I have a desperate need for things to be FINISHED. It's a problem. My mental health is shite at the moment thanks to work, which means I'm exhausted by the time I get home, which means I have no time to make things. It's a cycle. The less I make the worse I feel, the more work gets to me.
I took a day yesterday, called in sick and knitted, finished a shawl. Felt better for it and picked up the next half finished thing.
I'm ignoring the pile of sewing that needs doing for a shop update.
On my FAL 2018 post, there is an entry for a Fold Up Sewing Folio by Aneela Hoey. It's got some gorgeous big floral fabric and some grey essex linen.
This is that project, but I decided I didn't like the essex linen and bought something else instead.
I adore this pattern. I really really do.
I made two of these in a weekend, and I'm blogging them both here because I only took progress shots of one of them.
I haven't made everything from this book, but currently, this is definitely my favourite. It's just complicated enough to keep me occupied, but not so fiddly that I want to scream at it. And as proved with the pink and purple one below, I can make one from cutting to hand stitching in about 4 hours (including stopping for dinner)
It also comes out as an excellent gift :D
This one was for my aunt, who does tapestry sewing, and who had previously admired the big flower fabric.
I'd bought it on a whim, and I think it's from one of Kate Spain's 2017 collections. I'm gutted I don't have more of it, but I'm not sure what I'd do with it if I did. It's lovely big flowers on a deep navy background and it just makes me happy.
The interior fabric is Makower Linen, because I wanted something a bit rustic looking, but none of the essex linen colours were right for this. I think I got it from Plush Addict, but it's common enough fabric. It sewed up really nicely and matches the outer fabric pretty well.
The second one is for my step-mum, whose birthday is the same day as my aunt. I never know what to get her, and handmade gifts frequently don't seem to go down well. But she sews, so I thought a sewing case might be nice.
Asking dad what colours she likes may have been a mistake, as he hadn't got a clue, but eventually muttered something about purples and grey. Which threw what I'd been planning to use (pinks/reds/greys) out the window, and a hurried order for some Alison Glass Handcrafted was placed.
I love this stuff so much; those colours!
Anyway, this one is lined with essex linen, which along with the wadding and interfacing did make this one a little bit bulkier. Not offensively so though, and there weren't any serious problems sewing it.
The main problem I had was the zips! I was SURE I had some the right colour, but when I checked, I only had one mauve and one dark purple, and neither really worked. But for some reason the burgundy ones did. Colours, they're weird.
The see through panel is a really neat feature, but at some point I really need to get some heavier duty stuff, as this always feels a bit flimsy. I've not had any problems with it tearing, but it doesn't feel as solid as I think it should. That'll teach me to just grab whatever Dunelm had in stock. Sadly I have a LOT of it left as they only sold it in metre lengths, and it's really wide...
I still also don't like stuffing pin cushions with toy stuffing. To me, it blunts the pins.
This is everything but the felt needle book laid out, ready to be stitched down.
Everything basted into place and ready for the inner and outer to be put together. The turning of this always terrifies me with all those bits sticking out and zips!
I do like the way that the essex linen and the Alison Glass go together.
And both were well received :D
I'm going to make more of these, they're just fun to do :)
I took a day yesterday, called in sick and knitted, finished a shawl. Felt better for it and picked up the next half finished thing.
I'm ignoring the pile of sewing that needs doing for a shop update.
On my FAL 2018 post, there is an entry for a Fold Up Sewing Folio by Aneela Hoey. It's got some gorgeous big floral fabric and some grey essex linen.
This is that project, but I decided I didn't like the essex linen and bought something else instead.
I adore this pattern. I really really do.
I made two of these in a weekend, and I'm blogging them both here because I only took progress shots of one of them.
I haven't made everything from this book, but currently, this is definitely my favourite. It's just complicated enough to keep me occupied, but not so fiddly that I want to scream at it. And as proved with the pink and purple one below, I can make one from cutting to hand stitching in about 4 hours (including stopping for dinner)
It also comes out as an excellent gift :D
This one was for my aunt, who does tapestry sewing, and who had previously admired the big flower fabric.
I'd bought it on a whim, and I think it's from one of Kate Spain's 2017 collections. I'm gutted I don't have more of it, but I'm not sure what I'd do with it if I did. It's lovely big flowers on a deep navy background and it just makes me happy.
The interior fabric is Makower Linen, because I wanted something a bit rustic looking, but none of the essex linen colours were right for this. I think I got it from Plush Addict, but it's common enough fabric. It sewed up really nicely and matches the outer fabric pretty well.
The second one is for my step-mum, whose birthday is the same day as my aunt. I never know what to get her, and handmade gifts frequently don't seem to go down well. But she sews, so I thought a sewing case might be nice.
Asking dad what colours she likes may have been a mistake, as he hadn't got a clue, but eventually muttered something about purples and grey. Which threw what I'd been planning to use (pinks/reds/greys) out the window, and a hurried order for some Alison Glass Handcrafted was placed.
I love this stuff so much; those colours!
Anyway, this one is lined with essex linen, which along with the wadding and interfacing did make this one a little bit bulkier. Not offensively so though, and there weren't any serious problems sewing it.
The main problem I had was the zips! I was SURE I had some the right colour, but when I checked, I only had one mauve and one dark purple, and neither really worked. But for some reason the burgundy ones did. Colours, they're weird.
The see through panel is a really neat feature, but at some point I really need to get some heavier duty stuff, as this always feels a bit flimsy. I've not had any problems with it tearing, but it doesn't feel as solid as I think it should. That'll teach me to just grab whatever Dunelm had in stock. Sadly I have a LOT of it left as they only sold it in metre lengths, and it's really wide...
I still also don't like stuffing pin cushions with toy stuffing. To me, it blunts the pins.
This is everything but the felt needle book laid out, ready to be stitched down.
Everything basted into place and ready for the inner and outer to be put together. The turning of this always terrifies me with all those bits sticking out and zips!
I do like the way that the essex linen and the Alison Glass go together.
And both were well received :D
I'm going to make more of these, they're just fun to do :)
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