Pleated Trousers

Here's a little project I've been working on - the Pleated Pants (Trousers) by Papercut Patterns.

First I'd like to say how much I like Papercut Patterns - not only do they have an excellent range of sewing patterns, but they also have a sustainable angle, with a goal to use 100% recycled and recyclable products.  As they say on their website "A good quality, well made garment can last a lifetime, so lets keep our earth alive long enough to appreciate our craftsmanship". I coudn't agree more.

Although I seem to have cut the pattern a size too big for me (me, make a muslin?  I don't think so!), the trousers still worked out quite flattering.  I think you can get away with 'a bit too big' in black.  Papercut pattern instructions are very well written and extremely easy to follow.  I thought sewing trousers would be a bit of a challenge for me (zip? fly? lined waistband?) but in reality they were actually quite easy to make.  Unlike many patterns I've made recently, I didn't have any "you want me to put what where?" moments.  The pieces all fit together amazingly well - even the waistband seams and side trouser seams match!  That never happens for me - at least, not without an amount of swearing and unpicking.

I'm really pleased with these - they will become a staple in both my work and casual wardrobe.  I'd really like to make another pair - this time the right size - and in another colour.  Any suggestions?

Cute boots!

Check out these cute boots!  I made them for a work friend who is going on maternity leave soon (or rather, I made them for the little one who will be arriving next month).  I saw this pattern on the lovely (and also expecting) Veronica Darling's Pinterest board and knew that my friend would like them, so I picked up the pattern from I Think Sew and whipped them up last weekend.

I chose a maroon corduroy and grey felt from my stash (I figured the felt would be extra soft and cozy for baby toes).  The boots open and close with velcro, which I suspect is much easier than fiddling around with buttons when it comes to little people, and the buttons on the outside are decorative.

It's such a cute pattern, and with a few of my friends due to have babies soon, I suspect it will get good use!

Cropped Jacket

You can all be very proud of me... I got myself over my sewing 'hump' and finished my cropped jacket.

I bought this pattern from Salme Patterns a few weeks back, and bought two types of fabric to try it in.  One, a heavy blue-ish grey fabric with a bit of stretch and a bit of sparkle, and the other a purpley jersey.  I started with the former, happily cutting and sewing, thinking to myself "this is too easy!  I'll have this finished in a couple of hours!"

Alas, I got caught on a tricky bit of the pattern - a mitred corner in the front of the lapel.  The instructions were like reading origami ("you want me to put which bit where?" "this doesn't look like the picture!") so I took the pattern and half finished jacket along to Browls (otherwise known as "stitchy night") to ask some fellow stitchers.  Between three of us we were able to figure it out, and thankfully I came home and finished the jacket.  Really, this was the only tricky element, and the rest of the pattern was quite simple to read.

The jacket itself has come together very well - look at how nicely the shoulder sits with the lapel and all.  I think it will get worn for work and play, which is something I have been wanting more of in my wardrobe recently.

Leggings for winter

There's nothing more comfy and easy to wear in winter than leggings.  I needed to boost my casual winter wardrobe, so I bought three types of fabric for making leggings.

Now you're probably thinking that leggings are not a very exciting sewing adventure to be blogging about, however I did draft the pattern myself from an existing pair of leggings.  There is an element of risk in doing this, because you need to be sure that the stretch of both the original leggings and the new fabric are the same, or could end up with one tight pair of pants!

With my first draft of the pattern I made this black pair. They weren't perfect but were definitely wearable.  So I tweaked the pattern a bit and then used the new pattern to make this patterned pair.

 I quite like the fun colours in this pair.  The fit was better, but still needed a bit more tweaking.  Then with the final changes I made this silvery grey pair.

And there you have it - three new pairs of leggings, and a self-drafted pattern to hold onto for future legging making.  I guarantee these will get good wear this winter!

All moved in

So we are all moved in to our new home!  Yay!

 We’ve been spending the last few weeks doing the final bits and pieces of the unpacking and putting the finishing touches on the house.  I’ve also been cooking lots of lovely warm wintery dishes (I splurged and bought a cast iron cooking pot, which is being used every weekend at the moment), knitting my slow socks, and generally snuggling up on the couch.  That’s what winter is all about, right?

Of course, I was itching to use my sewing machine as soon as it was unpacked, so I whipped up a table runner and cushion covers, as our previous cushion covers were old, faded and didn’t match at all.  So here is the first glimpse of the new house – even if it is just the dining table.  It is tucked under the stairwell which leads upstairs.

We’ve been getting LOADS of mandarins in our veggie co-op delivery, being citrus season and all.  I’m not much of a mandarin eater.  Any suggestions for good mandarin recipes?  Has anyone successfully made mandarin jam/marmalade?

Skirt to top refashion

I bought this skirt at Vinnies for $7 about a year ago.  It was miles too big for me, but I LOVED the design and figured that there must be enough fabric in it to come up with something fun.

Well, as I was cleaning up recently I found the skirt again, and decided it was a well overdue for a  refashion.  I decided to make a top using a McCalls pattern that I've used a few times before.

Somehow I failed to notice that the skirt was made with lots of cut panels, which meant it was really hard to get a solid piece of fabric all in one lot.  I somehow made use of the seams and panels though and it all worked out ok.

The design on the fabric makes me think of the curtains in a Swedish summer home.  Did I mention I'm obsessed with Swedish summer homes lately?  I have been checking out loads of them online and their cute interiors.  Oh to have a Swedish summer home!

The design is also a bit swingin' 60s so here's my instagram-ish shot.  Note my impression of 60s style dancing.

Jolly good fun.

Stitchy night

Recently I held Stitchy night at my house.  A bunch of lovely lasses came over and brought their stitchy projects, yummy snacks and fun conversation.

There was some machine-type stitching...

...wine, cheese and dips...

...lots of great knitting...

 and even some finished products!  Look at those cute kiddy trousers!

Me, I cast on something new (but didn't get very far - I blame the wine, and the cheese, and the chatting).  Such a good night!

Stripey times

A recent visit to a country op-shop turned out to be very fruitful with some very excellent - and very inexpensive - fabric found.  Amongst this was two pieces of stripey jersey - which is pretty much gold if you ask me!

I spent my Easter weekend whipping up some stripey goodness.  The navy and white striped singlet, and the red and white striped dress/long shirt.

Both were made using this very simple pattern, plus Beth's fail-safe jersey binding method (cut the binding piece 4/5 of the length of your neckline).

I'm calling this one my 'Where's Wally?' dress.  Ironically, boyfriend said that I stand out in this dress and that it is really easy to find me in a crowd.  Nevermind, I love it, and it will get loads of wear.

Every little girl needs a bunny

Hello, is someone in there?

*Clears throat* ah, hello, yes, it's me.

Oh... hi.  Who's there?

It's me, Easter Bunny.  I was just having a little nap in this tin. What time is it?

Hi Easter Bunny!  I'm glad I woke you, you've got a busy day ahead of you delivering eggs.

 
Oh dear, I'd better hop to it! Thanks Stitchybritt!  See you soon!

When I was a little girl I was obsessed with bunnies.  I loved their sweet little faces and twitchy little noses (ok, so not much has changed).  So with my new little baby niece being born, how could I resist making her a simple, cuddly bunny?

This bunny was made using this pattern.  She really is perfect for tiny hands to grab onto.

It's very rare that I'm make something so 'girly'.  All the pink gingham and lace - it's really not me.  But a newborn niece is the best excuse for making all those ridiculously cute things you never thought you would be able to make.  Expect this sort of silliness to continue.

 

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Just a quick update on my year without plastic packaging.  Generally saying, all is going well.  We are still baking our own bread and making our own yoghurt.  We are making lots of homemade dips.  We are buying butter in paper instead of margarine in plastic tubs, and opting for cheese that comes in foil wrap or wax instead of plastic.

My one downfall - which I am yet to overcome - is in-flight meals.  I have been doing quite a bit of travel for work lately, and of course aeroplane meals are some of the most overpackaged meals there are!  Individually packaged portions, water in plastic, plastic knife and fork in a plastic packet of it's own.  Eeek!  I haven't planned ahead well enough to take my own packed lunches on the plane yet, but I will have to find a way to do this soon.  Any suggestions?  Have you ever taken your own food on a plane?

Beer pants

Lots of bloggy people have been making knickers lately.  Pip's been making them, Veronica's been making them, and so I thought it was high time I had a go.

I've actually been meaning to make my own pants for a while, but it wasn't until I was packing for a trip away recently and could only find two pairs of knickers to pack that I thought that I'd better hop to it!

 

In true refashion style, I started with an old shirt of boyfriend's advertising the beer brand Beerlao (yes!  he gave me permission to cut up one of his old shirts!).  I used an old, seen-better-days pair of knickers to make a pattern.  Three simple pieces (front, back and gusset) and I was away...

So easy - just overlock the side seams and the gusset in place.  Turn the leg openings under and zigzag stitch.  Cut elastic to size, join, pin in place under turned-under waist and zigzag stitch in place.

There you have it!  Two new, easy, comfy pairs of pants.  Beer pants, no less.

Party time!

Last night friends of ours had a housewarming party, and at the last minute I decided to whip up some sewn gift bags to give some small gifts in.

I took some blocks of fabric from my stash and shaped them into little tote style bags.  One would be a plain flat carry bag with handles, the other a round-base bag for carrying a bottle of wine.  The fabric with birds and trees was kindly given to me by Nikkishell.  The print says 'home sweet home' - perfect for housewarming party gifts!

Very simple, but a nice handmade touch and I'm glad I made the effort (even if I was rushing to finish them off 10 minutes before other friends showed up at the door to come with us to the party).

 

And what went into the bags?  Homemade pickles and sauce of course!

Nifty gifties

If you know me, you will know that I will rarely let a birthday slip by without a handmade gift.  Let's be honest - none of us really need more stuff, so I'm unlikely to go out and spend a mint on gifts.  Instead, I go out and spend a mint on crafty supplies.  Well, not always, but when it's my Mum's birthday I'm willing to make the exception : )

I bought this woven silk fabric from a specialty fabric store in Sydney.  It was not cheap!  Hence, I was afraid to cut into it at first - one small slip with the scissors could have ended in disaster.  Thankfully it all turned out ok - I used Burdastyle's Sarah pattern to make this jacket/cape/bolero.  It's lovely and snuggly for when the autumny weather starts to settle in.

I only got to take a few quick photos before wrapping it up to be posted to my Mum.  And she loves it! I think it's a winner!

Gardening gloves

My dear old gardening gloves had finally done their dash, opening up with holes and cracks in the well-worn fabric.

Before throwing them out, I cut them up to make a pattern out of the pieces.  I then traced the pattern onto some scraps of sturdy fabric and stitched them together.  And here you have it... brand new gardening gloves!

The stitching is a bit rough on the inside, but for their purpose, they are totally fine.

And here's the action shot.  I thought I would attempt growing rosemary from cuttings - I read that if you cut them, take off the bottom third of leaves, dip the stem in honey and poke it in the ground they will develop roots and grow.  I actually planted these little ones two weeks ago - two are a bit bendy looking but two seem to be doing fine.  If I get two rosemary plants out of it, I'll be happy!