Holiday Baking

I have been sewing this week, but due to my daft desire to make everything super complicated for myself I've not finished anything!

So here, have some photos of the baking I did for hugely appreciative friends on holiday.  I can't show you the scones I made though, because they got eaten too quickly!

 These are apple spiced turnovers.  They were hugely experimental and mostly made because I had an apple that needed using.  Stewed apple and some spices plus a sprinkling of dark sugar inside shortcrust pastry washed with egg and sprinkled with more dark sugar!

Chocolate victoria sponge cake, with butter cream and strawberries for a filling.  I've been making this sponge cake since I was a child, it's our family recipe and is best beloved in our family, plus usually complimented when fed to others.  It was a holiday request I was pleased to fulfil!

I'm hoping to have something finished to show you on Thursday, but we shall all have to wait and see...  If not, there will be dinosaur pics!

New Monster Jumper

As I had some spare track suiting I thought I'd run myself up a new monster jumper!

I used Simplicity 1251 version B and my only alteration was to add a hoodie pocket on the front.

Pictures taken on a larp, in  a break from me doing anything useful!

This is a really comfy jumper, as a really quick sew and I'm pleased with everything except the fact the sleeves are longer than my coat sleeves meaning soggy sleeve ends in the rain.  Argh!

Oh and we also saw a rainbow this larp!

Not too shoddy, huh?

Tracksuit Trousers

I am tall.  There's no getting around it.  I slouch a lot but I'm 5"9 (and a half if you wanna be really precise). Now when it comes to high shelves, long lunges and the ability to wade rivers with ease (up to a point) I am quids in.  Regrettably, when it comes to finding trousers that fit I am rather less likely to have success.

I'm now so fed up of the lack of larp friendly trousers in my size that I've made my own... They are modelled on my last pair from Asda no less (which fit beautifully except for the fact they're two inches too short).  I destruction tested them on holiday when we went to Bounce Below!

Jumping on the lowest net at Bounce Below, photo taken by kindly staff member!

Surprisingly nice photo of me in Bounce Below safety gear!

They are made of track suiting and to my own pattern and I've actually made another pair, this time with side pockets as well.

Here's a better lit picture from inside the holiday cottage.  I miss the cottage already by the by.  We had such a nice time and whilst I gave my heart to Scotland as a child, this little corner of Wales is stealing a place for itself!

Lastly, yes in case you are wondering I have dyed my hair!  It's a wash in and out one so it won't last much longer but it's been a nice change.

Giant Crochet Blanket FO!

I finished it!  Hurrah!  I finished the last round at my table top game and then spent the first day of my holiday crocheting the border.  Which meant I could watch films in the evenings for the rest of the holiday snuggled under it!

It's about the size of a double duvet.  I got bored of making it and suddenly just wanted it finished!

The border is a simple one of treble, single chain, treble onto a row of single treble all the way round.

It's very snuggly and I for see it being very popular in my house!

Undies!

The correct underwear can make your kit.  This is well known in historic costuming.  I am not a historic costumer by any stretch of the imagination, but for one of my up coming larps we're delving into the past and I would like my skirt to feel properly full.

I also know that a good corset can make all the difference, so I've acquired a new white over-bust corset and run up a ruffled petticoat.

Please excuse the late nightness of these photos.  They were taken in a hurry at the end of craft night because I was just pleased to have the petticoat sewn! Many thanks to lovely Katy who took the pics on my phone for me!

I need to lace the corset better and I will probably make a stronger waistband, because goodness those ruffles are heavy!  The skirt is made cream cotton drill and is in 6 panels that fit my actual waist measurement.  The panels are a-line in shape and the waistband is currently cording threaded through bias binding.

The ruffles are long strips of the same fabric, overlocked the gathered by hand (because my shiny new ruffling foot did not want to play with me), pinned on at what I thought was a 'nice' amount of gather and sewn down.

There are 4 layers of ruffles and the overall look, when I have the dress on top is that I should just go in and out at the right places without looking too over the top.  I'm really pleased to have finished this as the ruffles were driving me a bit bananas when I was sewing them.  I do love how it looks and feels though!

There won't be a blog on Monday, because I will be on holiday!  There may be one on Thursday, I'm not sure, but there will be one the Monday after!

Jewellery Making

For Christmas I acquired a jewellery kit in my stocking.  Not entirely sure why I haven't done anything with it until now because it's really fun!  The only thing we have since discovered is that the painted beads leak colour. so I'll varnish the rest before I make more jewellery.  

For now I've made a necklace and a bracelet.  I'm using them to upgrade some really poor item physreps I'd made previously in a huge hurry.

The bracelet is fastened by a slipknot but the necklace has a metal catch.  I've plans for another four bracelets and then we'll see how much cording I have left.  No ideas what I'll be posting on Thursday, but I'll hopefully see you then with something!

Flouncy Cape - Butterick 4419

Today is the turn of the gladiator!  Queensbury has long needed his own cloak and we finally got round to making it!

It's a basic Butterick 4419 in blue cotton drill, lined with green lining fabric.  

 The monogram was designed by Queensbury's player and then I chain stitched it onto the collar before cutting it out.

The fun bit of this cape is that under the clasp on each side, a button has been sewn and a bit of tape with two buttonholes attaches, meaning the cape can also be worn off one shoulder.

 This is mostly so he can flounce more and show off the lining.

Surprise!Prospera

 So there you go.  Two very different blue cloaks!  I have a small dabbling in jewellery to show next week.  See you then!

McCalls 4139 Cloak!

First things first, a big wave to anyone who's made it over here from GeekOut South West.  For those of you who don't know, GeekOut South West is a site dedicated to all things geeky and last week they featured an interview with various BathLARPers, of which I was one.  Interview can be found here!

In the meantime, I have been sewing some actual larp kit (in between fruit foraging and jam making.  Jam is taking over my life...  Halp!).  First up I have a new cloak for Nemesis to show off.

My Squire decided she needed a new cloak as the old one had a tendency to slide back and choke her over the course of the day.

Hardcore Squire

 It's navy fleece, unlined and my usual McCalls 4139.  We did take about 12 inches off the bottom to make sure it was the right length, but other than that it was a very quick sew.

Slightly less hardcore Squire...

 Hopefully Wizard Nemesis will be toasty warm and dry now.  On Thursday I have a flouncy cape to show off.  See you then!