June adventures

How can it be June already? Today has been a strange but good one. Went into town with a shopping list which was almost fulfilled. Last item was out of stock so was ordered in. Seems Luke won't stop growing, had to order him a new school blazer as his way to small now, and had to buy him some size 9 shoes! He's only 13.  Mind boggling how kids grow so fast. The shopping mall we were in got evacuated for a bit.  Still not sure why as of yet but we just carried on in a different area of town until the mall reopened. 

Came to a decision earlier to try and blog everyday this month. This blog isn't just for sewing, it's more of a lifestyle place I can share things I have been up to or things I have found interesting.  I am 'crafty' in many ways so I am going to challenge myself to do something crafty everyday to see if I can push myself a little maybe. 

Tonight my daughter sent me a picture on snap chat very similar to the one of me below. A while back I saw on Pinterest and I am pretty sure YouTube too, a face mask made of PVA/Elmers glue and  activated charcoal powder.  I bought the bits and promptly forgot about it.  I told my daughter Leanne who went and got her own glue and I gave her some of the charcoal powder. Tonight she sent me a picture and I thought I am going to give it a go to.

Leanne told me to put on a thick layer because hers was very bitty and hard to get off once it had dried.  So I used a big squirt of glue to 2 heaped spoonfuls of activated charcoal.  Which seemed really thick, so thick in fact it got applied with the back of a spoon. Sat down to a go on the xbox while it dried and about 30 minutes or so I started peeling big bits off.  Unfortunately mine was a bit thick in places and some peeled off leaving a very thin wet layer underneath on mainly my cheeks.  Let that dry another 5 minutes and I was left with a very bitty mess to try and peel off.  Gave up on that idea and used a make up removal wipe.  Wiped off beautifully.  

Mask worked wonders though,  I would definitely do it again, My pores are clearer and the skin is all smooth and soft right now. 

I was going to share with  you some of my June plans and patterns etc, but its after 11.30 pm and the light is not being very cooperative. So tomorrow I will take photos and share my challenges to myself with you all. Will give you a few clues though.  We have canvases, button hole elastic and a few patterns to play with. 

But for now I am going to get a good nights sleep and get ready for the arrival of my granddaughters coming over for a few hours playtime tomorrow morning.

so for now take care and stay crafty

Jules x 

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 

Bias cut top

A few weeks ago the Great British Sewing Bee started again on Monday evenings, So I needed the book to accompany the series of course.  I have had a look through the book and need to make lots from it.  

I decided on the Bias cut top from episode one. It's also the first pattern in the book.

So first thing first we had to go fabric shopping.  Chose a black and white stripe, simple or so we thought until we pulled it off the shelf. Then noticed the stripes changed in size,  No problem I thought. Got home and I thought I was going to go blind laying it out on the floor to cut. 

The cutting took some time to be matching up the stripes, using more care and precision that I ever have before but I got there.  I was pinning and flipping to make sure of my placing before cutting

Then finally I got to sewing. Had to stay stitch the neck edges to help prevent them misshaping.  I pinned on all the black stripes and took a deep breath and sewed, 

Then pressed my seam and opened up tadah! matching chevrons  woohooo!!! 

This has been the most precise I think I have ever been in sewing.  Learnt a lot by sewing this top.  Being an easy going Sunday I had stayed in pyjamas up until this point but decided to get dressed for some photos in this top 

looking good huh?

I didn't even bother with trying to match the sides so was very pleased they came out like this :o)

And a back view for you. 

While out in the garden I noticed one of my roses has it's first bloom  I got this rose last year or year before.  It's name is Paul's scarlet. My eldest sons name is Paul so had to have this rose bush. looking forward to more blooms over the coming summer months. 

Triumphant Tuesday

Today has been a good day in many ways. A few weeks ago I bought some cheap oversized scarves from Primark,  I wanted to see if I could turn them into a kimono cover up. So I started with this 

And ended up with this. I folded the scarf in half so the top had a folded edge.  measured down the measurement  I wanted the sleeves to be then added half an inch.  Took out my rotary cutter and cut off 6 inches widthwise and rest of length.  Leaving me with a t shape.  I french seamed the cut edges together.  Then cut up front center on one layer only,  and removed a triangular shape at the top for the neck.  Rolled the edge over twice and sewed it down.  It's very floaty and will be ideal for the summer when I want to wear vest tops but not flash my arms about. I might make it shorter to, I am not sure if it reminds me to much of a dressing gown at the moment.  Will leave it up on model and see how I feel tomorrow.  

I did learn the reason Primark sell these so cheaply.  They aren't cut/printed straight so very difficult to line up.  So I don't think I did a bad job all things considered.

I do not like not being able to do things.  Very often I set my mind to do something and I will carry on until I get there.  In this case I have always been evaded by shirring.  All those little girls dresses, skirts and tops I could have made if I could do it.  I have watched many a youtube video and read many books etc.  but alas no joy has been had.  That is until today :o)  I shall probably now be found madly muttering as I wind 100's (maybe a slight exaggeration) of bobbins with shirring elastic by hand. I proudly present my first ever shirring that ever worked to you.

Now I will do a shirred skirt I think first. Will be ideal for the summer months.  But for now a Supernatural Episode on DVD and a spot of knitting.

For now take care and stay crafty

Jules x