Sewchet

November 5, 2017
by sewchet 26 Comments

Sunday Sevens #141

Sunday Sevens is a weekly blog series showing a glimpse of your life outside the blog.

1. One misty morning earlier this week, we spotted these three deer grazing in the field directly behind our house. They don’t normally venture quite this close, so it was a treat to see them.

2. Pumpkins were everywhere on Hallowe’en.

3. Midweek, we took No.2 Son shopping for his birthday. He’s got to ‘that age’ where he only wants money or clothes. And they can only be black or grey.

4. Fifi started flagging after two miles, so it was just as well we took her carrier on this particular walk.
5. This is her dog’s-eye view. Not bad really, and she’s quite happy to travel this way.

6. Big breakfast for our big boy on the morning of his 12th birthday.

7. In the evening we all went to see ‘Murder on the Orient Express’ at the cinema. Beforehand, we had a fabulous meal at Caribbean Corner in Yeovil, where Ava, the owner, smothered the birthday boy in kisses!

8. No.3 Son picked up his certificates and medals after his Latin and Ballroom dancing class.

9. Whilst No.2 Son was playing football in Poole, I took his little brother out for a smoothie in nearby Bournemouth where the counter was covered with foreign currency notes.

10. He was fascinated to find a $750,000 note from Zimbabwe!

11. We had a couple of hours before No.1 Son had to go back to school after a two week half term, so we tried The Real Greek in Bournemouth which was delicious. Sharing mezés proved ideal so we could have a bit of everything.

12. Crafting wise, the third and penultimate row has been added to my Eastern Jewels blanket, although I’m tempted to add an extra row to make it bigger.

13. I couldn’t resist this small remnant of fabric in a charity shop featuring a Black Lab called “Rover”.

14. The last metre of pink faux sheepskin on the shop roll found its way into my bag and I made another tote. I’ll probably put his one in my Folksy shop.

That’s it for this week. Tomorrow will be spent drawing Stitching Santa partners out of a hat which will be followed, I suspect, by lots of blog stalking and consequent making/gathering of things to include in the parcels – and I can’t wait!

November 2, 2017
by sewchet 29 Comments

Tutorial: How To Make A Faux Sheepskin Bag / Tote

No, your eyes don’t deceive you, this IS yet another post featuring the lilac faux sheepskin fabric I bought last month. It really has been the fabric that keeps on giving as I have made not only a full length coat and two pairs of mittens, but also TWO tote bags!

If you would like to make your own, either from similar fabric or from a thick fleecy fabric, here’s a quick tutorial on how I did it.

Materials: Approx. 3/4yd of 45″ wide Faux Sheepskin or fleece

2 Magnetic Snaps

Cut pieces from your fabric following the diagram below (which is NOT to scale). If your fabric has a nap or a directional pattern, be sure to take this into account when cutting out.

You may have to adjust the size of the pocket to suit your particular ‘phone – this pocket is the perfect size for a normal (not ‘plus’) iPhone and you may well have to make it larger for a Samsung Galaxy or similar.

Sheepskin Tote Pattern

This photo shows the main pieces; front and back, gusset and interior mobile ‘phone pocket.

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Seam allowances are 1/4″ throughout.

All raw edges are left unfinished and the seams are constructed with WRONG sides together, making a feature of them.

If you have your own labels, sew them to all pieces before any construction takes place. This avoids any fiddly sewing later on.

Sew your pocket to the inside of the BACK section of the bag around three sides only, leaving the top open.

Apply the magnetic tabs according to the manufacturer’s instructions, using the photos as a guideline for placement.

Pin a tab to the top centre of the front and back sections.

Sew in place.

Pin the gusset to the back section with WRONG sides together. There will be surplus fabric to cut off later.

Stitch with 1/4″ seam allowance, being careful not to get any puckers as you sew around the corners.

Pin the front to the remaining long edge of the gusset and stitch as before.

Trim the corners off the front and back sections to give a rounded finish.

Onto the handles.

Fold in half lengthways with WRONG sides facing in.

Stitch close to the raw edges.

Pin handles about 3″ in from the sides of the bag, on the INSIDE.

BASTE loosely in place if necessary, although I just pinned them.

Take your 4 little squares – these will cover the ends of the handles to lend a neat finish on the inside of the bag.

You will need to remove as much of the pile on the reverse side of the fabric as possible. This will reduce the bulk and leave a flatter surface.

Pin each square over the raw edge of a handle and stitch in place, crossing your stitching to strengthen the base of the handles as shown below.

And that’s all there is to it!

This is the first one I made.

I even managed to make a second one using the rest of the scraps. There wasn’t enough to cut the main sections out in one piece, so I had to make a seam for the centre front and back, and I actually prefer this version.

I added my label in a slightly different position and it looks just as good.

The inside is nice and roomy with the all-important interior pocket to keep your ‘phone easily accessible.

The magnetic tabs give an element of security and stop the bag falling open.

As always, your own label adds a professional touch both inside and out.

The handles are short enough not to have the bag dragging on the floor (if you’re around the 5″ mark like me!), but also long enough for you to carry over your shoulder if that is your preference.

One of these is to be a Christmas gift for family and the other one may well end up in my Stitching Santa parcel, depending on who I get in the draw.

Which is your favourite?

October 30, 2017
by sewchet 22 Comments

Sunday Sevens #140

Sunday Sevens is a weekly blog series showing seven(ish) photos of your week outside the blog. Anyone can join in at any time.

1. Half term started well, with lazy mornings allowing plenty of time for a leisurely cooked breakfast every day.

2. My mother and sister came to visit for a couple of days, one of which was spent doing art and craft type things. We visited Ilminster Arts Centre and enjoyed a couple of hours at the current exhibition, together with tea and cake in the café and some time browsing in the shop.

3. I gave in to temptation and bought some handmade ceramic buttons. I don’t have a plan for them as yet, but they’re sure to be the perfect finishing touch to a future make.

4. On the way back home we made a short detour so we could try this Railway Carriage Café, as recommended by a friend a while back.

5. It was lovely inside, full of original character and a great choice of gluten free options on the menu.

6. Later that evening, my mum and sister both got their sketching pencils and paints out and had fun with a squash.

7. Next day, The Boys had two brothers around to play for the day whilst their mother went to work. No technology allowed (my rules!) so they were all worn out by the end of the day with ‘real’ playing.

8. To wind down after their friends had gone, I let The Boys watch a film. They loved it and were totally engrossed, as you can see from this photo. The film?

9. Snow White, the original animation from 1937!

10. Christmas has taken over our local garden centre and the singing reindeer were back for a second year.

11. A family friend came to stay for the weekend and we went to Bath for the day, starting off with breakfast. You can just see the trio in the background who played some wonderful classical music whilst we ate.

12. A few hours later and we stopped to eat again, this time at Yo! Sushi, The Boy’s favourite treat.

13. Crafty things still happened over the course of the week. Progress is good on my Eastern Jewels blanket.

14. I’ve included my new labels on a couple of things I’ve made for this year’s Stitching Santa parcel.

15. Yes, yet more made from the leftover lilac faux sheepskin – it’s the fabric that just keeps giving! I will reveal all in a future blog post.

No.2 Son is at home for a second week of half term, but his little brother goes back to school tomorrow, so I’m looking forward to some time together before he goes back to boarding school. I hope your half term is going well, too!

October 26, 2017
by sewchet 22 Comments

Stitching Santa – How To Make Faux Sheepskin Mittens

Remember the faux sheepskin coat I made a couple of weeks ago?

Well, despite messing up the sleeves and having to re-cut them, I still had some largish scraps of fabric left and started looking for ways to use them up, preferably for Christmas presents or for something to add to my Stitching Santa parcel. The first and most obvious thing that came to mind was to make a pair of mittens.

Having trawled the internet for a pattern, I discovered that it would probably be just as easy to design my own based on a few that I’d seen, so I gave it a go and this is the result.

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They turned out better than I imagined and only took a couple of hours, most of which was taken up hand-sewing the thumb in place.

Boosted by my success, I thought I’d do a quick tutorial as these would make a great handmade Christmas gift. They would be great in a fleecy fabric, too, as the raw edges can just be left as they are without fraying.

There are just two simple pattern pieces to this pair of mittens; click on the links below to download and print.

Printable Mitten Template

Mitten pattern

Printable Thumb Template

Cut out the pieces as below for each mitten, reversing the template for the second mitten.

You will notice that the TOP of the mitten has been cut out WITHOUT the curve. To do this, simply draw a straight line connecting points D+E on the MITTENS template.

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Make sure that any stretch in the fabric goes ACROSS the hand width – you can see where I am pulling the fabric to find the stretch in the photo below.

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You may also spot in the photo above that the first draft was one piece folded in half. I later adapted this to make two separate pieces so that there would be a seam all the way around.

Pin the top of the mitten (no curve) to the bottom (with curve) with WRONG sides together. You may find this easier with quilting clips if the fabric is thick like mine.

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With 1/4″ seam allowance, sew from A to D and from B to E, leaving an opening for the thumb.

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With WRONG sides together and 1/4″ seam allowance, fold the thumb in half and sew from C to D.

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Pin the thumb in place.

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Hand-sew the thumb to the body of the mitten with a BACKSTITCH, 1/4″ from the raw edges.

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You can trim any excess fur from the seams if you like, to tidy them up, but that’s it – finished.

How simple?

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They really are lovely and cosy and much more pliable than real sheepskin, so are much more comfortable to wear.

I managed to get a second pair of mittens out of the scraps, so I am going to put one pair in my Stitching Santa parcel and the other will be a Christmas gift for someone in the family.

Talking of Stitching Santa the deadline is 31st October – have YOU signed up yet?

October 22, 2017
by sewchet 20 Comments

Sunday Sevens #139

Sunday Sevens is a weekly blog post whereby you show seven-ish photos of your week outside the blog. Anyone can join in at any time.

1. Last Sunday, No.2 Son had a football match in Weymouth – it was a beautiful day so we all went.

Afterwards, we decided to park up by the harbour and go and have fish and chips for lunch.

2. It turns out a ‘fish burger’ consisted of no less than a whole battered cod fillet in a bun! How he managed to eat it all AND the chips is beyond me. Must have been all the energy he burned off scoring a hat trick in the match:)

3. No.2 Son plays rugby for his school so Mr H-L went to watch him midweek.

4. No.3 Son had an inset day on Friday so finished early for the half term. Mr H-L and I took him out to a lovely tea shop nearby where we had coffee and cake.

5. I’ve been trying to find ways of using the left over fabric from the coat I made last week and have been pretty pleased with what I’ve managed to do with it. All are to be Christmas presents, some of which are destined for my Stitching Santa parcel.

Any guesses as to what this might be?

6. Or this?

7. I’m making good progress with the Eastern Jewels blanket. It’s quite addictive as no two octagons are the same so there’s no getting bored whatsoever. I’ve seen some finished ones on Instagram already, and they look amazing.

The kit seems to be sold out at most stockists, but I bought mine here.

8. Oops, the photos aren’t in order as this was on Thursday – hubby took me out for lunch at The Old Inn in Holton.

9. No.2 Son came back from boarding school for half term and his little brother is THRILLED to have his playmate back!

10. Last night we had friends around for supper with a nice bottle of Laurent Perrier to celebrate his new job.

11. I made individual Tiramisinis for pudding and they were amazing – definitely one to do again!

12. Sunday morning saw hubby shampooing the carpet in the back bedroom before zipping off to football with No.3 Son again, so that’s the rest of the day sorted – putting everything back in when the carpet is dry.

Enjoy the rest of your weekend!

Save

October 20, 2017
by sewchet 27 Comments

Faux Sheepskin Coat

Last week, I drove over to my ‘local’ fabric warehouse half an hour away to collect my dressmaking shears which had been sent away to be sharpened (a student had tried to cut over a pin). In theory, I could have been in and out in two minutes and saved myself a bit of money, but I couldn’t resist having a quick look at the fabrics to see what was new.

As soon as I spotted this faux sheepskin in lilac I immediately thought ‘Coat’, and McCall’s 7480 was the perfect pattern as the envelope even shows it made in a similar fabric.

I cut it out that night using weights instead of pins as the fabric is very thick.

The coat has a simple shape which comes together as soon as the shoulder seams are sewn.

I adapted the pattern to suit the fabric in several areas, the first being to use the same fabric for the pockets rather than the suggested lining fabric.

The pockets are top stitched to the front of the coat to stop them flapping around inside.

This type of fabric doesn’t fray so none of the raw edges needed finishing. All the seams were top stitched to ensure that they lay flat. I actually quite like the way the seams look on the inside.

So this is the coat finished according to the instructions and they suggest that a purchased belt will act as a closure.

However, in my mind I pictured a single button of the traditional leather kind and found exactly what I was looking for after a quick rummage in my button tin.

Obviously, an ordinary buttonhole wouldn’t be any good, so I decided on a bound buttonhole using a scrap of the same faux sheepskin. I trimmed the pile right back to make it possible.

Pretty good from the outside….

….but I could have chosen a slightly larger scrap to make the inside a bit better. It’s surprising how much fabric a tiny bound buttonhole takes up!

That’s what I picture when I think of sheepskin coats, so I’m happy with that – much better than a belt.

A couple of extra details added were a tab to hang the coat up with – how annoying is it when coats don’t have one?

I also decided to turn the cuffs up. so that the furry side would show a little bit.

The unlined collar would have to look neat on both sides as the inside would be exposed at the back neck.

I was careful to match up the seams everywhere as there is quite a lot of top stitching which would stick out like a sore thumb if it was out of line.

The pockets are nice and cosy thanks to the decision to make them from the same fabric..

Number 3 Son was chief photographer on this occasion, and did OK despite the windy gusts.

I wore it to the carnival at the weekend and was almost too warm, so I’m confident that it will be a good Winter coat.

Mind you, it might have been all the prosecco that was making me feel warm:)

October 18, 2017
by sewchet 22 Comments

Simplicity 1238

Simplicity 1238
Meet Ellie, the star of this month’s blog post for the Minerva Crafts Blogger Network.

She has this rather splendid suitcase home complete with a whole wardrobe full of clothes.

Simplicity 1238
To see lots more photos of how it all came together, click on the link: – Ellie The Elephant And Her Suitcase Home

October 17, 2017
by sewchet 17 Comments

Sunday Sevens 138

Originally thought up by Nat at Threads & Bobbins, Sunday Sevens is a weekly blog series showing seven photos of life outside the blog.

Tess and I went for a lovely walk in the warm Autumn sunshine.

2. We passed this caravan that had just been dumped at the side of the road. I was sorely tempted to tow it home and do it up, but it looked to be beyond repair.

3. Spare egg whites were used up to make a pavlova for tea. FullSizeRender(107)

4. All that sugar was tempered with a good old healthy stir fry.

5. Creative-wise this week, I made this lovely lilac coat from some faux sheepskin that I fell in love with. I’ll do a blog post as soon as hubby has taken some pictures of me wearing it. FullSizeRender(109)

6. A bit late as I could have done with this handy little tool while making three pairs of socks recently, but I bought this Kitchener stitch aid from Rosie’s Moments on Etsy. FullSizeRender(110)

7. Mr H-L and I went out for lunch as he was starving after fasting for a hospital check up.

8. You may recall that I met fellow blogger MaRRose on a trip to Amsterdam last year. She was writing a book at the time which has since been published and now I have my own copy!

9. Fifi sleeps on our bed every night but didn’t want to get up one morning so I had to make the bed around her!

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10. Tess isn’t so spoiled and sleeps downstairs in a proper dog box. She still likes to be close by whenever possible though, and here she is sat on a cushion straddling two armchairs in an effort to be as close to me as she can get whilst I crochet. FullSizeRender(106)

11. No.2 Son came home from boarding school this weekend and was happy to give both dogs plenty of attention. Rolling straight on to their backs for a tummy tickle, you can almost feel the contentment they’re emanating.

12. Friday night was carnival night in our local town, albeit with fewer floats than ever before.

13. The Boys wrapped up warm just in case, but it was a very mild night.

14. More crocheting in the car whilst No.2 son played football.

15. This is how the Eastern Jewels blanket is shaping up so far.

I’m religiously crocheting/weaving the ends in as I go so I’m not left with a monumental task at the end. In fact, I’m even crocheting each block together as I go so I can see quick progress!

Finally, for anyone that hasn’t yet spotted it, sign up for this year’s Stitching Santa is open until 31st October.

To join in or to find out more, click on the link.

October 8, 2017
by sewchet 16 Comments

Sunday Sevens #137

Sunday Sevens is a weekly blog series showing seven or so photos of what you’ve been up to.

1. Got this far with the poncho only to be stumped. A quick bit of research discovered that there are errors in the pattern but Bergere de France won’t respond to any of my emails!

2. Frustrating, but at least it meant I got to finish the third pair of Christmas-present socks at last. Finding the right place to join each ball of yarn is always a challenge, but I’m pretty pleased with the pattern matching.

3. This Westie was also finished off and sent to its new owner in Australia……

4. …..and an old needlepoint was upcycled into this cushion cover.

5. We had the dentist on Tuesday which meant taking No.2 Son out of school for a couple of hours. He doesn’t come home now until half term which is four weeks away, so it was really lovely to snatch a bit of time with him, even if it was only in the car and on the dentist’s chair!

Doesn’t he look tall? Can’t believe his little brother will be big enough to join him next year….

6. Apart from sock-knitting, dog-knitting, poncho-knitting and upcycling an old needlepoint, I squeezed in some jam-making this week, using what must be the last of the season’s rhubarb.

7. The dresser shelves are looking pleasingly replenished now, with an extra eleven jars of Rhubarb & Ginger.

8. I did find time to sit down and enjoy my favourite magazine when it landed on the doormat, though. Does anyone else buy The English Home?

9. I stumbled across this giveaway on IG but couldn’t resist ordering the kit immediately.

10. Lots of places had sold out, but I managed to buy one from Black Sheep Wools and it arrived the very next day.

11. I’ve done two hexagons already and, whilst I love it, I have to say that the picture is a bit misleading as it is overexposed – the actual colours are quite a bit darker in real life. These are the two on the top left.

12. We had lunch at out favourite local hotel.

13. Mr H-L brought me up breakfast in bed at 10am this morning……

14. Which is where I am right now writing my Sunday Sevens.

Looking at the French windows out onto the balcony, I’ve just noticed an absolute plague of ladybirds.

Isn’t that supposed to mean we’re in for an Indian Summer??!

October 7, 2017
by sewchet 72 Comments

#stitchingsanta 2017!

The last three year’s #stitchingsantas were such a roaring success, that I promised to do it all again this year and the time has come to sign up!

It’s a Secret Santa with a difference aimed at all the like-minded crafty folk here on the internet – YOU!

Whether you’re one of the lucky few whose family know and understand you so well that you receive endless perfect gifts based on your love of sewing/crochet/knitting or, like me, your wish list is met with a “What do you want one of those for….what is it anyway?” – #stitchingsanta is for you.

Can you imagine unwrapping a gorgeous skein of wool, a perfect metre of fabric, some vintage buttons or some embroidery silks? Perhaps a little handmade gift has been popped in the parcel too? All lovingly thought out with your interests in mind and guaranteed to be under your tree on Christmas morning. What a treat!

There are TWO categories to choose from – you can enter both or just one but PLEASE state your preference in your email. Choose from “Sewing” or “Crochet/Knitting”.

The idea is simple: if you would like to take part, comment below by the deadline of 31st October and I’ll send you the details of your lucky recipient.

You may already know this person as a follower of their blog but, if not, have a good look around their blog and try to put together some gifts that they would really appreciate. See my experience of previous #stichingsantas for what to expect: –

Gifted to my Secret Santa recipient 2014

Gifted to my #stitchingsanta recipient 2015

Gifted to my sewing #stitchingsanta 2016

Gifted to my yarn #stitchingsanta 2016

Received from my Secret Santa 2014

Blogging about Secret Santa 2014

Blogging about #stitchingsanta 2015

Received from my #stitchingsanta 2015

Received from my yarn #stitchingsanta 2016

Recieved from my sewing #stitchingsanta 2016

I will update this page with details of the blogs that are taking part so why not follow along and make some new blogging buddies!

How To Enter: –

You can enter from anywhere in the world but I will try to match countries in order to keep postage costs down.
State which swap(s) you would like to enter and send your email address, blog site and postal address to me at info@sewchet.com by midnight on 31st October 2017.
I’ll email you the details of your recipient by 7th November.
Spend a maximum of £10 (€13, $15US, $20AUS) excluding postage.
Blog about your #stitchingsanta (linking back to this post) and share using the hash tag on social media.
Post your parcel in time for Christmas – check last posting dates well in advance!! International dates are much earlier in December.

UK Inland: –

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