Confined Crafting

In this post I made some crafting resolutions for 2021, and in this post I followed up on them - as the year is now very rapidly drawing to a close I thought it would be good to check in on those resolutions!  1. A new project: making myself clothes Back in January I was determined to start making myself clothes, and I think it is safe to say I have nailed that one! My current work-in-progress: another York Pinafore dress in this gorgeous swimmers fabric I have now made myself two pinafores, two dresses, a skirt and one top, as well as adapting ill-fitting shop-bought garments. I've also made several garments for my kids and an apron for a friend. Working on my first top, the Ashton , and very pleased that I got sleeves to fit! 2. Finishing something: cross-stitch Partial success here. I did finish the embroidery for my friend's son, a little later than his 7th birthday but only by a month or so. But my original plan to finish my wedding sampler will not get done, as between

Today I thought I would share some of the very basic mistakes I've realised I'm making when I sew clothes... I'm entirely self-taught and working things out as I go along, so there are lots of 'oops' moments. That's fine - learning to sew is helping me to confront my perfectionism and understand how valuable errors can be. Mishap Number 1 : This is so obvious that I'm cringing to think about it!! I'm not the most 3D thinker which means sometimes it's hard to visualise how patterns go together. I understand that sewing patterns are all about getting a flat cut out piece of fabric to shape and mould around a lumpy curvy human figure, but that theoretical understanding doesn't always translate to understanding why a pattern is doing something specific.  So I was making an Assembly Line Cuff Dress and trying to sew up the bodice and I was struggling to get the pattern pieces to match up in a way that felt 'right' to me, that is, I had the id

It's been a few months since I wrote a blog post. Life, work, kids, pandemic - it all got a bit hectic and I haven't had headspace to sit and write anything here. That's not to say I haven't been creative or crafting. I have. In fact I wanted to reopen the blog with a brief musing on how important it felt to me to continue crafting even though at numerous points over the summer I was stressed, pushed for time and exhausted.  Cecilia 'helping' me by sitting on some new makes I was photographing. During this time keeping up some creative activity was vital. There were days that I struggled through while constantly feeling an almost physical urge to go and make something. It gave me a focus, a calm and a sense of achievement outside of everything else that was going on. And it's just lovely to make something, even if some of the seams are wonky or the lines of stitching could be neater! I'll aim to recap a few of the makes I worked on over the summer, while

It's 30 Days Wild , the month of nature activities and wildlife activism organised by The Wildlife Trusts. During June, we are encouraged to do one 'random act of wildness' each day, whether that's something as complex as building hedgehog houses or digging ponds, to something as simple and peaceful as having breakfast outside or watching a wild webcam. The event gives us lots of opportunities for some wild crafting! Here's a rundown of wild crafty activities to do with kids - but there's many more on my 30 Days Wild Pinterest board - have a look! Leaf painting/rubbing Leaves can be used in so many different ways to create artworks - place them under paper and rub with crayons for an imprint, cover them in paint or felt-tips and press onto paper, arrange them in a collage, use them as the skirts for a woodland fairy, or imprint them into clay or salt dough! Sticks Sticks have so many potential uses! They can become paintbrushes, magic wands, picture frames, we

 This has been a very busy week on the home/work front, and therefore a very quiet week on the crafting front! I've done a little mending, especially teddy Dandelion Flower who needed her back stitching up! Alterations One of the things I always had in mind when I started sewing was not just making my own clothes but also adjusting shop-bought clothes for a better fit. I started looking at a few tops and dresses this week to see where I could adjust them. I started work on a flowy summer top that I've had for a while but always felt uncomfortable because there wasn't quite enough fabric in the sleeves which twisted the way the top sat on my body. I chopped the sleeves off, which helped a lot, but there's also the issue of the bust not doing up.  I got some great advice on Instagram, including a suggestion from SewBusty who have started a blog for the sewer who is well-endowed! Removing the elastic from the gathered part has really helped, I only need to find another in

 While I still consider myself a beginner sewer, I do feel that I have made some progress. It's now been about a year since I started sewing again, having not got far at all the first time I tried. I dusted off the sewing machine to make some face masks at first, and that really boosted my confidence to start making more and more. Recently I made a couple more face masks and was surprised at how much better I was at them and how much I understood about the reasoning behind the construction method and pattern. Proof of progress!  So even though I still feel very much like a beginner, and have a LOT still to learn and many skills to practice, I thought I would share the most useful things I have learned to date plus some resources that have helped me. 1. PINS . Seriously. Pin everything together. Then go back and add more pins. I used to shove a couple of pins in and then get cross that the fabric slipped or the lines were wonky. Pins (or clips) are your friends. Make your seam line