Replica

I have had a blouse from Boden that I have worn and worn. It went with all my handmade patterned skirts and I loved the shape but sadly is has a spagetti bolognese mark on the front, a little hole in the back and the underarms were no longer white. 
What's a girl to do?

I unpicked half of it and found out several things I had not noticed while wearing it for four years. It had french seams, it had pin tucks in the arms, a little gathered section a the back neck and the hems on the arms were constructed with tape. Interesting.

I ironed the pieces flat after unpicking all the pin tucks and french seams. I marked in felt pen any information I might find useful then made a paper pattern transferring the markings.

I have never made a muslin of any garment, I usually fit as I go but this seemed a bit more risque - I didn't quite trust my own pattern drafting skills, after all I had never done this before. I used an old duvet cover because the cotton had roughly the same weight as my chosen fabric.

Then I made it with the fabric I bought at the NEC last autumn for £6 but I only used about 0.6m of it. I had already pre-washed it - I know get me...

Highest praise indeed came from Bloke when he said, 'What are you doing to your blouse?' I said, 'I made it.' he countered I hadn't because he remembered ironing that one with pleats in the front lots of times. There, I fooled him with my replica.

 

Just what I wanted but for a fraction of the price. I also have a fabulous go-to pattern now too. One in the wardrobe, one out.

If you want to get into sewing or 'back' into sewing there is a year long FREE set of tutorials on the Foldline sewing website. Here is the link. The first session is on reading a pattern and types of fabric to choose.

Happy sewing! Jo xxxx

Have you ever...

...knit two right fronts of a cardigan and not noticed until the end! I did last night and I was so disheartened that bloke came in from the other room asking who had died by the scale of my sad musings. 

In order to 'get back on the horse' I made a face cloth out of some scraps before bed then used up all of the rest of the chunky cotton to make a loom brooch centred with a scrap-felted-jumper rose.

I felt better then because who doesn't need a flannel wash whilst wearing a brooch!!

You gotta smile. Jo xxxx

Cafe Crochet

Big Sis and I left Three Stories High and headed out for some fresh air. We walked to Ironbridge, settled in a cafe and cracked open her new crochet book and yarn which she received from my friend for Christmas.

 

My friend does not crochet or craft so to her the word 'easy' does not mean what it means to me sat next to an enthusiastic eight year old but we got stuck in.

'Yes!' she cheered as she started to understand the pattern. I am impressed with her building crochet knowledge. She can read the pattern abbreviations out loud and made the ears this morning in bed herself before I even got up! She doesn't understand division or times tables but she can read a crochet pattern - that's quite a niche skill for an eight year old I would say.

So with the head made when she got the book, two ears, an arm and a body, which I did, we made good progress. All this activity invited lots of praise and attention from old ladies in the cafe who were impressed with Big Sis's skills.

It is pretty amazing isn't it? She did it all herself except for the body which was made up of half trebles and she kept splitting the yarn when the hook needed to pass through three stitches at a time so that is where I stepped in. We finished it at a local craft group this weekend.

Little M has requested the mermaid from the front cover next...and breathe...

Jo xxxxxxx

Sewing Fleece

It is getting harder to knit things for Big Sis these days, she is getting taller and it is taking me nearly as long to knit her a garment as it is for myself. So I turned to some fleece fabric to make a pullover for her in speedy time. The more astute of you will notice it is actually on the littler one! I made it too small. Grrr! 

Never mind, she loved it but she has so many clothes already. I did learn though that it is super fast to make a sweatshirt from fleece and that all kinds of customising could be done to satisfy my creative girl's brain - pockets, neck bindings, hood, applique rabbit, her suggestion, not mine!

I am calling it a success even though it is for the wrong person. She looks so innocent doesn't she? She whipped that one from right under her big sister's nose... 'who me? little 'ol me! I think it fits, please mummy can I have it?!'

Jo xxxx

Have you ever...

...thought your children were going back to school two days before they were supposed to? I did this week. I had so much to do on Monday, I was really looking forward to it before I went back to work myself on Tuesday. I was going to have a big clear up, plan my lessons, mark some GCSE papers, be on my own, not supply endless rounds of snacks or go to a little pop up play shop but there you are - I got it wrong!

Anyway they went under strict instructions to amuse themselves for an hour while I did some work on Monday: no craft kits, arguing or mithering were the three main instructions. I tried to plan my teaching lessons for this coming week. I could hear the microwave going from upstairs in the office but thought I was going to be in for a strange cup of luke warm tea.

But a sheepish Big Sis came up and said their 'cake in a mug' had gone a bit wrong. We all got one of these mugs from my neighbour for Christmas. Handily it has the recipe on the outside and it claims 'cake is only 3 minutes away' 

After laughing and talking the recipe through it turns out they did not know some key baking knowledge namely:

1. The abbreviations for spoon measurements 
2. What cinnamon looked like so they used cinnamon sugar
3. How much oil to put in (spoon error)
4. Forgot the banana so put it in at the end in chunks!

To impress me they 'fessed up to eating some chocolate chips straight from the packet before putting the rest in.

I know what you are thinking. Did I eat it? Of course I did!!!

Winter Project Link Party Patching

Hi there! Welcome if you have hopped over from Jennifer at Thistlebear. I have been working on several big makes over the winter, this quilt being one of them.

I have been beavering away on my eight pointed star quilt over the last six months. I like to do it when my shoulder and arm can no longer knit and crochet. The stars are hand stitched together so I could make one in an evening. Variety keeps me crafting.

I have made fifteen squares, had a little measure up and five rows of three looked good to me. I think it is time to sew them together and see what size it makes. I may need an outer border to make up a single bed size as well as the binding but I love the feel of not really knowing...weird I know, but I really feel like I am making something not just following along with a pattern.

I re cut the borders on each square to even them up before I sewed it together. A happy hour cutting where I treated myself to a new blade on the rotary cutter which made the job so easy. The children went to the local football match with their dad so I did it in utter peace and quiet.

I am relishing this project that takes a little more time which is a surprise to me, I normally like the thrill of the chase. 
Maybe I am growing up a bit?

Jo xx

Crafting Roller Coaster 2015

My crafting resolutions for 2015 were a guiding compass for me. I had four resolutions and I completed them all without stress or pressure, just utter happiness. They were:

To crochet a skirt - Awesome and I wear it a lot too.

To knit something for my bloke that was not a hat - A bit big but cosy nonetheless.

To master double pointed needles - I made my first pair of socks.

To make a double bed scrappy quilt - Which I love every time I look at it.

My 2016 pledges are:

1. To learn how to Sew a bra
2. To Crochet something beautiful to wear
3. To complete another quilt
4. To learn to knit stranded Nordic style

Of course I will always get side tracked; make my own clothes, make things out of nothing to recycle and sample up little projects for my classes. I will also continue the challenge of making things from Minerva and White Tree products as well as continuing my third year of successful vintage pattern pledges with Maria over at stitching odyssey. 

I hope that you will continue to join me this year on the crafting roller coaster we all love to ride. Your support, comments, blogs and friendship have been a constant inspiration. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Happy New Year and what are your crafting resolutions for 2016?

Jo xxxxxx