Finally a Coco

Before the lovely summer clothes season begins I just want to sneak in a winter make.

I joined the rest of the world when Tilly’s Coco pattern came out and quickly purchased it.  How long ago was that now??

This is my first one!  Unbelievable when I’ve seen and loved so many since its release, not really sure what took me so long but better late than never!

I chose this vibrant purple stretch fabric on a visit to Guthrie and Ghani a while back and it’s been lazing around in my stash ever since.

I enjoyed working with this fabric and it was a very quick make.

I chose the funnel neck and the long sleeves to keep me cosy during the winter and it hasn’t let me down.

I also went the whole hog and added pockets which i decided to decorate with  matching covered buttons.

I love this dress – however – by next winter there’s a good chance it will have been shortened into a Coco top.  this is because of the gorgeous purple colour.  I love purple and really love this shade but I’m not sure if its a bit ‘flashy’ for me in a dress. I think I may feel more comfortable with the top version….who knows – I’ve got all spring, summer and autumn to decide so watch this space!

 

Happy sewing

Carol x

On location in Paignton, Devon

 

 

 

It’s curtains…

Many, many moons ago I worked for Wooltons in Birmingham city centre. Although long gone now they used to sell curtains and I worked in the factory sewing them.

Over the years I’ve made so many curtains for me, my family and friends. I do enjoy it but it’s a full workout – lifting and manoeuvring metres and metres of heavy fabric and lining is tough!!

I’ve just made a single curtain for a  family friend to go in his back room. As the window is near the wall he didn’t want a pair just the one to drape across and here it is…

The fabric was from The Rag market in Birmingham and was a bargain at £5 a metre.

Also, the fabric is reversible – bonus!

Immediately after those I started a pair for our patio doors.  Goodbye bingo wings (I wish!)

For these curtains I needed to do eyelet tops. I was scared! My fabric wasn’t £5 from The Rag market it was way more from a little independent soft furnishing shop in Paignton.  (£30 a metre – it’s ok my husband knows!)  It was the only fabric I saw that I really liked for the room.

I’ve used eyelet tape before on curtains. It’s not difficult but if you make a mistake you’ve cut holes into the curtains you’ve worked hard to make – yikes!!

Luckily they came out fine

Happy sewing

Carol x

Easter Bunnies

A bit of an Easter change, me and Tracy made bunnies!

 

We saw the pattern in one of the magazines (can’t remember which) from last year.

I had the fabric left over from a quilt I’ve been making – a work in progress for a while now but will be blogged about quite soon – I hope!!

Just for the record, they were so fiddly we will NEVER be making them again!

Despite that, they turned out really well and we love them!

Tracy’s spent Easter on her desk at work and is now in her bedroom and mine is living at the seaside with me!

 

Happy sewing

Carol x

Bowie

My friend’s little boy has been doing a topic on David Bowie this term at school.

For the finale they are dressing up and putting on a show for family members to come along to watch.

“Help!” she said.

I asked her for an old pair of jeans and an old t-shirt.

I’ve never been a Bowie fan at all and was unsure what to do at this point but at least I knew that they would fit him, whatever I did!

Here is the result…

I opened up the side seam and pleated a piece of tartan fabric from my stash which I then inserted….

 

I also appliqued the top

and…..

Quick and simple – hope he likes them!

Happy Sewing

Carol X

Cable stitch owls

 I spotted a jumper when ‘surfing the web’ a while back.

It had a row of owls around the top and I immediately thought of my Tash as she likes owls (also flamingoes, elephants, sloths, huskies, butterflies……..)

A bit more ‘surfing’ and I found it.  A lovely knitting pattern by Ravel to purchase and download.

A couple of pictures from their site

Tash fancied a grey one so we bought the wool from our local market stall and within a few days it was finished.

I’ve knitted many jumpers over the years and this was the first one that incorporated a couple of long darts in the middle of the back.  Strange, but I followed the pattern.

I loved knitting this as it was done on circular needles. You knit round in a circle from the bottom ribbing to the armholes and then the cuffs to the armholes, which is where all the pieces join up and you can then begin the owls.

The owls are made by a simple cable stitch and are so cute!!

Finally a tiny bit of sewing up under the armholes and 34 buttons to sew on.

 

Although Tash liked her finished owl jumper we both decided we didn’t like the way the back darts brought it in a bit, it was unnecessary on a jumper.

When Tash’s wonderful, lovely, sweet friend Radikha saw it and liked it, I offered to make her one too.

Her choice of colour was…..

and a few more pictures of Radikha

Happy sewing

love Carol x

Giant Squid

A friend of a friend of a friend etc… wanted a giant squid for his sea life loving daughter’s birthday.

The task came to my door and as I love to make things I’ve never done before I said yes!

I found a free online pattern to make an 8 foot squid which I downloaded and then bought all the materials needed from Dunelm.

Although I did enjoy making it, it was hard to do – not the cutting out and sewing which was quite straightforward but by the time I began stuffing it, it quickly became very heavy to manoeuvre and was like having a thick duvet wrapped around me. I was boiling!!

“Squiddy” came to life a couple of weeks later and here is my son, Mitchell modelling him….

 

A velveteen Moss skirt

Tracy has just finished making herself a lovely winter skirt using

the Moss skirt pattern.  View A

The fabric is from our favourite haberdashery – Guthrie & Ghani.

Spandex velveteen isn’t the easiest of fabrics to sew with.

 

Tracy also learnt some new skills while making the skirt  – adding a fly zip front

and also front pockets.

Unfortunately, these photos don’t do the skirt justice (can’t wait to get outside).  The fabric is a gorgeous deep colour and a beautiful soft velveteen.

A lovely addition to Tracy’s wardrobe!

Happy sewing

Love Carol x

Reversible apron

Just in time for all the Christmas cooking – Lyndon’s apron was ready!

Lyndon had put in a request for a reversible apron.

Tracy found the fabric on a fab day out for the 2 of us at the latest Quilting for pleasure exhibition at the NEC.

Kitchen utensils on one side and food on the other.

Tracy drafted the pattern herself and finished off the edges with top stitching and bias tape.

Lyndon uses it all the time now and looks very cool in the kitchen!!

Happy sewing – Carol x

paint a little happiness

I had a lovely afternoon out with Tracy recently. We went along to our local coffee shop called Cafe Craft which has various crafts on offer – my favourite being the pottery.

Of cause there was a sewing theme..!!

That’s mine on the left and Tracy’s on the right.

They started off as a storage jar and a sugar bowl…

and when me and Tracy get together there’s always cake!

We worked our way through the stages –

 

 

When our afternoon was done off to the kiln they went..

we were so pleased with the result

 

 

one last job – I used a special pen to write on the lids…

 

 

We love them and they will soon be full with our little sewing nick nacks.  Which means we’ll just have to paint another one!

 

Have fun

Carol  x

Geek shirts!

I love sewing for myself, friends, my home, work – anything sewing related is fine with me but my absolute favourite thing is making clothes for my children. I get a real sense of achievement and pride.

I made a periodic table shirt for my son (posted here) and he still loves it and wears it frequently.

After previously buying some perfect geek fabric for him from a quilting exhibition at the NEC (posted here) I decided on a back to back make.

First up The Walking Dead…..

The next shirt – Star Trek

For both shirts I used the same pattern as before

 

A lovely weekend of sewing for me ended with a happy son and so a happy mom – perfect!

 

Happy sewing – Carol x