2 in 1 day …..

Well here I am again doing my creative therapy.

I’m not given to bad moods and/ or temper tantrums apart from when it’s hot, wet, cold, windy, daylight, nighttime, breathing etc ! I jest a ickle bit, I am a pretty even tempered sort

BUT today proved too much for even me the Ghandi of Bedfordshire. I will learn to stick to tried and tested methods when sewing. I was taught by 2 awesomely talented women, my beautiful late Mum and the very elegant Miss McGarry my needlework teacher at senior school. They taught me the ‘proper’ way. You know, the way that makes it a craft, a piece of art.

I let the technology of my over locker seduce me into cutting corners on the making of my gypsy skirt with its fan-dangled gathering foot. At first glance it was pretty clever and lightening quick. Head down like a seasoned Formula 1 driver, I revved the machine and threw myself headlong into the make.

Let me tell you, hung ho and horribly fool hardy, the finished garment is so far from the standard I would expect from myself.  The skirt photographs ok and will be perfectly functional for work but on close inspection the gathering is uneven and not full enough for my liking.

Enter Oscar award winning tantrum as I threw my toys out of the pram in a most spectacular fashion. Good job HH has been with me for 32 years, he knew exactly what noises to make, faces to pull and then soothe me back to a near state of sanity.  Tear stained, sweating and sweaty mary female was not a good look. Lesson learned. Stick to the true, time consuming and beautiful craft. No more short cuts for me. Back to the 2 rows of loose stitching lovingly and carefully gathered to perfection, pinned and sewn into place.

Attempt 2 tomorrow for DD1 minus tantrums, hiss fits, diva fits or whatever you prefer to call them. Yes it will take at least twice as long but for me, that’s where the love and satisfaction lay, producing something to be proud of rather than the constant reminder of being a lazy old corner cutter 😳

Now to sink into a gorgeous bubble bath, listen to some music and turn the mare into a dim memory.  Ohmmmmmmm 👌🏼

A Great Starter …

 

Just have to become a great finisher!

I find when my anxieties start to get the better of me I bury myself in some kind of crafty, creative project. It’s a pretty good therapy, well for me it is 😉

My my rainbow makers as I like to call them were my project last Sunday. I have more Swarovski crystals than any one human should have and it felt like a good time to use some of the stash along with some mini semi precious stones. A few crimp beads and jewellery wire….. hey presto a little collection to hand at a window that gets direct sunlight.  As if by magic lots of rainbows appear on my walls, floor and ceiling. Simple but very effective.

Theres another baby in my friendship group so another blanket has been started, got until December to finish it 😂

The fabric. Well as if I don’t have enough stashed I found some lovely cotton viscose on eBay for £3 per meter. My recent gypsy skirt makes have been such a success with DD1 I thought I’d make her a couple more. When the fabric arrived, this one really spoke to me, like really loudly. Yep you’ve guessed it, I’ve nabbed this one for myself and will start my own skirt later on, let’s hope my finishing brain is awake though 💤

Happy weekend fellow creatives xxx

It’s My WordPress Birthday !

As evidence that I am still sewing the picture show another finished kimono for DD1 bestie, another 3 sitting all cut out ready for a whizz through the machine tomorrow YEE HA I have a day off of work.

The cutie dress was a great little make for my great Neice, it whipped up in under and hour. The cotton viscose is so soft and breathable for the warm weather and I finished it off on the bottom with some of my vintage lace 😃

Can hardly believe it’s 2 years since I started my blog. It’s seen me through some challenges and although I don’t pop much up now a days I do keep an eye on all you fantabulous bloggers. As ever you all never fail to grab my attention with your creativity.

Oh the random, odd one out picture is of DD2 giving a Salsa demo at a recent community inclusion event ….. I was a tad proud as you can imagine.

Making a mental note right now and committing it here to making time in this now very busy and interesting life of mine to blog. It’s good for the soul to connect with like minded gawjus people. AND how lucky am I to have landed work with an employer who embraces my creativity …. Rather than misunderstood and called madness by the less worldy.

Happy blogging dearest readers. Xxx

Suffering For My Art ….. Part 1

After a lovely pot of tea with an even lovelier Amy (LA) at The Priory in Dunstable

yesterday I resolved to make a start on an old favourite. Met LA at one of my sewing workshops some time ago, she is an accomplished creative herself who suffers ‘writers block’ just like me! It was this tea and chat that made me decide to pull my finger out and try to find a jersey fabric that would suit the proposed batwing top.

Mission accomplished, a very light and fluid jersey that will suit many seasons I have set to the prep part. After what felt like a lifetime of trying to get the said fluid fabric to rest on my kitchen worktop otherwise known as my cutting out room, it became quite obvious the attractive fluidity of the fabric was now becoming a distinct pain in the backside

After several moments of employing the breathe and centre approach I had a full on tantrum which worked wonders. Merlin Moss the Monsterous pup was quivering in the wake of many expletives, this felt like the perfect time to evict him from the kitchen and hit the floor.

For those more able bodied than myself this may not seem so radical but for me and my titanium hip it’s living on the edge. Sprawling around on the floor knees paining something rotten I finally got the fabric under control, shame the same can’t be said for my body 🙂

Pinning and cutting completed just the wee task of getting back up. Thank goodness I have work surfaces both sides, with a bit of a pinball action I was upright again. Sore, stiff and satisfied …… I simply won’t be beaten by a piece of fabric EVER!

Assuming I can actually get out of bed tomorrow the make will commence and I hope to have part 2 ready to offer for your perusal.

Have a super Saturday evening dear reader and may you too be triumphant with any creative capers this weekend. Xx

It’s In The Bag !

Having had a jolly good dose of the lurgies this week I am finally beginning to feel more like me. As I sat watching mind numbing daytime TV with hottie, blanket and pup for comfort, my sewing machine sitting at the other end of my living room was taunting me.

All neatly prepped for my oriental fabric bag which should have taken just a couple of short hours has turned into an epic torture myself week. Every day when I finally pulled myself out of bed I promised myself a bit of sewing ( the fix all medicine), but I just couldn’t seem to make it happen.  So in true creative’s style gave myself a sizable anxiety complex about being lazy and the usual blah blah blah! Why do we test ourselves when we are least able to cope with the test? Oops! Maybe that’s just me ….. am I alone in the ability to cause self-induced stress and anxiety?  AND why do I think about work when I’m home being all poorly? Sad Act I hear you cry 🙂

Sew today I finally sewed YEEEEHA! It was worth having everything cut and sitting there mocking me because it was as simple as plug in the machine and tally ho, off we go.  The MissouriQuiltCo from You Tube  that I have both used and mentioned in the past is the perfect, easy peasy way to make a most presentable and practical bag. Every time I use this method I am never disappointed, you could swing by You Tube and take a look. Some great little tutorials there.

Friend Del at curlsnskirls used to fantastic effect on her ‘Library Tote’ with some fabric I had sent previously. Here we go, a tangent ….. Note to self get next parcel finalised and sent. Have a few bits together but trying to find amongst my obscene sized stash a particular thingie to send.  I must refer to it as a thingie else the surprise will be spoiled 😉

What do you think of this tote being the next subject of an Absolute Beginners class? You may recall last year I did a few but with a simple cushion. Am thinking this tote would make a great starter for a beginner. Think any beginner would be happy to walk out from a 3 hour class clutching such a useful item!?

So dear reader, for your approval my oriental tote and a little doobrie with left over fabric. Said doobrie is perfect size for me to put all the vital miscellaneous dross I carry in my main handbag 🙂

 

Orient Themes….

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I clearly am channelling all things orientesque. What with my one hour kimono madness of late I was hankering for something new so took a moazy on down to my friends shop in Dunstable, Bedfordshire called My Sewing Basket.

It’s safe to say dear reader that I am a bargain hunter and rarely will pay full retail on anything but it doesn’t stop me sniffing around like an old blood hound 🙂

Fortunately for MSB not me, the fabric you see here was just waaaay too much for me to resist. 100% cotton and a good solid weight I decided immediately to hang the cost and get .75m of each for a couple of tote bags as I only really have time for quick easy makes right now plus being more costly than I would normally pay £13.99/m I couldn’t make myself go for the full meter of each….. OK so I’m a bit tight …. I can take that criticism on the chin 🙂

MSB have the most awesome collection of quilting cottons (Del …. Would never get you out of there) every colour and theme you could ever imagine!

Oops! Get me, digressing by way of a change.

Anyways …. Tomorrow I hope to make time for at least one tote (a gal can NEVER have too many bags) and will pop a pic or ten here for your scrutinisation.

What are y’all up to this weekend? Any quick satisfying makes happening else where on the Planet?

On Your Marks, Get Set, Goooooo

Seems I have had my machine for a year…. Where did that time go? Still love as much as day one.

Have yet another one hour kimono on the go! AND another 3 cut out.  Fortunately it is a Bank Holiday weekend here in the UK so have some extra time which is handy as I really do want to get these done.

Finished one here is for my niece, the 3 that are on their marks …… Bestie, DD2’s Bestie and MEEEEEEE!  Yes indeedy am actually doing one for oneself 😉

Will pop some pictures here when they are done so you can see how one simple pattern can look so very different dependant on fabric type and design.

have a crafty one …… Weekend that is 🙂

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Whoops! Walthamstow Wins Weak Woman Over …. AGAIN!

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Master plan, little visit to wonderful Walthamstow street market to introduce bestie and DD2 to the wonders of the East End of London.

My sales pitch was as follows : we can just take a leisurely wander down (Europes longest street market, not biggest though) the market. Grab a cappucino and soak up the magical multi cultural atmosphere as we go.

I knew in the back of my mind … LIAR …. Right at the front of my mind that I wanted to go to Saeed’s again for a couple of pieces of fabric for the one hour kimono craze I have going right now.

Saeed’s didn’t disappoint, never ever does, such variety at fantastico prices 🙂 In fact turned into a bit of a feeding frenzy. 3 of us ooooo-ing and aaaaaah-ing at his latest offerings. Evidence Of which can be seen in the picture’s.

DD2 has been wanting a pair of army combat trousers for the longest time but being long and skinny never has much luck until today. No longer fully reliant on the Bank of Mum and Dad she was able to treat herself to several things, she is one very happy wanderer.

Another want of DD2 was to have a henna decoration on her arm as in the wedding party decoration the asian bridal parties have. Well as ever Walthamstow didn’t let us down, a wonderful wee shop with 3 Indian ladies working busily on threading and tinting eyebrows were also able to offer the henna she so wanted.

Bestie and I were transfixed at how fast the henna decoration was painted on to her arm, a true art! Oh well as we are here lets get groomed, so by the time we left we all had perfect eyebrows too 😉 Very reasonable prices too. Thread and tint finished with a mini massage just £8.50, I couldn’t show you anywhere else you can get such service and craft womanship for so little monetary outlay.

Tired to the bone with all the walking we struggled back to my car weighed down with our purchases. Who would think fabric could weigh quite so heavy? Ha! Me of course ….. As we know dear reader I did the exact same thing last summer :). Will I ever learn …. I hope not 😉 xx

 

Let’s Bite Off More Than I Can Chew ….

Given the lack of crafting in recent months I am now going from daft to ridiculous 🙂

The one hour kimono went down so well with DD2 friends I now have several ‘orders’. Mates rates of course these are young adults who in my experience are always skint! That said it is flattering that they think my first effort in an age is worthy of their purse and wardrobe.

More walthamstow stash … Lovely Georgette. Perfect for the job.

The little bag I made from vintage fabric last year is also perfect for keeping this project in …. I sort of knew what I was doing when a I had my spendathon last year.

To think I really didn’t like this fabric when my darling friend R chose it yet now it’s my most favourite 😉

My other taskette is some body scrubs, the retail price is so frightening and I love pampering, waited patiently all week for my supplies to arrive and first scrub already made with Ylang Ylang, Bergamont and Lime for feelings of well being, anxiety reduction to name just a couple. Roll on bath time for a test run. Have used Epsom Salts as the exfoliant for the magnesium qualities. Will let you know how that goes.

One picture I wish I did have to show you was the truly Biblical weather we had an hour or so ago here in temperate Blighty. In an instant we went from bright sunshine to dark moody skies and winds like we never experience here. The Ash Tree in the neighbours garden bent almost in half, leaves were ripped from trees like tissue paper and debris was whooshing around ….. A remnant of Bertha maybe but it was scary, me and pup hid in kitchen watching from the window whilst my HH stood at back door ‘WOW, WOW, WOW’ was all he could say. Within a few minutes it was gone and the sun was back! Dangit no pictures though it so caught us by surprise.

Providing my momentum remains I should have some kimonos to share with you dear reader later in the week. Y’all have a super Sunday. X

One Crazy Hour …..

Walthamstow stash

Look no pattern just some pins and bombs away

Modelled by the lovely DD2 with monster puppy looking on

Slim little mare, would like to say I had abs like that once but I would be lying!

…. Well one hour and ten minutes!

The itch to sew something quick and easy to satisfy me was dealt with this evening.

Having seen a rather nifty cheat method to make a fashion kimono for DD2 on You Tube by Mighty Mannie, I had it set in my mind to crack on with supplies from the Walthamstow stash on my return from work. Well best laid plans and all that, I got started at 7pm and by 8.10pm job done 🙂

A few changes next time, I simply have to bind the neck can’t be faffing with the cheat. For me the finish is too bodgeville. As ever french seams for me, a must actually with this Italian laser print as it sheds like crazy. If I had chosen a fabric less inclined to zoot off in a direction other than the one I wanted it would easily have been done in 50 minutes which for a quick fashion accessory ain’t half bad me thinks 😉

DD2 is a UK size 6-8 so pretty tiny thus kimono-esque jacket is a bit big but she totally loves it and at the end of the day that’s why I do it.

Hope you like the pics and the hastily thrown together blog but wanted to share as all in all really happy with my one hour wonder!