tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-47368313737915646722023-11-16T07:38:46.335+00:00My Sewing BlogA journal of all my sewing and craft projects.Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15862778832762763380noreply@blogger.comBlogger128125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4736831373791564672.post-76907204663318596612020-11-30T22:09:00.002+00:002020-12-08T16:31:09.911+00:00Latest projects<p> I haven't actually made much progress on the list I posted over a month ago. I did iron some interfacing onto some parts of the Toby K hoodies, but that's about it.</p><p>I'm not sure if I had a Jalie hoodie on my list, but I did finish that. I cut it out about a year ago and just finished it now. I did some colour blocking on it, and certain people thought it looked like an old Grandma's fleece. And, it kind of does a bit. An old Grandma's fleece from the 90s. I need to get some photos of it, but I've already been wearing it. </p><p>I also finished the Lago tank, and a pair of Bunzies. I don't remember if the Bunzies were on my list. The Lago tank still turned out to be too baggy, but nowhere near as bad as the Jalie one from my last post. I need to take some photos of them too.</p><p>The only thing I do have photos of is face masks. I'm sure every sewer has been making masks in 2020. I actually wasn't going to. I just thought I'd never leave the house so I'd have no need for them. But then my college people had to go back in to college and masks became mandatory in public places. Weirdly, M's work only just started having people wear them at work.</p><p>I've been using a free pattern from Twig and Tale. It's pretty much the only pattern I've used. I'm quite happy with it. It has two different styles of masks in child to XL adult sizes. My first batch I ended up making from fabric napkins, which turned out pretty well. Then I got some adjustable ear elastics and some metal wires for the nose parts so I could up my mask game. These are some of the ones I made.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGAQDhepPhydHkNz0285wr3N2lE4cXq3l0JRw3GVUdzShRddsdkmZRODUTogm6qVi9Epkqmev_NWfRp9GBRGklEc-VuJV7OB5SBsio37S8KTwF8J8i4gWMF5K3HxkMltALB_iB1BjtE0c/s2048/IMG_20201101_135206.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGAQDhepPhydHkNz0285wr3N2lE4cXq3l0JRw3GVUdzShRddsdkmZRODUTogm6qVi9Epkqmev_NWfRp9GBRGklEc-VuJV7OB5SBsio37S8KTwF8J8i4gWMF5K3HxkMltALB_iB1BjtE0c/s320/IMG_20201101_135206.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">R is modelling this one (while wearing his pyjamas). He also dyed his hair blue. I think he's wearing a large size, which is more of an adult size. I did make him some in the medium size, which fit better.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwZX2Ik1fYXlg9FTmu1GKcf45xhn6sQv5R-DpJX1X2TrmRSP5DS61memxci7RFw8tzYL-SH8ynO-fbZfL03Qu_n4RtUuX_gp3nuoE6XBDOfb4_47XCf0ZisrWWn_BIERgLrjFv-Nm0oGs/s2048/IMG_20201029_214432.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwZX2Ik1fYXlg9FTmu1GKcf45xhn6sQv5R-DpJX1X2TrmRSP5DS61memxci7RFw8tzYL-SH8ynO-fbZfL03Qu_n4RtUuX_gp3nuoE6XBDOfb4_47XCf0ZisrWWn_BIERgLrjFv-Nm0oGs/s320/IMG_20201029_214432.jpg" /></a></div><br />E really likes bees, so these were for her. The adjustable ear elastics really make a difference to the way they fit.<div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXckrd02WQNbyCjomHTPdc8cOWDWLWzZ8fLtuuX-ELg0Zxp3AqjgXJdzRwZJG2WO_9clK9WdLOwqhXauqBkNfZnwFLox25ahhOUQ3V4iP8uSPzF1WrBBvcBpwqCv5SujO7qRgyWm2ScM8/s2048/IMG_20201101_135304.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXckrd02WQNbyCjomHTPdc8cOWDWLWzZ8fLtuuX-ELg0Zxp3AqjgXJdzRwZJG2WO_9clK9WdLOwqhXauqBkNfZnwFLox25ahhOUQ3V4iP8uSPzF1WrBBvcBpwqCv5SujO7qRgyWm2ScM8/s320/IMG_20201101_135304.jpg" /></a></div><div><br /></div>I made these scrunchies with the left over fabric. I plan to make more but these ones turned out really tight because of the elastic I used. The pattern said to use 1cm elastic, which I thought seemed a bit thick. My 1cm elastic is pretty strong too. They work okay if you use them around a bun or something, like as a decoration, but you couldn't use them to actually tie your hair back.<div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcev2-TUFDNIkEor5GcbsO87GSjKdG6dQc05t6EnNK2YHDS1FMsplxBPhTnp4FFPu9uJOaLar2qkWMVzaxucw4RrAq51jTN8N9bUcwk11A5U5ZvIb-Alt7TkpmdEiRTHkrZyXeVIhj-VU/s2048/IMG_20201108_153607.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcev2-TUFDNIkEor5GcbsO87GSjKdG6dQc05t6EnNK2YHDS1FMsplxBPhTnp4FFPu9uJOaLar2qkWMVzaxucw4RrAq51jTN8N9bUcwk11A5U5ZvIb-Alt7TkpmdEiRTHkrZyXeVIhj-VU/s320/IMG_20201108_153607.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div>These are some that I made for my mum. They're not all for her. She had people that she was planning to give them to. She gave me the fabric and said I could keep the leftovers. I think I could make a few more scrunchies from it. Red tartan scrunchies might be nice.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaE9pVwbkFJ9pE7-Aqk6iWWlLAhz9XDBxrpN5qN_8QOyX5UY_AX5SRKBI0gTSR_Hv-tW8eNFxxejdod8U6lnyMTPSo7NQHuuM6lmpsCXbwmdCTcmah7JGRKYRqIkigjygih9iJIaFTM-8/s2048/IMG_20201124_172947.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaE9pVwbkFJ9pE7-Aqk6iWWlLAhz9XDBxrpN5qN_8QOyX5UY_AX5SRKBI0gTSR_Hv-tW8eNFxxejdod8U6lnyMTPSo7NQHuuM6lmpsCXbwmdCTcmah7JGRKYRqIkigjygih9iJIaFTM-8/s320/IMG_20201124_172947.jpg" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Here's some more from the fabric she sent me. The blue flowery ones were very small cuts of fabric. Not fat quarter small, but even smaller than that. I could only manage to squeeze medium pleated masks from them. Although the pleated masks look a bit bigger and are more roomy than the panel ones, they actually use less fabric because you only need to cut one part instead of two.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVUEnR2GQAUpbraB5W401d2NkE9Otzxh8km6tJG8knf7udoZECwE8RvAVgZ03lQCCuIPXKlE3D1oGA_7Gm9l-CRP6yhBtigrAMxUv0qx56aIOqMHosNKZBgIEbonRgIEj16hT_yBdNqGg/s2048/IMG_20201124_173052.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVUEnR2GQAUpbraB5W401d2NkE9Otzxh8km6tJG8knf7udoZECwE8RvAVgZ03lQCCuIPXKlE3D1oGA_7Gm9l-CRP6yhBtigrAMxUv0qx56aIOqMHosNKZBgIEbonRgIEj16hT_yBdNqGg/s320/IMG_20201124_173052.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p>Hopefully everyone has more than enough masks now!</p></div></div>Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15862778832762763380noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4736831373791564672.post-13357301485937312822020-10-06T12:27:00.003+01:002020-10-06T12:27:33.072+01:00Tons of things in progress <p> I've been sewing a bit over the last few days. I also seem to have amassed a huge pile of projects. I've got:</p><p>A pair of Ginger jeans cut out </p><p>A pair of Seamwork shorts squashed out of the left over denim to sew</p><p>A Hinterland dress cut out </p><p>A Lago tank (free pattern) from Itch to Stitch cut out</p><p>A pair of Bunzies underwear cut out </p><p>A Calista bra top cut out</p><p>A Seamwork shirt cut out and half sewn</p><p>Fabric and pattern ready to cut some Toby K hoodies </p><p>I think that's everything. I did sew a vest top with an ancient Jalie pattern. I cut my size according to the measurements but it turned out far too large. Especially for something I plan to wear under things. Here it is compared to a size 12 top I bought from Tesco years ago. As you can see, it's inches wider on each side. The armholes look a lot lower too. The fabric is also very stretchy, so I suppose I should have sized down a few sizes. I like to wear these kind of tops under my pyjamas to keep warm. I have quite an assortment of 1 metre or 1 yard cuts of knit fabrics, so I thought I'd put them to good use. Since it's something I'm going to wear under clothes, the prints don't really matter. It'll be nice to use up some of the fabric I have. I'll see how the Lago tank turns out and then decide if I want to recut the Jalie pattern.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpypPP4LVIpZ9wYT5-HDj1_xW7Ki4FjTehMCFJ3va3JMfeqJNBG01Op5JxCI1MDeuuTgzkc8FnMPc4pXK8uJ5ceb1aHXxOVKUj8uxoCPxvWmR8FyrZvk7GiAMqL_ZPvxXiHOHRBygbvKs/s2048/IMG_20201003_150358.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpypPP4LVIpZ9wYT5-HDj1_xW7Ki4FjTehMCFJ3va3JMfeqJNBG01Op5JxCI1MDeuuTgzkc8FnMPc4pXK8uJ5ceb1aHXxOVKUj8uxoCPxvWmR8FyrZvk7GiAMqL_ZPvxXiHOHRBygbvKs/s320/IMG_20201003_150358.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>I also bought a Jalie pyjama pattern, and I plan to sew some new pyjamas out of my knit fabrics. This means that they're probably going to be weird combinations of prints, but at least it uses up fabric and since I've had the fabric for so long, it feels like it's basically 'free'. It's hard to find good and affordable pyjamas in the shops. They always seem to have short sleeves, or they're made from fleece, which is way too sweaty. Pyjamas are something I really need too. But I'm probably not going to tackle this project until I've at least got some of the other projects out of the way.<p></p><p>I also found a bunch of nappies I've cut out and started at various points. I've started sewing them up to sell in my shop. I finished two yesterday. I still need to cut all the threads. I plan to finish another one today. I do have at least two others cut out but none of the inner fabrics I have match with them, so I'll need to buy some plain white inner fabric at some point. I've also got one of the AIO nappies cut out and partly assembled. I'd stopped sewing it because I'd got to the part where you have to sew the inner PUL to the soaker part and it's all kinds of awkward and difficult. I guess I'll give it a go again.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnx4HfqfNAS5fN-T53dJ6hikUqIxL-4jinQcD5BJHH7YYgy8xxbXa5FSFB6jGLVQnZJ-5jUyQUt7Lxa1LxNUEXUDbIRwjhpwYsjtf0FIJVVHJuiiPti4xAC6Tg16GSJxMhVNmmnp2zR84/s2048/IMG_20201006_120108.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnx4HfqfNAS5fN-T53dJ6hikUqIxL-4jinQcD5BJHH7YYgy8xxbXa5FSFB6jGLVQnZJ-5jUyQUt7Lxa1LxNUEXUDbIRwjhpwYsjtf0FIJVVHJuiiPti4xAC6Tg16GSJxMhVNmmnp2zR84/s320/IMG_20201006_120108.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>I've been rummaging through my patterns and I'd really like to try making the Rocket Bottoms Twist nappy. It looks like an interesting design. Rocket Bottoms also has a nappy that's quite similar to the Opulent Monsters AIO, with the absorbent inner set into a PUL layer, but the shape of it makes it look slightly easier to sew. It doesn't look as neat as the petals/flaps sit on top rather than being hidden underneath, but maybe that's something I could modify. Obviously I'd make these to sell in my shop since there are no signs of any babies on the horizon in my family or via anyone I know. Today is R's birthday too. He's 13! Not sure where the time went. He was the one I was sewing all the nappies for in the past. I also remember dressing him up as a pumpkin and having him wear a pumpkin hat. One year I dressed him up as a bee. Still, it's nice to have everyone be much more self-sufficient. They all do their own laundry too, so I'm no longer over run with that.<p></p><p>Anyway, I plan to go and do some sewing since R is having a day off because it's his birthday. I hope to finish the nappies off today.</p>Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15862778832762763380noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4736831373791564672.post-89284518697941539192020-09-14T18:10:00.004+01:002020-12-08T16:49:13.101+00:00Kelly Anorak by Closet Case<p>I bought this pattern a few years ago. When I've gone looking for a new jacket to buy, I've always imagined something like this, but never been able to find it. Now I've finally got round to making one! It's not quite what I envisioned though. Maybe the olive green isn't quite what I wanted, but it's close enough. I would have liked epaulettes on the shoulders, but they're not included in the pattern and I didn't really think about it until later on. I suppose it's something I could probably sew on. If I knew how to make epaulettes that is. I'm in my socks because I don't have any suitable shoes right now. None of my photos are really the jacket in its final form. I need to wash it because there are markings all over it, including one section where I traced the pattern wrong and had to start over. It also needs a decent press. It's been hanging over chairs, screwed up in a ball, man handled through a sewing machine and dragged all over the place while I installed the snaps, so I imagine it'll look a lot nicer than this when it's properly finished.</p><p style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv0B4c6F6HfczgGm5xZx0hxYUONVLNrWIP1QLDKCZUibZi7pr5OenIMz2g1ak39Jss54V30vFaKcg3ke_myrzU1iKXPw3MJkk-xkfXwBsMZCh9ryPw-OOM7wuYnhnq5UV0V29rQvs3e60/s320/IMG_20200914_163931.jpg" /></p><p>I think I made a size 12, which I imagine is a US size 12, so larger than my usual size. I'd picked the size using the finished measurements, and I thought it seemed nice and roomy. The finished jacket is actually much smaller than I was anticipating. There's not much room at all around the bust and the arms are pretty narrow.</p><p>The main thing I don't like about it is the sleeves. They're set in sleeves and were a beast to sew. My fabric was quite thick and kept managing to get tiny puckers or folds. After several attempts, I think I've mostly got them out, or at least so they're not particularly obvious. The lining was supposed to be shorter than the main sleeves so that it tucks up inside, but mine keeps wanting to come out. It's as if I have far too much lining. Even in the body too, it looks like the lining is too baggy. There's noting holding the sleeve lining in place so sometimes you have to stuff it back inside. I feel like it maybe should have been tacked somewhere. But back to the sleeves. The thing I dislike the most is that you can't really lift your arms any higher than waist level because the arm holes are just so tight. I suppose it's not a problem if all you're doing is walking around, but don't try and do anything active, like lifting something or putting a backpack on.</p><p>But anyway, I really like it and I really enjoyed the process of making it. I think there were about 20 pages of instructions. I feel like it was a pretty simple project, yet also a pretty complicated one. I'm sure that doesn't make sense. I suppose overall it was fairly simple but there were a few complicated steps in between. I was stuck for quite a while with one of the parts involving one of the front facings. Even looking at the sew along pictures didn't help. And I didn't realise that the right hand side zip was supposed to be sewn flat to the hood facing at the top, so I didn't check that and it ended up being sewn in the wrong way. I still feel weird about it being sewn flat. It seems as if it should have been finished at the top like it is at the bottom and able to move around because it makes it weirdly tight at the neck when you pull the zip all the way up. You can't really have the zip fully up and not have the hood up. If you don't want to wear the hood then it seems better to have the zip only half way up, which I'm not doing in any of my photos in order to hide a T-shirt with a terrible neckline!</p><p>I also didn't realise that when I topstitched the casing, (from the right side) that the stitching would go onto the facings inside. I suppose I thought it would go through the lining only, which is why I had white for my bobbin thread, so that it wouldn't look bad on the mostly white lining. If I'd known I'd probably have stitched to the end of the lining, then backstitched and then changed my bobbin thread to the olive colour and continued sewing with that so it wouldn't be so visible.</p><p style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3OPiFmgZxo6tkLZNC1bci3hvHQzorplydUaGKncMeT0f63foh15v3Uxt9TaBof2_yLZIGYjHuIWK25djxLZ0onh8DSxH1iGXEhXxhDJXkv0KkoYHvRU8_zQ_IlkxTf1kCIWVurZWi4jk/s320/IMG_20200914_164845.jpg" /></p><p>I also had the same problem with this jacket that I had with the Jalie hoodies. I had to sew the hood lining down around the neckline, which I did, pretty neatly I think. But then when you look at it from the other side, it looks like you let a drunk person do your topstitching. I unpicked it and retried in several different sections a bunch of times, but in the end, I decided to ignore it. It's under the hood anyway and I doubt anyone is ever going to be so close to the back of me while I have my hood up that they'll notice. And so what if they do? I suppose one other complaint is that the hood is a bit on the small side, especially if you have your hair in a ponytail. I'd have liked it slightly larger.</p><p>Oh, isn't it amazing how well the zip matches the fabric? That was complete fluke. I bought my fabric and all the notions from Ebay. I think I spent around £50. My fabric was relatively cheap. I think the lining might have cost more than the outer fabric. I think that was a cotton drill fabric. At least it was advertised as cotton drill, but when I went back to look I think it was actually a poly cotton. Maybe 60% cotton, 40% polyester. The reason the project was so costly was because the eyelets (of which I used only two!) cost £7.99 because they came with a setting tool. The snaps too came in a pack with the antique brass and a set of silver snaps, so if I was to do another project, I could use them. I could also get silver eyelets without having to buy the setting tools.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaq6PcIdLBiC0q8fBe9Ial2kEKD6vIm1NBlUjBZ4szBfKB0VCNrunnbItpTixEfPP8-nuol3oCtdXyytEDZOcnIyyEU4o287sDWDeCZdTasWA8u-x8-_xlKsA54Qs4I4bGldKXG98RJoM/s320/IMG_20200914_164939.jpg" style="text-align: left;" /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-M5N_rCNb8oOypivzu8OHQj8Cb0tvEknZHaqUZgQ_9YUvwDOC7hOGOo4BDdodU1-A3i-1EsS7R2HzWofHCWMZmW61FWbP-35GjxivLC4-aJIFK1NYbmhBanu2mS92YJZE6itxU0wKLoo/s320/IMG_20200914_163944.jpg" /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I really need to press the hem! I think that's the part where I'm least happiest with my sewing. The hem seemed to curve, so it was difficult to get it folded up properly.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRF5PQfRT6XSz-i9Rtpb13JKgzSfiVDRLKSC3JXaSWkrlOPL7QxjpvqkH2MUghwsqsQcY8txMuYAa6FQp5-WFhCKi70VgQtDEpZKwOsHFGk_QlX10Jtr_N03AsvveX9ZijHo9hajkCMkY/s2048/IMG_20200914_164023.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRF5PQfRT6XSz-i9Rtpb13JKgzSfiVDRLKSC3JXaSWkrlOPL7QxjpvqkH2MUghwsqsQcY8txMuYAa6FQp5-WFhCKi70VgQtDEpZKwOsHFGk_QlX10Jtr_N03AsvveX9ZijHo9hajkCMkY/s320/IMG_20200914_164023.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The instructions talked about adjusting the placement of the drawstring casing to your natural waist. I'm sure the pattern wasn't designed for someone who is 5 foot 2, but I felt it was in a pretty good position for me. Looking at this photo, maybe I could have placed it slightly higher, but I'm pretty happy with the way it looks.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNUHyWcUGNBaJTrJwdgajORuI7YDtlGtLbKXtiFAbYbUlpIOAGr6w6CiWYy59gr5yZVcHo2SWPI2I4tBt2UkdAID7lf57aqzkAstKB4CP-Phy03VbmBgG9v4kqNAqC9UR9hZ5K2XNbVPk/s2048/IMG_20200914_164026.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNUHyWcUGNBaJTrJwdgajORuI7YDtlGtLbKXtiFAbYbUlpIOAGr6w6CiWYy59gr5yZVcHo2SWPI2I4tBt2UkdAID7lf57aqzkAstKB4CP-Phy03VbmBgG9v4kqNAqC9UR9hZ5K2XNbVPk/s320/IMG_20200914_164026.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuP_N0uwEkvTDQAOx5dVPZOkUhus9VwWbRkeqnAjtYrIqJCJQWiuIVsqoOOonHe-uTL8BRrWfuKY5G9qwvoyPX1-EYUB_gw2DESPiFLzJH8FmmXLEmeLbIi9bnd3OxKknRyqeAdu44TCU/s2048/IMG_20200914_164027.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuP_N0uwEkvTDQAOx5dVPZOkUhus9VwWbRkeqnAjtYrIqJCJQWiuIVsqoOOonHe-uTL8BRrWfuKY5G9qwvoyPX1-EYUB_gw2DESPiFLzJH8FmmXLEmeLbIi9bnd3OxKknRyqeAdu44TCU/s320/IMG_20200914_164027.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I didn't really love the look of the pockets on the pattern. The pocket flap is just purely for decoration and serves no purpose. The look has grown on me though.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrylVoOPLjKzN-IrU9IUpqHa9JTm1aUUWvO8bn12yJRWTDscDITOLIa7K3HX7d4WWwujWGNoBXOd6qSE8Q-7wRRIvC9Ms0EIk4vjCs8ATwwgDHz8lYTpT0dGGTHFBBbfDTTb250mITIc0/s2048/IMG_20200914_164030.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrylVoOPLjKzN-IrU9IUpqHa9JTm1aUUWvO8bn12yJRWTDscDITOLIa7K3HX7d4WWwujWGNoBXOd6qSE8Q-7wRRIvC9Ms0EIk4vjCs8ATwwgDHz8lYTpT0dGGTHFBBbfDTTb250mITIc0/s320/IMG_20200914_164030.jpg" /></a></div>A cat. (Belonging to me)<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoi4jJ-1qxuBDhckUPWZbgR2Laxw22-6Uk2JD10OAZrQfVaVs8eIQCNgFQEvTWp5bFMhwctE6nYfqNrp61iFyxNZ5sVG5nkVrOpg9uag3FKOblyIYFGhwdbBdLDj9Q5rrekdbl05SJYsY/s2048/IMG_20200914_164043.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoi4jJ-1qxuBDhckUPWZbgR2Laxw22-6Uk2JD10OAZrQfVaVs8eIQCNgFQEvTWp5bFMhwctE6nYfqNrp61iFyxNZ5sVG5nkVrOpg9uag3FKOblyIYFGhwdbBdLDj9Q5rrekdbl05SJYsY/s320/IMG_20200914_164043.jpg" /></a></div>My plum tree.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKa7SulgXCnMezYVlRBkoEpOjNIB-AANEd7cepIlwTLh5z4ZrtYa8dsG7o5EWtp7kZ4_7NPcWKmgN9FeW3iWI00m5D1f5eT4cTzhFtD1SRhrBv-3G841ZFTT9oyIkeX9hlgviOKJOjYD0/s2048/IMG_20200914_164055.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKa7SulgXCnMezYVlRBkoEpOjNIB-AANEd7cepIlwTLh5z4ZrtYa8dsG7o5EWtp7kZ4_7NPcWKmgN9FeW3iWI00m5D1f5eT4cTzhFtD1SRhrBv-3G841ZFTT9oyIkeX9hlgviOKJOjYD0/s320/IMG_20200914_164055.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">My camera is making it look like a completely different colour now I'm inside. Here's a better photo of the pocket. The pocket flap just folds over and is secured down with a snap. I saw when they made a waterproof version on the Closet Case website, they cut the flap separately and attached it just above the pocket opening so that it would keep the inside of the pocket dry, which seems sensible. Since my jacket is made from cotton, it's not going to be any good in the rain. I made it as an autumn/spring jacket really. It was supposed to be not too warm, but at the same time, warm enough for cooler weather. I might change the cord lock I've used. I saw some nicer metal ones. You can also get little end pieces that you can put on the end of your cord to make it look nicer, like the plastic bits you get on shoe laces. I think I might get them too. Oh, and I should mention about the pockets, they're roomy enough for my phone to fit into, which is great considering how large phones seem to be these days. I think the correct name for these type of pockets with the gusset part might be bellows pockets??? I've made them before on some utility type trousers.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkqA8YlVx_0ZsKy63RsmzuQ6FJYmrNM6-IGuckULGOILaBeUw942Vxiqsil1lxoLXrz4FdoZLwlBcC1dhESdrUjfztDJ8SoN1KnqMaFzbpMB_0hncwyXimRMgNtXPHF4L-vIFry-G5iao/s2048/IMG_20200914_164908.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkqA8YlVx_0ZsKy63RsmzuQ6FJYmrNM6-IGuckULGOILaBeUw942Vxiqsil1lxoLXrz4FdoZLwlBcC1dhESdrUjfztDJ8SoN1KnqMaFzbpMB_0hncwyXimRMgNtXPHF4L-vIFry-G5iao/s320/IMG_20200914_164908.jpg" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Installing the eyelets and studs wasn't much fun. Since the fabric was so thick, it was hard to make a hole through all the layers big enough to fit the various stud posts and eyelets. Neither the studs or the eyelets came with any instructions, so I had to find instructions via Google.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj83DTDVK5_vQntcQysfqqNKnBbnBPQoOTQU1oQRVYikut9zDfnF6U7wany7mEx7cojH68uuv5pcIFBd4iHiT9Ev1r8iesEjHk7IqxRaWdU5UXKhg5olRv_-cla6S4DfVDbIMFwp1-TsmU/s2048/IMG_20200914_170248.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj83DTDVK5_vQntcQysfqqNKnBbnBPQoOTQU1oQRVYikut9zDfnF6U7wany7mEx7cojH68uuv5pcIFBd4iHiT9Ev1r8iesEjHk7IqxRaWdU5UXKhg5olRv_-cla6S4DfVDbIMFwp1-TsmU/s320/IMG_20200914_170248.jpg" /></a></div><p>Overall though, I'm happy with the way the jacket turned out. I think all the little details, like the zipper teeth matching the colour of the studs and the eyelets help to make it look more professional, even if the sewing isn't all that professional. I have some of the olive drill fabric left, so I thought maybe I'd sew up some kind of a bag to sell in my shop to fund my next project.</p>Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15862778832762763380noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4736831373791564672.post-42801269172443452952020-09-06T13:57:00.004+01:002020-09-06T13:58:13.794+01:002020<p>This year I haven't done much sewing. Things haven't been great with my shop either. In one of the last posts I made here from over a year ago, I think I said something about having 80 sales. Well, a whole year later, I have 93 sales, so it looks like I've only had 13 sales since then. There was a while when I didn't have a lot of stock left in my shop, but I uploaded a bunch of stuff in March. Usually when I upload things, they sell pretty quickly, but this time, most of the things I listed are just sitting there. The listings even had to be renewed recently because they hadn't sold, which is pretty unusual.</p><p>I haven't really been keeping up with Etsy. I pretty much never visit the site or the forums anymore. I do everything through the app. It could be that the algorithms have changed or that more people are using paid advertising, so people never see my stuff. Or it could be that I'm just not selling anything people want to buy. I haven't been keeping up with the cloth pad world either, so maybe there's some new fangled design of pad that everyone's into.</p><p>I only need 7 more sales to make it to 100 sales, but with the way things have been going, it doesn't look like I'll hit that target by the end of this year.</p><p>This is a not very good photo of some of the pads I made for my shop back in March. The red ones with the chevron print ended up coming out of the washing machine kind of pink looking. I don't think it was the red dye of the base fabric but the red dye on the actual print, which was weird. I ended up listing them as seconds. I think they were pretty much the first thing to sell. Most of the others here are still unsold. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYsFRtBWjdmPc2bKlRWJyjbSQOSo0iwVaCyzsUwEGvknlbpvDgPiPqlCkXewPpUu4sqjZ5xY3ic5ptqnBjduoYxdVOrs5EgpRVx9AoIKg9X1XV_h9l_Pd_NrfKzjNs6w-m87bZSLAm2ME/s2048/IMG_20200314_144305.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYsFRtBWjdmPc2bKlRWJyjbSQOSo0iwVaCyzsUwEGvknlbpvDgPiPqlCkXewPpUu4sqjZ5xY3ic5ptqnBjduoYxdVOrs5EgpRVx9AoIKg9X1XV_h9l_Pd_NrfKzjNs6w-m87bZSLAm2ME/s320/IMG_20200314_144305.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>I finally got around to making a wet bag! It's something I thought about doing for ages. I actually had a pattern for it but then completely ignored the instructions and did my own thing. I was happy with the way it turned out.</div><div> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbTmPghf3G1IbK36BfdJ-2of_Xv8wA3W5fUEifyFYSX-DfmbDPbmY3D2jkG0iDm7NaJbDJOpnVzzV6ngy7Vwu0jkrqBX1231bXRLzSKZ5Gwh3URT6y8dwqLe52N5J-XDpddm2XMvp3dog/s2048/IMG_20200419_133245.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbTmPghf3G1IbK36BfdJ-2of_Xv8wA3W5fUEifyFYSX-DfmbDPbmY3D2jkG0iDm7NaJbDJOpnVzzV6ngy7Vwu0jkrqBX1231bXRLzSKZ5Gwh3URT6y8dwqLe52N5J-XDpddm2XMvp3dog/s320/IMG_20200419_133245.jpg" /></a></div><div><br /></div>I think the strap area needed some kind of interfacing or reinforcement because this is what happened when I tried to unsnap the snap. The fabric became warped with me pulling on it trying to unsnap the snap.<div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHA2KoF0r63Lea6fMI5RDL1ytiq8257qcjklq8DhqtJnk6v4VRjPYbFx_Qf1d5FcXZ7vlNWfs7MXTIx9BVkyuXJRDKFFIaIUcRZLvwXuxBZKbOtqEG4P9_etYphK6zLwln-UQ0B8Yba1A/s2048/IMG_20200419_133312.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHA2KoF0r63Lea6fMI5RDL1ytiq8257qcjklq8DhqtJnk6v4VRjPYbFx_Qf1d5FcXZ7vlNWfs7MXTIx9BVkyuXJRDKFFIaIUcRZLvwXuxBZKbOtqEG4P9_etYphK6zLwln-UQ0B8Yba1A/s320/IMG_20200419_133312.jpg" /></a></div><div><br /></div>In the pattern instructions, the zip went from edge to edge, but I wanted to have some... I have no idea what you'd call them. End bits on the zip so that it didn't go from edge to edge. I winged it and really liked the way it turned out.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgiDYbljjeF9gQH8i3wb2onTU2IOnblfViNidkckhl1SQMVnXvTUWNwthZqgbhX1ITI29KFXZxRQ9h-jyiOo_4Kd4fBANfNYv3af90YWL4ozq4ERxx1LkCQZ2k6XEBX6oHFE0GQnBWHwQ/s2048/IMG_20200419_133334.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgiDYbljjeF9gQH8i3wb2onTU2IOnblfViNidkckhl1SQMVnXvTUWNwthZqgbhX1ITI29KFXZxRQ9h-jyiOo_4Kd4fBANfNYv3af90YWL4ozq4ERxx1LkCQZ2k6XEBX6oHFE0GQnBWHwQ/s320/IMG_20200419_133334.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I was limited to what size of bag I could make by the zips that I had on hand. I actually bought these ones ages ago when I was making cushions. I think I thought they were 20 inch zips or something, but it turned out that they were measured in centimetres and were far too small for cushions. I didn't want to make the bag too long because it would look off balance, so it's not long enough for my longest cloth pad. I think that's a 12 inch one. I can't remember. But you usually fold them over anyway before you throw them in.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9EkwTlsqrs_MlIgTIuIIWfogWL98P89zBBmogGZ8kpuB7xvbruxHB64SAX5QL0lXp45zus8IKnlioLcZyD45KAbro7Q43lAP7wsCDbNk62shnHx5k-Yoz6uGi7N-0V-Q9MouymUUjAuw/s2048/IMG_20200419_133617.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9EkwTlsqrs_MlIgTIuIIWfogWL98P89zBBmogGZ8kpuB7xvbruxHB64SAX5QL0lXp45zus8IKnlioLcZyD45KAbro7Q43lAP7wsCDbNk62shnHx5k-Yoz6uGi7N-0V-Q9MouymUUjAuw/s320/IMG_20200419_133617.jpg" /></a></div><div><br /></div>This is the wet bag filled. I couldn't really fit much more in.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuAB3Ss8YPhmiwr4QRKZpTIvpn4-XSn09XQGOK60glc9JB5WZMBYWOWtLXcr0O7LvSKbi9a2loCsi1G-hLYWlP_Lu1zf6tSlrUNASUmXuOtvq3bpKzX8XdLKvX9Hv7jKqlMlqsklp_05s/s2048/IMG_20200419_133754.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuAB3Ss8YPhmiwr4QRKZpTIvpn4-XSn09XQGOK60glc9JB5WZMBYWOWtLXcr0O7LvSKbi9a2loCsi1G-hLYWlP_Lu1zf6tSlrUNASUmXuOtvq3bpKzX8XdLKvX9Hv7jKqlMlqsklp_05s/s320/IMG_20200419_133754.jpg" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>And this is what I managed to fill it with. 11 cloth pads of varying sizes, so I'd say it holds at least a day's worth.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUxEwQh86-K0V4LDoeBwetY-o_RISHLNAcKjal5opQdM-J8jcQ27mpwRqhjBsqlHhQ1m2SL3DBgrZhE5seWOU95nV6LbX5wEvYJ5rlqmlpqTkKlcGwVRdwpb3b1XVrX8E1RQ4SEU7NDcA/s2048/IMG_20200419_133927.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUxEwQh86-K0V4LDoeBwetY-o_RISHLNAcKjal5opQdM-J8jcQ27mpwRqhjBsqlHhQ1m2SL3DBgrZhE5seWOU95nV6LbX5wEvYJ5rlqmlpqTkKlcGwVRdwpb3b1XVrX8E1RQ4SEU7NDcA/s320/IMG_20200419_133927.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Here it is hanging up in my bathroom. With the snap on the strap, you could hang it onto a towel rail or something too. I think I'll probably make some more of these for my shop. And if I get some more zips, I'll probably make some larger sized ones too.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFc1q7ZSE22rLUusJm_w-TRDeL49vUca8NC7Z9G9sadCF_6uEA4mbdLn_CoaipwFa3dqKLOM-PUXopPBRkqowGAkRJ3DgXuEA0-PLDBtQ0OUGE-YgDc4pccRaDsopz0IoKDcOJ0Q9_TEo/s2048/IMG_20200419_134023.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFc1q7ZSE22rLUusJm_w-TRDeL49vUca8NC7Z9G9sadCF_6uEA4mbdLn_CoaipwFa3dqKLOM-PUXopPBRkqowGAkRJ3DgXuEA0-PLDBtQ0OUGE-YgDc4pccRaDsopz0IoKDcOJ0Q9_TEo/s320/IMG_20200419_134023.jpg" /></a></div><div><br /></div>During April, I did a bit of sewing for myself. I decided to change up my stash to the Versodile rounded end cloth pads. They just seem a bit less bulky, but because of that, they're also less absorbent. I made them with flannel toppers, Zorb cores, except for a couple of them. I found a scrap of hemp fleece so one or two have hemp fleece cores and one has a layer of hemp fleece and a layer of Zorb. I didn't mark them, so I can't remember which is which. </div><div><br /></div><div>I put a hidden layer of PUL in them and then backed with some microfleece I've had in my stash forever. I decided to use the microfleece because I've heard people say that a PUL bottom layer is quite slippy and the pads can slip around. I notice that a lot of the pads you can buy, actually commercially made ones, do have PUL on the bottom. Presumably the slipping isn't that big an issue for most people, but I used the microfleece anyway, mainly just to use it up. I do think this makes them quite warm to wear, but not really that much different compared to plastic backed disposable pads.</div><div><br /></div><div>Even though I love the different patterns, I made quite a few solid coloured ones because for some reason, I just like the way they look more than the patterned ones. I had intended to cut more/different patterned and coloured ones, but it was just more efficient to grab a bunch of material and cut a few, rather than cutting one from each piece of fabric I have. Maybe I'll cut some more and add them later, but really, this is more than enough.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvJQQf_cYNd5qqvAWpCNf7zhTVcAglzNsbBxdKEbqy9wSOl0VJnUld4bMS9YSeoFiIMqw30foNSmSUznpaFeJD9MGPomYMYyIMBsA99LmXfMwPUqNoi7VOazQNi5yeUyU_iEA-kLTYRAg/s2048/IMG_20200515_174439.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvJQQf_cYNd5qqvAWpCNf7zhTVcAglzNsbBxdKEbqy9wSOl0VJnUld4bMS9YSeoFiIMqw30foNSmSUznpaFeJD9MGPomYMYyIMBsA99LmXfMwPUqNoi7VOazQNi5yeUyU_iEA-kLTYRAg/s320/IMG_20200515_174439.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2Nx8heHWkFBFRwdSqIPGW_E65v1OrBYLYqS4STHhH-_oxvev3tP6iYxQXrwGVc2hWSgU0ptNMFLHsPzFO33QVlMoUsBECj4ReyK_eQJpJkfBlPlARXUHk7YNR4-O_4W2355N06wdSNPA/s2048/IMG_20200515_175103.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2Nx8heHWkFBFRwdSqIPGW_E65v1OrBYLYqS4STHhH-_oxvev3tP6iYxQXrwGVc2hWSgU0ptNMFLHsPzFO33QVlMoUsBECj4ReyK_eQJpJkfBlPlARXUHk7YNR4-O_4W2355N06wdSNPA/s320/IMG_20200515_175103.jpg" /></a></div><div><br /></div>These are my largest sizes ones. I can't remember if they're 12 inches or 14 inches. They all have two layers of Zorb (or hemp fleece) and wider wings with double snaps.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ9m-IsV5C8_dfALcZVAsx0YJLD7oahPJODeZOLyCQQ8L_Wq5FfXbwJFr0d1s9PGidG0mDAHjPq3pNF79NbBtzN2DYcefTRHaj6zFUCTyPggkX5bp-Mq2x7u1ShNTrCW2r_gUxks389Sc/s2048/IMG_20200515_175115.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ9m-IsV5C8_dfALcZVAsx0YJLD7oahPJODeZOLyCQQ8L_Wq5FfXbwJFr0d1s9PGidG0mDAHjPq3pNF79NbBtzN2DYcefTRHaj6zFUCTyPggkX5bp-Mq2x7u1ShNTrCW2r_gUxks389Sc/s320/IMG_20200515_175115.jpg" /></a></div><div><br /></div>These are 10 inches I think. They've only got one layer of Zorb and single snaps on the wings.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBwLFuk8IISNa5j75-t859kU3OeGBJpyztNSaMWmmhGnOVXpsShRLFXnZ_Hm-fjzm9p1KogB7FPvXp71p4JFh4dZbIW4XoxjFNx86Y5u60CbQCieh-eGJJHt3E7gjy-T-dYladcKQnwyg/s2048/IMG_20200515_175124.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBwLFuk8IISNa5j75-t859kU3OeGBJpyztNSaMWmmhGnOVXpsShRLFXnZ_Hm-fjzm9p1KogB7FPvXp71p4JFh4dZbIW4XoxjFNx86Y5u60CbQCieh-eGJJHt3E7gjy-T-dYladcKQnwyg/s320/IMG_20200515_175124.jpg" /></a></div><div><br /></div>This is the reason I really dislike turned and topstitched pads where you have to turn right side out through the wing or the side. Maybe it's just me and I need more practice, but after sewing around 40 of them, you'd think I would have improved. It just never really matches up right. You can always tell where you've turned the pad, and then the seam kind of gapes open slightly, because it's held closed by your topstitching, rather than the original stitching line. I have to admit, after wearing/using them for the last couple of months, it's not something I really notice. You're not really staring at the edges of your pads. And of course, it doesn't affect the function of them in any way. I wouldn't sew these to sell though, just because they don't look that great.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6QegRhj9iZ-jFZ-qL2I1eBPXkQgIdebZXPy1A4KRIYPCRPkjyoMCanes0JeoGpsvvOL8TXb5b9WuV_-vbEVAn3gc3gd2fS4y5zSusTgQ9dI6Kefcigk74-xK7IuI2eIg1zWTYwzp_Rr8/s2048/IMG_20200515_175156.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6QegRhj9iZ-jFZ-qL2I1eBPXkQgIdebZXPy1A4KRIYPCRPkjyoMCanes0JeoGpsvvOL8TXb5b9WuV_-vbEVAn3gc3gd2fS4y5zSusTgQ9dI6Kefcigk74-xK7IuI2eIg1zWTYwzp_Rr8/s320/IMG_20200515_175156.jpg" /></a></div><div><br /></div>This is my most recent project. It's the Kelly Anorak from Closet Case Patterns. This has been on my list to sew for a long time. It's actually nearly finished now, I'm just waiting on some pins to arrive so I can keep the lining straight while I topstitch the drawstring casing. Yes, it's true. I really don't have any sewing pins!</div><div><br /></div><div>I'm happy with the way it turned out. It definitely doesn't look like something that's 'home made'. My lovely children thought it looked like an old man's fisherman jacket though, so maybe I'll look like a fisherman when I'm wearing it. I'll make a blog post about it once it's finished. My next project will be the Ginger Jeans, also by Closet Case Patterns. I'm just waiting for some cash to hit my account so I can buy the supplies I need.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinWUtmcpNedlxy1ZLoWpLh3lqIfGLzslxwOfWGVd8_G8I64xEs0NZCagg8pC4FMowXgswzRVGOuyFJKzNsz4eI5GsatkQExl9UeNfT187MbM9t1DHvjSxG16DTH0QGiV7CkKhGq7n7sV0/s2048/IMG_20200826_125859.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinWUtmcpNedlxy1ZLoWpLh3lqIfGLzslxwOfWGVd8_G8I64xEs0NZCagg8pC4FMowXgswzRVGOuyFJKzNsz4eI5GsatkQExl9UeNfT187MbM9t1DHvjSxG16DTH0QGiV7CkKhGq7n7sV0/s320/IMG_20200826_125859.jpg" /></a></div></div>Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15862778832762763380noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4736831373791564672.post-51741715219370482062020-09-06T12:15:00.002+01:002020-12-08T16:39:17.471+00:00More hoodies<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Only a year late... I came here to make a post on some recent sewing and found this one in the drafts. Apparently I started writing it in September 2019. I think I might have been waiting to take a photo of the finished Jalie hoodie, but I never got round to it. I'm posting it up now.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimhD0Tqk_e_qJnM4uZ1Kahi2wTIwK_ev-yz8gi216xBR6UEHXv5tI3IjpNHgNpsVAMOdFT0zAcPe89Ath2bBzgOWXtuSxTX_iVH09w-CZU6WIQBfDS__4Z0XMYjmiQqSlZSGc3UvqBZxY/s1600/IMG_20190830_115012.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimhD0Tqk_e_qJnM4uZ1Kahi2wTIwK_ev-yz8gi216xBR6UEHXv5tI3IjpNHgNpsVAMOdFT0zAcPe89Ath2bBzgOWXtuSxTX_iVH09w-CZU6WIQBfDS__4Z0XMYjmiQqSlZSGc3UvqBZxY/s320/IMG_20190830_115012.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div><br /></div>
I finally finished the New Horizons Tami hoodie. I'd thrown it away in disgust after messing up the matching of the stripes but looking at it now, it doesn't really look that messed up. At least they seem evenly messed up! I had planned to use a grey knit for the thumb hole cuffs and the bottom band but I had some black left over from the hood lining of the last hoodies I made so I used that instead. I think it looks much better than the original grey did. Less homemade at least.<br />
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Overall, the fit is pretty good (I made this for E) and it's a good length. The hood is huge though. This fabric I used makes it look more like one of those slouchy hats at the back when you have it up. I think if I made this again I might make the hood smaller. Actually I think I have another one cut out somewhere...<br />
<br />I made a Jalie 2795 hoodie for myself. I really loved the way it looked but as you can see, the sleeves are huge. Like really way too long. Because the cuffs aren't elastic or tight enough, they don't stay around your wrists. Even turning them up, I still looked like a flappy penguin. The body fitted fine, although maybe I should have chosen one size smaller but I can wear it over bulkier things with the bigger size.<div><br /></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4-21_rM6yx3wYc_2NOTxKctHsUJbzJsuRsOAEEZyiUD59h6JtyKY_vEHLVQIiDH-Z8fHFhduSczSAEyu-6N38pBvQeZsOo-bRwWINbYw30r1v57977qWDjH2YxSCUY0prQNzNzTyjb9Q/s320/IMG_20190826_134756.jpg" width="240" /></div><div><br /></div><div>
I wanted to shorten the sleeves, a task I knew wouldn't be fun since it involved unpicking the overlocking and then recutting the sleeves to fit. However... with all the different seams on the sleeve, I accidentally cut the wrong one, thinking it was the under arm seam, basically cutting a huge slash up the middle of the sleeve. I was so annoyed with myself. Eventually I did fix it, although it wasn't very easy because I had to re-topstitch up the centre of the sleeve so there really wasn't much space. It's done now, and I'm pretty happy with it. I don't think anyone will be able to tell that I messed up.<br /><br /></div><div>
I would like to resew the zip though because it feels like the stitching is a fraction closer on one side than the other. It seems like too much of a hassle to do that though so I'm leaving it as it is. I'd also like to topstitch the zip but the fabric is just too thick in places.</div><div><br /></div><div>I really liked the way the pockets looked. There is still some pen marking the centre of this pocket but I love the way they turned out. You could use a different colour for contrast too.</div><div><br /></div><div> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdCE_N7TiJeElgAISdVnsMH2KoqiUqD4rosqM1VwxnvJ7ChuHtWohb0b7lVExNyAfciDSvtJaQKbK86zOk6MZddbbQDVfxkD-a4sysU3kwMDYoL36vRxUYsGtlbtUYt2hKMU6KjAM17YI/s1600/IMG_20190826_134935.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdCE_N7TiJeElgAISdVnsMH2KoqiUqD4rosqM1VwxnvJ7ChuHtWohb0b7lVExNyAfciDSvtJaQKbK86zOk6MZddbbQDVfxkD-a4sysU3kwMDYoL36vRxUYsGtlbtUYt2hKMU6KjAM17YI/s320/IMG_20190826_134935.jpg" width="240" /></a><br />
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I have another one cut out ready to sew. I discovered that there are no lengthening or shortening lines for the sleeves on the pattern, so I plan to adjust them after I've sewn all the sleeve pieces together. Here's another shot of the flappy penguin arms.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK5gh2lMWzOpRBFAKoof9RmB_FQMrHryd6iiA3QwZq-XJDmGDlv7bd_vOuz_qp3CDKjJ9zzinNgMMofgIJFm5SvcmcLhMzaxsRiRZb_oUsKZ2ro-8dSVmPikhjbPk1Q1Bj3bN95syctQM/s1600/IMG_20190826_134646.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK5gh2lMWzOpRBFAKoof9RmB_FQMrHryd6iiA3QwZq-XJDmGDlv7bd_vOuz_qp3CDKjJ9zzinNgMMofgIJFm5SvcmcLhMzaxsRiRZb_oUsKZ2ro-8dSVmPikhjbPk1Q1Bj3bN95syctQM/s320/IMG_20190826_134646.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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A one year later up date. I never did resew the zip or even topstitch it and I can't say I've ever noticed anything off centre about the zip. The lack of topstitching hasn't been a problem either. This is actually one of my most favourite things I've ever sewn and I wear it quite a lot. I love the colour of it, although it has started to fade over time. The only issue with the colour is that it doesn't look great with blue jeans, so I usually wear it with black jeans (of which I only have one pair) or black leggings (again, I only have one pair).</div></div>Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15862778832762763380noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4736831373791564672.post-36232594247537185662019-08-26T13:34:00.001+01:002019-08-26T13:34:10.287+01:00Jalie 3355 and Jalie Frédéric plus Peek-a-boo Patterns freebie<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
I sewed something! Quite a lot of somethings actually! I had started off the year with big plans to sew things but then changed my mind because I didn't have loads of spare cash sitting about to spend on sewing supplies. We also ended up being quite busy with a major renovation that involved us making furniture, something we'd never done before. Things like sewing, and even my shop, ended up on the back burner for a bit.</div>
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I started a job as a freelance transcriptionist so I've been making some cash now. It's not well paid but it sucks that I can just about earn more in a day doing that than I do with my shop on an average month. I did have a great month in July with my shop though, making several sales a week. Then August happened and it was just like tumbleweed. I thought I was going to finish August with zero sales but I've had two in the last couple of days, which is good. My shop is at 80 sales now! Only 20 more to meet my goal of 100.</div>
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Since I had some spare cash I decided to sew some things. Well actually, I started out looking at a Jalie pattern to make some waterproof cycling gear. Annoyingly it wasn't in PDF format, and the postage for it (from Canada) was more than the cost of the pattern. So I ended up buying a bunch of patterns just to get the free postage, spending waaaaay more than just buying the one pattern and paying for postage!</div>
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I bought some sweatshirt fleece from a company called Neotrims on Ebay. I thought it was reasonably priced, although I think it's 50% cotton 50% acrylic, and I'd rather have had something with a much higher cotton content. I bought some more sweatshirt fleece from Tia Knight that was reduced to £3.99 a meter and used it to make a Jalie hoodie for myself, but I haven't taken a photo of that. The arms are way, way too long and I'm thinking about taking it apart and modifying it. Oh, the sweatshirt fleece from Neotrims attracts cat hair like crazy. I cut my pieces out on the floor, and then later I laid one of the hoodies on the foot stool, came back, and found a cat on it. So just a warning about all the cat hair in the following photos...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimcSkm6F6eGfdKSMcWXAeD4xD6C0NwpAV5dpA2MR2GxCItB5WUK3IQ3BxQqfel1V2S3UBYQz5rH88Whsshqb7DululA_VIYCdnTbVgLaYEqzbpNjfZkQkvNHW0dDJKlFUryns7LZ4QOxw/s1600/IMG_20190824_131305.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimcSkm6F6eGfdKSMcWXAeD4xD6C0NwpAV5dpA2MR2GxCItB5WUK3IQ3BxQqfel1V2S3UBYQz5rH88Whsshqb7DululA_VIYCdnTbVgLaYEqzbpNjfZkQkvNHW0dDJKlFUryns7LZ4QOxw/s320/IMG_20190824_131305.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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This is Jalie 3884 - Frederic for W. His chest and waist measurements put him at a 10 year old size or something like that! I made the size T, which was a Euro size 46 or US size Small. The sizing turned out okay, but I think if I was making it again I would maybe lengthen the pattern slightly. I think I'd also cut the drawstring longer too.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje8gR_65_k88-LBDAvTW-WOLR8aUOAP5uw-bOQQstQrHT9oUw0UZXUz04e6wuvAgxy_VOgFgYGDIwGinAcGn09JAQzclUcQ7es2OmJTiH6yDhWFnMQnIwKtCzsvIzBIbMGhJGdjD9b8HQ/s1600/IMG_20190824_130246.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje8gR_65_k88-LBDAvTW-WOLR8aUOAP5uw-bOQQstQrHT9oUw0UZXUz04e6wuvAgxy_VOgFgYGDIwGinAcGn09JAQzclUcQ7es2OmJTiH6yDhWFnMQnIwKtCzsvIzBIbMGhJGdjD9b8HQ/s320/IMG_20190824_130246.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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I wasn't keen on the neckline. You sew a strip of the hood lining fabric inside to cover the neckline seam, which is a nice touch, but it looks a mess when you look at it from the outside. I spent ages fiddling around with the zip placement so that I could make sure all the seams on the fronts lined up (or were relatively lined up) and then this happened. This is even after me unpicking it and attempting it again to try and make it match better. Clearly I failed!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGqv9d07RZPBegCl02eVOmi4dFJ1jKTwzchmQn75UmN65XmZjTM648h-aYzakEOxUcJYNy_r2lh0VsFfB-MZu0ai0dZBaZEN671ngkymFISuF9uqsLkuOSywMvA5SQuiNMAcMC8KPdytA/s1600/IMG_20190824_130324.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGqv9d07RZPBegCl02eVOmi4dFJ1jKTwzchmQn75UmN65XmZjTM648h-aYzakEOxUcJYNy_r2lh0VsFfB-MZu0ai0dZBaZEN671ngkymFISuF9uqsLkuOSywMvA5SQuiNMAcMC8KPdytA/s320/IMG_20190824_130324.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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I suppose it looks quite nice from the inside though. Maybe there's a better/easier way to do it? Or maybe I just overlock the seam and leave it exposed?</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrykXgLLhyphenhyphenPyk-A9phcnoJl9zPufIgeTOV0Xw6VxVLHvyupZVIrBNbTrRRM55bQ-Q6GbKYlynXEGLgjdWUp3gin0oAUP_ClEWBJPRDbp7R9dpTXIp6DtimTGje_3ti6f1PGhbtdRs7RZg/s1600/IMG_20190824_130335.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrykXgLLhyphenhyphenPyk-A9phcnoJl9zPufIgeTOV0Xw6VxVLHvyupZVIrBNbTrRRM55bQ-Q6GbKYlynXEGLgjdWUp3gin0oAUP_ClEWBJPRDbp7R9dpTXIp6DtimTGje_3ti6f1PGhbtdRs7RZg/s320/IMG_20190824_130335.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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Luckily for me, the hood forms a kind of collar when it's unzipped, so my awful sewing will be hidden.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBR4orNzVTV5cwEGsgILvp_sp14d1miAI1gfowvCcJPWe_RCUQ0DkNw9z46UDGD_DtdrqvEVlWmqu3s0Wk4hUdi-nWMktuGo4mkXrQywzL1JhqQYBR7_3MKRZDN-5k0Eo4hd7LLcDIzxc/s1600/IMG_20190824_130402.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBR4orNzVTV5cwEGsgILvp_sp14d1miAI1gfowvCcJPWe_RCUQ0DkNw9z46UDGD_DtdrqvEVlWmqu3s0Wk4hUdi-nWMktuGo4mkXrQywzL1JhqQYBR7_3MKRZDN-5k0Eo4hd7LLcDIzxc/s320/IMG_20190824_130402.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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This is for S. It's the same size as W's because they're pretty much the same height, and almost the same kind of build too. W has a Zelda hoodie that he got for Christmas, and this actually looks pretty similar. I'm considering maybe making a larger Tri-force patch with my embroidery machine and sewing it on the back. This style of hoodie really lends itself to colour blocking.<br />
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I had real trouble getting this patch to iron on. It was so much thicker than the others. I'm not confident it's going to stay so I might sew around it. I tried it on the front and then on the arm and I thought it looked better on the arm.</div>
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I tried a different technique with the neckline this time and sewed around it from the outside to keep the stitching looking nice and even.<br />
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Of course this is what it looks like from the inside, so you can't win!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7xCGxLd27FqemH45oykuyAeIrwlfrLJN3L2i3jL6yIPJnGLMfkBR0jPAhdRhNh2GJqXgNZzw737zxDovY2OzuCvE5k26yjToGqxaPEuV1vmNqBD3UfhGxy3SwVmNsvqfksOynOAp29Ww/s1600/IMG_20190824_130146.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7xCGxLd27FqemH45oykuyAeIrwlfrLJN3L2i3jL6yIPJnGLMfkBR0jPAhdRhNh2GJqXgNZzw737zxDovY2OzuCvE5k26yjToGqxaPEuV1vmNqBD3UfhGxy3SwVmNsvqfksOynOAp29Ww/s320/IMG_20190824_130146.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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This one is for R. R specifically requested a red and black hoodie. I found it more fun to make. With the others, I started to think, why did I not just buy a plain black hoodie and iron a patch on and save myself all the trouble? This one was supposed to have red ribbing around the bottom. I'd bought I strip of ribbing from Neotrims rather than a metre to keep the cost down, but by the time I cut the cuffs, there wasn't enough left for the waistband. I do have some left over to make more cuffs though. (The red colour really isn't as violent as my camera is picking it up as.)<br />
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I really like the zippered pockets. This is a bad photo but there isn't really an easy way to show a hidden pocket without making it look mangled. I like the red zips, even if they're hidden. The tape of the zip is actually left exposed on the outer edge, which wasn't sure about at first, but I think it looks fine. I think you could probably easily make this hoodie without the zippered pockets though.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbWeQZA2wdi6zkLbLtkERLRe8rM2PSkdTpDsQo3LqR-Q3UXoHRYT5sI7Rjujlri_ziZiiwKruV1J2be6ndWmzJBWRI2v1lJ_8DQ73k_GjsDdilQ57dbDYHH5v569987bLAdqz0Gzj8YWw/s1600/IMG_20190824_130538.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbWeQZA2wdi6zkLbLtkERLRe8rM2PSkdTpDsQo3LqR-Q3UXoHRYT5sI7Rjujlri_ziZiiwKruV1J2be6ndWmzJBWRI2v1lJ_8DQ73k_GjsDdilQ57dbDYHH5v569987bLAdqz0Gzj8YWw/s320/IMG_20190824_130538.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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This is Jalie 3355 for E. She used to have a batman hoodie but it shrunk in the wash, so I remade her one. Her measurements put her around an age 12-13 size, but obviously that wouldn't have been long enough. I decided to make a size S, which is a Euro 36 or US size 6. I'm not really sure what that is in UK sizing. The hood on 3355 isn't lined, but I really wanted to use a lining for the contrast, otherwise it was just going to look like another boring should-have-just-bought-one black hoodie. I wanted to front of the hood to fold over and form the casing rather than the lining and hood to meet edge to edge and I probably should have done some modifications to the original hood, but I'd already cut it out. To be honest, I had no clue what I was doing and ended up hacking a chunk off the back of the yellow lining so it would fit better into the hood. If I did this again I think I'd just be sensible and cut two identical hoods and have them meet at the edge.</div>
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Oh, I also didn't have enough ribbing for this after making the boys hoodies, but I shaved a little bit off the pattern here and there. I'm sure no one will notice.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZAcbEEcxvr3lEQdh99y1YmOZcVHWfiHN0Ux_htqWIqmLJmIpGm5RuwSH9oKwvWmIEBmkcDQEAz3XcEN4Aa8IYWI-kOOnJr2BROznFRU3XCiO8nO4JAZCIxsMChFipNrFBp2G7m-RpzwA/s1600/IMG_20190824_130909.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZAcbEEcxvr3lEQdh99y1YmOZcVHWfiHN0Ux_htqWIqmLJmIpGm5RuwSH9oKwvWmIEBmkcDQEAz3XcEN4Aa8IYWI-kOOnJr2BROznFRU3XCiO8nO4JAZCIxsMChFipNrFBp2G7m-RpzwA/s320/IMG_20190824_130909.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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What's this weird looking thing with the stumpy arms? It's actually a sweatshirt I started ages ago using Peek-a-boo Patterns Adult Classic Sweatshirt pattern, which I got for free for joining their Facebook group (which I was somewhat loathed to do because I hate Facebook). I finally finished sewing it because I had my machine threaded up with black thread. I'd only bought half a metre of the tropical print french terry because it was so expensive and by the time I'd prewashed it, it was way less than half a metre. Neither the back or arm pieces fitted on it. Luckily for me, I don't have long arms so I just cut what I could and then made some slightly deeper cuffs in the same fabric to try and lengthen the arms a bit. They're not too short, but it feels a bit odd wearing something that fits exactly, like EXACTLY to wrist length.<br />
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The back of this is black and the front is white so that the iron on print shows up. The iron on print that I painstakingly lined up and measured to get it centred and straight. It looks way squint now. It must have moved as I put it on. I felt like that happened with all the iron on patches too. Overall, I don't think I like the cotton/lycra french terry fabric. I don't know why. I'm just not a fan. I prefer the fluffy backed sweatshirt fleece. It's not just the backings either. I'm not keen on the way the french terry looks from the front.<br />
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My plans now are to finish off a New Horizons hoodie I started a while back and to try and do something with the Jalie hoodie I made for myself with the too long arms. It looks really nice and I'd definitely make it again (although it's a huge amount of work because the arms and bodice are all pieced together. It looks like it would be good for colour blocking though). After than I'm not sure if I'll make the New Horizons elevation hoodie for myself, or if I should make another Jalie one and I really need to make some more stock for my shop.</div>
Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15862778832762763380noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4736831373791564672.post-1690282067239122019-03-06T13:54:00.000+00:002019-03-06T13:54:18.800+00:00A quiltI got this pattern from Etsy ages ago. I think it might have been called Flowers in the Sunshine? I started sewing it up just before we moved house with the intention of having it in my bedroom, which I was going to paint grey. I did paint my bedroom grey, but I never finished the quilt. One of the seams ended up not matching very well and unpicking the whole row was a bit of a thought, so I'd abandoned it. I pulled it out recently and I think it looks really nice!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB6Z4ljHgGk1V96Yj39Rgwj8UdQhCIWPqw2qbYJ9yiM2tEo4Zr5JSKyIXSZFQTjOFW-J4k5Lq4ZliCACJxkQFqLorZb5E7or0T6JXMzUVsOSmTB8N1u1FkpnT9I6h_JEI60-XrqR6R_EM/s1600/WP_20190224_13_05_58_Pro.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="899" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB6Z4ljHgGk1V96Yj39Rgwj8UdQhCIWPqw2qbYJ9yiM2tEo4Zr5JSKyIXSZFQTjOFW-J4k5Lq4ZliCACJxkQFqLorZb5E7or0T6JXMzUVsOSmTB8N1u1FkpnT9I6h_JEI60-XrqR6R_EM/s320/WP_20190224_13_05_58_Pro.jpg" width="179" /></a></div>
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This is where it all went wrong! Those seams in the centre are supposed to meet up, making a perfect cross, or a roughly matched one at least. I don't know how it got so off. I suppose trimming all the blocks when they were done might have prevented it. I'm not sure how much you'd notice it though. Obviously I'd know it was there, but I doubt it's the first thing anyone else would see.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoBV4BjTcfr3ujkeTVXlm2l00_xWiKDHGVcnB8QgilxhmcSnUpLkuhnNGHazMYXi2Av9CGGKPO6UCMK53AbUlyJC35vZ2IHot4qXkA2FmimF1ZybCiOB0Bday2T6w_L0QgKcB11ytmiEM/s1600/WP_20190224_13_06_17_Pro.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="899" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoBV4BjTcfr3ujkeTVXlm2l00_xWiKDHGVcnB8QgilxhmcSnUpLkuhnNGHazMYXi2Av9CGGKPO6UCMK53AbUlyJC35vZ2IHot4qXkA2FmimF1ZybCiOB0Bday2T6w_L0QgKcB11ytmiEM/s320/WP_20190224_13_06_17_Pro.jpg" width="179" /></a></div>
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The fabrics are from Moda's Feed Company range, which they probably don't make any more since I started this over two years ago. None of the fabrics are very grey, but they do look really good in my grey bedroom.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTgfh_R3sDJFgiazx49NM8f5dIGKOZFW-1DLN8cU09rTK3gV1bRYdggTbAOP9ehz5jrItLcpYuwuGJtY3OCO0FStPq8C8F4mCBZk5UU6QGZnnp-NevFf7_btLVTZRqAR76UmMunLChrLo/s1600/WP_20190224_13_06_43_Pro.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="899" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTgfh_R3sDJFgiazx49NM8f5dIGKOZFW-1DLN8cU09rTK3gV1bRYdggTbAOP9ehz5jrItLcpYuwuGJtY3OCO0FStPq8C8F4mCBZk5UU6QGZnnp-NevFf7_btLVTZRqAR76UmMunLChrLo/s320/WP_20190224_13_06_43_Pro.jpg" width="179" /></a></div>
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I think the white sashing really helps to brighten up the room. Only the bottom few rows are sewn together here, I've just placed the upper rows down where they'll go. I really should get this quilt top finished. I need to cut more of the white sashing. I do have quite a bit of the fabric left over, so I could make some matching cushions for the chair in my room maybe? The thought of quilting all of this together scares me a bit! I've only quilted small baby and toddler quilts before, and I found it quite challenging to fit them through my machine. I can't imagine how difficult it'll be to quilt this but it seems like a worthwhile project.<br />
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Not at all related, I finally got some Zorb! It should arrive tomorrow and I'll be able to sew the rest of the cloth pads I started making.Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15862778832762763380noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4736831373791564672.post-21010862822088765222019-03-05T01:31:00.000+00:002019-03-05T01:31:28.082+00:002019 sewingI'd like to do more sewing overall this year, not just business sewing. I have so many patterns and I'd like to get some use from them. I also have a fair bit of stash fabric that I'd like to use up. I was looking at the contests over at the Pattern Review site. I've been a member there for years but never actually joined a contest. I think I'm going to try and do that this year.<br />
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This is the contest schedule:<br />
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January - Active wear<br />
February - New to you technique<br />
March - Red carpet outfit<br />
March/April - Jeans<br />
April - Thrift it up<br />
April/May - Wardrobe contest<br />
May - Sheath dress<br />
May/June - Handbag<br />
June - Fabric manipulation<br />
July - Match your shoes<br />
August - Draped garment<br />
September - Denim skirt/jacket<br />
September/October - Bargain fashionista<br />
October - Costumes<br />
October/November - Hats<br />
November - Colour blocked<br />
November/December - Fabric stash<br />
December - Menswear<br />
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Obviously I've missed the active wear contest, and now the new to you technique one. I couldn't really think of any patterns I had that had new to me techniques. I definitely don't need a red carpet outfit, but I'm excited for the jeans contest. I've had the Closet Case Ginger Jeans pattern for ages. I'm excited to use that!<br />
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I'd guess that the thrift it up contest is about upcycling and I have a few things I've been saving to sew into something else.<br />
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I'm currently on a diet, so maybe I'll want to sew up a new wardrobe for myself during the April/May contest. The whole 'wardrobe' thing always makes me think of business type clothing, but maybe I could put together something made of clothes I'd actually wear? Sew Liberated is going to be running a 'Mindful Wardrobe Project' course soon that sounds interesting.<br />
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I have loads of awesome bag patterns for the handbag contest! I ended up buying quite a few from IThinkSew when they were on sale. Actually, now I think about it I'm not sure they'll count as handbags. I'm not a handbag user. Most of the patterns I bought were backpacks, lunch bags and laptop type bags. Still, I'm excited to sew a new bag for myself. I'm particularly excited about sewing these two!<br />
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I have a few hat patterns that I can use for the hat contest and I seriously need to join the fabric stash contest! I have plenty of men to sew for and I've been gathering a small stock of menswear patterns.<br />
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So I plan to sew more this year but my problem will be lack of funds. Although I have a pretty big fabric stash, it's mostly cotton knits that are suitable for baby/toddler clothes or nappies. I don't have anything I could use to make jeans with, or bags. All the hardwear like buttons, rivets, zips and bag clips are expensive. Fabric is so expensive too. I need to pay most of the money I get back to my credit card, so I don't have a lot of funds available for sewing. I'll probably end up having to adjust my plans to suit my budget.Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15862778832762763380noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4736831373791564672.post-30902858701220495782019-03-03T23:53:00.002+00:002019-03-03T23:53:18.126+00:00Plans for 2019I haven't blogged in ages and I'm a bit late with my plans for 2019 considering it's March now but I thought I'd write about it anyway. I'm sure this will be a long and rambling post (as usual!). Starting a sewing business definitely didn't turn out like I had hoped. The market has changed a lot in the last 10ish years. WAHM nappies don't sell like they used to, however, cloth pads seem to be quite popular.<br />
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I went into this with the goal of making around £100 a month. Like, £100 profit, after materials and fees etc. I know it doesn't sound much but that would make a difference in my life. I didn't make that goal. In fact, I've ended up around £600 in debt...<br />
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I don't often hear WAHMs/makers discuss how much they're making, so it's hard to know what would be a realistic income to expect. I thought I'd write about earnings, in case anyone reading was considering starting up a sewing business. My best month was September, when I sold £162.44 worth of stuff and my worst months were August and December. I sold £15.44 on each of those months. That's the total sales, so I'd need to minus the fees, postage and how much it cost me to make all the items to get my actual profit. It looks like my monthly average sales are £67.71, again that's before fees and costs are taken into account, so I'm making maybe an average of £40 a month. If I paid myself an hourly wage for the time I spent on sewing and Etsy admin, I wouldn't be making anything at all. Sales aren't consistent either so you cant really count on having an income from them. I often get a bunch of sales together, and then nothing for weeks.<br />
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But I *have* sold things. I think I sold 48 or 49 items since I started in May. Someone pointed out that for Etsy, that’s actually pretty good. According to Etsy Rank, my shop has sold more than 71% of shops there. At first glance that seems kind of impressive, till you realise that it means that 70% of shops on Etsy have sold less than 49 items (and that's overall, not just per year).<br />
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I was thinking about winding this chapter up. I need to pay off what I owe so I thought I'd try to sew up what I could with what materials I had lying around, but then January started off pretty well and I had 6 orders, taking me over 50 sales and on the way to 60. Then I saw a 50% off sale on some flannel and since I'd made a little bit from sales I decided to buy some so I could make new cloth pads. After that I ended up putting another £100 on my credit card with the plan that I'd try my best to make a go of this.<br />
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I was just ironing all my new pre-washed flannels, gearing up to start a sewing marathon, when my shop received a bad review. Well, not a bad one. A three star one. Actually I don't mind about the three stars. I hate how people act like anything less than 5 stars is negative. To me three stars is 'okay' or 'average'. If we're only allowed to rate five stars then the whole rating system becomes meaningless. Yeah, so I don't mind about the stars, but the comment says that the pads are pretty much useless because they leak. As a customer that would definitely put me off buying. If I'm buying a cloth pad then I expect it to be able to do the job I bought it for.<br />
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So then I was like... ack, I just put another £100 on my credit card for fabric to make things no one is going to buy...<br />
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When I first bought the pattern I had wondered if the way the pads were constructed would cause leaking, but I read through all the reviews and didn't see anyone mention this. I know that sometimes people can be quick to leave reviews without properly trying things out, but I've been using the batch I made myself since about April and haven't had this problem myself. I do sometimes have leaking at the wings but this is a problem I also have with disposable pads. I usually leave my pads in a dry container until I'm ready to wash them and occasionally I'll see a small amount of blood has seeped through the stitches to the underside, so it's definitely something that can happen. But this is after them sitting there for days, and it's just a tiny amount, usually leaked around three or four stitches (mostly closer to the ends rather than at the middle where you'd expect most of the blood to be sitting. I have no explanation for that!).<br />
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I wondered if I did something wrong with those pads specifically. Like used the wrong size needle? Maybe even something crazy like forgot to put the PUL layer in? I wondered if maybe it was something to do with the red flannel. It's a thicker flannel than the flannel used for my own pads, but you'd think thicker flannel would perform better. I had bought a new pattern a few months back and I wondered if I should switch to that. I made one to test out. This is it before I put the snaps on.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaWHvAkKcecVdWm2kQmUyPFFpug70_J7wNJSapZv9vDoutFGMBgB9SQKE4c9GK3Tk1qwT7gJzybGPvlz9Xu-0o8fd4ttnr1q-v-mStBquq0oc2mX0KXH4GvbVQ-zY9c0Yojj7LiavrMWk/s1600/WP_20190126_18_33_30_Pro.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="899" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaWHvAkKcecVdWm2kQmUyPFFpug70_J7wNJSapZv9vDoutFGMBgB9SQKE4c9GK3Tk1qwT7gJzybGPvlz9Xu-0o8fd4ttnr1q-v-mStBquq0oc2mX0KXH4GvbVQ-zY9c0Yojj7LiavrMWk/s320/WP_20190126_18_33_30_Pro.jpg" width="179" /></a></div>
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It's made of flannel with a hidden layer of PUL and one layer of Zorb. Normally I hate trying to centre cores in these type of pads but I figured out a way to make sure it stayed centred, so I was pleased about that. I left the turning hole too small so it ended up getting kind of distorted when I turned the pad, so that part doesn't look great. Oh yeah, I also got a bit trim happy and trimmed too close to the turning section, so that also messed it up. I'm used to being able to trim all the way round with my current pattern. I did like the way it looked in the end though, even with the jacked up turning hole.<br />
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This is the back, which is actually a nice shade of pink, not like it looks in the photo. Obviously the top stitching goes through all the layers so there's still the potential for it to leak. It's much, much thinner than my usual type of pads. You'd think that would be a positive, but I didn't really like it because I couldn’t feel where it was and I worried about it moving around and me not noticing. Without the stitch down the centre there was nothing to channel the blood and it all spread out, making it look like there was a lot more. It spilled off the edges where the wings meet the body and soaked my underwear (again that's a problem I have with disposables and my other pads, but it's never this bad). It had also soaked onto the back at the edges. I wondered if it was because I backed it with flannel, so it caused wicking?<br />
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This is a little bunch I made. Red makes the most awful background, sorry! I think the tiny one is a 6 inch pad and the others are 8 inches, 9 inches, 10 inches and 12 inches. I used two layers of Zorb in the 12 inch one. These are all some of my new flannels, except for the kitties in Paris one, and the black flannel.<br />
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These are the backs. They've all got a hidden layer of PUL.</div>
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I used the 6 inch size to make myself a bunch of liners, which is something I've been meaning to do for a while. Well, I meant them to be liners, but they've actually got a full layer of PUL and they have one layer of Zorb for the core, so they're really just the same as my moderate pads, just much smaller. They're made from my thicker flannel, so they don't seem very flexible but they were okay to wear. They all need their threads cut in this photo.<br />
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I thought I'd do a rainbow thing with the snaps. I think I also cut out a bunch of 7 inch liners... or maybe I imagined that. I've cut so many things out lately!<br />
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While I was sewing these up, I had an order from a previous customer for more pads, and thinking about it, I've actually had about 3 or 4 repeat customers, so they're obviously happy with them and don't have any problems. I *do* have plenty of good feedback for them. Maybe they just don't work well for everyone. So I decided to carry on with my plans and started cutting and sewing more exposed core pads. These guys are almost finished. They're all 8 inch ones. I can't wait to sew with the rest of the fabrics! I have some chevron pattern, stripes, tartan, camo, spots and dots, fox print, bear print, owls. I even bought a tiny amount of plush fabric to try.<br />
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So after that blip, my plans for this year are to make and sell enough stuff to pay back my credit card. Actually making a profit would be great too, but I'd be happy just to break even. I plan to focus on cloth pads more than cloth nappies since they sell better, although I do have a few nappies to sew up still and I think I might make some more wolf design nappies because they've always sold quite quickly.</div>
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I thought I'd add a picture of my own stash, which is almost a year old now. Flannel can look pilly very quickly but I think it's held up pretty well. I did recently wash them all with some paint covered clothes and the jersey pads seem to have come out discoloured. Maybe they'll look better after another wash. The cat print pads and some of the marble dyed ones I made specifically for myself. The rest are rejects from my shop. I wasn't very happy with the windpro backed jersey pads I made because the snaps felt like they might pull through. So far that hasn't happened, but that's how they ended up in my stash. A few of the others were in sets that I ended up splitting up, so I tossed them into my stash. I didn't realise that I only had two 8 inch pads. Maybe I'll add a few more to my stash later. This seems like a decent amount to have though, especially with the addition of the new 6 inch mini pads.</div>
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I've been cutting and sewing very slowly over the last few weeks and I finally have about 20 pads made. I have lots more cut out to sew but I've run out of Zorb and there seems to be a world wide shortage right now! None of the usual places have it. White PUL is out of stock everywhere too. I ended up using black PUL in most of my pads. Most of the darker colours anyway. I'm not sure what I'm going to use if they no longer make the Zorb. I know there are other kinds of Zorb. There are also microfibre fabrics and different bamboo/cotton/hemp fleeces. I need to photograph everything I've made so far and get it uploaded. Maybe by the time I sell a few things the Zorb will be back in stock and I'll be able to afford some without having to use my credit card. Hopefully this will be a good year!</div>
Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15862778832762763380noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4736831373791564672.post-81978401618447309552018-11-24T16:01:00.000+00:002018-11-24T16:03:37.887+00:00Black Friday SaleYet another post about a sale! I decided to do a 20% discount for Black Friday, through till Monday.<br />
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Things have been dead in my shop over the last six weeks or so. August and September were quite good months and at one point I hardly had any stock left, but during October I think I only had one sale. November has been quiet too up till now. I sold an item last week, finally hitting 40 sales! I had another sale yesterday when I started my Black Friday sale so I'm now at 41 sales.<br />
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I'm still unsure about whether to continue with this business. Sometimes I feel quite positive about it, but other times, like where there are no sales and I still have a ton of credit card debt, I feel like it's pointless. Any new ideas I have involve me having to spend money on new/different fabrics, so they're not worth pursing at this point because I can't afford it. I can't even afford to sew any personal projects for myself at the moment. I think my plans for now are to try and make as much stock as I can without having to buy anything new. But then part of me says, what's the point in making stuff that no one wants to buy...?<br />
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Anyway, I finished a batch of cloth pads and uploaded them recently. They're 8 and 9 inch sizes. I'm going to work on a batch of jersey pads next. I was going to add some pictures here, but actually they're very boring to look at! They're just individual photos and they definitely look better when they're in a big batch.<br />
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I should get back to sewing.Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15862778832762763380noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4736831373791564672.post-79566884145225944452018-10-16T15:39:00.000+01:002018-10-16T15:39:19.375+01:00Having a sale! 13th - 20th of OctI decided to have a 10% off sale on my cloth pads to celebrate the Women's Environmental Network's Environmenstrual Campaign. This is my first ever sale! I've sold two things so far, but who knows if it's because of the sale or not. <br />
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There are more discounts from other companies <a href="https://www.wen.org.uk/periodswithoutplastic" target="_blank">here</a> on the WEN website of you're looking for a bargain!Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15862778832762763380noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4736831373791564672.post-33295839079883613862018-10-13T21:05:00.001+01:002018-10-13T21:05:21.174+01:00Nothing much to report!I haven't updated here in about a month. I haven't had much to post about though. I think I'm still a bit burnt out after all the summer sewing I did. The weather hasn't been great either. Even though it's warm inside my workshop I don't always feel like trekking through the rain or cold to get there. I'm actually thinking about bringing my sewing machine inside to make a new batch of cloth pads. I still haven't finished the sweatshirts I started, mainly because it involves re-threading the overlocker and I don't like doing that! I need to make an effort though because it's sweatshirt weather now.<br />
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I uploaded a few things to my shop earlier this week. It's always disappointing when you upload new stuff and it gets zero views. It might be that it takes a bit of time for the items to make it into the search results or something. I also uploaded some more cloth pads about two weeks ago. I've been selling a few things here and there, but overall, things seem quiet on Etsy. Views and visits are low. I really should do some advertising.<br />
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Hyenacart has been a complete bust for me. I haven't had a single order through there. I wondered about trying it for another month and maybe uploading some more things but I already paid $7.50 for last month, so I could end up throwing away $15 for nothing. I'd need to sell at least a couple of items just to get that money back. I can leave my shop sitting there though and I'm pretty sure people can still buy things, even if I haven't paid the fee. I think I have to pay $7.50 just to be able to log into my seller portal again but if someone buys something and pays through Paypal I should be able to get all their details from there. Apparently items time out after a couple of months if you're not active. My only worry is that if I sold something on Etsy that I already had listed there then I'd have to pay $7.50 to go in and delete it on Hyenacart. I'm not sure what to do yet.<br />
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Hyenacart doesn't give you any stats to look at like Etsy does. I think you can install third party stat counters on there but I didn't. I was able to see that two people (or maybe just one person) have marked two of my items as favourites though. Lots of people favourite things on Etsy but I notice that if someone favourites something, they rarely come back and buy it. But someone favourited something a few days ago and then came back and bought it yesterday! I think this is probably the first time this has happened to me! People seem to use favourites as a Pinterest kind of thing, like a collection of pictures of things you like. If I used Etsy to favourite things, it would probably be things I liked the look of that I thought I could sew or make myself...<br />
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These are the things I've uploaded recently.<br />
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A wolf embroidered pocket nappy. I wish I'd used a darker shade of grey for the wolf though.<br />
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Unicorn embroidered pocket nappy with two colours of PUL stitched together. I quite like the way that looks. I imagine this unicorn embroidery would look great on white too.<br />
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I'm selling this as a slight second because the embroidery isn't quite perfect. It's a pocket nappy. I don't think this type of densely embroidered design is very good for nappies because it makes them quite stiff.<br />
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Another pocket nappy. I love this design!<br />
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This is one of the AIOs I made.<br />
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Another AIO. I do like the way the black and white snaps look on this.<br />
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This is the inside, which we probably shouldn't talk about since it was so much of a nightmare to sew!<br />
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I said I wouldn't buy any new fabric till I'd finished what I'd started (and sold it all) but the place I got my flannel from was having a 10% off sale, so I bought some more so that I could finish the cloth pads I have already cut out. It's the toppers I've cut out, so I needed the solid coloured flannel for the wing parts. At least I know that those sell, unlike nappies, which are very slow sellers. I have a different type of cloth pad pattern that I'm planning to try out too. It needs some modifications first though.</div>
Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15862778832762763380noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4736831373791564672.post-58502546075884336112018-09-08T23:50:00.003+01:002018-09-08T23:51:31.174+01:00Weekend sewing and sweatshirtsI counted up all the things I've cut out. There was over a hundred! Okay, lots of them are cloth pads, or at least the topper parts of cloth pads. I'll need to get some more flannel for the wing parts and probably some more plain white PUL in order to finish them. I have quite a lot of fitted nappies cut out but the fabrics I need to complete them are quite expensive, so I probably won't finish them for a while, unless I can think of a cheaper way to make them. I'm working on the pocket nappies that I have cut out first because I have all the stuff for them. Or I did. I just ran out of elastic. I had a small roll of it! I've also used up 4 1000m spools of white thread since I started too. I need to finish the last all-in-one that's ready to sew but I'm still working up the courage to do that! I have several more cut out but again I need some more stuff to finish them. My plan is to finish up everything I possibly can with what I have here before I buy any new supplies.<br />
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Things really picked up in my shop! I think I've sold an item a day for the last couple of days. I think my prices might be too low though. There's an Etsy listing fee, VAT on that, a 5% final value fee, then VAT on that, a 5% fee on the postage charged then VAT on that, and a payment processing fee and then VAT on that. I think I've made about £60 over the last week, although some of that was for postage. It's progress though! I haven't sold anything through Hyenacart yet. I think I'll add the new nappies that I'm making there and see if I make any sales. It seems to be a good idea there to have a day where you stock your shop with new stuff. It was last Wednesday I stocked my shop so maybe I'll stock it this Wednesday if I manage to make enough stuff.<br />
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I'm waiting on elastic to arrive to finish these nappies though. These are crappy phone pics. I'm not too happy with the embroidery on the wolf one. I should have done the wolf in a darker colour. The threads still need cut on the believe in yourself embroidery. Maybe I'll sew their elastic casings tomorrow. I might even do the topstitching. Usually I do it after installing the elastic, although the instructions tell you to do it the other way round.<br />
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I started making a top from an Ellie and Mac pattern. I'm really not sure about it though. The more I look at the pattern the more I think it's not quite for me. I had a metre cut of the fabric and a half metre cut. I managed to get the body from the metre, but there was only room for one sleeve, so I cut the sleeves from the half metre cut. The sleeves were way longer than half a metre, but since my arm is 50cm from shoulder to wrist and the sleeves had cuffs at the bottom I decided to try it anyway. I did double the length of the cuffs though, just to be on the safe side. I usually have to turn the cuffs up on everything I wear so maybe this will actually fit on the arms!<br />
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I didn't have the instructions with me when I started but I thought it would be simple and probably wouldn't take more than about twenty minutes to sew. I was wrong. My sleeve wouldn't fit into the armhole. I overlocked it too so I had to unpick all the overlocking. I got the instructions and laid it in following them, but it still didn't fit. It's a good inch short on each side. In the end I managed to get it in by stretching it but I wasn't very happy about doing that.<br />
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It's not finished because when I cut the sleeves I just followed the pattern till I ran out of fabric. I forgot that they'd need to taper more to fit into the cuffs. I'll work out what adjustments I need to make tomorrow. It looks a bit meh though. I was hoping that it would look kind of nerdy. Like an ugly jumper, but ugly in a cool way. I think it looks too much like pyjamas right now. I can always use more pyjamas so it wouldn't be the end of the world. I've pressed it, which has helped with the look a bit but I haven't tried it on yet. I have a feeling it won't fit... At least not in the way I wanted it to. The pattern is called the Fall In Love Sweater. To me a sweater is something you wear over the top of a t-shirt or thin top but looking at the pictures in the pattern, people seem to be wearing it on its own as a long sleeved top. It's also supposed to be made with fairly thin stretchy fabric too which isn't going to make it a warm jumper (or sweater). I'd probably buy a size 14 if I wanted a roomy sweatshirt but the pattern doesn't have UK sizing on it, or even US sizing. I'm very unhappy that my measurements put me at a size XL for the pattern! I still think it's going to be too small though.<br />
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I bought this other pattern on Etsy from a shop called Dressy Talk. This is more what I'm looking for.<br />
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I've cut it out going with my measurements. I was very confused with the sizing on this pattern though. At first I thought I'd accidentally bought a plus size pattern. I thought maybe it was in European sizes but my measurements put me at something like a size 52 which is like a UK size 24. So I have no idea what's going on with the sizing but I've cut out the size that most corresponds to my measurements. After I cut it out I measured the pattern pieces to see how much ease there was going to be because I don't want it to be too tight, but it didn't seem as if there was much ease at all. The size I've cut is roughly on par with the XL size from the Ellie and Mac pattern, so I'll see how that fits first and then decide whether I need to go up a size. The way the neckline is done on this pattern is very strange, but even just looking at the pattern pieces you can see that it's going to sit nicely.<br />
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I just realised that although I've been sewing for years, and buying patterns for years, I rarely sew things for myself. At least not things I wear. Occasionally I'll make something but I'm never happy with it so don't end up wearing it. Maybe this will be a first and I'll make something I can actually wear?! Part of the problem for me is, most patterns are very dressy or tailored or, well, fashionable! Even though I'd like to wear dresses and have some kind of style, I mostly go for what's easy. I like jeans and hoodies. Or jeans and ugly jumpers. Sometimes I wear shirts and occasionally I'll wear leggings. I like things that are warm and comfortable. I feel like life is too short to bother with uncomfortable clothes, itchy fabrics and pinchy shoes that hurt your feet. It would be nice to have a go to sweatshirt pattern that I can make in different fabrics and styles. I think I have a bad habit of writing overly long blog posts... I'll update about the sweatshirts/sweaters/jumpers later.Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15862778832762763380noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4736831373791564672.post-87211766873194277342018-09-05T21:51:00.001+01:002018-09-05T21:51:34.324+01:00Plans for SeptemberSchool is back and I have two taking exams so it's going to be a lot of work. As home educators it also costs us around £100 per exam, so it's going to be expensive too. I won't be able to spend hours in my work shop now. I'm glad I made my goal of making 50 items in August though! I think I made about 68 in the end.<br />
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I thought this month I'd set a goal of doing something sewing related for at least 30 minutes a day. I have quite a lot of odd bits and pieces cut out. There are nappy cuts, cloth pads and some baby trousers. Cut out pieces are pretty much useless and have no value so I really need to get them sewn up so I can sell them. I have a lot of money to pay back. There seems to be way more stuff than I remember cutting out. Maybe I've been cutting things out in my sleep?! I think there are 8 embroidered nappies, a few I abandoned because I wasn't happy with them but looking at them now, there's nothing much wrong with them. I can sell them as seconds and at least get some money out of them rather than wasting the fabric and all the time spent embroidering them.</div>
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Since the start of the month I've put snaps on a bunch of nappies and sewn a pocket nappy and an AIO. These are some pictures from earlier in the week before I sewed the elastics in, just because it's a bit boring to read a blog without any pictures! With the lilac one, I didn't have enough PUL left so I did a half and half thing. I quite like the way it looks (when it's finished at least). The cat one is an AIO. I still have some more of them to sew but I had this idea in the middle of the night that maybe it would be easier to sew the stay dry section in if you don't pin it? Surely that would make it easier to sew around the corners? I'm going to try that out with the next one I make.</div>
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I put snaps on these ones and I think I'm going to use black stay dry fabric for their inners.</div>
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With half an hour a day I should slowly get through everything I've cut out. The baby trousers should only take minutes to sew up too. Etsy is full of baby trousers but babies to need trousers! I'm sure there are more trouser wearing babies than cloth nappy wearing babies.</div>
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Things are also looking up in my shop. I've had three sales! I have enough money to cover my credit card bill next month, and I paid my Etsy bill. I wonder if Etsy rotates your shop's visibility or something, because I often seem to sell a few things at once and then nothing for ages.</div>
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I also set up a store on Hyenacart. I did briefly look at it when I was starting out, but it seemed very quiet there compared to how it used to be. I had another look at it and decided to give it a go. What do I have to lose? It seems like there is normally a $10 set up fee, but there was a special offer where sign up was only $0.01! I don't quite understand how it works though. I thought it was $7.50 a month, which at this point would make it almost more expensive than Etsy for me, but I think it's $7.50 per month only if you want to stock your store. So if you pay your $7.50 and stock your store once then I don't think you need to pay anything else the next month if you don't want to add any more stock. It looks like items expire after 6 months though.</div>
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I stocked my shop with nappies because it seems like it's a better place to sell them than Etsy. I set them to stock at a certain time and date and when I checked on it today my store was stuffed with shoppers right before the items were due to stock. At one point my store had the most shoppers in the whole site. About five minutes after the stocking time there was only one shopper in my store (and that was me!). I was excited for a few minutes! I was like, this is it! I'm going to sell all this stuff! It'll be just like the old days when people used to stalk stores and there were crazy auctions where people would bid $200 for a single nappy. But no. </div>
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It's a US based site so I think it'll put people off that I'm in the UK. I've got my currency set in pounds too. I'm only charging £2.50 for postage, which is about $3.50. I'm sure that's a pretty reasonable price for postage but it does often feel a bit risky to buy things from overseas and sometimes they take forever to arrive. I think I'll stock my shop with a few more things though. I haven't added all my nappies there and I'll have some new ones finished soon. I'll give it a month or so and see how it goes.</div>
Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15862778832762763380noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4736831373791564672.post-15841244652122095992018-08-27T23:31:00.000+01:002018-08-30T20:22:57.806+01:00New Horizons TAMI Revolution hoodie.I worked on this today. It's the first garment I've sewn in ages! I've been working with tiny things lately so I wasn't used to the bulk of a full sized item of clothing. I'm not finished yet but I'm really not happy with it.<br />
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Firstly, I've messed up with the stripes. They don't match up. I remember cutting it out and making sure that the stripes on the front and back would match but I don't remember what I did with the sleeves. I thought maybe it was something to do with the raglan sleeves. I'm not a fan of raglan sleeves normally. One seam seems to match up pretty well but the others are completely off. It's disappointing and I don't have any more of this fabric left to try and recut them.<br />
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I had a bit of trouble getting the pieces to match but I think it might have been my cutting since I'm using a knit fabric. I had huge trouble with the under arm seams. They don't match at all. I could have matched them if started pinning there and ended up with slightly off seams at the bottom and cuffs. That would have been okay because I could have just trimmed them to make them even again, but when I matched the underarm seams the stripes ended up misaligned, so I had to leave the seams mismatched. It's really quite off as you can see in this picture.<br />
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I also had trouble with the pockets. They seemed to get misaligned so I had to unpick and restitch. I'm pretty happy with the final result though. The pockets were sewn onto the seam allowance and then the whole sleeve/underarm/side seam was sewn together, including sewing round the pockets. I don't think I've ever sewn something like that before. I was worried I wouldn't be able to overlock the seam because of the sharp angle of the pockets but it was actually pretty easy.<br />
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The instructions for the thumb hole cuffs are very confusing but it turned out to be fairly simple once I understood it. I made them from a grey interlock but now I'm not so sure about it. It doesn't really match the grey stripes and I feel like it gives it too much of a 'homemade' look by how random it is. I'm not sure if I should get some black jersey instead. I think that would look better, but the hoodie already sucks so I don't know if there's any point in spending money on some new fabric. I suppose I could keep the cuffs and bottom band and make another hoodie that they'd match with, but I really haven't enjoyed sewing this one so I don't know if I want to make it again.<br />
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The worst and most stupid thing I did was sew the hood on the wrong way... Somehow, I got confused and thought the sleeves were the front and back. I don't know how that happened. So I sewed the hood on sideways. I'm just glad I thought to stitch it on first to see how it looked before I went to the trouble of overlocking the seam. What a stupid mistake! It's funny because once I sewed the sleeves to the front and back I thought hey, this is going to be a really quick project. It took me all afternoon and part of the evening and it's still not finished.<br />
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This one was made a few sizes too big to give it a baggy fit, so I could possibly cut it down and hopefully make the sleeves match up. I think I could keep the hood as it is. I'm not sure that would work though. I could just cut it down completely and make something child sized with the fabric, or put some plain sleeves on? The fabric is a fluffy knitted thing so I think it might look weird with plain interlock sleeves. I'm not too sure where I'm going with it now, so it'll probably have to go and hang out in the UFO pile.</div>
Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15862778832762763380noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4736831373791564672.post-78870797272957532182018-08-27T00:02:00.002+01:002018-08-30T20:28:46.472+01:00My first Opulent Monsters AIOI thought I'd make a new post for this since the last post had got quite long. There will be more crappy phone pics here, sorry. I've spent most of the day working on some Opulent Monsters AIOs. They are HARD. I knew from reading the instructions that attaching the inner sections together was going to be difficult and I wasn't looking forward to giving it a go. The first one I basted in was tricky but I thought it looked okay, no tucks or folds or anything. Once it's basted you're supposed to overlock it. That ruined it. It's really hard to see what's going on with my overlocker so it ended up with loads of tucks and looked terrible. I ended up unpicking all the overlocking and starting again. This time I decided that after basting it, I'd stitch a line of permanent stitching at 1/4 of an inch and then overlock. It looked okay after I did the line of stitching but I chickened out with the overlocking. I did a zigzag over it instead, because who is going to look at it? None of the fabrics I used will fray either, so it's not like it was needed to prevent fraying. I did the same thing for the second one, but this time, for some reason the soaker petals weren't completely even, so when I finished stitching, one of the layers hadn't caught in the stitching. Of course it was the layer that was facing upwards. So more unpicking, trimming and then re-sewing was required. This really wasn't a fun day!<br />
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I stitched together one and my jackalope pocket nappy and installed the elastic. I still need to top stitch them though. You're supposed to do that before installing the elastic, but I usually make the casings, put the elastic in and then top stitch later.<br />
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I'll probably sew the other one together tomorrow. I still have one to do though. Thinking about sewing that inner makes me want to cry! I'll just have to be brave and get it done. I'd consider myself a fairly advanced sewer (or sewist?) but I find this part insanely hard. It's the corners that are the worst. The front corners seem to be tighter than the back ones. There doesn't seem to be any better way to do this and still keep flap out soakers. Rocket Bottoms has a pattern modification you can buy to make something similar--a contoured section set into a PUL layer, but the soakers just sit on top, so it's not so neat and clean looking. I suppose you could have a hidden soaker, but then it would lack the quick dry feature. A back pocket maybe? Then it wouldn't be an AIO... I definitely wouldn't recommend the AIO to beginners, well, actually it's probably do-able if you don't mind having little tucks and folds at the corners. The pattern has a non overlocked version, which I think has you just zigzag the soaker section on top of the PUL. I think that would be easier. Like a tiny bit easier. It wouldn't look as pretty though. I imagine it's something that you can get better at with practice though. You as in someone who isn't me! I don't think I want to sew this again. I have another three (i think?) cut out. Unfortunately (or fortunately?!) I don't have any bamboo fleece left so I can't finish them. I think I'll have to finish them at some point if I want to pay back what I owe to my credit card.<br />
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I was a bit disappointed by all the wrinkles caused by the elastic. It looked so nice before!<br />
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These are the flap out soakers, which are hidden underneath when the nappy is in use. They're not too hard to tuck in, especially if you pull them from opposite ends rather than trying to stuff them inside.<br />
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It's quite trim really, even with seven layers of bamboo fleece. I'll get the top stitching done tomorrow and put snaps on the wings. The jackalope turned out nicely. It's made from very lightweight PUL and even the wicking fabric is very lightweight. It's from a different place to where I usually get it from. The whole thing is light as a feather. You can see the navy one lurking in the background here, just waiting to torture me...</div>
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After I've top stitched these two I might take a break and sew something else. I've had the New Horizons TAMI Revolution hoodie cut out for ages. It's for E and it's going to be made with a black and grey sweater knit that I bought from a co-op years ago. I might work on that, even though it's not contributing anything to my shop. It's cut out ready to go though. I think I deserve a break after all the torture of today.</div>
Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15862778832762763380noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4736831373791564672.post-5071752402563704082018-08-26T23:16:00.000+01:002018-08-30T20:39:00.804+01:00Future PlansEarlier this week I said that if I'd had no sales by Sunday I'd call it quits. It's Sunday night and I haven't sold anything. Most of the 12 nappies I uploaded don't even have a single view, so it seems that this isn't working. I have a pretty big problem though. After floundering around at the start trying to make things with very little money, I decided to see if I could get a credit card. Even though I don't have a proper job or income, one of the banks gave me a credit card. So I bought a bunch of PUL, flannel for some new cloth pads and other bits and bobs. All the time I was ordering this I was calculating how much profit I could make etc and everything seemed like it would work out fine. But if no one is going to buy anything I've made, how am I going to pay the money back to my credit card? At this point, even though I've made loads of items, I don't think I've made enough of them to cover the credit card bill, even if people were buying things. Really I need to make even more items and then hope to sell them, which isn't exactly working out very well right now.<br />
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I could possibly sell on some of the fabric I bought but most of it is chopped into pieces now. I bought a lot of snaps too but I've used random amounts from all the sets so I can't really sell odd part sets.</div>
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So I think I'm trapped. I have no choice but to carry on and just hope that people start buying things.<br />
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My first credit card bill was £25. I only have £20 a month personal spending money so all I need to do is make £5 extra a month and I should be able to pay back what I owe. Eventually! Pretty sucky really. I was hoping to actually contribute some money to the household, or at least cover my own hobbies. I promised two of my kids I'd buy them cadet uniforms with my profits but that doesn't look like it will happen.</div>
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I was on Etsy Rank earlier and discovered that even with my small amount of sales (I've sold 20 items altogether), I've been more successful than 59% of shops on Etsy. That was nice to read. I guess many shops never really make it off the ground. But anyway, I need to figure out what to do now. I can't say I regret trying this. It's been something I always wanted to do, so I'm glad I actually did it rather than just thinking about it forever. So it didn't work out, but at least I gave it a try. I learned that I am a terrible businesswoman!<br />
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Before starting this business, I hadn't sewn in years. Probably since 2011. Doing this reminded me of how much I actually like sewing. I've been buying a few patterns since the start of the year and there are quite a few things I want to make. Just one small problem... I have no money now to buy fabric to make anything. Sigh! Well, I haven't used all my small amount of credit up, so there's always the credit card. A terrible idea, I know, because it'll end up taking me years to pay it all off. Maybe I can wrangle some money out of our clothing budget.<br />
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I bought this from ithinksew.com and I want to make all of them! I planned to make the Madison Hunting Bag for M to take to work. He has a lot of gear he needs to carry around with him. I thought I might make him a matching lunch bag too. He has a tiny one he squishes everything into right now. E is starting college, tomorrow actually, and might appreciate a lunch bag. I thought the Megan Pouch would be good for storing cloth pads (if you have a normal sized stash of them of course). I vaguely thought about making some for my shop for that purpose, but I'll only do that if I have the materials on hand. It only uses a FQ for the outer and the lining, which I have, but I don't know about the zip etc.<br />
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The Madison bag definitely looks manly enough when you use plain fabrics like this. I have an 'Alt Ctrl Delete' embroidery that I thought I might put on the front somewhere. The front pocket or the flap maybe. I haven't really made many bags before because I'm not much of a bag person.</div>
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Because I'm not much of a bag person I was attracted to this pattern from ithinksew. It's a tiny phone carrier. I want to make one for myself, and I was going to make one for E, since she'll be travelling on the train into Edinburgh a lot now. It looks like it'll be a good way to safely transport your phone and money, especially if you tighten the strap and wear it under your jacket. I also had another vague idea about making them for my shop. I envisioned it being useful for people who use baby slings. Bags can be kind of tricky when you're wearing a baby on your back or front. I thought maybe this would work worn under a sling. With the clip you can unclip it and unthread it from under your sling if you want to take it off. I'd need to test that out though. Yes, I still have baby slings, even though it's been years since I last used them.</div>
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I recently got this pattern in a sale from Peek-a-boo Patterns. It's a shirt with a hood. I'm a shirt wearer and I love hoodies, so it seems perfect! I also love flannel (you may have noticed), especially check/tartan flannel. I thought about making one for me and E, which would be nice since it's starting to get colder.<br />
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I wanted to make hoodies for the boys too. I have the New Horizons Elevation hoodie pattern. I can't seem to find a pic of the front of the pattern though. It's a pullover hoodie. One of my boys doesn't like pullover hoodies, so I won't make one for him. I'd be really annoyed to put all the effort into making one and then have him not wear it! I bought this Toby K. pattern instead. It's a zip up, so he should be happy with that. It has a lot of nice features too, like thumb hole cuffs and different types of pockets.<br />
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They also have a joggers pattern which I like the look of. Again it has lots of interesting features. I'm so happy to find sewing patterns for boys! Especially for things they'd actually wear. The pattern has a plain straight cut version which I thought could make some flannel pyjama trousers if I happened to buy a ton of flannel for the shirts I planned to make. I could also use sweatshirt fleece left over from making the hoodies to make the joggers. I haven't bought the pattern yet, but if I magically have money appear from nowhere it's something I'd like to buy.<br />
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I bought the Toby K. pattern from a site called Thread Theory. They have their own patterns for men, all of them very nice. I did download this free pattern from them though. I recently bought W some vests (confusing terminology I know, the tank is what we call a vest here, and what other people call a vest we call a waistcoat. Still, it doesn't have the potential for anyone to make an embarrassing mistake like pants/trousers!). I bought the vests for him because he complained that his cadet uniform shirt was rubbing on him. Unfortunately the neckline is quite high on the ones I bought, so you can see it under the shirt, which apparently you get in trouble for. I think this one might work because the neckline is much lower. It could also be used as a top to go with my hypothetical pyjama trousers, although Thread Theory actually have a very nice Henley t-shirt that would be nicer with them (and warmer). It also has a basic t-shirt in it so it's probably worth buying, again if money magically just fell out of the sky.<br />
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So yeah, all of these projects are just existing inside my head. If I have the right kind of zip then I could possibly make one of the Megan pouches, and I do have some very lightweight denim that could work for the shirt pattern. I suppose that might look nice with a jersey hood?<br />
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Shopwise, I'll just have to keep on going and make as much as I can with what I've got and hope that it sells. I have sold 20 items and I have very nice feedback from people, so there's no reason to think that I'll never sell another thing ever again. It's just that it's not very consistent and it's not something I can rely on to make money. I have some work to do on my shop and things to upload still. More photos to edit... Maybe by the time I get everything I've made this month uploaded then I'll have enough potential earnings to cover what's on my credit card. Then I'll be back to zero and can call it quits.</div>
Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15862778832762763380noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4736831373791564672.post-69126444422258494802018-08-24T23:23:00.000+01:002018-08-25T23:44:46.679+01:00Challenge completeI think last time I updated I'd completed 33 items. Over the last couple of days I've finished 29 more cloth pads, which takes the total to 62 items made this month! I did say I was going to make some fitted nappies, AIOs and other stuff but I haven't got round to that yet. Most of the stuff is cut out for them so I might make a start on them. I think I might sew up the pocket nappies I embroidered recently though. I really need to stop making pocket nappies because I've hardly sold any. They're obviously not very popular items. The last pocket nappies I put in my shop (the robots and dog ones) have hardly had any views, and almost none of the new ones I uploaded have had any views yet. Views and visits are picking up a bit though, but still no sales yet. I need to pay my credit card bill for this month... Luckily I had a bit of cash set aside for that.<br />
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I'll add some new photos here tomorrow once the new cloth pads are washed and dried. Maybe I'll have finished the pocket nappies too.<br />
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Updated: I haven't taken any cloth pad pics but I have some crappy phone photos of the AIOs I started today. I'd been putting off starting them because the pattern looks complicated. It's the Opulent Monsters AIO pattern. So far it's going okay, but I'm about to come to the most difficult part, so I've saved that for tomorrow. I had a metre of bamboo fleece and I was able to cut the soakers and other parts for three AIOs. That's not exactly great considering bamboo fleece costs about £20 a metre, but it's better than I expected. There are a few tiny scraps left over that might make a few cloth pads. £20 divided by 3 is £6.66 (fun!) so these are going to be some costly nappies. I really hope I don't screw anything up tomorrow....<br />
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These are the inners for two of them. The soakers will be attached to both ends and will be able to come out in the wash, making them quick drying. I need to sew the PUL outer part to the stay dry centre tomorrow. I'm scared!<br />
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These are the outers. The green cow print will go with the green inner, the navy space bunnies are going with the yellow and blue. There are yellow stars on the embroidery so I thought it might match. The grumpy cat is going to go with the same pink and has a white stay dry section.<br />
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This is my jackalope, he's going to be a pocket nappy, with a pink wicking fabric inner. I usually cut the PUL pocket part the same colour as the outer PUL but this time I thought I'd cut it to match the wicking fabric, so they're both pink. The snaps I've put on are pink too. I'm sewing the AIOs production line style and I plan to fit this one into the production line somewhere. I should probably hem the pocket sections before I go any further so that it's ready to be sewn together when the AIOs are ready to be sewn together.<br />
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Fingers crossed the inners aren't too difficult to sew together! Hopefully I'll have managed to complete at least one AIO by tomorrow. Oh, I did sew three escapee cloth pads today, so that makes a total of 65 items now.Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15862778832762763380noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4736831373791564672.post-23409173845743367832018-08-22T12:03:00.000+01:002018-08-24T23:01:04.706+01:00Week ThreeA bit of a late update... Total for week three was a measly 11 cloth pads. It feels like it should be more. There are about 30 pads in a half finished state but I actually only completed 11.<br />
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So I'm on 33 out of 50 items now.<br />
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I spent the last few days taking photos and uploading them. My cloth pad photos look horrible for some reason. I think I want to retake them. My shop now has 32 items in it, which is the most it's ever had.<br />
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I feel very disillusioned though. I've been working constantly for around three weeks and all I have to show for it is 33 items. There's about £400 worth of stock in my shop now. Minus roughly 10% for all the fees, so that's about £360. That won't even cover what I put on my credit card to buy all the materials I've bought recently. Once I complete another batch of items then maybe I'll start to make a profit, but it's not very motivating. It doesn't feel worth it.<br />
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Just to make it even less motivating, I woke up this morning to find that my shop had had no visits and no views overnight. Even yesterday when it only had 9 items in it, I still woke up to find views/visits on my items. I decided that if I don't have any sales by Sunday I'm going to stop making things and I'll call it quits. I won't close down my shop, I'll just leave it up and hope that the things sell but I'll have to think of some other way to pay back the money I owe to my credit card. At least it's 0% interest for two years. It doesn't make sense to keep putting money and effort into something that isn't working.<br />
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Today I'm going to try and motivate myself to work on stuff. It would be good to finish off the pads I've started. To save me from going completely crazy by photographing every single pad, I was thinking I might offer a mystery print bundle deal. I'm not sure if people like that sort of stuff but I might give it a go.<br />
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Well, it's nearly lunch time and my shop still doesn't have a single visit... that's very unusual. I'll just carry on for now and hopefully things will pick up later in the week.Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15862778832762763380noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4736831373791564672.post-20732997922508404422018-08-18T21:34:00.000+01:002018-08-18T21:34:10.223+01:00Getting there...It's been really slow going over the last few days. Probably because I cut out far too many items. I said I'd make 7 of everything and ended up making 12 nappies. This time I have around 40 cloth pads. Ever so slightly more than 7! Sewing on the line rather than following a seam allowance seems to be what slowed things down. I think it's worth doing though. My hands are killing me from snipping notches and trimming pretty thick seam allowances. This is what I've achieved over the last couple of days.<br />
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Today I top stitched around the wing sections, which didn't take all that long compared to how long it took me to actually sew the wing parts together. Now I just need to cut the Zorb and stuff it inside the toppers, top stitch and then stitch the topper to the wing part. I'll need to order more Zorb because I definitely don't have enough for 40+ pads.</div>
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I am taking a break for the rest of the evening although I feel strange about it. I've been working constantly since the start of the month. I really want to get stuff finished! I had thought that if I made 50 items and sold an item a week then I'd have made enough stock to last me a year. I think I've far surpassed my goal though. I'm not sure whether to list it all at once, or if I should list it in batches every couple of weeks.</div>
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I hope to finish the cloth pads I've started in the next few days. Well, a fair chunk of them at least. I think I'll make the pad hanging straps I planned to make since I have a bunch of ribbon here for them. Then I might take a break. I have a whole lot of other things cut out but at this point it's been 18 days solid of making things and no time off.<br />
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I want to tidy up my shop a bit too. I want to put in some more detailed policies and maybe an FAQ section. I'm thinking about offering free postage to the UK. I also need to decide what to price the new pads at. The flannel I used for these ones is much thicker and better quality (it doesn't look pilly!) but it was three times the cost. The floral patterned ones were made with more expensive designer fabric as well. I'll also have to start the monotonous task of photographing all the items I've made. I'd like to be finished all of this sort of stuff before September so I'm going to have to make a start on that soon.<br />
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Hopefully tomorrow will be extremely productive!Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15862778832762763380noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4736831373791564672.post-13801970442369313852018-08-15T23:54:00.000+01:002018-08-15T23:54:57.311+01:00Update photos<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigR8DPAtVH3-NIYjiYBgsZqUfqjVzX7HB-OA7NbTyCeSQcIvDoSHlVT13OAq7twYwro-kL8x_KHo0h5PYyfXS8Lb8FjDq88ZM33LSf6deTcIVK9x0G_xbPHeuy7CdyUJ5YiQhBUm8LWVE/s1600/DSC_0900.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1548" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigR8DPAtVH3-NIYjiYBgsZqUfqjVzX7HB-OA7NbTyCeSQcIvDoSHlVT13OAq7twYwro-kL8x_KHo0h5PYyfXS8Lb8FjDq88ZM33LSf6deTcIVK9x0G_xbPHeuy7CdyUJ5YiQhBUm8LWVE/s320/DSC_0900.jpg" width="309" /></a></div>
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This is what I've made so far. 12 pocket nappies (I still need to cut the threads though) and three patchwork covers.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmcPW3cF9xHp7PUrqW3P2u9rzNZbf_-QBZS9Pf11z8qs_5Qo2KzvPlTwOpmmTzNrbMmKOCBGjt5f_DleL2iAFiuBWdyP-rMhG6kJGndrPswI5fmVNkhq6eDRJYztL7_9z44_whkndiSTY/s1600/DSC_0901.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1060" data-original-width="1600" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmcPW3cF9xHp7PUrqW3P2u9rzNZbf_-QBZS9Pf11z8qs_5Qo2KzvPlTwOpmmTzNrbMmKOCBGjt5f_DleL2iAFiuBWdyP-rMhG6kJGndrPswI5fmVNkhq6eDRJYztL7_9z44_whkndiSTY/s320/DSC_0901.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Some cloth pads with jersey and Windpro backing (except the one with purple wings. It's a flannel pantyliner). I don't really like the way they turned out.<br />
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These are jersey too. There's brown with llamas and some left over monster print that I cut some nappies from. They're both paired with black jersey. Jersey pads are a bit harder to sew than the flannel ones. I still have to cut the threads on these too.<br />
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These are two embroidered nappy cuts. I wasn't planning on making any more nappies but then I saw these designs and I had to make them.<br />
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These are made from some flannel scraps I had left over from another project. They just need stitched onto some backers now.<br />
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These are some new flannel prints.<br />
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Even more flannel prints. The monsters are going to be paired with grey flannel I think.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0-Gyl1-3ST9RqbcqOfijxRGbaWm7RI_3f5_OKUBHqZch3zBhCzIag8wYwpTp-vXhHoQbPtQBdVIqacfk6TvKVwZMl8jIhi3GKe5dmwilEJpNsxvlkWT70lNasAJzfN7rHv5k_pGbuHPc/s1600/DSC_0907.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1060" data-original-width="1600" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0-Gyl1-3ST9RqbcqOfijxRGbaWm7RI_3f5_OKUBHqZch3zBhCzIag8wYwpTp-vXhHoQbPtQBdVIqacfk6TvKVwZMl8jIhi3GKe5dmwilEJpNsxvlkWT70lNasAJzfN7rHv5k_pGbuHPc/s320/DSC_0907.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Even more flannel pads. I bought a bunch of FQs so I can only really cut two complete pads from each of them. I probably should have bought full half metres. There's a green and flowers, and those are mini foxes in the back. I've paired some with pink spots and there's a whole lot I just finished cutting out before I called it quits tonight. They're mostly floral. I have a bunch of jersey toppers I've cut out too but I think I'll focus on the flannel ones first. I'm not sure if I should keep cutting out until I've got all the pieces ready or if I should sew them in small batches.<br />
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Over the last couple of days I've been listening to audio books. I listened to a 12 hour book, and finished a 2 hour book yesterday and right now I'm about half way through a 17 hour book, so I suppose that's a measure of how long I've been working this week.<br />
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I hope to have lots more finished by the end of the week!Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15862778832762763380noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4736831373791564672.post-29043936194372885742018-08-15T00:12:00.000+01:002018-08-15T00:12:45.639+01:00Week TwoThings seemed a bit more productive this week.<br />
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Total:<br />
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12 pocket nappies<br />
8 cloth pads<br />
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So 20 items this week plus 2 covers from last week, so that's 22 items out of 50.<br />
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Next week I should hopefully have finished a bunch more cloth pads. Yesterday was a bit of a disaster though. There was a power cut, well, not a proper one, just some problem with our house where the power to the sockets upstairs went out. For some reason that took out the power to my workshop outside. The power went out while I was in the middle of stitching out an embroidery design too. I was also prewashing some fabric and tumble drying another batch. I managed to get power back to my workshop in the evening but my embroidery design was screwed up.<br />
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The power is still out upstairs today. An electrician is coming tomorrow. I managed to finish my washing by running an extension cord from a downstairs socket. I even ironed it! Normally I'm allergic to ironing. It's some new flannel that I'm looking forward to cutting up!<br />
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I bought 3 metres of white PUL which I thought was plenty, but after cutting out about 50 cloth pads I've nearly used it all up. I only cut four nappy cuts from it.<br />
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My plans for the next week are to sew up some cloth pads and sew some AIO nappies. I also cut out some baby trousers. They weren't in my plans. I cut a few bits for making some fitted nappies too. I haven't started the pad hanging straps or wet bags yet. I'm not sure why because they're both probably the simplest things to make compared to everything else.<br />
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I'll update with some photos tomorrow.Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15862778832762763380noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4736831373791564672.post-68861605065505340782018-08-07T23:08:00.001+01:002018-08-07T23:08:29.245+01:00Week OneTotal items made this week is:<div>
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2 covers</div>
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And that's it.</div>
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It doesn't sound like much. I did spend a whole day putting snaps on. My arm was killing me... I spent another whole day cutting out all the inners, pocket pieces and backings for the embroideries. I then spent a day hemming the pockets and the wicking fabric. It was going quite well until I came to hemming the black wicking fabric. The black looks exactly the same as the white and other colours, and the black thread is made by the same company that makes the white thread so I have no idea why I couldn't hem them. The tension was all messed up and it either ended up tangled or too tight. It took me hours to figure it out. In the end I changed to the smallest needle I had (out of desperation really!) and that somehow magically worked.</div>
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Next week should be much more productive since everything is cut out ready to sew. I've sewn together all the pocket nappies I had cut out (there's 12 altogether rather than the 7 I said I was going to make). I've installed the elastic in 9 of them so far. They just need top stitching now. In between sewing nappies I've been randomly sewing parts of cloth pads that I've had cut out for a while. I'll work on assembling them properly once I've sewn the nappies.</div>
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My to-do list is getting smaller. I've scored a few more things off since I took this picture. I need to make a new list for the rest of the stuff I'm planning to make.<br />
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This is my workshop. Also known as 'The Shack'. I really do need to sweep the floor. I made the cutting table out of a piece of left over wood and two saw horses. I share the workshop with a bunch of paint, tools and pet food, and hundreds and thousands of midges. I really need to do something about them.<br />
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I also lost 0.4kg this week, which I'd guess is about 1 pound. I'm quite happy with that considering my diet has been pretty low effort.</div>
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Hopefully by next week I'll have a whole bundle of stuff made. I only have 10 items left in my shop right now so it could do with a restock.</div>
Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15862778832762763380noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4736831373791564672.post-70680904619234969452018-07-31T16:43:00.000+01:002018-07-31T16:43:11.539+01:00A Challenge for AugustI decided I'd challenge myself to make 50 items for my shop this August. And it's August tomorrow! I also decided I'd go on a diet in August (ugh!!). Hopefully I'll be so busy making things that I don't have time to snack.<br />
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I finally managed to order the fabric and snaps I need to finish/make new things. None of them have arrived yet but I still have some things I can get on with tomorrow. I wanted to finish the covers I started, and the pocket nappies I've embroidered. I tried to order a load of bamboo fleece so I could finish off the fitted nappies I started but again nearly everywhere was out of stock. I tried to order 3 metres from one place but they only had 1 metre left in stock. Hopefully I'll find a source and manage to finish them this month. I want to make some more cloth pads and then some wet bags and some of those little hanging strap things you can snap to your pads. Or nappies I suppose. To make 50 items I figured I'd have to make 7 of each type to get 49 and then one extra random thing.<br />
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My goal is:<br />
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<ul>
<li>7 pocket nappies</li>
<li>7 all-in-one nappies</li>
<li>7 fitted nappies</li>
<li>7 nappy covers</li>
<li>7 cloth pads</li>
<li>7 wet bags</li>
<li>7 pad strap/hangers</li>
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Sewing things assembly style does seem to make it go quicker, but I don't think I'd want to sew more than 7 of something at once because that would be a bit tedious. I think this sounds do-able. Maybe! I doubt the pad hangers would take more than an hour to make altogether, and sewing wet bags is fairly simple. Cloth pads don't take too long to sew either once they're cut out. </div>
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I'll update my progress throughout the month. Weekly seems like a good idea I think. Wish me luck!</div>
Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15862778832762763380noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4736831373791564672.post-58740018267765997392018-07-18T20:20:00.000+01:002018-07-18T20:20:54.786+01:00Making thingsI've been working on some more things for my shop. I've been a bit short of cash so I haven't been able to buy more snaps and wicking fabric to finish them all yet. I also need bamboo for a bunch of fitted nappies I've cut out. I've discovered that I have no clue how to run a business. I'm not sure how to budget. So far I've used all the money I've made to buy new fabrics or supplies. I haven't quite figured out how I'm supposed to make a profit yet. Surely there will be a point where you've built up enough supplies that you can actually keep some of the money you make? I'd like to have some spare cash so that my kids can go swimming and stuff during the summer.<br />
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I have tons of scraps of PUL and hate throwing things away, so I thought I'd trim the scraps down into squares and sew them together to make some covers. I don't recommend doing this because it takes forever! I'm not too sure how well they'll work either because every seam is a potential leak point. I thought I'd sit a wet cloth inside the cover for a while and see how the seams hold up. Hopefully they do because I ended up sewing together enough patches to make five more of these covers.<br />
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I need to sew this one closed and topstitch it. All the seams where the squares meet together mean that it doesn't turn very smoothly so I cut some from the Rocket Bottoms cover pattern that I can bind with fold over elastic. I don't really love working with fold over elastic though. I don't hate it, I just feel like it doesn't give such a professional finish compared to turning and topstitching or overlocking. I made a stupid mistake of cutting the smaller scraps into even tinier squares to sew a newborn sized cover. That took forever. I don't have a picture of that yet. I'd like to get some mesh sort of fabric to line the covers with, just to hide the fact that all the seams look a bit ugly on the inside. This one I've made uses athletic wicking fabric though.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9mnrZ19UdSMPcaeM_XkZ571Q8zz0WPDZd3L4Yw2MrrxeifxU4cu8wNGwhl5ZrcUnDGcIu6VBIDixIjuFvjaFREJ3qm3e0_QCKmMdOOV8lT-7i_XVaRAqeIdO0Bp40nk7DsWVL6SruKKo/s1600/DSC_0884.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1472" data-original-width="1600" height="294" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9mnrZ19UdSMPcaeM_XkZ571Q8zz0WPDZd3L4Yw2MrrxeifxU4cu8wNGwhl5ZrcUnDGcIu6VBIDixIjuFvjaFREJ3qm3e0_QCKmMdOOV8lT-7i_XVaRAqeIdO0Bp40nk7DsWVL6SruKKo/s320/DSC_0884.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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It was 32.4 degrees C in my workshop recently. Way too hot for working. I've also been getting swarmed with midges in the late evenings. They're really vicious this year. The bites seem to itch for ages. These are some flowers from my garden. I have no idea what they are, even though I planted them! They're at least 2 metres tall. Bees love them and they smell nice too.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1wOEQmbb5Q9ZTskcGSDbipQ8c1CVh8TmOEWxZ035Y7HHMMMPeoV1TH1luFM_DhZkS2f-LPFVs0u-YvmvoNX1rCozfEa7Jn3IAKu8DJl1nBrwVwgFeCUmJVA3Xx1dQkRW0rhmThtA8mbQ/s1600/DSC_0886.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1060" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1wOEQmbb5Q9ZTskcGSDbipQ8c1CVh8TmOEWxZ035Y7HHMMMPeoV1TH1luFM_DhZkS2f-LPFVs0u-YvmvoNX1rCozfEa7Jn3IAKu8DJl1nBrwVwgFeCUmJVA3Xx1dQkRW0rhmThtA8mbQ/s320/DSC_0886.jpg" width="211" /></a></div>
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These are some of the nappies I've been embroidering. I still haven't bought any more white PUL yet! I do think most designs look better on white.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjVrj_fJR8xSKKIB4sldvjw_a6k5CFaX5OiHWNnUYjROFFcNfUljvqMdxo2QqYR-OraFKyzd9LdvmxDvKID6zf6Mg9ferlKTfJyfXsyTXSrV0W-i-wofFp55mYYLd6NBFJ4wp1GRJUClg/s1600/DSC_0889.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1046" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjVrj_fJR8xSKKIB4sldvjw_a6k5CFaX5OiHWNnUYjROFFcNfUljvqMdxo2QqYR-OraFKyzd9LdvmxDvKID6zf6Mg9ferlKTfJyfXsyTXSrV0W-i-wofFp55mYYLd6NBFJ4wp1GRJUClg/s320/DSC_0889.jpg" width="209" /></a></div>
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These look a bit blurry. There's a skull on orange, for Halloween, a fairy on pale pink, dinosaurs on green, a bird and teacup on pale yellow, the wolf again on purple. I don't think he turned out very well this time. Maybe I should have done him in a darker colour so he'd stand out more. There's also a steampunk airship on brown, which you can't see very well.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGs0_nrygqRimI_1ZXN-uCsysKUCLaO9ItBuv7BAkaUbiuUhYApw1smhHTYfpRZZCEPO9sRoaiYCvut3HZjxqrPpBvRNha9iKH-nDaMt0SJ2FA1AqQBbRjonspidl5LzPc6_L7_AAx-F4/s1600/DSC_0887.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1075" data-original-width="1600" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGs0_nrygqRimI_1ZXN-uCsysKUCLaO9ItBuv7BAkaUbiuUhYApw1smhHTYfpRZZCEPO9sRoaiYCvut3HZjxqrPpBvRNha9iKH-nDaMt0SJ2FA1AqQBbRjonspidl5LzPc6_L7_AAx-F4/s320/DSC_0887.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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The dount design was a free download. It kind of annoys me how it's lower case on the top but upper case on the bottom though. I love the cactus and hedgehog design! For the unicorns I only had a tiny bit of purple left, so I decided I'd stitch together two different colours of PUL at the crotch. The front will be pink and the back will be purple with the unicorn embroidery. I've had the bunny design for ages but this is the first time stitching it out. I did another fairy on purple, which I think looks better than the one on pink.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdI18-NB-hbZHX_nW60zGiXPFf_r4-Q-KE18a05p8ZH9-Q5_tQF92fooEV53Ul_YnFNiIzE95b7CCg22Row4aAqwn5Y4VL2W2U6Wdoxq8eTIVTQNFKctV8Xq5FTbMPpk7PYHkFLn7B1D4/s1600/DSC_0888.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1115" data-original-width="1600" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdI18-NB-hbZHX_nW60zGiXPFf_r4-Q-KE18a05p8ZH9-Q5_tQF92fooEV53Ul_YnFNiIzE95b7CCg22Row4aAqwn5Y4VL2W2U6Wdoxq8eTIVTQNFKctV8Xq5FTbMPpk7PYHkFLn7B1D4/s320/DSC_0888.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Okay, there's nothing baby related about this design at all. It's from a French cafe design set. I really like the look of delicate designs. It's for the baby's grown ups to look at and admire. There are plenty of people out there embroidering cute baby designs, so it's nice to do something a bit different.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDqKcKdRvYu_ceulpPwH7rDRNUytKUHfacHXOmCKcHQhq3v3Dgq_tm7OmPXe0p3JIdP3cDjacTtFBkTznUDFHSFan_-cDF1hj03QtiQpO_SPKoY6RWYA5vvU0KrleE6e0zKriHXni01Bs/s1600/DSC_0890.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1415" data-original-width="1600" height="282" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDqKcKdRvYu_ceulpPwH7rDRNUytKUHfacHXOmCKcHQhq3v3Dgq_tm7OmPXe0p3JIdP3cDjacTtFBkTznUDFHSFan_-cDF1hj03QtiQpO_SPKoY6RWYA5vvU0KrleE6e0zKriHXni01Bs/s320/DSC_0890.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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I love this cactus design! My daughter told me that cacti designs are really in right now. It was the middle of the night when I finished stitching this design.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguTcqEKWHm3tniLNC8LyNC5mg25BAZFAPC2XljAYAbMsTdvtnmd3_atmffR-4-Mm2xloGXOi8AnklcLn4XLyxy9Kplr6Ho1uduz_MhH4FBmYRixEz9v9rVZUyzNFD_sxkV1yEF4jDv90g/s1600/DSC_0891.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1078" data-original-width="1600" height="215" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguTcqEKWHm3tniLNC8LyNC5mg25BAZFAPC2XljAYAbMsTdvtnmd3_atmffR-4-Mm2xloGXOi8AnklcLn4XLyxy9Kplr6Ho1uduz_MhH4FBmYRixEz9v9rVZUyzNFD_sxkV1yEF4jDv90g/s320/DSC_0891.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Here's the bunny design again. It's very summery. I really should get it finished before summer is over!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQcBrAu_6wPo9wfk6RgBMtCOUUHFRXJ_9uwtCvC7n_5UxhcNFvUXN9UTUFwQm82O2HP8h89F4fdAZMrzBhfKs4uI9RjZPBDCkdjIGMlccLX3fmlGvqTPLyP0HRBd04RJMv2ggKhNtqvMo/s1600/DSC_0892.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="925" data-original-width="1600" height="184" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQcBrAu_6wPo9wfk6RgBMtCOUUHFRXJ_9uwtCvC7n_5UxhcNFvUXN9UTUFwQm82O2HP8h89F4fdAZMrzBhfKs4uI9RjZPBDCkdjIGMlccLX3fmlGvqTPLyP0HRBd04RJMv2ggKhNtqvMo/s320/DSC_0892.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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I can't really complete any of these nappies until I have some inner fabric and some more snaps. I'm dreading putting snaps on 11 nappies, oh and there's the five scrappy covers. Fun...<br />
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My kids will have the whole of August off. We do school where we work for three months and have one month off. So we're usually off for the whole of April, August and December. I'm pretty sure it works out to be about the same amount of holidays as schools here have. This August I thought I'd spend it making things for my shop. I had a goal in mind to make 50 items. I'm not sure if that's too ambitious or not. Finishing off the things I've started would put a pretty big dent in that total though. I also have some cloth pads cut out that I should sew up too. I'm looking forward to the challenge!Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15862778832762763380noreply@blogger.com0