30 days of gratitude day 2

Todays question is what technology are you grateful for? The list could go on forever for me. The first one that comes to mind is Cochlear implants.  Because of that nifty piece of technology I get to hear family and friends these days. I talked about my 5 years of having an implant not to long ago on the blog.

Another piece of technology is my mobile phone. Even before I could hear better again I always kept a mobile phone, and sometimes 2!, close to hand.  I could text and email people that I needed to contact and others could contact me that way to.  I have an iPhone the technology in them works well with my implant and I love staying in touch with family and friends either by phone or on one of it's many apps. I also listen to audio books on my phone and music.

Both these these pieces of technology I am grateful for as they both have made me feel less isolated at times and given me a much richer quality of life having them.

A few other things would be sewing machines, overlockers/sergers, computers and the internet,  All of which deserve a mention today

Quick post today, but I am hoping to give you a review on a gadget tomorrow and show you what I have been up to. 

Take care

Jules xx

Quick project

A while ago my Granddaughters Ever and Ruby were over just after I had taken delivery of these fabrics.  I was telling Ever I was planning on making shorts, skirts and an top out of both fabrics for them.  I got informed I was allowed to make hers in yellow and Rubys could be blue! There is a young lady who knows what she wants and how to get it. I madly cut out 8 pairs of shorts from this fabric and a couple of others I had in my stash,  a top each and a skirt each. Then I serged and mostly put all the shorts together until the elastic bit.  I read on the pattern 1/4 inch elastic was needed.  Well to be fair it is but only for the tops.  After buying 10 metres of 1/4 inch elastic I then discovered I had a grand total of 7 inches of the 1/2 inch elastic I actually needed for the shorts and skirts.  Problem solved a while ago on a shopping trip.  Decided today I had better get back to these clothes for the girls.

Today was the skirts.  They are pretty basic rectangles.  Each descending layer twice as long as the one before.  Gathered up and then sewn to the layer above.  I had fun using my nifty sergers gathering foot for this. And while not perfect I am gaining confidence and experience. I just need to do a final press and I can call them done

Thursday I will hand these over and see how well they fit the girls. Best to see how these fit before doing the elastic on 4 pairs of shorts for each girl.

A relatively easy and fast project today.  Some days I need something to engage my mind but today I wanted to do calm and easy sewing while I listened to an audiobook. 

That kept me amused in the rainy weather we have here today. What have you been up to? Getting a bit lonely here talking to myself, why not put a comment below about your day?

Take care and stay crafty

Jules x 

upcycling jeans

I have this pile of jeans, they are jeans that some I have had for a few years and some just 5 or 6 months.  All now are way to big so I had an idea about making a jeans quilt with them.  It hasn't happened yet unfortunately. This morning a weekend challenge was announced on the Facebook 'Just sew' to upcycle an item of clothing into something else.  On the spur of the moment I thought of my last summer shorts that were currently lounging on my sewing areas floor. Being I love to cook and sew what better than a new apron?

So these are the before photos

I unpicked the side seams and cut the fronts off along the top leaving the waist band so I could do the apron up with existing button. Trimmed the shape around the side that was left so I was left with a flat piece to use as the apron front.

I measured around the now apron front and doubled that width an added a few inches and sewed together 4 inch strips to get to the length I needed. I hemmed one long edge  and decided to give the gathering foot on my serger a go.  Boy I love that foot :o) Sewed on the ruffle and topstitched it.  Then admired my work.  The fabric for the frill was leftover from sewing bits for my granddaughters and the jeans were ready for rag bag or charity shop.  Cost me nothing and I really like the outcome