2022 Using what I already have

I moved twice last year and it is clear how much of something you have when it gets packed into bags and boxes and stored. It turns out that I have plenty of fabric and lots of clothing.

I think that 2022 is going to be a year of using what I have. Ruth's Sewing and Craft Resource Centre is quite well stocked!

So whilst I will still sew clothing I'll probably not be doing quite so many collections / capsules / SWAPs / 6PACs every year.

I'll try to put alterations and repairs a bit higher up my list and donate wearable garments that don't work for me. I'm also going to sew some housewife pillowcases, cushion covers, slippers and other random bits and pieces.

Today's project is 

Slipper Tutorial

Which is a free pattern, but I think only in the equiv to UK size 7.5 which is a bit too big for me.

This pair is a bit of a test to learn the instructions but the brown fabric was not a good choice.

Lovely Sewing gifts from Christmas (and birthday)

 I received a few sewing related gifts this Christmas (and for my birthday which is less than a week later)

Quilting book from my friend E for my birthday

Sewing themed mug from my mum

Mug Rug from my Secret Santa at The Sewing Place forum

Lovely sewing room sign from my friend E for Christmas

Feeling very blessed to have such thoughtful gifts

2022 - A year of pink tops?

I love that Becky of Trial Balloons made 12 'white' shirts last year.

So that's inspired me to see if I can make 10 or 12 pink tops of some sort. As well as mostly pink prints, I may include others which contain pink.

I have the first two planned already (and have for a while)

A simple knit top in this beautiful floral jersey (right) will be the first. 

Followed by a blouse in the dusty pink linen (on the left.)

The colours have come out a bit brighter than they are in reality, camera overcompensating for poor light I suspect.

Back in July 2020 I went through my fabric and dug out all the pink ones I could find

The linen is bottom right in this earlier picture (and a more realistic colour). I used the white and pink fabric in a sweater set (see below), but the others are still available to me.

(I may need to count some previously made ones)

Last year I made this desigual jersey top which has a pale pink back ground.

So that would give me 2 for starters ;-)

Garment sewing in 2022

I still have two items from my Autumn Winter 3 pack to make.

Top - simple scoop necked jersey top.

Pink background fabric with lovely blossom print. Stretch in both directions.

There is just 2 metres of 150cm wide fabric which I bought locally when I lived in Chesterfield, probably from the stall on the open air market, sometime pre pandemic.

Layer - woven coatigan

This is a blanket style fabric in dark brown, a lighter brown and cream. I've already overlocked the edges and washed it, so it is ready to go. Will definitely have big pockets and be of a reasonable length.

2.1 metres of  135cm wide fabric from deep stash, so maybe another old Abakhan buy.

Christmas Tree Cushion

 I've added a simple plain cream envelope back and purchased cushion pad.

It has slightly missed the timeframe for Christmas this year :-) but I'm ready early for next year now.

Patchwork Christmas Tree - Quilted up

 

Patchwork Christmas Tree

 

Needs a press yet, but getting there

Fabric Christmas Tree

 I used the free pattern from Patterns 4 Pirates to make this cute stuffed fabric Christmas Tree.

I went for a classic green for mine.

I might raid the bead box to add some decorations.

Rainbow Quilt finished

 The binding is on and I am declaring the rainbow quilt to be done.

It has a plain darkish blue as the backing, which I then also used for the binding.

I did audition some other fabrics for the binding but they seemed to compete rather with the coloured squares.

Finished Hiking Trousers

The Hiking/Travel trousers have been finished a few days, then worn for 2 days and put through the wash and dried.

They have 8 pockets. 2 zipped front pockets, two jeans style pockets (extra deep), 2 back pockets with velcro closure and two leg pockets with button and flap closure.

Today I replaced the webbing on a Craghoppers belt with elastic to hold them up when the pockets are full.

Elastic belt through loops

One of the front zipped pockets (open)

Front zipped pocket closed

Back pocket with Velcro closure

Inside out showing the nested front pockets

The front of the trousers (realistic colour)

One of the buttoned leg pockets

The back of the trousers.

Trousers with lots of pockets

I like pockets in my trousers (pants) and notice that I pick some of my self sewn trousers over others because of the pockets. I also like stretch woven fabric over other fabrications.

I don't actually have a pattern which has all the attributes I would like, but I thought I could add extra pockets to a simpler style like my old favourite New Look 6216.

I'll make the pockets on the pattern have a smaller opening and a larger pocket (as I did on the black pair), and perhaps try adding a cargo pocket on the leg and/or back pockets as well.

Autumn Collection - starting with three pieces

It seems ages since I did one of my seasonal collections, so here goes with Autumn 2021.

The colour palette for this is dark brown, pink and ivory.

Bottoms - these will be trousers with an elasticated waist and lots of pockets.

Dark and slightly lighter brown strips with a pink pinstripe. It is printed onto the fabric rather than woven in and has some crosswise stretch.

I have 3.2 metres of 160cm wide fabric, which I seem to have bought 10+ years ago from Abakhan Fabrics, probably from the Mostyn, North Wales shop, but possibly from Manchester or Preston.

Top - simple scoop necked jersey top.

Pink background fabric with lovely blossom print. Stretch in both directions.

There is just 2 metres of 150cm wide fabric which I bought locally when I lived in Chesterfield, probably from the stall on the open air market, sometime pre pandemic.

Layer - woven coatigan

This is a blanket style fabric in dark brown, a lighter brown and cream. I've already overlocked the edges and washed it, so it is ready to go. Will definitely have big pockets and be of a reasonable length.

2.1 metres of  135cm wide fabric from deep stash, so maybe another old Abakhan buy.

Rainbow Quilt Top - pieced

 Finished sewing the last seams on the quilt top today, and tried to get a photo.

I'm pleased with how it came out. Next steps are to get some wadding and make up the layers but that can wait a bit.

New Sewing room - photos

 Here is my new sewing room layout, it has been a little awkward to include the futon and work round the wall lights without blocking the powerpoints.

Futon (for extra guests) used to chill out (strips for the rainbow quilt are in order on the top of the back of the futon). The futon was at OH's apartment, we took it apart and then reassembled it here - very fiddly to do.

IKEA Pax cupboard with shelves from old sewing room. Also taken apart (though when we packed up my house in July) and reassembled in the new room.

In the corner I have an Ikea Kallax with inserts. We bought the Kallax shell new from Ikea, but the inserts were used via Gumtree.

The sewing room is on the side of a long narrow single storey house, so the view out the side is of the fence and neighbour's lean to. No curtain rail yet, but plan to add one for guests at some later point.

Here I have a fixed table (Ikea Melltorp from several moves ago) and a drop leaf table (Ikea but also from Gumtree) used for the computer and the sewing machine.

The monitor and laptop are on arms on a metal pole screwed to the back of the table. They can be pulled forward for use, or pushed back when I want more sewing machine space. Also good for watching iplayer/itvhub/Youtube whilst sewing.

I used these in my old home office when working from home during lockdown, and eventually found which box I had packed them in!

Rainbow Quilt - the squares

 Here are the squares (multiple of each. mostly 6, but varies slightly).

The fabrics at bottom right are the plain blue for backing and the postage stamp print for the border.

Next thing is to work on the layout the the different fabrics within the colour zones