DRESSMAKING 1970s shirtdress

I feel that it has been some time since I have made a proper outfit. To be honest I have loads of patterns and loads of fabric but I don't want to become a one person swet shop, I would like to have less clothes but of those I do have , I cherish. So for me I feel I have a summer waldrobe and I'm not planning to make to many more outfits. There will always be the to do list but my feelings at the moment are about celebrating what I have achieved. So now I give your the second of my shirt dresses that I had planned for this summer.

I am actually very proud of this dress, I don't know why I think maybe it's because I just love it! Although nothing really goes completley to plan, it is rather tight on the arms, I have redone the seems but still my arms are a little squeezed in, so I feel this will be a going out dress where all I hace to do is lift a wine glass!

DRESSMAKING join the go slow clothes movement

I would like to invite you all to join me in the Go Slow Clothes Movement. This is simply aims to celebrate and support those that make or refashion your own clothes. By making or refashioning we are  breaking the curse of fast fashion which actually comes at a price to the environment and those that work within the industry. We are also celebrating the fact that we are not all a standard shape and by making our own clothes we are able to look good in clothes that fit properly. Finally if you make you love, which means are clothes are cared for and last longer which is a positive outcome in a material/ throw away society. I have created gadget/ picture, please feel free to put it on your own blog to show your support, just remember to mention this blog. There is also a go slow clothes group on flickr.com to join and share photos (only one photo per day please).
http://www.flickr.com/groups/1721158@N23/

Thankyou for your support.

FAMILY LIFE Last child in the woods , book review.

I certainly don't intend to tell you so much about this book that you feel it's just not worth getting and reading. Defiantly no, because this book is worth getting and reading, it is in my top five ever!!

Last child in the woods by Richard Louv is a best seller in the US, but the revised and updated revision is just as relevant to me in the UK.  It is packed with children and adults interests and experiences in nature or the growing lack of them. Yes there is that label of nature deficit order, which I find hard as I'm not one for labels anyhow, but it's trying to make us understand whats been going on for the last twenty five years! Why are our children not able to go outside and discover nature for themselves, why don't they want to, what are the consequences for this? He relates to many many studies all really interesting in their own right, I particularly like the links to Howard Gardener who explained our intelligence as 'smart', until recently he had put children's intelligences into seven categories, number, music ect, but he added a eighth, nature smart which just shows the influence growing with nature can have to make our children happy and successful.

I'm sure there are plenty of you thinking this book sounds like a hard slog, well it's just as good as a resource book, in the back there are brilliant categories, links and ideas on how to move forward giving our children the freedom to explore and the confidence to their parents to let them do so. There are aspects such as 100 actions we can take as parents, carers ect. Recommended further reading, and fun stuff included like how to build a tree house.  suggestions for transforming our communities,. ways in which educators can bring about outdoor reform. And of course discussion points.

If your not sure about the outlay, go to the library and give it a go, I'm sure you will find it very absorbing and inspiring to give nature the respect it deserves.

DRESSMAKING The Ginger is Completed!

OK, it was some weeks ago that the fashionable stitch blog started a fab Colette pattern (The Ginger Skirt) sew a long. Well one weekend away, one wedding and five days in Kent later I have managed to catch up!!!
 To start with I chose a lovey piece of vintage fabric (I am selling the other half in my Etsy shop now), it was lovely to use.

Having a little pot belly (I'm not complaining, just stating) I did have to adjust the pattern , I followed the tutorial which I felt was brilliant. All went to plan. Until I made it up, the first time I have made a muslin, so glad I did. There was some adjusting needed to the waist band. But the pattern adjustments worked perfectly.

Cracking on I thought it was a terrible shame to waste the muslin fabric so I thought I would line my skirt with it!  So I managed my first lining which was actually a success, so I'm wearing my skirt inside out to show it off!

I thought all in all the Ginger was pretty cool. I am pleased with the results, as always there are parts to improve like putting in zips r sewing a straight hem line!

All in all a pretty good fit. Although having such a high waist band I feel I need a suitable top otherwise it just looks a little frumpy, I feel my next project coming on ...........

VEG PATCH May 2011

Since the end of April, my garden has come to more or less a stand still, the problem, no rain. As I had shown in my previous post there was a lovely burst of growth, but since then it hasn't rained. All is not lost though, as the flowers in my garden start to bloom. I just adore poppies, they maybe short lived and blow over, or the petals fall off in a strong down pour, but for that early splash of colour, they have to be worth it.

Other flowers starting to bloom would be my beloved roses, if I could fill a garden with them I would.

A quick look at the veggies will show that all is not lost. The broad beans are looking good, and the turnips are all ready plumping up!

Fingers crossed for a little rain, and hopefully the veg patch will be bountiful.

DRESSMAKING now for something a little smaller.

My own challenge to myself was a disaster, making a special dress for my sisters wedding. Although I do not bear a grudge to myself as I intend to wear my own favourite dress that I have only worn once. The tea dress 1940s style, it is adorable!
I have done slightly, and only slightly better on the second challenge, to make Arthur a shirt to wear to the wedding. The shirt itself was really easy to make up, I defiantly want to give it another go. I also love the fabric, summery and fun. The only problem was the dreaded button holes, I am terrible at them. So  with the shirt nearly turning into disaster number two, I thought it best to pretend you could open the shirt up, but really you can not (this also helps the little problem of Arhtur completely undressing himself whenever my back is turned). This was going OK until I couldn't put the shirt over his head! So finally one button down, and not opening we have completed the challenge!

Arthur seems to love it too!

DRESSMAKING Sew Weekly, London Meet Up.

Sew Weekly covers the whole world! But the girls in the UK have been planning to meet since early Feb, and 14th May 2011 we did it! Thankyou to Charlotte Tilly for her amazing organisation skills and keeping us girls together whilst trecking round London.
It was also agreed that we should in the spirit of SW make our outfits, so best of British we had a red, white, and blue theme. I personally thought FAB, as these are colours I would wear, so I was on the case. My patterns where a 70s number bought for me on Valentines day from my hubby and the fabric a vintage bed sheet, and the pattern to go trousers which I have posted before.

So the trousers have already been made up, and I love them! The shirt was great, I was really enjoying making it, the whole wrap idea was lovely, the way the sleeves where all floaty! Untill I put it on, oh no! It was rather to short in the body, as 70s trousers would have been much higher or you may have been ok about bearing your middle. So I wore a vest underneath.

Now for the actual day! It was amazing, there was such an air of excitement, imagine meeting a pen pal for the first time and times that by 14! You just didn't know who to turn to next and examine their out fit, they where all brilliant. It was really rather emotional. My mum came along too, so she to loads of photos at the V&A, our meeting place, and where we also saw an exhibition.

Just look at all of these women, we all made our outfits, time, effort, personal style, all coming together, no wonder everyone else couldn't take their eyes off us, what a sight !!

After the exhibition, and plenty of tea and cake it was off to Goldhawk Lane to do some serious fabric shopping. At the tube station we meet up with another sewing blogging group, I made that, so collectively there where 40 sewers in one place! All hitting the 13 fabric shops! I thought I was quite restrained and bought four fabrics.

The blue jersey, a green patterned cotton, ared flower flanelette, and my favourite green flower baby cord.

When needing a pit stop we all headed to a trendy bar, this gave a great oppertunity for yet more related sewing stuff, a pattern and fabric swap.

It took quiet a while there was just loads to go through, but I was really pleased with these two.

All in all it was just a brilliant brilliant day.