look back over the changes and document them.

I finally decided to go short with my hair ...  I've been hovering between lengths for ages and am so glad I made this decision.  It feels so light and airy and my new style is really easy to look after too.  I wish now that I'd gone short at the start of summer.  I think that at a certain age, short definitely does look better.

I've also joined #sewover50 on Instagram.  This is a new initiative for older sewists like me.  I've been wondering for a while now where I fit in in the sewing world as I seem to have crossed the divide between the younger sewists and those like me.  Maybe that's why I haven't made much lately ...  It feels good to be part of a crowd again but I'll have to see if I can keep up with all the various challenges ....  Anyway, I'm old enough to know it doesn't really matter and it's all about the fun of taking part when I can.

Autumn is on its way - my favourite time of year and I am thinking about knits and cover ups.

Anyway, I'll keep you posted!

It's a New Year

Well all the festivities are over now but they had a sad tinge for me due to the loss of Oscar ....  I'll never forget him but I am helping myself to get over the fact that he is no longer here by doing some of my favourite things.  I've started a needlepoint cushion which I was given for Christmas and also did work on my next project for the Minerva Craft Blog (it involves a lot of quilting which took the best part of 8 hours to do ... the repetition was very therapeutic to do though).  I'll carry on into the New Year healing in this way ...

I am also starting the Make It In Design Winter School 2018 on Monday so I have that to look forward to ....

Pantone Colour of the Year 2018 - Ultra VIolet

What do you think of this?  I love it.  It seems as though this end of the spectrum continues - we had Radiant Orchid in 2016 and now Ultra Violet.  Both pinky purple shades, although strong and defined this year.  2017 was of course Greenery, but I'm rather taken with this year's colour ... 

Tracey Island - Macmillan Bake Off 2017

A couple of weeks ago we held our Macmillan Coffee Morning at work, which is an annual event here in the UK.  It ran along similar lines to last year and we had a competition for the Best Baker - I came second last year and I went all out to try and win this time and it worked ...  In my head, I knew what I wanted to recreate - I had a vision of Tracey Island from Thunderbirds ...  I spent three whole evenings and about 20 hours trying to achieve this, plus about a week of planning time when I had to think about exactly how I would recreate the various elements in the design ....

I made a lake from melted Glacier Mints ....  that itself took a whole evening - I really didn't have an idea of how long it would take to melt a few sweets in a Bain Marie.  The idea worked though!  I first saw this done in an episode of this year's Great British Bake Off where it was used to re-create the effect of glass.  I melted the mints onto baking parchment and peeled away the backing.  I had the idea of making the end result look even more like a lake by backing the whole melted area with rolled out white royal icing which I tinted on the surface with blue food colouring.

How could I make palm trees?  I used Matchmaker chocolates for the trunks as they are long and nobbly and tree like.  The palm fronds are of green rolled out icing which I cut with Christmas holly cutters.  If they are overlaid offset on each other and stuck on the end of the Matchmakers, then they just look like palm trees!

The island itself was made from 3 cakes that I baked separately and then cut to shape and stacked on to each other to make a base, house, various launchpads and rocky crevices.  It was done from chocolate and vanilla flavoured victoria sponge swirled together to create a marble effect inside and stuck together with vanilla buttercream filling.  I covered the whole with chocolate flavoured buttercream which was then decorated with flower and green bobble cake decorations to look like plants and grass.

White and grey royal icing was rolled out to make the house walls, windows and roof, along with a landing strip, cave entrance and launchpad turret.

I managed to find a set of 3 diecast Thunderbirds vehicles in exactly the right size which provided the finishing touches ....

I was up against a lot of competition with tastes and flavours but the approach to make an eye catching traditional cake was favourite and apparently, tasted as good as it looked!

How will I top this next year?  I think I may just have to stand down and let someone else have a go .....

Aviation Dress - Complete

I’ve been to two airshows since completing this dress.  At both, I was stopped numerous times to have it admired – one lady said I looked stunning in it and some others manning a Red Arrows stall said they couldn’t stop looking at my dress  …..  compliments indeed!

I loved making it, both using the pattern and fabric.  The Liberty Tana Lawn was so soft and sewed beautifully - it is printed with a mixture of current and historic aircraft.  I only made one adaptation to the pattern in adjusting the skirt to a couple of inches longer – which I’ve also done on another SewOverIt pattern as the length just seems to suit me better than the one supplied.  When I make this one again – which I will – then I’ll also add about another inch in the body as it is a bit short bodied but fine as it is so I'm nit picking really .....  I love the style of the dress which is so easy to wear and flattering for my shape.

Minerva Product Testing - Felt Duffel

Another bit of news preventing me from posting about my finished Aviation dress is that my Felt Duffel is now live on the Minerva Crafts website here.  You can read all about how I made it from their printed felt sheets.  It was a really enjoyable make.  Busy with my next Product Testing project now ... seem to have my sewjo back again 😆

Sew Weekly - It's back!

I've finished my aviation dress (see previous post) but before I can blog about it, I need to spread the news about Sew Weekly.  I would never have considered starting a blog without it - it's where it all began.

In 2011, there was an online weekly challenge to sew around a theme - all started by Mena Trott, who had managed the challenge herself in the previous year.  Alongside her were Debi Fry, Sarah Gabbart, Veronica Darling and Adey Lim who were all sewing along with her around the world on a weekly basis.  You can still see the blog up at http://www.sewweekly.com/  where Loran Watkins is featured on the front page - I found out from her about the re-launch.  Sew Weekly was also open to anyone else to join in and I gave it a go.  I'm glad I did as I made loads of web based friends all over the world and we became a little family of sewists!

In 2012 I sewed along monthly, as I needed to slow the pace a bit ...  but I was so disappointed when it didn't continue into 2013.  Loads of others were missing the fun too - that's exactly what it had become - fun!  Seeing who could come up with something every week was - as my friends over the pond put it, 'Such a blast!'

Anyway, what should pop up this week over on Instagram but ...  Sew Weekly!  You can find it at @sewweekly @sewweeklyyoucandoit @makethislook @shopmakethislook  Mena is at the helm once again and has even filled in the gap about where it disappeared to ... Lots of the original members have re-found each other there.  As well as a weekly (and a monthly) challenge there are prizes and also a shop of antique fabric, patterns and notions.

Looking forward to dipping my toe in here and there this time round.  Hope to see you there!

Skirt's on ...

Well I've got the skirt on now ... that was very straightforward, just a matter of matching up the side seams and the bodice and skirt pleats.  I just made a minor grading alteration to cope with my apple shape and there looks to be plenty of room to fit me in!  It's a short bodice but that is flattering on a shape like mine.

I neatened the join with some matching bias binding which should also give it some extra strength.

Sewing Progress ....

I am so enjoying working with this Liberty fabric.  It is beautifully soft and runs through my machine like a dream.  There have been no snags or hold ups.

This description is from the Liberty website: 

Taking its name from Lake Tana in East Africa where the original cotton grew, Tana Lawn cotton is unique. Made from specially selected ultra-fine long staple cotton and finished without the use of crease-resisting chemicals or irritating allergens, the result is a famous masterpiece of fabric technology: fine, cool, comfortable and durable, with brilliant reproduction of colours and prints. 

I've finished the bodice section which was simple enough to construct, with some gathers at the shoulders and sewn down pleats around the waist - no darts.  The shoulder seam extends over from the back piece.  

The skirt is going on next.....

On My Sewing Table

Yes, (loud fanfare!)  There is something afoot ....  I am off to an airshow in a couple of weeks time and badly want a dress made out of this fabric which I bought in the Liberty Sale at Christmas.  It's perfect!  I want a shirtdress and although I already have patterns I want to try out the SewOverIt version so that's what I'm going for.

Will be doing updates on progress.  I've already cut out all the pieces (with help from Oscar of course ....).  More posts to come ....

Minerva Product Testing - Prym Ergonomic Knitting Needles

I was delighted to find out a few weeks ago that I had been selected to be a Product Tester for Minerva - they have the biggest selection of fabric, knitting, haberdashery and crafts products in the UK.  Have a look at their website here for all kinds of crafting goodies.  I will be notified at intervals about new arrivals there and I can select a product I'd like to try from a list.  To start with, I've received two sets of Prym Ergonomic knitting needles.  I first came across the term ergonomic in my Open University days as being a description for something that can be used safely and easily with optimum productivity and where form follows function.  It’s something I wouldn’t normally associate with knitting needles…. surely a knitting needle is a knitting needle and that's it?  I was intrigued to find out what could be different, especially as a left hander – would I be able to cope with them?    

They are beautifully packaged and would make a lovely present.

The needles arrived in boxes with window fronts.  I could see why when I handled them - they are very lightweight and need some kind of support around them for a point of sale area.

My current knitting project is the Central Park Hoodie by Heather Lodinsky.  It can be found all over the web and was first was printed in the Autumn edition of the 2006 Knitscene magazine.  You can buy a downloadable pattern at the Knitting Daily store here.

Photograph copyright http://www.interweave.com/store/central-park-hoodie Reproduced here for the purposes of criticism and review only  

The yarn I'm using was bought for me as a birthday present and I am just commencing knitting again after all the busy events of last year!  Hopefully, I should be finished in time for autumn and winter this time round.  I have already had to undo the project once as the size I chose was coming up too small – I am using Lion Brand Wool Ease in Denim Twist, a wool and acrylic blend in a lovely mottled denim effect which knits up beautifully but is not the recommended 100% wool yarn for the pattern which would have knitted up bulkier.  Anyway, I've now finished the back, which gives you an idea of the cabling detail.  This was knitted on regular needles.

 I have since started a sleeve using my 4mm Prym needles.  

I have 4mm and 3mm needles to try and this rib was done on the 4mm.  The texture and tension of my knitting is the same as when using a regular needle.

You can see this by comparing with the rib of the finished back piece.

Needles are light alabaster coloured – good for knitting while watching tv in minimal light and when used in conjunction with dark coloured yarns such as this one.  They are also flexible and bendy – if you like that from a needle – therefore commuter friendly if you like to knit while you travel like me.  The larger size has the needle size printed on the body which is handy for identification.  They are triangular shaped which makes them comfortable to hold and use and I had no trouble with the needles in conjunction with my left handedness!  The Prym website explains that the triangle shape helps the stitches to glide easily.  

needle size printed on the body

The needles have a drop shaped tip too which, as Prym explain, has been done to help with picking up and guiding of yarn.

The grooved bobble end allows for clicking the other needle into place when not in use.

They are made from a high performance synthetic material which doesn’t get sticky in use from your hands.

This is me using the needles at our work craft club which meets each Wednesday lunchtime.  We try out any kind of crafting as an oasis from the work environment.  I find knitting or patchwork to be the most portable.

I love, love how the needles click together when not in use to stop stitches falling off.

However ... take note and make sure your work is well hidden in your bag when travelling.  The needles are so lightweight that one of them made the journey on its own to Kings Cross, as it must have pinged off and then out of my bag when I gathered up my things to alight at Cambridge.  I looked everywhere for it and came to the conclusion that the train was the only place where I could have lost it ...

Everything has been thought of with this product.  Priced at £5.99 per pair, that is quite reasonable and I liked using them, though given the light nature of these needles I think I would like to try out yarns such as laceweight with them.  Overall, an enjoyable experience for my first outing as a Product Tester!

Sarah Campbell Fabric Painting Day

A grey start to the day....  I was unfortunately going to be a bit late for my class at The Fashion and Textile Museum and had already made my apologies in advance but there was a further delay at Moorgate tube and I had to walk down to London Bridge. Not a bad walk but I was then lost at Monument and Pudding Lane … I then realised I was also on the wrong side of The Thames!

Doubling back on myself, I found a stairway to the top of a bridge and was able to head towards The Shard at Bermondsey where I knew the Museum was located. 

I made my apologies at reception and was then able to join Sarah Campbell’s class who were just about to have a lunch break.  I took the opportunity to photograph everything and anything I could in the Josef Frank exhibition.  What impressed me was a riot of colour and blooms on lengths of fabric suspended from the ceiling.  

There was also a beautiful room set up with painted furniture, prints and glassware, where you could see the fabric in context.  

The Museum shop had Sarah Campbell scarves and cushions printed in mouthwatering colours ...  

Some from the past and newer designs such as this hand painted birds and nest.

I enjoyed browsing through the books and cards, particularly a Zandra Rhodes cut out and colour paper doll complete with outfits!  

I also came away with a Fashionary book – like a dictionary of fashion styles and faint templates of figures for drawing over.

It was a pleasure to meet Sarah Campbell, who I’ve blogged about before: Start to Finish - The Collier Campbell/Sarah Campbell Story UPDATED , when I saw her exhibition in 2014, again at The Fashion and Textile Museum.  

Although I was late, she made me feel at ease and I went straight into painting on calico.  I was inspired by the sunflowers I’d seen in the Frank exhibition.  I learned about auto-fade pens and lightly sketched out my pattern on the fabric. 

Auto fade pens are like felt pens but the outline disappears after a short length of time and doesn't spoil a painted design.  It’s been a while since I handled paint but I took to it again immediately and loved the way the fabric paints blended and bled on the cloth.  

I only had a couple of hours to do anything in and made the most of it while I could.  

The end of the class came round too quickly and I felt I should head off home in good time considering the journey I had in.  Delays on the way home too!  I didn’t arrive home until 9 in the evening which meant for an exhausting day.  Enjoyable though and of course, I met a heroine of mine  ....  A grey day ended up full of colour ...

I've since bought a set of fabric paints of my own and I'm now looking forward to finishing my design.  So glad to be back painting again! 

100,000 hits ...

Well for a small blog, then that's not bad!  Particularly as I haven't been as active in the last year. Thanks everyone and to all who have stayed around ...  I already have a couple of new posts coming up and am looking forward to the new blogging year.  In the meantime, some 'Fair Maids of February' to cheer us all up and show that spring is on its way!

Happy Holidays

I hope you are all enjoying the Christmas and New Year break.  Kev and I have a whole week off work, enjoying some time to ourselves to get refreshed and organised, ready for the New Year.  It's been a very busy 2016, the biggest event being our wedding and wonderful as it was, it's nice to have that done and dusted now.  Looking forward to 2017 now - hope you all have a good one.

Signs of Christmas

In the little town in Norfolk where I live, we are fortunate to have a sewing shop - a fairly large one in comparison to all the other surrounding stores.  It is now under new management and has undergone a lot of changes, making it contemporary and fresh.  Now named The Sewing Room, there is a Christmas window under construction.  I went for a short walk yesterday evening and stumbled upon it ... it's very inspiring ...

I love these little bags ...

Cake for a Cause

Here in the UK there is an annual event, The World's Biggest Coffee Morning, which occurs each September.  It is in aid of the Macmillan Cancer Support charity.  We held our own event at work last week and several of us baked cakes, biscuits, sausage rolls, cheese straws, to name just a few things, which we then sold.  We did really well ... and I enjoyed dusting off my cake tins once again.  I made choc chip cookies and cupcakes ...

I am happy to have come second with my dairy free lemon cupcakes in the Best Baker competition! There was such a buzz around the office on the day and it really brought everyone together.

Tatty Devine have also designed a brooch, earrings and keyring for the charity - they have a a kind of handcrafted sewing feel to them.

 

I think we'll make this an annual event ...