The Walkley Dress

The Walkley Dress

While on a bit of a dressmaking roll, I decided to delve back into the realm of knit fabrics.  Having only made one successful garment with knit, I decided that I wanted to keep the pattern as simple as possible. The simple question for this project was The Walkley Dress by Wendy Ward MIY. This pattern requires two pieces to be cut out of your fabric, and they come from the same template.  If you're lucky enough to have 150cm wide fabric, you only need a metre!  In this instance, I already had some fabric ready and waiting - a…

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The stitching, sewing and hobbycrafts show!

The stitching, sewing and hobbycrafts show!

Last Saturday, I went to the stitching, sewing and hobbycrafts show at Westpoint, Exeter, UK! My friend and I went as part of a day coach trip to avoid the prospect of driving.  Unfortunately, the pick up point was not in our town, so we had to get a lift to Truro. When we arrived, there was a queue which wandered around the building!  Once in, we decided to dive into the middle aisle which seemed quieter as others opted to choose to tackle the show from one end to the other. The first fabric shop we saw was Fabrcis Galore,…

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Crocheted Bunny

Crocheted Bunny

I haven't done a lot of crocheting beyond the string bags I make for the Etsy shop.  However, this bunny pattern has been a project I've been looking forward to making for a long time. Published in Simply Crochet magazine, this bunny originates from a lovely looking book called Edward's Menagerie by Kerry Lord. I made this bunny with Sirdar Country Style yarn, which meant it had a bit of wool content but would still be easy to wash (which I felt the parents of the owner of this bunny would appreciate)!  The bunny is advised to be made in alpaca…

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Dungarees!

Dungarees!

When I took part in the #miymarch16 instagram challenge, I put down this dungarees pattern as my sewing ambition (new Burda 3779).  I bought the pattern from a charity shop for £2 just over a year ago because I loved the idea of making some, and bought some denim shortly after.  However, the amount of pieces in the pattern felt overwhelming, and I couldn't get started. A couple of months ago, I asked my mum if I could bring along the pattern and fabric when I visited her to see if she could encourage me to get started.  Over the…

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Wabi Sabi – embracing the beauty of natural imperfections

Wabi Sabi – embracing the beauty of natural imperfections

Wabi Sabi – the Japanese art of embracing the beauty of natural imperfections – is something I’ve stumbled across this month. Wabi Sabi in craft terms appears to be finding the beauty in the handmade elements.  I wish I’d discovered this art while I was learning ceramics earlier in the year as I could have defended my wobbly pots when compared to the much more symmetrical looking results from other students in the class!  It’s nice to know there is a philosophy which prizes the uneven glazing, wall thickness and overall performance of the complex ceramic process. I’ve also explored…

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Stitching Cats

Stitching Cats

I haven't made a lot recently, as I have been finishing up a couple of craft courses I took this year.  However, I have got around to practising free machine embroidery again. I'm very fond of pets, and regularly doodle my cats, Harry and Fizz.  I decided to have a go at designing some more cat images to frame or turn into cards. I like the use of appliqué to add another dimension to the stitched cat, as shown on the far right.  However, I like the simple line drawing on the left, and am reluctant to add any shading…

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Personalised Cards!

Personalised Cards!

Last month, I made a couple of individualised cards - one for father's day and one for someone to give as a leaving card. The leaving card was personalised by adding the name of the perosn leaving the workplace.  I used those fabric felt tip pens to colour it in. The father's day card was personalised because it's always been an ongoing joke that my dad is good at Tetris.  We would bring tons of stuff on holiday as kids and he would meticulously work out how to use the space in the car effectively to fit it all in!…

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Completed PHD: Pyjama pattern from The Makery

Completed PHD: Pyjama pattern from The Makery

After a review of my work practices, I decided that it was time to stand up and confront my PHDs (projects half done)! The list of incomplete projects is threateningly high so I decided that this list needed to be dealt with (or at least cut back a bit!) Enter Simply Sewing Magazine's exclusive pattern from The Makery - pyjamas.  I think I began this pattern last August and then became distracted by a looming deadline for something else.  I'd cut all the pieces out and even sewn a couple of sections for the shorts but then put it away…

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#mmmay16 – Me Made May and the versatile wardrobe

Me Made May is an event created by Zoe from So Zo... 'What do you know?' to encourage people to wear the clothes they make, whether this is through knitting, crocheting, sewing, weaving, etc.  It's designed to motivate crafters to celebrate their achievements and confront any perfectionistic thoughts which may be keeping some garments in the back of the wardrobe! There's no pressure to wear something everyday, or to charter your progress through social media.  The challenge is an individual one set by you. I didn't officially sign up this year (mainly because I didn't read the post properly to see that…

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