Spring is here and brought with it the urge to make something lighter to wear in the milder weather!
Read the full blog post over at Minerva Crafts; here’s the link: –
Category Archives: Sewing
Sunday Sevens #120
Time for another Sunday Sevens – a weekly blog series showing your week in photos. Linking up with Nat at Threads & Bobbins.
We had my four children, two step-daughters, all of their partners, and our gorgeous granddaughter to stay at the weekend, and took the obligatory annual photo as proof!
1. While most went to watch The Boys play football, I took two of them and The Baby to Sherborne for the morning – here they are outside The Abbey.
2. Of course, we had a coffee-and-cake stop in a café. Do you think she’s enjoying her first taste of a jam tart?
3. No.1 Son bought these chocolates for me. I don’t like anything sweet as a rule, but these were amazing!
4. As many of you already know, I share a birthday with my daughter. We spent the day together at our favourite place, Summer Lodge.
5. A full body and head massage was the BEST way to while away an hour and a half, followed by leisurely morning using the spa facilities.
6. Hubby also treated us to the most incredible three-course lunch. Smoked duck breast with various different forms of apple, all steeped in alcohol anyone?
7. Mr H-L and I also managed to sneak a little lunch out on our own later in the week.
8. But……most of the week was dedicated to building work and, at last – decorating. The Koi Carp wallpaper went up in the downstairs loo!
9. I also finished gilding the mirror that will add the perfect touch of bling to the already-quite-bling wallpaper.
10. Did I mention that we are having our en suite done at the same time? Oh, the dust…….
11. It’s also well under way.
12. Do you remember that I mentioned I was searching for some mirrors, specifically the frameless type from the Forties? Well, this is what I had in mind – a wall of mirrors above the sink unit. Although the en suite isn’t quite finished, I was desperate for hubby to put the mirrors up and he kindly obliged. It was no mean feat, taking over two hours to get just right, but I already love the overall effect. En suites are modern by the very concept, and the old mirrors tone the modern-ness down a bit, especially as most of them are chipped or rusty in part.
13. I’ve still managed to squeeze in a bit of sewing which is a miracle. It’s actually for a Minerva blog post and is overdue, so I must try to finish it today.
14. I’ve completed the ribbing on the socks, too, but still need to sit down and google “see-through wellies”!!
Portable Doll’s House
When Issue 62 of Mollie Makes dropped through the letterbox, it was a good one. See the text on the front saying “Kid’s Doll House”?
Easily missed, I know, but when I opened it onto the relevant page I did a little virtual skip – this would be the perfect present for a little three year old girl in the family.
A fold-out doll’s house, ideal for taking out and about to keep any little girl entertained (and better than handing over your smart phone, any day).
The details were a joy to put together and customise with whatever scraps of fabric I had to hand.
See, I told you that bag full of two-inch scraps would come in handy one day. I can’t throw any fabric out, no matter how minuscule the leftovers.
The teeny tiny tea set could have Velcro on the back for an older child, to make it removeable. As this was for a toddler, I sewed them to the table permanently.
Some of the bits were embroidered by hand….
….and others were stitched on by machine.
Dolly herself also has a dress and some hair bows, but those will have to follow in the post as I didn’t have time to make them before we visited.
Here’s the bed which is open for the doll to get in. She even has a little removeable pillow.
Of course, she needs a bedside rug to step out onto.
A bedside table has open-topped drawers to store those hair bows, and a little lamp.
I added a last minute dog in its basket, for added fun. Kids love things that ‘do’ something, don’t they?
The bathroom had some lovely details, like the bubbles and towel rail. I embroidered the tap using metallic gold thread to make it more realistic.
Once everything had been sewn on, it was just a case of attaching the front to the back and then turning it right side out.
Roof on, handles added.
Isn’t that just the cutest front door?
So, the house opens up and lays flat for play, like this: –
To close it, you simply fold the side in…..
….fold the bottom up to meet the top and then fasten the popper.
It transforms quickly and easily into a ‘bag’ with carry handles – simple enough for any toddler to use without help.
The iron test is, of course, if the girl in question actually likes it.
What do you think?!
Thread Theory Comox Trunks (Boxer Shorts)
One of my most successful makes to date – boxer shorts for the Mister! Click on the link to read all about them in my Minerva Crafts Blog Post.
DIY Alternative To The “Cone of Shame”!
Back last Summer, Fifi had some mammary tumours removed and had to wear the Cone Of Shame for ten days. She hated it for the first few days, then gradually adapted to moving and sleeping with an unwieldy plastic funnel clipped to her neck.
This week, another trip to the Vet meant either another plastic cone, bandaging or some other method to prevent her from literally licking her wounds.
I found some leftover fleecy fabric from a nightshirt that No.3 Son made, and decided to make her a comfy coat instead. Whilst she already has several coats, none of them were long enough underbelly to cover the affected area.
So, for those of you who would rather not put your own dog through the trauma of The Cone, here’s a quick way to make a lick-prevention jacket.
Measure your dog around the widest part of her ribs, just behind the front legs, then add an inch for seam allowances.
Measure from the back of her neck towards the tail, at a point just in front of the back legs (so he/she can still wee easily!).
Cut a rectangle of fabric to these measurements.
With right sides facing, sew the short ends together with a half inch seam.
I pressed open the seam and top stitched it flat so there would be no irritation next to the skin.
Measure the distance between the front legs and cut two leg holes on the underside. The distance from the neck to the legs will determine how far back these openings are placed.
Done.
How long did that take? Five minutes at the most, but your dog will thank you for your efforts, trust me!
See? She can’t get to her wound because the coat is completely covering it.
She soon gave up trying and settled down happily.
And we’re happy because: –
a) she won’t keep us awake with her licky sounds all night long – you’d be surprised how loud (and annoying) licking can be in the middle of the night.
b) no oozing on the (very white) duvet cover. Yes, she sleeps on our bed. She’s 14, what the hell.
c) she can actually get comfortable and sleep, which is virtually impossible when wearing a plastic cone to bed.
Failing the ability to actually sew a seam, just grab one of hubby’s old long sleeve T-shirts, cut it to the right length and make two leg holes in the appropriate place. No sewing needed:)
Art Gallery “Coco” Dress
I have worn my Stag’s head Coco lots.
I mean LOTS.
So much so that I just had to make another one as its simply perfect for everyday wear. It’s also a bit, well, nicer than the alternative of jumper-and-leggings for this time of year. I don’t make much effort in the clothes stakes, if I’m honest, and this belies that just a little.
Both pattern and fabric can be found at Minerva Crafts online.
This is such a quick and simple dress to make up that a couple of hours had it completed.
The seams were overlocked, as were the raw edges. Although, strictly speaking, there is no need to finish the raw edges on knit fabrics like this.
I had to nip out and buy a few more twin needles though, as my (relatively new) one was skipping stitches. This did the trick immediately and the hems and neckline were top stitched without a skipped stitch OR tunnelling in sight!
Very soon, another Coco found it’s way into my wardrobe.
A quick snap of me wearing it, thanks to my ever patient husband.
Did you spot THE boots…..?
January Blues!
I’ve come over all Teal for this month’s Minerva Crafts Blog post!
To see the full post, just click on the link here: – Teal Waterfall Jacket And Leggings
(Boots can be found here)
Stitching Santa Reveal #2
Having blogged about my knitting/crochet Stitching Santa parcel last week, I’ve locked myself away for half an hour to make sure I blog about my second parcel – the sewing swap.
This box of goodies arrived well in time for Christmas and came from Lynn who blogs at Tialys, with the strict instructions not to open the card in advance of Christmas Day as it contained spoilers.
When I finally got around to opening Lynn’s parcel three days after Christmas, I was greeted with this stunning project bag made from a striking cat print fabric (utterly appropriate from this Cat Lady) and it was put into service immediately for a knitting project.
Contained within were a number of individually wrapped gifts which I was glad I had to photograph as it stopped me from ripping them all open at once in excitement, after all, it had been sitting under the tree teasing me for ten days!
First up was this bundle of pretty floral cottons, so useful for the free motion embroidery that I like to do so much.
A Deer and Doe pattern was a real surprise, and a fab one at that as I’ve never sewn one of theirs.
I LOVE the Liberty print zipped pouch that Lynn made – so pretty and in all my favourite shades of pink. (It will be the make up bag that I keep in my new Mulberry handbag that Mr H-L bought me for Christmas:))
This now holds my car keys – no longer will they get lost in the depths of my handbag:)
The entrance to my studio is into the loft via a ladder so there is no doorway on which to display this – it will be nailed onto the beam at the top of the ladder instead, to welcome me very time I enter. ‘Embroidery Workshop’, Google translate informs me!
A mini photo sticker gave me a clue as to what was in the next two presents……
…….bandanas and a new collar each for Fifi and Tess!
Lynn makes and sells these in her Etsy shop, donating some of the profits to dog charities. Check out her shop if you haven’t already done so – there are some fab and funky designs in there and you’ll be helping homeless dogs at the same time!
Finally, there was a cute little drawstring pouch filled with chocolates which The Boys ‘helped’ me to eat.
I think you’ll agree that it was a very generous and thoughtful mix of gifts – thank you Lynn!
Stag’s Head “Coco” Dress
So this is my new favourite dress!
I decided to make a “Coco” dress by Tilly and the Buttons and I’m so glad I did – it’s the perfect ‘everyday’ dress for Autumn.
To see more photos, just click on the link to the full post on the Minerva Crafts Blogger Network: – Stag’s Head “Coco” Dress
#stitchingsanta 2016
Everyone should have received an email from me by now detailing who their #stitchingsanta swap partner is – if you haven’t, check your spam folder.
Please could you all acknowledge receipt of the email, too, so that no one is disappointed on Christmas Day without a parcel to open.
I hope you enjoy finding out more about your recipient and have fun putting together a suitable parcel for them – I know I will!
Here’s a list of everyone that’s taking part, so feel free to click on the links to keep abreast of their #stitchingsanta updates and maybe make some new blogging buddies.
sewchet (that’s me!)
beadsandbarnacles – Pippa
Beadsandbarnacles – Nicky
Sewchet 