Just few Easter pictures and my new projects

I've been pretty busy last month, mainly working, doing few repair jobs on different garments for people. I haven't had much time to do real sewing. Finished grey dress made from men's shirt and trousers. I will post pictures soon. The friend of mine re-took pictures of all my items in Etsy shop last weekend, so I'll be changing all the pictures soon. Can't wait to give my shop new look. I hope they will attract new customers. I'm not very keen on having pictures taken, but it was great fun.

I've been also working on new skirt, which is made.... you won't believe it from old curtains. They replaced old curtains at work after 20 years, so employees were allowed to take the old ones, otherwise they would have gone to charity shop. It's really great quality fabric, you would never believe it's 20 years old, it's got retro flowery design, which is really in right now. I've decided to make 1950's gathered skirt with pockets. Here's couple of pictures before it was finished. It worked out exactly as I hoped. The skirt has a nice body, as the fabric is thicker, but not too thick.

 

 

And here is few pictures from Easter....

 

 

Leg of lamb ready to be roasted with garlic and rosemary

 

Yummy roasted leg of lamb

Few Easter eggs me and Oscar decorated with acrylic paint with a layer of nail varnish on the top. A bit tricky but real fun to do.

 



 

My second attempt to make a loaf of bread from scratch.

 

 

And my latest project is knitted denim doormat, which I started last night. I cut old jeans into 1 inch thick strips, but it was too thick to knit with, so decided to cut each strip in half, which made knitting possible. Unfortunately it's been such a messy job, that I put it away, deciding to do it in the summer, when I can do it in a garden. This is how much I managed to do in couple of hours last night.

 

 





Just a little something to make you smile!

Every Tuesday I clean for an old lady and these two tiles she's got hanging in her bathroom always make me smile. So I thought I'll bring a smile to your face as well....

New top finished and what's on my sewing table

My new top is finished now, I already wore it and I do really like it. It's perfect paired with jeans, I'm sure it's going to be one of my favourites. And blue is definitely my favourite colour at the moment. It's very simple, with the buttons on the back, for which I used the front of the shirt. To add a little bit of 'personality' I created lace asymmetric detail on the front.  The pictures and not really that great, I took them myself and there hasn't been much sun for a very looong time. Can't wait for spring to arrive....

 

 

My new project is a dress made from recycled men's shirt and men's trousers. I have been carrying this idea in my head for ages. When I was sorting my fabric stash few month ago, I thought these two fabric would be really good together. After looking for a perfect pattern to use, I've decided to use Burdastyle dress pattern from March 2011 for the bodice, just added elbow length sleeves and will work on the skirt along the way. Would like to keep the pockets from the trousers. Will keep you posted. And here is few pictures:

 

 

 

 

Starting new project - top for myself

I have been concentrating on designing clothes and accessories for my Etsy shop for nearly ten months now and haven't made anything for myself in all that time. So it's about time I made something for myself again. It's going to be a tunic made from recycled men's shirt. I am going to use the same pattern I used for one of my designs for Etsy, here it is

I am thinking of using some blue vintage lace I've got in my stash. Will keep you posted.

And this is how far I got, only managed to cut an old shirt up....

Fleece for Oscar

Few weeks ago I had a little sort out of my sewing fabrics and discovered I had pieces of fleece fabric, that were not big enough to be used on their own, but combining two together meant enough fabric for a new fleece for Oscar. I had three different colours, black, blue and camouflage, so there was either black and blue combination or black and camouflage one on offer. Oscar decided to go for black and blue combination. I have used his old small fleece for the patten, just made it bigger. The back part is black, front is half blue and half black with blue pouch pocket, sleeve's are blue with little black pieces on his thumb holes. This is 4th fleece I made for him.

Jeans for my boyfriend and confession about not ever using a muslin

I was playing with an idea to make a pair of jeans for my other half for a while, as he always struggles to find a pair to fit, having a little bum a skinny legs. So I came with an idea to make him a pair for Christmas. Then I spend a lot of time looking for the right fabric. Unfortunately it couldn't have been too thick as my poor old sewing machine would definitely not manage, but not too thin either. I ended up finding fabric on Etsy. It's pretty good, not as good as on shop bought jeans, but good enough. As I ordered it from Korea, I bought enough for two pairs of jeans. And then my lovely boyfriend decided he would love his second pair to be lined, so he doesn't have to wear long johns.

I cut an old pair of his Levi's jeans up and copied them to create a pattern. I knew they needed little adjusting, but decided to do it while making them. Many of you probably think it's a bit strange approach, but I've never used a muslin.

To be honest I only recently discovered reading sewing blogs how many of you actually do it. That must sound really weird coming from a person who's been sewing for 20 years (I can't believe it's been that long). I only wished I used it on only about handful items in all those years. Mostly not due to a bad fit but generally an item not being suitable for my body shape. I might sound a bit stupid, but would like to ask what fabric do people use for a muslin? I am really not a beginner, I've made everything from tops and dresses to trousers and jackets and handbags, waistcoats, coats, skirts and shorts, fleeces and rucksacks and suits and shirts. That's as much as I can remember. I have finished all of my sewing projects apart from one dress, which has been sitting in my sewing box for few years, because it does not fit me anymore )-:.

But to get back to my jeans project, I thought I could show a bit more than just the finished item, so this is how my jeans project started, I took jeans apart.....

... and copied them to create pattern.

 

And ta-dah... finished jeans, at first the unlined ones, my boyfriend prefers this pair, I shortened the bottom area, made them tighter at thighs and hips and widen the leg bottom.

 

This is the pair he got for Christmas, apart from the fact, he got it week or two before Christmas. I really paid attention to all the details, even the leather detail on the back of waistband, with cut out initials of mine and label on the back pocket. Hope you like it.

The second pair is lined, it's nearly the same, apart from having straight leg. I used the lining from his old work trousers, which I didn't even have to alter.  And I changes the stitching on the back pockets and the colour of the top stitch threads.

New bracelet

As the weather was really bad last weekend, we spend it at home and I managed to work on a new item for my Etsy shop, new leather hand cuff bracelet. I bought leather remnant in caramel lite colour few month ago on Etsy from Shellys Supply http://www.etsy.com/shop/ShellysSupply?ref=shop_sugg. It's been waiting to be used for a while. Originally bought it to use for elbow patches for one of my denim jackets, but the piece was big enough for few projects, so why not to make a hand cuff bracelet. I wanted to keep this one very simple, but at the end added a leather fringe and vintage button. I am pretty pleased with the result. I've just bought another leather remnant from Shellys Supply, it's about a time I made hand cuff for myself as well.