Happy Christmas Everyone!

It's Christmas baby! Hope you're all having a wonderful day and season - hoping that all your sewing Christmas endeavours are going well and your homemade Christmas presents have been a success!

Selfish in December...is That Such a Bad Thing?

After last week's tutorial I remembered how satisfying knitting the mittens for myself were after making all those things for other people. And considering I've just bought most of my Christmas presents this week I thought I'd be really selfish and knit myself a matching scarf (thanks Lily Smeeton for the wool!) so that I'd be really snug this winter. After all, what's the use of being able to make things and not making things for yourself?

Toni

Tutorial - Unisex Fingerless Mittens

This isn't a tutorial as such, as I've been a bit strapped for time recently. This is the pattern for my fingerless mittens - I've had them for 3 years or so - I made them for myself after making loads for friends and family who didn't really appreciate them!

As there are no fingers I decided to make these a one size pattern. A while ago I also made two mitten patterns with a similar fit, one for large hands (mine are about 8" long!) and a set for a smaller pair, so if you'd like me to publish those, please ask. 

These are unisex - my Mum's partner Tom can just about get them on and his hands are huge, so for a large male hand I would give yourself two more stitches around the girth of the glove. 

Fortunately I used a 'stretchy stitch' to cast on, so the ribbing stretches as much as it possibly can - you're not left battling with one row of tight stitches when the rest of the ribbing eases over your hand just fine.

My instructions do not include the purled stripes seen in the picture above, I added them last minute and didn't put them on the pattern, but they're not hard to work out if you have a little time.

Here is my method - 

Using 6mm double pointed needles cast on 32 stitches using the slip knot method. Here is a video that teaches you the method.

k2 p2 for 8 rows.

knit 14 rows.

knit until the penultimate stitch, m1, k2.

k2 m1. knit to end of row (16th row).

knit 1 row.

repeat the last 3 rows until you have 10 new stitches (42 in total)

knit 6 stitches, and slip the 12 stitches you have just knitted onto a stitch holder.

knit 3 rows.

k2 p2 for 7 rows.

cast  off.

Thumb - 

pick up stitches from holder.

pick up 2 more either side of the body of the glove, one on each needle - I did this to try and stop the big hole appearing between your thumb and finger that happened with other mitten patterns, and it worked for me (total 14 stitches).

knit 4 rows.

cast off in the same manner as before.

Cut and sew in your ends with a large needle, and you're all done!

Sorry I've not had time to show you with proper pictures this week, but try the pattern - it's pretty easy!

See you next week,

Toni

Tutorial - Christmas Rag Wreath

Hello there. Today I'm going to try and get into the festive mood and use up some of my scrap fabric at the same time - I present - how to make yourself a Christmas Rag Wreath. This one's great for kids and adults a like as it's so simple!

You will need:

Wire (I used a coat hanger)
Scrap fabric - this depends on the size of your wire ring, I got through about 1.5m x .5m in 4 colours with my coat hanger.
Scissors
Decoration (optional)
Time. Indeed, this takes a while, but you can easily do this in an evening in front of the telly if you're careful!

Instructions:

Bend your wire into a circle, and put to one side.

Cut (or rip, depending on your fabric types) strips of fabric. Mine were about 3/4 of the diameter of the circle, by 1".

Get cutting!

After each batch, add them to your wire so you know how much more you need to cut. I tied mine with a knot, and in order, one of each colour.

Carry on going! I cannot stress how easy this is! After you've crammed as much as you can on, add any decorations you want, and ruffle up your wreath, making sure you can't see any of the knots.

You're finished! Told you it was easy. 

Next week I'm thinking present ideas - I know it's early, but these things take time...

Toni

The Room is Complete!

Hello folks. Sorry I've been a while. But my bedroom/sewing room is finally done, my bed is no longer heaped with a mixture of clothes and decorating equipment, dusty machines and old ironing board covers. There's still a lot of tidying to do, but it's almost done. (After three weeks, I know, I know!)

So glad to have my own space back again - going to take advantage of the few days I have off of both work and college this week, and I'm going to get back sewing!

Next week I'm getting into the xmas spirit, with another tutorial (hopefully slightly better executed than the last one...) you'll need lots of scrap fabric and a wire coat hanger, intrigued? I hope so!

Toni

No Sewing This Week...Again

The DIY ain't going so well, especially as I've been working all half term and doing my college stuff in the gaps in between.

I'm going to get cracking sanding all my polyfilled holes today, before the walls looked like it'd been attacked by a miniature machine gun. Once the dust has all gone, hopefully I'll be able to get down to some painting, after I've removed the mould off of the ceiling.

Distracting DIY

So today I'm a little busy on other things, I've been living in Chesterfield for nearly a year and a half now, and we finally have the budget for me to decorate my room.

It's been pretty frustrating trying to take photos for the blog (just see last week's tutorial-that's going to need redoing) the wallpaper was truly awful. Fortunately I'm opting for paint, and hopefully it'll make a better backdrop.

My sewing stuff is tucked away and everything else is covered in dust or sheeting. As I'm off college this week I'm really trying to get it finished whilst I can, hence the late post! I really hope your sewing projects are going swimmingly (or should that be 'sewingly'?) and I should be back to normal next week. Happy Halloween folks!

Toni

Tutorial - A Spooky Three in One

So here it is, my first DIY for you lot! To celebrate halloween, what are your plans? Are you hosting a halloween party at yours, going out on the town in fancy dress, or taking kids round the neighbours for a trick or treat? I can tell you one thing, you (or your mum, or even your kids!) would look extra spooky in a homemade halloween 3 in 1! It can be worn as scary scarf, an 'orrible overskirt, or a petrifying poncho, giving you lots of options, especially if you haven't decided what you're going as yet.

It'd work brilliantly in miniature, but also it would be a great holiday craft to do with the kids, as all you have to sew on is a button. Here is how you do it...you will need:

• 1 square of fabric, see how to measure it below.
• some scissors,
• a button,
• a needle and thread.

You need a big square of fabric that roughly measures from one hand to the other. The best way of measuring it is to take two handfuls of fabric along one edge and wrap it around your shoulders, letting the fabric run through one of your hands, then mark the place where your hands end up. Or, if you don't have the fabric already, do the same with a piece of string, then measure that.

Your fabric needs to be square for this one, but you could turn it on it's corner if you like. Use any other geometric shape you desire, but they might need some preparatory calculations first. Personally I would lay off the circles for this one, as I think cobweb points fit the halloween theme perfectly, but it is up to you. Make sure you cut your selvedges off!

Find the centre of your fabric and mark. Cut from any point on the edge of the fabric to the centre of your shape in a straight line.

Calculate 1/4 of your neck size divided by 3.142 and measure the product of your calculation around the centre point, and cut this circle out. The circumference of the circle should be 1/2 of your neck size, but if you've done the maths right you don't need to worry about that!

Using the same measurement as before, cut two lines that distance apart from the first cut you made from the middle of your shape to the edge. Your new cuts should line up with the edges of the circle you cut out in the centre. It should now look like the pattern above.

Almost done! Now you need to sew a button on for your skirt. Sew it wherever you like, but have a fiddle first, take the wrap and put it around your waist to see how it lies, have a look on google at wrap skirts. Place your button and snip an appropriate button hole. 

Now you can wear it as a scarf, a poncho and a skirt, but make sure you're wearing something underneath your new hem, as we don't want you to be flashing anyone, do we?

I'll take this point to mention that I'm on Pinterest, Facebook, Tumblr and Google+, and would love it it if you dropped by. I hope you enjoyed my first DIY as much as I did, and hope you enjoy happy holidays!

Toni

Autumn/Winter All Sewn Up

So this supposedly quick sew has turned out to be a not so quick sew...but in my defense I have had my job inductions to do as well as all my college work, so there are my excuses for not having started sewing it yet.

Excuses aside, it has been cut out. Yes it has.

I'm going to start sewing it tonight! I'll have to go out and buy some woollen tights so I can wear it through the winter. Here's the other fabric I'm using for the front 'yoke' bit, it's a warm fabric that's grey. Now I think about it a black or a navy might work better, but other than the photo on my Pinterest board, I was inspired by a grey top that was similar in colour to the one I happened to have in my fabric box, so I thought 'hey, why not?' also as much as I love a navy, three quarters of the clothes I own seem to be blue, so I am very bored of navy at the moment.

I better get started, there will be a lot of pleating to do. See you on the other side, folks.

Next week, to celebrate the upcoming milestone of 500 page views I am uploading my (deep breath) first ever tutorial! It's perfect for adults but it also works brilliantly in miniature. It's quick and this makes it perfect for a kid's project as as well as being fast to make there is not much sewing going on...bit weird with this being Toni Sews Clothes, but I thought I'd start off simple. Tune in this time next week for a spooky DIY.

Toni

Autumn/Winter Dress...Almost There

So this is what I took my inspiration from this week for my dress, drafted from my blocks I drew last week. Initially I was going to copy it exactly, but then I realised I only really have some tartan that would be the correct drape for it.

Considering that, I decided that the top section  should be something else other than tartan, to contrast with the it and to make me look less like I'm buried in plaid...that's what I'm aiming for anyway. Considering it's going to be below the knee and have long sleeves it might not work, but I'm going to try it out and see what happens.

Here's the pattern so far...

I've split the front 'yoke' bit up with pleats, a little like the ones in the picture below. (The pleats are going to be in that big rectangle on the right.) It's one piece of fabric from the shoulder to the hem, but I am aiming for it to look like they're cascading down the front of the dress...I'm hoping my sewing skills are up to scratch!

I cut the block down to strips the made the strips wider at the bottom than at the top, to give myself more fullness in the skirt. I didn't want to put a seam in at the waist as that would have given the dress more panels and would have made it more complicated - the bit I really want to focus on getting right is the yoke and the pleats, as that is where the faults are going to be easier to spot.

Having said that, as I've flared the pattern out from above the breasts and not the waist, there is a possibility there will be too much fullness there, which might have to be combated with more pleats on the waistline, perhaps like this? Maybe this is a little casual.

I've tried to keep the back as simple as possible as this was meant to be a quick sew - it was only meant to take me a few weeks, but I haven't even drafted a sleeve yet! This will take me a while...I'm aiming to start sewing it by this time next week, after which I have my first ever tutorial for you!

Is there anything you've started that has taken a lot longer than anticipated? How long did it really take you in comparison?

Toni

Drafting Blocks is Hard Work

Following on from last week's update I've just about finished putting the final touches to my bodice block, with my much simpler skirt block soon to follow. Here it is so far, only the waist shaping to draft on, which of course, depends on what I'm making out of it later...

I'm so excited to get started again, as I've not been doing much sewing recently. I haven't quite thought about what I want to start with, but these are some of my favourites from my Pinterest board:

Recently I've been wanting things with slightly more fabric in, as I love the flow and the weight of the garments whilst you're wearing them. Obviously with the tops I would have to put sleeves in them, as I truly am very good at getting cold!

As I was scrolling through my Clothing Inspiration (to follow me on Pinterest click the 'Pinterest' link on the toolbar above this post, then click the red 'Follow' button in the top right hand corner. It will ask you to log in if you're not already, if you haven't got an account you'll need one.) I thought it might be a good idea to have a specific 'Sewing for the Blog' board, which can now be found here.

I have a period of pattern drafting ahead of me...wish me luck and I'll see you on the other side!

Toni

Autumn/Winter Back to Basics

I guess this isn't a sewing update, but today I noticed that there is hallowe'en fabric in the fabric shops. And that means one thing, autumn's nearly here!

Fortunately I am the proud owner of  4 metres by 2m wide beautiful swathe of tartan, plaids and tweeds to boot. I love sewing for autumn, it's just cold enough to get away with wearing something warm and cosy, warm enough to see occasional exposed calves under fantastic tweed miniskirts.

I guess now is the time to mention that I've only made something from a pattern I have bought maybe three times in my life. Pretty quickly I realised that being nearly six foot and leggy wasn't ideal for commercial patterns, and in that in the time that it took to make the necessary changes to them so they would fit me I could draft my own from a block, or a sloper, from my own measurements, using a book I happened to have tucked away in my bookcase.

Sloper: (noun) a basic pattern, developed on paper by drafting, or on cloth by draping, but with seam allowances omitted, used as a tool to create other patterns. (Dictionary.com)

Now it has been a long time since I've drafted myself a bodice and a skirt block, so before anything else I really think I need to get that sorted out, don't you?

My drafting bible is a beautiful book - it's Metric Pattern Cutting for Women's Wear by Winifred Aldrich. I think the first edition was published in the mid seventies or something, but I've not come across anything out of date yet. Genuinely, this book has saved me from packing sewing in completely. Many times. On your next pay check, get yourself one. You won't regret it.

I'm going to get started on my blocks now, if you want to try one out yourself go try this link. I think it's the same as in the book yet I think the waist shaping is a little different. It will give you a rough idea about how to draft your own blocks, which will fit you a lot better than any other pattern you can buy if the increments used by the pattern makers don't fit you very well. Drafting a block is time consuming, especially as you have to draft yourself a pattern from it afterwards, but if you put the effort in and you do it right, you'll be rewarded.

And if you don't grow anymore, unlike some, you can keep drafting patterns off of that block for life. see the appeal?

Toni

The Curtains Are Complete

I completed the curtains, yes! They were so much easier than I thought they'd be, if I'm honest. I'm sure there are many people out there that start sewing curtains as their first project, rather than one a few years down the line, but I guess that I can now tick them off of my sewing list.

They don't let the light in, and they match well with the colours of the walls (as you can see here!) so I guess as curtains go, they're pretty successful. Tom seemed pretty happy with them.

So next up I'm going to start sewing for autumn/winter. I know it seems early but I don't have much time to sew! Also I'm thinking of sewing a shirt for Nathan once I can get my hands on a pattern. I don't really have the time to draft one now it's September, so I might buy one. Are there any good ones out there?

Toni

A Sewing First

So today I'm making curtains. I've never made them before, but they seam pretty simple (see what I did there?) they're for Tom's bedroom and he's going for an green and brown theme. A couple of months ago we spotted a gorgeous wool mix in Chesterfield market, isn't it fabulous?

It's a heavy fabric and so I'm being a little lazy and not lining it, but there is always the possibility of pulling the rail down if I did (which is what I'm using for my excuse not to line it!) but it is beautiful to work with and I'm really enjoying it, despite my initial bored reaction to sewing curtains.

So at the moment, with my fabric and teeth full of pins, I have questions for the fellow sewers out there...is there anything you were initially worried about sewing that turned out well, and what is your favourite material to work with to date?

Happy sewing,

Toni

Post Party Blues

So of late not much sewing has been done. I mean, I made the costumes for the party. Here's the waistcoat for Beast and the little gem that was on the front of Belle's dress, but except from that, there has been no sewing done. Unfortunately no photos of us in costume were taken, so I can't show you how pretty he looked!

The other project I have going on is the Ringleader Jacket. I really really doubt that the it will be done by Shambala, which is in two weeks, so the question is whether to start the jacket and not take it to the festival, or take it bare and then start it afterwards...

Toni

A Costume Party

So after a week at the beach, I'm home.

Unfortunately the bikini didn't get finished and as we were by the sea it wasn't really warm enough to wear the skirt...so the photos will come later, hopefully it will stay warm!

Back to the sewing list. I have a party on Saturday, and I need a costume. Me and a friend are going as Disney's Beauty and the Beast and I'm pretty much making both of them. However we are hoping to find a blue jacket for Beast (we are going for the ballroom outfits as it is the most iconic...) as I don't have time to sew a jacket! For Beast I have already made a waistcoat and I intend to stick to the original design as much as I can.

For Belle I am intending to keep to the yellow, and I have a jewel for the centre front, but to get the beautiful ball gown I would have to spend a fortune on fabric, and I'm skint. Soo, my plan is to have the skirt just above the knee and wear stockings, but keep the fullness of the fabric.

My answer? Ruffles of course! I have a lot of work to do...

Toni

Swimsuits and Skirts

So today (drum roll please!) I finished my skirt. I actually finished something. I will get some photos of me in it sometime soon, probably at the seaside when I go next week. But here is the zip, and here are the pleats when I joined them to the waistband.

Unfortunately, there is no rest for the wicked, and I have one day to sew a bikini. Admittedly, there isn't much to sew, but I don't know the fabric well as I've never sewn it before. I also have no ideas whatsoever (again, not much to work with, but it still needs thinking about!) and so I am really hoping I will have a brilliant epiphany over night.

Stressed,

Toni

So I Heard it Was Swimsuit Season

When did this happen? Last time I checked it was all cold and damp outside! I'm going on holiday at the weekend and I don't have a swimsuit...I have the fabric, but I have never sewn it before, nor have I ever drafted swimwear. I go on holiday on Friday. I have my work cut out. Or not cut out, as the situation is currently. How am I going to sew a cosy in three days?!

Toni

Toni Starts Sewing

Hello internet. Today has been a good sewing (well, pleating) day. We've had some builders in the kitchen so I've been allowed to keep myself to myself in my room all day and get some stuff done, which was very nice.

I have started a skirt. It is soft, old cotton, it is patterned but it is not a quilting cotton nor a linen, and so I have no idea what it is. It is that sort of cotton that is perfect for making clothes out of as it is soft and doesn't crease easily. If you have any idea what it is contact me, as I found this bit in a charity shop  and I have to buy some more!

It holds pleats very well, as you can see.

Recently I had a little think about my sewing and I have decided to go back to basics and do simpler stuff as I need to work on my sewing skills and not my drafting skills, as my sewing is rustier than I would care to admit.

When I started sewing I started with cotton, and I didn't own an overlocker then. In my head this was starting to seem too easy, as I like a challenge. But more often than not with my sewing, I start something really complicated, get halfway through and think 'yeah, I got this!' then I relax, and leave it under the iron too long, or ruin it in a way that seems beneath me. I guess the message is, is that nothing is beneath you, no matter how long you've been sewing!

I settled on a basic pleated skirt as it meant no patterns, just a few calculations. Below are the images I found on Pinterest, click through for their sources.

(For a pleated skirt with 1" knife pleats you need a rectangle of fabric that measures your waist measurement rounded up to the nearest inch x 3 (plus a little for your fastening, or you can hide it in your pleats if you're clever) add your seam allowances by your skirt length plus seam allowances. You can ease the extra you've added to the waist into your waistband.)

I am so happy you can get away with not serging cotton. I have not made anything for myself in a long time, and so I guess that not overlocking stuff means that I get nice new things quicker, too. I have to say, that doing pleats by hand isn't fun, but it is rewarding as it looks fantastic when it's done!

I've tried to hide the seams in the pleats. I started with three pieces of fabric, can you tell?

The skirt is still unfinished at present, because I ran out of pins and so I had to go to the shops. Whilst I was there I bought some embroidery thread ready for the embroidery on my ring leader jacket.

I am going to finish tracing the photograph for the other lapel, somehow manage to put the pattern onto the jacket and start embroidering. I really hope (but I severally doubt it) that I have it finished by Shambala.

I also bought another roll of lining paper for drafting patterns. (I know I said I wasn't doing any drafting, but better to be prepared, right?)

I also got my summer briefing for my Foundation Diploma in Art and Design through the post, so hopefully I will get some sewing in there too.

Toni