Two evening projects

In the run up to Christmas I was being incredibly over optimistic about what I could achieve before the holidays, with big plans for a new skirt, dress, and trousers to wear over the festive season... Luckily as it got nearer I realised how over ambitious I was being and that if I tried to do all that I wouldn't actually ENJOY making any of them, so I took a little break from dressmaking to make a couple of super-quick and easy projects that can be knocked up in an evening.

The first was a tiny evening bag from Made By Rae's free 'Buttercup Bag' pattern:


I cannot recommend this pattern highly enough! So easy to follow, I barely needed to read the instructions and it felt like the bag made itself, but the pleated shape gives it a professional looking finish. Also it can be made from just a fat quarter of fabric (plus lining), so is an excellent way to use up leftovers. I used some green and cream striped floral cotton that I bought as part of a fat quarter bundle, and some left over buttercup (ha!) yellow acetate lining from a recent project. Once I'd made the basic shape I got really over-excited by all the possibilities for finishing touches but settled for a little button and ribbon bow trim. All in all a wonderful project that can be made from start to finish in evening.

The one downside is that the bag is rather on the small side, so really just an evening bag. I photocopied the pattern onto A3 to make a larger version for myself, but check out Tilly's version, recreated as very cute make up bags:

I plan to make lots of all three versions for future gifts!

The second project was a simple covered lampshade but there will be a separate post on that to follow. Having been so obsessed with dressmaking lately it was nice to make a couple of simple projects without any obstacles to overcome, I do love a sewing challenge but it was a lovely break to do some fairly mindless relaxation sewing.

Little and often...

Hello, it's been a long time since I wrote here! I am full of good plans and intentions, but things tend to go awry.... And then it makes it a bit hard to pick things up again as my blogging plans are always "little and often" but instead I try and write a mega catch up post and then get fed up and can't be bothered. I think I'll pick up as I mean to go on, with the here and now...

Spring is almost here! And I for one am super excited, the clocks change this weekend and I CANNOT BLOODY WAIT. It feels a long time coming, I've absolutely loved the 'Proper Winter' we've had this year, but now I am ready for light evenings and breakfasts in the sun and cherry blossom and not nearly so many layers of clothing.


That's what I'm talking about! Crazy to think that was this time last year. George is convinced Spring will burst into action any day now and "it's going to be technicolour". Well I'm poised and ready....

But just the slightly longer days and lighter mornings have made me motivated to get started doing things again. Life seems sharply divided between weeks and weekends, weeks are an endurance battle in a job I hate, but that just makes me try extra hard to have nice weekends and they really have been recently, like little happy bubbles of plans and creativity! I'm going to try and post more about the things I've been cooking, making and reading and the things I plan to cook, make and read, but in keeping with my little and often plan I'm going to wind things up now to encourage me to come back again soon. Here's a little taster of recent weekend activity.


Clockwise from top left: 1. patchwork in progress, 2. marinating tofu, 3. veggie BLT (treat! yum), 4. homebaked linseed and oat loaf, 5. baking cake, 6. plans and intentions, 7. Spring bed linen, 8. Bradford On Avon in the rain, 9. Amazing owl lamp in a pub, 9. Patches, 10. Sewing station, 11. tidy kitchen window, 12. Happy Chocolate Cake

The changing of the seasons

Ha, so after much fiddling around I finally worked out how to change the background, I like having a blog a bit more now! It's still not quite how I'd like it but better than before.

Since I last wrote I've not done much by way of creative stuff but I have a good excuse, that I spent two and a half weeks in China... Actually before going I did loads, made new pajamas, altered and refashioned vintage dresses, and ended up with a suitcase full of pretty summer things to wear on hot days. I promised a picture of my finished dress so here's one my brother took at the Summer Palace, absolutely one of the most amazing places I've ever been in my life, it is vast and incredibly beautiful. I'd like to have spent more time wandering aimlessly around, it was somewhat overwhelming.

Anyways, now I'm back in Bristol and amazing as China was, very glad to be home in my flat with my boy and my sewing machine! From September the first I took the Wardobe Refashion pledge, which means I am not going to buy any new clothes (charity shops still allowed) but concentrate on making new ones and customising old ones, only for two months but I might renew it depending on how successful it is! But the seasons are changing so it is goodbye vintage sundresses and hello woolly skirts and tights, today I've hauled out some of my favourite winter skirts which after creeping further and further up my waist (with each cm it expands!) have become unwearable, but I have unpicked the zips and chopped the tops off to make some cute mini-ish skirts that will sit comfortably on my hips, hurrah.

Also today I plan to make lavender cupcakes inspired by Seahorsetamer's amazing photo, and maybe some scones cus it seems like a nice Sundayish thing to do. Recipes to follow.