So here we are again, another May of Me Mades's. Head on over to Zoe's blog to find out more. Honestly this year I've started out without a pledge or plan, just chucking on my me mades as usual, but today I think I have decided on my focus for this #mmmay17

Yes that is a giant pile of clean laundry on my sofa! #mmm17  day 3 and I have been feeling guilty for not giving myself an actual challenge this year. I wear me mades most days, but I have gained a lot of weight recently....gotta love the peri menopause and a knackered thyroid 🙄 Trying hard to focus on body positivity instead of diets which make me sad....anyway this all means that lots of my clothes just don't fit well anymore, so this month I am weeding those out and starting afresh! Today I am wearing a #maudeskirt  Which co incidentally I am talking about on my You Tube Channel; this week it is part 2, just search Lazy Seamstress on You Tube to find me 😊

A post shared by Jeanette Archer (@lazyseamstress) on May 3, 2017 at 12:22am PDT

This post on Instagram pretty much sums it up. I'm going to spend May weeding out the clothes that don't fit or feel comfortable and add clothes that do.

So.......

'I, Jeanette of Lazy Seamstress and @lazyseamstress, sign up as a participant of Me-Made-May '17. I endeavour to wear at least one me made item each day for the duration of May 2017'

It's been a while since I made myself a Maude Skirt. I do love this pattern so much; I can squeeze it out of a metre of fabric usually, it stitches together super quick, even with the pockets, and it's a flattering easy style.
I had made one up recently for a future issue of Love Sewing Magazine (you'll have to wait to see photos of that one.), and I was reminded how much I love making up this skirt, and also how I have wanted to make a denim one ever since the very talented Jayne had made a denim one when the pattern was still being tested.


Instead of having the usual side concealed zip, I opted for a centre back exposed metal zip, which I am really pleased with. And yes, lots of top stitching in contrast thread....always makes me nervous, but I'm actually pretty pleased with how it turned out, a bit wobbly in places, but nothing is ever perfect eh?

I can really see this skirt being a real wardrobe staple.


Want to try the Maude pattern for yourself ? Then head over to my Etsy store where you can buy the instantly downloadable PDF pattern for only £5, or wait until it is featured in Love Sewing Magazine and get it for free! ( Maude is only available in my Etsy store for a limited time, once it is published in Love Sewing it will be taken off sale for 3 months. )

I spotted this gorgeous orange plaid/tartan* wool fabric in Abakhan quite some time ago, I stroked it and admired it, but at £10 a metre it was a teeny bit pricey for me, so I left green with envy at the lady buying several metres of it to make herself a coat.
Fast forward and on a recent shopping trip, I spotted the very last metre left on the roll and figured £10 was actually not at all too much to pay for enough fabric to make a skirt and I snapped it up.
I'd had an urge to make an asymetric wrap skirt for a while after spotting one in TKMaxx and several in Marks and Spencers.
I used my skirt block to draft the pattern. The back is one piece with waist darts and the front under wrap is one piece, while the overwrap is yoked. The skirt fastens at the right waist with a hidden button and at the front with an exposed open ended zip.
I cut the front wrap with the straight grain going vertically from the waist, but in retrospect that was a mistake, as the edge of the front wrap doesn't hang as nicely as I'd hoped.
Still a great skirt though, and has a kind of "post punk" vibe with the exposed zip. I wore it with my pleather biker jacket and my vegan dm's which I think works.
The offcuts of fabric made a cute beret too, but I'm not sure I can really get away with being so matchy matchy, so haven't braved wearing the two together yet, despite encouragement from India.




No doubt I will come back to this idea again soon. Despite it's flaws, this is one of my favourite skirts of this winter so far.

* So, is it plaid or tartan? I'm never completely sure, what do you think?

Tuesday was the day of my yearly mammogram so Woody had the day off to take me to the hospital. This year's appointment was in the morning, so we went for lunch in Stockport's Old Town afterwards, and did a little bit of vintage shopping at the same time.
Stockport is well known for it's Vintage Village  and over the past few years a few vintage shops have also sprung up around the market place.
I found this piece of vintage fabric in one of the shops for £5, probably a bit more than I'd usually pay in a charity shop, but still reasonable, and so bright and cheery I couldn't really resist!
It is a home dec fabric, the kind I think we had bathroom curtains made from when I was young. Of course it's intended purpose never bothers me, I knew I wanted a simple A line skirt in it. The Delphine skirt by Tilly Walnes is a fab A line pattern, a nice high waist and the kind of exagerated A line I love. I do think that this is my current favourite A line pattern, taken over from my own draft!
I'm calling it my Crystal Tips skirt because the bright colours remind me of a childhood cartoon Crystal Tips and Alistair.

I had this notion that now I'm childfree during school hours I would have so much time to complete all the projects I seem to constantly have on the go, but somehow that hasn't happened! I've been working every weekend at Ministry of Craft , the only weekend I haven't worked I was hosting the La Leche League Great Britian National Workshop along with my co leaders from LLL Manchester. Add to that general Mumming and it's all been a bit hectic!
So no, Nora, Nell and Nancy my newest pattern is not yet available to buy, but soon, soon, I promise. I'm currently looking into alternative printing options for my paper patterns, but I'll update here as soon as they are ready.
Of course, no time to sew for myself means I have to plan and planning means shopping...I think? My sewing friend and neighbour offered to let me tag along next time she went up to Burnley to Immanuels, and all I can say is WOW!!!
I may have won the competition to see who spent the most out of those of us who went. I only spent £38, but I got a huge amount of scrummy fabrics for that price. Including this odd, yet somehow divine quited yumminess!


It's that horrible polyester/nylon knit with poly fibre quilting sandwiched in between...the kind 1970's dressing gowns were made of! I was drawn to it in the store, kept stroking it and picking it up, then putting it down, then picking it up again. I couldn't decide if I loved it or hated it, but knew I was drawn to it and for £3 a metre I couldn't leave it behind!
I had an urge to make a skirt with it, or possibly even a dress, although I decided the last think my bosom needed was more padding and settled on a skirt.
My friend told me that Gertie had made a quilted skirt recently, so I looked that up and so she had! I wasn't crazy then!
The Delphine skirt seemed the ideal pattern, mostly I admit because I found my tracing of it when I was tidying up and thought the exagerated A line would be perfect to get the most from the "sticky out ness" of the fabric.
The skirt went together easily, but was initially too long.I had thought I'd wanted a longer skirt, but after wearing it on this morning's school run decided that actually it felt wrong in the longer length, so as soon as I got home I rushed out to the shed and chopped off a few inches, and now I LOVE it!

Longer....


Shorter...

I have enough fabric left for a Doris Sweater, and I'm considering it!

I sew a lot, a heck of a lot and for lots of reasons;

• I love clothes, I don't often like clothes available on the high street and if I do I can't afford them or they don't fit. 
• I have a compulsion to create and make, sewing is my preferred method.
• Sewing eases my heart and my soul. I can't explain it, but something about the process brings peace.
• It's my job! I love designing patterns, and I love teaching at Ministry of Craft or one to one classes in my home.

Although I sew lots, not everything works out. I rarely am 100% satisfied with anything I make, I am always striving for a better finish, but sometimes things just really don't work, like this skirt.
The beautiful fabric was picked for me by my fabric dealer  friend, Mary. She knows my taste so well and often picks things she knows I'll love.

 
This fabric was calling out to be made into a full gathered dirndl skirt, and I love it so much, but sadly it doesn't love me! I wore it to work the other day feeling fabulous with my swishy skirt taking up two seats on the train, but then I saw photos of me teaching and the vision in my mind was shattered into a million pieces. I looked fat and frumpy...I may have cried!(And vowed to diet...though that was quickly forgotten! )
I tried to convince myself that it looked horrible because it was actually a little too loose around the waist, so I altered it and wore it again for these photos, but it doesn't look much better. I think this skirt might be destined to hang in the wardrobe looking pretty, and I hate when that happens.

Sometimes I sew when I'm sad. Summer is not easy here, too many ghosts and memories, so that's when I sew to distract myself. Yesterday I calmed my sad heart by hiding in my shed studio and stitching up a quick cotton dress.
I used my favourite vintage Maudella Pattern, but not having enough fabric for sleeves decided to omit them.
The resulting dress is far from my best work, I could list everything that is wrong with it, but it's too depressing. Suffice to say it's not great in lots of ways.
Despite that I wore it today.


I had to re draw the armscye, but looking at these photos I might have been better to re draw the neckline too.


Not being brave enough to bare my middle aged arms in public I wore a cropped cardigan over the dress to go out today, and if I wear this dress again in cooler weather I will probably put a long sleeved t shirt underneath.


Not the most inspiring post on the blog eh? Apologies, it's just that sometimes that is how it goes, and you know what? It is ok.

I don't look too happy do I? I spent today making this plaid circle skirt to distract myself from the thought of a dentist appointment at the end of the day, and because yesterday I saw a deeply unflattering photo of myself, so the need for something pretty to cheer me up was very needed.


A simple mid length circle skirt with large patch pockets, high waistband and belt loops. Fabric from Abakhan, thanks to my lovely friend Mary who keeps an eye out for fabric she knows I'll love. I already have a dress in this same fabric, in the yellow colourway, and I love that!


The dentist, by the way was nothing to worry about, the unflattering photo though, well that's another story.....

A few weeks ago I had an email inviting me to take part in a craft competition run by Hilary's Blinds. I was given a choice of four of the fab prints they have in their very extensive range, and I chose Rayna Apple. I was sent one square metre of fabric very promptly and began planning. (And double checking that I could use a co ordinating fabric alongside the Rayna Apple.)
So, with an idea of what I wanted to do I started work drafting a pattern. Initially I wanted to make a dress, using my co ordinating fabric as the bodice. So using my personal bodice block I drafted a scoop slightly gathered neck bodice with button front fastening...I was clearly feeling brave because button fronts on my boobs rarely works well!



I bound the neck line, sleeve edge and hem in self made bias binding, and included a little bow at the centre front.
Sometime during this process I decided what I actually wanted to make was a two piece dress. I had already cut out my skirt pieces, but pre washing had shrunk the fabric, so I added a deep 'hem' of the bodice fabric, and some pretty lace trim.
The skirt is fastened with a concealed side zip and the waist is cleanly finished with petersham. the pleats give fullness, and the belt loops are the finishing touch.







I thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to work on something I might not have otherwise, I often use furnishing fabrics to make clothing as any of my regular readers will know, but to be given a piece of fabric to work with gave me a chance to play with new designs and ideas. Some I might explore further.





As a final flourish, and because I hate waste, I used the very last scraps of the Rayna Apple fabric to make a little shabby rose brooch too.

 

Thanks Hilary's Blinds! I had fun!

Spring Equinox was on Friday, so yay! Spring has officially arrived ! It is still a bit chilly here in the North West, but the sun is shining, the windows are open, I've even had laundry hanging out to dry this week.
So, time for a touch of spring colour in my wardrobe. My spring time Maude skirt, sample number three (I have yet to blog sample number two, but there is a sneaky peek here ).



She is bright and cheery this one, I'm very pleased with her, and am in the midst of grading ready for testing.

Made from a vintage sheet , unlined and finished at the waist with gross grain ribbon. I can see me wearing this lots over the coming months, and hopefully soon without tights!

In other news the Weekend Doris dress and sweater pattern is now back in stock (paper version), I underestimated how popular the paper version would be. Don't forget though, the PDF version is available as an instant download anytime, including a print at home an assemble file as well as a file you can take to your local printers and print on one sheet. My local printers charges a little over £3 for this service, but it's well worth it if you don't want to assemble the pattern yourself. Click the image below to go to my Etsy store.

I'm not one of those secretive types, I've always wished I were more enigmatic and mysterious, but it feels too hard, so I'm pretty much an open book...that means I talk too much and can't keep secrets!
This is the first draft of hopefully my next sewing pattern, I've named her Maude because the inspiration for the pockets came from my favourite  vintage Maudella dress pattern.*

Maude is an A line skirt, divided into panels, with integrated pockets and a centre back zip. This version is finished at the waist with a gross grain ribbon facing, but I may give the option of a waistband.



I used up some plaid fabric scraps to make this version, and it's such a shame I didn't have enough to pattern match, but as a wearable toile it'll do.
I'm hoping to cut out another this evening in some lovely Linton Tweed I have been saving.





*I have been inspired by the pocket design on this pattern, that means I used my own basic skirt block as a starting point and then by cutting and draping worked out how I was going to make this type of pocket work in my design. wish I didn't have to explain that, but guess I do.

Corduroy Weekend Doris and my short hair!

I hate the whole "busy culture", but I am the kind of person who needs to be busy. I don't cope well with boredom or being still. If I'm sitting down I'm generally knitting or making lists in my notebooks.
I often have several projects on the go at once, some work out and some don't. I never think the projects that don't work out are failures, they are just projects that didn't work, and chances are I learned something along the way.
The past few days I have been suffering again with my gall stones, which has meant enforced rest in bed all day yesterday and most of this morning on the sofa. I HATE IT!!!! There are at least a million things running through my head that I should be getting on with. Yesterday I wasn't even well enough to knit, I just lay in bed all day. Today I have at least made it to my desk and can post here.


I thought if I wrote a post about all the work I had managed to do this past week before I got poorly, I might cheer myself up and feel slightly better. So indulge me....please?
I've been playing around with lingerie designs again, which is fun. The knickers are fairly succesful, and I love the lounge pants, but the control body needs a lot more work.


I've also started work on my (hopefully) next pattern. A panelled skirt with integrated pockets.
I usually post most of my ongoing projects on Instagram  I love the atmosphere on there amongst fellow crafts people, I have found encouragment and friendship there, and being a very visual person, it suits me well. Pop along and follow me if you'd like to keep up with all my "busyness"

Oh and something really rather fabulous happened this past week too; I won a sewing machine! Well actually Woody did. He enters loads of competitions and over the years has won several including a dish washer, a sky tv box, and a hamper full of scottish shortbread , but this week he won a sewing machine for me. It's a Janome Atelier 5 and it is bloody lovely! Just wish I hadn't been poorly all weekend and could've played with it. I feel very very lucky and very very grateful.

I am still enjoying my Wednesday evenings at college, not least because I get to chat with other fabric obsessed sewists, including our tutor who it seems has a massive fabric obsession. She was telling me the other week how she had bought boxes and boxes of vintage fabrics, and brought some in to show me. Oh My!! There were beautiful intricate laces that must've been from the early part of last century, rayons from the 1940's, gorgeous tweeds and most exciting of all some Utility fabrics, still with their Utility labels on. All Viyella and Dayella, and such good quality, the kind of fabric that just doesn't really show up in fabric shops these days. (Read more about Viyella and Dayella, and Utility marks here )

I fell in love with three of the fabrics particularly, (actually I had to stop looking because I LOVED everything! ) and asked if I could buy them. I bought 4 metres of black and white dogtooth check Dayella for a dress, 1.5 metres of gorgeous 1940's rayon for a blouse, and this beautiful wool tweed.



There was just a metre, but a metre of the best quality tweed I have ever come across. I knew I wanted a skirt in it. The tweed is rather bulky so I wanted a very simple skirt. Delphine by Tilly Walnes came to mind after India recently made one.
I had got Tilly's book free with a magazine subscription and given it to India. The book is great for absolute beginners with some nice patterns. India enjoyed sewing up her Delphine, and I liked the exaggerated A line. The skirt has no darts, and a wide shaped waistband.



The tweed was a joy to sew. I lined the skirt in simple polyester lining, but faced the waistband with the tweed. I had to really consider any extra bulk around the waistband, and forgoe my usual waistband finish of slip stitch, instead finishing the raw edge of the facing and stitching in the ditch from the right side to hold it in place.
I also attached the zip to the lining and the tweed, so the skirt is half lined/interlined.
Initially I turned a fairly deep hem, but hated it, way too bulky, (you can just see it in the photo on the hanger above).This morning after the morning school run,I whipped off the skirt and re did the hem by using my overlock stitch on my sewing machine to neaten the raw edge of the tweed and lining together, then turning a narrow 1cm hem and machine stitching in place, which worked much better.
Lots of rule breaking, but I LOVE this skirt!

I've had Ernest at home all week with chickenpox, He likes to help me with my photos for the blog.....

 

After around 12 years of loyal, if sometimes temperamental service my Brother 1034D has finally called it a day. That machine certainly earned it's keep, sewing hundreds of cloth nappies back in the days I was running a cloth nappy business, (Good old Tiddlybums.), and stitching countless other items over the years. I only paid £150 for it back then, so that works out at a fraction of a penny per item. It went out with a bang and a crunch, and now nothing is working. Sadly it's barely worth repair costs, and so here I am in project , "fund new overlocker".
My faithful old overlocker will no doubt be making it to Ebay to sell for parts (wow! that sounds cruel doesn't it? ), and I've been stashbusting, running up skirts for my Etsy shop with dreams of a shiny new overlocker.



I love a circle skirt for glamming up my everyday. On a rainy dull Manchester morning when I have one eager child running ahead to school and one dragging his heels behind, I take solace in the swish of fabric . When you've been mumming as long as I have a pretty skirt and a slick of lipstick can go a surprisingly long way to improving my day. Add a petticoat and I'm in heaven !



Of course, I've kept one skirt for me too.

 

Another charity shop tablecloth that caught my eye recently, and was begging to be made into a skirt.Priced at only £2.99 it would have been rude not to buy it.



Simply a full circle skirt, concealed zip, vintage button on the waistband. Therapy sewing with a satisfying result.