Sunday, January 28, 2018

Two Molly's and a Moneta!

 
Sometimes ( not often) the over-locker is a babe! Last weekend was one of those times! When I bought the red velour a few weeks back, on the market, I also picked up this gorgeous dark teal scuba. It reminded me a of lovely Boden dress (Audrey) that I had and wore to death and at £2 a metre I had to take a couple home with me!


I had planned on making another Coco with it but a friend of mine had just made Molly and it was gorgeous so I thought I would give that a go. Now I haven't had too much success with any of the Sew Over It dress patterns. They are usually too short in the body and too tight in the arms for me or my girls, which means fiddling about with the pattern, which I really didn't want to be bothered with. I have to say I was pleasantly surprised. I made the suggested size and the arms and length are perfect! It is maybe a little loose in the body so I might pull that in a bit next time.

It is such a quick make and I had a dress after 2.5 hours on Friday night and that was with tracing out the pattern. Which in my book is a good result. I then proceeded to wear it all weekend and a couple of times in the week!


Then on Sunday I got a couple more hours sewing in,this time I was planning on making up Moneta. I picked the fabric up in Dewsbury way back in October. Isn't the print unusual ? It had been cut out since before Christmas and was going to be my Christmas day dress.
Well best laid plans and all that, I mislaid the bodice pieces so it ended up being shelved. Anyway I re- cut the bodice and zipped it up really quickly on the over-locker. The bodice is quite a nice shape however the gathering at the skirt I was a bit unsure of as it makes it look a bit old fashioned but once I put it on I actually quite like it though I have heard that the Laneway dress's skirt works well with it so I think at some point ,I might give that a go.

I have some black spotty jersey that I want to make another Moneta out of so that might be for next week! But that is my second project from my #2018makenine so I am feeling pretty pleased with that!

Then on Sunday just time to make another Molly, this time a short sleeved top out of a scrap of fabric left over from a dress I made a couple of years back.

I had wanted to make a renfrew or an Agnes out of it but I just couldn't get the pieces to fit and I had resigned myself to making knickers out of it so the Molly top was a bit of a Eureka moment. I haven't worn this yet but I think it will be a good tee-shirt for the summer as it is nice and long , I hate it when they pull up at the front.

Anyway my sewing machine is calling me so ...

Till next time happy stitching!

Arianwen

Sunday, January 21, 2018

Stashbusting Hetty ( or my Christmas Cast on)

So once I have wrapped all the presents, waited for Father Christmas , fed the family and cleared up my Christmas Tradition for the last nine years has been to cast on a sweater or cardigan for myself. 

Now they haven't always been completed , several have hit the frog pond but this years is a delight!


I am trying very hard to cull both my fabric and yarn stashes as both are rather large, mainly with oddments, but large none the less!

This lovely yellow was left on a cone from a tunic dress that I made back in 2011 it wasn't entirely flattering and I think I ended up giving it away. Anyway there wasn't much yarn left, about 350g , so when I went stash diving I thought it would be great for Hetty.


I have now made Hetty twice, the first version didn't get blogged about or any photos either really, again it was left over yarn and I have worn it lots! This one is even better.


Oh how I love this little cardigan! Because I knew I had a little more yarn than the last time I lengthened both the sleeves and the body and it feels like it is a very flattering shape. I have to confess the decreases on the sleeves are a bit odd as I misread the pattern and kind of made them up , but they seem to work ok.  I love the colour it is just so sunny and joyful and  I finished it with about 50g left over which I plan to use in something else.



 When I cast off I didn't really think it could get much better then I found these cute little wooden heart buttons. Completely adorable!

So that is my first cardigan of the year and with the exception of the buttons it was all from stash.I am working on my other wip and I have been stash diving for February's cast on. I am looking forward to starting although I already know I will probably have to buy a bit of yarn for that.

Till next time

Arianwen

Wednesday, January 17, 2018

Sunny Dress/Tunic



Evening all,as you probably read I am taking part in the instagram challenge of #Sewmystyle2018 and January's pattern  was the Sunny dress/Top it is a very basic Jersey Dress pattern from the Friday Pattern Company. It  is really a summer type dress or top and I would have to say with the shaped hem neither version are really my style but I figured as it was the first of the 12 patterns I would give it a go.  I am trying to work some of this challenge from stash. This one is  some wool jersey that I got given when I met up with the #sixdodewsbury a group of six   lovely ladies that I met at Sew up North. I made the medium for this version which was pretty much exactly my measurement and then added a neckband as I felt without it , the neckline would be very low.

I think it turned out OK and I have had some compliments for it. I think it would probably make quite a good layering piece as it is quite warm over leggings and boots .... but I just don't love it!
I think the sleeves are the wrong length and too wide and because of that  honestly don't know how much wear it will get.

Anyway not to be beaten I decided to go to the Monday market and some lovely red velour caught my eye.  I needed something to wear to a presentation evening  and I decided  a red  party dress was just what I needed. This time I lengthened it and got rid of the curved hem. I went down a size so it is very clingy and I extended the sleeves to wrist length.

I think I could of probably taken more off the width of the sleeve and as the photos prove I should of probably made them three quarter length as without fail I end up pushing them up! I am quite pleased with this version. It is comfy and easy to wear which is my favourite type of clothing. So there you go two very different dresses from one very basic pattern. Which is your favourite? Did you make one? I would love to see!

Till next time

Arianwen

Sunday, January 14, 2018

Morris Blazer -Grainline Studio



Morning all, this post has been sat for about 2 weeks as the Sunny North is not that sunny and getting any type of pictures has proved to be a nightmare! Anyway I braved the elements and my nosey neighbours and got you some!


However I did manage to get lots done in the last week of my holiday, although it didn't go quite as planned  , I came down with the Lurgy. I did a bit on my Christmas Cast on, cut out my Sunny Dress( from stash) for my January entry to #sewmystyle  and made another Morris Blazer by Grainline Studios for  my #2018makenine so I would have to say I'm pleased with what I have accomplished!
So onto the Morris Blazer, the first one I made out of a lovely warm jersey that I bought on a whim from Fabworks a few months back. I cut it out and using the over-locker whipped it up in an evening.

It ticked a box on my #2017makenine ( you might have seen it in my round up). It is warm, snuggly and more like a cardigan than a Blazer and I am hoping it will be perfect when I get back to work and I can see myself getting a lot of wear out of it as I just love it.

This version, I went all out with ( no over locking here!) The fabric was bought a few months ago again at Fabworks. Such a brilliant shop! It is a double-sided wool and had this great stripe which I loved.
When I got the fabric out on Tuesday I was disappointed as I hadn't realised that the stripe was only on one selvage and I didn't have enough to use it as I was going to play Tetris with the pattern pieces. However the quality of fabric more than makes up for it!

I decided as the jacket was was without a lining it would be perfect to try out Hong Kong seams. What can I say? I just love this finishing technique - OK it takes a lot of time and a lot of bias binding ( I think I used about 10m) but it looks so stylish!

This jacket is more fitted than the Jersey version as I used larger seam allowances , this makes this version a more Spring or Autumn piece but I do think it  looks great with a little Ogden Cami underneath and Jeans ( maybe I need to add some of those to this years makes)

Anyway till next time.
Arianwen x

Monday, January 01, 2018

Oh boy, 2018, do I have plans for you!



Hello Happy New Year!

Can you believe how fast 2017 skidded by? Me neither and I can't think that 2018 will be any slower especially all of the stitchy plans that I want to fit in!

My main focus is going to be downsizing my stashes of both yarn and fabric although I do know that there will be one big fabric purchase in February but I will get onto that in a minute.

So in order to keep me focused and using both fabric and yarn I already own I have signed up for three different challenges.

The first is a knitting one on Ravelry IntSweMoDo2018 I have taken part in the past but the last few years I haven't really bothered. The idea is that you knit 12 adult size sweaters. Mine are going to be from stash. I already have two started ( which do count) my Christmas cast on and a cardigan I cast on way back in Easter I think last year. I haven't married yarn to patterns yet but my stash and ravelry queue are both enormous so I don't think I will have too much trouble!

The next is going to be the #2018makenine on instagram again I am going to try and work from stash and from patterns I own. With one exception!

So from top left

Belledone dress  Dear and Doe I got this pattern and fabric for my birthday last year

Rosari skirt  Pauline Alice

Datura Blouse Dear and Doe

Hampton Jean Jacket  Alina Design Company

Rumana Coat By Hand London

Nita Wrap Skirt Sew Diy

Moneta Dress Collette Patterns

Boylston Bra Orange Lingerie

Morris Blazer Grainline Studios

My final New Year Challenge is the #SewMyStyle  this has been running for a couple of years but it is my first time getting involved ...it is one that I am not going to be too precious about as some of the patterns probably aren't anything either me or the girls would wear and also the idea of unseen patterns kind of fills me with fear. So it is one that I may well dip in and out of. However I do plan on making a Sunny top. The Rumana coat ( one of my make nine). The Marigold Jumpsuit and the Tote Bag. The Lingerie is one of the unseen patterns and I keep buying knicker patterns and not making them, I may just use a pattern that I have.

As you might of guessed the Rumana is my investment piece. I haven't made a coat before mainly because I own quite a lot of  different ones already and don't really need another. However I have fallen in love with this coat as I think it is pretty much the ultimate coat shape and I would probably c wack it on my  card if I saw it to buy in any shop regardless of the colour. For my own version I am thinking probably black or grey with amazing lining but I have a month of planning on this so I guess it is watch this space!
So those are my plans! I would love to know yours. Are you joining in the same challenges as me ? Or are there others that I should know about? Or are you just going to make as the spirit takes you? Let me know!
Wishing you all a wonderful, happy and peaceful New Year
A x

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