A New Look Gathered Skirt

I've just done my skirt fitting and now it's all finished.  This has to be the best fitting I've ever done, it just all fitted together it was amazing! The only alteration I had to do was shorten the skirt......View F, I imagine would be long on a shorter person, as it was long on a tall person. I also made the skirt  without the sash.

The fabric I used was a  colourful light cotton fabric and the pattern was New Look 6872 (easy) style A/F. I loved sewing this and it is easy as the pattern states, the skirt turned out  really well. The zipper goes all the way up to the skirt band, which is something different that worked very well with this style.

Looks long but it's a shorter on the wearer
New Look 6872

The band sits quite high 

I like this pic.....my gathers look better than
 they usually do. It's got to be the 3 rows of
gathering stitch......

The zipper is in the side (not an invisible one though)

Is Two Better Than Three?

I've started sewing a gathered cotton skirt and I think three rows of gathering stitch are much better than  two rows of gathering stitch. When you pull  all three threads it makes a  much firmer gather....this is my first time using three threads.......I've always been going to try gathering using thread and zig zag stitch, but I always go back to sewing rows of gathering stitch....I can never find any dental floss to use and it's too expensive to waste.

Three rows of gathering stitch, it's just a straight stitch set to loose
 setting I have a gathering foot but I never use it.......

I've overlocked in grey thread, someone said quilter's grey is good for overlocking lots of colours it blends in ......What is quilters grey do you know? Is it the name of the colour of the cotton? If it's the name of the cotton it doesn't exist in my shopping patch I can't find it. Anyway I used light grey and then a bit of dark on my overlocker......easier than changing threads to black :)

Which grey is quilters grey? The dark or light one? The messy book
in the background is my old Bernina Manual......

I'm at a stand still now, can't sew anymore until I do the fitting......It's a new pattern I'm being cautious!

Sunny Splash

Yesterday I went along to the beach with everyone else.......No sewing I had to clear the table so everyone could eat at it.   So, I haven't put the machines I was using back up, maybe tomorrow it's far too hot today. I am having an enforced sewing rest........

It was a really great day except for the sand.......and then the wind!

The Sleeping Cat

Since my sewing cat left us, the other cat has taken over, funny how they do this.....This ones not a pin picker but she likes to just roll about in the pattens and material.......Try and pull your pattern and fabric away from her.......No way.......out goes the paw, hooks and all!

Bag Maker Make me a Bag

Bags are not my strong point and over the years I've made a couple, but just easy ones...... A lot of shops charge for bags now (saving the environment by not giving away their plastic bags...well maybe!). So it pays to have a stash of bags in your purse or car, saves you paying for one......

I took a liking for this fabric, then I took a liking for the green fabric as well. Both fabrics are cotton and the lime green cotton I used to line the bag.  The more open weaved, patterned cotton for the outside. The pattern I used was a Simplicity 2402 (easy) which I picked up for the bargain price of a $1.50.

This is a really simple easy shopping bag pattern. It has a pouch also, but I didn't make that as my bag was too bulky to fit into it...... I managed to get a bit stuck on the joining of the handles....... I just ended up doing it my way which was slightly messy but okay ( nice and strong).

The lining needs ironing......

Summertime Plums

Making a galette is an easy way to use up extra plums ....Usually I make apple galette's, but today I'm using  plums, organic ones........A galette is a rustic pastry and when I make these I always forget to turn the pastry up and make it look really rustic ( I've gone and done it again).

The Recipe
1/1/2 cups of flour
10gms of Baking Powder (around 2 teaspoons)
20gms of white sugar, I prefer castor sugar.
30gms butter
1/2 cup of milk. I use non-fat
500gms to 1kg
25 grams of brown or white sugar
Topping
2 teaspoons of flour
1/2 tsp of cinnamon or cloves
1 Tbs butter

* Put all the dry ingredients plus the butter into the food processor, mix until combined
* Add milk, process again until the mixture forms into a soft dough
* Turn dough out onto a floured board , lightly knead
* Roll out into a circle leave a small edge to make an outer cover.
* Place plums on the pastry
* Next mix the topping together. I do this inn my little whizz, really quick!
* Spread the topping over the pastry to the small edge
* Bake at about 200 celsius for approximately 20 minutes
* Dust with icing sugar and serve

A tart plum galette...the sweet plums got more
 tart when they were cooked..........  

A Mouse in the House

This is a cute wee Xmas Mouse pin cushion, I didn't make it myself. It was bought for me at a craft fair by the wee man for Christmas........I  am sure he has taken my frog pin cushion because that now has mysteriously disappeared!

This mouse pin cushion looks very easy to make, at end there is a drawstring
which gathers the fabric together to enclose the foam cone. The drawstring
  also forms the tail which has a clear glass bead  knotted to the end of it.

Easy Cushion Covers

I've finally made the two cushion covers I promised to make ages ago (yes I'm starting to make a dent in my sewing pile). The material I used was a curtain fabric bought on sale many moons ago!. The cushion slips worked out okay, but would have sat much better if the material hadn't been thermal lined (a little bit heavy).  But never mind they will wear well......The colour is rather pretty and the pics don't do it justice (it looks much nicer in real time). The fabric is a patterned satin, a deep rich wine colour......

To make these, it's really very easy. I cut a 21" square using newspaper as my pattern (you can make them any size you want). Next just add a few extra inches ( I just guess) to the back pattern. This makes a rectangle which is for the overlap of the back cover (you cut this in half).  When sewing the two back pieces, overlock the raw edges then stitch. This makes the envelope opening. Next you match the back to the front to make a square, sew and turn and press. Then top stitch in about 1 1/2"s around the finished cushion. Next stuff with a cushion inner of your choice and there you have it a simple removable cushion cover!.

They looked fab in the house they went to......

The back of the cushion cover.........