I'm not much of a cook. I can cook fairly well,but I don't enjoy it,so Woody (who is an excellent cook ) ,does pretty much all of the cooking,(and shopping) around here.
There are days though,when he works late that I have to prepare dinner. I like quick one pot type cooking,so I can get on with other more interesting things.
This is a recipe I came up with one day when we had lots of lightly toasted bagels left over from lunch. I can't stand wasting food,so I chucked them in a big pan with loads of chunky cut peppers,courgettes,red onion,some whole cherry tomatoes,olives and a whole packet of organic veggie feta. (minus the bits I scoffed as I was chopping! ).
Then I poured a generous glug of extra virgin olive oil over the top,sprinkled lberally with oregano,and bunged it in a hotish oven (about 200,I cook everything on 200) for about 20 ish minutes.
The results were surprisingly delicious,so I make it fairly often. Usually I use french bread from my local shop,but I have used yesterdays ciabatta. Really any dryish bread works well,preferably from the day before.
I know it sounds odd,but honestly it's yummy. I make a vegan version for India,she likes garlic in hers,and a little salt sprinkled on,obviously minus the feta.
A few pine nuts sprinkled on are nice too.
Even Woody loves this, (he's not easy to please),and we both enjoy a good glass of chilled Pinot Grigio to wash it down.
It's July,it's dark ,cloudy and raining...of course! this weather is starting to get me down.
The cure? A bit of sewing with some beautiful fabrics of course!
I used the Ottobre freebie pattern I've used before, this is such a lovely little handbag,and makes up so quickly.
The little bit of sparkle is a brooch I stole from another bag I made a few years ago.
The girls both love it,but it's all mine...now I just need somewhere to take it out to,hopefully in some sunshine?
Today has been one of those days where I've had lots of little chores and distractions to keep me busy,but I managed to squeeze in a bit of sewing here and there throughout the day...that's the joy of having my machines set up and ready all of the time.
This shirt started out as a very drab lilac mans shirt,and had been sat in Woody's wardrobe for a long while. First job was to dye it. I used Dylon cold dye in french navy,but due to the 65/35 poly/cotton mix it came out this rather nice denim colour. The shirt was still pretty dull though. (pic below)
Using the same method as the shirt I finished last week,I set about this one,but this time added in some spashes of colour with this remnant of printed cotton. I also changed the buttons.
Only problem is,I got slightly carried away,and it only just does up across my boobs,so I'm planning to wear it undone over a pretty camisole,which I hope will still look nice.
A friend of mine commented the other day on how brave I was to have so many pics of me on my blog,which got me thinking. I actually hate having my photo taken,I'm not at all confident,and generally just hate looking at the results.
However this is a (primarily) sewing blog,and without modelled pics,what would that say about my sewing? I have considered headless shots,but I don't like those generally either..at least my silly face might distract viewers from my wobbly belly,fat arms etc.....
So anyway getting to the point of this morning's entry,with more daft pics of me,here is my new shirt.
This was Woody's shirt,he wore it for our wedding 3 years ago. You can see a pic here,as I forgot to take before pics. (I'm 17 weeks pregnant in that pic btw,and yes I made my dress.)
Inspired by several threads on Craftster,I thought I'd give this shirt a new lease of life.
I started by chopping off the sleeves,and unpicking the breast pocket,then with the shirt inside out began planning the position of all the darts. again,my dress form came in really useful,with me double checking on myself ocassionally.
After sewing in the darts,I was going to re attatch the breast pocket,but it looked horrible,just stuck over my left breast.
I re shaped the arm holes slightly,then cut little cap sleeves from the sleeves I'd cut off earlier. I attatched these,then using fold over elastic I finished the sleeve/armhole edge with a little stretch to it,to give a slight puff.
I'm quite pleased with the result,and have another one of woody's shirts here waiting for similar treatment.
Ok, it's a bit embarrassing how much I've been treating myself lately! Today's post brought more lovliness,this time from Cicada studios.
I fell in love with this dandelion print linen the other day,and while that dropped into my basket so did the little set of fabrics that arrived with it. I think the dandelion fabric is going to be partnered with some beautiful celery coloured silk I picked up from the remnant bin in John Lewis the other day,and become a dainty little bag for me.
I also received two lovely notebooks in the post from Bits For Bairns. I love notebooks,and sketchbooks and have quite a collection scattered around the house.I'm a compulsive list maker so they are full of lists and doodles.
My first Spoonflower fabric arrived today. I'm pretty pleased with it on the whole. The colours are much more muted than I'd hoped,but I was expecting that after seeing one or two other pieces floating around the web.
The repeat could be better,but that's all down to my haste in getting something printed.
I'll certainly use Spoonflower again.The service is excellent. I got my shipping notice less than a week ago.
I'm going to wash it later and see how it fairs. the cotton is medium weight,and I think will make a good winter skirt,the colours are certainly autumnal.
Maybe this skirt...
So,here it is. My first item from the Japanese sewing books. I've used a cotton remnant for the main part of the blouse,the collar and trim are black silk,and the sleeves are finshed with red bias binding.
I'm pretty happy with how this turned out.
I traced the largest size pattern pieces,then added 4" across the bust by slashing and spreading the pattern pieces. I then added another 2" at the centre front,by re shaping the front edge,as that's where I needed the most adjustment.
The darts were placed while the blouse was on my dress form,then double checked on me.
The result is a fitted look I really like. (i just shoulda checked my make up before taking this pic,in dire need of some concealor!)
I'm definately going to make this blouse again.
These gorgeous books arrived this morning from Japan. I've been admiring Japanese sewing books for a while. Most of the ones I'd seen until recently featured understated simplicity,with beautiful detailing,but all styles I couldn't wear with my curves in a million years.
I spotted these a couple of weeks ago here,and simply had to have them. i think I love everything in them,and have even already started making this blouse.
I am having to make a fair few alterations.I'm not a petite Japanese woman,so even the largest size is too small for me,but I *think* I'm getting there.......
(if you click on the pics above it'll take you to flickr and more pics from the books.)
My Dad bought me this machine when I was 15. I think it cost £50 second hand,which was a lot of money to our family back then.
I used it to sew all my teenage clothes,for school and college projects,to make costumes for the theatre I volunteered at when I was in sixth form,right through to sewing for my children and even when starting up my business.
For the last few years it's been in storage. I decided it was time India could be trusted with this machine. She was doing really well, then there was a loud POP followed by lots of smoke!
I think my machine is dead,and I'm very sad.
That's how old my children are now!
Sid was 3 yesterday,we had a lovely day and went to a late night opening at the zoo last night.The weather was perfect for a lazy summer evening picnic,and we practically had the zoo to ourselves too!
I really must learn some tricks to looking good in photos, I always just feel so silly...and am usually concentrating on holding in my tummy!
Getting to the point of this post though,here is my latest skirt. This is an Origami Skirt,sooo simple,and pretty effective too I think.
I used some lovely printed knit from Hilco that's been in my stash for some time. I was saving it for another Burda Twist Top,but think it's nice as a skirt too.
I was a little concerned wearing a knit on my bottom half that it might be too clingy,but I made it slightly too large for my waist then used fold over elastic to gather it in a little,giving a little more fullness across my bottom. I didn't bother with a waistband and casing.(which is also why the front piece hangs lower than in the original tutorial on Rostitchery. I could've fixed that with better maths probably)
Probably would look better with heels,but not for getting on and off buses with Sid on my back,which is what I was doing today.
I've had this dress form for several years,and have been meaning to fix her up for ages. Last time I tried,I just got depressed about how much bigger I had to make her and abandoned the idea,but inspired by a post on Craftster I decided to just get on with it.
I got her from Freecycle about,urmm 4ish years ago. She was a bit broken,too small for me and her stand was snapped.
I had already replaced her stand with that from an old standard lamp (also from freecycle).
so using my measurements,lots of duck tape,an old bra (that still fits),some wadding,pins and a tube of rib knit,I transformed her.
She's not perfect (who is?),but she's a very good approximation of me,and I'm pretty pleased with the outcome.
If you click on the above pic you can see her transformation in stages on flickr.
(and yes I do keep her in our ensuite!)
I think she needs a name,any suggestions? I quite like Delores.
I've been feeling really yukky this week. I started the week with an awful sore throat,swollen glands etc,but determined to ignore it...that's what us Mum's do isn't it? No time to be ill!
i did manage to get through most of the week,but yesterday it all caught up with me and I was in my pj's by 6pm,and in bed by 8pm feeling very fluey and ill.
This morning though I've got up to two lovely parcels to cheer me up. First a fab parcel from Amy Schimler,two prints from her Etsy store,and she also sent a little postcard and bag of orange licorice ducks...how sweet!
Second a sewing pattern I've wanted for a while,and reminded about it this week reading A Dress A Day,I decided to finally buy it.
So the weekend is off to a good start. Now for my second cup of tea before starting on some custom orders.
Two little girls I know are having birthdays this week,these aprons are for them.
While I'm here I may as well add the skirt I made for me too.
I finally got around to making the curtains for the dining room today. I started decorating the dining room a few weeks ago during half term,but I still haven't finished.The skirting boards still need another coat of paint,and the floor needs new edging.
The curtains can be ticked off my to do list now though.
I used the gorgeous Drawing Room fabrics by Anna Maria Horner. I just love the sketchbook fabric.
And yes,that's my washing hanging out in the garden...just pretend you can't see it!
First strawberry from the strawberry plants,and the first salad pickings too,both delicious!
In my Doris Day fantasy world,I'd wear this while watering the plants in my garden with a pink plastic watering can!
So, I went ahead and placed an order with Spoonflower for three yards of the fabric I finished designing yesterday. I'm actually terrified that it's going to be a dreadful design when it's printed,but also hopeful it wont be dreadful.
I started to sort through some of my vintage sewing patterns for inspiration,found this lovely dress and couldn't resist having a play to get an idea of how it might look.
This is fun!
I've become ever so slightly obsessed with fabric designs,repeats,and my new wacom tab. this is one result I'm happy with.
I started with a collage..
Which became this painting....
And finally the design above.
I think I might be brave enough to get this one printed,and even add it to the Spoonflower flickr pool.
I treated myself to a Bamboo Fun graphics tablet on Friday,and have become slightly obsessed over the weekend. using the pen is quite instinctive really,but figuring out the technical stuff has had me stamping my feet a few times,and poor old Woody has had to come to my rescue on more than one occasion!
I'm slowly slowly getting my head around it,and this butterfly image is one completed piece I'm ok'ish with.
I've been trying to sort out some designs to get spoonflowered,unfortunately this piece doesn't repeat,but these more simple pieces below do....now if I could only get them the right size to get printed.....
Today Sid and I have been sorting through some of my old sketchbooks looking for inspiration. Sid found some collage pieces I'd done of sea creatures and immediately recognised them from some pieces of fabric he had seen in one of my fabric storage boxes. He insisted on getting the fabric out and matching the collage pieces to the shapes on the fabric.We played this game for a while,and then he announced that this small tester piece was his "starfish toy". I was so touched,who knew when I was making these fabrics 18 years ago that they would one day make my youngest child so happy?
So here we go,a pale blue minkee backed blankie for Sid.
When I first heard of Spoonflower a few months ago,I tried not to get too excited. I haven't designed fabrics for printing in a long while,and back in the days when I was designing,we used paint brushes,gouache,and then set squares and tracing paper to work out the repeat!
So all the talk of pixels and JPEG's and TIF's sent my head in a spin!
I pushed all thoughts of Spoonflower out of my head until last week when a friend reminded me. I registered and got my invite almost immediately...arhhh! I wasn't expecting that!
Now my head is in a spin again! I NEED to do this,but my cobwebby old brain is struggling!
Sometimes projects just kinda develop as you sew them.This podeagi is one of those. I started off playing with some embroideries,then picking up fabrics and trims as they seemed appropriate.
I quite like the result,it's girly and summery. I can imagine it being the kind of podeagi Laura Ingalls might have worn her babies in when she grew up...if I'd been around to sew it for her.
I was at a talk in Manchester by Veronika Robinson of The Mother magazine, author of "The Drinks Are On Me"and tv noteriety as an extraordinary breastfeeder.
Veronika has always struck me as being serene and glowing with health,whenever I have seen her in photographs and on tv,and she is both of those in the flesh too.
I enjoyed the talk,it's always nice to have your own thoughts on breastfeeding validated.
We decided to take a couple of days off last week to go camping. After arriving in Criccieth in the pouring rain,and spending a soggy night, the sun came out and we had beautiful blue skies. Perfect for a visit to Portmeirion where the blue of the sky was stunning against the seaside colours of the village.Everywhere I looked there was a view to lift the spirits.
Arriving early meant we had the village pretty much to ourselves for a while. I must admit as more and more people arrived the village began to lose some of it's appeal,so we retreated into the woodland gardens until poor Sid was too tired to walk,and we decided to leave. (dozy me had left the sling in the car!)
