Yearly Archives: 2022

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a punnet of raspberries

29/05/2022 3:16 pm \ 3 Comments \

I recently made a whole bunch of raspberry things … three, to be precise.  One of the large pieces of fabric that Mum tossed my way when she cleared out her stash was a length of raspberry stretchy stuff.  three and a half metres!!  I have vague memories of the particular pattern she had planned to make with this and I’m almost certain that she bought way too much, but anyway that’s a moot point.  I was even with her when she bought it in Fabulous Fabrics, and remember it quite well.  Mum has always been in the habit of buying too much “just in case”.  Not something I’ve ever been guilty myself, of course, ahem!!

Anyway, I set to and used it all up; and usefully, I think!

Item one, a pair of leggings.  I was planning to make tights, but realised the fabric didn’t really have enough stretch to be successful as tights.  Even leggings is pushing it a bit, to be honest!  but I love the colour and was determined to make it work.  Pretty simple, and just using my self-drafted pattern, just with the feet lopped off.  This picture is pretty bad, sorry, the light was not good at the time.  If I get enthusiastic, I’ll take another photo in better lighting conditions.  We’ll see!

Item two; a little cardigan with a built-in scarf that is an extension of the collar.  I’ve made a few of these in my time; three actually and none the same.  Al utilised slightly different construction techniques, and this latest, version four was yet another.  I made a slight boo-boo when I attached the bottom band to the inside of the cardigan, and then slip-stitched it closed on the outside, but it’s only something you’d notice if you looked really closely.  I think my hand-stitching is pretty neat nowadays, if I say so myself!

still love these labels… I’m going to need to buy more!

I really love this cardigan and already know I’m going to wear it a tonne.

Item three; a little mini skirt for winter.  This is an old favourite pattern; the Paprika pattern Jade skirt.  I think I make one of these every year?!  This one has no zip at the back, and this time I fitted it quite carefully to myself first, removing a good two inches of width at the waistband from each side.  This means I have to squeeze into it head first, but that’s ok!

I have decided a pocket is absolutely necessary for my life nowadays too… really it doesn’t have to be fancy.  It just has to be there! and only big enough for my phone and a credit card.  Because I had the Claremont pattern out already to make my yellow shopping tote, I just used the phone pocket piece from that, and attached it to the waistband inside.  I know this sounds like a weird way to put a pocket in but actually it is surprisingly unobtrusive and I wore it with my phone it in all day, quite comfortably.

Very very happy with how this turned out! and I am sure this too will get worn to death this winter!

I’m also very happy with how much this has taken off my #use30 challenge!  three and a half metres brings up my total to 27.5m!  I only have 2.5m to go, and I already have enough things halfway done already that is going to be knocked off in no time!

HURRAYYYYYYYY!!!!!

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regarding lingerie and shopping totes

24/05/2022 12:13 pm \ Leave a Comment \

I made some pretty new underwear… I bought this super cute Snugglepot and Cuddlepie cotton jersey from Spotlight at the very end of last year.  Such a beautiful print, yes?  Slice of my childhood, right there,  I just could not resist!

I am in need of padded underwired bras during winter, because I tend to favour merino T-shirts at this time… thus I made another one.  This brings my bra numbers back up to a respectable number so that I don’t have to hunt around looking for enough things to go into a wash every few days!  Honestly, when the kids leave home, that’s something you don’t take into account!

I used my old favourite, MakeBra DL 03 again.  Although I lately bought the Emerald Erin Black Beauty pattern and am aiming to run up a trial run of it sometime soon, when I get the time for that sort of thing again.  Right now, I only have the time for a tried and true.

The two set of matching knickers are once again the cloth habit Watson briefs.  Sorry to be so predictable!

The neon yellow picot elastic was also surprisingly from Spotlight; i say surprising because it’s pretty unusual for them to stock something so…. not-basic.  Ribbon, also from Spotlight.  The pale green strap elastic was from Homecraft Textiles, of course.  I would have LOVED to find neon yellow strap elastic too, but beggars cannot be choosers around these parts!

While I had the yellow raincoat leftovers from Theo’s raincoat (previous post) I also cut out a Claremont shopping tote for myself, thus using up the very last scraps, which felt awesome.  I’ve been needing a new shopping tote for quite a while, since my older one is pretty shabby now.  I did have to piece the bottom bit due to lack of fabric but that’s ok, I double flat-felled all seams for extra strength so I’m confident it will all hold up well.  I also didn’t have enough fabric for the facing, so just finished the edge with some mustard poplin from my stash, and the yellow zip is an inherited oldie from stash.

in situ in Coles, awaiting the grocery haul

mission accomplished… 

Hurray! I’m really ripping through the stash lately!  Feels so good!

obligatory pocket photos…

  

In my #use30 challenge update, the lingerie used 0.5m, and the bag also used about 0.5m… bringing my total up to 24m used, and just 6m to go.  I’m so stoked at that number, it feels truly reachable at last!

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a sweet little raincoat

20/05/2022 10:54 pm \ 3 Comments \

I made a cute little raincoat for my grandson Theo; and I think he looks so adorable in it!

I used the leftover remnants of Waterproof Oxford from my own Mundaring raincoat, originally bought from the Remnant Warehouse; and borrowed one of his hoodies to gauge the size he would need…

I actually based the design on our Mundaring raincoat pattern too! just a much simplified version with a zip up front, sans plackets; the hood has a self facing rather than a separate one, and I just put simple patch pockets on the front rather than the more complicated, weatherproof zipped ones on our Mundaring pattern.  Also, his has no weather flap on the back, just a straight back.  The length was determined by the length of the zip!

I sealed the seams using a wet-weather gear sealing wax stick, sourced at BCF.

It is fully lined with a soft white cotton jersey, for comfort and warmth, and added a white linen hanging loop.  All the raw edges and seams are hidden neatly away between the shell and lining layers.

It was so cute when he put it on! he toddled off to his toy box and retrieved a little wooden elephant puzzle piece, and we spent the next fifteen minutes putting it into a pocket and taking it out again.  As it turns out, pockets are utterly fascinating!

I estimate it used around 0.5m of the leftover raincoat fabric plus about the same of the white cotton jersey too.  Or 1m in total …   So in my dumb little #use30 challenge; I’ve used 23m of my stash.  Just 7m to go!

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sky blue Veronik robe

07/05/2022 12:55 pm \ 3 Comments \

Hi!  Here’s another thing I made fairly recently; a summery linen robe.

I used the new Veronik pattern by Closet Core patterns, and a really lovely (I think) sky blue and white pinstriped linen, inherited from Mum’s stash.  It’s really beautiful, though not my colour really, and then when the idea came to me to make a robe for a friend for her birthday I rummaged through my stash and realised this colour was actually perfect for her.  I only just managed to get the pieces for the Veronik robe out from my 3m of fabric, the pattern recommends you need a lot more than that.

Ok, I just checked, and you need just 3.4m, but still!  My honest feeling is that even that is cutting it quite close!

I took my time and made it as carefully and as beautifully as I could; doing flat-felled seams throughout including the armscye.  The long neckline/collar is stitched down invisibly by hand stitching on the inside.

I really loved using this pattern and will definitely be making more in the future.  I think it makes a gorgeous gift for a lady!  I hope my lovely recipient enjoys wearing it!

#use30 update: 22m down, 8m to do!

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FEED ME! … a peg bag

06/05/2022 1:59 pm \ Leave a Comment \

So I’ve just whipped up this crazy little peg bag …  it makes me smile every time I hang up the laundry!

I used an approximately 50cm length of charcoal denim from the stash, too small for a skirt but not so small to toss out of course!  I know, no scrap pieces is too small to throw out really, but you know what I mean.

I drew up a pattern with a boxed bottom, and edged the opening with some red cotton bias leftover from my previous dp studio sporty dress.  The teeth are from the same sturdy cotton I used for the dress’s white “sporty” panels, interfaced.

 

I inserted the hanger through the open, unstitched bottom of the peg bag, and then pulled the bottom edge through its “mouth” to stitch it closed.  Then stuffed the bottom edge back down through the mouth to the inside.  So it’s all nice and neatly finished with the hanger firmly ensconced in position, only the wire hook poking out through a tiny hole in the top.

It’s pretty cute, I think!  Gives me a giggle every time I catch sight of it!

AAAAAAAGH NOOOOO!!!

#use30 update: 19m down, 11m to go!

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dp studio dress with sporty details

05/05/2022 2:17 pm \ 2 Comments \

O hello!  I made a new dress… this is a pattern that I’ve had for years, and have only just got around to finally giving it a whirl.  It’s the dp studio Le 905, or “dress with sporty details” and it’s pretty fun I think!  Quite unique in all its details, and you really don’t see many of them in the sewing community.  Since a major reason I sew is to have a unique wardrobe then I further reasoned that it was a good choice.

The gorgeous main fabric is this cotton plaid in the colour jade/red from Minerva.  I really enjoyed sewing with this crisp, strong and sturdy and yet lightweight fabric… t was really easy to work with, which is always a joy!  The design has curved panels in the front bodice and also panels in the armscye seam; I did not have enough plaid to cut the panels as well, so cut these from plain white cotton.  At some point I thought the white panels were going to look a little stark against the plaid, so I edged them with strips of bias-cut red cotton, leftovers from this dress… this is the method I used for this.

I really love how this looks in the end! reminds me a little of the sort of racing stripes you get with sportswear like tracksuits, stripes going up the sides of the legs etc; and I’m very happy this plays into the “sporty details” that the dress is named for.

Some other details of the dress:  the skirt is cut in two huge, identical pieces, unusually with a centre front and centre back seam.  Of course I obsessively plaid matched along these seams… 😀 Actually, I also had to cut the back bodice in two pieces and join them, because of not enough fabric.  I stitched my circa 2022 label to the back this time.

The design allows for no pockets, so I added some slanted single welt pockets in the appropriate location.  Due again to lack of plaid fabric I cut the pocket bags are cut from the same red cotton as the decorative strips, I had just enough plaid to cut the welts and a strip to edge the pocket bags… so you don’t get blasted with red if you happen to peek inside the pockets!

The above picture also shows the neckline facing edged with red bias; I prefer necklines finished thus nowadays, since it’s softer and less irritating against the skin.  Honestly, overlocking itches and irritates and drives me mad sometimes.

The above pictures also shows the sleeves and hemline finished with a facing,  I cut these from an irridiscent teal blue/pink taffeta that I had already in my stash.  So perfectly matched! it’s like it was meant to be.  The casing was a heavy-ish white cotton chosen for its strength.

 

The sleeves are supposed to be gathered into the armscye… I initially did this, but decided the puffy sleeves were just too fussy for my tastes.  Quite honestly, can puffy sleeves ever be considered “sporty” anyway?   Anyway I unpicked my sleeves and took 13cm from each sleeve at the sleeve seams; so the sleeves could be inserted into the armscye without gathering.  Much nicer in my opinion!

As pictured above, the waistline has a casing attached inside the dress with twin casings for twin drawstrings, both feeding out of two eyelets.  This took me quite a bit of time  threading them through, and also arranging them each time I put on the dress takes a little bit of time too; and so I’m not sure I’m 100% happy with the outcome.  If I was going to make this design again I would do a single casing for just a single drawstring, I think.  The two of them together don’t always draw up as equally/evenly as I would like, so arranging them neatly just seems a bit fussy.

Oh, one last thing; someone on instagram asked me about the dp studio instructions, and I would have to honestly say they are minimal, at the best!  If you have been sewing for a while and do not need exact and unambiguous direction then you’ll be fine.  Otherwise, maybe not!

 

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ivory madou

22/04/2022 11:55 am \ 1 Comment \

I made a new jacket  🙂

I love making and wearing jackets, and this one was … um, fun? to make?  Haha, no really.  I used this beautiful ivory/vanilla wide wale corduroy that I bought years ago, from Potters Textiles… it’s one of those quite lovely luxe fabrics in such a perfect “white” for my complexion that I’ve been saving for all this time… just waiting for that perfect pea coat pattern.  Although maybe it’s not quite a pea coat in the end, maybe more of a cropped shacket…?  Honestly I don’t understand all the in or even relevant terms for clothing a lot of the time but it’s a jacket and very comfy and fun to wear, and I LOVE it!  Phew what a crazy sentence!  I’m sorry!

So, launching into the pattern deets: this is the FibreMood Madou jacket pattern, from the latest magazine/pattern release.  It’s quite boxy and intended to be a bit longer that my version here.  I cut mine  bit short; partly because I thought this was a better length, and partly because by doing so I have enough leftovers to scrape a little mini skirt for winter too.  Ha!  It has huge breast pockets, which may well be mostly decorative in the long run because honestly, can you actually put anything bulkier than a credit card in a breast pocket?? but they look pretty cool, I think.  However, there are also huge hip pockets, thus satisfying my die-hard little pocket loving heart.  *happiness*

I added one of my circa 2022 labels.  Still love these!

Now, why was it *inverted commas* fun? to make, as expressed above?  well, being wide wale corduroy, and also being really gorgeous fabric that I absolutely could not ruin; any wobbly wales in the corduroy were going to drive me absolutely crazy and I quickly realised I could not tolerate any of that …  I ended up hand-basting the central back seam; cursing myself the whole time for not ignoring the pattern and cutting it on a fold instead NO! actually I remember now, I DID cut it on a fold, and thought I’d just cut the edges off and avoid that centre back seam… and then I thought; no, I’ll follow the pattern as it should be and have a centre back seam.  So I sliced up up the middle thus condemning myself to handstitching the seam.  However!  I have to admit I love the look of the centre back seam now; it’s perfect as far as the wales looking lovely and even, and it does make the back look a little more interesting than if there was no seam.

Same goes for the front button band stitching, and putting on the patch pockets; I was super super careful in the pressing, the lining up, and the stitching of each of these components.  And am very happy with the results too!

The underneath of the collar, and the front bit of the hip pockets are cut from a perfectly colour-matched pice of heavy natural calico; that I bought from Calico and Ivy years ago.  I did have enough fabric to cut these things, but am determined to get that matching mini skirt!

I used some dark copper jeans buttons for the buttons; from stash.  My supply of these is very low now and I will need to buy more in the near future.  It feels good to be using my stash though!  I love finding exactly what I need, already in my possession.  Reminds me, I can update my #use 30 stats; I had 2m of the corduroy, and I still plan to make a little skirt from the leftovers, so I think I can claim 1.5m for this latest creation.  Bringing up my total to 18.5m for the year so far.  11.5m to go!!

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handprinted socks and hand warmers

14/04/2022 7:01 pm \ 3 Comments \

I’ve knitted a new pair of socks and matching hand warmers for myself… aren’t they beautiful?

Yoshimi sent a handprinted sock blank to me for my birthday last year, and I got onto it straight away!  I’ve never seen or even heard of a sock blank before, and was quite interested to give it a go… the sock blank looked like this:

and was knitted, I presume by Yoshimi on her knitting machine, in two strands of sock wool held together.  And then painted.  I started at the bottom, unravelling carefully as I went and knitted my socks from the toe up, because I wanted the red/pink section to be the cuffs of the socks…

The pattern I used was my regular Patons pattern, that has been modified, and then I have also reverse engineered to be a toe-up pattern.  I think I will publish the latter one of these days.

You can’t tell just by looking, but the “foot” section of the socks got re-knitted about three times before I was completely satisfied.  The problem with knitting toe-up is that it is very difficult to gauge what the length of the foot is going to be, at the point where you have to start increasing for the heel, and I got it wrong a few times.  I figured I really wanted them to be perfect, so each time I realised it wasn’t going to be quite right, they got unravelled back to the start of the increases, yet again.

I also realised before too long that there was enough yarn in the blank that I thought? hoped? I was going to be able to get a pair of hand warmers out of them too… and there was!  I put the socks onto a length of waste yarn, without casting them off until I knew what was what… and started knitting the hand warmers from the other end, and finished in the red/pink section so they could have a red/pink cuff to match the socks nicely.   I also carefully measured how much I needed to cast off, so I could stop in just the right spot.  I’m proud to say there was a bare few 10cm leftover after I’d cast off!

I’m SO happy with how these turned out!  The hand-dyed yarn is such a pretty range of colours!  Thank you to my dear friend Yoshimi for such a lovely thoughtful gift!

 

 

 

 

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