Tuesday 31 May 2022

31st May 22, #MMM22

 

Well I have finished #MMM22 which I must admit this year started to drag a bit and I was thinking maybe I would cop out. I didn't. 

Though perhaps there is a lack of lovely dresses here. My wardrobe is full to the brim of dresses which I do wear but mostly when not working. It just seems so pointless wearing nice clothing for work. 

I also have two looks - well three really. I have my respectable work clothes which I wear to the office (and I need much less with hybrid style working). My track suits which I also wear when working from home, and my more interesting clothing which is the real me, that I wear when not working that tends more towards gothic/ hippy and this year Faery inspired.

 

My white fleece hoody - its on the list of should I chuck this? - because its not really me but on the other hand there will then be a hole in the warm clothing which I will need to fill so this might be staying a bit longer. 

I made this because at some point when buying online I had purchased 2m of white fleece because it was very cheap. I do love a bargain even when its something I normally would not buy. Despite the fact its white I do wear this. Buying things like this regardless of the price though is something I must stop doing. It just expands the already too large fabric stash. I need to control myself. You know how it is though: you are already buying £30+ of fabric and you see this fleece for £2 ( ish) a metre and its just so tempting to add a couple of metres to the order. And so the stash builds. 

Anyway for now I think I am keeping this hoody. Its just too warm and useful to get rid of. 

My camo leggings which are  actually very nice to wear though much less stretchy than proper exercise clothing. They are also much warmer and I wear these even in the snow. I have made several pairs of scuba leggings over the last few years and they are very good to wear. These despite supposedly having lycra in are less stretchy than most I have made but I do love them though I turned the waistband over - as the patttern tells you to do - and in future will add an extra waistband because these are a bit lower on the waist than I prefer in leggings. They tend to fall down. Thats something I may need to change when I have time. These also I am keeping. They need someting like a black waistband since I have no camo fabric left. If I use this fabric again I will also make them just slightly wider on the lower legs because they tend to wrinkle round my knees.

 


Ah and I am also wearing my hand knitted green socks. Thats how wet and nasty today is here. Its not really rainy just that light drizzle that if you walk long in it you get really wet.

Well I hope you have enjoyed #MMM if you have been taking part in it. I have.

Its certainly worth doing though maybe not every year beause you decide what you need to make for the rest of the year and also what you do not really wear. So a useful exercise as well and quite a bit of fun seeing what others are wearing and since it includes all me made - bags, jewellery, shoes as well as clothing its a nice way to see what others are making. I love #MMM. 

Though as usual by the 31st I tend to be lagging a bit.

Thanks for popping by and see you soon

Bracken

Monday 30 May 2022

29th and 30th May #MMM22

 29th May

I seem to have got most of my photos for this #MMM22 when out dog walking!
This is my fluoro orange track top and my grey tracksuit trousers
And the dog is Roger.

 
Well this top besides its got a wavy zip so is very imperfect is a keeper. As in I am not getting rid of this one. If you have been following my #MMM adventure this year you will know I am having a major clear out of me mades - and also of RTW though I do not nowadays have much RTW in my wardrobe anyway.
 

30th May 

Well very boring today but to be honest I am not feeling very well and was luckily working from home so I slobbed in my glittery grey tracksuit - with a me made top under it that I forgot to get a photo of .

I am also wearing a me made hair band

Finally just because why not here's a photo with loads of baby geese of all different ages taken in the grounds of Warwick Uni. Lovely aren't they? 

Tomorrow is the end of #MMM22 and I have to say I am looking forward to not needing to remember to get photos. Though it is nice to do this once a year.

Take care and see you tomorrow

Bracken

Saturday 28 May 2022

28th May and counting down #MMM22



  

It does start to get a bit difficult at about this point doing #MMM. Though I did manage one year to do most, if not all of June as well, but I think a month is long enough.

So I need a new challenge soon. I need to finish of the Fae inspired dresses and clothing and move on to something else - maybe with still having a bit of Fae influence though since for me its the year of Faery clothing. And I am enoying wearing what I have made so far. 

My new overlocker blades arrived yesterday so I need to change the old ones and finish off the Fae clothing I have cut out. Its currently in individual freezer bags so that I can find all the bits for each item easily. Since I cut it ut a month or two ago I canot even remember what is in those bags now. I tend to cut lots though and then keep safe in small plastic bags ( which of course I do reuse loads of times) because its just easy then. A bit like I would imagine a kit is to sew up.

OK so top picture is my black My Image top/ jumper with red comfy velvet joggers.

Below under the New Image top I am wearing my only ever version of the Angela Kane top I made for a BBQ last year. Its a bit creased since just this morning I got it out of storage after winter but it does not matter since its a weekend so I can be creased today. I will wash and iron for the next wearing. 

I just love the bow in the back of this!


So only 3 days left. I need to try and wear something more interesting each day till the end of #MMM now.

Thanks for popping over and see you soon,

Bracken

Sweater cape for dogwalking - Friday 27th May - #MMM22

 

A bit late posting this but I was crazy busy yesterday. 

Yesterday was not so warm in the morning when these were taken though did warm up around lunchtime - but its England! Its why its so green here after all.

This is my RP Sweater cape over my glittery joggers.
I am actually quite happy its not too warm today because this sweater cape was not warm enough for winter when I made it but its perfect on days like today.
Underneath is my leopard print top which started life as a dress. I never wore it though, so chopped the bottom off a few years ago and have worn loads since.
And also underneath but not shown me made undies!

Thanks for visiting my blog.

Bracken


Thursday 26 May 2022

26th May #MMM22

 Today I am slobbing - working from home: 


Grey hoodycowl top with my velvet zippy cardigan dress over RTW leggings ( and also with me made undies). 

I really should wear the zippy dress more. I have worn it perhaps twice since making it. I think its working well as a cardi rather than as a dress. It might be the way to wear it more often. 

Unlike just about everything else I ever made I actually bought the fabric FOR this make, not bought the fabric and decided what to do with it later, meaning this cost me more than most items because I went looking for this velvet. Normally I buy whatever is nice and on offer ( cheap!)  and then stash until I find a use so that makes this an above average expensive item so it needs to be worn more.

Take care and see you tomorrow

Bracken

Wednesday 25 May 2022

25th May #MMM22

 

 Today I am working from home which I am very glad of, because I am so cold!

All day yesterday I was also so cold. If I cannot get warm today I am intending to light the wood burner. Considering it was hot - 25 DegC a few days ago!

Still the joys of England. But I suppose thats why its so green. I was really surprised when we visited Poland back in February/ March time, which was at that time the same temperature as here. We went on the train to Katowice to visits an ex colleague who is a friend of Mick's. He used to live near us in Coventry but moved back to Poland because of Brexit. Who can blame him for that! 

No, I am not at all a fan of Brexit being a European by upbringing despite I am british.

Anyway what shocked me was Poland was brown. Bulbs were flowering just like here - crocuses etc - but there is no grass. Just mud. So yes England, like songs say, is very green. 

But its also cold today. I suspect Poland is much warmer now. According to Alexa, at the moment in Krakow is 16 Deg C. Where I live its currently 9 DegC so not really that cold but sitting at a PC working, you get cold. 

So anyway I am wearing my grey glitter sweatshirt dress and my hand knitted green socks.  You can just see them poking out my slippers. Also me made knickers ( not shown) and me made bra which normally I might have shown but its just too cold so be assured I am wearing me made undies today!

 


Six days left of #MMM22 and by the looks of it next year a lot of what I have worn this May is no longer part of my me mades. I tell myself this is right though. If I had not made much of this, now old clothing - ie if I had bought it - it would have been sent off to be recycled years ago. Time to become less precious about my me mades now. 

Even if I took six months off sewing I would still own loads of me made clothing and would also probably produce knitwear of some kind. When I began this me made adventure I had given up knitting for about 30 years yet even that has made a come back. I actually have a new pair of socks to show you once I get them photographed. This time in proper sock yarn too! More later on them.

For now though I am slightly sorry #MMM22 is finishing because its different now. As in when I first took part in #MMM which was back in 2014, I had very little me mades and it really encouraged me to sew. Now I do not have enough days to wear it all. Thought to be fair I should have done a better job this year and worn more variety but some things such as swimwear and light weight summer dresses and shorts will not be worn now until summer regardless of it being #MMM. Its just too easy nowadays to take part. Yes time for a clearout!

Though I suspect even then I am still going to have quite a lot of me mades left for next #MMM.

Thanks for popping by and see you tomorrow.

Bracken

Tuesday 24 May 2022

24th May #MMM22

 


Today I am wearing my dog tooth check dress made back I think in 2018. I have worn this a lot. Considering the tiny bit of fabric it was squeezed from this is a big success even 4 years later.

As this month has progressed I have worn lots of clothes, and some I have not even bothered to wear, but I have been clearing lots out too. I have a growing bag of charity clothing. This one will be staying. I am sure now I am wearing it.

I never wore it with my skull coat before but I like the combination. It was the nearest jacket for the morning dog walk.

Not long left now and I feel I have done far too many repeats this #MMM. Not with jackets because they are something I have not made many of and at least this is my first wearing of this dress but I do tend to favour joggers when I am working from home which is quite a bit these days - not that I am complaining!

Anyway, thanks for popping by my blog

Bracken

Monday 23 May 2022

23rd May, #MMM22 - Raggy dress


Its a bit colder today and damp. This is my goth raggy dress which to be honest I have not worn much at all. Last Halloween (which it would have been perfect for!) it was lost somewhere in my wardrobe and now its summer I have found it at last while looking for something different, so decided it is really time I wore this. I think I only wore this once before so its a classic item for the #MMM22 challenge - ie; to wear what you actually make rather than just make and store it all.
Underneath - because the double layer raggy fabric is see through - is my original mesh high low skirt. I never made this for a petticoat but to be honest its really perfect for this dress. I have worn the mesh skirt a few times in layers because I have lots of these. I went crazy about them a few years ago and have at least 5 of these in different light weight fabrics. Though not all have the rolled edge finish. I think I may add that to the rest of them now though because I like this one the best. So thats a task for the next few months

First I need the new overlocker cutters because right now mine is totally blunted. I originally blamed my black cardi coat but since realised maybe its also because I used to sew maybe 4 items a month whereas now its a bit like a factory. I cut loads out then sew sew sew. So I now sew up maybe 4 or 6 items at once by doing all the shoulders, all the side seams then have a half made pile and then do all the hems and finishing. It means more clothing made but also far faster. So I suppose besides the fact the cardi coat did make the overlocker work very hard but I also since then made about 10 further items in a matter of a couple of weeks. 

Also I make my own fruit cover bags for individual fruit bushes. Just from cheap mesh. But I must have made 30 of them so far this year. I should get some photos. My allotment is very smart right nowcovered in those bags. It works too because I had a few last year and we get much more frits from the bushes with bags on them. I even covered a youg cherry tree this week. Not sure yet if that will work though. Anyway all this sewing is possibly why my blades are blunt again. I have ordered new ones but I have to wait now which means I am sticking together downloaded patterns and cutting out again. I already have alarge box of things need sewing up and still cutting out and no blades as yet. 

Having said that though I am kind of addicted to stretch fabrics and have a collection ( a large stash!) of wovens so I am also cutting out some wovens right now which there is actually no excuse for me to not get sewing. Besides I have paid out money for them they will be really good for summer so I have the free ( from Minerva Fabrics) McCalls 7969 dress cut out as well as the free Mood Sewciety Nettle dress.  I put both patterns together this weekend. 

So hopefully in the next week I will have something new to show you as well. Thanks for visiting my blog,

Bracken

Sunday 22 May 2022

Oversized Hoody Skulls Tshirt - May 22nd #MMM22

 

I wanted a large baggy over top thats not so thick as a sweatshirt that I can throw over other smaller tops in summer when its cooler in the evening, or wear on the beach - or when its raining!

I also wanted it to be a hoody. 


 I have lots of different hoody patterns but many are princess lines or fitted girly tops and I did not want that.


This is Newlook 6142 and I made size mens XL. I used the same pattern before for my mesh spotty top.  

 

This time though I shortened the sleeves and added cuffs.The cuffs are just scraps of black ribbed fabric.

 

I actually won this fabric from Minerva Crafts in a competition last year using my 2-tone dress as the entry. Or at least I won a voucher and used that to buy the fabric. I was so happy. I never usually win anything.

 

The lovely fabric is an expensive cotton and lycra fabric and as you can see is covered with grey and red sugar skulls. So I was slightly tempted to make leggings but I think I will wear this more. I find with leggings its fine on a warmer day but then if its cold or rainy I add an extra layer of something such as combat trousers or joggers over them, meaning they end up pilly due to the top fabric rubbing and it means if I make leggings they will not last long. And this fabric is very precious to me partly due to I actually won this, hence its taken a while to actually use it. I wanted a pattern that was basic with not too many lines or seams breaking up the skulls. It also need to be worthy of several seasons which I think this top will be.

Unfortunately, some of the photos are a bit blurred due to me happily twirling.

I went through so many ideas of what to make for months before deciding on this very basic and XL sized hoody.

 ,

I had just 1.45m of the fabric which limits what can be made and also I wanted to use it all so I do not waste much of this lovely fabric and this design works for that. I do not have a lot left of this in bits. Making it an environmentally friendly top too!

Theres no doubt about it sometimes that basic is better for some of the nicer fabrics - so you get to see the design rather than have it all chopped up into sections. And I also like to wear big baggy tops so this works very well for me for summer - and probably autumn and winter as well.


Here its worn with my black narrow joggers which is a free pattern. 

The black ones I find a bit tight on the shins for my taste and the fabric is not very stretchy but then these were made to test the pattern out and the fabric was super cheap as well as being left over from an older project. 

Despite the tightness on my shins they are still wearable as you can see and I am wearing them all day today so they are not that bad but I did make the later versions of these a bit looser. But then thats the point of making a tester/ muslin isn't it.

I think its going to be a brilliant top with just about everything!



And I am confident this top will get worn a lot!
And thats what I wanted to achieve.
Have a great Sunday and thanks for popping by to visit me,
Bracken 

Saturday 21 May 2022

Blue vest top - May 21st #MMM22



 Not an original outfit today really, but my usual favourites, except for my new blue vest which is made from offcuts from the two blue dresses in negative that I made recently. So this is a new top though its my second wearing of it. Not everything makes it to the blog and sometimes I forget to mention them until they have been worn a few times.
 I do like this top though and reckon this summer its going to be a favourite. Its very summery.


With the top my grey glitter sweatshirt ( the original version without mitts) and my blue velvet joggers.

Have a great Saturday,

Bracken

#MMM22 May 21st

 No new makes today just what I already own:

Dazzeled by the sun again!

Navy glitter sweatshirt with RTW "mermaid trousers " which I bought very cheap in a sale  a couple of years ago and they have "fins" on them. Probably totally ridiculous for someone to wear in their 50s but I just don't care! I love them and they are also comfy. I actually also bought the matching jacket, skirt and dress. I buy very little RTW really. It has to be something unusual. Nearly everything I own now is me made but during the first lockdown I went mad on mermaid clothing. I suppose it was the fact I had time to see what was out there ( on the internet) and I ended up with 3 pairs of mermaid leggings all with fins or scales and this collection of black goth clothing - with fins. They are weekend play clothes. Though being black the little fins on the sides remind me more of bats wings than of mermaid fins. I suppose they could be gothic mermaids?

Under the sweatshirt I am wearing my black ribbed top and under that just seen is my green printed vest.



 And not seen are my me made knickers too! Thanks for popping by,

'Till tomorrow,

Bracken