Elvira Frost Flowers Cardigan

The kid is clearly getting spoiled at the moment, this is the Elvira Frost Flowers cardigan that I made for her.

It’s from the Labour of Love book by Vibe Ulrik Sondergaard which I got as a gift. It has some really cute and different knitting patterns for little girls. The patterns seem to range in size from age 3 – 8. This design, Elvira Frost flowers only comes in age 3-4. The suggested yarn is Mirasol Sulka which is more expensive than I really want to use for a growing child who likes to eat spaghetti with her hands, especially as I chose to make it in white. So I went for the machine washable King Cole Magnum Chunky at approx £3/ball because I only needed 2 balls.

One thing to note with this pattern: The tension on the ball band of the Mirasol Sulka yarn is 16sts x 20rows using 6mm needles. This pattern is written to a tension of 12sts x 18rows using 6mm needles. I checked the finished measurements and you do need to be getting 12 sts to 10 cm in order to arrive at the correct chest measurements. Using my yarn sub, I had to go up to 8mm needles to get the right tension.

Considering I don’t often knit with such chunky yarn, it was nice to finish a project so fast. I’m sure my little one will get plenty of wear out of this. The short sleeves make it great for warmer weather but it could also be work as a layering piece over a long sleeved tee.

Curtain sewing might be boring but you will save enough money to buy a few treats to make up for it.

I think part of the reason I am suddenly working my way through lots of projects is that we are making an effort right now to get the house sorted and finish some decorating. My yarn and fabric stash that has been squirreled away around the house is slowing losing its little hiding places. Faced with boxes of fabric all in one place, I have to confront how much I have and how I need to reduce the stash! One area where I did allow myself to buy more yardage was in sewing curtains for a bedroom we have recently decorated. 

Curtain sewing is pretty boring but I have been searching for ages for exactly what I wanted for the room to no avail. I didn’t think it would be so hard to find solid lilac blackout-lined curtains. But it was. I soon realised I could pay upwards of £80 for something that was just "good enough". Fabric shopping at Abakhan, I hit the jackpot with the home dec weight cotton I chose as it matched my room decor exactly and was reduced from £14/m to £4/m, meaning I could purchase the required 5 metres for £20. Add in blackout lining at £3/m (x5=£15), header tape at 34p/m (=£1.70) and thread at £1.55/spool and I was able to sew exactly the curtains I wanted for under £40 total.

I bought the cheapest black out lining in the shop. It was lighterweight than the others but that actually made it easier to sew and it still does the job. I read a few guides that suggested blackout lining would be a pain to sew as it is kinda rubbery/plastic in texture. Any holes made with pins or sewing needle will be permanent. I kept pins to a minimum and used them only in the seam allowances. I used a 90/14 regular needle (some people say vinyl/leather needles work better). I used a walking foot as a precaution to prevent puckering, but only because I had it to hand. It was easier than I thought it would be.

I will definitely be making curtains when we decorate the next room. If you measure and cut carefully, then the rest is just lots of simple straight line sewing. There are literally tons of fabric calculators and sewing guides on the internet. I used this simple "how to" guide

And those fabric treats I mentioned? Not purchased yet, but I found a 10% Abakhan discount card in my purse which expires in a week so I think I can justify a little shopping trip this weekend.

When your kid wants to dress up as Belle, you know you are gonna end up playing the Beast

I jotted a quick list of projects I have finished and not yet blogged. A couple of knits, a dress, a coat, a pair of curtains... Wow. I have been even more productive than I thought. I’d like to blog them so I have a record of what I have done. This post in particular has been long overdue as I have been working on this dress on and off for ages.

Since I made my little one a Cinderella dress for Christmas, she has been asking for more princess dresses to play in (I think I have unleashed a monster). After checking out the Abakhan site I realised they had the perfect yellow satin for a Belle dress, from Beauty and the Beast, so I decided to choose that as my blogger challenge this time around.

I used Simplicity 2817 again. I knew from last time that the pattern was a little big through the shoulders and neckline so I could alter it this time. I also shortened the skirt by about 9 inches so she wouldn’t trip while playing. This meant I could easily cut the T3 size from just 2 metres of fabric. The yellow liquid satin was a bargain at £2.39/m. I lined the bodice with a scrap of white cotton.

Crystal organza (on left) and glitter tulle (on right) laid over liquid satin

I had a fabric dilemma. With my initial order I went for glitter tulle as my accent fabric it was the best colour match. This fabric would be perfect for a window display or stage costume but I just wasn’t loving it for a kids costume. I handwashed it three times and it still shed glitter everywhere. I realised I just didn’t love it enough to start sewing with it, so in the end I popped into Abakhan’s Liverpool branch and picked up some crystal organza as a substitute. It has a more subtle sparkle which I prefer. (Can't find the exact fabric online right now but here is a link to the plain organza). Although the organza was a more greenish yellow by itself, when I underlined it with satin for the puff sleeves and the skirt sides/back, it took on a more golden hue worked pretty well.

I used the Cinderella dress options in the pattern, simply missing off the skirt puff. The sleeves and the skirt side/back pieces are crystal organza underlined with liquid satin for a bit of added interest. The flash is harsh in the picture below but it picks up the different tones in the dress, which the use of the two fabrics creates.

I also cheated a little bit. I originally ordered some red grosgrain ribbon to embellish the front of the bodice with a sinle red vertical stripes and some little bows. But then I found a small piece of Disney ribbon at home and I just had to use that instead. The Disney ribbon is the only thing I didn’t get from Abakhan. Even when factoring in the use of two different fabrics, plus interfacing, elastic ribbon, zipper and thread, this project cost less than £15.

And yes, when she plays at being the beautiful Belle, I have to be the Beast. At least that is better than when we played pirates, and I had to be the crocodile who gets attacked by all the pirates! Oh the joys of parenting!

 In the interests of openness, I should tell you that Abakhan supplied the products for this post, but I was free to choose what I wanted, what to make and what to write.

A bit of sparkle does you good

Thank you for your kind comments and messages on the previous post. Sometimes its hard to not talk about real life, even when that means veering away from the main focus of the blog. But posting my projects and interacting with other bloggers is a positive thing and this sewing blog is one of my "happy places" so I am going to try to keep it that way moving forward.

Understandably, my Me Made May pledge went by the wayside. I have been following along on the sidelines but I started losing track of outfit photos and forgetting to participate on Flickr after the first week. It turns out I wear something me-made most days without even realising it; when I am not thinking about "outfits", my daily uniform reverts back to jeans, t-shirt (sometimes me-made) and a very definitely me-made handknit scarf or shawl. (Perhaps it's a blessing I'm sitting out from outfit posts, as 31 pictures of jeans and tees would get boring really quick!) I finished my most recent shawlette very recently and it has swiftly become a fave.

Pattern: French 75 by Patricia Martin
Yarn: Knitting Goddess Merino/silk 4 ply in semi solid red. It is knit on 4mm needles which gives it a lovely drape.
Beads: Some old Rowan large clear beads (equivalent of size 6, I think). I used about 150 but they are placed randomly so you could use as many or as few as you wish.

And this is how I wore it. With my navy Sorbetto, to pick out the red buttons. And jeans of course.

When the blog goes quiet it is usually for one of two reasons. - (1) I am spending all my free time sewing or (2) I'm busy with "life stuff" that has little place on a sewing blog. This time around, both are true. A family member is dealing with some pretty serious health issues. As a family, we can't do much except offer support. The Yarn Harlot wrote recently that a blog is not a personal diary, it is "the Internet" with all that that entails.  I agree, and it feels wrong to share too much online. When stuff like this happens, sewing is a refuge that keeps my mind busy and my hands occupied. Craft is comfort. The feel of fabric is soothing and the joy of creating something from it brings some much needed positivity. I have lots of projects that I want to blog about, I just need to take photographs, to sit down and write. And I will do soon.

Twentieth Century Chic

We were blessed with gorgeous weather over the recent bank holiday so I took the opportunity to head up to Sudley House just outside Liverpool City centre to see their latest fashion exhibit - Twentieth Century Chic. The temporary exhibit space isn't huge but there were 12 outfits representing women's evening wear throughout the 20th century.



 Here are two of my favourite pieces - a 1950's taffeta gown and a 1970's print dress. These photos are from National Museums Liverpool's own Flickr stream.





I would happily wear both of these right now! There was also a gorgeous bias cut dress from the 1930's but unfortunately I can't find any professional photos to link to.

As well as the Bedford Lemere photography exhibit which had fascinating shots of local life in years gone by, another attraction of Sudley House for me was the garden. Just perfect for picnics, with views across the rose garden and over the neighbouring field.

Me Made May is almost here

I have been procrastinating as usual but have decided to take the plunge and sign up. At the very least, it should help me see what I should be sewing in order to have a completely (or as much is possible) handmade wardrobe.

So here's goes:



 I, Helen of "Sew Stylish" blog sign up as a participant of Me-Made-May '13. I endeavour to wear one item of me-made clothing three days a week for the duration of May 2013.

I'm not going to be posting constant outfit pictures, maybe just a round-up each week so that the blog doesn't get overloaded or become repetitive. I find it hard enough to remember to take finished project photos! Confession time - I have actually finished my Belladone dress (LOVE it!) and already moved onto my next project. I will get some pics and update as soon as I can.