Skip to main content

My Crafty Week: 17th-23rd May

 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!


Close up of the back of a teddy with just-visible yellow thread stitching up the back seam


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. 

A blue and white top, inside out, lying on an ironing board with a pair of scissors on top

A blue, white and red patterned top lying on an ironing board. The sleeves have been cut off and there is a raw edge around the arm-holes

Katharine stands looking down into the camera pulling an annoyed face. We see that the fabric around the buttons of her top are gaping open revealing her bra

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 inch to make it do up really well. I might simply need to undo some more of the gathers from the bodice portion to find that extra material.

Katharine looks into the camera. We see that the bust-gape on the top has improved since the previous picture

Crafty Chatting

I also participated in a crafty tea-break at work, chatting all things crafty with some colleagues. I love chatting to other crafters about their projects and sharing new ideas! During this tea-break I progressed the embroidery on one of my Jacobin Day quilt blocks... but as you know that's very hush-hush!


Shopping

I may also have bought myself a new pattern (the Loren dress/blouse from By Hand London) which has a lovely peasant vibe which I thought would be great for history-bounding. It has that shift or chemise feel which would go well under a dirndl type dress for a medieval/Tudor look!

The Loren top worn by a model

I also thought I would try a pattern-printing service using the copy-shop A0 files that shops supply in their downloads. I used Fabulosew and I've heard that they've already dispatched the print outs! I'll update in the next My Crafty Week :)

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Eco-friendly Upcycled Face Wipes

 I recently ran up some eco-friendly face wipes for a friend. These are designed to replace cotton pads or face wipes, and are washable. To increase their green credentials I made the pad section from an old towel. I had some charm squares spare, so used those as the backing fabric. I cut the towel into squares that were slightly smaller than the charm square, and wrapped the fabric over the towel piece to form a small border.  I then sewed the top fabric down with a zigzag stitch. This meant I was mainly sewing on the fabric, as my machine can't sew through towel (unless I haven't found the right setting or needle of course)! Very very simple, but pretty and functional! There are lots of tutorials for other ways to make these face wipes, such as:  https://www.arosetintedworld.co.uk/how-to-make-reusable-make-up-remover-pads/ It seems to be even more simple with an overlocker:  http://juliawithanh.com/sewing/23-reusable-face-pads You can even crochet some! https://dab...

5 Top Tips for New Sewers

 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 ...

#30DaysWild - crafting with nature

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...