To Do List 16

Hello!

How was your long weekend? Mine was very relaxed. I went for 'a drink' on Friday evening, many many glasses of wine later, some dancing and a very dodgy takeaway later I was dead on Saturday. I was just tired and moped around in my PJs all day. BUT Sunday I had a very productive day and lots of sewing, and lots of cutting done so I have projects lined up ready to be sewn which is the fun bit.

So here is what I got done this week:

Springfield V7 (Black/Red)
38. Sewn together
39. Edges bound
40. Hemmed

Springfield V6 (Navy Flower)
43. Sewn together
44. Edges bound
45. Hemmed

49. Concord tee V2 (Grey) Fabric cut
57. Concord tee V3 (White) Fabric cut

65. Arielle Skirt - pattern traced (well, cut - meh) - I have started cutting the fabric too but not crossed off yet.

Xmas presents:
136. All 7 aprons cut
137. All 7 pockets cut
138. All 7 hats cut
139. All 7 hat bands cut
140. All 7 interfacing cut and attached.

14 out of 143 is 9.8% - not too bad I don't think!

So here is this weeks list!

Have a good week everyone!

Kristy xxx

To Do List 15

Hello!

How are we? I have just got in work after a 3 day weekend - total relaxing weekend which was just what the Doc ordered! I was a bit immobile after falling down the stairs at work in my mad rush to get out of the door! Just battered and bruised so didn't get as much sewing done as I hoped! Another 3 day weekend looms and I am super poor so a weekend of sewing it is!! Not complaining too much.

So here is what I have got done in the last week:

9. Taped kids xmas present pattern and cut out

Cashmerette Springfield
33. Blogged V1, V2 and V3
V4 - Elephant
34. Sewn Together
35. Edges bound
36. Hemmed
V5 - Bright flower
53.Sewn Together
54.  Edges bound
55. Hemmed
V6 - Navy flower
48. Sewn together
I have bound this all wrong, it needs ripping out and starting again, it would have been finished if I wasn't an idiot!!

Only managed 9 out of 131 - 6.9% - totally rubbish really - here is to this week and I have a bit of motivation today so fingers crossed I can hammer it through.

You will notice I have added Christmas presents on here, I am really glad I have as I have realised just how many I have to do! I love a homemade Christmas so if I can get as much as possible out of the way then I will feel better!

You will notice the Simple Sew Blogger addition...more to come on that asap!

Yayyyy

Thanks for reading as always! Have a great week and an even better loooong weekend!

Kristy xxx

Cashmerette Springfield Top

It has been no secret I have been longing for a good fitting woven top. There are soooo many amazing woven fabrics out there, I want to be able to use them. Viscose prints are gorgeous and Walthamstow has so many, whenever I go I want to (and often do) buy lots but never had a great pattern to use them on, hence the fabric collections getting a bit too much for me!

I have tried Colette Laurel top 6 times and decided it was a failure (I never want to wear the ones I did decide was a success), the Grainline Scout Tee was a fail - way too boxy for me. Simplicity 8523 took a lot of work and was rubbish. I did like Simplicity 1364 but looking at the pictures I am not 100% convinced.

Then Jenny from Cashmerette released the Springfield Top.

It is fairly plain, but after making the Concord tee and it fitting perfect I thought I would have a go.

I was sensible and made a toile. I cut again a size 16 with E/F bust.

I was totally amazed, straight out of the packet, no adjustments! There was a little gaping across the top of the bust but no where near enough to want to fix it. Wasn't boxy even in polycotton sheeting I use as muslin. Perfect length. I was happy - and got cutting.

Even the cutting isn't hard work!

I made the plain front with no band and then the yoke and no band or back pieces.

1m fabric easy makes this.

I cut 4 in one go - only 3 so far are finished. But I will say I sewed all three in one day - well about 4 hours actually (after cutting)

Sorry this picture is a bit dark! Fabric Swap fabric!

Doing the MoBot after watching the Olympics for a bit!

Think this is my favourite - so far!

All the seams in each are french seamed, and all the edges are bound (and hemmed) with shop bought bias tape. The turquoise is a really drapey, thin polyester and I do think it really would have benefitted from self bias as it gapes a little bit due to it being stiffer than the top fabric. Hopefully washing will soften it up a bit.

So guys it is love, true love. I am now planning on buying a lot of cardigans and making a lot more of these so I can wear them over winter and actually get them into my work wardrobe as well as weekends. I can see myself just living in these all the time! A bit obsessive I know but when I can whip them up in yum fabric why the hell not! 

I have already cut 4 more.

All of these are from my scrap bag - the yellow elephants (a lot of colour for me!) is actually half a metre left over from my sofa cushions - I have used white polycotton for the bottom bands to eek this out of half a metre. Bright flower viscose I used before without success, can't wait to have a wearable top. The Red flower is from Xmas presents last year and the Navy/Mint flower is leftover from the wedding circle skirt I haven't worn yet. Four FREE tops just there! Exciting.

I actually cannot wait to get them all finished and plan my next but I am now out of woven fabrics suitable. I need to crack on with all my other planned projects to get back to the Springfield. 

There will be more of these to come. Hope I don't bore you with them!

Thanks for reading!

Kristy xx

To Do List 14

Hello!

How are we all? Good weekend? I feel hungover today, totally annoyed as I only had 3 drinks, with food so really really not called for!

I had a nice evening though, so not all bad. I also had a VERY good Saturday of sewing so all good really.

There will be a nice blog post probably tomorrow about that!

Here is what I got done this week:

9. Print Chefs pattern for kids xmas present

Cashmerette Springfield - V1 Turquoise
34. Sewn together
35. Edges bound
36. Hemmed
37. Photos taken

Cashmerette Springfield - V2 - Powder blue
50. Sewn together
51. Edges bound
52. Hemmed
53. Photos taken

Cashmerette Springfield V3 - Black Dots
55. Hemmed
56. Photos taken

Cashmerette Springfield V4 - flowers
45. Sew together

13 out of 130 - 10% done....but I may have added to my list!

I am totally in love with Springfield so I decided to trawl my scrap bin and see what I could get out of what was left, you know them bits that are too big to throw away but you don't know what to do with??? Well I got 4 more cut. I don't care I will have a wardrobe of all the same top...it fits, its comfy and I LOVE it!

Anyway - this weeks list:

To Do List 13

Hello,

I really missed blogging this last week! and I feel like I have not done much off of the list as not had to blog it! So, trying to kick myself up the butt to do some more sewing I thought I would just do it!

So, here is what I have got done in the last two weeks:

Wedding Circle Skirt

• Photographed
• Blogged
• Updated costs

Seagull 'Osaka'

• Blogged
• Updated costs

Cashmerette Springfield - SOOO excited about this pattern

• Printed pattern
• Taped Pattern
• Toiled pattern
• Turquoise V1 - cut
• Black/White V2 - cut
• Flowers V3 - cut
• Powder blue V4 - cut
• Black dots - V5 - cut
• Black dots V5 - French seamed all seams
• Black dots V5 - armholes and neckline finished with bias
• All costs updated for each version

And I have also bought fabric for 8 Christmas presents.

Works out at 20 crossed off of my list of 161! Or just 12.4%

So, the list is still long but I am plodding through, cannot wait to sew up all the other versions of Springfield. Hopefully will have a blog or two to show you soon!

Here is the updated list;

The Fabric Diet is not going to plan...

Hello!

Just a quick one today!

Fabric has been bought - I know I had a self imposed stash diet but most of the below is unselfish buying as I have been making plans for Christmas (yes I know I am super dooper early but will explain more below)...

First up - the selfish buys:

This was a charity shop find - 50p! Not that selfish when it is going to charity! It is a crepe, assuming a poly but it is currently my first nearly finished Cashmerette Springfield - and guys, it is true love.

 Again 50p in a charity shop, I am not too sure why I bought it - its not that nice! I think I wanted it after sewing with jersey for the first time, I wanted more. Never mind, I think I will use it as muslin fabric for something I want to test first.

I bought 3m of this for the Simplicity Bloggers Challenge as its lovely - but I don't think I am going to participate in the challenge, the dress just scares me and I don't really like it! so I have 3m if this! Not too sure what to make yet!

And now for the unselfish Xmas shopping list!

I am making 7 of the little people in my life an apron and chefs hat and giving them a baking hamper for their presents so here are the fabrics for each

SO Lily loves rabbits

Ellie loves unicorns...

Heidi loves dogs ...but only cute ones!

Emily loves cats...

James is dinosaur mad...

And Ewan and Dylan have got dinosaurs too! 

And the rest is for my Nan - she has a weird thing of putting these on her sofas and chairs:

Now, I don't like them at all, but she does so I thought I would make her some (just the head ones as without knowing the exact shape/size of the armrests I am going to struggle). I thought some nice embroidery on them would be something my Nan would appreciate. But I have never embroidered other than cross stitch so I have ordered this book:

It has the transfers within so seems an easy option. And I bought some polycottons in the colours her living room is in:

Not 100% sure of how to go about it yet but we will see!

So that is 8 christmas presents bought (yet to make) for less than £50 - I LOVE being able to sew personal presents for a fraction of the cost!

So the reason I have started early? The same reason as I was having a bad week the other week, after 9 months of being out of work, my OH got a job and unfortunately didn't pass his probation so I am back to being on a strict budget until he finds something. So I need to start christmas early so can spread the cost. I wish things weren't so materialistic and money didn't matter! Or if I am wishing for things I wish I could win the lottery and bugger off for a really long time!

Anyone else thought of Christmas yet?