My Sewing Blog

My laptop just died.  It was going pretty badly anyway.  I changed my mind about what I was going to write on the first day - then I was ill for over a week, so I fell way behind.  Then I realised that my new idea basically had no plot, so it was really a drag to write.  I managed to get to about 17,000 words.  Now the hard drive has gone on my laptop.  It was kind of old.  I got it in 2004 and it wasn't new then.  My other two 50k+ novels are on that hard drive, and pretty much anything else I've ever written.  But I'm not too sad about it.  They are still in my head.  I could always write them again if I wanted to. While I was ill I did some smocking.  I started on an unfinished project.  Now I'm not going to be writing for the rest of the month I am going work on some sewing instead.  It's a bishop dress I am working on, so once the smocking is done...

Hello poor neglected blog.  I was just finishing sewing something and thought of you. We have been moving.  Hooray!!!  It gave me the chance to look through all my sewing stuff and get rid of things.  I gave away lots of sewing patterns and pattern magazines to the charity shop.  Oh my gosh - I actually gave away some fabric to the charity shop!  Anything too bad I put into textile recycling.  I sold some fabric on ebay - also some half finished projects too. The new house is great, but my fabric is all stored in the bed room, along with pattern magazines and notions and my sewing machines are crammed into a tiny space on the desk in the study.  Yes we have a study now.  Aren't we posh!  Its not exactly and ideal sewing set up. A few weeks ago I finished off a few dresses that just needed buttons and button holes.  I also mended a few dresses, where the bodice had come away from the skirt.  They are all going to a friend,...

Probably because I haven't sewn in a long time.  I have been reading though.  A lot.  I've read 27 books this year so far.  Novels anyway, that's not counting all the non-fiction books I've read.  I am sewing now though, but what was I thinking.... I am making a mens formal suit.  Burda 7842 for the jacket and Burda 7841 for the trousers.  M has, well possibly has an interview.  (I am confident my creative writing skills on his application form will get him an interview.)  He doesn't have a suit to wear.  Looking at the cheap Asda brand suits depressed me.  They are made out of cheap sort of school uniform polyester.  The tailoring is rubbish, and because he is tall and thin they never fit well.  A better suit would be about £100.  Too much money.  And charity shop is too much of a hit or miss. I decided to make one.  I bought discount fabric from Croft Mill.  It's a wo...

Yes!  I seem to have failed miserably with my sew-one-thing-a-week goal.  I haven't felt very motivated, and I have been quite busy with reading, and preparation stuff for home ed.  But!!!  Last night I actually cut TWO things out!  A pair of pjs for R and a hooded top for him.  I hope to have both of them sewn up in the next few days.  I'm also going to make a top for myself from a Burda magazine I picked up the other day.  I'm going to order an Ottobre magazine that has pyjamas in it.  I like the look of them better than the Kiwk Sew ones I've been making.  Hopefully I'll have some projects to blog about soon!

My boy has potty trained!!!!! Just when I reached PUL fabric nirvana! Actually he has been potty trained for a good few months now, even at night.... All that fabric looks lovely. What am I supposed to do with it now? I organised it into a rainbow on the shelf - impermeable to cats, who like to sneak in behind the stacks and lie on the flannel, which picks up hairs like crazy! I have organised my fabric shelves. There seems to be more than ever! I have about 12 yards from a co-op waiting to ship home too... Oops. Oh yeah - and 4 more yards of PUL too! It was ordered about 6 months ago, but it had to be custom milled and laminated. I never thought R would have been potty trained by the time it arrived. I have cleared up the sewing desk too, but M has moved his computer upstairs and his stuff is spreading over my sewing area. I have not done any sewing at all this week. Bit disappointed since I planned to sew at least one evening a week. I am still gathering inspiration though. I'm w...

I can't be bothered doing a total of last years projects right now. But I don't think there is much. I had a terrible sewing slump at the beginning of last year. I know I've sewn a few nappies, quite a lot of wipes and some pyjamas. Usually I just make a goal of sewing more often, but after learning about goal setting from a book about running I have decided to do something different this year. I am setting myself some smaller, more specific goals. Aim to use up 20 yards of stash fabric Keep an ideas book for inspiration Aim to complete at least one project a month (of course more would be better) Make time to sew one evening per week (again, more would be better) Plan my years sewing in advance leaving plenty of time to complete projects Complete 1-2 smocking projects I have written down a list of things I'd like to make. An apron from the Sew Liberated pattern, a knitting bag for my mum, Halloween costumes, Halloween table runner, autumn cushion covers and wall h...