Catching Up and Moving Forward

Yep, almost another two months have passed since I last posted here.  I don't know how some people manage to post every week, or more than once a week. 

In truth there's not been that much in the way of dressmaking type sewing going on to tell you about which is why there's been yet another absence here.  When I have been sewing I've been spending more time doing free motion embroidery.  As I know I've said before, free motion embroidery is something I can focus on when life is making me feel a bit too anxious for the precision required for dressmaking.  Recently I've made a couple of things for presents and done a few little bits for a craft fair.

Russell Brand portrait - for a friend who is moving away and is
obsessed with Russell Brand.
Vintage Honda motorbike for a 30th birthday present.

And this weekend just gone I taught a free motion 'Winter cushion' class at Crafty Angel Sewing Studio.  

The end of the class!  Happy ladies.


Neither of the ladies on the class had done free motion embroidery before and they both created amazing pieces.  We started off by piecing together a base from a lovely selection of tweed and linen furnishing fabrics, then Addy created a gorgeous hare to go on her cushion and Jo made a lovely blue tit on a branch of blossom.


Addy's hare.




Close up - inside the ears there is Liberty print fabric and
the eyes have a slight shimmer.



Jo's lovely blue tit and blossom.


The blossom was fussy-cut from Liberty lawn.


It was a brilliant and inspiring class that I hope to teach again some time.

On the dressmaking type sewing front, I have recently bought fabric for a coat.  I'm not sure why because I don't really NEED another coat, but I do enjoy making them.  Last year I made a very fancy coat, this year I've decided a need a more everyday one that's a step up from the dark green waterproof coat I tend to wear to work and makes me feel like a zoo keeper (don't laugh!). 

I'm planning on using the Burdastyle Vintage Kim coat pattern, but shortening it to just above knee length.   I'm going to use some black wool that I bought recently from Fabworks; I got it during their Black Friday sale and got 3 metres of matching lining free, which is wonderful.  I'm going slightly off piste and making the collar out of dark green fur fabric that I bought from Swincraft2 on Ebay.  I'm not sure what I was even looking for on there when I stumbled upon green fur fabric, but it's gorgeous.  It was also quite expensive, so I've only bought half a metre.  That'll be plenty for a collar though, with maybe a little left over for an accessory of some sort.

Kim coat and the green fur fabric for the collar.



I got the pattern traced off yesterday afternoon in front of the fire and I'm hoping to get started actually making the coat this week.  I'm going to be good and make a toile first, because I'm not 100% on how the sizing will be, and I promise I'll share it with you once it's finished!