Pyjamas

Finished the pyjama bottoms I started yesterday...

 

The fabric is flannalette, I've had it in my stash for almost seven years.  I used the trouser pattern I showed in my previous post.  I didn't sew the darts in and didn't add the waistband.  I put elastic in the back waist and left the front waist plain and just turned over a hem.  They turned out nice so will be using the same pattern to make palazzo pants.  I will probably add the waistband and put a side zip in them.



Dressmaking

When I was 13 years old I made my first dress.  The school I was going to at the time (I went to several different schools, but that is another story) had a really good curriculum and sewing was one of the subjects.  Anyway, after making that first dress I rarely bought another one until a few years ago when fabric became more expensive than ready made clothing.  The only reason I will be returning to dressmaking now is because I will be able to come up with styles I like to wear instead of relying on what the shops dictate.  (Also was influenced by The Great British Sewing Bee)

So, I've bought myself a dressmakers dummy.  I would have loved one all those years ago but they were too expensive for me.  Here's the one I bought wearing a dress I bought last year...

 

I've got a huge stash of fabric, mostly for patchwork.  Looking through it I found some flannelette that would be great for pyjama trousers.  Then I looked through the few patterns I've got.  These were given to me a couple of years ago after I'd chucked out the huge pile I'd collected over the years - oh dear, typical, get rid of something and you'll need it.  Here's a picture of the flannelette and the pattern.  Notice that the pattern has never been used, I wonder how many patterns were bought and not used then thrown away.  Anyway, the pattern has trousers, blouse, jacket and skirt.  I'll be able to adapt all these for most of the clothes I want to make, saves me searching for the exact pattern that I can never find in shops...

 

We'll see how I get on.



This and That

Can't stop making bags at the moment.  Here's another bag, this time with a scissor pocket...

 

I'm also in the process of making a two pocket sewing pouch.  I got the tutorial for the pouch from here . So far I've cut out the lining and the interlining, then I'll get the outside started tomorrow.

 

This morning I cut out a quilt, well almost, I've still got to cut out the applique flowers but the main part is cut out.  This is from a kit I bought in Linlithgow two or three years ago.  I've only just got around to taking it out of the packet.

 

Another thing I did last week was get my hair cut and permed.  I stopped going to the hairdresser about five years ago after several disastrous hair cuts.  I was really fed up with spending good money for second rate hair dos.  Anyway, I'd grown it and was putting it up at the back and sort of curling the top.  It was ok but - if you know what I mean.  Well, I'm very pleased with it, I recognise myself again.  My 'updo' was very ageing.

 

I've noticed that the talk on a lot of the sewing blogs is about The Great British Sewing Bee.  Before it started I thought we were in for a boring dressmaking challenge but it has turned out very interesting and inspirational.  Love all the contestants and the challenges kept my interest.  Some bloggers have complained about not keeping their favourite contestant in the show.  I really hate it when a contestant is kept in because they are 'cute' or 'sweet' or 'charming'.  The contestants should prove that they are worth keeping in for their skills in my opinion.  What's the point otherwise.  I wish Claudia Winkleman would get her fringe cut!!!



More Stitching

First of all - I'm sorry that I didn't check my comments, I had comments that weren't posted to my blog for some reason.  I don't have comments on moderation so not sure why they didn't appear.  Sorry Theanne and Peggy.

I've been making some project bags again.  I gave a tutorial on these quite a while ago that I have now put onto a PDF if you would like a copy.

 

 

 

The reason I've made these is for the group I belong to.  We are doing monthly stitch-alongs.  http://groups.yahoo.com/group/International-Hand-Stitchers/ 

Each month a member comes up with a project and whoever signs up will get the tutorial.

 

As well as mine being a tutorial for the bag it also includes the idea for trying variations on a stitch - in this case it is chain stitch.

 

While I was researching chain stitch I saw a fab design that I just had to try

 

It was from the same site as the chain stitch instructions and is called Jacobean Jumble and was something really different for me.

I got a bit carried away with the chain stitch variation 'double chain stitch' and made another bag!

I don't know how many of these bags I've made, it is well over a dozen, probably as many as twenty.  They are useful for keeping things together, I tend to end up with bits and pieces that don't have a home, like my hair clips, rollers, hair bands etc, now they have their own bag instead of being scattered all over my bathroom.  Originally I made them for keeping my current project in.  I also keep my interfacing in one.  Anything that needs to be kept together in fact.  They are also nice to give away.







Crazy Quilting

The Yahoo group I belong to has started doing a Stitch-Along (sal).  The first month was a pincushion and scissor fob.  The second month was a crazy quilting heart...

 

I've had a go at putting a block together before but just couldn't get the hang of it.  This time I succeeded and this heart is the result.





A Bit of Embroidery

It's quite a while since I settled down to my embroidery.  This last couple of weeks I did quite a bit.  This pincushion is stitched with my favourite embroidery subject - lavender.  The stems were done with whipped running stitch and the flowers with bullion knots.  I was going to put a stitched, covered button in the middle but wanted to get it finished, for such a small project it took a long time.  I love bullion knots but I'm quite slow at them.



This & That

I have nothing new to show that I haven't already shown on my blog.  It does tend to get a bit repetitve after a couple of years.

I've deleted my facebook page, don't know why I didn't do that ages ago, I rarely go on it and when I do it is sooo boring.

I prefer to read an online newspaper, which often is not good for my blood pressure (not that I suffer with high blood pressure or anything).  Things in the news get me so irrate.  The latest one is MPs wanting a HUGE pay rise and at the same time expecting new policemen to take a HUGE pay cut.  So, the cost of living goes up and up but the standard of living of the ordinary working man goes down.  How is that fair?  But of course politicians don't understand fair do they.  And another thing - when IDS said he was going to sort out the benefits culture everyone thought he meant the out of work people who were getting more in benefits than the working people could earn.  But of course not, take away child allowance from some, penalise the pensioners by threatening to take away the paltry help they are given.  There are now too many pensioners.  What did they expect?  If you browbeat the population into living a 'healthy' life style they are bound to live longer.  Leave us alone!  Well I could go on but I'd better not, it might not be good for my health.

A recent development is that I have been converted in my opinion of the 'Kindle'.  I swore I wouldn't get one, I do like books.  Well, Graham ordered one for me and my son put tons of books on it.  I admit now that I love it.  I've read more lately than I have for years.  The amount of books I get through can be very expensive and take up lots of storage space at home.  With a Kindle there is free and cheap stuff and it takes up no space.

Due to over indulgence at Christmas I haven't dared do any baking, the weight soon creeps on doesn't it.  Up until about ten years ago I had trouble enjoying food, didn't eat much and lost weight very quickly if I wasn't careful.  Now every chocolate biscuit I eat puts a pound on.  What have I been doing then?  Mostly dolls house miniatures and dolls clothes, a lovely hobby.  Also been walking one day a week, there aren't many weeks when I don't get out and luckily I've always had decent weather on my walks.