It’s finished!
For those of you that would like to see how the dreaded Hoodie turned out, here’s a link to the full blog post: – The Hoodie That (Almost) Changed My Mind
Tag Archives: sewing
Sunday Sevens #98
We’re down to one car at the moment – the Mercedes is in the garage and may be on it’s way to the scrapyard in the sky as it may not be economical to fix. Mr H-L has been using my car for work as I don’t need it in the holidays, but this means we don’t get out at all as there is very limited public transport.
What I’m trying to say, is that there are no pub photos in this week’s Sunday Sevens, and no Exmoor landscapes – just us at home, doing stuff.
- Progress is slow but steady on the baby shawl I’m knitting. At this point I was one third of the way through and the statistics were; 35 hours, 560 rows and 40,324 stitches.
2. I held two full day workshops this week. Just look at the concentration on her face!
3. The students love choosing their own combination of fabrics to make their creations unique. It started with piles of neatly folded fabric but, within seconds of excited rummaging, descended into this chaotic heap!
4. I found time to design and make a school bag for No.2 Son. He declared that he was too old to use the standard school “babyish” book bags so chose the fabrics for a more grown up version.
I’ll write up a quick ‘how to’ when I get time.
5. Talking of school, we made a rare trip to town to buy new school shoes and The Boys spent the whole time going up and down the escalators. They’re not used to such exciting entertainment in the country!
6. WHY are school shoes so expensive? £100 for two pairs of shoes and a pair of daps – criminal.
7. While we were in Yeovil, we popped into the outdoor pursuits shop and managed to snap up another gas burner, gas cannisters and a new lamp, all at half price, ready for camping next week.
8. I treated myself to six tin plates, all copies of original royal china. Who said you can’t dine in style just because you’re camping?
9. Being at home all week meant more baking than usual was done. The Boys wore their self-made butcher’s aprons and had great fun making chocolate cornflake crunchies.
10. Licking the spoons is always the best bit, isn’t it?
11. Finally – HOW can sleeping like this be comfortable?!
Sunday Sevens is a weekly blog series showing glimpses of your life outside of the blog. To find out how you can join in, too, visit Nat at Threads & Bobbins.
Funky Sleeping Bag (and Hoodie!)
This month’s blog post for Minerva Crafts is two-for-the-price-of-one.
I had just enough left over from making a sleeping bag to make a hoodie for one of The Boys as well.
Click on the link to read all about both makes: – Sleeping Bag & Hoodie
Last Minute Birthday Sewing
HOW expensive are goalposts?
Even though they were half price, they still cost quite a lot, so it meant No.3 Son would only have one present to open on his birthday.
Don’t get me wrong, I know one present is adequate but it’s always nice to see a little pile of gifts wrapped up with your name on. I managed to buy three secondhand children’s novels and wondered if I could make something for him as well.
He finished these long shorts earlier in the week and decided that the best T-shirt to go with it was this red one with a picture of a camper van on the front.
Hmm, two different shades of red do not an outfit make.
Rummaging through my fabrics, I found a length of turquoise jersey left over from making this sample Coco for my stand at the school fair.
There was just enough for a boy’s T-shirt using this pattern from issue 27 of Love Sewing magazine.
I wouldn’t download and print off a pattern for anything larger, but this was just nine sheets of paper which taped together very quickly.
My French curve came in handy for grading the pattern up to Age 9.
Just three pattern pieces meant this promised to be a quick enough make to complete in the couple of hours before he came home from school.
Some remnants of blind fabric provided the perfect motif to add to the front of the T-shirt and I picked the red one to echo the colour of the shorts they were to go with.
After stabilising with some interfacing, the free motion foot made short work of the appliqué – I sewed two rounds of stitching.
Embroidery scissors were used to cut close to the stitching and remove the excess fabric to reveal the motif.
The finished appliqué.
Maybe it would have been better to place it a little higher on the chest?
Full construction details, and the free pattern, can be found in issue 27 of Love Sewing, so I won’t repeat them here.
Suffice to say that it was quick, easy and fun to make and the finish was faultless, though I say so myself!
The overlocker (all four threads) was used exclusively for the construction, with top stitching done on the sewing machine.
Apart from the white overlock thread. It was all I had.
I also didn’t have the requisite ribbed jersey for the neckband, but more of the fabric that I used for the body of the T-shirt worked just as well.
A slight zig zag stitch was used for the top stitching around the neckline, both for decoration and to keep the neckline lying flat.
A straightforward one centimetre hem on the bottom and sleeve hems was the final touch to bring the project in under two hours.
All wrapped up and ready to open – a free extra present for one little nine year old boy!
At precisely 4.51am, a very excited little boy bounded into our bedroom….and was sent back to bed for an hour and a half. I know. We’re mean parents.
At 6.30, Take Two. He woke up everyone in the house (No.1 Son ended up going into work early!) and we all went down to watch him unwrap his presents.
First, his T-shirt….
….then Star Wars masks and light sabres from his oldest brother….
As for the T-shirt….well, it stayed clean for all of five minutes….
Triple-Layered Linen Dress
This month’s make for the Minerva Crafts Blogger’s Network is an interesting one. I started off with a commercial pattern but had to drastically alter it after I realised that the white fabric revealed my underwear!
Click on the link below to read all about it: –
Cross Body Messenger Bags
We’re still in Spain, but I took some photos of some bags I made a couple of weeks ago on the off chance that I might find time in my sunbathing busy schedule to do a quick blog post.
I was lucky enough to be given this brilliant book by someone (so sorry, but I can’t remember who!) which has some great designs in it.
A student of mine, who is just eleven years old, asked if she could make a bag as her next project and who am I to refuse? I gave her some books to look through and she chose a cross-body bag (as opposed to a body bag – totally different connotation!) from one of my books aimed at adults.
After having a quick scan of the instructions, I agreed that it was doable for a beginner, with a little help, and sent her off to go and buy all the supplies in time for the next lesson.
In the meantime, I thought it would be a good idea to just whip one up myself, so that I knew what I was looking at. After all, with four kids in each class, I have to split my time between them all and would be unable to give her one-to-one attention for the duration.
I found some canvas-like fabric in my stash that I bought on a whim ages ago that was waiting for the right project. The bold pattern was crying out for a contrasting lining, so I used up the last of my fuchsia linen and chose a matching zip.
Just over an hour later, this is what I ended up with: –
I just love the bright surprise when you open the zip.
I had everything in stock already, except the something suitable for the strap, so popped out quickly to buy a few metres of webbing which was stitched on securely in the usual way.
The back is just as attractive as the front.
I was so pleased with how it turned out that I carried straight on and made some more!
The next was made of a pale lime fabric with a cream fruit motif which I paired with……
….a vibrant turquoise lining, leftover linen from my stash.
This is probably my favourite, though – made from a butterfly print fabric that I bought from Kirstie’s Handmade Fair in Hampton last September.
I chose a cotton in various shades of blue for the lining.
Of course, I don’t need a cross-body bag, so these are destined for sale either in my Folksy shop or the school fair next weekend.
Have you found a pattern that you couldn’t resist making again and again just for the fun of it?
Mens Red Shorts & Giveaway Winner!
They’re finished!
Bright red, tailored shorts with so many exquisite little details that make them a joy to look at!
Just one look at the smile on his face tells you how much Mr H-L likes them.
To see the full blog post over on the Minerva Crafts Blogger Network, just click on the following link: Red Shorts With Camper Van Lining
In other news, I am delighted to say that the winner of the fabric giveaway is……
Congratulations Lulu! Please email your full name and address to info@sewchet.com so that I can get your prize in the post to you as soon as possible.
Sunday Sevens #87
Sunday Sevens is half right this week in that at least I’m posting on a Sunday. I really must work on the ‘sevens’ part though, as demonstrated by the 24 photos that follow…..
1. Wisteria is one of the many reasons that May is my favourite month. Georgian architecture, cottage gardens and the odd perfect blue sky are one of the many reasons to love England.
2. Talking of architecture, I snapped up this book in the charity shop this week for just £2.00.
3. Bought these quilting clips which should be useful for bulky fabrics or when pin marks would ruin leather/PVC.
4. I ordered a couple of metres of this fab ‘ice cream truck’ fabric from Ditto fabrics while it’s in the sale. It’s even better in the flesh and I’m tempted to get some more.
5. Mr H-L and I had a day out in Salisbury. First stop is always the Old George Inn, now run as the Boston Tea Party café, for Eggs Royale where we sit in the same place – a Grade One listed bay window which still has a few of the original panes of glass. On the wall opposite is a list of all the landlords/licencees since 1320!
6. Its Grade One status means that no fixtures can be permanent, including the lighting. I love the quirky solution of suspending old teapots wired up as pendants over the table.
7. Breakfast provided the necessary sustenance for Mr H-L to survive not one, but TWO fabric stores whilst we were there. Franklins were celebrating their 60th anniversary and the shop is more of a craft centre spread over two floors. They hold a good selection of quilting-type cottons, if a little on the pricy side at £18.95 per metre. I bought mine from the bargain bucket where everything was £2.95 per metre:)
8. I can’t imagine spending that much on a sewing machine…..
9. Fabric Land is one of nine branches spread over Southern England and this particular shop is pretty good, stocking completely different fabrics to Franklins. Their full price printed cottons were £3.95 per metre – an important factor when considering my workshops are all-inclusive and I need to make a profit.
10. As a treat for being a good boy in the sewing shops, I took Mr H-L for a quick pint in The Haunch of Venison, also dating from 1320. If you get a chance, follow the link and read the brief history as it’s quite interesting.
11. See the bread oven in the left of the inglenook?
12. Here it is close up, now secured with iron bars and a padlock due to its macabre contents having been pilfered several times in the past.
13. Why anyone would want to nick the mummified remains of a hand, chopped off of a man caught cheating at cards, is beyond me, though!
14. Here’s the accompanying poem that describes the grisly event in more detail.
15. My recent fabric buying bonanza has culminated in this towering pile of cotton prints, all of which are destined for Summer sewing workshops.
16. There are some lovely combinations for the kids to choose from for this PJ and pillow project.
17. Mr H-L rustled up a tasty breakfast on Saturday morning….
18. …..whilst I whipped up some butter and a quick loaf.
19. Love Sewing popped through the door later in the morning, so everything stopped for half an hour while I put my feet up with a cup of coffee.
20. No.1 Son’s team won the Cup.
21. Here he is with the winner’s medal.
22. Mr H-L’s shorts are finished and ready to be blogged on Wednesday.
23. Last night’s sofa project was this crochet pincushion which was a free gift with Mollie Makes this month. It might be going in this year’s #stitchingsanta parcel……
24. Sunday morning will see me squeezing in a couple of hours of selfish sewing while Mr H-L does the grocery shopping, No.1 Son has gone to see his girlfriend, No.2 Son is at the stables and No.3 Son is happily colouring.
Said project is a white linen triple-layered dress which has caused me one very big practical problem at the moment. Stay tuned for an update;)
Sunday Sevens is a weekly blog series thought up by Nat at Thread & Bobbins – follow the link to find out what it’s all about and how you can join in, too.
Reversible ‘Oliver + S’ bucket hat and a GIVEAWAY!
So our holiday in Spain is drawing ever closer and I’ve made a few things in anticipation. I’ve also had some leftover fabric from various other projects and, being the type of person who a) loathes waste and b)keeps fabric scraps any larger than an inch square, I was keen to make a few ‘free’ items.
I was lucky enough to be gifted some abstract Rose & Hubble floral fabric by a friend who was having a clear out and only used about half of it making this keyhole tunic from Love Sewing magazine.
Last weekend, No.2 Son declared that he needed some new shorts and was dismissed with the instructions to “go and make some then”.
He did and, an hour and a half later, came back sporting this very fetching pair of Hawaiian shorts using more of the same abstract print fabric.
I also had a small amount left of this campervan fabric from Minerva Crafts. It was used to line the pockets and waistband of an equally garish pair of shorts made for my husband (yet to be blogged about).
What can I say? He’s inherited his father’s love of bling:)
So, armed with this combination of fabrics, I thought they’d make a great reversible sun hat for No.2 Son to go with his new shorts.
Enter ‘Oliver + S’ with the perfect reversible design which I loved as soon as I saw the three that Hila has just made on her blog, Saturday Night Stitch.
I found this free pattern on the Oliver + S website, downloaded it instantly and printed it off within minutes. It taped together very quickly and easily and is sized for 3 months – 8 years. I just graded up again for No.2 Son who is ten.
Nothing tricky whatsoever in the sewing process, the instructions were clearly explained and faultless and within a couple of hours the hat was finished.
So quickly that I completely forgot to take ANY construction photos.
Never mind, No.2 Son loves it and was more than happy to pose for a few photos before school this morning.
No doubt it will look more appropriate in Spain with a pair of trunks and flip flops!
I love the rows of top stitching that add structure to the brim.
The reverse side peeks out from under the brim.
Yes, it will be perfect with his new self-made shorts.
Talk about eeking out the fabric to get as much use from it as possible and I still have a metre of the blue one left – which brings me nicely to my next point.
My second Blogiversary has just passed, with 216 posts and total views tipping 106,000!
So, a HUGE “Thank you” to everyone that follows my blog and, as a token of my appreciation, I thought another giveaway was in order.
I’m giving away a metre of the Rose & Hubble print fabric which is lightweight and has a lovely drape to it – it would make a lovely Summer top.
There is also one and a half metres of this fabulous, super drapy fabric, a heavyweight crèpe I think, which would make a great evening top.
To be entered into the draw, just leave a comment below mentioning one of my past makes that you particularly liked.
For more entries, just share this post on social media and let me know. For every share, you will get an extra entry.
The winner will be picked at random after midnight on Sunday 15th May – so hurry!
Sunday Sevens #86
Welcome to another SSSS (South Somerset Sunday Sevens) – no. 86 or 87, I’ve lost track after this many weeks. Nat over at Threads & Bobbins came up with this idea to help you keep blogging in those less productive times. Pop over to her blog to see how you can join in, too.
As ever, I have failed to whittle it down to just seven photos (clue is in the title!) but HAVE found a way to make it less obvious that I can’t count – make a montage!
- Although we went away to London last weekend for our wedding anniversary, the actual date was mid week so, of course, we had to celebrate again on the day itself. We went to one of our favourite places for lunch, Holbrook House, which is the same hotel that we spent our wedding night in.
2. These giant 25mm knitting needles arrived in the post from Wool Warehouse along with some super chunky wool. I’ve been knitting with laceweight yarn on 3mm needles for three months solid and was desperate to do a quick knit.
3. We spent a couple of days in the garden at the beginning of the week as soon as the spell of good weather started. Pool was filled, gazebo drapes were put back up and the daybed was dressed for the Summer.
4. I cast on with the giant needles whilst keeping an eye on The Boys in the pool.
We had snow this time last week!
5. Knitting continued apace the following morning in bed. I love how quickly this has knitted up. In fact, the entire jumper is finished already – I just have to sew it up!
6. Talking of knitting, No.3 Son asked if I would teach him how to knit. This is the progress of his ‘scarf’. Well, a scarf is the first thing everyone knits, isn’t it?
7. Mr H-L’s red shorts are nearly finished. Waistband is going on – this is the inside and should make him smile every time he puts them on.
8. No.2 Son declared that he needed some new shorts for Spain in a few weeks so, being the mother that I am, told him to go and make some.
An hour and a half later – voilà!
Like his father, his taste is not exactly conservative:)
9. Two more happy Stitch Academy students with their finished projects.
10. Our first barbeque of the year!
11. Lunch with the girls made a nice change as we don’t get to do it as often as we used to.
12. Second barbeque in as many days! Last year we didn’t have a single one, so we’re making the most of the good weather while it lasts.
13. In fact, we lit the woodburner (every garden should have one) and stayed outside until nearly ten o’clock with family who were visiting for the weekend.
Finally, a big “thank you” to all your kind messages about the hens. They are all missed, but the new ones are getting used to us now, coming closer as they get braver and become more inquisitive. It won’t be very long before we find them wandering into the kitchen, I suspect.
Sewchet 