Whole Lotta Love for My New Skirt

Finished, skirt Simplicity 2215 in Lotta  Jansdotter 'Echo' Dusted Plum Florine and I am very happy with it.  I made the waist band wider but other wise unchanged from my test run version.

Nice details include irregular pleats- the sizes and directions vary, capacious pockets,

plus a contrast lining of mustard yellow- the egg dot print from Hoodies Morning Call range for Blank Quilting- I would love some more of this, if you know where I can find it please let me know!

I made the finished waistband an inch taller

and a pleated and frayed fringe edge on the hem.  It makes me feel like a lady, I have already ordered another print in navy so maybe I repeat this one, or maybe pastures new.  If you like the hem I have written a tutorial telling you how to do it here.

Busy week this week, Candy Cane paper pieced pattern will go on sale Thursday and there is a lot going on at home too, award evening thing with Lula, Ikea delivery, more kitchen fitting and I had 10 head injections yesterday- some weeks seem to pack a month's activity into 7 days.

(**edited to add**)

 I have these injections every 6 months to help prevent migraine- I am fine, i don't mind needles at all, it is just a lot in one go and it makes head/neck sore for a while, it is worth it.

And if you fancy the skirt pattern, it is relatively easy but there is a side concealed zipper which combines with the pocket- hmm, quite tricky that bit, otherwise OK.  If you haven't made a skirt before, I fully recommend Anna's recent sew-a-long for a similar style which is a great first skirt project.

Tea and Towels

I recently had the offer of a couple of tea towels to review from Al at all-tea-towels.co.uk/.  Now I like tea and I like towels- fight! Sorry a  Harry Hill  reference which may be unintelligible outside the UK.  I love this beautifully bold, red screen print on organic unbleached cotton.

I particularly like the A.  There is a t print similar towel here that I was very taken with.

This tea towel is a reproduction of a furnishing fabric designed by J Felman and produced by David Whitehead ltd- a textiles giant of the 1950s and beyond.  

As well as the luscious atomic style print there are some nice details on this towel, I like the border and the hanging grommet is a very useful feature...

Couldn't resist trying a bit of styling with vintage pyrex.

You can find both of these designs and other cotton/linen tea towels  here and Al has offered you a 10% discount  with a discount code of 10

 Who doesn't love a bargain?

Showcase-one more

Let's hit the slopes! November Cocorico Bee block for Krista, originally uploaded by {Leila} Where Orchids Grow.

Oh wow, I just have to add this as a great example of how you can take a pattern like Winter Woolies, run with it, add your own ideas and create something unique and totally new! Let's hear it for Leila and this amazing Ski theme bee block she did for Krista!

Showcase mini

I have another showcase for you, just mini, and a little bit Christmassy too!  First, Kris made this mug from my Freezer Paper Piece Mug Rug tutorial.  Now, Kris doesn't know why it loaded sideways on Flickr, but just turn your head a little to the right- and you can see her mug and saucer- she choose lovely reds for this.

And Connie has made my Scandinavian Christmas tree pattern!  This is the first one I have seen so I was very excited to see this on Flickr.

Connie has put a great mix of scraps in, the shapes and fabrics remind me of Christmas presents  all stacked up!  I think a lot of you know that teaching is my day job, I think it must be in my blood- my parents and aunt were all teachers.  The patterns and tutorials are all part of my teaching side, I just love to see your work, gold stars all round!

Showcase

When I design a pattern or post a tutorial, the most rewarding part is seeing others make it- firstly I then know it really does work and the instructions are clear, and then what I really love is to see how you put your own stamp on it, the fabrics, what you will use it for etc.  So here is a little showcase of your work...

Carly won Winter Woolies on Cindy's blog. I love the glow of the red against the cool calm nordic background.  This is Carly's first time paper piecing- can you believe it?

Simone made the lovely icy coloured hanging with the snowy border-love the different prints, very nordic!

Then she used the mitten block and made the cutest winter pin cushion.  I love this idea- I fancy a set of seasonal pincushions!  The other pin cushions are made from my tutorial here.  

Hadley had a moment of madness and managed to reverse her pattern- we are still not sure how, but it worked out just fine.  Beautiful cross hatch fabric and pom pom detail Hadley!

Cindy who hosted the giveaway had the most perfect fabric for this pattern-just like it has been knitted on those giant chunky knitting needles!

I would just like to point you in the direction of the tutorial Cindy did about using freezer paper to make paper piecing a whole lot easier here.  I tried her method whilst testing my new paper piecing design and it is brilliant!   It is a quick way of cutting your fabrics ready to foundation paper pieces and results in less fabric wastage and easier fussy cutting- you know how I love a bit of fussy cutting.  If you are using very small pieces in paper piecing, this method makes handling them a lot easier. Go look at it-right here- if you have never paper pieced before, this is going to help!

Skirt- test run

You must've seen these in the blogisphere- I've seen them everywhere, Lotta Jansdotter's new fabric line for Windham Echo.  As soon as they came in at M is for Make, I knew I wanted some for a skirt and couldn't resist the fat 16th bundle, 12 little pieces from the whole line.  

This is the skirt, Cynthia Rowley for Simplicity 2215.  I plan to make the dress too, but the skirt will do for now.  Before I cut into the good stuff, I am being very well behaved and making a toile, a test run to check size and shape.  I tend to pick patterns based on how I would like to look, not on what always suits me- there is a high degree of wishing I was the sort of women who dressed like this or that, rather than what I really wear. 

If you are unsure about doing a pattern, I thoroughly recommend a look at Pattern Review.  I look at this site before I buy any pattern because you can always find someone else who has made it and read the highs and the lows.  It helps with sizing and also highlights potentially tricky areas- on this skirt there are pockets and a concealed zip both in the same side seam.  It helps to know such things in advance!  I made this on my new machine- named Florence as in Florence and the Machine.  The name followed a very funny conversation with Melinda who names not only her sewing machines, but her kitchen appliances too- I'll say no more, maybe she will elaborate but she cracked me up!  

I was very unsure when I was making this.  I don't usually wear my skirts so high.  I tend to wear very long low waisted skirts but I am a bit tired of hiding everything all the time so I fancied a change.  I also hate very close fitting clothes so I am making this with a bit of ease as it is quite a fitted shape

Apologies for the blurry photos, it was poor light and I was wobbling around.  I am happy with the test skirt, especially the pockets.

I am quite slim but also curvy and fullness around the waist can make me look rather plump but I think the shape works in this case.  It is hard to look at yourself objectively but this looks better than I thought it was and I threw it together very quickly.  You can just see the gap underneath my pocketed hand- hiding a big expanse of hip where the zipper would go- very attractive!

The hem is a lovely detail and when I make this on the real skirt I will show the process as it is not hard and adds a bit of weight and texture.  The very bottom of the hem is a raw edge and the lower crossweave threads will be removed to make a fringe.

Fancy making a skirt but want the help of others along the way?  Check out Anna's  Sew-a-long.  Fancy finding out more about dress making and using beautiful and feminine patterns, visit Florence's blog and read her review of the new Colette Sewing Handbook.  Tomorrow she interviews Sarai Mitnick, the founder of Colette.  Happy reading and happy sewing x

Scandinavian Christmas Tree- Free Pattern Download!

It has been a hectic few days, my Scandinavian Christmas Tree cushion pattern is now available to download for free at The Sewing Directory. 

I wanted to take a pic of the cushion with my new machine which came yesterday!  However, it is pouring with rain, grey a gloomy, too dark for photos so here are a few from last night.side by side view taken last night: new giant Memory craft Quilter's Companion 5900 next to my little Jem.

side by side view: new giant Memory craft Quilter's Companion 5900 next to my little Jem

I was very fortunate to win a Janome as all the feet will work on the new machine- it comes with many more too.  It ways a tonne!  I have already been sewing, working on Christmas paper piecing patterns- sews like a dream and it really is like they say- "whisper quiet!"  I cannot say a big enough thankyou to Fiona at Sewing Directory for organising and holding the competition, to the judges at David and Charles, Janome and Cloth for choosing my design, and of course to Janome for providing the most perfect prize.  This is the machine I always wanted but couldn't afford to buy!  There is of course the other fantastic prize: being published by Cloth for the winter issue, out early December!

And this is what I tested on my new uber machine, a preview of my new paper piecing pattern, Candy Cane available soon!