Tunic top

This week after a little review of my wardrobe I decided it was time to invest some time making some clothes for me.  I have this fantastic floral fabric I bought from a charity shop and have already used some of it to make a bag.  It is really 60's so I decided to go with a light - easy - breezy tunic.  Tunics are so simple to make and I love them.  They look great, they are comfortable to wear and if your using bright fabric they can really make a statement.

I didn't have a pattern so I used another top to get the sizing right.

I drew round this top adding some extra fabric to create a shoulder and also allowing about 1.5cm for a seam allowance.  I also flattened the neck line out at the back.

These were the pieces I had for the top part.  One for the front and two for the back.  Really simple to shape as I just relied on the outline of my last top.

I cut out sleeves from another pattern I had (I have never been great at doing my own sleeves - something to work on) and then set to work.  Using an overlocker to bind the seams I sewed shoulder to shoulder together and then the side seams before adding the sleeves.  I added a small gather to each sleeve which works really well but I actually added it in because I didn't quite measure out right and ended up with sleeves a bit bigger than the arm hole.  The finished effect I am pleased with though.  

I then used bias binding the edge the top.

I curved the back to create a neat edging and then finished the bias binding about half way down before closing the seam up.

Then I cut two more pieces the same size as each other.  I decided on my length, added 1.5cm for seam allowance and then took my top measurement and multiplied it by 1.5.

I gathered the two pieces so the width now matched the width of the top, sewed the side seams and then overlocked the top piece and bottom piece together.

Then I just added some bias binding to divide the top a little bit and a cute button to finish the top.

I closed off my seams and I was done - here you have it.

I wore it out today and felt really comfortable in it - I plan to make a few more tunics in the next few weeks.  While making this one I found a fab old pattern that used to belong to my Mum which is for some great tunics with sailor tops and some fabulous flares so I might get onto them!

Watch this space for how I continue to funk up my wardrobe!  This new tunic probably cost me £1.50 as I still have half the fabric left and it cost me £3 to buy.  What a bargain plus the pleasure of making it included in that price!

Do share the things you make for yourself in the next few weeks!

x

Poncho love

My Mum recently gave me some gorgeous cashmere jumpers that had been nibbled away at by moths to see if I could make use of the remaining material.  I had a little think and thought I would try to make something out of the two jumpers that she could still way - I came up with the idea of a poncho (following a good sweep of pinterest of course!)

This is what I started with - you can just about see a few holes where the moths have had a good go at the cashmere.

I decided to make things easy for myself and stick with the shape of the roll neck jumper as a bit of a template.  I lay the jumper out flat and cut a straight line just about where the side seam and are seam joined up.

Then came the tricky bit.  I had a limited amount of fabric due to dodging holes and seams so I trimmed everything down to use able sections and this is what I was left with.

I sat down and sketched out a rough idea of what I wanted things to look like - originally I started with the idea of smaller patches but due to the limited fabric I ended up deciding on bigger chunkier sections.  I measured and cut out the blocks and then stitched them together to create this.  You can see I have also used the edging that was on the original jumper and cardigan to make the finish very easy to do.

Although this was a poncho it wasn't going to be really long so it needed to be able to sit properly while still allowing arm movement.  I decided to create holes for the arms to slip through and close the side seams of the poncho.  I used bias binding to bond the seams and then stitched the seams down to the base of the poncho.  The idea is that the arms will be through the poncho from about the elbow so it will still have that loose relaxed effect.

And there you have it a finished poncho ready to be sent back to my Mum.  Now I have to be honest at this point that I am not entirely convinced that she will wear this - it does have a bit of a funky 80's feel to it that may not fit in with her usual attire.  If I had made it had been a bigger size then I on the other hand would have been highly likely to sport an item of clothing like this.  Anyway whether it gets worn by Mum or not I am convinced someone will be able to enjoy it and I have to say it was a lot of fun to make.  I wasn't sure how it would be to sew cashmere but it is actually quite simple to work with and so soft to the touch!

My next project is likely to take a bit longer.  I plan to make some curtains for one of my sisters which will be a first for me and a wedding dress keepsake bear for my other sister.  I think those projects will keep me busy for a fair while but I'll be sure to keep checking in and let you know how I am getting on.

Do send in your pictures of your makes!

x

A few mentions

Thought I would just take a quick moment to share a couple of fabulous blogs that have given a shout out or featured daydreamsandsunshine.

First is lovely Sammeh from Odds and Sodz - She has been doing a bit of a feature of a selection of fabulous bloggers and very kindly chose Daydreams and Sunshine to do a guest blog.  If you fancy popping over to take a look here is the link :)

http://oddsandsodz.blogspot.co.uk/2014/01/guest-post-trip-to-chairty-shop.html

Another blog who has given us a shout out is the team over at Christmas in July.  They are a team I belong to on Etsy and gave me a little shout out in their summary of January resolutions.  Anyway here it is along with a selection of other great crafters who sell things on etsy and have set goals for themselves.

http://etsychristmasinjuly.wordpress.com/2014/01/14/2014-goal-setting/

It is definately worth popping across to those links to discover some new crafters and some new bloggers!

And finally another blog which is nothing to do with Daydreams and Sunshine other than my enjoyment of her blog.
It has just re-launched and I shall be following with interest and you can follow to at http://frugallypeachy.co.uk/

Emma has set herself a whole bunch of challenges for 2014 all linked with reigning things in, wasting less and generally being frugally fabulous (as the title implies).  I will be adding her blog button to the side of my blog so you can keep popping across to check out what she is up to in 2014.

Like I said a quick post to shout out to some fabulous blogs that are about at the minute.

Hope you are all surviving January!

x

Getting stuck back in

This week has been about getting going again.  It is crazy how Christmas takes over and suddenly it's nearly the middle of January and you still haven't actually achieved anything.
  I started my week with a surprise visit to my older sister who has just returned from 2.5 years in sunny Australia.  I'm not sure how overjoyed she has been to return to the UK with this crazy weather but we are all very happy to have her back close to us again.  A couple of days being spoilt at my parents house and having a good old natter was perfect before I headed home to get ready to start work again today.
 In between the loads of washing I snuck in some time in the sewing room.  I had to re-locate my sewing machine downstairs as the attic is just too cold at the minute but once I got going I managed to complete a couple of jobs.
  A quick adjustment of some trousers first and then on to some fun.  I recently found some gorgeous floral fabric and am busy dreaming up so many things to make out of it.  As my fingers were itching for some stitching I decided to go with a simple bag to start.

I'm pretty happy with how it turned out and I'll be adding it to my etsy store soon!  I'm thinking I'll do some sort of tunic/dress for me or for a child out of the fabric too.  It's so fabulously flowery so I feel it just has to be worn!

My next project is going to be a bit of an experiment which I will definitely be blogging about regardless of how it turns out.  My Mums cashmere jumpers have begun to show holes so I plan to cut them up and re-attach them into a poncho.  I'm very excited to see how it turns out and have been busy sketching and measuring to make sure I have enough fabric.  So I might be quiet on the blog for a few days while I tackle this challenge!

Next blog up will definitely be a 'how-to' so do check it out - don't forget you can always pop your email into the box to get updated each time I post or follow me via bloglovin! Till next blog - take care!

x

Little gifts

Little gifts are often the hardest to think of but we all want to give them.  We have those special people in our lives - work colleagues, friends, neighbours - whoever it might be we want to let them they are special and we thought of them during this busy time.

This year I spent a fair amount of time trawling pinterest looking for ideas.  I found some fab ones.

http://www.pinterest.com/pin/133137732708178562/

http://www.pinterest.com/pin/528398968750667503/

http://www.pinterest.com/pin/491455378058403394/

But in the end I decided to go for something simple and useful for little presents. Now that it is post Christmas and everyone has received their gifts I thought I'd share.

I decided to make little hand warmers.  They are so simple and yet so effective.

All you need to do is cut out squares to the size you want.  I used a lining fabric as well to keep heat in so had a total of 4 squares cut to the same size.  Place them in a pile with right sides together.  Lining then top fabric facing right side towards you then top fabric facing right side down and then lining.  

Sew all round three edges and turn right way out.

Add rice into the square and at this point you can add some scent like lavender.  I chose not to in case anyone had any allergies.  Then neatly hand sew your open edge so it is closed.  

Then wrap and give your gift - it just needs popping in the microwave for one or two minutes and it stays lovely and warm.  Perfect to pop into gloves or a pocket for a winters walk or just to keep with you around the house.

January

So it's 2014!!! I have to admit I'm not a huge fan of new years.  The evening itself tends to lean towards people going over the top and I've never been a big new years resolution kind of person.  That said I have learnt the benefits of a bit of self reflection and planning some goals for the future so this year I'm trying to embrace it a bit more.

2013 saw the start of blogging for me and also starting to sell one or two bits and pieces that I make.  It's been fun and I think in terms of my crafting I want 2014 to look much the same.  I have some thoughts - they aren't exactly measurable new years resolutions but more a general direction I would like to see things head in this year.

 I want to make sure I take time out regularly to make something new or try a new technique.  I have learnt that I am not so good at re-producing en mass lots of the same thing (I get bored far too easily and end up distracted).  I ended up doing this for the craft fair and I have much more fun tweaking things each time I make them.  

 I also want to keep blogging and build up a network of people that follow me/I follow to keep sharing new and exciting ideas.  I really do enjoy sitting down to write and share with you all what I'm thinking or getting up to.  Plus to help each other out when we get stuck!

 I also want 2014 to be a year where I think a little less about myself and try to look at what is going on around me - in the city where I live, in my country and in the world.  I still have to figure out exactly what this looks like but I'll be sure to share with you as I get more clear on how it is right for me to do this!  If this had a crafty twist to it as well then I'd be pretty happy!

It would be nice to sell a few bits and pieces as I go along over on etsy or on facebook but I don't want to make this the focus of what I do.  I went shopping before Christmas and got some new to me fabric and it was super exciting to spend money that had been made from selling things I make.  So if I could sell enough products that mean it doesn't cost me anything to sew then that would be awesome.  Anything else would be a bonus!

So there you have it - a little bit scatty but a few thoughts for the year - I'm sure there are many other things like getting the garden going and being healthy but with the current deluge of rain outside all I can think about is curling up indoors so for now I just have sewing on the brain!

Here are a few of my favorite pieces from 2013.

I hope you all had a wonderful new year and are starting to feel settled again after the madness!  Do send me your projects from 2013!  I'd love to see what you got up to.

Jenni

x

To make or not to make?!?

Everyone has different criteria for what makes a perfect gift and some people are really hard to buy for.  There is a challenge when it comes to handmade gifts – for many people handmade reminds them of those gorgeous little crafts that small children bring home to their parents dripping glue and glitter.  People love to receive those gifts from children but as we grow up we become concerned about anything we make turning out to be an explosion of random craft materials and that it won’t really turn into anything useful.  Handmade is tricky but when it is done right those gifts can be the best.  For me handmade gifts sum up what giving is all about – not just money but something of you has gone into the gift.  So how do you get it right? 

I think the key is not over complicating things – simple gifts can be the most perfect.  A gift I love to receive is pretty things for around my home – things I see every day and remind me of the person who gave them.  So I have decided to share a tutorial on how to make bunting.  This is perfect for any time of year but with some clever fabric choices and colour selection bunting can make a country chic style Christmas home.

You will need

-          Fabric of your choice

-          Bias binding to match your fabric

-          Ruler, pencil and card/paper

-          Pins

-          Needle and thread or sewing machine

-          Iron

1    1.    Measure out a triangle on paper.  This can be done by measuring the base and then marking the half way point all the way up to how high you want your triangle to be.  Then draw the lines.  You can fold in half to ensure it is even

2.       Trace out the triangle onto your fabric as many times as you want.  I made 6 triangles for my bunting so I cut out 12 triangles of fabric.  You can make your bunting as long or as short as you need

3.       Place your triangles with the right sides of the fabric facing each other in pairs.  Sew from the base up to the point and leaving your needle down lift the foot and turn the fabric.  Then sew the line along the other edge of the triangle back to the base.  Leave the base unstitched.

4.       Once you have done this turn the triangles so you have the right side of the fabric facing you.  Push the point out using anything that isn’t too sharp ie the end of a pencil or crochet hook.  At this point it is really important to iron the bunting to ensure it is sitting correctly.

5.       Now you need to work out how wide apart you want the triangles on your binding.  I left a 10cm gap between each flag.  Place the triangles into the binding and fold it over hiding all the raw edges.  Pin in place and sew neatly along the edge of the binding.  I used a zig zag stitch as it looks nice but also ensures you don’t miss any of the bias binding when it is folded.

6.       Now trim your edges and display or wrap up for that perfect gift!

The fabric I have used was gifted to me by a friend and it has previously belonged to her Nan who didn’t have the opportunity to use it.  Hanging this bunting up I think honors her and the special person she was in my friend’s life.

If you have something special that belonged to someone who was important to you why not incorporate it into a gift for someone or for you so that it becomes a part of your home on a daily basis.

I hope you have fun making the bunting – do send me pictures of how you get on!

x

Projects!!

So in the last few weeks I have done my first craft fair, fixed my sewing machine and set up my etsy shop in amongst that and a few handmade Christmas gifts I have been super quiet on the blog!  Sorry about that!
  After doing a bunch of projects over and over again to produce enough stock to fill a table I decided I needed to try some new things.  I want to keep trying to improve my sewing skills and techniques so want to constantly try new and exciting things.  I have recently discovered a love for pinterest - there is an amazing wealth of resources on there.  So many inspiring projects and beautiful pictures it is amazing and often they come with great patterns or tutorials.

So on one of my pinning adventures I found this cute little backpack pattern here

I love this pattern mainly because the pieces to cut out are so easy - lots of straight lines.  I have to admit that once I had cut out my pattern I just followed what made sense in my mind so I'm not sure how easy the written instructions are to follow but the pattern is great.



So from this pattern I have made two little back packs and another one is cut out and ready to go.  The fabric I have made mine from I think mean they lean towards being for a child but really it could be made from anything.

So here are my finished products.

I used a white ribbon as the drawstring which works great if you tie it half way (which will be hidden by the fabric) as this gives it a good hold rather than it slipping round and through the top of your bag.

 I hope you like them and I hope you are enjoying the Christmas preparation and not finding it too busy.  

And do come and say hi on pinterest - till next time!

x

A little bit of assistance!

Doing this blogging thing is opening my eyes to a whole world of technology that I had no idea existed!  With the help of the lovely Emma from It's Emma Made I now have a blog button and know how to add in other fantastic blogs that I find in my wanderings around crafty internet world.  I'm going to start gathering a few of my favorite blogs and posting their buttons along the side.  I'm working on the theory that if you enjoy what I write about you might also enjoy the things I read about!  So pop across and get to know some of the blogs I add over the next few weeks and if you want to grab my blog button the script is just below it!

The other achievement of the week also came from a fellow blogger Irene over at sergerpepper
With some advice from Irene and some time invested on my part my sewing machine is back!  To be fair it remains towards the end of its life but it has been given a new lease of life for now at least which buys me the time to start saving and dreaming about the next one I get!

It turned out the main issue was a hugely embarrassing amount of lint build up in the machine.  I unscrewed everything that appeared to be detachable and armed with cottons buds eradicated every last piece of fluff.  Some fiddling around with tension and putting the machine back together and I can feel and hear the difference!  I had been under the impression that I was cleaning my machine regularly but clearly I needed to go to a whole new level to keep the machine in tip top condition.

Well a massive thank you to those who have helped me out this week!  Hopefully I can return the favour in a different context in the future!

I'll post over the weekend a gorgeous backpack that I'm making out of some truly bright fabric that used to be a bed sheet! :)

Bunny doorstops

Now I have finished my craft fair and a few other bits and pieces it leaves me open to concentrate on projects that I have promised to friends for a long time.
 A friend asked me a month or so ago about making my bunny softies in to doorstops.  We agreed some fabric and off I went to forget about it for ages until finally today I found some time to have a play!  Luckily I had half done this one already so no need for my sewing machine!
 So how did I do it?  I took the template that can be found here and cut out the fabric of my choice and a lining fabric.  I then made an oval out of both my lining and my choice fabric.  The oval needs to be the length of the base of the bunny from toe to tale :)

Then I simply placed the choice fabric right sides together and stitched round placing the oval between the toe and the tale.  I left a full line between the toe and the tale open on one side.  I repeated with the lining.

Then I had a bit of a fiddle - first filling the lining with rice, giving up on that and attempting to skip the lining and then going back to my original plan. So I put some rice into my choice fabric right up to the ears to maintain the shape and then slotted the lining inside. I poured in rice until it was pretty full and then I had stitched the lining closed.  I then added some extra rice into the cheeks of the bunny and around the neck to stop it from slouching down when the rice in the lining shifted position.  I lined the base of the bunny with pennies and then folded over the fabric and stitched tightly together.
This is the finished product.

To be honest once I have fiddled around some more I may well end up making my friend a new one as this is by no means perfect but as a first doorstop attempt I am pretty happy with it.  I can see why so many doorstops are one block like shape with an image sewn on rather than a shape as it is pretty tricky to shape it correctly.

In my house rice and a few coins are plenty heavy enough but if you lived in a house that had self closing fire doors I think it may not quite be enough and you would need to use something like sand that had more weight in it.

Have you got any unusual doorstops?  Or ideas for the next one I make?  Let me know :)

x