Simplicity New Look Competition

Hi everyone! Long time no see! I haven't had much time for sewing lately as I've been concentrating on getting myself fit and healthy, but I saw this competition mentioned in the latest Love Sewing magazine and just knew I had to enter! Unfortunately I only saw it on the 19th of May, and the competition ends on the 31st so I knew I had to get my tail in gear to get it done!


There were three categories for the competition - Dressmaking, Vintage, and Newcomer. Each category had a different pattern, and as I picked the Dressmaker challenge, I received a New Look 6145 shift dress pattern on the 24th May and got to work straight away!

I had some gorgeous ticking fabric in my stash that my lovely friend Emma gave me, and I knew it would be perfect! 

I decided to play with the pattern a little, so I chose to make view E without the collar, and thought it would be fun to quarter the front of the pattern, cut the ticking on the bias, and make a diamond shape pattern! (I know, with 5 days to get it done and the small one on half term holidays from school - I *might* be a little crazy!)

So I traced, and cut, and pinned like crazy...and this was the front - I breathed a HUGE sigh of relief, I can tell you ha ha!

On the back I decided to quarter the pattern to continue the waistline round, but I didn't do the same pattern with the fabric, deciding instead to just chevron it down the centre back. 

Now came the easy part - sewing it together!

I'm really pleased with how it turned out, especially as it was such a fast turnaround, and my first attempt at pattern matching stripes! Eek!

I think I'll be making quite a few more of these, although perhaps next time I'll just use a plain fabric! Ha ha!

I'm just glad I managed to get it finished today in time to enter it!

Thanks for looking

Lisa x

Of a magazine, a pattern, and a dress. . .

A few weeks ago I saw a new magazine that was being launched called Love Sewing, and it looked good so I decided to give it a try - it's fantastic! Lots of projects, new fabric lines, interviews, helpful articles, free gifts and patterns...what's not to love? I'm now subscribed so I don't miss an issue! 

The free pattern in this issue was a downloadable one from Simple Sew Patterns - the Brigitte dress.

I thought it was really pretty, and fairly simple which is good as I don't often make things for myself!

They suggest in the magazine to use cotton or jersey, so I decided on cotton as I already had a couple of metres of this gorgeous Makower beach huts fabric from Ditto Fabrics and thought it would make a pretty summer dress.

Printing out and assembling the pattern was pretty straightforward - after measuring myself and checking the sizes on the pattern I made a size 16 (I wear a 12-14 in 'shop bought' clothing) so make sure you check your sizes...however this is quite the norm for sewing patterns!

I also decided to make the sleeves shorter, and to add a lining as the cotton I chose was a little see through!

I'd never made a lined dress before, so I chose a thin cotton (from an old bed sheet!), cut all the pieces as I did for the actual dress, and tacked the pieces together like for like - from then on I treated each piece of matching tacked lining and dress fabric as one piece, and then sewed it all together. It worked really well doing it that way!

This is a 'halfway stage' picture...

The step-by-step instructions were really clear and simple to follow...even for the invisible zip, which I'd never done before! Mine didn't turn out QUITE as invisible as I would have liked, but that was down to my sewing skills and not the instructions lol! 

Overall, I was very impressed - I will definitely be getting more patterns from them! Actually, Issue 2 of Love Sewing arrived on my doormat yesterday (3 days before it's available in the shops - the benefits of subscribing!) and it has a paper pattern for this beautiful top and skirt from Simple Sew Patterns as a free gift, so I will be blogging those makes shortly! I love the vintage styling of them and can't wait to get sewing! 

So anyway - here's a pic of the *almost* finished dress...I hadn't hemmed it here lol!

And one of me wearing it (over jeans, it was chilly lol!) - excuse the photo, I had to rope in the Mr. to take it!

 I've worn it a few times since and had lots of nice comments - people even asking me where I bought it! Nothing better for a sewer than to hear that!

Well, I say nothing better...

I opened the above Issue 2 of Love Sewing yesterday, and what should I see but MY DRESS! In the magazine! I was over the moon!

Although next time I take a picture of something I make and post in on Facebook, I'll make sure to not have my ratty old ironing board in the background ha ha! Oops! 

In the next couple of days I will be sharing some thoughts on my new sewing machine with you too, now it's had a good road test!

Thanks for looking

Lisa

xxx

Reversible Bucket Bag - The Bag Making Bible

Looking through my fabric stash the other day, I came up with these 3 fabrics that I thought were perfect together. 

So, then I had to decide what to make with them lol!

A while back, I bought The Bag Making Bible by Lisa Lam, so I thought I'd have a go at something from there...I chose the Reversible Bucket bag.

It's a lovely pattern, and deceptively easy to put together - I can see me making many more!

Here it is....the fabrics are

Outer: Denyse Schmidt - Hope Valley Prairie Rose New Day

Inner(Reverse): An old quilt cover!

Binding: Some random heavier weight fabric!

Hope you like it! 

Thanks for looking!

Lisa

xxx

Cath Kidston goodness....

arrived on my doorstep this morning in the shape of her amazing 'Sew!' book! 

See all that beautiful fabric? I can't wait to get started making the bag! 

But in the meantime, I thought I'd share a few peeks at what delights await me inside the cover......

I have a feeling I shall be making quite a few of these projects!

Thanks for looking.

Lisa xxx

I've been a busy girl!

Over the past couple of days, so I thought I should share with you what I've been making!

Firstly was a couple of bags (yeah, like you're shocked......lol!) - I think these have a very fresh and spring like feel to them!

Fabric used: Kate Spain Central Park North Meadow Aqua

Free Spirit Designer Beads Mist

Free Spirit Designer Solids Aqua

15mm Plain Ribbon Plum

Fabrics used:  Carolyn Gavin Spring Street Buzzing Gardens Multi

Carolyn Gavin Spring Street Tossed Flowers White

Free Spirit Designer Solids Lemon

15mm Plain Ribbon Blue

 All the above fabrics and ribbons were bought from Sew Me Happy - my favourite UK fabric shop! (And I'm not getting any payment or goods for this mention - I just love them!)

And then something that's NOT a bag - another dress! This one is for a friend's gorgeous little 2 month old girl - I hope she likes it! Its based on the Made By Rae Itty Bitty Dress  with a few variations of my own. You'll notice this is the same fabric as my camera bag and the other little girl's dress I made - I think it suits the style perfectly!

So that's it! 

Have a great weekend, and thanks for looking!

xxx

Riley Blake Summer Halter Top

So those of you who are regular visitors here (I thank you!) will remember my post about winning a Riley Blake charm pack and full yard from One Hundred Years Ago and Plum Patchwork...

well, here's what I made with it!

A halter neck tie top with a patch front panel..it has elastic at the top, across the back, and round the bottom, and is very comfy!

I'm so pleased with it, I want to make another - and if I do, rest assured I'll also write a tutorial for it too!

I'm also entering this in the Made by Rae Spring Top sew-a-long, so look for me there!

Front

Back

Patch panel detail 

Thanks for looking! 

Spring Craftiness tutorial

While sitting with the small one, supervising his craft session (trust me, he NEEDS supervising - I turned my back for a second and he cut a tube of glitter glue in half!) I had an idea pop into my head (those of you who know me - see? It DOES happen occasionally.)

I decided to make these cute little frames - and do a step by step tutorial for you too!

You will need :-

12 lolly sticks

thick card or craft foam for backing

scraps of co-ordinating fabric (or not co-ordinating, if that's how you roll!) 

embellishments (I used foam hearts)

long strip of ribbon or fabric for hanging

glue stick

black gel pen

sellotape (other sticky back plastics are available!)

Firstly, cut out 3 squares of your card or foam backing, making them just smaller than the length of your lolly sticks, depending how much stick you want to hang over the edge. You will see I forgot this photo, so took it after I'd stuck the fabric on lol!

Then, stick your fabric on one side - I used 1 main piece and then a co-ordinating strip - how you do it is up to you!

Next, attach the lolly sticks using a glue stick - I wasn't particularly set on getting them straight - they looked cuter all higgledy piggledy!

Then add your embellishment - I used cute foam hearts that I pinched shamelessly from my sons craft box!

Next, using a gel pen in black, I wrote 'love' and drew hearts on the frames, because I'm sappy!

Lastly, I turned them over and added a twisted strip of fabric for hanging (you could use ribbon, or string if you wanted). I laid it on the back and sellotaped it - it was easier than trying to glue it! I made a loop at the top and taped that down too.

And there you have it! One very easy cute project to bring a little bit of spring to your room!

Oh, and while I was doing this? 

My little man was still having some crafty fun of his own lol!

Thanks for looking, have a great weekend!

xxx

I didn't manage it....

I made another bag! lol!

This is another using my 'Romance' bag pattern (which I am trying to get sorted for you, honestly!) so I called it 'Dark Romance'!

Fabrics used:

Riley Blake - Sublime Red Flowers

Michael Miller - Dumb Dots Black

Michael Miller - Ta Dots Ebony

Thanks for looking!

xxx

Anna's bag!

Here's the bag I made with the fabric that arrived yesterday - I promise I'll sew something that isn't a bag tomorrow lol!

Fabrics are:

Denyse Schmidt - Hope Valley Prairie Rose New Day

Free Spirit - Designer Beads Powder

Ribbon is East of India Grey Heart

Thanks for looking!

xxx

I love my Postman.....

because he brings me pretty fabric from my favourite fount of fabricky (not even a word? lol!) goodness - Sew Me Happy! lol!

Fabrics are: 

Denyse Schmidt - Hope Vally Prairie Rose New Day

Free Spirit - Designer Beads Powder

Michael Miller - Ta Dots Ebony

Ribbon - Black with white spot Grosgrain

I ordered this little lot to make a bag for my friend...but when it arrived I wasn't keen on the fabric/ribbon combo! So after a quick think and an email or two to my friend...we came up with this combo instead from my stash! Phew!

Ribbon - East of India Grey Heart (also from Sew Me Happy)

Fabric - Miscellaneous from stash lol!

Much better, yes? 

The grey dots and black ribbon won't go to waste - I'll just use them on something else lol!

Thanks for looking

xxx 

Yesterday's Bargain shop!

We all trooped off to Lakeside Shopping Centre yesterday to pick up some bits and pieces, and while we were there I thought I'd pop into Primark and see what bargains were to be had - I love a bargain, me! lol!

This is what I came out with - the 3 fabrics on the left are all XL ladies shirts to be upcycled - the birds has little matching fabric covered buttons, the matrioshka doll fabric has those gorgeous little heart buttons, and there were some lovely little red buttons on the rose fabric, so I can re-use all of them as well!

Even better - they were all £1 each in the sale!

The three on the right hand side are all single duvet cover sets...imagine how much fabric is in those - and they were £5 each! 

So I got the whole lot for less than £20 - I love a bargain, and upcycling!

Thanks for looking!

xxx

Happy Mother's Day!

Here in the UK it's Mother's Day today...which means I can finally post what I made my Mum about a week ago lol!

I couldn't post it here before as she reads my blog - so Happy Mother's Day Mum, I love you!

Here it is - a bag based on the free Ottobre Dotted Dream Purse Pattern, but with a few of my own modifications, such as the button and the straps!

This is the first bag I've made, so I'm really pleased with how it turned out, and so was my Mum -she loved it! Yay!

Fabrics used are:

Riley Blake's Green Gingham Check Quite Contrary by Minds Eye

Phoebe Butterflies on Brown from In The Beginning

Riley Blake's Red Cheery Circles from All Star Collection

with a plain brown upholstery fabric from my stash for the lining,and a button from my stash too.

Thanks for looking - and I hope all you mamas out there have a lovely day!

xxx

Fantastic Service...

I just wanted to let you all know about some fantastic service I received from Sew Me Happy...(their button is over on the right hand side there >>>)

Yesterday, about 4pm, I placed an order on the website...standard delivery.

9.45am this morning, it turned up. Everything packaged beautifully, with adorable little stickers on the packets, and a lovely Sew Me Happy postcard as well!

This is the second time I've ordered here...and the second time I've received great service.

When a place impresses me like they have, I like to share them with everyone - so I am! I'll definitely be a regular customer.

Here's my order - I'm making a handbag for a friend...I think she'll love it!

Fabrics are :-
Patty Young - Blossoms Black
Michael Miller - Dumb Dots Fuschia
Michael Miller - Dumb Dots Black
Ribbon - Grosgrain Fuschia/White Dots

(See that oh-so-cute sticker? I LOVE them!)

(I would just like to add they're not paying me in any way for this, in case you were wondering lol!)

Thanks for looking!

xxx 

Winning!

To quote Charlie Sheen....lol!

I just found out I won some gorgeous Riley Blake fabric courtesy of Alicia Grace at One Hundred Years Ago who hosted the giveaway and Plum Patchwork who donated the prize - this gorgeous charm pack and co-ordinating yard of fabric...

I can't wait to make something with it - it will make whatever I create look good lol!

A huge thank you to Alicia and Plum Patchwork - you made my day! 

Thanks for looking.

xxx

Thomas the Tank Engine PJ Pants!

I made these for my little Thomas fiend today...PJ pants! Needless to say after I got them on him, I couldn't get them off again - and he's currently all tucked up in bed with them on - good job I prewashed the fabric, eh? lol!

I traced them from a pair of pants I already made him as I love the fit of them - you can see them here: 

summer pants

Please excuse the pictures - he was so excited with them I couldn't get him to stay still for five minutes! 

His attempt at a 'pose'...

and a rare still moment - no idea what he was looking at, but it seems it was fascinating lol!

Thanks for looking!

xxx