An Easter basket for Egg Hunting, Upcycles and my socks

 

I made an Easter egg hunt basket for a small person I know. Its made from synthetic and very cheap felt from Amazon. I bought the felt ages ago meaning to use it for finger pupperts. Well that never quite happened so its available in my stash and I decided this basket will be needed and why buy one when you can easily make one.

You do not get enough of any one colour in the packs I bought from Amazon to do for example a base from one colour so I did it as quarters and the sides as narrow strips.

 It kept me busy last Sunday morning but did not really take long at all. The base is lined with white cotton to give it a bit of strength and I glued a top layer over this with fabric glue after everythig else was constructed (see below). That makes the inside look nice but is not otherwise needed.

It was a bit tricky to sew the circle sides but with some twisting and slow sewing it worked.

The handle is two pieces of ribbon sewed on top of each other to make the handle reasonably strong. It only has to carry a few eggs though of course.

Top is edged with ribbon folded over and sewn down. That will stop it stretching.

Et Voila!

With glued base

Looking back at my last month's or so's posts I am so aware how rubbish is my new mobile. I use the camera to take the photos - or my other half does. But there is no clarity. They are just rubbish. Its a Samsung A14 and I have to say I would avoid and buy just about anything or just wait until you can afford better if I was you. Its an awful phone. Not at all like my previous Samsung. It often will not turn on - as in the screen stays black when someone rings meaning if they ask me to turn off the call I can't. Or not unless I actually login. The fingerprint recognition works once in 20-30 times - no I am not exagerating. Face recognition is slghtly better but still more times than not it will not work. Its the worst phone I have owned in 10+ years! 

I do not have a ton of money to spend on a mobile but this one is particularly bad. I have only had it a few months but it has to go. I usually keep my mobiles 3 years or so, usually until something vital stops working or I drop it once too often and the screen completely messes up. A small crack I will live with for a year or so. I do not upgrade very often because I prefer to be environmentally concious and I think its wasteful doing so. I do not go for contracts either unless its an amazing deal. I haven't found a good deal in a while, so just stick with Tesco Rocket packs which work well for me and I do not feel tied in because I am not. I just hate contracts. Anyway mobile phone rant over, but apologies for the really bad photos. I will sort this asap.

So this week I feel I have achieved something on the sewing/ crafting front. I actally made another pair of trousers 

I sewed up my trousers - these are new and were planned at New Year so at least I achieved something in sewing this week. I think they will be great for spring once the weather starts to warm up a bit. Its a polyester/lycra fabric so warmish but not warm enough for colder weather and probably far too warm for summer so spring/ autumn clothing, so perfect for making just now when the daffs are coming out. Hopefully it will stay around 10DegC for the next few weeks and I may even get to wear these to go somewhere.

They are worn with my top which is upcycled - kind of. Or at least "updated".

 

Its now a kind of long top/ mini dress:

Probably best right now with leggings but this has potential as a dress when it does evenyually warm up a bit. When I made this, I made it the same as several similar tops, but this one just did not work. The hems kept rolling over - wrists, hem etc, so I have now added ribbing to them and it does seem to have solved the problem. Since I love this fabric and the style its good to make it work at last. Though I do wish I had actually lined the hood. usually with this pattern I do but I decided the grey inside was OK. That was a mistake I think. Its kind of slippy which stops the hood working.  Does not matter too much and its too much hassle to completed take it to bits to add a lining, so we will see if I can live with that. Its much improved now I think anyway.

 

This top also had a pull cord in the neck which I decided I could not get on with so that went and was replaced with a proper hem. Sewn single stitched though so not with a stretch stitch, so I will see if it lasts. The original top before alteration is here:

 

You can even see the rolling hems in the original photo. It got so annoying when worn I just stopped wearing this top. I found I was constatly fiddling with the wrists and hems. Otherwise I think this is still a good top and hopefully now I will wear it. I like it much better now and it would be a shame to just recycle this because I like the fabric very much. So far I have worn it twice without problems so I am hoping I sorted this one out. 

AND I also nearly cleared the massive pile of repairs and upcycling that seems to build up on my sewing table. Much of which I have to say is not even my own mending. Its been this way since I was in my 20s. Girl has sewing machine, therefore she will fix everyone elses clothes for them. I do not mind as it goes, but recently the pile got so large I was really put off even doing any sewing at all. Except for my very much ongoing coat its all gone now so I am ready for a new challenge at last.  

I do feel I have not yet really got back into my sewing after Christmas and New Year and being nearly March thats not good.The Egg basket has helped me a little, but its like I just cannot quite get my mind into sewing.

Having got to the end of repairs on other peoples clothing, I upcycled my old red dress into a new skirt. I love this but my partner hates it so we will see how it goes with wearing it. Sometimes ( very occasionally!) he is right. 

 I thought the fur was a great idea but maybe it would be better on a heavier weighted fabric but the available upcycle was this stretch red skirt made from a dress that never worked out right -------Oh ages ago now. In fact you can see how much the blog has changed when you see those old photos!

This "skirt" is not new. I made a really badly fitting and rubbish dress back in 2016. Its sat in my wardrobe being hardly worn since. I suppose really I hung onto this because it was such an early make and at the start when I made this, it was worn, but as time passed its just been there taking up room. I could not bring myself to chuck this. I should have. Then about a year ago I cut the top off. I wore it with an unfinished waist several times as a skirt and so it had to remain taking up room.  Then a few days ago I got inspired to add the fur trim to the hem. And because I liked it I also actually added elastic to the waist and its become a proper skirt.

I think maybe I pulled the elastic slightly unevenly? 

Still it will not be seen and it does look ok when worn.

Its worn with my jumper. And I feel they go very well together.

The the other thing I got round to was I unpicked the first sock ------------here is what I have now...........

 

So sad!

But my second sock is coming along nicely and I will redo this one later once I finish that one. I actually cast on this sock again the other night but thats all so far. I will finish sock two first then redo sock one. 

It took me two evenings to get it undone because I never spread my yarn over more than a couple of stitches and I weave it in all the time. That makes it very neat on the reverse but it turns out to be absolute hell unpicking it like that. I never had to unpick so much before. Anyway now its just 3 balls of yarn.

But it will be remade!

Other than that I messed up the welt pockets on my coat. I sewed one onto the front of the pocket and the other onto the back! So useless at welt pockets! I cannot get away with leaving them as they are so have to take them appart again which inevitably means one will end up larger than the other. Or thats what happened the last time I did this!

I think I can sort them but we will see. I am really in need of a course actually on making welt pockets. I avoid them usually, but decided the challenge was good. Hopefully I will actually get the coat eventually and not just abandon this.  It would be such a waste of decent fabric to throw it away. Its going to have mismatched pockets as it is but I can live with that. I do need to do something about making welt pocket things though. I need to learn properly from someone and preferably in a proper class not on you tube etc. I need the face to face for this one. I might with a bit of luck get to show you the actual coat next week. Its my aim to get this one finished so I can wear it.

Otherwise, I have a now cleared sewing pile and I am inspired at last to get something made off my New Years list - and that does include the coat!

Have a great week and thanks for popping by and its really time to be visiting a few of other peoples blogs. Isn't the internet wonderful really that we are able to do this so easily. And to know and interact with people from all over our lovely planet. Amazing!

Take care lovelies,

Bracken