SewBrum Oct 2014

Wow! My first ever meet-up in Birmingham with other sewists for SewBrum 2014, organised by Charlotte of http://englishgirlathome.com.  Thanks Charlotte!  That was such fun.  And most likely the only group of people you can just wander up to, grab their dress and say, ooh, that’s nice, what is it?  without them looking at you like a mad person.

We started off meeting outside the Starbucks in New Street Station.  That was a bit puzzling for me – it’s been nearly 20 years since I was last in New Street station, and they’ve completely revamped it.  Plus, my train got in at 9.15 and we were meeting at 10, so I had a bit of a wait.  Charlotte’s instructions said to look for the big group, but since I was the first one there, there was no big group!  I was frantically scanning everyone that walked past, trying to tell if they were wearing me-made clothing or not.  Of course, since it was a rainy day, that wasn’t easy – everyone was wearing a coat.  Eventually I spotted a likely candidate, and asked if she was there for SewBrum.  I got lucky, it was Rachel from astudyinstitching.blogspot.co.uk.  And then more and more people started gathering until eventually there was a big group.  (Hi, Angie!)

So, off we headed to Barry’s Fabrics.  Wow!  I haven’t been in there since I was little, and didn’t remember it at all.

I did really well in here, and couldn’t believe the amount of choice, or the prices.  It was funny, because every time someone picked up a bolt to go and have some cut, they’d end up with people stroking it and going ooh, that’s lovely.  In some cases, you’d end up with a little queue behind you to have some cut from the same bolt.

(I apologise for the poor colours, it’s been really dark every time I’ve tried to take a picture).  Clockwise from top left, pinky mohair wool (1m), black and white bird print cotton (2m), blue Chinese-effect satin (2m), gold satin/silk (2m), floral green-ish polyester silk effect (2m), and multi-striped cotton (2m).

All the ladies cutting and serving were fantastically helpful, and we got a 10% discount as well – just as well, really!

I’m thinking – the pink mohair is for a trim around the bottom of a white boucle winter coat (I’ve had the boucle for ages, but needed something to decorate it with; the bird print for a work blouse, the blue satin for an evening jacket, the gold satin for an evening top, the green polyester for another smart blouse, and the stripes for a men’s shirt style, well, shirt.

Then we moved onto the Fancy Silk Store.  I was less impressed with this than with Barry’s.  There wasn’t so much choice of fabric types, and most fabrics were more expensive.  That said, it very much was what it says in the name – the fancy silks were lovely.  I did get some very nice shot silk effect lining fabric in a lovely green/red colourway (3m at £5pm), and some fantastic sequinned peacocks on netting (1.35m at £16.99pm).  I think they’re probably intended for a sari-type affair, but cut out and appliqued onto the gold satin/silk from Barry’s, they’ll make a really nice evening blouse/top.

Again, we got a 10% discount.  It was funny, too, when we were all trying to squeeze into the ground floor.  It was VERY cosy.

I managed to squeeze a quick run round the Rag Market, although it very much was a rush round in the last half hour before we caught the bus.  I did well in here, too, the selection was much better than on my last visit, just after the Rag Market had been moved.  I found some lovely red broderie anglais, with a deep border (2m at £4.50pm).  A fellow sewist stopped to eye it up, and the market guy got out every other colourway he had – orange, the usual white, and black, but I stuck with the red.  A lovely denim coloured chambray at another stand manned by what appeared to be a Turkish(?) boy band – about 7 guys of various ages, all dressed in fantastic white outfits and pointy slippers (2m at £3pm – the chambray, not the guys).  And then back to the broderie stall for some really interesting pleated black and white synthetic stuff (2m at £2.50pm).  I would have liked a proper look at all the notions stalls, but just didn’t have time.  They’ll most likely be a top in the black and white, a summer dress in the broderie, and maybe a pair of trousers in the blue.

Then we assembled to catch the bus to Moseley.  We had an…interesting…walk while we circled the bus stop, but eventually all piled onto a #50 bus.  It took about 15 minutes to get to Moseley, where we all traipsed into Guthrie & Ghani.  I LOVE this shop, it’s so nicely laid out.  Lauren very kindly opened up the workshop upstairs for us, and laid on tea (served by her lovely mother) and cakes made by other sewists, as well as a little goody envelope.  Mine had some white satin ribbon in it, as well as a 10% off voucher and a project postcard.  I saw another one with a nice sew-on decoration, so I guess everyone’s envelope was different.  And it was Lauren’s birthday too!

I spent far too much money in here, although to be fair I had a set amount of money I had drawn out for the day, and I managed to spend it all!

I got some lovely red chambray (2m), a couple of Christmas fabrics (1m each), some tweedy suiting (2m), and some gorgeous pale pink guipiere-style lace (1m at ouch! £32pm).  I’ve already started making a shirt with the chambray.  I’m planning on a couple of Christmas aprons with the Christmas-y fabric, some cosy work trousers with the tweed, and a couple of blouses with the lace, of the kind with a solid body and lace arms/shoulders.

Having all made purchases, we all re-convened upstairs for the raffle, chat and more tea.

I won twice in the raffle, once for a pdf pattern, and blow me down, the Singer sewing machine!  Here’s Charlotte’s photo of me looking suitably stunned.  I’m wearing my pink Coco, which I made the previous weekend at Guthrie & Ghani’s.  I’ll post properly about that another time.

Then we had a pattern and fabric swap.  I brought quite a few patterns, and came away with some new ones (to me).  I also got a couple of bits of fabric, a nice pinky cotton, probably enough for a sleeveless top, and about a metre and a half of an interesting lacy border.  Not sure what to do with that yet.

I got the bus back into town with Rachel (astudyinstitching.blogspot.co.uk), Ela (ela-sews.blogspot.co.uk), Thea (theainsewingland.wordpress.com), and Louise (notsewsimple.wordpress.com), amongst others.  Of course, I had two bags of fabric and a sewing machine to wrestle with!  I can’t thank enough everyone who helped me get back to the station.

It was about 6.40 when I got home, happy but exhausted!

 

16 July 2014 update – dress-making

Well, yet again, it’s been a while!

I’ve been busy, though.  My focus has changed quite dramatically, so I’ve been doing a lot of dress-making.  I’m posting this at work (gasp!), so pictures of my actual creations will follow later, although I’ll put the official pattern pictures in for now.  Edited: added my pictures in!

Largely prompted by the Great British Sewing Bee series 2, which I must have watched at least 20 times now, I decided I felt like dress-making.

I completed a dress I’ve had cut out for about 4 years – but I’ve lost a lot of weight, so I had to re-cut all the pieces.  I had sewn the bodice darts, so I had to unpick those, and discovered that my fabric, a cotton batik, had marked badly along the stitch lines, so had a panic when I thought I didn’t have enough fabric.  Fortunately, I found the bag and juuuust had enough to re-cut.  It did mean that the pattern matching wasn’t quite as good as I wanted, but that was contributed to by the print not being as even as it actually looked on the roll.  The cotton came from John Lewis, and the bodice is fully lined, lining fabric also from John Lewis.  The pattern is  Vogue 8633 ‘Easy’, although it was anything but!  I made view F, which is the full skirt with sleeves.  I found that I had to shorten the shoulder line (not sure if that’s the right term) by about 2 inches, as it projected enough that if I’d set the sleeves in as it was, they would have been about halfway down my upper arm!  I also need to close up the neckline a little – it’s fine standing up, but when I sit down there’s a bit more cleavage on view than I like.  I even embroidered washing instructions inside!

My lovely dog decided to photobomb the picture!

Since I had some fabric left over (those unused bodice pieces), I made a little clutch bag, using the instructions in Love Sewing magazine, issue 1.

 

Then I started and finished a jacket made from a groovy wool blend with lines needlefelted onto it, which I got at the Sewing for Pleasure show at the NEC in March, and lined it with a painted nylon kimono lining from ebay.  The pattern is a Simplicity New Look pattern that seems to be out of print now, for a waterfall front jacket.  The pattern, though, is for a much lighter fabric, and unlined, so I had to figure that out as I went along.  It’s very cosy.  The pattern also didn’t at any point specify that the long sleeve seams had to be sewn.  In one instruction diagram they were unsewn, and in the next they were magically sewn, without any written step inbetween!

 

I made a pair of trousers from Vogue 1366 in a grey lightweight suiting, which I got from The Sewing Cafe, in Hinckley.  I added purple piping around the waistline and across the rear welt pockets.  And my god, the pockets!  The instructions were slightly less than useless, and after my fifth attempt, ruining one whole cut-out leg of good fabric, I youtubed the whole thing, ignored the Vogue instructions, and got on much better.  Without doubt, the most comfortable pair of trousers I have EVER owned, and the right length too.  I’m tall, so I struggle to find ready to wear trousers long enough.  But the rear pockets were not simple.

 

I completed a pair of shoe clips from a Mollie Makes magazine cover kit – fun!

 

I bought a new overlocker, because mine died, utterly.

 A Brother 1034D.  My boss gave me a bonus, the day after my overlocker died, so that was a complete no-brainer!

I took apart a handbag which I had from Accessorize several years ago, which was in a pink corduroy.  The corduroy had gone bald, as corduroy does when it rubs, but I really like the shape and size of the bag, so I unpicked it and used the pieces as patterns to cut out and assemble a new bag.  The new one is made up in a cotton canvas from a shop in London, with the old lining from the handbag and the zip and strap re-used, and interlined with a waterproof fabric from the same shop.  (The Cloth Shop, in Soho.)  First time of making my own bias binding using a bias maker, too.

 The original was similar to this one.

 This is my version.  I also re-used the lining.

I just made up a top from a Vogue Very Easy 8963, in a print cotton from ebay.  I didn’t cut the top on the bias, because of the pattern on the fabric, and added an invisible zip in the back.  My first one, so I’m really pleased with that, I think it turned out really well.  The pattern envelope shows it as a dress, but it can be made up as a top too.  The only other change I made to this was to add bias binding around the bottom of the armholes, which isn’t specified in the pattern instructions.

 

I finally finished Hill Hay Farm, thank goodness!  I still think it’s not very good as a photo chart, but hopefully the cousin who asked me for it will be happy.

I also made a couple of flowery hair clips, and decorated some white espadrille type pumps (£7.99 from New Look) to match the dress.

So next, the OH wants me to make up some cushions for the living room using some patchwork printed pieces we got from the USA last time we were there; I want to make up a couple of blouses and a jacket, and I’m back sewing the Dark Knight again.

I’m thinking:

 Tilly and the Buttons – Mathilde

 By Hand London – Victoria Blazer (long length)

Oh, and I’m also knitting a bolero cardigan to go with the cotton dress.

We went up to Yorkshire for the Tour de France, and found a lovely little shop in Ilkley, called Eme,

where I got a bobble hat kit (a ball of chunky wool with a pre-made fluffy bobble), a pattern for an anorak affair,

 Merchant & Mills – Landgate

and some cute dotty canvas to make it up in.   It’s a really great little shop, and the proprietress was absolutely lovely.  We came upon it purely by chance, but I thoroughly recommend a visit.

So I guess I’m going to be busy.

I’ve also signed up for a sewing course at Guthrie & Ghani in August – making a Belcarra blouse.  I seem to struggle with hems, and I’m not sure if it’s me or my sewing machine that’s the problem.  So hopefully I might get a couple of pointers.

Plus I’ll be going to SewBrum in October for a day of shopping and swapping.  I can’t wait!

 

 

 

WIPocalypse 2014 targets

***Now updated with pictures!***

Hmm, I see that the topic for this month’s WIPocalypse entry is to: ‘Introduce yourself, your projects, and any goals you have for the year!’

I also see that stupid Multiply no longer has my old posts, so I’ll have to introduce myself again.  So, here goes:

My name is Emma.  I live with my partner, OH (other half, or he who does not wish to be named), and my Jack Russell terrier, Max.  Max is 10, going on 50, and I have been with the OH for 10 years now.

I am 38 years old, and have been stitching and doing various other crafts since I was very little.  My mother runs her own business making historically accurate costume dolls for display and dolls houses.  She taught me to sew when I was very small.  I remember her taking an out-of-hours sewing class when I was at primary school, and teaching me to cross-stitch on binca.  Both of my grandmothers were also keen sewers, although arthritis has forced one to give up embroidery.  The other is still a keen knitter.  My father made and painted models all the time I lived at home, and switched to model boat building about 7 years ago.

Cross-stitch is my primary obsession, although I can do almost every other form of counted embroidery and sewing. I’m less good at crewel embroidery, mostly because I don’t especially enjoy it.  I also recently re-discovered knitting, and enjoy making miniature teddy bears.  I also have a large collection of dolls houses in various states of completion: a large Edwardian American house, an 1870s saloon/cathouse, a cake shop, a teddy bear shop, a Christmas shop, and a 1920s dress shop, all in 1/12th scale (one inch scale if you’re American, I think).  I have dabbled in 144th scale, but generally find that a little too fiddly.  I also enjoy miniature embroidery, although I have started to suffer from eye problems which mean that I can’t do quite such small scale as I used to. 

I really, really like enormous projects.  Or perhaps, I should more realistically say, I like starting enormous projects.  I’m not so good at finishing them.  And once the stitching is complete, I tend to lose all further interest and leave them languishing, unfinished.  I have way, way more projects, charts and kits than I can ever possibly finish in my lifetime.

So, for 2014, my WIPocalypse (see link to Measi’s blog on the sidebar) targets are to:

Finish: Hill Hay Farm; Blackwork World Map; The Dark Knight; Canyon Santa (finished 4-Jan-2014)

Work on: Fairy Tale Castle; Circe Invidiosa; The Kiss; Euphoria; Kabuki Dancer

Finish finish: Christmas Tree 2008; The Mark Twain Silhouette; Fire Screen; Roses card; Margaret Sherry cat; Running Horse; Bay Window; Country Scene; 3 Jeremy Fisher Scenes; Tower of London; Orange butterfly; Solar Flare; Tiger Reflection; Stars For a New Millenium.

I also want to get more done on my doll houses; the Saloon needs wallpaper finishing (done 29-Dec-13), windows adding and etching (done 2-Jan-14), furniture adding and populating.  The 1920s dress shop needs priming, wallpapering, windows adding and etching, furniture adding and populating.  The teddy bear shop needs some more shelving, teddy bears making up, and the little girl shopper making up.  The Sticky Bun cake shop needs a platform adding behind the counter.  The Christmas shop needs the roof finishing, tablecloths making, snow adding, a sign written, filling with Christmas goodies, and populating.  There is also at least one, maybe two, over shop room boxes which need building, decorating, furnishing and populating.

So, pictures:

Hill Hay Farm, about half way through:

     

The Saloon, exterior decorated:

The exterior stairs, and their little diorama (I’m really pleased with this bit):

And the two attic rooms, decorated (the pictures are a bit blurry, sorry):

WIPocalypse – the Revenge! 30-Dec-2013

Well, this year hasn’t gone very well in terms of updating the blog.  I kind of lost interest in it, to be honest.

So, I started the year with 14 WIPs (Works In Progress) and 14 FUPPys (Finished Unfinished Project Pieces).  I finished 8  pieces completely, including  5 bonus start-and-finish pieces, and I now have 7 WIPs and 16 FUPPys.  I can’t say that I’m pleased with that, I had hoped to get much more done.  I did have some eye issues through the year, which slowed me down a lot, and lately I’ve been working on a paid piece for a second cousin, so everything has taken a back seat to that.  I’ll add a couple of pictures later, when I can, but most things have pictures in previous entries.

For 2013, my WIPocalypse – the Revenge! (see link to Measi’s blog on the sidebar) goals were to:

Finish: Solar Flare finished 1-Jan-2013, not yet framed; Blackwork World Map not finished; Tiger Reflection finished 15-Mar-2013, not yet framed; The Dark Knight not finished

Start (and possibly finish): Tony Minieri – Stars For a New Millenium started 1-Jan-2013 finished 27-Feb-2013, not yet framed

Work on: Fairy Tale Castle nope; Circe Invidiosa nope; The Kiss nope; Euphoria ooh, actually, it looks like I worked on this a bit!

Finish finish: Christmas Tree 2008; The Mark Twain Silhouette; Fire Screen; Roses card; Margaret Sherry cat; Running Horse; Bay Window; Country Scene; 3 Jeremy Fisher Scenes; Tower of London; Orange butterfly didn’t finish any of these!

Unplanned: Roses bookmark started 17-Feb-2013 finish-finished 2-Mar-2013; Pineapple welcome finish-finished Dec-2013; knitted hat finished Dec-2013; knitted hat for Mum finished 24-Dec-2013; Cardinal Felt Stocking finished Mar-2013

I’ll be setting myself some more targets for 2014, but not measuring myself particularly hard against them.

WIPocalypse Jan, Feb, 15 Mar 2013

Well, it’s been a while since I’ve posted – life’s kind of got in the way.

I completed Solar Flare on the 1st January:

So, then I started Tony Minieri’s Stars For A New Millenium, my own colourway:

 started 1-Jan-2013, finished 27-Feb-2013

And then, in order to attempt to bring some semblance of finishing to my WIP pile, I got out Tiger Reflection.  This is how it looked when I picked it up:

And I finished it today, 15-Mar-2013.

I also picked up this little bookmark, a cover kit from one of the UK magazines, and stitched it for my Mum for Mother’s Day, started 17-Feb-2013, finished 2-Mar-2013.

I’m finding that Euphoria is now yelling at me to pick her up again, so here’s how she stands at the moment:

I’m onto page 5, so only another 65 to go!  Unfortunately, it’ll be at least another 10 pages until I’m out of background and into the lady herself.  Boo. :o(  I suppose at least it’s good that I want to work on a WIP, rather than start something new.

I’ll try not to be so tardy in reporting in future, but we’ll see.

WIPocalypse 31 Dec 2012

Well, the world didn’t end after all.  I hope you all had a good Christmas and will have a good New Year.

Warning, this is going to be VERY picture heavy!

This is what I said I wanted to get done in the WIPocalypse for 2012 – updated statuses are in bold:

Finish:

Classic Embroidery – Tallulah – framed 5-Feb-2012  I apologise for the poor quality of the picture – it’s very difficult to photograph a black picture!

Sunset – A Gracious Era – framed 19-Feb-2012 

Feltworks – Woodland Santa Stocking – finished 23-Dec-2011 

DMC – Blackwork World Map – not finished, but had some work

Before:

Dimension’s Gold Collection Petites – Tiger Reflection – not finished, but had some work   After:

Heritage Stitchcraft – Golden Pavilion – no work

Lanarte – Virgo – no work

Scarlet Quince – Circe Invidiosa – no work

Maia – Wild Westies III – no work

Cross Stitch Collection – Fairytale Castle – almost finished a quarter of the design

Before: After: 

Miniature Textiles Company – Floral Needlework Carpet – no work

Fine Arts Heritage Society – The Kiss – no work

Lavender & Lace – Emma’s Garden – no work

Cross Stitch Collectibles – The Last Judgement – no work, now contemplating unpicking and re-using the fabric

Finish finish (the stitching was finished, but they needed finishing into a proper item):

The Mark Twain Silhouette – no work

Nicola Mascall – Fire Screen – no work

Roses card – no work

Margaret Sherry cat – no work

Running Horse – no work

Deer in the woods – framed 27-Aug-2012

Bay window – no work

Country scene – no work

3 Jeremy Fisher scenes – no work

Fletcher 901 class train – framed 27-Aug-12

Blue and Scarlet Macaws – framed 27-Aug-12

Christmas Angel – framed 19-Feb-2012

Posy Collection – Yellowstone Bison – framed 19-Feb-2012

Valerie Pfeiffer – Lady in Red – framed 19-Feb-2012

Valerie Pfeiffer – The Blues – framed 19-Feb-2012

Then of course there were the starts:

Lavender & Lace – Christmas Tree 2008 – finished 29-Jan-12

My Big Toe – Dog Hair – finished 12-Jul-12

My Big Toe – Give Me the Cookie – finished 14-Jul-12

SK Forest Walk – finished 10-Jul-12, framed 25-Aug-12

Yellowstone patchwork bag – finished 10-Apr-12

Bucilla – Cardinals felt stocking – finished 24-Nov-12 

RICO – Squirrel Christmas hanging – finished 24-Nov-12   I brought the kit back from Austria this year – this could be the first time I’ve ever completed a holiday piece in the same year as the aactual holiday!

Tower of London – finished 24-Nov-12 

Batman – 3 pages finished, 6 to go

HAED – Euphoria – four pages completed, 56 to go! 

Ro Pace – Solar Flare – should be finished tonight   Yay, finished 1-Jan-2013

So, I started the year with 14 WIPs (Works In Progress) and 18 FUPPys (Finished Unfinished Project Pieces).  I finished 15 pieces completely, including 7 bonus start-and-finish pieces, and I now have 14 WIPs and 14 FUPPys.  I’m pleased with that – although it’s the same number of WIPs, there are some different ones from last year. (Don’t try and figure out the numbers – I couldn’t!)

For 2013, my WIPocalypse – the Revenge! (see link to Measi’s blog on the sidebar) goals are to:

Finish: Solar Flare; Blackwork World Map; Tiger Reflection; Batman

Start (and possibly finish): Tony Minieri – Stars For a New Millenium

Work on: Fairy Tale Castle; Circe Invidiosa; The Kiss; Euphoria

Finish finish: Christmas Tree 2008; The Mark Twain Silhouette; Fire Screen; Roses card; Margaret Sherry cat; Running Horse; Bay Window; Country Scene; 3 Jeremy Fisher Scenes; Tower of London; Orange butterfly.

Oh, and as a bonus now that Christmas is done, I can post a picture of the Christmas present I made for my Mum:

 Yes, it is Cousin Itt.  I think he came out really well.

Happy Stitching!  I’m off to finish Solar Flare. Edited on 1-Jan-2013, because I have indeed finished Solar Flare.

WIPocalypse 27 Aug 2012

Well, this time I’m a little early, since I won’t be around for the actual WIPocalypse date.

Page 3 of Euphoria is complete.  Now I can get onto page 4, which has a birdie on it.  At last, something interesting!  It’s working up nice and quick, though.

And I got some framing done this weekend:

     

With the exception of Forest Walk (the dragon), all of these have been languishing in boxes and drawers for anything up to 20 years, so it’s nice to finally have them mounted and framed.

For TUSAL, the picture is pretty identical to last time, all pale greys and blues, so I haven’t bothered taking another picture.

Until next time, happy stitching!

TUSAL & WIPocalypse 2 August 2012

Just a quickie this time.

Thank you for all the kind comments.

TUSAL is all pale greys and blues:

Progress is good on Euphoria:

Here’s the back, and the marked off chart so far:

Until next time, happy stitching.

Olympics, 27 July 2012

Wow, is it that time already?!

Since my last post, I’ve been busy.  I finished Forest Walk:

I’m pleased with it, it came out ok in the end, despite the problems, but it could have been better.

Then I had an urge for a couple of quickies (oo-er missus), so I did these over the weekend of the 14th:

 

Both designs were from ‘My Big Toe’, using the recommended fabric and buttons, but DMC threads.  I like them, they’re fun.

Then I got all ambitious, and I’ve started this, from HAED:

Isn’t she lovely?  She’s also VERY big, 60 pages of chart, although admittedly 20 of them are not full pages.  So in the interests of keeping my sanity, I’m trying something different and stitching her 2 over 1, basketweave stitch, on 32 ct Monaco.  Theoretically, it should take half as long…wait, did you see that pig zoom past overhead…?

This is my progress so far, started on 21st July:

I’m actually really pleased.  That’s one page completed, and one started, in 10 days of stitching.  This is the top right hand corner of sky.  I suspect I will slow down a lot once I hit the confetti, but hey, what the heck.

I’m entering her into the Wagon stitching Olympics in both Watersports and Long Jump, so hopefully that will help to keep me going.

And finally, I came downstairs the other day, and look what greeted me…

Yes, Lord Muck, in his proper place (apparently).. If a cushion so much as looks like lying down, it’s immediately deemed the only possible place for sitting on.  He does look good, though.

Until next time, happy stitching!

WIPocalypse on time – well, mostly. 6 July 2012

Yay!  Almost on time for WIPocalypse this time!  Late for TUSAL again, though, boo.

Mostly browns again.  The strips of linen are from the joining I’ve been doing on Forest Walk.  It hasn’t been going well – it’s taken 3 attempts and the intervention of my DH, but it’s finally on and seems to be ok.  I made a stupid mistake, cutting the fabric waaay too short.  I’ve never done that before, for anything.  DH says he’s going to measure every piece of fabric I start on in future.

Now that the joining issue’s resolved, he’s coming along well.  He’ll be finished this month,

Well, there’s nothing else to report at the moment.  The weather is helping with stitching – it’s just too wet to do anything else.

Happy stitching!