Summer Baby Doll Dress

It actually got to 38.8degC a few days ago. Thats a record for the UK. Its not good of course but due to climate change. Some parts of the country even got to 41degC. I personally like the heat but over 30degCis too hot even for me. 

I made this dress from what is actually a costume pattern. Simplicity 5359. I have used it before for ordinary summery tops but wanted a short baby doll type of dress. I just extended the hem and made it longer. Its not even wider at the bottom because this is a carmen type of top so pretty wide anyway.

It just has elastic hems in the neck and cuffs of sleeves and its very simple and ideal for hot weather though not really very challenging but when its hot I have to say I lose interest in sewing and it has made for a very wearable nice summery dress that I love and even wore for work one day. Sometimes simplicity is best though it is I admit not much of a challenge and I did say I was going to make new patterns this year. Though I now want a top as well from this pattern. 

 I did consider a belt with this but that would make it less good in the heat and really its fine without one and a belt might make it a bit too short.

 The fabric which is 100% cotton and has the Raven Nevermore design on it, has been in my stash several years. I loved the original dress made for my graduation from this fabric, so much I bought more thinking to make somehing else but it just suits dresses I think. And this style is very easy to wear even though making such an easy design is I admit a bit of a cop out. The fabric is also not too obviously goth (well unless you really look close that is) so I can get away with it in an office environment.

Thanks for visiting my blog, 

Happy weekend

Bracken

Denim Jacket updated

 

 

Well I have not actually made this. But I do love it so I decided to share it because its a very easy way to update a tired basic and a bit boring denim jacket. 

It also did not take very long at all. Mind you I bought the lace patch probably two years ago. I have an identical black patch. Both cost about £2 from Ebay. 

Jacket was second hand and about £1.25 several years ago from a Charity/ Thrift shop and originally from TopShop. Its stretch denim and a bit more fitted than I remember - I think I put some weight on!

The lace patches came direct from China and I will be buying more of this kind of thing because a similar lace patch, but with a less interesting design, though arguably more wearable, was what I used to sort out a top that would have otherwise been a disaster and would have ended up being thrown away.

These lace panels are surprisingly useful and good to have in stock if you come accross them. They vary greatly design-wise and I found skulls much harder to find - and they cost more. The panel on the black top was considerably less costly than the skull designs but they are both useful and both are really very cheap to buy. Though because they come direct from China they can take a month to arrive so not much use if you want them yesterday. I buy them just because they are there and they are useful to have for when I ( might) want them. 

I am now serously debating whether to do a black skull on black denim jacket as well. Well I seem to have stopped wearing both my denim jackets so why not. I already have a pattern to make a denim jacket should I really want one another year and its a way to continue wearing what I already own. Black on black would be much more subtle but that might be good too. I have a rule - I wear whats in my wardrobe at least once each year else it goes out. So that in itself is a good idea to update my other denim jacket then. 

To attach the patch I just pinned carefully in place, tried on to check position and then used a zigzag stitch and followed the outline of the patch, then also followed the outline of each eye to make sure it stays put and that will hopefuly stop it getting ripped because it is relatively delicate. But then lace is delicate and I think it makes for a great contrast with the denim.

 

Have a great weekend and thanks for popping by

Bracken

Fluorescent yellow velvet leggings and shorts 😀

I love the shorts and I hate the leggings. 

 

Same fabric, same pattern but just different lengths. 

I obviously had one of those "Oooo shiny shiny" moments you get when you have a fabric obsession that leads to you having a lovely to look at, but very unwearable fabric stash!

I try to restrain my self nowadays, and just buy practical colours navy, pale blue, black etc or nice prints - since at least thats wearable. Sometimes however, like this yellow, my liking takes over and I end up with stuff thats a beautiful wantable fabric, but what the hell am I going to make from this?

I have tons of it. I think I stupidly bought 3m so have loads still to use. Well it was cheap. Thats the only good thing about this buy - it was £2.25 a metre so at least I did not waste much money on it!

 

I have a liking though for cycling shorts of all lengths - being a cyclist. But also as a fashion item. These are really not up to serious cycling since they have no padding but they are great now the weather has become so hot. Its meant to get to 28 DegC today.

I can see me wearing the shorts lots but really cannot handle the leggings. 

 

I suspect in fact that these leggings will end up as my campsite PJs. Still at least they should have a use then and in the sunshine will not care about the over brightness of these.

I have loads of this yellow velvet that was meant to have lycra in it but I am not sure thats true. It does not really seem to have good enough recovery to be a lycra fabric - still never mind. I can use it for something though maybe in that case PJs will work better than actual leggings so its not such a loss that I am not keen on these after all. Though I do not think I can handle a matching top. At least not to be worn at the same time as the leggings.

 

But they will be fine for tramping to and from the showers/ toilets when on a campsite - after all as a close friend always says - anything goes when no one knows your name ..............

I do though like the shorts so much I am even considering a second pair. Well I have to find some way to use up the rest of the 3m of this I have in my fabric stash and its not really going to be an easy one to use. 

It seemed a great idea to buy fluorescent yellow velvet at the time. 😀

There is a local yearly event where everyone wears Dayglo and marches around Coventry. 

Maybe I should make a costume and join in next year?

 

Though the idea of fluoro velvet undies and some scrunchies does appeal and I may have to make some of each but the problem is I just have loads  of this yellow velvet! Scrunchies can come out of offcuts - so can undies. Not sure about swimwear which could work but I would have to line the fabric I think. I suspect it will look transparent when wet. Still the RP bikini I made a while back is lined so maybe that might be a good choice. There is a longer version of that pattern too which could look good. I will have to have a think. I kind of fancy a longer tankini bikini. The sea is never ever warm in this country so velvet could be a nice choice and the lining if containing lycra should hold it all in shape nicely. The idea is growing on me. Especially since the longer tankini version would look good as a top with a matching skirt and this could make a great tube skirt. 

I am seriously keen to use this fabric up this summer and not to leave it longer in my stash. Its not at all a wearable colour in winter despite being velvet and its already been in my stash around a year. Time to get rid and make use and find a way to wear it. I do think I might wear a tube skirt in this colour - at least when its hot so probably an evening skirt really since the velvet would be a bit too warm for very hot summer days even in the UK.

I do like a bit of fluorescent yellow - and orange - and green and occassionally even pink. And velvet too.............though on this particular occasion I am so glad I did not invest in all the different fluoro colours they were selling at the same time as I bought this.

Summer evenings here I come - and they will see me coming from a long distance away 😀

Happy weekend and see you soon

Bracken

Socks finished - and made from sock yarn too!

For some reason I have gone off knitting recently. I am just too tired at the days end to knit so have kind of got a bit lazy. 

I finally got my lovely socks finished though and here they are:

 

Well its take me absolutely ages to knit these. They are made using the yarn I bought when we visited Krakowback in the spring. I found there is actually about 20g left over from each ball - you divide the 100g ball into two - see my previous post - so the next pair need to be a bit longer to make full use of the yarn. 

 I have yet to work out just how much longer I will need to knt though to use the yarn better. I hate to waste an expensive yarn - though will probably find I can make some randomly striped socks with the left overs from a few balls in the future when I run out of proper sock yarn.

This is yet again the Winwick Mum basic 4ply sock pattern though despite my third pair I still need to keep looking everything up. I have already started my next pair though. This time (with the latest pair)  I am deliberately trying to tighten my tension which is actually not an easy thing to do because I think maybe the pair I have just finished are a little loose tension-wise, meaning they will probably wear our quicker.. I do not want to go down a needle size Last time I tried that the knitting came out too tight so I think my needle size (2.5mm) is correct but my tension is a bit loose I think. Or at least if I want them to last they would be better a bit thicker I think. And yes I really want them to last as long as possible. Attempting to regulate your tension is actualy quite difficult. Still I wil see how t goes. I suspect it is going to slow down my knitting and as you can see I am really not a fast knitter anyway. I started these socks back in April and its mid-July now! Still by winter hopefully I should finish another pair.

I have yet to master the toe shaping I think.

 

 Its a bit square though at least both have the exact same toe line which I cannot say about my last pair - the mosaic socks. They were a bit uneven and thats the pair I played around with different needle sizes. They worked out surprisingly Ok in the end but really I think they are a bit above my current skill level. Still I do intend to make a second pair of them. 

And you should push your own skill level boundaries shouldn't you!

I am also rubbish at grafting the toes. Not sure how well it will show on these photos but my grafting is definitely uneven.

That is something I could do with an actual lesson in I think. I might have to search Youtube for a video of how to do this properly. Its time I learned this now because this is my fourth pair of socks so time to start to make them perfect. The initial high of just making socks is wearing off. I need to get better at making them now.
.

They are not uncomfortable which is the main thing but they do have a ( visual) ridge and they should look more constant or less sewn I think.

Still not so very long ago - less than a year - I had never even attempted to knit socks so I am still quite pleased to make these. But the grafting problems needs sorting. Mind you you do need an aim else things get very boring and I do want to progress with this. 

I find it hard right now to believe that last winter I always had both a jumper and a pair of socks on the go at once so at least two knitting projects. Right now I find it hard to even knit a round of a sock. Still maybe its the nice weather. Or maybe the workload has just grown because I am so tired by the end of the working day. Hopefully I will get back to knittig again soon because I find its very good for keeping my hands mobile. Other people stop knitting when they get arthritus but I find despite sometimes its a bit painful I have far more mobility when I knit. Its something I aim to try to continue with anyway.

Have a great week and see you soon,

Bracken

 

Camo trousers

  

Well I am overdue to make something other than my beloved hoody cowl dresses and tops. Not that this is at all an original make but I do kow these will be well worn because 

1) they are camo; 

2) they are a favourite pattern I have used loads before and

3) being as they are flares!

This is the yoga pants pattern I favour - even though its free. Though I suppose really thats the big bonus.  I just like this pattern and its easy to wear even for work in the right fabric.

 

So yes a slight cop out using a TNT pattern. I have had a couple of disasters recently though with using new patterns and wasted some very expensive fabric so I am feeling a bit lacking in adverture right now and need to make something that is likely to work.

The fabric is scuba and not particularly stretch even though it does contain lycra. I think that should keep them in shape though. They are not stretchy enough for proper yoga pants so are more ordinary trousers/ joggers. These will be too warm on hot days so will probably end up waiting for autumn now but still never mind. 

They are worn here with my tie dye blue vest.

Hopefully now my sewing machines are all working again I can now get back to sewing more. I have been so slack recently. Its been al about fixing rather than sewing and I have been so unproductive. I have a  large pile of summery fabric I want to make into things for summer - including some work trousers which I could really do with getting round to. Still I suppose the making cannot happen without a bit of maintainance occassionally.

Have a great weekend and see you soon

Bracken

Nettle Dress by Mood

The pattern for this wrap dress is free from Mood. Its the Nettle dress. I printed this one when they first released the pattern, I think back in March. Since then its been in the "waiting" pile.This is a black linen type of fabric so very cool for summer but gets creased a bit too easy. Still you cannot have it all ways!

I made a top and trousers from similar fabric last summer and I loved them so much I bought some more from the same seller, though this is a slightly coarser weave. Its still decribed as cotton/ linen mix though but also has a bit of lycra. Since I bought it from a discount online seller ( Pound Fabrics - who I would definitely recommend since I have not had a bad experience despite many orders), I suppose its a different but similar batch of cloth. I do not need it to match the previous fabric though - bought many months previously- so that difference doesn't matter. 

Except for the fact that you do really need an iron to press between making different parts of this dress ( yes I know you are always supposed to do so, but I do manage usually not to) its actually a really easy one to make. And a free pattern of course!

 Pattern is from here: https://www.moodfabrics.com/blog/the-nettle-wrap-dress-free-sewing-pattern/

Its my very first ever wrap dress ( not just making but owning) so I am interested to decide how useful I find this. I own several different wrap dress patterns so maybe its time I had a go at another one. I know many people swear by wrap dresses.The cape sleeves are a new thing for me too.

I have to admit to finding the neckline a little too low for me. Or at least its fine if I don't move. But then a cami underneath sorts that fine.I suspect this might also transition into winter with added leggings or even a second longer (under)skirt of black fabric.  Mood have just done a redux of this dress, since I made this, which they slashed and spread the skirt to create a second longer layer and it looks nice. Though if I make it again I will probably use the skirt pattern with a different top I think because its a bit too kimono-ish for my taste really.

Also it was interesting to note when making this that you could just make the wrap skirt and add a waistband because I tried the half made skirt on and loved it.

One thing I particularly love about this pattern is the double D-rings fastening which reminds me so much of 1980s punk dresses and skirts. Though I think the finishing at the edge where top meets skirt is a bit messy to what I usually aim for but I could not work out how to do this better. If you look at the photo below you can see a finished but not hidden edge just next to the fastening.

 

I do love D-rings though!

And finally following on from a few weeks ago here are the local baby geese. 

How cute are they!

 

Thanks for visiting my blog

Bracken