Flora Sewalong - Part 1 - the Sundae Best dress

I finally managed to get going on my Flora dress. I've been following the sewalong, and I knew as soon as I saw the pattern, which fabric I wanted to use. I've had this perky ice-cream sundae fabric sitting in my stash for a while and I just KNEW there would be enough fabric. I started cutting out my pattern without checking. Duh!

I went for Variation 2, which is more 'modest' in the front department. I haven't got any frocks with this style bodice so I thought I'd give it a try. I don't really like drop hems so I'm using the Variation 1 skirt. I would have made it a bit longer, but I just don't have enough fabric! If I'm feeling a bit too exposed I may add a bottom border later - maybe a bit of broderie anglaise or something.

Luckily I didn't need to make any modifications for bust, but I did shorten the body as I am shortwaisted and also 'blessed' with a large tummy and I don't like the waistline sitting on my larger bits. As a plus size lady I used the largest size available on the pattern.

 

So I laid out my pattern all nicely, and started to cut thinking 'yey go me I've got just the right amount of fabric'. Then I realised. I'd put the back piece on the fold instead of the front. I quickly swapped them around, but this minor change meant that I could no longer fit my front and back bodice pieces side by side. Gaaaahh!!

Just before I realised I'd laid my pattern pieces wrong - thats the back piece on the fold when it should be the front piece!

I have learned a lessson from this. Well a couple. Mark your pattern pieces more clearly ( I just used a biro on the skirt pieces as I'd lost my black marker at this point - small children and pens - harumph!) and check you have enough fabric before you start rather than just crossing your fingers!

Pattern cut out and darts sewn up, awaiting ironing

 Anyway, after those hiccups I was away. Bodice darts done, lining attached to main fabric. It went together nicely.

 

Quick body shot of bodice fitting:

 

Then it was time to sew up the skirt panels. The darts were easy to understand and I sewed it up nice and swiftly. I did buy some seam binding earlier this week, but I'm impatient and it hasn't arrived yet (I buy most things online as we are lacking in local haberdasheries/fabric shops), so I did this instead ( I think its called a 'turned single hem'):

 

Again the pattern doesn't really match at the seams. It was too tricky to even consider, so I didn't. As stated previously, I didn't have enough fabric to do anything other than manage to fit each pattern piece on there. 

This scrunched up piece is my skirt ready for ironing then attaching to bodice!

 

In my head, this dress needs a Sundae Best Bag to match, and I knew that the U-Handbag Baguette clutch was the one. I always wanted to use my ice cream fabric for this, but I didn't want to cut into the fabric until I'd used it for a dress or something. 

Well I've done that now, and there is enough remnants to make me a Baguette. I also handily have the correct frame awaiting usage.

How I will fit this in before Friday 16th I don't know, but my invisible zipper foot hasn't arrived yet meaning my dress is on hold, so I might be able to get it cut out this evening. 

Please please let my zipper foot arrive by tommorrow though :)

Lady Drivers in Control!

I'm proud to announce that Anna and I did the Ladies Driving Challenge at Alconbury Airfield on sunday.  

This was in aid of the Firefighters Charity

 

We picked the best slot (morning) as the rain had started by midday and just got a bit windswept trotting between vehicle stations!

 

I had a go of lots of vehicles although there wasn’t time unfortunately for us to have a go on the tractors and diggers:

I got to drive a fire engine, an ambulance, a 4x4, a double decker bus, an extra-big articulated lorry, and a hovercraft.

I also did ‘manoeuvres’ in a 4x4, a gritter and a vehicle with 

trailer.

 

What the! Two posts in one week?! It must be deadline time!

So what have I been beavering away at in secret for the last few months (other than bags of course)? 

Dolly clothes. For a competition. http://www.hellbunnyrag.com/win-me.php 

I immediately knew I had to enter when my hell bunny rag arrived - one problem though - no doll to dress. 

 

I found a Liv doll on ebay, made a few tiny modifications (painted her lips and eyebrows - her eyes are a bit too green (mine are brown) but close enough), and got to work on a coat - not strictly within the rules as they are after dresses - but in my head I wanted to do a coat so that's what I started with! I made some little fit patterns first then made paper patterns for the coat using my fit patterns. 

I used felt and trimmed it with black ribbon. 

 (this is a page from my working sketchpad -everything goes in here)

I quickly made her some trousers too for modestys sake, and found some little shoes and boots from ebay to fit.

 'Lindy' Dress #1 was a copy of my Sassy dress in tropical - as I have no tropical fabric in my stash I went for fruity instead, and made her a little net underskirt.

Last was the Larissa Flamingos dress (Dress #2) I knew I wanted to use some of my favourite flamingo fabric for this!

I also made a couple of mini bags and some jewellery to accessorise.  I'm pretty pleased with how she came out.
Noah and I got some wallpaper samples from B&Q to use for backgrounds, and I snapped her this afternoon. I'm not a great photographer unfortunately but I think you can get the gist!

 

Next on the list - Handmade by London - the Flora dress. Its all cut out ready for the sewing machine! Can I meet that deadline too?!

Bag Time. Again!

Back in October, U-handbag introduced the Queen Bee bag, which I instantly loved. I must have been one of the first to download the pattern, and I started cutting out the fabric (this gorgeous Frida Kahlo pattern) immediately. 

Then I started getting inundated with orders. My Queen Bee Frida ended up on the back burner. 

And its not until this week that I finally decided b*gger it I'm finishing that bag. 

So I did.

 

 

Unfortunately, I messed up the corners. I don't know what happened, but the shape was wrong and my fabric didn't reach the frame. This is why there are lace inserts in each corner of the external bag, and fabric inserts on each internal corner. Gutted that I made this mistake, but still love the bag, and decided I was going to keep it. 

I visited my mum on Saturday (sans children and hubby). She lives 3 hours up the A1 (if I really bomb it up there) and I arrived mid afternoon. We went out for a lovely meal with my sister to celebrate my mums 70th (she doesn't look or act anywhere near 70!) The cake was not made by me. I decided a long time ago I don't have time for cake decorating :)

On Sunday, I got some bargains at Sedgefield car boot sale, and Maxey let me have free run of her sewing room. She is a generous lady and has a vast stash of fabric and wool. I was quite restrained I thought and only took a small selection of fabrics. She also donated a lovely wooden sewing box she found at the tip. Noah has since tried to comandeer it, but he's not having it!

Whilst at the car boot sale, Maxeys friend Jill was admiring my Queen Bee. Quite a bit. 'Lynn sells bags' says my mum. 'Oh, are you selling that one?' Jill asks. Umm. Ok.

So I sold her my handbag right there and then (after transferring the contents to my mums bag LOL)

I shall have to make another, and get it right this time!

 

This is my haul. I also got a min-iron from Aldi which was on sale - I've been after one for ages for my bag-making but £7 was a bargain!

Actual craft report today!

Actual craft report today!
I have been doing stuff - its just that I've been doing it secretly. Its my mums 70th birthday tomorrow, so I've been beavering away making here a Kennedy Bag which is a satchel style bag with faux buckles (it has a mag snap fastening) and a very bright fabric! I chose the 'cats in the flower garden' fabric because she likes, well, cats and gardening!
I'm hoping she likes it because shes certainly not the reserved type! It is an easy pattern to follow, but just a little bit finicky - lots of stuff to cut out - and I am short on time so this took me quite a while! My first time putting on little bag feet (was so easy I'm putting them on everything now!) and I also added a removable internal base which has a little more rigidity to it.

The second bag I've made this month is the 'Wordy Ladies' bag for my friend Nic. She needs something to go with her dress to attend a wedding. Its a Lindy Bop Audrey dress, which is gorgeous and classy (I have one in black) and plain midnight blue, so she wanted something dramatic to accessorise. She also wanted a budgety bag (i.e one that is quick to make - time is money!) that would fit the basics. We went through my stash and I suggested the fabric used for the bag below:

I just used a half circle screw on frame for this - I have ordered a silver frame but its not here yet so the bronze is temporary. I used the same pattern I made up for my kitty bag which was the practice run for the wedding bag (see below) but stabilised this with compressed fleece so that it can stand up on a table. Also included the piping - I bloody love piping - and finished with a bow. She seems pleased :)

Finally - I don't believe I ever posted my commissioned bag - this was made for an adorable lady called Emma who is getting married in July. She is a designer, so she had a very specific set of requirements. Apparenently I met those! Can't wait to see here wedding photos :)

Miss Vintage UK entry

I just entered Miss Vintage UK. Honestly I haven't a hope in hell but this is my year of doing things I haven't done before (I'm 40 in a few months!) and one of the things that was on my list was to do a photoshoot. (Got me a Groupon deal for nineteen quid - it was really good fun and a bargain - totally recommend!)

This is a facebook competition, so if aren't on I don't expect you to start now! There are a lot of gorgeous ladies on there, but I'm going to do my damndest to get some more votes. I'm representing the fuller figured gals (I'm a size 18-20) of a <ahem> certain age.

Its just a bit of fun. I'm not trying to pretend to be someone I'm not - but of course this isn't a true representation of what I look like every day. There was good lighting involved. And lots of straining to get the best angle. And makeup.

Stuff like this helps the confidence though for sure, and whilst I don't want to be fat and forty (I'm in 'a diet place' right now) I want to make the most of what I have right this minute, rather than waiting till I'm 'thin'. After all, my body might be big, but its produced two gorgeous kids - so its doing pretty well!

My entry to the Miss Vintage UK contest. Feel free to enter yourself or if you'd like to vote for me, you can like my picture in this album:
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10151925997677657.1073741832.30797112656&type=1
and you must also like their page
https://www.facebook.com/twinwoodevents

thank you

p.s. The dress I'm wearing is the one I was trying to get done in time for the groupon photoshoot. I failed to finish it, but am wearing it anyway (Its bulldog clipped at the back and there's no hem!) Glad I got to wear it though!

I am vair, vair busy at the mo, so whilst I have stuff going on, I have nothing complete to show you at the mo.

This month we have been mostly buying fish (against my better judgement, but hubby insisted) 

killing fish (Goldy only lasted two weeks - has been replaced by Boo Boo who seems to be faring better)

We have been to the legoland hotel (thumbs up for that) for Joey's birthday.

We have had Joeys birthday (cake not made by me - I gave up the cake thing last year)

I have been raising dosh for the Ladies Driving Challenge

I went to the opening of a new fabric shop in Peterborough Fabritastic

I made a leetle bag as a practice run for a commission I've been asked to do.  I'm hoping to get that done by the end of this week.

 

I have also started to make a nautical dress using Vogue 8727. I was hoping to have this finished for the 50's photoshoot I'm doing next week. I have bought some backup dresses in case I don't manage it though. TBH its looking unlikely. I have 6 days to try to complete a bag and a dress and pretty much no spare time to do it in. Thats a challenge!