The Two Seam Dress

In recent months I have really started to appreciate really easy to wear, simple pieces of clothing that I feel comfortable in. So with me trying to have a go at as many different sewing projects as I can to grow my skills I came across this blog by Designer Megan Neilsen and this pattern the Two seam dress.

Okay, yes I know it is meant to be a maternity piece but I still really like it, and it seems to be the easiest thing ever to make! So I gave it a go with some very narrow navy and white stripe jersey fabric.

I always wear it with a tan belt around the waist to pull it in but it is the thing I now wear the most!

I tell you to give it a try!

X

Chair

When we first moved into our house the previous owner had left a lot of old furniture to help us as we were first time buyers. This was very nice of them, but a lot of their items needed a facelift. The first thing I set my eyes on were the dining chairs.

They are pretty good chairs and we had a table and no chairs, but the table is bright orange and these didn't really match. So I waited until we picked our colour theme and then purchased some fabric to match. It was the same fabric that I used for the kitchen blind.

For the woodwork I used some left over paint that we had used on a feature wall. At first I sanded down the wood and then I applied a couple of coats of the paint. They look so much better I think and I have had many compliments which is lovely.

It was the first time I had attempted anything like this, but it really was nowhere as difficult as I thought it would be. Anyone can give it a go!

Snood DIY

Part two of my snood season is making a snood from scratch! This is such an easy sew make and because of that it is rather dangerous. I first learnt to make snoods out of my scarves, but that wasn't enough. It just made me want to make my own, and I did.

What you need is some fabric, a sewing machine (or a strong will and a needle and thread) and some corresponding thread.

When you look for your fabric, remember it is going to be around your neck so you don't want rough or too heavy pieces. The best and easiest way to get the size right is by going to the store, most fabric rolls come in around the same width, all you need to decide is the length. your snood is going to be doubled over so depending on the thickness of your snood double that length and add your seam allowance and that is what you buy. Done, and cut out for you by a lovely person :)

I hope that makes sense, the next steps involve the actual putting together of the snood.

1. Fold the two right sides together with the long sides together. Sew along this seam leaving 4 inches either end un-sewn.

2. Put your arm all the way through the long tube and pull inside out so that your snood is facing the correct way. Here comes the hard to explain bit, Now I read so many tutorials on this part that I just could not understand it, it may just be me not being clever so I youtubed a video instead. If you want the video that I used to see how to sew the two ends together then you can find it here.
 

 

3. Then you just need to stitch the hole in the middle where the two end gaps come together and you are done!

Good luck in the making of your snoods! :) X

Simple Scarf Change

Who doesn't love a scarf or a snood? I have so many of the things. But lately I have been preferring a snood. They just go on, hardly move and there is no annoying trying not to get them stuck in your coat zip moments. So I looked at my stack of scarves and wondered which I could improve after finding the most simple tutorial on how to make a snood. I thought, why have I not done this? This amounted in me making 3 snoods in just over an hour. Crazy. But also dangerous!!

So, how do you turn a scarf into a snood you ask? It is so simple...

1. Take your scarf...

2. Trim off the tasseled ends...

3. Then work out which will be your right side, then right side together pin the two raw ends together and sew and zig zag the edges. (Or overlock if you have a fancy machine.)

4. You could then leave it at that but to make mine a little neater I then folded that seam down and pressed it and sewed  it parallel to the fold seam to make it a flat seam. Like so...

5. That's you done. Grab and go for a fast paced lady!

X

Roman Blinds

When we moved into our house, we straight away set about making it into a home. One of the things we did was removed all the horrible moldy blinds and went on the hunt for some shiny new ones. But even our favorite yellow and blue home store had got a little pricey for our current cash flow. So I set about making our own. I only wanted two, one in the kitchen and one in the bedroom. The bedroom one needed to have some sort of blackout properties so we could get a decent nights sleep.

I found some gorgeous black and white thick striped fabric for our kitchen which went with our newly painted grey cupboards and a plain black for the bottom of the blind. I also found some plain white blackout fabric for the bedroom; and because that wasn't the prettiest I made it double layered with a plain white cotton for the front of the blind to make it look a little softer and nicer.

The pattern I got from Kirstie Allsopp's Homemade Home book. Her's is for a linen blind but the basic principles are the same. But there are so many free designs all over the internet. It is just a case of finding one that you understand and get along with.

In the Bedroom

This is the bedroom blind down, with the lights off and on, I made the sides slightly too wide so that as little light could get in as possible. Annoyingly my bottom baton is ever so slightly bent in the middle so light gets in underneath. Ya can't win them all!

When the blind is open (yes I know I need a proper securing method than just the window handle) the double layered look gives the soft front piece the chance to just flow and ruffle softly giving a less uniform look the creases and I like how it does this. Goes well with my floaty curtains.

In the Kitchen

The kitchen blind folds up a lot shorter than the bedroom one. This is because the kitchen is a rather dark room and I wanted as much light to come in as possible. Over time the blind has learnt where its folds are and now automatically folds without us having to touch up the folds like you can see in this photo which I took when I first made the blind. It gives us a lovely nice big window to look out of while my mans making me dinner!

I really like the stripe at the bottom, it gives it a different look, and also hides the muckiness that could be there from the splash back from doing the washing up!

 It is very rewarding making something for your house that you use every day. I am so very pleased with myself for making them.

X

Fabric Baskets

One of my most favourite rooms in our house is my craft room. It was just our spare room, but it is now a great place for me to have as a space to do all my various bits and pieces. Sewing, knitting, whatever!

As anyone who does these kinds of things knows, there are lots of little bits and pieces that you accumulate over time, which you need to do various things, and these things need storage. So, for my haberdashery section I purchased three of Ikea's lovely CD racks and then I have made some of my own little fabric baskets to keep all my little bits in them.

So what do you need?
*Some Fabric of your choice, I just used Calico as its plain and quite thick
*Corresponding Threads
*Sewing Machine, or if you don't have one a strong will to sew by hand so many baskets
*Scissors or cutting device!

Recipe:
1. These are so easy to make, you just need to measure the space that you want to fill. Make a pattern for the base by measuring the width and depth of your space and adding a seam allowance all the way around the outside. This is your base. Then the outside of the basket, I just had one large rectangle of fabric which started at one corner and goes all the way around the base and back around to that corner. Add your seam allowance for the two adjoining sides and the base adjourning side, and then at the top I folded mine over by an inch and a half to make a kind of handle to pull the basket out easily, plus a small seam to stop it fraying. When you have made your pattern cut out your fabric.

2. Take your big long rectangle, and with the wrong side facing down fold over and seam the one long edge towards the right side. If you have picked a fabric that is only one sided then be aware that the fold will show the back of the pattern which is why I picked such a basic fabric. You could however back the fabric to have a snazzy fold.

3. Next you will need to put the two short sides together with the original fold seam for the top edge facing the opposite way. Then sew all down that seam.

4. Then take a corner of your bottom piece and pin it inside the corner of the bottom of your rectangle (which now looks more like a hoop of fabric) The seam on the bottom should be on the same side as the side seam. Then pin your bottom to your rectangle all the way around the bottom. The corners wont be perfect, but they will look about right on the other side. Then sew all together.

5. When you have done, tie off your ends and turn your basket inside out. Fold over your top flap and you are done! So simple really when you think about it.

Then you can put whatever you want into your basket and store, store, store!!

I would love to see anything that you guys have made, if you would be so lovely as to share with me. Please comment with a link!

Thank you
X

Our Little House

Just before Christmas 2013 we got the keys to our first home. Huge smiles were upon our faces. Our actual own space has been a long time coming and we are so happy with it. It is a little cottage style terraced house just outside of Birmingham, almost in the country, so we get the best of both worlds. It has taken quite a lot of work to get to where we are now, but there is still plenty to come. But I thought I would share some corners of our home that I love, both things that I have done and features.
I hope you enjoy...

 Our first plant

 Organisation and storage

 It's mine, get out!

I do love a piece of wood 

 We can now grow our record collection quite nicely

I realised I am a wool hoarder, but I am okay with that. 

Bedroom fireplace and pom pom garland 

DIY ombre pillowcase and rocking chair grey update 

Hats 

Bunting 

My camera collection on display 

Our beautiful new fireplace and the main attraction for the house,

we have had many fires now and it is so lovely 

Dream catcher collection 

My man had his record player hooked up so we can listen all day

I am sure I will share so much more than this over the coming months and years, and all my makes so far will surely appear on here fairly soon too. I have been up to so much that I don't know where to start, but I am sure I can find something as I can't wait to show you it all.

X