The sewing extravaganza continued last night. I cut out and made another skirt. The fabric came to me from the stash of an elderly lady and I suspect it is quite old as it is only 90cm (36 inches) wide which is definitely not the norm these days. It is very fine and 100% cotton. I have fully lined the skirt yet it is still light and very comfortable which is good since it is going to be 33C here today.
I have been busy with my sewing today and wanted to show you what I have done.
This morning I started on the blouse which I cut out earlier in the week. I was on target to have it completely finished today, however, the sewing machine decided to misbehave. The automatic buttonhole function is not working, I do not know what the problem is and have tried all of the usual trouble-shooting ideas – re-thread the machine, reset the buttonhole settings, clean the bobbin case etc but all to no avail. I will have to ring the sewing machine shop tomorrow.
In the meantime, here is a sneak preview of the blouse. It is all done except for the buttons and buttonholes.
The next project is another skirt but I decided to have a short break from making new things and set about repairing/refashioning this bag.
This bag belongs to my daughter and it previously had rope handles which were knotted on the inside. The holes were finished with large eyelets, however, one of the eyelets had pulled away from the fabric. In order to repair the bag I removed all of the eyelets and made new handles.
I used some scraps of chocolate brown fabric which was lurking in my stash. I had to join a couple of pieces together to get enough length for the handles. The straps are double-stitched to allow for heavy weights that may be carried in the bag. You can still see the eyelets holes on the inside but all in all it is a functional bag again. It is great to be able to give items a new lease of life.
I have been making good progress on several fronts here.
Yesterday I spent the day sewing so have something to show for it. I started by drafting a pattern using an existing purchased skirt. I had some fabric that had been given to me and this is what I created. I have yet to do the hem and the handstitching inside the waistband but you get the general idea. I am not entirely happy with the fit over the hips and also the side pockets are not sitting perfectly but that will improved on in the next attempt.
I will still be happy to wear this as the shirt I am going to make will cover the less than perfect area. This is going to be the top (also gifted fabric). The colour match of the yellow flowers with the top is much better than the photograph would lead you to believe.
The other project has been slowly but surely working through the various piles of ‘pending’ paperwork.
This is some that I had been carrying around in my bag for a couple of weeks. Today I actioned most of it – emails sent, phone calls made and most of it now shredded. There is still a little to go back in the filing cabinet.
This pile is on the small table in the guest room. It is mostly from our USA trip from over 2 months ago so my goal is to get it sorted out this weekend. I have finally culled and sorted they photographs from our trip which has been quite a big job.
Tomorrow we are having lunch with friends and are looking forward to sharing the photos from our trip with them.
Have a relaxing weekend wherever you are.
Our granddaughters are staying overnight so this afternoon I took the opportunity to get some current measurements of them.
While I was in the sewing room I found a piece of fabric and was inspired. I made this dress for Miss O, using the t-shirt she was wearing as a pattern.
The patterned fabric was a remnant that I bought from Lifeline a few months ago for $1.
The stretch fabric means that the dress can simply be pulled on over the head and there are no fastenings. It will be a cool, comfortable addition to her summer wardrobe.
I do not use any disposable cleaning cloths but instead I have a selection of microfibre and cotton cleaning cloths as well as an assortment of worn out towels and t-shirts which make great rags for almost any cleaning job.
The cleaning cloths had previously been folded in a pile in the laundry cupboard and the rags were in the cupboard under the laundry tub.
Recently I decided to make a ‘ragbag’ modelled on my memories of one that belonged to my grandmother.
I made this from some scraps in my stash of fabric. The patterned fabric is leftover from nursery curtains I made before Miss O was born, the plain green is the from the op shop doona cover which I used to make my ironing board cover and the binding on the opening came from a collection that belonged to my friend’s mother. There was no pattern – just my memory and an idea which I turned into reality.
It is conveniently located on the inside the the laundry door where I have hung it from the rack which holds my laundry detergent and soap.
This saves me trying to keep a pile of cloths stacked neatly on the shelf. Sometimes it can be the most simple thing that makes life easier.
Today I went to 2 op shops looking for fabric suitable for my patchwork project.
Here is what I found.
A skirt
A dress
A blouse
A single bed sheet
2 identical U-shaped pillowcases
And a ruffled single bed valance.
These will all be washed and unpicked ready to use. The valance is big enough to use for the entire backing of the quilt.
Although these items were not super cheap it will still be quite a frugal project. I will mix and match them with existing pieces from my collection.
Thanks to Froogs at Frugal Queen for the inspiration.
Today I took a break from the patchwork and did some other sewing.
First though, I did the ironing. While I was doing it I discovered a tear in the ironing board cover. I had noticed recently that it was getting close to wearing out.
So it was time for a new one. I decided that it could not be that difficult to make one so set about deconstructing the old cover.
Here is what I salvaged: padding which I reused and also used as a pattern, bundle of polyester binding from the edge, elastic and clip from the edge, 2 velcro straps from underneath, edge strip which I used as a pattern.
The fabric I used for the new cover is part of an op shop quilt cover that I bought last year. I used the front to make a tablecloth for a work event and I had the backing left over. I don’t think the quilt had been used and the fabric is 100% cotton.
This the almost finished cover. I just had to do some adjustments to the velcro straps which go underneath the board. They were not long enough to go across my board so I had not used them previously. I replaced the short end with some cotton tape so that I could use them.
Just like new.
This is the view under the board and you can see the modified velcro strap.
I re-used most of the original cover when I made the new one. The pile on the left is the cotton fabric which has gone into the compost. On the right is the rubbish pile – remnants of foam which has almost disintegrated in places, the polyester thread from the unpicking (not visible) and the 2 short lengths of velcro that I replaced with cotton tape.
And a preview of things to come – starting from tomorrow and continuing each Monday for several weeks, I will begin a series titled ‘Project Streamline’. It is a natural progression (for me) from my participation in Project 333. Please drop in and feel free to offer your thoughts/advice or you may like to join in.
See you tomorrow.
I haven’t moved to the northern hemisphere. It is late autumn here and heading into our coolest months. Nevertheless, I am planning ahead and thinking about what I might like to have in my wardrobe by the time summer rolls around again.
I am making 2 tops in a style I have made before. Here is one that just needs the bottom hemming and armhole binding done to complete it.
This is the back as it buttons up the back. The fabric was in my stash so no outlay at the moment apart from the buttons. It will be perfect with either black or white summer trousers or shorts.
The other top which is also partly made is simply plain black in a lightweight crinkle cotton.
I have given quite a bit of thought recently to how to simplify my wardrobe. I will definitely be sticking to a couple of basic colours but more importantly I am feeling more confident about what styles of clothes I will wear and how to streamline my clothes to more accurately fit my lifestyle.
More on that another day.
In order to keep on top of the never-ending stream of mending I have set myself the rule that I have to do any outstanding mending before I work on my sewing projects.
Today there was mending to be done.
This is The Duke’s backpack that he takes to work. The stitching had ripped where the shoulder strap is attached so I restitched it. Nothing fancy but it works.
Next, a patch on a pair of trousers (inside view).
Here is the end result. You can see they are his best gear! The patch on the left is the new one. Not sure how much longer these will last.
Then it was on to the socks. I think I did 4 altogether. This shows the mended toe. You can’t even call it darning. I just use the zigzag stitch on my sewing machine. Once again, not pretty but effective.
I then went on and finished altering the waistband of a skirt before finally doing some sewing on a summer top for myself. It is just as well that summer is 6 months away at the rate I am going.
I also did some more knitting on my dishcloths. I have now finished my third one and am about halfway through the fourth.
This evening we have finalised the itinerary for the touring part of our US holiday and started booking accommodation. The planning is lots of fun so I can barely begin to imagine how good it will be when we actually get there. It is now less than 4 months till we leave.
Today I continued with my sewing and sorting our some more of the stuff that was on my sewing table.
I have all but finished the apron I am making. Just a bit of handsewing on the waistband and buttons and buttonholes to attach the neck strap.
This is what the neck strap and buttons will look like.
Finally, the pocket detail of which I am rather proud.
I really hope my apron partner likes it.
The next things I am working on are 2 summer tops for myself. I know I will not need them for several months but it will be nice to have them finished and hanging in my wardrobe, rather than cluttering up space on my work table.
Now that the space is cleared I can see exactly what else I have to sew. There are several Christmas gift bags as well as fabric for a reusable shopping bag (I am going to copy an existing one for a pattern). I have other fabric earmarked to make a skirt for my niece, summer pyjamas for my granddaughter, a dress for Belle and a couple of polo shirts for The Duke so there is plenty to keep me occupied.
My plan is to do some sewing at least one each week and gradually work my way through the ‘To Do’ list.
On other matters, I have done a menu plan for the week for both lunches and dinners. I have been rather slack lately and although we have not resorted to takeaway or eating out, my planning has been a bit haphazard. I am back on track and hopefully this will make the morning rush a bit less rushed. Tomorrow we are having leftover lasagne and salad and this is all prepared and in the refrigerator ready to grab and go in the morning.
I like to spend some time on Sundays getting organised so that I can have a headstart on the coming week.
Are you prepared for the week ahead?
organised castle 