Domesticali

Resistance is futile

It called me. What was I to do? It's late, my resistance is low. I succumbed

New skirts have appeared over at Clothkits.

I am holding Monica and Katy wholly responsible. They made me press the button.

Sewing frenzy

Hot off the machine, one Amy Butler 'Anna Tunic'.

Contrast yoke inspired by my ever present stack of Boden catalogues (in particular, this top). It also has the cunning advantage of negating the need for any pattern matching (not my forte!).

Hard to photograph on the washing line, or on myself. So I roped in the closest body. I didn't trust him not to drop my camera, so he had to wear the tunic instead.


Not every 7 year old boy could pull it off, but I think he's rocking the look!

Now could someone please explain when my son got large enough for my clothes to (sort of) fit him?

Did you notice how rainy it's been the last day or so? There are a number of legitimate reasons for this:
1. It's a Bank Holiday Weekend
2. We decided to go camping. Because that guarantees excellent weather, right?

(Photo taken indoors before we left. There are no actual camping photos. That's how wet it was.)
3. The summer skirt that I've been ruminating over since last year is complete bar the hem.

(Photo also taken pre-deluge - although now I look closely, the clouds do appear to be gathering...).  Just be grateful it wasn't a sunhat on the sewing machine. Because the last time, that gave rise to one of the worst episodes of flooding in recent memory. Stay dry!

Little stamps

Sometimes it feels good to fall back on something familiar.

Particularly when you are nervous about trying something new. I'm casting about for inspiration to prepare for a workshop by Jessie Chorley. The plan is  to make a book based on a personal narrative, but suddenly I seem to be all out of stories. I do have a great deal of old shopping lists though. Do you suppose those might work?

Better keep planning I think.

Some folks seem to have the knack of making something special out of the everyday. Capturing a moment - check out Record the Day and you'll see what I mean. And how about the UK at Home project. Seven days, captured on film and made into a book which somehow captures the essence of home.

Bit of sewing

A little peek of a little sewing that's been happening round here.

Not much else to share though. My body is trying to put me into hibernation mode. Last night I went to bed at 7pm and didn't awaken until a pitter patter of small feet came to find me this morning.

So if you see a missing spark anywhere, do let me know. I seem to have misplaced mine.

Bit of sewing

Sunny weather (albeit freezing) always brings with it the possibility of turfing the boys out in the garden and doing a bit of sewing. In the hazy pre-Christmas past, Florence sent me a chalk pencil which I hadn't had a reason to test drive until now. It passed with flying colours - what a handy contraption.

Used it to outline the template for a  smocket, which I had been dying to sew ever since Alicia posted the pattern. Sometimes you just need to hang onto the thoughts swirling at the back of your head until the opportunity presents itself to try something.

We are officially on half-term this week. I'm looking forward to the break in routine. We have a birthday to celebrate, friends to see, opticians to visit, shoes to replace and adventures to be had. Hope your week is looking full of fun too.

Airing my laundry in public

When the sun came out this week, one of the things on the good light list to photograph was my Janet Bolton workshop piece.   I feel obliged to show it to you, because I struck an "I'll show you mine if you show me yours" deal with Emma, and so many of you had asked me to see it. But I am far from pleased with it - in fact, the more I look at it, the less I like it. Oh dear.

Things I do like
The tree
The pegs
The American Tan tights (put in especially for Raspberry who said they made her shudder).
The laundry isn't completely sewn down, so it's a bit 3D.

Things I don't like
I wish I had made the whole thing much smaller.
I got a bit seduced by Janet Bolton's muted palette, but the expanse of beige is depressing the hell out of me.
I think it needs some kind of quilting on the background, but I've tried a few different things and nothing looks right.

So if anyone has bright ideas for the problem of breaking up the beige background, let's have them!

But until then, I'm going to tuck this away on a high shelf and just enjoy the pleasant memories of a wonderful workshop and a brilliant and inspiring woman. And the glow that comes from keeping up my end of a bargain.

Simplicity

My love affair with Sashiko is an ongoing thing. I think it is something about the simplicity of the most basic of running stitches which appeals to me.

So a little tea towel cafe apron. Nothing fancy. Simple twill ties. Red sashiko style embroidery.

And while we're on the theme of 'Simplicity' - I am taking part in Megan's photo swap. Sign ups are open until Friday. If your resolution for 2008 was something photography related, maybe you'd like to join in?

Tomte fabric

Yes, I spent a small fortune, but it was SO worth it. 

Design by Ruth Vetter: 'Tomtar'
 
Perhaps I'll even iron it.

Preparations 1

Is it just me, or are all these 'Handmade for the holidays' tutorials, lists and gorgeous finished items stressing anyone else out? Don't get me wrong, I love them, I'm inspired by them but I'm breaking out into a cold sweat.

I'm going to have to sit down and bite the bullet of a serious 'to do' list. Though I have done the little gifts for Mark's teachers. We decided on coasters for their breaktime cuppa.

So Mark drew a design for each of them.

We scanned it and printed it out on the computer in mirror image. Then it was easy to trace over it with a heat set embroidery transfer pencil (amending the odd spelling hiccup and too-tricky-to-sew design element) and transfer it to a piece of linen.

The idea was for Mark to do a bit of the sewing, but I was having too much fun with the red linen thread to share.

And then we used Amy's instructions from 'Bend the Rules Sewing' to turn them into coasters.

Hopefully they will prevent mug mix-ups at morning break. And at least one item on the list has a tick next to it!

Swap has landed

Phew, the Back To School swap parcel for Heidi at Friday Prize has landed! So finally I get to blab about the contents. It's the hardest part of swapping for me - keeping a lid on it so as not to spoil the surprise.

But as usual, I neglected to take a decent picture of the contents all together. I am always so excited to get my parcels sent off that I forget all about that part. Hopeless.

The thing I had most fun with was the artsy clutch from Bend the Rules Sewing. I did some sashiko style ripples and embroidered goldfish on the outside and found a ripple effect cotton for the lining. I was so so pleased with how it turned out that I think I need to make another one. Pure fun.

Have a great weekend - we're off to the Newbury Show. They have the JCB Dancing Diggers. How could we not?

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uFBAzRc5vXE]

Catwalk crisis

Taking a half way reasonable photo of an apron, without a body to put it on, is really really difficult.


I've been working on Lotta Jansdotter's Reversible Apron pattern for my friend Sarah's birthday. Decided to do a little sashiko-inspired embroidery on the plain side. It's meant to echo the flowers on the reverse - hope she gets the reference.


My modelling crisis was averted by Mark's return from school. Poor little guy looks wiped out doesn't he? Guess that term-time thing is catching up with us.

W is for… Whoot

When the owls started appearing at Moonstitches, I fell in love. Then came the tutowrial and other cuties began to pop up. I meant to get round to one of my own and months and months later, I finally did.

Only I left my little owl alone, and when I got back, he had turned into a Great Horned Owl.

Suspicious...

V is for… Vintage Buttons

When I last visited my Mother, she had a mysterious box. You know sometimes you can tell there's something exciting inside without even looking? I felt it.

Vintage buttons - lots - six pounds by weight! I nearly wet myself. They had come in as a donation at the charity shop where she works and she was sorting them to be carded up for resale.

The first words on my lips were 'How much for the lot?' and then reality kicked in. How long would it take me to use six pounds of buttons? But I wanted them - to touch them, sort through them, wonder what beautiful garments they originally adorned.

So I've volunteered for a little (or as I've come to realize, fairly Herculean) task. To sort and sell on these glories for the Hospice.

So at least I get temporary custody, if not outright ownership. A duty of care if you like (alongside a big clean up job, because they're pretty filthy some of them).


I've got light ones, chunky ones,

dark ones (engraved 'Saville Row'), tortoiseshell ones,and crazy multicoloured ones.

Now I need a bit of advice - call it market research if you will. Would people prefer to buy in small or large lots? Do you like your vintage buttons in sets or a mixed bag? E-bay or Etsy? I don't have an Etsy shop, but I've always harboured a secret shopkeeper fantasy - maybe this is my virtual chance?

T is for… Tragedy

Prone to exaggeration - who me? Well, possibly a touch. But it really hacks me off when my lovingly sewn book cover turns out to be too small for the ******* book.


And I used my precious jumbo ric rack too. Serves me right for thinking I was clever enough to sew without instructions. Yet another one for the 'crafts gone bad' hall of fame. I should know better than to approach the machine while suffering from PMT.

There's only one cure. Tea. With biscuits. Preferably chocolate.


Grudgingly I have to admit that all is not bad in the world. Humph.

S is for… Sailor

To celebrate the sun today we decided to have a little fun messing about on the river and took a boat trip on the Thames.


I've always loved being on the water - when I was twelve, I learned to sail in a Wayfarer dinghy and spent every summer for the next 5 years enthusiastically freezing to death in Dover harbour. Luckily, hubs is fairly keen on floating holidays and so we have rented a canal boat on the Kennet and Avon and chartered a yacht in the Greek Islands. There's something hugely relaxing about just watching the water go by.


Even the crafting has had a watery slant to it today - just a little peek, because it's a surprise...

L is for… Limelight

The puppet theatre was the project that really caught my eye when I got my copy of Bend the Rules Sewing. I've been waiting for the chance to rustle one up and it came this weekend.

With amazing levels of self-control, I forced myself to use the fabric I had, though there was a quick shopping expedition for the tension rod and dowel.

The resident thespians are loving it. Today's highlight was a play about a wombat and a remote control.

"The wombat pressed the remote control, which magically turned into another wombat. They played together. Sometimes the wombat played tricks on the remote control and sometimes the remote control played tricks on the wombat. The end." Priceless.

My mother has complained that there aren't enough pictures of Johnny on my blog. Perhaps it's because he's forever hamming it up in front of the camera.

F is for…… Frenchy Bag

And also fabulous hubby, who took the boys paddling in the brook and swimming at the pool, thereby allowing me to make a new late summer, early autumn Frenchy Bag, by Amy Butler.


The pattern was a prize from Lisa's Amy Butler Pattern Contest - it arrived on Friday and I had it whipped out by Sunday morning (including a Saturday shopping trip for interfacing and new school shoes - I could have done without the shoe shop stress, but these things have to be done!).

The proportions are great for slinging over the shoulder, yet feeling secure under the arm, and all the interfacing gives it a kind of padded squishyness which I also find pleasing.

I spend a large proportion of my blog-browsing time drooling over stuff that is freely available in America, but nigh on impossible to find (or hideously expensive) over here. When I was hunting down the Barcelona Skirts pattern, I discovered U-handbag stocks a comprehensive range of Amy Butler patterns, and guess where I got my mitts on the Moda birdies too?

I'd like Lisa, even if she didn't have a fab bag making supplies shop, but I am very glad she does.

C is for… Christmas

Did you know there are only 53 mornings with Johnny in pre-school, between now and Christmas? I had to quote this statistic when an incredulous hubby caught me sewing robins today.

Because this year, I don't intend to be in a frenzy in November (yeah, right!). I adore Christmas - the anticipation, the food, the carols, the sense of celebration. There's nothing else quite like it.

One of the most memorable, was the first year after we got married. Hubs and I were living in Japan, where Christmas is not a public holiday. It is sort of recognised, but in a singularly commercial way, with unforgettable slogans like 'Have a Santastic Christmas' and a character called 'Captain Santa'. But nothing was standing in the way of our festivities.

We bought a tree - a fake one - in early December. It didn't seem very big in the shop, but when we got it back to our tiny apartment we realized that we would have to sleep underneath it, if we wanted the luxury of a futon and a Christmas tree.

I baked the tiniest ham you've ever seen and hacked a turkey into bits to fit it into the oven-in-a-microwave. And we celebrated, in pixie hats and reindeer antlers, with a slightly homesick Englishman and a barking mad German (who brought stollen).

Thirteen years on, and we still have our Japanese tree, and although we have a real one at Christmas now, I like to put up the plastic-fantastic version too and remember our very strange, but strangely wonderful first Christmas.

Holiday reading

While we were away, I felt the need to pick up a little light holiday reading, and this caught my eye.

It was a very Asian-inspired issue and yielded goodies like this skirt with 3D organza blossom

And this sashiko inspired notebook cover. I've loved sashiko ever since I first came across it in Japan. Soo made a cute patch not so long ago, and now this. I'm feeling an urge coming on.


And the magazine came with a freebie magazine (Idees Couture & Broderie - thirty heart themed projects). Hearts aren't really a huge passion of mine, so if anyone would like it, it's up for grabs. Leave me a comment and if it's more than one person, I'll have my trusty helpers pick a name. Feels like a long time since I went to the post office and I'm suffering withdrawal symptoms.

Sampler bag

There's something hugely enjoyable about dabbling in a new crafty area. The joy of experimentation. But I do like to be able to do something with the results. So my embroidery sampler (and I use the term extremely loosely) became this tote bag.


The strap was pure experimentation, as my sewing machine wouldn't cope with the multiple layers of felt to do a standard handle. So this is a single felt layer with ribbon sewn down the centre to make it look a little more finished. And I made the strap long enough to wear across your body, because I need more hands than I've got and filling one with a bag is never going to work for me.

It's not summery, so I may pop it away until the Autumn and sell it at the craft fair (yup, I think I'm doing another...) And if it doesn't sell, I'll have a nice Autumn bag to console myself with.

Oh, and a Happy 4th of July to you who celebrate it.

Weekend in progress

I've had a little idea brewing ever since I saw the Autumn 2007 Boden preview catalogue. It's not finished yet, but it's getting there.


I'm not sure if it really fits the 'needlework sampler' project for the first assignment over at School of Craft. Does it Moki? It's got embroidery on it hasn't it? Sort of...

Is it hideous to get your inspiration from Boden? It's just that I am SO sucked in by their lifestyle proposition. Shiny happy children, healthy outdoorsy pursuits, fun and domesticity. What's not to like. Oh, apart from the hefty price tag. That's what gives me a serious case of the I-could-do-thats. Appliqued t-shirts? Tick. Stencilled t-shirts? Tick.

This satchel... not so easy. So I ordered it. Yes, I know it's make-your-own-bag month over at Sew Mama Sew, but I couldn't resist. Don't boot me out of the crafty club. Pretty please.

Crafty rut

Maybe it's the countdown to the beginning of the summer holidays, but I've been feeling very antsy of late and not at all inspired to do much in the way of craft. Part of it has been lack of time, but I also think that crafting (and blogging) is a habit. When I get out of the swing of doing either, it's quite hard to begin again.

But today I decided to give myself a bit of a shove. I had a make something moment, anything, but it had to be quick, because between chores and collecting Johnny from school, there was only three quarters of an hour and I wanted a coffee too. So I whipped out my rubber stamp carving stuff and made a little envelope stamp. My return addresses will be so much cuter for it.

And d'you know what? It worked.Because over Johnny's veg-in-front-of-the-box hour (my answer for over a year to no nap) I made a little tote too.

Tasha sent me this fabric a while ago now, and it was beginning to look at me in an accusing fashion. The bag pattern was from Eco-bag - a Japanese craft book I have been trying a couple of patterns from. I quite like this style, but the pink fabric is linen and is a bit too floppy to be a truly successful tote. It does feel nice though. And I made French Seams. Fancy.

Munch crunch

At the weekend, we often try to eat dinner with the kids - family bonding and all that. But eating early leaves me with the 9 o'clock munchies. Luckily, at Waitrose I discovered a solution.

They're really really good. It's a good thing my hands are often otherwise occupied in the evenings, or I'd be the size of a house.

This week's efforts include a bag for a present I couldn't manage to wrap in paper. I'm not too keen on the fabric, but hopefully the little girl in question won't mind it.

What do you do with the stuff from your stash that you don't really like?

Lotta backpack

A chum of mine has the big four-oh coming up in a week or two. She cycles a lot and I have never seen her with a handbag - instead she puts her stuff in a kids' nylon backpack - functional, but not beautiful!

So when I saw the little backpack pattern in Lotta Jansdotter's Simple Sewing, I thought it would be right up her street. She's not into anything too fancy or girlie, so I chose an Amy Butler print, with a solid green background.

The instructions were easy to follow, but if I make it again, I want to add a lining for a slightly more polished look inside. Lotta seems a bit needlessly anti-lining to me. Perhaps she just wanted the patterns to be as simple as possible.

Anyway, I hope Kate likes it. I might even push the boat out and make her a matching tissue holder to go in it. Because show me a mother that doesn't travel with a wad of tissues at various stages of disintegration churning around in the depths of her bag. Time to share... what's the most shameful thing in your bag right now?

Sneezing, sewing and stewing

One advantage to being holed away indoors for most of this weekend trying to avoid the pollen was that I got some sewing done. I had a go at the Lotta Jansdotter Everyday Tote, using denim and some Alexander Henry fabric Tasha sent me ages ago.

I am fairly pleased with it, but I wish I had listened to Caroline's advice and added some interfacing to the denim to make it a touch stiffer.

I think iteration 2 will also involve some shopping for bag bottom mesh and possibly doing slightly wider straps. They seem to pull the top of the bag out of shape a little bit as they are.

All this activity is a ruse to distract myself from the fact that I'm feeling decidedly stressed at the thought of Wednesday. We have the first appointment for Mark with the community pediatrician. I hope this is the beginning of finding out whether or not he has an Autistic Spectrum Disorder.

I have told him that he is helping the doctors to understand how children's minds work. Not so far from the truth - I haven't known what else to say. I just want to make it through without crying. It just takes some professional to be sympathetic and understanding and I'm a blubbering mess. Most unlike me and not very helpful. Anyone know where to get hold of some 'calm and in control' elixir?

Cabo Halter

I'm on a bit of an Amy Butler kick at the moment. The Cabo Halter is not a style I may have chosen a year ago, but one of the pieces of advice from the wardrobe overhaul session I had, was to wear more feminine tops. And this seems to fit the bill.


Unfortunately, the pattern did not fit me without some adjustment (small bust, big arse) which meant sewing the zipper no less than 4 times. But it's all good practice! I also changed the halter neck into straps, because it seemed a little less beachy that way.

The fabric came from my local fabric shop, Masons. It was less than £5 a metre, so I wasn't going to cry if it didn't go according to plan. But I had to go to John Lewis to find the right length invisible zipper. While I was there, I saw the same fabric on sale there for £12 a metre!! How's that for a mark up? Support your independents I say.

The curtain shop in town was having a remnant sale and I picked up a lovely piece of cotton with a vegetable print. It was crying out to be made into an apron and I know I had seen just the pattern in Amy Butler's In Stitches.



Co-incidentally it was also the assignment from May's In Stitches sew-along. If you own the book and haven't come across this Flickr group yet, I urge you to go over and take a look. Each month a project from the book is nominated and a winner chosen from the pictures submitted. Having won the April prize, I am a big fan of the format!

But seriously, it's a great place for beginner sewers like me to pick up hints on completing the projects, and a chance to see how the choice of fabric influences the outcome. Because, for me, at the end of the day it's all about the fabric.

Sunhat

If it rains solidly for the next 40 days, you can blame me, because I made a sunhat (from Lotta Jansdotter's Simple Sewing).

Oh yeah, I'm conquering the pattern and garment phobia thing slowly but surely. Each time I make something I learn things. This was the first try at my chum Rachel's hint.

I asked how to preserve paper patterns so they could be used again and again and she told me that she traces hers onto clear plastic. So I bought some vinyl yesterday and it works an absolute treat.



The fabrics are an Alexander Henry 'candy flower' with a red cotton canvas lining (from Ikea). I like Ikea fabrics. They are usually 100% cotton (or linen), come in great designs and colours and are as cheap as chips so I don't mind if I make a mistake. But apart from cutting out twice as many crown pieces as I needed, I managed this one without serious errors.



Do you appreciate how brave it is of me to show this to you, because I am still ill (thanks for the kind, get well wishes), look rough as hell and have a spots from a little cheese binge I went on. Note to self - get to grips with photoshop so you can touch up dodgy self-portraits. Oh, and stop eating cheese - I get a zit for every mouthful, no exaggeration.

Barcelona Skirts trial run

Okay, the reveal, prototype one of the Amy Butler Barcelona Skirts tiered skirt pattern. Now before I show you, a few words in my defence...

1. I've only made one item of clothing before (Lounge Pants) and put in 1 zipper (and that was a very wonky purse) before. Be kind.
   
2. I bought el-cheapo cotton for the trial run and it was very very lightweight. Too lightweight.
3. I haven't washed it, so the tiers haven't taken on that chic frayed look yet.
4. This is a bad night-time photo with flash (although my shoes are cute).
   

I've run out of excuses, so I'll just have to show you.


Now taking into account all of the above, I am actually really pleased with it. It's a flattering shape on and it fits well. I can see a few more incarnations of this in my wardrobe for sure.

Being congenitally unable to follow instructions precisely, I made a couple of tweaks to the pattern.

Instead of muslin for the lining, I used a fine cotton lawn. The lady in the fabric shop recommended it as she said their muslin didn't wash too well. My mantra - always listen to the lady in the fabric shop. Unfortunately, I pre-washed the white lining with the brown fabric and the brown released a lot of dye, so the lining looks really mucky. But hey, it's a lining. This was also my thought when I realized I had turned and sewed the lining hem turned the wrong way. Because I don't feel like unpicking it.

I couldn't buy a 7 inch invisible zipper, so I fudged it with an 8 inch and left out the hook and eye from the top of the zip. It hasn't come undone yet!

Actually, the zip part nearly caused me major trauma because Amy's instructions say, "with your invisible zipper foot...." Que? I don't have one. Cue quick Internet search to find out what it is and then phone calls to all local sewing shops. None of them stock invisible zipper feet, in fact one of them thinks I am taking the mickey. Aaaargh. Back to the Internet, where I find a tutorial for putting in an invisible zipper with a regular zipper foot. Hooray.

I also came slightly unstuck with the hem. I discovered it's really tricky to sew a curved hem neatly. All advice welcome. I also need to know what you do to keep the paper pattern in good condition. I was so nervous of messing up, that I actually traced the whole thing onto paper, but it took forever and I think at least one piece is slightly off. I read somewhere that you can iron the pattern onto interfacing. Does this work? Help!

I can thoroughly recommend the pattern to anyone, because if I can sew it, those instructions MUST be good! If you're in the UK, Lisa at U-handbag has Amy's patterns in stock (and delivers fast!) Now all I need is another child-free weekend and I can sew another from a fabric I actually like!