pockets of spring

hello there! i'm back to life after a bout of the flu that was bad enough to make me not feel like crafting anything. glad that's over and this week i've started making some accessories for the coming spring/summer season. i used my sick days to browse blogs and magazines for inspiration and the bag & bracelet combos i came up with tap into three strong trends for spring 2012.

ethnic:

ethnic bracelet

ethnic matchup

bracelet made from a tutorial from swellmayde, a great DIY site to visit, and the bag was a jeans recycling idea from burda style June 2012.


fluoro:

fluoro bracelet

fluoro matchup

this bracelet was made from an article in issue #16 of Mollie Makes and the clutch was based on a tutorial from style scrapbook except i lined mine and bound the edges of my zip in a contrasting vinyl for a neater finish.

festival:

friendship bracelet

festival matchup

the friendship bracelet was made from the same issue of Mollie Makes as above, and the bag was another denim recycling idea, this time from burda style February 2012.

that just leaves pastel, tie-dye, lace, ombre, mermaid, africa, two-tone and floral to try out! hopefully this winter sun will re-energise the batteries for some full bore crafting. see you soon...

old favourite and a new talent

happy winter solstice to all lower hemisphere dwellers and i hope you can find a corner of cosiness today. i'm staying warm with my latest finished project, a long knit wrap jacket i've made a few times already and was so popular that Mum commissioned one and Manz also made one for herself. it's Burda Style magazine 12/2009 design #119 and each one i've seen looks different depending on the fabric. i used a wool blend boucle sweater knit from my stash (sweater knits are thin on the ground where i live, so hooray for a well fed stash!).

cosy boucle cardi

this lovely warm jacket will replace my old grey one which has been worn to death; i calculated that i must have worn it around 200 times since i made it two years ago! definitely an old favourite that needed replacing.

i would also like to take this opportunity to brag about one of my boys. i've shown his work on the blog before with this project, and he is also good at woodworking (possibly inherited from his grandad). he made this beautiful laminated bowl at school and being quite modest about his talent, was happy for me to have it.

levi's wooden bowl

i had no problems thinking about how to use it as i love all kinds of containers, baskets and bowls for all the stuff i collect. i have this on my bedside table as a receptacle for my ring collection to remind me to wear them more often.

a useful bowl

casual grey day

i think i've mentioned on this blog before, that i love grey marle in all its lovely greyness. when it comes to casual sportswear, its the perfect shade. as my sporty wardrobe progresses, i've noticed i need some new trackie pants for serious walking. i know they are cheap as chips to buy, but when i tried some on in the shops i really felt like all i needed was a matching top and a blue rinse and life would be over!

urban fleece trackies

i used some dark grey marle fleecy from my stash and a knipmode pattern, model #5 from October 2011 to make these. i really liked the rib trim around the lined pockets and the fashionable carrot shape of these pants and they were really quick to make.

stripey rib waistband

as usual i ran out of the plain grey ribbing, and there was none to be found in the shops, so i improvised with some striped rib knit from my stash for the waistband. i could have even used a plain jersey as there is wide elastic sandwiched between the layers, making them very comfy.

while i was in the mood to make "at home" gear, i started on a long boyfriend sweater out of some black and silver striped sweater knit. i know in the photo it looks like a prison top, but in reality the silver is much sparklier.

striped boyfriend sweater

i used model # 111 from burda magazine October 2011 and left off the hem band so it wouldn't draw attention to my hips. burda has made this as a dress, which would be cute and cosy on someone with a straighter figure and its another quick pattern to make. the only thing to remember is to use quite a stretchy sweater knit, as you have to stretch the cuffs and hem band onto the garment. of course you could use a rib trim instead which would give a cool sporty look, especially a contrast colour at neck, cuffs and hem.
right, i've still got grey thread on my overlocker, so don't be surprised if the next few garments are also grey; really i can be quite slack sometimes!

i feel a need for tweed

brrr its chilly, even though the sun is shining and the sky is blue, there is cold seeping up through the floor and into my woolly socks. on these days i feel a need for wool garments, the English show the way (well, on Poirot they do) by wearing country tweed jackets, hunting skirts and my personal favourite...deerstalkers!

tweed hunting skirt

i noticed that long skirts are back in fashion, and i know they are warm so i found some ancient burgundy tweed check just laying around at the workshop and chopped it up into this skirt from burda magazine September 2011, model #136. i graded it up at the necessary areas and shortened it a little, and it was super easy to sew because its just one piece! i had serious doubts about this but it fits perfectly and when i wore it with woolly tights and fur-lined boots i felt like an extra in Downton Abbey!

burgundy tweed check

another tweedy item that hopped off the needles recently is my long cable mitts that i knitted from Cleckheaton "Tartan" a beautiful soft wool that is in lovely retro colours. i used Patons Winter Warmers book 1310 for the pattern which is just a cabled rectangle, seamed into a tube leaving fingers free to knit or stir marshmallows into hot chocolate. aaahh, that's what chilly weather is for!

tweedy caramel mitts

mad cowl disease

its beginning to feel quite wintry at both ends of the day recently, and i've realised that although heavy jumpers aren't needed yet, it's the perfect time to wear scarves and mitts. they are easily slipped on and off, and can be stuffed into a handbag when the sun comes out. another bonus is quick finishing, by the time i'm bored the project is complete! after the success of last week's cream chunky cowl, i decided to make another one.

wild thing cowl

this time i sewed the cowl from some thin faux fur fabric from my stash; i just cut a rectangle the width of the fabric (150cm) by 50cm. then i sewed the long edges together to form a tube, leaving an opening of 15cm for turning. finally i sewed the short edges together, flipped it the right way out and hand sewed the opening. two twists around the neck and it was on!

aviator cowl

the next cowl was also sewn, this time from faux leather, lined with fleece. the pattern is from burda style magazine October 2011, design #154, but once again its just a lined rectangle with a chunky zipper inserted at the short edges. this is a very fashion forward look, and as such i haven't dared to wear it yet in case my family mocks me for it, but i'll have the last laugh when the cold wind blows because its really warm and cosy.

orange tulips cowl

finally, i got out the knitting needles again to make this orange cowl knitted from Spotlight's Moda Vera "Shiver" yarn. i bought this shade last year and never got round to using it but its a lovely soft acrylic that's perfect on sensitive skin. i used my Vogue Stitchionary to choose a pattern and this one is called "tulip leaves" which suits the national colour of Holland! the lace pattern creates a wavy cast on edge that sits beautifully on the shoulders and knitting the cowl sideways shows off the pattern nicely.

gobstopper hail

these cowls are so much easier to wear than scarves as they don't come adrift no matter what you are doing, and sit close to the neck to keep you warm even on days when the hail looks more like snow...

drapey designer dress

i'm carrying on sewing the wardrobe plan again, and today i finished a dress. "but it's a casual wardrobe isn't it?" i hear you ask. well, when its a jersey dress it can be casual and it sure is comfortable! i first admired this pattern when i saw in the 'plus' section of Manz's August 2011 burda magazine and racked my brains as to how i could make it in my size.

drapey dress

i looked through my patterns and decided to 'frankenpattern' a bodice that i knew fitted well onto the burda skirt panel which is pleated and gathered onto the bodice anyway. i used New Look 6802 and because of fabric restrictions, chose a sleeveless style. this will be great for layering over coloured tops on those days when you get all four seasons at once, and is handy for crafting when you need your arms free!

side view

i used a mystery jersey fabric purchased at Textile Traders last year, it smells of silk, is a tiny bit prickly like wool and is a dream to sew with. i added some self fabric ties to cinch the waist a bit and i love the drape detail. really, its a lot easier to sew than it looks and i will definitely make this again in a bright colour with long sleeves next time. i recommend cutting the hem allowances a bit bigger than the 15mm suggested to allow for a double hem, clean finished on both sides because part of the back hem flips to the right side and you don't want to see the overlocking. ask me how i know...

darkest denim

still in the sewing mode, my third wardrobe item had to be a good pair of jeans. i always make my own because they fit the way i like and because i think whiskers look best on cats, not jeans. when i find a heavier weight stretch denim, i usually buy lots and stash it for future use because it wears well and holds everything in comfortably! for these jeans i have used my last piece so the pattern had to be a good one.

perfect jeans

this photo doesn't do these jeans justice, but as 'betty' isn't bifurcated, she can't be my usual model. i used my favourite pants pattern from burda magazine February 2009, style #132; in my opinion burda is the best fit for pants for curvy women. they understand you have a bottom and hips!

contrast waistband facing

as usual i used a patchwork cotton for the inner waistbands, this one was a witty wild west theme, so obviously the name for my jeans presented itself as "the cowboy jean". i love these, they have a straight leg that matches with any top or dress shape, and the dark denim can be dressed up or down as required. now i just need to hunt for new denim to replenish my stash for future wardrobe plans...