Blue velvet Puffed sleeve Burda top

 

This is my third version of this particular top and I very much like the first two hence I decided to make another. Well actually this is an exact copy of my original burn out velvet outfit I made last year but the skirt is yet to be completed. I have cut it out and its pinned together but the sewing needs finishing off etc.

The fabric is lovely burned out velvet fabric in navy blue tiger stripes. Bargain price too. But absolute hell to sew. It slips and moves and then catches on the foot bed. The overlocker hated it, the machine hated it. The hems are rubbish ( and roll!) but its hard to tell. I know though, but no point unpicking them because I would likely reck the delicate fabric and even if I managed to unpick I suspect I cannot make a better job of sewing this stuff. Maybe a band of ribbing on the bottom of the top would work better but it would not give the look I wanted.

Had no idea I had such bad VPL till seeing this photo!!! 

Ah well!

You can also see my dodgy hemming in this photo. I decided not to unpick due to the hard to see fabric/ stitching and its so delicate I will likely wreck the top. Also in all honesty I do not expect I can do better if I resew. This fabric is just so difficult to sew up. The edges roll as you sew. In fact you name what can go wrong when sewing a stretch fabric and this stuff does it! Its certainly not a beginner fabric except for the price because at £2 a meter you could realistically buy several metres and by the time you get it sewn you would be really good at sewing I think. The large quantity would also ensure you actually got an outfit from it. Its so tempting to buy more. Its so lovely but its also so awful to sew up. I think this could also make a really nice mesh curtain though!

The leggings don't look so see through at the front! They are also fleece lined so I am surprised at my horrible back view. 

You can see the top of the puffed sleeves here. They are made in two parts so you have a short puffed sleeve with a long cuff.

This top takes a very small amount of fabric because when I made top 2 had only 1m of the troll fabric and I actually also made a child's top from some left overs so its a great pattern if you have either offcuts or a single metre to go at. I am already looking through my stashed fabric to make another top in this pattern. More on that, maybe, if I get round to it.  Its a nice top to wear though and has extra long sleeves which I like. Yes, you can lengthen sleeves but its nice to not have to remember I want to.

Hopefully, I will get the skirt finished soon because I am loathe to wear the top alone and wear it out and its turned out so lovely I really want the matching skirt.

The fabric is still available last time I looked from Pound Fabrics and is just £2 a metre. You have to buy 3m though but to make this (outfit with matching skirt) I need almost all of it. But then £6 for an outfit that I think will be really special is a real bargain. There is a small bit left which would make another top or vest but I daredn't cut it until I find out the skirt works.  I would hate to cut it then need to recut a part of the skirt and not have the fabric for that when I need it and so ruin a garment. It has happened to me before!

But I would buy this top if I saw it for sale and did not make my own clothes and I would pay lots for it because its really that nice. I like a lot of what I make but this top really has turned out to be a bit special.

But this particular fabric is so hard to sew it will be a relief to get the skirt sewn up. I am actually apprehensive to start to sew it in case I ruin it. I do not intend to buy more of this stuff despite how much I like it and the bargain price. I did consider buying more when it arrived and was so lovely but really I do not have the skills for this fabric. I have scraped in with a very nice but imperfect top and I am happy with that but I do not think I will risk trying any more difficult clothes from this fabric. I will just move on to something in a fabric that is (hopefully) easier to sew.

I will hopefully finish the skirt in the next couple of days and then see how it looks. I have high hopes.

Have a lovely week and thanks for popping by and visiting my blog,

Bracken

#WinterHavenKAL child's socks finished

These are my finished child's socks using the Spring greens Winwick Mum yarn and the Winwick Mum free child's socks pattern. And I am very pleased with how they have turned out.

I have not blocked these as yet but I will do because they are a gift.

I probably also have enough Spring greens yarn left to make some adult sized socks which I will do at some point. Though first I need to finish my half knitted socks using Shafpate yarn. 

I think the colour was Kim but I lost my yarn label so I cannot be certain. It was from Wool Warehouse.

After my KAL last year took me so long I decided to have a break from these but I am intending to finish the second sock next and then I have a child's jumper I need to finish. 

The Shafpate socks are also knitted to the Winwick Mum  free basic sock pattern. So still kind of fits with the KAL although it's in a different yarn.

Have a lovely week and thanks for visiting my blog,

Bracken

Track pants with elastic ankles

I keep seeing track suit trousers with elastic ankles in high street shops. 

Well, I fancied a pair, so I decided to use the last of my grey glitter sweat-shirting to make some. That way my existing grey glitter tops will match which gives me 3 pairs of trousers and two tops. Since I also have two dresses that's lots if choices of garments in the same fabric so great wardrobe staples.

The pattern is actually the same Lekala Sports trousers pattern as my other two pairs so it's a cheat really but gathering in the ankles with elastic does totally change the look. I did not really want to change the others because I like them as they are so I just made a third pair. It also coincides with the cold snap we are having in England when its actually minus 6 degrees C when writing this!

Beats the usual rain, however!

They are worn here with my prototype grey top that I finished a few weeks ago. I really want another of these but it took me a year to finish the thing. I love it though and am wearing it a lot.

These trousers are totally different in style to their predecessors, despite being the same pattern with s few cm added to the length. I am actually not so sure I needed to add any length because they came out a bit long. The Elastic ankles stops it being a problem but I might not bother with the next pair if I make another. They also came out narrower than expected. Well no they are not actually narrower but they seem to have a more narrow, slim leg look than I expected. I don't mind just I did not expect that. The previous pairs ( of which there are loads going back years because I love this pattern) are all almost flared. Its obviously the effect of the elastic but I just never thought they would look narrow.

Elastic ankles are made by adding about 4cm and turning under. Then thread Elastic. Though next time I will sew in my ankle elastic the way I sew in my waist elastic to stop it turning over and becoming uncomfortable. I never considered it before so just made a channel this time. Still my sewing is a process of learnimg. Thats really the point, and I pretty much learn something every time I attempt it even when its a pattern I have made before. It certainly makes life more interesting than just going to a shop and purchasing something and of course I seem to make much, much more than I would dream of buying yet spend the same or maybe a little less. Ideally I want to write that I also make quality garments. Sometimes I do, but often I just make nice stuff I want to wear, or I make something to see how it is made. I do though also make a few very well made items  that I could not afford to buy, and I also find I make things I just would not buy - like dresses. I have not bought a dress since I was in my early 20s yet in the last few years I have made quite a few and I have a couple on my mind to make right now. And I have worn and enjoyed them.That does mean I wear more interestingly (is that a word?) than I would if I bought everything.

Elastic waistband with sewn down elastic. Pockets! Unfortunately, the camera caught something hanging out of one pocket but it does prove they work!

Anyway this is a really simple pattern change but makes for a completely different silhouette.

Have a great week and thanks for popping by my blog,

Bracken

Winter Haven KAL socks one completed

This is my first child's sock completed last night.

I have just cast on for sock 2

it's getting dark now so it will start to get cold so in the next hour or so I will have to move to the lounge but first I thought I would show you my favourite knitting corner in the conservatory. Complete with fairy lights

and what's left of my chocolate brazils

Not that I have many left.

Have a lovely weekend

Bracken 

Socks update

This is as far as I have got with sock one. I did no knitting yesterday and today is day 7 of knitting.

I am about to do the toes today now so sock one may get finished today- if I am lucky.

Take care

Bracken

Winwick Mum Winter Haven KAL 2025

This years Winter Haven KAL pattern looks wonderful. However you have to attend to your own family's needs first. I do mean needs though not wants right now. 

This is one of my "haven spots" At night I retreat in doors to the lounge because its cold and we have a wood burner. In the day I am in my lovely light conservatory complete with strands of fairy lights left up from Christmas.

Unfortunately I left the light on to take the photo and you cannot see much other than glare but its the only current photo. I may try to take another this evening. Though that may not include my faithful Roger who was keeping me company when I took this. I took this on Saturday evening which was day 2 for me of the KAL.

There is a new free pattern for the KAL but right now I am knitting something else. Though its still socks. One member of my family desperately needs a pair of warm Winter socks so I decided I will knit them first. 

I am still taking part in the KAL though, because its still a Winwick  Mum pattern and it's Winwick Mum yarn. The colour is Spring green and it's my first time using it. I can definitely say I will be buying more in the colour though and if there is enough left I will have a go at another pair of adult socks in the mosaic pattern. I think I may have enough left over for that and my last pair are worn very thin.   I am not sure about this as yet but its a way to use up this lovely green yarn. 

Above you can see one of this child's blue socks that I knitted for him last summer. Due to our cold weather he really needs a second pair. Its surprised me how much he loves these!

There will probably not be enough of this green yarn to do the new KAL pattern but it doesn't matter because I finished the 2024 KAL in June so I will just keep knitting and see how it goes. I Think a mosaic pattern will make me a lovely pair of socks and use my current yarn up and I do not really mind if I complete the new pattern later and if I am honest it will challenge me so I will probably take over a month to knit that so the KAL will be over then anyway. There is really no reason not to continue knitting socks after the end of this KAL. I also may not use Winwick Mum yarn for it because I have lots of other brands and not much Winwick Mum. It turns out I have tons of stashed WYS yarn but its not Winwick Mum. 

So far I feel I am doing OK with the child's socks because I turned the heel of sock one last night which was day 3 so I am hopeful to possibly get 2 pairs of socks knitted this January. One adult pair and this child's pair and now suddenly my partner has jumped on the warm hand knit socks bandwagon so I am pledged suddenly ( unexpectedly because he usually does not like knits of any kind) to knit a pair for him.

Still best not to get ahead of myself! 

So here I am on day 4 of the KAL. I have not yet knitted anything today, but I am at home so assuming nothing crops up, I intend to get knitting soon as possible after writing this post. I will let you know how it progresses.

Have a brilliant week and thanks for popping by

Take care and keep warm,

Bracken

New Year Body Scrub recipe

 

Well it seems my sewing mojo has just gone right down and I have sewn nothing at all for the last several days. I have cut out a skirt and top, and the jeans I was on about in my last post, but thats it I am afraid.

On top of that I have seriously dry skin - everywhere! so I decided I need to do something about that and so this is not a post about sewing at all, but instead about making a very easy cosmetic. 

So here you will read how I have made a rather nice natural salt-based body scrub.

I made several of these previously when I was writing ( my first book). That was when I was experimenting and making all sorts of interesting stuff and really enjoying myself in what was then my work. But instead of just using the recipe in my book I decided it would be far more fun to just make a totally new version. I have made the vanilla recipe hundreds of times so new year, new recipe. 

At one time I wrote for two DIY cosmetics magazines and I also ran a cosmetics business which really was a soap business that expanded into other products like bath bombs, body butters, moisturisers and even eco-soya candles though there are no candle recipes as yet in either of the existing books. 

For the record, I am not an aromatherapist but just a soap maker with a bit of experience of making this kind of product. So I am very careful with essential oils and not qualified to prescribe so please do not ask me about essential oils. I am not at all the right person. Well, I am actually a chemical engineer by training, so I used to do this kind of thing during my work in the R&D lab for a very well known cosmetics manufacturer as well and then when I progressed in my career it seemed I became more desk based which was a shame and I missed the R&D so much that I started to make cosmetics at home. Later when I started my business, I was approached at a festival and asked to write a column for a magazine and thats how I came to write books. 

Anyway thats my background and why every now and then I just feel a huge need to do a bit of basic chemistry. And this really is an easy one. There is no actual reaction to take place and in this particular case I am just going to give you my very basic ingredients which you should most likely have available in your kitchen, and tell you how to make a body scrub.

Now you can use nice things for this kind of product like rock salt or himalayan salt which makes the end product very pretty but I had none of these, and just wanted some instant gratification and to make something nice right now rather than go shopping so you do not actually need anything special to make this, but it might look nicer if you were for example giving it as a present, to go out and buy some specialty ingredients and maybe a nice container as well. 

I just used a tupperware because that will work fine to keep it in when I want to use this in the shower. I can just grab a handful and use as I want it. So you can upgrade this recipe as you wish - or just make it as I have, for your own use for a bit of home made pampering. And of course you know exactly what you will be putting in it, so it has no hidden nasties. 

Anyway, to make this you need salt, some kind of light oil and if you want, some kind of essential oil. 

My salt was common cooking salt from my kitchen cupboard, so pretty much available wherever you are and in all honesty will work just as well as anything more fancy. Table salt will work but it has extra added ingredients to stop it sticking together in lumps. Cooking salt is just 100% salt.

It just looks nicer when written on packaging if its rock salt or himalayan salt. Here the salt is just an exfoliant. Also as an aside if you prefer you can use a mix of sugar and salt which will be more gentle on the skin. If you want to use this on the face I would probably have around 75% sugar to 25% salt or even all sugar but thats something to have a play with if you want to.

I used a mix of sweet almond oil, grapeseed oil, and fractionated (so liquid) coconut oil. They are all used as massage oils and I had them in the cupboard, but really if you do not have any of these you can make this with ordinary kitchen sunflower oil as well. Olive will also work but it will be slightly heavier because its more viscous, and it makes the bath/shower slippy so be careful if you choose olive oil. If you have any you could also use jojoba oil. Jojoba is what is known as hygroscopic ( it attracts moisture to the skin) so it makes a really good ingredient for soaps, moisurisers and similarly body scrubs. I just went with equal amounts of the three oils though because I have them available.

First you will need a container for mixing. I used a tupperware since it had high sides making it less messy when stirring and was available, and I left my product in this for storage as well which makes this experiment even easier. It also reduced the clean-up!

Add the quantity of salt you want. I never bothered to measure this because its just a "bucket " experiment right now and I do not care because I just want lots of body scrub. It does not actually matter if you have 25g or 250g because its the consistency you make the body scrub that matters and different oils have different viscosity so you need to work this out by stirring. 

Once the salt is in the mixing container you then add your oil.  I never bothered to take a photo of the salt in the bowl because : well its just a pile of white salt. 

Add the oil, Now add this slowly, and stir it in until you get a thick mixture, because you ideally want to waste as little of this as possible and you do not yet know if you will like your product so smaller is probably better the first time you make this.

You need a pretty thick mix.

It will separate when you stop mixing and you will get a thin top covering of your oil over the salt as it settles. You can just about see this in the corners of the container above. You do not need loads of spare oil on top. Its the right consistency when you stir again and the oil seems to disappear but as soon as you stop stirring it appears back on top. Thats how you know you have the correct amount. Having said that though if you do add too much it will still work when you scoop it out because you will just leave the excess behind so its virtually impossible to go wrong with this recipe. If you add too much oil you can just add some more salt. Its that easy!

Stir the extra salt in if you choose to add more. It does need to be very well mixed. Once you are sure its about the right consistency - so a thick mixture when you stir it - then you can add a few drops of essential oils if you want them. This works just as well without them.. 

Now also please note that you really do only need a couple of drops of any essential oil. I used one drop of sweet orange and one drop of lime essential oil and I have around 500g of salt in my mix. 

Once the body scrub has been made and you decide its the right consistency, if you like decant your new hand made body scrub into a pretty jar and label it. Now it will make a lovely gift for a friend or for you.  

Enjoy!

Please note this recipe is used at your own risk and I take no responsibility for any adverse effects. You can be allergic to anything, but assuming you are using a salt and an oil you have in your home the chances are you will not be allergic and if you use the minimum of essential oil you should be fine. If using the body scrub on the face then I would stick with either no essential oil or something ultra gentle like lavender. If you have any adverse reaction to your body scrub then please stop using it and please see a doctor. 

Have a lovely week and hopefully by my next post I will have done some actual sewing.

Take care and thanks for popping over to my blog,

Bracken 

Happy New Year 2025!

Happy New Year!

Well as I usually do I during the Christmas holiday period,  I have spent the last few days of 2024 looking through my old pattern magazines so I can decide on a plan of action for my 2025 sewing. 

My main aim is to make as many patterns from unused Burdas as possible because I have a huge number that have never been used. And Patrones and some very unusual magazines I seem to own and have never used. AND importantly since we will at some point in the next couple of years move house use as much stashed fabric as I can and add as little as possible. The adding as little as possible part should be easy since my income has plummeted the last year or so, so I no longer have spare cash for anything really. I do though have loads of stashed fabric.

I do have a few plans from last year that I never achieved and although one of these dresses was on my last three years lists!!!! I still definitely want to make this dress - well both these dresses actually 

and I have fabric to make them although the silver fabric I bought for the one dress got used to make my surfing dress last summer. I do not regret that. Its a lovely summer dress.

I also bought some very cheap orange tiger striped jersey that I really want to use but so far have no idea what to make with that. I thought loungwear but having treated myself to the November copy of Burda style ( as my Christmas present to myself) which arrived yesterday I now think I might make something from that magazine with this. Yes I am really not meant to be buying more mags but there is a dress in this one I really want to make. Its a strange dress in that its sort of sportswear with mitts but has chiffon sleeves and it just appeals to me. I bought the mag just to make this dress but in fact there are loads of designs I want to make. Its also a big thing because I have not bought a Burda since January 2019 but this particular mag just caught my eye so I gave it myself for Christmas.

So thats already 3 dresses on my list which in all honesty is probably enough for a whole year for me. 

And the possible loungewear in orange tiger stripes. 

But then I found this outfit online from H&M. The orange tiger fabric is too light weight so it wouldn't work for this but I have some velboa and I think that would work.

These are actually knitted in a mohair mix but faux fur would give a similar and very warm version I think.

 I had to screen shot from the web because they do not let you do it in their app, but since I am crediting them I do not expect there to be any copywrite issues! I hope!

If I wrote a book or a scientific article so long as I cited where the images came from I should be ok so I assume the same is true here. If not I will take these photos down. 

Anyway I have loads of velboa faux fur fabric in black and white fur tiger stripe and this outfit has inspired me to make a skirt and top. Not identical to these because I want either a peplum jacket or another like my red top which is a Burda top I had on last years to-do list and I did make this and I like it a lot so would like another. I already considered a second one in this fur fabric and now I saw the H&M outfit I am even keener to do that but a peplum jacket would also work so I have yet to make a decision. 

With regards to the skirt I want a certain steam punk skirt I made a few times because it would work really well in this faux fur velboa fabric. The green coated cotton skirt below is another version of the same skirt though looking at that photo that did not fit so well or it was hitched up at time of taking photos. I have worn that loads and its always been fine otherwise so could just be that photo. Anyway its a favourite TNT pattern so thats the one I intend to have a go at for this look. It has an elastic waist and fishtail hem (High low) and I have enjoyed wearing several previous versions of that pattern so I will go with a safe pattern for this fabric because its far too expensive a fabric to take a risk on. Hence also I will more than likely make the red top again rather than test a new pattern for a peplum jacket. I do want to make a peplum jacket but possibly I should do it in a cheaper fabric for my first attempt. Especially since I made such a mess of the last peplum jacket I attempted to make. That was a few years ago but it still sticks in my memory as a major disaster and a waste of nice fabric.

The red top was on last years list so I can tick that one off.

Then I have a half finished coat which I need to finish. This is the Burda Pattern for it. It was on last years list so thats an almost.............
I really need to get this one finished for my own well being!

The only other achievement from last years list was this sweatshirt and I would like another of these because its lovely to wear so I am intending to make a second one of these. 

And then I spent the last 10 days looking for some flared trousers to make. 

I bought this Butterick jeans pattern to make up an order so I got free postage. That was probably 8-10 years ago. I thought, well a jeans pattern can't really be a mistake but in all honesty I had zero desire to sew jeans. 

But over this Christmas holiday being unable to sew has meant I have been looking at my extensive hoard of pattern mags. 

There are certain fabrics in my stash I particularly want to use this year one of which is a rather nice khaki stretch needlecord.

I have 2m of this. I started off thinking of 70s Burdas because I have loads of 70s Burdas and I want to make some winter weight flares. 

I made a few pairs of flares over the last couple of years but always by bodging the same free pattern which is really for yoga pants. My flares have all worked and been wearable but I reckon I could do better, so I spent days looking through my magazines only to realise that 1970s women were apparently much bigger than me ( I am child sized!!!! - and honestly |I am not that small by modern standards! There are loads of women smaller than I am. I consider myself average) and most of the patterns come in one size only unlike the current modern Burda magazine patterns that are all multi-sized. On top of this it would seem they did not require pockets! 

I never knew women's 70's trousers have no pockets! I suppose its a sexist thing where women then had no money of their own?? Though its actually not so very long ago!

Well. I don't mind making clothes with no pockets but I do like pockets in my jeans and I cannot conceive of flared trousers in corduroy with no pockets of any kind. 

Then I remembered this pattern so I found it out from it's storage (most of my sewing stuff is in storage due to a very small house and we had intended to move to a different country. For now the move us on hold for family reasons but the stuff remains stored in the hopes we eventually get it sorted. )

So my aim today is sort out the right pattern pieces and work out the best way to get them out of this piece of fabric and to see if this is going to work. Thats what the cans of food are for. I use them as weights when cutting out. It means I can have weights and do not need space to store them!

My fabric measures 140cm wide. The pattern is for 160cm or 115cm. I only have 2m buy hopefully this will fit and I can make some flared trousers- with pockets. So I am hoping for the rest of today that I can get these trousers cut out and then I am off to begin my sewing for 2025.

Other than these projects I really want to get back to having time to not only write my own bog posts but also to have time to visits more blogs because in the last 3 months thats been a real problem because life just got so busy its been crazy so I am really keeping my makes to-do list pretty small because I want to aim for more than just sewing for this year. 

I expect there will be loads more random makes during the year as well but hopefully keeping this list small will give me the incentive to get sewing again which I always find difficult after Christmas. 

Ah and one last aim, The Winwick Mum sock along will start soon so I shall pop over there next and see what is going on because that is something I do want to take part in because it really is fun to do.

Thanks for visiting my blog and I hope you have a wonderful, healthy, happy and productive 2025.

Take care,

Bracken