Strawberries and pins

We have been really busy over the last week or so and it has meant that I have not had much time (or inclination) to do much crafty "stuff".  I say "stuff" because I currently have some pillows, an iPhone case, a quilt top and a new skirt on my do now list.  This is obviously quite a bit shorter that the to do list which covers things which I have most of the supplies for and a lot shorter than the want to make list...... (am I the only one who has multiple lists like this for their projects?).

Anyway I received the first issue of Quilt Now last weekend.  It is really good and I love how fresh and modern it feels. I have been following the editor Katy's blog - I'm a Ginger Monkey - for a number of years and if you like the blog I'm sure you will love the magazine.  I can't decide what to make first!

The magazine also came with materials to make up two strawberry pin cushions.  Whenever I get a free gift with a magazine (or any gift for that matter) the first thing I do is open it up to have a wee nose.  I was really impressed - you even got all the coordinating thread!  However, as I started to devour the magazine the pack was left the pack on the coffee table....

However, we have visitors this week and I was doing the ironing the other night when I noticed the fabric and thought hmm could do with a wee press. Next thing I knew I was using the new gadget which I had been hemming the curtains with to draw my circle.....

.....cutting out the leaves.....

.....and sewing it together......

They came together really quickly, think it was just under an hour, which was good since I probably should not have started a new crafty project at 10.30pm on a work night!  Just need to get the pins back out and start some more sewing now.

Good enough to eat?!

Getting to grips with blogging.....

Starting to get the hang of this blogging malarkey.  HMTL code and me are never going to be firm pals but I managed to add share buttons (which work!) last night mostly with the help of this tutorial by Blog Guidebook.com.

Oh and you can now also follow my blog with Bloglovin! 

Signing up for OWOP!

All excited!  Just signed up for One Week One Pattern being run by Handmade Jane.  You can sign up here if you fancy joining in too.

I have never participated in something like this before so I am really excited.  Not sure what to make.  Currently thinking the Delphine skirt from Love at First Stitch. Or maybe I should make some more variations of my Lottie blouse. Or maybe a dress......... far too many choices. 

Thank goodness it is not until September so I have plenty of time to make up my mind.

Curtains

Just realised that I never mentioned that the curtains were a success. 

 

They fitted perfect, the bottom hem was not all wobbly and most importantly my Gran was really pleased.

 

I didn't actually take many photos - although my mum took this very bad one of me up the ladder hanging them up!

 

If I was making them again the only thing I would do differently would be to either create a pocket or not sew down one of the short sides of the curtain tape to hide the excess string.  Quite happy for a first attempt though.

A lot of love for Lottie.......

Hello again

As I mentioned in my previous post I have recently made the Lottie Blouse from Sew Simple Sews which came free with the second issue of Love Sewing Magazine.   I decided that I wanted to make a version of the sleeveless blouse which i could wear over the summer.  I usually go for crazy fabric which means when I finish a garment it just doesn't fit in with the rest of my wardrobe and I don't ever manage to wear it.  This time I decided to play it safe and go with a white cotton lawn fabric with small dots from Favorite Fabrics on E-bay

I found the pattern really quite easy to follow and the only modification I made was to grade between the size 12 and 14 at the hips. 

I have started tracing my patterns rather than just cutting away.  I normally have to grade between the waist and hips so it gives me the reassurance that if I make a mistake I can always go back.  I don't use anything fancy for the tracing paper just good old baking parchment from the kitchen!!

I decided to use french seams for  this project as you can see through the fabric a wee bit.  This all worked well and the top came together very quickly.  That was until I tried to attach the collar...... big mistake.  I just couldn't get it to work!  Out came the seam ripper and then the top sat on the back of the chair for a couple of weeks until I managed to get the time to finish it off.

After getting the curtains finished I decided that I really should just get it done.  It only took about an hour to finish and was ready for me to wear to work on Friday. 

Here are a couple of photos of the finished article...... a late at night just finished photo....

...trying to be arty with the mirror at my Gran's house......

....outside in the sun.

If I made this project again (which is very likely)  I think I would like to try it in a chiffon rather than a lawn to get a bit more drape.  You could also have it as just a sleeveless top without the bow and put the bias binding all round the neck.  I really liked the cut out section at the front so may have to make up a version like that.

Oh and just to prove I will show you when things go wrong.  Looks like my stitching never quite caught on part of the bias round the neck.  A wee fix required I think.

Quick project info

• Fabric used: white cotton lawn with small white dots from favorite fabrics
• Pattern: Lottie Blouse from Sew Simple Sews
• Size:

Getting started

So tonight I managed to finish two projects so I thought what next......well I have been thinking about starting a blog for a while and thought now is as good a time as any to get writing!

First off a little bit about me.  Well my name is Susan and I live in Glasgow, Scotland and I am planning on writing about my adventures in sewing, knitting and cross stitch.  I also intend to be honest and let you know what has worked along with what has gone wrong and what has been badly fudged!!

So what were the two projects I mentioned at the top of the post.  Well the first is a pair of curtains for my Gran.  Not my normal type of project but, having never made curtains before and being the good granddaughter that I am, this has been the project which has occupied my last few evenings.

The curtains are 2.2 meters long so hemming the sides was going to be a tedious process. Anyone who tells you that hemming 10 meters of fabric is fun is just plane old lying!  It was however made easier with my new sewing gadget.  That thing is awesome!

Getting the curtain tape on and trying desperately not to accidentally pull the strings.

 As you can see the process took up the whole of my living room floor.  I had to even get the big DIY tape measure out when creating the hem as none of my dressmaking ones were long enough.

All neatly folded and ready to go to its new home.

Hopefully I will get out to my Gran's to hang them at the weekend and that she likes them. I really like the fabric, its a light polycotton and I was sleekly hoping that there would be more left over!

My other project is far more exciting.  It is the Lottie Blouse from Sew Simple Sews which came free with the second issue of Love Sewing Magazine.  Still need to get a decent photo wearing it as the OH was out tonight (probably why I managed to get as much sewing done as I did) so I think that may have to wait for another day.