Sewing | Sewchet

November 29, 2014
by sewchet 7 Comments

Upcycled Scarf Into Cowl & Wristwarmers

Hmmmm, bit of a disappointment.

Having spent the larger part of a day refashioning an already beautiful scarf into a bespoke gift for someone specific aged 17, I am gently informed by her mother that she wouldn’t wear it as she doesn’t like pink.

I then offered the set to my 23 year old daughter who told me that, although she likes it, she wouldn’t wear it because…..she doesn’t like pink!

Am I alone in my love of pink in all its glorious tones and associated femininity? Or is an age thing and just not ~~trendy~~ ‘cool’ for anyone under forty?

Anyway, it’s up for grabs for £25-00 for the set if anyone is interested:)

So, onto the pictures.

This is the original scarf as shown in a previous post….

I removed the velvet edging and cut open the tubular scarf to make a wide piece of ‘fabric’, then cut it into a cowl sized piece and two glove size pieces.

The cowl was stitched into a tube and the raw edges overlocked.

Next I added a row of double crochet to the upper edge in deep lilac….

….and a delicate picot edging to the lower edge.

Et voilá!

Next, for the gloves, I appliquéd a pink heart (made from a felted lambswool jumper) onto the front of each glove using the same lilac yarn.

A picot edge was crocheted around the finger end of the gloves to match the border on the cowl.

I think they make a lovely set as it’s so rare to find such a gorgeous fair isle knit in such good quality.

So if you know anyone who would love to buy this, please point them in this direction – there must be someone out there who loves pink as much as I do!!!!

They would make a great Christmas gift too:)

November 19, 2014
by sewchet 23 Comments

Handmade Christmas Presents – Light At The End Of A Very Long Tunnel!

Phew! (Mops sweat from brow before it drips onto freshly laid out pile of FINISHED Christmas pressies). Yep, you heard me – finished!

Well, obviously not the ones I haven’t started yet but, taking a leaf out of Tajana’s book, I gathered together all the recently completed ~~works of art~~ gifts and was pleasantly surprised at my progress.

D’you want to see?

OK then………………………….TADAH!

First we have a Granny square hot water bottle cover – I’ve been itching to find someone to make one for since being inspired by the multitude of colourful hotties on Pinterest. So, if you’re reading this and think it might be for you, ssshhhh, it’s a surprise!

The buttoned flap makes the cover removable for washing after you’ve spilt your cocoa all over it, because you know you just want to snuggle up with a hot milky drink (or whisky) now, don’t you?

I’ve blogged about these cowls and beanie here, but these free printables from Kym at Cobberson & Company are a lovely way to present them.

You may remember the four Egyptian cotton pillowcases in this post that I bought from a charity shop for 50p each; I used one of them to make two napkins which I then (rather painstakingly) embroidered with the initials of the recipients. They don’t read the blog otherwise it would be a bit of a giveaway really:)

This blanket was requested specially – I hope they like it because it took over two months to make!

It’s based on the Sweet Ocean Breeze Baby Blanket by Little Monkey’s Crochet only I made it twice the size to fit a single bed or across the bottom of a double.

The stitch pattern is a joy to crochet and the pale colours made it easy to work on in the evenings whilst watching re-runs of “Morse” and “Lewis”.

I embroidered a label on a piece of satin ribbon to personalize it and make it a bit more special.

The scarf was blogged about in this post and, to be honest, it was so long ago I’d completely forgotten I’d made it!

Similarly, the poncho I made was finished a while ago but it can be added to the growing box of presents that are ready to wrap! You can find the free pattern in the original post here.

There are also jars of homemade jam and a headband that I haven’t blogged about, but they’ve got their fifteen seconds of fame in this post!

There is one Christmas present that is ready to show you but I entered it into a competition today and didn’t have time to take any photos beforehand. Anyway, here is a photo I snapped quickly yesterday as a little tease although I promise to show you the finished article when I’ve collected it. Not my design but I’ve put my own stamp on it. Any ideas as to what it might be?

I’ve also finished making presents and gathering little treasures together for my #sewingsanta recipient which I’m quite excited about! I’ve managed to get an awful lot for the ten pound spending limit and, by making a couple of things with fabric from my stash and some unbelievable ‘as new’ charity shop finds, this girl is in for a treat!

My giftee is someone with a young family who reads my blog, but that is all I am saying apart from the fact that I’ve squeezed in a little something for the children too:)

Happy Crafting!

October 9, 2014
by sewchet 5 Comments

Tutorial: How To Make A Bedside Book Pocket

My two youngest boys share a room (out of choice, not because we’re too mean to give them a room each!).

It’s a good size double but with all their toys etc. in there, there wasn’t enough playing space left when they had single beds, so we had to seriously consider bunk beds.

I loathe bunk beds.

Not only are they ugly, but they’re often not the best use of space, so I designed a set of bunks that fit wall-to-wall (keeping the floor totally free for a den underneath) and hubby made them. And they even cost less than it would to buy the cheapest pine bunk beds on the market so a bit of a bargain to boot – and I do love a bargain:)

They still need painting and both the climbing-wall ladder and fireman’s pole need fitting, but at least they’re functional in the meantime.

The only problem we have with them sharing a room is that one wakes early (6 ish) and the other likes a bit of a lie-in (7 ish) resulting in the light being switched on and a grumpy boy:(

The solution was simple enough – fit each cabin out with it’s own light so No.2 son can read without waking No.3 son. We chose the type of lights that run on batteries rather than rewire the whole room; you know the kind, you click the front to switch on and off and they’re often used for garages or inside cupboards where there’s no power.

The other issue was that, as they can’t have a bedside table or a shelf, they needed somewhere to keep a book handy.

This is what I came up with;

It just hangs over the edge and fastens with a velcro strip on the inside so it would work equally well for any wooden (or metal) bed frame or bunk bed.

They work really well and the boys were (a little bit too) excited with such a simple gift. This is how they look (I really must get the paint out!) –

You can just see the lights on the wall.

So, here’s how I made them…

1. To fit the average sized book, cut two pieces of fabric and one piece of interlining 21″ x 8″

2. Sandwich the interlining between the two pieces of fabric, wrong sides together, and baste around all four sides.

3. On the front pocket edge, pin and stitch some bias binding (tutorial here).

4. Fold the pocket up 7″, pin in place then baste down the sides.

5. Pin more bias binding around the entire outside edge…..

….mitring the corners for a neat finish.

6. Stitch carefully in place, making sure to catch the back of the binding as well. If you miss a bit like I did (!) don’t panic. Remember that it’s on the reverse and can’t be seen so just catch-stitch in place by hand.

7. Sew a 6″ strip of Sew ‘n’ Stick velcro to the top on the reverse side….

…et Voilá!

8. Stick the adhesive part to the inside of your bed frame and attach your finished pocket to it.

The Boys couldn’t wait to get in bed last night and try them out and what’s more it worked this morning – No.2 son woke early and stayed in bed quietly reading to himself until his brother woke up!

Don’t they look snug?

I know we’ll have to change the light batteries regularly but it’s worth the inconvenience. They’re bright enough to read by but, because they each have their own ‘cabin’, light from one does not disturb the other. Result!!

Have a go at making your own version or look out in my Folksy shop for some in the near future:)

(Please link back to this page if you want to use this article on any other site – thanks!)

October 3, 2014
by sewchet 9 Comments

How To Turn A Cardigan Into A Coat (and More Charity Shop Finds)

Now the excitement of Yarndale is over I can’t wait to start ‘making’ again.

I’ve got several crochet projects on the go but there’s nothing like a bit of sewing for an instant fix and, as Autumn is trying to oust our Indian Summer, I turned my attention to my Winter wardrobe.

That makes me sound like I rotate my clothes according to the seasons in an incredibly organized fashion. I don’t – they’re all hanging in the same place (except the ball gowns which have their own space). There are a few items that I like but don’t wear simply because they’re not easy to actually wear.

Confused? I’ll show you what I mean.

Take this John Rocha cardigan that a friend passed on to me, I suspect because she had the same problem. It sports an enormous shawl collar that makes the cardigan shift backwards so I find myself constantly hauling it back forward over my shoulders. It also has a kind of waterfall effect at the front which gapes so you need to wear another cardigan underneath to actually keep warm!!!

I had decided to donate it to the charity shop but then asked myself “What would Shawn do?”

Although this is a very modest refashion compared to her standards, it works and now I have a new garment at no cost!

Here’s what I did: –

1. Wrap the cardigan around until it fell the way I wanted it to and pin in place.

2. Sew two buttons to the left side of the cardigan (remember these from my Yarndale Booty?)

3. Cut a piece of scrap leather to use as a backing for your buttonholes. This stops the yarn from stretching out of shape and gives it strength.

4. Pin to the reverse of the cardigan and (right side facing) make two buttonholes on the right hand side of the front to correspond with your button placement.

The buttonholes are virtually invisible from the front and this is what they look like on the inside;

The finished coat is a real winner that will get lots of use which isn’t bad considering it’s been sat in my wardrobe for about a year now!

I love the cosy cowl neck and this proves my theory that eye-catching buttons really can make an outfit:)

I had a couple of other things to take to the charity shop anyway and, as is often the case, came home with more than I took in!

First were these ice-cream sundae glasses at £1.25 each which the boys will love;

Then I spotted this framed print of Harlech Castle for £2.99;

It’s already hanging in one of the spare bedrooms;

Most excitingly are these four pillowcases for 50p each – pure white and the finest crisp Egyptian cotton;

Initial thoughts are to make some napkins out of them – I should be able to get at least twelve which I could embroider or crochet to turn them into something quite special.

Any other ideas?

October 2, 2014
by sewchet 10 Comments

Yarndale People (and a possible “Yarnvale”?)

And Finally….the third (and last) post showcasing just a tiny proportion of the wonderful weekend that was Yarndale 2014.

Today, it’s all about the people.

The warm, friendly, talented, generous and sharing stallholders that make Yarndale the success that it is.

180 stallholders embraced 6,000 yarn-mad ladies (and a couple of men!) with open arms for not just one, but two crafty days, most of whom were still smiling by end of play at 4.30pm on Sunday.

Most were there to sell an amazing variety of hand made goodies and supplies, but there were also a number of organizations spreading the word about their groups.

One such collaboration was the Skipton branch of The Embroiderer’s Guild. Their 3D map of the Yorkshire Dales National Park was outstanding and featured numerous different stitching styles. The ladies running the stall were eager to tell you all about their work and couldn’t have been friendlier. Obviously it highlighted the Tour de France route:)

There were several spinning demonstrations going on…

…and the lovely ladies from the Craven Guild of Lacemakers even let me loose with their bobbins!

Look at all those pins!

Plant Dyed Wools were demonstrating loom weaving with wool dyed and spun from their own rare breed sheep;

Big Wigs Angora brought along half a dozen of their rabbits to effectively demonstrate the rabbit-to-yarn chain. You have never felt anything so soft in your life as the fur of the Angora rabbit!

This is Rachel Coopey of Coop Knits signing copies of her books;

Gam Farm Rare Breeds also brought a few of their sheep to the show – this one was particularly friendly and loved all the petting;

As with many of the stalls, their wares were imaginatively laid out;

County Alpacas were very popular with their angel-faced creatures that stole the show;

Jackie Lunn Textiles created a very attractive display…..

…and her pin cushions were little works of art on their own!

Her wet-felted circles inspired my first efforts at needle felting shown in yesterday’s post here.

Kits were selling like hot cakes – these by Alula’s Garden were presented in a thoroughly original way;

The ladies at Tall Yarns were so helpful and enthusiastic about their clothes that I ended up trying nearly every design on! I was wearing a red linen dress on Sunday that I made and it just so happened that it worked very well with most of their designs.

The stall that gets my vote for the softest yarn in the most beautiful ice-cream shades is Mrs Moon – what an utter delight! Here is Roz from The Velvet Cow making a huge purchase for a new crocheted blanket for her bed.

For me, the most inspirational stall had to be H-anne-made.

Her textile art incorporated all kinds of mixed media collaged and stitched to a canvas frame.

Maps, music scores, pages from novels; these were all used to create a kind of ‘memory’ art. Her sketchbook itself was a fascinating insight to the way she works.

After spending Saturday having a good look at all 180 stalls, we went back on Sunday to purchase one of Anne’s lovely kits only to find that she had sold out!

This was yet another imaginative display to accessorize the Skein Queen’s stand;

Not only were TOFT showcasing their endearing line of amigurumi animals….

…but, like so many generous artisans, were giving away free patterns (and, in this case, an Alpaca pom pom) with their yarns;

Last, but by no means least, are these adorable needle felt sculptures by Jenny Barnett;

They are so lifelike it is uncanny – check her blog out for details of her workshops.

Well that, my Blogging Buddies, is it.

Yarn enthusiasts came from far and wide and put a sticker on their home town. When I placed mine, we seemed to have travelled the furthest in the UK! Our sticker is the green one outlined in black;

There is just one last photo I’d like to share with you…..

It had to be Lucy, didn’t it?

One of the founders of the yarnfest that is Yarndale, she is such a genuine, lovely and down to earth lady. She smiled from dawn ’til dusk all weekend, never once got fed up with photo requests and seemed truly interested in every single one of the individuals that queued up to meet her.

We waited until close to closing time on Saturday when the crowds had dissipated and then introduced ourselves.

We briefly discussed our plans for a sister event in the Blackmore Vale in the South West and Lucy asked if we would get in touch if we decide to go ahead as she is aware of a gap in the market for such a venue.

We would love to be affiliated with Yarndale and thought “Yarnvale” could be the southern equivalent in the Spring.

What do you reckon???

October 1, 2014
by sewchet 13 Comments

Yarndale Booty

As I am still trying to match my photographs of stallholders to their websites, I thought I’d do a quick little post showing you the treasures that tempted me into parting with my cash.

First of all, you must understand that I love buttons. All shapes and sizes, but all handmade and each one unique. The right button can transform the ‘good’ into ‘great’ and catapult your lovingly handcrafted item into another league.

I was barely in the door two minutes when I made my first purchase. A couple of stalls in and I lingered long enough to lose the girls for the rest of the morning. Tile Productions make the most fabulous handmade tiles for kitchens and, to use up the leftovers, they make buttons. Well, we were queuing four-deep to rummage through those little baskets of gems and no-one so much as glanced at the stunning tiles in the background! They had no idea that their gorgeous little glazed, ceramic buttons would create such interest, especially as they are essentially a by-product!

These are the four that hopped into my basket;

More buttons soon beckoned and these little iridescent beauties are by Textile Garden – coconut shell with a turquoise glaze and silver edge;

Injabulo is a specialist Fair Trade seller of hand made buttons and baskets from Africa as well as supporting the British Wool Industry with gorgeous wool blankets and cushions from Wales.

I fell in love with this fabulous button;

Longwood Blankets were were selling the most glorious plaid throws – I came home with this one;

There were lots, I mean loads, of stalls selling home grown wool with a clear provenance from sheep/rabbit/alpaca to skein. Overseeing the entire process through shearing, dyeing and spinning must be satisfying in the extreme and I rather think I would like to have a go. (Cue research into keeping Angora rabbits for their supremely soft fur.)

In the meantime I shall have a go at spinning. Not with a spinning wheel Sleeping Beauty style, but with a Drop Spindle. This consists of a very simple contraption that looks incredibly easy to use when demonstrated by the experts, although in reality I anticipate some rather choice language will be peppering the air!

This kit was supplied by Wheeldale Woolcrafts and included some hand dyed and carded Corriedale wool fibres ready to spin;

With a dozen or more workshops on offer we were spoilt for choice really, but I booked Layers Of Texture which was essentially a short course in needle felting.

Jaki Bogg was efficient in her introduction, talking us through the basics and leaving us the best part of an hour and a half to have a go.

This was my very first effort:(

It was enormous fun and I think I’m addicted so I bought a bargain mixed bag of roving in the bright colours I love so much;

I also decided to buy some luxury silk tops produced by the Tussah Silkworm. (Adelaide Walker and Wingham Wool Work) They are completely gorgeous and shimmer in the light. I’m thinking luxury brooches finished with tiny beads and silver thread…..

Another skill that I have been procrastinating about for ages (Tajana!) is that of sock knitting. I shall dither no more though, as the lovely Rachel Coopey’s (of Coop Knits) book Coop Knits Socks convinced me to finally bite the bullet. She even signed it for me too:)

I then hot-footed it over to Purlescence where they had the most fabulous 100% Merino wool skeins in a zingy shade of yellow. I just had to have it. I don’t do subtle:)

They were also able to advise and supply the requisite 80cm long 2.25mm circular knitting needle (a lot less scary than four double pointed needles methinks!)

A pretty little stitchmarker was thrown in by some kindly stallholder with a friend’s wool purchase and she very generously gave it to me for my socks;

My last, and arguably favourite, purchase were these beautiful 2″ wooden buttons.

Perfection.

September 25, 2014
by sewchet 19 Comments

Yarndale, Crochet Scarf & Designer Curtains

Wahay, we’re off to Skipton tomorrow – Yarndale, here we come!

Three girly days filled with yarn-related happiness and three nights ~~of drinking wine~~ away from home. Us four ladies having bought our tickets for the much awaited yarnfest four long months ago, thought it wise to book some decent accommodation at the same time while there was still some choice. Long gone are the days where I’m happy to sleep anywhere as long as it’s spotlessly clean. Oh no, nowadays I want somewhere at least as nice, if not better, than the home I’ve left behind. £39 a night Travelodge will NOT do.

Luckily, Cononley Hall was available and £90 a night for B+B in 5* luxury is a bit more up our street!

So, rooms booked, tickets at the ready, now for the FIVE HOUR drive up from Somerset……

Looking on the bright side, when did you last get to sit down and crochet for five hours flat??

Talking of which, I have finished another WIP. It’s a Christmas present for a male in the family and I’m hoping it’s masculine enough. I’m basing my choice of colours on my husband’s taste but he is rather brave on the colour front to say the least!!

Today’s Challenge: How to take an interesting photograph of a scarf (without a model)!

I’ve also finished with the designer fabric I bought in the charity shop. There was enough to make a pair of full-length curtains for our dining room which I am absolutely thrilled about. I can’t show you pictures of them in situ yet as the room still needs to be painted, but here they are all neatly folded waiting to be hung.

So, until next week (post-Yarndale) toodle-oo!

September 22, 2014
by sewchet 17 Comments

Charity Shop Designer Bargain Of The Century!

I am so excited!

I popped out to get some picture hooks and thought I might as well have a quick look in The Charity Shop (there is only one in the nearest town) and came away with what must be the BEST DEAL EVER.

The two labels said “Remnants” priced at £5.00 each. Basically, they were obviously going to be a long and a medium pair of curtains that had been started but not finished. They were each double width, cut and seamed up the middle, and that was it.

Brand new fabric.

ELEVEN metres of it.

Ten pounds.

I snapped it up.

I got home, laid it out and had a proper look.

It was top quality and looked pretty exclusive to me so I checked the selvedges and googled the fabric.

It retails for £76.00 per metre.

That’s £836.00 of brand new fabric for a tenner!

Honestly, I can’t tell you how chuffed I am. Although it does make me wonder about the lost potential passing through charity shops for a song. Am I going to take it back and insist they price it right? No, so that makes me a hypocrite then. But I didn’t know it was designer fabric before I’d paid up and returned home so that makes feel a little less guilty:)

Tess thinks it would make a nice dog blanket.

It won’t.

I’m going to try to piece it together to make a new pair of curtains for the dining end of our kitchen as the silk ones have started to disintegrate in the sunlight.

That wasn’t the only thing I bought though; there was an Ikea double duvet cover going for £3, and I knew just what to do with it…..

Do you remember the day bed that used to be in my studio which is now in the garden?

Well, hiding behind the bed was an attic full of “stuff”…

Ugh! It does NOT make for a happy studio:(

I cut the duvet cover around three sides and opened it out. I hemmed it and punched eyelets at intervals along the top edge and suspended it on hooks hidden behind the beams and, an hour later – voila!

Out of sight, out of mind – I now have a much more streamlined, tidy space and, not only that, acres of floor space for cutting out those designer curtains:)

I also have quite a lot of leftover fabric so what can I do with that, I wonder….?

September 12, 2014
by sewchet 13 Comments

Hen Doorstops and Upcycled Furniture

Another glorious September day – we had the pleasure of an old friend’s company for lunch today and were able to eat outside; what a joy! I really do love being able to spend so much time outdoors while it is still so warm. Not that cold weather puts me off, it’s just then you have to do something to keep warm and it’s such a lovely feeling to just sit and read outside in the sunshine.

A recent purchase (actually, it arrived this morning, but don’t tell Him!) was this book “Handmade Glamping”,

Flicking through it briefly (I aim to snuggle up this evening and read it from cover to cover) and swooning over the gorgeous styling it has made me determined to buy an old caravan. You know the sort, a Seventies doer-upper that would be perfect for filling with masses of multi-coloured crochet blankets, bunting in ice cream shades, cafetiere cosies and a multitude of other ~~pointless-but-pretty~~ essential handcrafted goodies.

We’ve been Campers with a capital ‘C’ all our lives but recently I have been yearning for the (relative) comfort that a caravan promises to provide compared to a tent. All the preparation and hassle of packing, erecting tents, inflating airbeds (that invariably spring a puncture at 2am) just isn’t worth it unless you plan on going for a week. A well stocked caravan is ready to go at a moments notice and could be used for weekends away, potentially far more often and earlier/later in the year.

Yes, this is the year I am going to get a caravan, so if you know anyone wanting to get rid of one….?

Talking of ~~pointless-but-pretty~~ essential handcrafted goodies, I made these little beauties during the week –

What are they, I hear you cry? Why, not only are they easy on the eye, they darned useful too – Hen Doorstops, of course. Only these are a bit posh made of linen/cotton and silk.

Remember the pair of bedside tables that I found in the charity shop the other day?

Yes, I know there’s nothing wrong with them just as they are but, although they’re the perfect size, they simply didn’t suit the style of our bedroom like this.

So I painted them black.

Yes, really!

The thing is, we have a sort of French bedroom – the Corbeille bed came from a château in France, the chandelier is a French bronze antique…

We have these two French antique mirrors ready to be hung –

And they had to match the eBay linen cupboard that I painted last year –

As everything else in the room is old and a little rough round the edges, I distressed them a tiny bit. The walls are “Downpipe” by Farrow & Ball and the bedside tables are “Railings”. Not everyone’s taste, I’ll admit, but it’s cosy and romantic at night and, as it’s dual aspect with French windows and a balcony facing South, it is surprisingly light, bright and airy during the day. Best of both. And we love it, so there!

Has anyone else made any ~~pointless~~ decorative treasures lately, or made a bold decorating decision?

September 3, 2014
by sewchet 5 Comments

New Back-To-School Dap Bags!

The Boys went back to school yesterday – they’re in the same class again as, because there are only 100 pupils aged 4-11 in the whole school, there are two year groups per class.

They’ve both had the same Dap Bag since starting nursery school at the age of three and, not only are they filthy, they are just a tad on the babyish side for two very boyish boys of seven and eight.

(For those of you living somewhere other than the West Country, “daps” are otherwise known as plimsolls or gym shoes!)

Here are said bags;

Definitely past their best!

So I decided to make them each a new one; Bertie, a camouflage one, with his name stitched on the front and a little faux leopard skin detail….

….and Freddy one with an appliquéd footballer on the front.

He has masses of curly hair so this is what I did!

Needless to say they are chuffed to bits with their more grown-up bags.

I did actually photograph a tutorial as I went, but I’m not sure if I’m going to post it. Lighter fabric would have been much better for showing the stages of construction more clearly:(

If anyone would like to see how I made the Dap Bag….Gym Bag….PE Bag etc. then let me know and I’ll post the tutorial for you:)

Sewchet

Sewing, crochet, crafts, accessories, baking, tutorials,

Category Archives: Sewing

Upcycled Scarf Into Cowl & Wristwarmers

Handmade Christmas Presents – Light At The End Of A Very Long Tunnel!

Tutorial: How To Make A Bedside Book Pocket

How To Turn A Cardigan Into A Coat (and More Charity Shop Finds)

Yarndale People (and a possible “Yarnvale”?)

Yarndale Booty

Yarndale, Crochet Scarf & Designer Curtains

Charity Shop Designer Bargain Of The Century!

Hen Doorstops and Upcycled Furniture

New Back-To-School Dap Bags!

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