SweetMyrtle

needlesspost ~ round 2 'Blooms'

 

Last year I took part in a s l o w embroidery project called #Needlesspost,  a 'pass it on postal embroidery project inviting collaboration through needlecraft between strangers' I wrote about round 1 here

Round 1 was to start an embroidery using a third of the cloth leaving space for two further collaborators to add to the piece. I really enjoyed round 1 as I found it so freeing, to start something knowing it would be passed on.  Round two felt different. Here I was to add to the work started by Debbie. Debbie had created a beautiful embroidery and it felt like such a responsibility to take over. I wanted to honour what she had done whilst adding something of me, but  I didn't want to ruin it!

 

 

Debbie sent me a letter and a green rose ring which I wear often.

I set to playing with some felt and thread.  Debbie had named her piece 'Circles'. These circles said flower centres to me  so I began to create some 'Blooms', first playing and positioning and then rejigging until it felt right.

 

 

 

 

Magic cat loved laying on it when I was trying to take photos though I was careful to keep the jelly beans and sherbet dib-dabs for the next recipient, away from him. I had a lot of fun and was interested to see how much colour I had used, especially as my contribution to round 1 had been fairly muted blues. When i finished I sent off the embroidery to Amanda, who sent it to I don't know who. The final result can be seen here. along with some of the other finished embroideries.

Amanda Wayne and Ellie Shipman who instigated the project are planning an exhibition  at some point and I think also a future project. All very exciting. I am really looking forward to meeting some of the other contributors and seeing all the embroideries displayed.

 

Flower meadow dress

My latest make is a dress ;  )

early last year i took a trip up to the wonderful Fabrics Galore shop in London with my sewing partner Alice, my dear friend Janet Clare and one of our lovely sewing class students Kate. It was an enjoyable trip and we all came away with lighter pockets but lots of delicious fabrics to work with. One of my purchases that day was 2 metres of pretty floral cotton lawn. When i chose it i was thinking it would make a wonderful kimono style dressing gown.

I finally took it down from the shelf in my studio, just a month ago and decided to use it to make another New Look 6184 . My original dress was unlined but as cotton lawn is very lightweight i decided to line it. When i started cutting into it i had forgotten that i only had 2 metres and this dress needed almost 3. The full skirt version has 4 side panels and i was 2 short so i searched the internet in the hope of finding the same print. i was so lucky as Minerva fabrics had some!

The dress  is a pretty straightforward make. i love that all the shaping is at the neck, in the four pleats, so no darts to stitch. the pattern is fairly quick to sew up too and gives instructions for facing the neck and  binding the seam with bias binding. As well as two neck variations the pattern comes with two skirt options. the full skirt, which i opted for, is made up of 7 panels so a few seams to sew and neaten, but it is all doable. I had double to sew though as i was lining it which took a little longer.

There are a few methods one can use to line a dress and i chose the method of leaving the side seams and centre back seam open and sewing the lining to the main fabric at the neck and the armholes. After clipping the seams i turned the garment right side out by passing the bodice through the shoulders. This can be confusing the first time you do it but it works brilliantly and with a little additional understitching means that the neckline and armholes are beautifully finished off.

After i had sewn up the side seams i checked for fit, then added the skirt and a concealed zip at the centre back and finished off the seam. I must admit that i neatened all my seams with my overlocker for speed as i was itching to wear it. Then i just had the hems to sew;  i machine stitched a narrow hem on the lining and used a hand sewn herringbone stitch to finish the hem on the cotton lawn. I love my new dress and when i wear it i feel like i am wearing a fragrant flower meadow. i seem to have a thing about flower meadows it seems  ; )

now i just need to finish off my jenna cardigan to wear with it.

sewing for the home - the 'Flower meadow' blind

last year i bought some beautiful cotton lawn locally. i fell in love with the print of gorgeous pink flowers on the blue and crisp white background. 

I decided that i would use it to make a roman blind to hang in our bathroom so  that each morning i would be greeted by  it's cheeriness and i could make believe that i was bathing in a fragrant flower meadow!

I started the blind last summer then for some reason put it to one side as work and other jobs took it's place. I remembered recently that this uncompleted project was still in a bag under my work table so out it came. I only had the Velcro, rings and cord to add and  the baton to fix up and it would be ready to hang.

Meanwhile over on twitter i saw that Amanda from Sew Deputy was using the very same fabric to make  herself a Ruby dress. We exchanged tweets and Amanda said the fabric reminded her of the TV program Rosie and Jim. We then reminisced about Rosie and Jim which our children had enjoyed watching when they were younger. So my flower meadow blind nearly changed into my Rosie and Jim Blind!

we still have my youngest girls Rosie and Jim dolls plus a duck, not the real one from the program but a wooden duck i got at a car boot sale which i am strangely fond of and who always seems to to survive any de-cluttering i do.

i love my new blind and it really does freshen up the bathroom and  my man even let me borrow his new drill so i could put it up.

Amanda finished her Ruby dress and managed to snap a picture next to a barge! for those of you that remember the program you'll understand why. Do go and have a look at her creation.

If you love the fabric then White tree fabrics  sell it, although i think after Amanda made her dress they sold out, but i see it is now back in stock ; )

Back to Basics E book

I am really excited to tell you about a project that i have been involved in which launches on the 21st April!

The project is an e-book called Back to Basics - Your essential guide to Make do and Mend

This book is the brainchild of Jen Gale, of the brilliant Make do and Mendable website and who has been blogging about her families journey of living resourcefully and sustainably  since 2013

As part of a Screw work Let's Play 30 day challenge she decided to bring together many bloggers  and creatives with make do and mend expertise to produce the book.

I have contributed a chapter called Hem it! which shows you how to mark up and sew a variety of hems, including trouser and skirt hems. I also worked with Jen to proof and edit the whole book.It has been great fun to be involved and i think the book provides a super useful reference for anyone who likes the idea of making and mending , who wish to be resourceful, get creative and save money. After reading it even I would feel confident attempting a bike puncture repair!

The book contains a whopping 19 chapters, and 150 pages of Make Do and Mend information.
Fellow collaborators include  darning king Tom of Holland, and creator of Sugru (that amazing stuff that has a myriad of clever fix it solutions) Jane  ni Dhulchaointigh, as well as Tamara Melvin and Lauren Guthrie who were both contestants of the Great British Sewing Bee.

The book will help you get started, or teach you some new skills, in all of the ‘basic’ Make Do and Mend areas. From sewing to sugru, and punctures to plugs, there really is something for everyone, no matter where you are in your Make Do and Mend journey.

If you’ve ever wondered how to make a pattern from a charity shop find, or re-use the yarn from old woollies, then wonder no more as this is all included! As well as covering the basic skills, the book also has great tips on  how to make your clothes last longer (from a real live West End Wardrobe Mistress!) and natural methods of cleaning your home, which  i especially liked.

Each chapter lists the equipment you need to get started, and then talks you through each stage, with oodles of colour photos to illustrate the text. There are also 8  projects to enable you to put your new found skills into practice straightaway.

here are the contents

 

Looks good doesn't it, and all for only £8  and delivered straight to your in box.

Each contributor has written their chapter for free but will get a percentage of the sales that arrive through their individual affiliate link , so if you would like to buy a copy pretty please click on the picture link below. This will take you to a page on Jen's site with further information and a final purchasing button.

Many thanks and Enjoy!

 

Needless post ~ round 1

a few months ago i spotted a link on Ray Stitch's facebook page about  collaborative embroidery project which intrigued me. once i had followed the link which stated that this was a 'pass it on postal embroidery project inviting collaboration through needlecraft between strangers' i was hooked, i signed up straight away for #needlesspost

my motivation for getting involved was that i love to collaborate. Also although i sew for a living i am not an embroiderer, so for me the idea of personal experimentation and engagement excited me too, you know, pushing myself outside my comfort zone, and of course i knew it would be fun. so i stepped into the unknown and made a start.

I wanted to use what i had. i am lucky to have built up supplies over the years of buttons and threads and it felt good to use them.  Each participant was asked to choose some fabric, no larger that 50cms x 50cms and to embroider something. the project embraces the 'slow' so we were to hand stitch whatever we wished on to about a third of the cloth leaving space for two further contributors to add to the art work we had started.

I found a piece of cotton which had once been part of a bed sheet and starting stitching.

Faced with a blank piece of cloth is rather like a blank page. it can feel intimidating, yet also full of possibility.

i started thinking about waves and sea as scrolls, perhaps with words embroidered, but then i felt the need to add a few scraps of fabric to cover some of the white. on reflection perhaps i needed this to  lessen my fear of the 'white page'.  a spiral started to emerge * i love spirals* so i then decided the best approach was to work instinctively without over thinking and to allow a design to  appear, and to enjoy experimenting with the type of stitching i am drawn to.  My personal embroidery inspirations are Jude Hill's beautiful stitched stories. I also  love sashiko and Japanese boro textiles and kantha quilting which all use  little rows of straight stitches, to either mend or add decorative detail.

The large embroidery hoop i was holding the cloth securely in, once removed, left a contour of a circle which i defined with couched down thread. it started to take on a moonlike feel... i stitched some 'craters' and then decided to add fabric behind and cut away...  it really was fun to just experiment, also adding rescued buttons from my stash.

i kind of didn't know when to stop then i wondered if i had used too much of the cloth, but no, two thirds were left.

when i had finished i packaged up the embroidery with some sunflower seeds from my garden for Steph who i was sending the piece to and dressed the parcel with some dried lavender also from my garden. i also made a card with one of my photos and wrote her a wee note.

round 1 was finished. i thoroughly enjoyed the process and loved that it felt expansive and non precious. Creating something that you know you will giveaway is really freeing, a gift. sewing love into each stitch.

i  can't wait to see where Steph takes the piece next and how it evolves over the next two rounds.

i then waited for a delivery of round two of #needlesspost which i will blog about shortly, and share with you how the process for me continued.

 

making gifts

Now i have finished work i am enjoying sewing gifts.

These are Morsbags which are simple cloth bags, designed as an alternative to plastic bags. Because of the availability of plastic bags since the supermarkets sprang into action in the 70's people seem to have forgotten to use cloth bags. My parents generation always used cloth and many still do. ( & mum had a brown shopping trolley which me and my sister used to argue about who had to pull it! )

A movement was set up in 2008 by Clare Morsman to raise awareness of how plastics pollute the environment, break down and end up in marine life. She created www.morsbags.com sharing a great tutorial on how to make the 'Morsbag' and suggesting ways to create 'pods' and community groups to make them en masse and give out free to members of the public.
They are super easy to make and can also be made from upcycling fabrics from curtains or worn house linens. The fabrics i have used were from small sample curtains in the remnant bin at my local fabric store. The bags are great as they fold up small and are perfect to keep in your car glove compartment or bag so you always have one when you go out.
If you fancy making one then check out the Morsbags Sociable Guerilla Bagging site.

a lesson in patience and determination

I just wanted to share one of our teen sewing class members project as it shows initiative, determination and focus.

Rosie, age 14, finished her first ever quilt last night, and it is amazing!!

She initially started the patchwork with her Grandma in the holidays and continued making it in class over the last 3 terms. There was some complicated strip piecing to make up some of the initial squares which would flummox many confident sewers, plus she had the difficult task of designing and balancing all her colours. There were a lot of pieces to cut and join together too and i found her focus and patience with this so inspiring. She did not rush the process, and if she made a mistake she would quietly unpick it and restitch it.

Once the initial top had been pieced Rosie added the batting and backing and set about the HUGE task of free-motion quilting the 3 layers together. Many established quilters send this off to have done professionally as it can be tricky to fit the quilt under a domestic sewing machine.  Rosie persevered despite the bulk of the quilt and her machine sometimes not wanting to behave.

Finally last night she finished binding the edges (beautifully) and the quilt was complete.

When she held her finished quilt up at the end of class we all cheered. She had worked so hard and that moment of completion was cause for celebrating the enormous journey she had travelled.

So despite frustrations and struggles along the way and it being a huge learning curve, through patience, focus and dedication she had reached her goal.

A lesson for all of us there!

Autumn harvest and fireside dreaming

I have written before about the wonderful Community of Farnham Local food #CSA that i belong too. well last weekend i spent an amazing day amongst friends in the field. It was a beautiful Saturday with clear skies and sunshine. Not what is usually expected in November. I headed down to help out with the harvest. My first job being to weigh a basket of barlotti beans ready for sharing out. There were many hands on harvest duty so Susie, our main grower asked if my friend aka KnitNell (check out her beautiful illustrations) and I would create a harvest display, so we did. It was fun bringing together some of the colourful produce and adding golden leaves and logs below the display to give it a sense of place.
My next job was helping Nick to light a fire ready for him to make some Chai to share with our members when they came to collect their shares later in the day.
Every saturday, fresh produce gets harvested in the morning and then collected by members from the yurt later in the day. Quite often harvests are made into more of an event, with stalls selling dry goods (flours, nuts, seeds, honey etc) and locally produced organic meats. The pizza oven is often fired up too, serving delicious pizza.
This Saturday Sarah (my Morsbag buddy) had planned a drop in dreamcatcher workshop and asked me if i'd like to help out. I have been wanting to make one for ages so i jumped at the chance. Dreamcatchers are American Indian decorations of webs woven within an outer hoop shape with a bead at the centre and feathers hanging below. They are hung above your sleeping place. The web catches the bad dreams which then evaporate in daylight whilst the bead catches the good dreams which travel down trough the feathers into the dreaming sleeper below.
We cropped willow from our willow arch and wove it into circles. Coloured yarn or twine was then used to create the web of the dreamcatcher. Sarah had picked up some beaded necklaces from the charity shop which along with my glass beads looked great at the centre of the webs. Feathers were then tied on using embroidery floss to finish.

I loved how everyone starts with the same materials yet creates something unique.

It truly was a wonderful day.

two September birthdays

As well as my beau turning 50, our quirky smallest girl turned 14 earlier this month.

She started guitar lessons (with an amazing teacher) last year and has been using her dads guitar so we thought it was time for her to have her own. She was very clear about the style she wanted; a cutaway with pick ups for an amp and with a matt finish. We were so lucky to find a second hand guitar that fitted her taste and size from our local guitar shop in excellent condition.

As in family tradition, i also made her a birthday pressie. We recently spied a metre of a cute strawberry print cotton twill in a local fabric store and as she really loved it, it ended up in my shopping bag.  She fancied a pinafore dress so drew me a picture of what she wanted. i took some measurements and set about creating it. We are both really pleased with how it came out and my  invisible zip (at the side) really is invisible (she took a while to find it), so a good result from a pretty remnant.

I really do love making gifts ... i am starting to think about christmas... (not long off), are you?

It would be lovely to share some ideas for homemade gifts. i did run a few posts last year about this but kind of fizzled out in the busy run up to the event. Maybe i should start earlier? anyone up for it? Let me know and we can start sharing ideas and linking up.

OWOP ~ One Week One pattern challenge

Last week i took part in One week One Pattern challenge  'OWOP' hosted by Handmade Jane (originally set up in 2012 by Tilly & the Buttons).

The idea being to choose one dressmaking pattern and wear the different variations you have made from it everyday for a week.

I wasn't sure what to chose at first but decided that as my new fav pattern is the Hot Patterns 1054 Classic Nouveau pants i would chose that. Even though i only had one pair in linen i thought it would spur me into making another pair in some tougher fabric.

Day 1  - Dressed comfortably for work on Saturday in linen Pants 1054 with brown belt. worn with a red silk printed blouse from East (in sale), my fav old olive slip on sandles and some wooden beads given to me by a friend.

Day 2 - A relaxing Sunday, in the linen Pants 1054 with a vest top, cardy and an old fav scarf tied around the waist and comfy sandles.

Day 3 - tidying the studio. Same linen Pants 1054 (aired) and a blue t shirt (50p car boot bargin)  with brown thin belt and brown sandles.

Day 4 - Running my local monthly sewing cafe. Same linen pants 1054 (aired again) Pink t shirt (dug out from back of drawer), cardy and a fav scarf (love the colours & never worn it like this before) and my olive slip ons.

Day 5 - New brown cotton twill trousers, just finished (thank goodness as i couldn't have worn the others everyday!) The fabric was from Caroline at Croft Mill Fabrics. I am really pleased with them and they will be really hard wearing so i will be wearing then in place of jeans (wanting to make a denim pair now too!) Worn with a blouse i made using New Look 6808 (pattern hacked to create buttons at the back) and pumps.

Day 6 - Dog walking with a friend - New brown Pants 1054 worn with old walking boots ( & i mean old - they are 24 years old! still ok despite nearly being ruined by my 16 year old who borrowed then to go paintballing). Worn with my check jasmine blouse & purple cardy & my fav wooden beads.

Day 7 - Final day at home in new brown pants 1054 (again) wearing a blouse i recently cut down from a beach cover up. (i will get more wear out of it this way).

Final thoughts about the OWOP challenge;

1.  it made me think creatively to find different  ways to style one pair of trousers (or 2 by the end of the week!)

2. that wearing the same trousers 4 days in a row felt skanky (they were aired but even so!)

3. the challenge motivated me to finally make my  'land girl' pair.

4. i found things in my cupboards that i had forgotten about.

5. wearing scarves around the waist feels beautifully bohemian & i will continue to do it.

6.  finally it was a lot of fun and it has been great seeing everyone elses outfits too.