Sewchet

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Tag Archives: school


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Patchwork Quilt Made From Old Tea Towels And Pillowcases

Every year the school holds a Summer fair to raise funds for the PTFA and I make various things for them to sell or raffle, often at the last minute, so I’m feeling a little bit smug that I’ve already started this year – and it’s not until June!

In three mammoth jam-making sessions I managed to make 42 jars of Blackberry and Apple jam, 25 of which are being donated for the school fair.

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Last year there was a ‘Horsington’s Got Talent’ stall, whereby parents and pupils make all manner of crafty things to sell, and for which I made lots of things. It was a huge success, selling out completely apparently, so the Committee have put out another request for handmade items.

As I inevitably end up spending quite a bit of money on things I make like sugar and lemons for the jam, all the ingredients for 50 scones and cakes for the cake stall, I try to make the crafty items out of things I can source for free or that I already have in my supplies.

Like this pile of (freshly laundered) pillowcases and tea towels, all surplus to requirements and acquired from several different people who know I can’t say no to gifts of leftover/unwanted fabrics.

I don’t know what you see when you look at this mix but, add in a bit of vintage lace trim and it screams “Patchwork quilt” to me. No? Well, that’s how my mind works, anyway:)

The very word ‘vintage’ conjures up images of faded florals and linens, so I picked out the remaining old Ikea pillowcases (some of which had been cut up to make hats for the jars of jam) and 3 or 4 neutral tea towels which would work nicely.

My Olfa quilting set made short work of cutting out the 48 6″ squares needed to make a quilt just large enough for a single bed.

I laid them all out on the floor and fiddled around until I was happy with the arrangement.

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All seams were stitched with 1/4″ seam allowance and pressed as each strip was completed.

This is the finished quilt top.

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For the backing, I had to piece together bits of wadding and leftover curtain lining to make up the size I needed.

With right sides facing, lay the lining on the quilt top, then the wadding on top again.

I stitched around all four sides, leaving a gap through which to turn the quilt. Then the lace trim was sewn to the edge.

Finally I added a little “Sewchet” label.

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I may go back and add a bit of hand quilting if I get time, but it actually doesn’t need it.

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It’s just the right size to be a comforter on a single bed, or would make a cosy lap blanket for the sofa.

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It took me six hours yesterday to make, so the fact that it will probably be sold for about a fiver has to be put to the back of my mind – but at least the fabric was free!


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Sunday Sevens #128

Another couple of busy weeks have kept me away from the computer, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but means that there are thirty photos for this Sunday Sevens! 

Linking up with Nat at Threads & Bobbins, who started Sunday Sevens.

1. Summer arrived for a lengthy stay of approximately two weeks, which meant plenty of pool time for The Boys, especially after a sticky day in school uniform.


2. Mr. H-L temporarily moved his ‘office’ into the garden. Not many people can work in their pants, sipping a gin and tonic with a view like that from their desk!!


3. Father’s Day was spent with friends at Yo Sushi! in Bath. This was a new concept for the two boys that came with us – and they loved it so much that we consumed 53 dishes between us!


4. The next day we flew to Amsterdam to join the husband’s company in their 25th anniversary celebrations. We had a three course meal followed by a concert, all in the Amsterdam Arena in which the company sponsor a private box.

Here we are about to skip the queues and enter via the VIP entrance – not a bad thing considering that some of the (very young) audience had been queuing in ridiculous temperatures since the early hours!


5. The private box was huge and easily accommodated the seventy-or-so of us. With prime seats and a complimentary bar, we were anticipating a great night ahead of us….


6. ….except that none of us had ever heard of The 1975 and, even if we had, the singing was drowned out by the over-loud band and we couldn’t understand a word of the lyrics, despite them being English.

The constant use of flashing strobe lighting had us covering our eyes half the time. We had to laugh though as, when we turned around, virtually everyone in our box over forty years old was doing the same! 


7. Flying back the next day, this was the heat that greeted us – virtually unheard of in England. In fact, the last time I remember feeling this hot was when I was expecting No.2 Son back in 2005 and it only reached 36 degrees back then.

8. Hood down and air-con on full blast, we pulled off the A303 early to look for somewhere nice to have lunch.


9. A small sign pointed to ‘Howard’s House Hotel’ in nearby Teffont Evias, so we headed there.


10. Yep – glad we did, as it was amazing!

Dating back to 1623, the house and its grounds were just stunning, and the food was to die for.


11. Hot Strawberry Soufflé, Strawberry Sorbet and Strawberries went down very well with an Armagnac.


12. Later that same week we went to Ascot on Ladies Day, as you will know if you read my previous post.


13. I even managed to grab a quick snap of Her Majesty as her carriage flashed by. Shame about the lady with the blue nails, although her photo will be better than mine:)


14. I bottled up four bottles of Elderflower cordial this year. If you haven’t already, you should try a ‘Posh Flora’ – Elderflower, Gin and Prosecco. Yum! 

I think Ginger rather fancied some.


15. Ginger photobombing again, this time as some rolls are proving in the sunshine.

The makeshift patio has been weeded since this photo was taken, I promise. 


16. Two days of preparation resulted in this ambitious supper menu for six friends.


17. The food went down well and we had a fabulous evening which kicked off with those ‘Posh Flora’ cocktails and ended up with everyone leaving their cars and getting taxis home!


18. Mr H-L surprised me with lunch out to a secret destination a few days later, so he drove. It was weird to be a passenger in my own car. 

Haselbury Mill was the venue, hence the 1950’s Fire Engine as part of a collection of vintage vehicles.


19. Buildings on the site date from William The Conqueror – that’s as far back as 1066 for all our American friends out there!


20. We were invited to a 21st birthday party for the daughter of some close friends, and I just had to show you this simply brilliant cake they had commissioned.


21. I had to touch the cup and saucer to check it wasn’t actually china!


22. The Auntie who we stay with in Spain came over to stay with us for a week, and we had a morning wandering around Bruton, stopping in ‘At The Chapel‘ for a light lunch. 

I never eat pizza as there are always so many other, nicer dishes on menus in general, but this one was delicious and made to order in their own pizza oven.

I drank ‘Piston Broke’ – a real ale  with a fab name!


23. No.3 Son had his tenth birthday last week.


24. 7.30am on a school day and all three ‘boys’ couldn’t wait to start playing with it.


25. A birthday barbecue was the order of the day, finishing with the birthday boy’s request of a coffee and walnut birthday cake. Homemade, of course:)


26. The celebrations continued at the football presentation evening, where he won “Manager’s Player Of The Year” for the second year running, and “Player’s Player Of The Year”.


27. We bit the bullet and bought all of No.2 Son’s school uniform for September when the uniform people brought their shop to the school for one day only.

Yes, his new school really is called Sexey’s…….


28. No.3 Son has been trying out a few dance genres and, after discounting tap (“Too boring”) and street dance (“Too gangsta”!), has settled on Ballroom and Latin.

After just four lessons totalling five hours, he was thrown in at the deep end and asked to partner a girl in a competition as her regular partner was unavailable.

Expecting to do the Waltz and Cha Cha Cha, he ended up taking part in the team event as well, as a boy fell ill half way through. A quick recap of the steps saw him doing the Jive and Quick Step in addition!

Despite the look of concentration on his face, he absolutely loved it and did brilliantly. So much so, that his teacher has signed him up to do his first medal tests next Sunday. 

As you can probably tell, I’m a proud mum right now, particularly as he has already mastered steps that they normally teach after six months and he has already competed in them!


29. No.2 Son spent the weekend at his new school, meeting new classmates and sleeping in his new dorm. We joined him on Sunday for a barbecue at the headmaster’s house before taking him home.

The boys soon got distracted by a spontaneous game of football…..


30. ….shame No.2 Son didn’t eat his burger first!


That’s it for this week folks!


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Sunday Sevens #126

Sunday Sevens is a weekly blog series started by Nat at Threads & Bobbins whereby you show seven photos of your life outside of the blog. 

In theory.

This week is a combination of three weeks worth of photos, ‘cos I seriously haven’t had time to organise many blog posts lately, and there are considerably more than seven photos so you might want to get a cup of tea before you start!

1. We have been having a lot done on the house over the last couple of months, most of which I haven’t yet blogged about…..does a wall of mirrors in our en-suite and Koi Carp in the cloakroom ring any bells?

We’ve also finally got around to having the massive extension at the side of the house rendered, which meant bacon sandwiches and endless cups of tea for the plasterers.

2. We also had the builders in to put a new roof on the old downstairs bathroom, which is now a sun room. I know, I know, I haven’t blogged about that yet either! The old concrete tiles were replaced with slate ones to match the rest of the house.

3. I’ve done quite a lot of sewing, starting with my trusty old leggings pattern. I made these in brown leatherette.

4. This top was made in one sitting too.

5.  I made this dress  in a bright floral linen.

I just need to get Mr H-L to take some photos of me wearing them, then I’ll blog them all.

6. The Boy’s school asked for contributions for a stall at their Summer fair, so I’ve also been making things for that. These are handbag tissue holders.

7. There was enough of the same fabric to make four wash bags as well.

8. I bought a large piece of blue canvas for £1.00 from a charity shop a while back and used this, together with the remnants from the dress mentioned earlier, to make six little storage pots.

9. I had a little leftover oilcloth from a previous project, which was just enough to sew a quick shopping bag.

10. We had friends round for supper so I spent a whole afternoon making a decent meal for them.

11. Home serves as both office and restaurant for Mr H-L!!


12. It’s not been all work and no play though, and we’ve been out a few times.

13. We found a new coffee shop in Sherborne that does “Bloody Good Coffee”.


It was – and the chocolate brownie wasn’t bad, either. They serve half-slices, which is perfect for someone without a sweet tooth but, despite ordering “Half a brownie and two forks”, we still struggled to eat it!


14. Spot of lunch whilst shopping for a new kettle with a friend in Sturminster Newton.


15. Said kettle – the old one developed a leak. Mr H-L likes this one because it has lights and makes a beeping noise. Men!


16. This was just after a quiet, relaxing facial – not easy to take a selfie in these conditions!


17. After collecting a friend from hospital, we had lunch at Summer Lodge in Evershot.


17. Sewing classes are still going strong.


18. We found this little cutie in the hen house one morning.


19. Couldn’t resist a cuddle!


Sadly, the chick didn’t survive the night:(

20. Our friend is a new Artisan cheese producer – if you come across “Renegade Monk” in the future you must try it.


21. Just as we were looking forward to Summer, Winter made a late appearance in the form of a prolonged hailstorm.


22. A lovely Thai lunch at The Old Bakehouse in Castle Cary with Mr H-L.


23. The latest addition to our mug collection by Wrendale Designs. I just love the illustrations!

24. And finally, to end on a high, this is No.3 Son working the dance floor like his hero Patrick Swayze in Dirty Dancing. Enjoy!
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Sunday Sevens #91

Sunday Sevens is a weekly blog series thought up by Nat at Threads & Bobbins – click on the link to find out more and how YOU can join in.

1. Back from Spain in the early hours of Wednesday morning (7th June – I’m still catching up), I had to get organised pretty instantly. The school fair was in four days time and I still had loads to do as, not only was I making things for the school,  but was also having a stand for The Stitch Academy AND running a fashion show for my students. 

I started by making samples for the Summer workshops which I would be advertising on my stand – Pyjamas and Sleep Mask, and an Owl Cushion/PJ Case.


2. Next, I made the Miette skirt by Tilly and the Buttons, also a future workshop or maybe weekly lessons. Raspberry coloured linen which hangs really well for this style.


3. The woman who loved my cross-body bags but wanted one in grey with a star on it had her wish granted! Luckily, she turned up at the fair wearing a grey T-shirt with a star on the front and snapped this bag up straight away.


4. The Elderflower cordial that had been brewing while we were on holiday was bottled and labelled. Here they are on the stall at the back on the far left. They all sold. Two one-litre bottles at £4 each and four 75cl bottles at £3 each, for anyone who is wondering how to price things at a school fair. It cost £2.74 for the sugar and lemons (the bottles were old lemonade ones) and sold for £20 – a nice little profit for their funds and SO easy to make.

The bunting I made for our wedding is hanging at the back of the tent:)


5. Mr. H-L actually made the marmalade this year as I was busy sewing. They’re the jars on the tray with the blue fabric ‘hats’. Ten small jars (half normal size) all sold for £1.50 each. They cost about £3 in total make and, again, the jars were recycled.

I also made forty scones on the morning of the fair so they were nice and fresh.


6. Oh, I almost forgot – after making the scones, I quickly traced off and made a Coco top as the fair wasn’t until one o’clock!!

7. My stand at the fair which was a huge success, enrolling more students and premiering my new adult classes to the villagers. A Tilly and the Buttons Margot Pyjamas workshop is almost booked up! (Thurs 14th July if anyone is interested).


8. A dozen of my students took part in a fashion show at the fair which they absolutely loved, showing off the things they had made over the past nine months since The Stitch Academy started.


9. No.3 Son stole the show with his antics!

10. He certainly made the most of his moment in the spotlight!


11. In other news….this cardboard city is a window display in a boarded up solicitor’s premises. Random, but brilliant.


13. N0.3 Son wanted to make the butter this time.

Here he is squeezing out all that lovely buttermilk which made some scones later in the day.

14. My Victorian butter paddles do their job nicely.

15. There, finished!

16. Perfect spread thickly on some Date and Walnut bread still warm from the oven!


17. ‘Chalky’, our Chalkhill Blue hen, laid her first blue egg!

18. The next day she laid her second, both of which were massive for such a small hen and this is the reason why – both were double yolkers!


19. Teaching pattern drafting to a student, this week, a basic trouser block.


20. I had almost finished a cardigan as a Christmas present from leftover yarn (thrifty, as ever) but ran out only to discover that it had been discontinued – oh s**t! 

I ended up unravelling four inches of a scarf in order to scavenge enough yarn to complete the cardigan. Luckily, the scarf was a) for me and b) REALLY long in the first place so no harm was done.


21. I got out all the components of my July make for the Minerva Crafts Blogger Network – but never got around to starting it. Next week, maybe.


22. Three homemade cards amongst those sent from our six (between us) children to Mr H-L on Father’s Day.

23. A pair of Star Wars flip flops, bottle of malt whisky, a coffee cake, homemade brandy truffles and, from his girls in Brighton, a dozen rock oysters!

24. What a great end to a hectic week!


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A Glimpse Into Sewing Classes For Kids

Being a (very) new venture, my sewing school has started with a definite ‘bang’. Classes officially start next Thursday but I have already been teaching private 1:1 sessions on a weekly basis and, whilst not full, the half-term sewing camps have been popular too. I though you might be interested to see what we get up to in these lessons so, with permission, I took some photos throughout the day of the students at work.

Today I had the pleasure to teach two friends (kids prefer to come with a friend) aged 9 and 10, both of whom own their own sewing machines and dabble at home quite happily.

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This little girl brought her machine along as she felt comfortable using it and it soon became apparent that she was familiar with machine sewing, already able to thread it (almost) correctly and wind the bobbin.

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My job was to teach the finer points, good practice and safety, so we went back to basics and practiced running and zigzag stitching in a straight line, circles (harder than they thought), corners and the concept of back-stitching to prevent unravelling. Appropriate stitch lengths and seam allowances were discussed as well – all the kind of things you don’t bother with when you’re a 9 year old desperate to just get on and make something!

Practice sheet

Within half an hour both girls were ready to start a project.

They each chose some fabric from my stash and decided, from the options given, that they would like to make a simple, elasticated skirt.

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Using the lines marked on the machine bed, they learned how to keep a consistent seam allowance.

They also learned the best way to put a pin in – all simple things that needed to be taught that they wouldn’t otherwise know.

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The importance of pressing at every stage was also new to them, the bonus being that there’s no excuse not to do their own ironing at home now that they know how to use it safely!

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The girls finished their skirts right on the virtual bell denoting lunchtime. A good morning’s work by anyone’s standard.

Here they are modelling said skirts, customised at the last minute by their request to add a coordinating pocket in which to keep their toy mice.

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After a 35 minute break for lunch both girls were keen to begin another project, this time a messenger-style bag that is worn across the body.

Concentration was back on track again after a break – 3 hours is a long time to expect full attention from the younger students.

Can you see the student wearing her newly made skirt that she begged me to allow her to keep on for the rest of the day?

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One look at those beaming faces is enough to tell you how much fun they are having!

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Tadah! Messenger bags completed with 20 minutes to spare.

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With two projects completed I let the girls rummage through my stash and allowed them to make anything they wanted in the time left. They decided to each make a small drawstring bag.

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Both girls are desperate to attend the regular weekly classes that start after half term and signed up immediately – that’s the sign of a job well done I think, don’t you?

I thoroughly enjoy spreading the sewing love and it’s wonderful to see another generation being bitten by the sewing bug, a skill that will serve them well in the future and give them endless hours of pleasure no doubt.

What are you doing to encourage kids to make things for themselves?


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Handmade Recycled Greetings Cards For School Fair Or Summer Fête

Blimey I’ve been a busy bee creating all manner of loveliness for the School Fair tomorrow!

Earlier in the week I made some fudge and then I designed a summer fête inspired box in which to display them.  I was trying to think of some quick, easy and cheap ideas for making something which would sell at the fair, when I remembered the forty-or-so sheets of recycled brown card left over from making our wedding invitations last year.  Bingo!  Greetings Cards would be all those things and should make a good profit for the school.

I sketched and cut out some card templates of several different designs, then cut the shapes out of scraps of wrapping paper.  Keeping in mind the necessity to appeal to all ages and both sexes, I chose a mixture of colours and cut out the following; bunting, balloons, kites and ties.

I stitched the shapes with a basic straight stitch on the sewing machine and embellished some of them with glued-on paper clouds.  The cards were left blank to make them suitable for any occasion, apart from a few that were printed with ‘Father’s Day’ as it is the day after the fair.  I wrote my website on the reverse so that, if they don’t sell, I can put them in my shop for sale:)

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So far forty cards have cost nothing, so I bought 50 manilla envelopes for £1.29 and 50 see-through bags for £2.75.  They look MUCH more professional presented this way and each card has still only cost 8p! (Not including my time, obviously).  This serves another purpose though, as it protects the cards from damage and dirt as they get handled.

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Now, what to do about a box?

Knowing that people like to rummage through everything easily, I decided to customize a shoe box to make a long, thin “shelf” type display box.  This is what they look like….

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I’m secretly quite chuffed with the whole thing!  Hopefully that’s given you an idea of a quick and easy craft make for your school fair or summer fête – handmade greetings cards for just a few pence each.