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!

Minerva Product Testing - Astrakhan Jacket

You can see how I made this jacket up on the Minerva Craft Blog here now.  It's still a bit chilly out and I'm glad of it to wear!

Minerva Product Testing - Vilene Bag Kit

You can read all about how I made this cute bag up on the Minerva Crafts Blog as it has been published today.  Find all the details here.

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!

The Girl with the Cherry Smile

Lots of things have been going on in my life since finishing my hand knitting City & Guilds.  Working working full-time and getting married!  This dress has been on the go for some time now. Plans first formulated in my head during international pattern swap at The Monthly Stitch, when I received the Sew Over It 1940’s Teadress pattern, as explained in an earlier post.  I wasn’t sure that the shape of the dress was going to suit me at first but I thought I’d give it a try as my first sewing project for a long time.  I’d seen the perfect fabric for it at Croft Mill but couldn’t get my hands on it first time round.  I was lucky when they re-stocked -  it’s called, ‘The Girl with the Cherry Smile’ and works really well with the pattern.  My new sewing companion likes it too ... 



To ease myself back into sewing, I took my time and decided to enjoy the whole process rather than rushing anything, hence the tea and cake. 

The pattern cover said that the dress was a close fit and as I’m between sizes at the moment I made the larger one.  This was a mistake for me – the bodice did look a bit loose on my new dress form, but as I hadn’t used the form before, then I gave it the benefit of the doubt.

When it came to actually trying it on though, it was huge …  I actually ended up having to re-make the whole of the top section.  That was tiresome and tricky but I stuck with it and it was worthwhile in the end.  The second learning curve was the insertion of an invisible zip which I’ve never done before.

I found the zip in the right colour and length and was ready to sew it in with an invisible machine foot I’d been given when I found the foot wasn’t compatible with my machine.  Aaargh!  My patience (and dress!) was nearly in tatters at this point …  I had to do an internet search and managed to find one for a couple of pounds that would fit my trusty 1980’s New Home.  I nervously fitted it when it arrived and my heart did a little dance when it worked!  I was very proud of my first attempt at sewing the zip in.

The rest of the dress went together comparatively smoothly, apart from forgetting to sew rear darts in the skirt section in my haste to get it finished.  I did unpick the skirt and included them though it was tempting not to.

A couple of months had passed and I was still doing the handstitching at the beginning of October on the facings and hem.  I had a feeling of triumph at finishing and persevering!

I wore the dress on my honeymoon on the Norfolk coast.  The weather was great for this time of year.

I am confident enough to make another of these dresses now, but I think I’ll try something simpler in the meantime to get my sewjo going again ….

First Sew of the Year

What nicer way to start the year than to make what I hope to be a much loved project bag to hold all my supplies while sitting and crafting ...

I've attempted patchwork before and love the look of it.  It's such a calming and therapeutic thing to do while sitting cosy indoors.  I've tried squares, Dresden Plate and hexagon designs - all in varying states of progress - though the hexagon cushion cover is near completion and I finished a pincushion for an international swap some time ago.

For the bag, I'm using scraps of all my favourite projects over the past few years.  I've made 50 hexagons so far.  Seeing and using it will remind me of all the fun I've had taking part in sewalongs as well as the various outings I've been to in my creations.

I've been inspired to try patchwork by all kinds of sources, including places visited in the past and books read.

This crazy patchwork teacosy appears in a Milly Molly Mandy episode by Joyce Lancaster Brisley. One of my past projects was based on these stories - she always had outfits of pink and white stripes and I made a chevron skirt as homage!  I'll be sure to add some pink and white stripes to my bag ...

There are some wonderful illustrations in the books, a particular favourite of mine being the endpapers showing a map of the village where she fictionally lived.  This reminds me of patchwork too ...

Another inspiration is this covering, supposedly made by the three Bronte sisters, Anne, Charlotte and Emily from dress scraps.  It used to be on display in the 70's and early 80's at the Parsonage in Haworth where they lived and I remember seeing it there.  I believe it was out on display again for a short time just before this Christmas according to the wonderful blog http://kleurrijkbrontesisters.blogspot.co.uk/ where I found this illustration.

When I lived in the North, there always used to be trips to places such as York in the school holidays. This crazy patchwork covering is in the Castle Museum.

Have you any favourite patchwork examples you can tell me about?  Would love to hear about them ...

Oops, I did it again ...

Missed another deadline that is ....  I didn't quite make it for 'Made Up' - see below - and am still sewing Aster.  Life is busy ... and this is an untried pattern ....  I would have liked to have made the reveal party - another time - but am glad to have supported the cause.  Don't know about anyone else but I've found Aster to be quite slim fitting and I've undone the sides once already and made smaller seams to allow for extra give.  When I make it again - which I will, because it does look good on - I'll add a bit extra in the width.  I am making my current version sleeveless with bound armholes, so it will have even more 'give'.  I'm lucky in that I have a lot of the fabric I'm using left over, so I'm planning another version with short sleeves.  Going to take some 'in progress' photos tonight ....  

Made Up

My Aster Sewalong has turned into something else ... The weather has been so glorious here that I've been out and about (see below photo!) and I've missed the deadline ... But all is not lost as I've been reading about the Made Up Sewalong on various blogs, for which I have 10 September as a deadline.  Funnily enough, one of the prizes is an Aster Pattern!  So I hope I don't win that ...

It's for a good cause too - the promotion of literacy.  I've copied the following from Karen Ball's blog, Did You Make That?

The Made Up Initiative is in support of the National Literacy Trust. Did you know that one person in six in the UK lives with poor literacy? Some children never have a parent read to or with them. Many households can’t afford books. Literacy can be a game of luck, and it’s a game with high stakes. It can make or break lives. With the help of my fellow creatives, I’d like to sway the odds.

I’ve set us a simple goal – to raise £1,000 in a month-long fundraiser, hosted at aJustgiving page. To give us some context, if less than half of my Bloglovin subscribers each donated £10, we’d raise over £40,000.  A person could easily spend £10 on a metre of fabric, that might go straight into a bulging stash cupboard, and probably end up donated to a fabric swap. Food for thought, eh?

So, let’s have fun! We have until 10 September to show the world what we can do.

Aster Progress

This project is coming along beautifully.  I've chosen to make my version in a white broderie anglaise fabric from my stash.  It cut out really well and I began sewing this morning.  I spent a couple of hours at it and sewed the stay stitching around the neck, did the shoulder seams, front darts, back pleat and attached the back yoke to the main body.  I just kept going until lunchtime!  It's a great project to get back into sewing with.  Looking forward to my  next sewing session already ...

Stay stitching around neckline

Front dart

Shoulder seams sewn, darts done and back yoke attached to main body 

Aster Sewalong ...

Well I'm still in the midst of sorting my supplies but the actual act of doing so has inspired me to sew again and I'm keen to join in with everyone else ... so the Colette Patterns Aster Sewalong seems to be the ideal place to start!  I've hunted down a pattern in the UK - there seems to have been a run on it and it's out of stock in all the usual places - I found one of only two at a quilt fabrics supplier called Simply Solids.  So, I'm expecting that there will be loads of entries from the UK ...  Here are a few of my favourites from around the web ...

I don't know where the images originate from so can't credit - although I think the bottom right is a Colette Patterns image.  I'm not revealing my plans until I've finished ...  The sewalong is running now and finishes on 14 August, so there's plenty of time for you to have a go if you wish ...  See you there!

Sewing for Men

Or rather one man in particular ... this is my sewing goal for this year.  I've decided that I still have way too many clothes myself and will make for 'me' on an irregular basis this year.  I've never attempted men's clothing before so I'm starting with an easy to sew waistcoat pattern and some lovely woollen cloth made in Yorkshire which I found at Croft Mill.  I'll keep you posted!

 

Share in Style - GOLD

I wasn't going to take part in this theme, as I've been on holiday this week and I couldn't think what to do ...   But Rosy 'twisted my arm' and I've managed to put something together.  This is my waterlily skirt, teamed with a pair of gold and silver shoes, which sadly don't fit properly anymore but I keep them as a souvenir.  They came from San Francisco - I wanted to bring something 'bling' home with me from when I went years ago.  These fitted the bill!  Especially as the shop I got them from delivered them in my (then) size from another branch in a stretch limo with the number plate 'Le Shu 1'!  They weren't very expensive either - I think they were in the sale...

I appliqued the flowers on to the skirt, taken from another that I found in a sale.  There's gold embroidery in the centres, which match the shoes nicely ...

We are having glorious weather this week, as you can see from the shine!  Talking of waterlilies, I have two coming out at the same time this year, which is a further improvement on none, then one. I'll try and get a photo at some point today ...

This is last year ...

And this year, two buds on their way ...

This close-up collage is especially for Doris Button, who's left a comment below ...

The flowers were originally on a thin, cotton skirt and I could easily cut round them, leaving a small hem allowance.  I machined them on carefully, turning the shapes as I went along.  The skirt fabric is 'hugs and kisses' by Anna Marie Horner - I thought the 'O' shapes looked just like lily pads ... I'm pleased with the outcome, considering I bought the skirt so cheaply in a sale, with extra money off it because the zip was broken.  Bargain!    

Share in Style - FRUIT

As I said, another past project, but it's one of my very best ones.  I love the pattern and am making another of these dresses in a palm tree fabric at the moment.  This fabric features one of Rosy's favourite motifs - the cherry!  It's such a cheery fruit!  Just right for Share in Style - Fruit!

This dress needs red shoes to set it off and I've just bought another pair of sandals on one of my London trips.  I can use them for special occasions, since the heel is a bit higher than I would normally use for everyday wear.  I also think my wicker handbag, bought last summer, will set the dress off nicely.  I hope we have more warm weather to come!

Coming Up Next ...

Another Share In Style this weekend, with the theme of 'Fruit'.  I'll be showcasing another past project, but I'm enjoying reminiscing and reflecting, thinking about what I may create soon ...

Share in Style - RED

This is another past project but it is significant as it is one of the first things I made where I started to manipulate a pattern to suit myself. This dress is 'frankenpatterned' from a Collette Crepe and a Simplicity skirt. I used a 100 % cotton Rose and Hubble marguerite print in red, one of 'my' colours, that I found on my first ever visit to Goldhawk Road.  The inside of the dress is also finished off to a higher standard than any of my first projects - I used French seams and bound the middle join with bias binding.  I took care to place the zip correctly too and the daisy trim around the neckline met exactly at each side.

I thought this post would be the ideal introduction to my next one, which will be all about the pattern cutting course I've just completed at the Fashion and Textile Museum in London, and of course it fits in nicely with Rosy's 'RED' themed 'Share in Style'.  I'm glad to take part again!

 

Share in Style - ACCESSORIES

This is my first ever post that I've been invited to share as a guest with another blogger and I'm so pleased that it's with Rosy of SewingAdicta.  She has an amazing blog full of the most beautifully made things - knitted, crocheted and sewn.  I've long admired Rosy's sense of style, ever since the days of 'Sew Weekly' which opened my eyes to a world of wonderful, creative people, the nicest people on this earth I reckon.  Rosy has kindly invited me to share this week's theme with her and it's all about accessories.  We've both chosen bags, in a similar shape but whereas mine is sewn, Rosy has been busy with her crochet hook. She's also found a beautiful vintage cameo to decorate it with.

Rosy is lucky enough to live near a beach in Gran Canaria - I would love that - I always feel at home near the sea and the sand and wonder if it's something to do with my Pisces birth sign ...

One of my favourite things to do is to run in the sea with no shoes on!  

I think if I lived there I'd feel as if I was on permanent holiday!  Anyway, here's my bag.  I had big plans for this post and was going to make another one but was unexpectededly ill earlier this week and I only got as far as cutting out my pattern pieces!  I am making a duffel type drawstring bag, which is an 'in' shape at the moment.  It's in faux pony skin with my favourite felt fabric as a contrast.  Watch for a blog post soon ... I'm making it for a very special occasion.  Bag making is something I have been thinking about for a long time and I am more or less ready for action.  This is one I made earlier!

I made this in my 'Sew Weekly' days which is where I first 'met' Rosy and discovered her wonderful creations.  I had plans to sell it but I think I will keep it myself for this summer.  The shape is my own design and I used an Amy Butler fabric remnant.  It is lined in a blue silky feel fabric with an inner pocket.  I've always loved bags, they are such an easy and affordable way to brighten up or change the feel of an outfit.

Anyway, hop on over to Rosy's blog to read more about her creation and see loads more contributions to this week's theme.  Or even better, take part in the party yourself using the link at the bottom of Rosy's page.

HERE

Look forward to seeing you there!

Share in Style - FLOWERS

Rosy over at SewingAdicta has invited me to take part in the second of these posts, this time with the theme of 'flowers'.  It's funny, or coincidental, that today, I spent my time at a Botanical Art Class in the lovely village of Madingley in Cambridge - in the thatched cottage on the right!  Isn't it beautiful?

I am trying to recapture my painting skills.  Apart from my illuminated letter class a few weeks ago, it's many years since I picked up a paintbrush to do this kind of art.  The day passed by so quickly!  I even learned some things about colour that I'd never encountered before.

I'm mixing cleaner and more considered colours and getting the colour matches accurately.  Mind you, my tutor, Georita Harriott, is an illustrator for Kew Gardens and the Cambridge Botanic Garden, so I would hope so!

Botanical art is more scientific than the kind of flower painting I'm used to - for textiles.  I painted these pansies years ago, and they lean towards the 'decorative' rather than 'realistic'.

My goal then was to paint for textiles, as in this shirt I've made from Italian printed cotton that I found in Goldhawk Road, London, a couple of years ago.

I love prints and these form part of my style.  It's one of the reasons I like to sew ... I get the chance to use lovely fabric and patterns.  So thanks Rosy for remembering me and I hope to stay a part of your new community.  I want to start sewing again as soon as I can and am sure I'll draw strength and encouragement from your group.