IC Meal Kit

Firstly, I apologise for the poor quality of this weeks photos.  My camera was given to somebody else for safe keeping during larp and they left early and forgot to hand the camera back, so I'm now cameraless until next weekend.  All of today's photos and Thursdays photos will be taken using my phone.

This also means my mannequin has been drafted in to model!

So today I want to show you all my most impractical frock to date.  It's an over dress of organza, with long droopy sleeves and much fabric in the skirt.

No prizes for guessing which character I wore this as.  I've been wanting to make it for her a long time.  The wispy impracticality of it suits Rainbow down to the ground!  I over locked every seam and raw edge I could, though sadly due to the nature of organza this merely delayed the inevitable fraying, rather than dismiss it totally.






The under dress is a pale lilac poly cotton, trimmed with some ribbon I picked up in a craft shop months ago!

 Due to the nature of the over dress I kept the under dress very plain and simple.  I'm planning a few more over dresses for the future, mostly so I can mix and match and layer up at will!









On Thursday I hope to be able to show you a couple of additions I made to my guards kit.  See you then!

Crochet!

About a year or so ago, I got taught to make crochet granny squares.  I seem to recall blogging about it at the time.  Anyway I decided the idea of having to join lots of little squares sounded scary and tricky (I find crochet and knitting a lot less intuitive than sewing...) so I thought I'd make a large granny square.

It's my lap blanket and is just right to keep the chills off my lap on those rare moments I get to sit on the sofa!  The wool is cheap stuff (I refuse to spend large sums on a hobby until I've gained some level of skill).  I love the green colour and I also love the fact that it matches my cushions so well!

Right - I need to head back to the sewing machine (too many deadlines looming!).  I'll see you on Monday when I'll have a ridiculous organza frock to show off!

I'm Ignorant About Anime

No, really - ask the lodger and she'll back me up on this.  Which is why I can tell you the thing I made on Sunday afternoon is a drill.  And that's all I know about it.  The birthday girl who I gave it to seemed pleased though so it's all good right?

A drill...

 I made it out of leftover scraps of gold stretch velvet (an evil fabric if ever there was one), black fleece and a hefty dollop of invention.

The other thing I have to show you today is much more in my line of sewing!  It's a long tunic that I made up from a design picture I was emailed.  It was an interesting sew, quite fun, but with enough thinking needed to keep it interesting!

 

The material is beige poly-cotton and the buttons are plain wooden shank buttons (so pretty!)  the only trim is dark brown bias binding on the collar.

This week I'm working on Christmas presents and meal kit for Saturday, so I have no idea what I'll be showing you on Thursday!  Something will turn up I'm sure...

New Frock

More non larp stuff to show!  Don't worry, larp clothing will resume next week, but in the meantime look!  I made a dress for me :)

I'm honestly not sure exactly what this fabric is, but it was in my boxes of leftovers and needed using up!  The pattern is Butterick 5030 and I have plans to make at least one more new frock from this pattern.  The only thing I don't like is the belt as really I look better with a wider belt.  That said I love the colour, it was a fairly easy sew and it used up fabric which is always good!

Monday I will hopefully have a tunic to show you.  Have a nice weekend!

So many things to choose from!

I seem to have managed an unusual level of productivity last week, so I have a fair few new bits to show you today.  

 First up - cape and tabbard to look like an improvised uniform.  The cape is corduroy with a fake satin lining (nasty to touch, but colour was deemed more important than fabric!).  The tabbard is poly cotton.  The badge on the tabbard is one of the systems military units.

 

Next - a waistcoat.  Never let it be said that I don't know how to recycle, the waistcoat has been lovingly crafted from an old tablecloth!  I love the buttons on this waistcoat, such pretty wooden ones.

And another cape - this year's characters really do like a good flounce (or at least the ones I'm making for do!).  This is also a corduroy cape, but the cords are much thinner and from a distance it has the appearance of velvet.  The lining is white lining fabric.

 And the final new make to show you - remember a few weeks back I promised Ultra-Violet?  Well I managed to get photos!

I made the under robe for this one.  I drafted the pattern so it's all my own design!  Which is the sort of sewing I like showing on here best, though I dislike the pattern drafting process immensely.  I also made the belt pouches.  The jacket was already owned by Ultra-Violets player and the robe was specifically designed to work underneath it.  It's made of satin dupion and I'm mostly pleased with it.  I think I'd have preferred a deeper pleat at the back though, which is something to remember for next time.

Don't we make a smart group? 

Thursday's post will be a wraparound dress I made last week in between kit sewing.

Going Off Topic Slightly...

The weather here is so dreary at the moment.  Grey and wet, no sunshine and it's all a bit blargh.  So I thought I'd show you some pictures I took in the summer when my Mum got a group of friends and family together for a little craft project.

Do you remember my post on the fan making course I went on?  Well we all though making more fans could be fun.  But first you need the stuff to make fans, most importantly the pleaters.  So we got together and made a set each.  There were several false starts but all in all it was a very pleasant day.

Hard at work

One half of a pleater before it got pleated!

A finished set

My Gran, drawing the fold lines on

My mum, also hard at work!

 

It took a lot of patience and accuracy to measure and fold them, but we persevered (well...  I may have had a small knitting break) and managed.  Next years task?  Learn how to make fan handle sticks...

More Aprons!

I admit it, I have a real thing for aprons.  I love wearing them and I find them the ultimate in quick easy and fun sews.  So when my little sister was having a bad week, what was the best thing to send her?  An apron.  When I needed a quick bit of kit that needed to put an instant smile on my face, yep, I made an apron!

I love how the ties make such a sweet bow

This white apron is the one I made for myself.  I used a bit of left over white cotton drill I had and Stitch'n'Save pattern M5358.  I adore the cute bow on the back, but other than that I was happy to leave it perfectly plain and not add any trim or pockets.  Very occasionally I do like the simple look!  Eventually this will be used as Winter in the Willows kit (assuming I die at some point anyway...) but before then I suspect it may find it's way into regular usage in my kitchen.

Please excuse the poor lighting in these pics

For my sisters apron I had some red cotton drill to use up (and what an excuse to break open the red overlocker thread?!).  The pattern is Butterick 5509.  When we were teenagers Lizzy had a slight goth streak, so I just knew this crochet lace trim would be a hit with her.

So there you go, two simple sews and hopefully we'll both bake lots of great food whilst wearing them!  On Thursday I plan to go off topic slightly and tell you about a fun day I had in the summer.  Catch you all then!

Bunting

I can't show off the aprons yet as I don't have photo's of one of them and as for the other...  Well I'm not sure if it's reached it's recipient yet so I won't spoil the surprise here.

However it wasn't raining earlier!  So I did get some bunting photos! (Finally).

My Garden

My favourite flag

The bunting is made from 5 metres of a pretty bias binding and 6 fat quarters of various poly cotton prints.  I made it for my birthday party, but it's also seen use as a larp prop, advertising a circus!

I'll try and post the aprons tomorrow, if not I'll show you them on Monday!  Have a great weekend!