The Birthday Tie

Posted by Clarinda Kaleidoscope in sewing and tagged with childrenswear, clothkits, handmade tie, libertytanalawn, monthly stitch collective 31/05/2015

Hello all on this rainy Sunday,

I made a tie for my husband’s birthday which is …..today! I completed this as part of the May’s Menswear and Childrenswear Challenge for The Monthly Stitch Collective. So whilst it was made in good time, I held on until today in order to try and get a photo of him wearing it but before that ….. Childrenswear.

I have not had a lot of success with this. Sometime last year in my early sewing enthusiasm I made the little people matching dresses in fabric which I thought was gorgeously nostalgic (for me) called Making Paper Planes. I really messed up the yokes and ended up having to get the textiles teacher at school to give me a hand.

My brief foray into kids wear enabled me to use this wonderfully nostalgic fabric called Making Paper Planes

Making Paper Planes

Would you like to guess how many times these dresses have been worn? Twice and one of those times was to take the photos. So I was dubious about attempting another childrenswear pattern but I do like to attempt the challenge so I bought what I thought was a funky Oliver and S pattern for the Seashore Sundress and decide to make it a joint enterprise.

My enthusiastic assistant

Annoying I decided not to cut out the pieces for the pockets but when I went to sew it up realised that without the pockets there would be a big gap in the ruffle skirt- Grrrr. At that point we both lost enthusiasm and sadly this is the current state of the dress.

I will come back to it but not sure when!

Anyway, the menswear part of the challenge was more successful. I had already made a tie at a Clothkits workshop in December so had a pattern. I really like tie making. I used some glorious Liberty Tana Lawn from this season’s Alice in Wonderland collection.

Liberty Alice in Wonderland collection

I decided to use some little offcuts from another design in the collection and am very pleased with my placement.

I think ties make lovely gifts and I find them very calming to make. There is a fair bit of hand-sewing with a tie and I even did some on my morning commute!

Beats reading The Metro

So here is the finished tie …

…. and here is the Birthday Boy wearing it – not happy that it’s raining or that he has had to put on a shirt on a Sunday for me to take a photo!

Next month’s challenge is Indie Patterns – the Big Four would be more of a challenge for me because so far I have only sewn Indie.

Toodle pip,

Clarinda x

Week three of MMMay15 – almost more of a OWOP

Posted by Clarinda Kaleidoscope in sewing and tagged with colettepatternsdahlia, MMM15, Sorbetto 23/05/2015

Hi all,

I was a little bit disappointed with myself having to go heavily into repeats. Had we had glorious sunshine I think I could have done an original on most days. Anyway, I managed to knock out a scrap sorbetto with my Frida Kahlo fabric on Sunday and wore it to school Monday – oddly enough it was bizarrely appropriate.

This week it is school exams weeks for years 7 – 9 and the Y10s are currently cavorting around Europe on a Language Immersion Week in either France, Germany or Spain – apart from 22 little sweeties who did not want/could not afford to go so we have been running a Language Immersion Week for them in school. On Monday they spent the day researching Surrealism and an artist from their country as preparation for Tuesday when they went to Tate Modern. I was the “Spanish” teacher for the day and we were supposed to research either Dali or Miro but I decided that we should do Kahlo and the girls absolutely loved her. So, my top was greatly admired and I have to say, I think it is one of my favourite makes – it’s very me. I hope to make up the dress to wear on 31st May as some sort of grand finale to the event/challenge.

On Tuesday I wore one of my Scraps Sorbettos to work and forgot to get a photo but…..

Scraps Sorbetto 2

….. in the evening I met my artist friend Annette for a drink in Putney and because I knew she would appreciate it, I changed into my Frieda again!

Not at all flattering

Wednesday was a really hard day at work. I’ve been beavering away at a project I needed to hand in and stayed at work until 7pm to do it. Really couldn’t be arsed to cook so met Mr CK in Pizza Express on the way home. For a day when I was really busy it seems appropriate that I was wearing my “bees” – another favourite.

I do look knackered here

Ok, now this is getting silly. I was at our Head Office at Thursday i.e. not with my colleagues who had seen me all week but with a bunch of randoms so guess what I wore?

Of course, my new favourite Sorbetto. I finished my course early so arrived at ABO to meet my friend Mark who is over from Australia for a couple of weeks. As I was there a good hour early I settled down with a nice glass of PGB, Love Sewing magazine and Virginia Woolf. Is anyone planning to make up the Bardot? I think it looks FAB – it fact, the neckline is exactly how my Dahlia turned out! It’s so funny now to think that a woman can just go and sit in a pub by herself and feel absolutely relaxed – it wouldn’t have happened in Clarissa’s day!

Thank goodness we finished the half term. Had forgotten to get a photo at work so we took a quick one up on the riverbank before going down the pub – a regular Friday occurence. By coincidence I wore the Dahlia which my Tuesday Scraps Sorbetto had come from.

Today I am off to Portugal on a Tennis Camp with 30 girls from years 8,9,10. I am “in charge” of the 9s. When my colleague asked me what I was wearing to travel in I replied ” high polka dot clogs because I can’t get them in my bag, Capri jeans, a top covered in tennis racquets with tennis ball buttons”. She laughed and continued to wait expectantly for my answer so I had to say, “seriously, that’s what I’m wearing.” I don’t think it looks too bad!

I usually make my Sorbettos out of scraps but I bought this fabric especially when I knew I was going on the trip. One night I woke up at about 2am thinking I wonder if they make tennis buttons so I had a quick internet search and got lucky! Anyway, I am just about to leave – I have a number of Me-Mades in my bag but none are sportswear.

I hope you have a lovely half term – looking forward to posting my final week’s round up with many sunny shots! Also looking forward to seeing what you all wear for the final flourish.

Toodle pip,

Clarinda x

Frieda Kahlo joins in with Me Made May – Week Two Round Up

Posted by Clarinda Kaleidoscope in sewing and tagged with BHL Kim, Colette patterns, maria from denmark, Sorbetto 18/05/2015

Hello all, hope you are enjoying the sunshine?

I am well and truly into MMMay15 and managed to do two whole weeks without any repeats so I think my challenge for next year will be to go the whole 31 days. Anyway, here’s how week two went:

Day 10

It was slightly overcast in the morning. Wore my Maria in Denmark top to play tennis. I don’t know if you can see it but the print is of Marilyn Monroe.

At the tennis club

In the afternoon we did a 5K charity walk for the Snowdrop Trust. It was a really sunny afternoon and although there was the promise of tea, cakes and ice-creams at the end, the little people were quite weary for the last part of the walk. Didn’t really get a good picture of it but wore another one of my “Scrap Sorbettos” with leftovers from my Lemons Lilou which was my first ever blog post; now I’ve done fifty!

Snowdrop Trust Charity Walk

Day 11

Back to work in a Tilly and the Buttons Delphine. Almost forgot to get a picture today so this was taken in some lovely early evening sunshine.

Strawberry and Ants Delphine

Day 12

Another work day and this time I wore one of my Belcarra’s – this one made in Liberty Lawn Queue for the Zoo. I do love this pattern but think I need to go down a size.

Looking very serious

Day 13

A gloriously sunny day – this photo was taken at school at about 7.45am Decided to be brave and wear my BHL Kim with a little cardigan. Wanted to look a little dressy as I was going out for supper with a friend I haven’t seen for a couple of years as he has been in Australia.

Kim – the design has little anchors on (it is really a beach dress)

Day 14

Another day I almost forgot to get a picture. This is me slumped in a chair at the end of a long day. I do love my Sureau – one of my students asked me if it was “White Stuff” so that made me smile. It is funny quite how interested they are in your clothes!

Super comfy Sureau

Day 15

Thank goodness the week is over – here I am at home before going out for a curry, I wore another Sorbetto, also made in Liberty Lawn. I don’t know the name of the design but the lovely orangey hues really lift my work suit.

With Charlie, next door’s cat

Day 16

Big excitement – this gorgeous fabric arrived in the post. I had seen it on IG on #MMMay15 but annoyingly cannot remember whose it was. Anyway, I tracked it down and bought two meters. I did a little poll on IG to see what I should make with it and had a number of helpful suggestions. I have now cut out a KIM and guess what? I had enough left over to make a “Scraps Sorbetto” which I am wearing today but you’ll have to wait until next week’s round up to see it – on check out my IG.

Behind here I am wearing my Maria in Denmark/Marilyn Munroe top again for tennis

Day 17

A day of pottering: local market and then sewing. I only finished the bias binding on this little top the previous day. It is made in this season’s Liberty Tana Lawn Alice in Wonderland fabric.

Inverted pleat Scraps Sorbetto

What I have learned this week: I am OBSESSED with Sorbettos – I manage to squeeze one out of practically everything I make. In the case of Frieda Kahlo, I have actually made up the Sorbetto ahead of the dress which I had bought the fabric for. This week I wore three and made two!

Will aim for more variety next week but as I am sat here in my new Frieda Kahlo Scarps Sorbetto don’t hold your breath!

Toodle pip,

Clarinda x

Things I have discovered during Me Made May 15 Week 1

Posted by Clarinda Kaleidoscope in sewing and tagged with delphine, Francoise, Gabriola, MMM15, Sewing, Sewing blogs, Sorbetto, Sureau 09/05/2015

Hello all, I hope you are set for a FAB weekend? It is a bit windy here but I have shedloads of marking to do so the weather is fairly irrelevant. So, my first time of joining in with MMM15 – as I only started sewing in April 2014 it is quite exciting for me to be able to join in.

Day 1 – Wearing my Colette patterns Dahlia – this dress was such a struggle to make (details here) – I had so many problems with the neckline. There is an inverted pleat at the back scooping up four inches of surplus fabric (which is why I am wearing a cardigan). The first thing I’ve realised during MMM15 is that it is quite tricky finding someone to take photos for you/of you without feeling deeply embarrassed. Friday was the last day for our Y11s so we were outside having a class photo and I got one of the students to take this – I hadn’t realised at all that I was being photo-bombed till the girls all started shrieking with laughter. I do like the Dahlia but have yet to brave making another.

Being photo-bombed

Day 2 – this is part of my Saturday routine. I do the shopping (you can see it on the floor next to me) then I finish up by popping into a local coffee shop for a latte – it is here I usually catch up on blogs. This is another thing I have discovered – MMY15 is an absolute time thief. I am only doing Instagram (I did think about Flickr and Pinterest but thank goodness I abandoned those) but it is taking all my time to keep up with everyone – I actually feel anxious that I might miss something! I have seen some lovely makes over the past week and found some new blogs to follow which is really good. Here I a wearing one of my early Sorbettos – made with leftovers from the dress I made for the work sewing bee.

At GROUNDS our local, independent coffee shop

Day 3 – I was pottering about at home trying to finish my Gabriola and popped down to my friend Ali’s for her help with fitting. She was busily adding the finishing touches to her FAB Map Dress (a collar which was apparently later discarded). I am wearing my Tilly and the Buttons Francoise which was my Christmas Day dress (another neckline problem for me). What is so odd about this dress is that it looks as if it should be fairly formal/uncomfortable being made in wool but it’s not at all – I am wearing it as a comfy, slob about in, sweater dress. And here is another thing I have discovered – all my garments are too big for me. I clearly do not measure myself properly.

Map dress credit to my friend Ali

Day 4 – Bank Holiday Monday and a glorious day for a walk. We went off in search of bluebells as I had just finished my Gabriola and thought it would make a great location shot – it was quite fun lurking behind a tree to whip off my Sew Over it Ultimate trousers and change into skirt and heels. Before we came to the bluebells we passed these gorgeous fields of Rapeseed – I saw three other MMM15 participants on Instagram similarly photographed.

Gorgeous fields of Rape

Day 5 – back to work and here I am in one of my Y13 lessons. You can hardly see it in the photo but I made the shirt at a workshop at Sew Pretty and it is covered in little bumble bees. I would say this is my most frequently worn garment – not sure why I haven’t tacked another shirt yet – I certainly have bought patterns. I think it is to do with a fear of buttonholes.

This is how I spend my days

Day 6 – I look a bit of a mess here. The skirt is new from Seasalt and even when I bought it I was thinking I could easily make that but I was really drawn to the fabric and then struggled to team it with anything. My Me Made item here is the cardigan which has a cable edge and a single button. I was a knitter before I was a sewer but not a very advanced one and I had never heard of blocking until I started reading blogs. I have really enjoyed seeing all of the sophisticated knits being proudly worn for MMM15.

back to the tree shot

Day 7 – Election day. I was waiting outside before the Polling Station opened and asked the guy next to me in the queue if he would take my photo. I explained it was for my blog and he asked what I blogged about – he certainly was not anticipating my answer! I am wearing another Sorbetto made in a fabric with beautiful garden birds on it. One of my students said I looked very “FatFace” which I take as a compliment. I posted this pic on my Facebook and a number of people asked if I was standing – I guess it does look like it. Anyway, not so smiley the next day as my team didn’t win.

Election Day!

Day 8 – I realise now that the scarf doesn’t go! This is my Tilly and the Buttons Delphine. I have made two now and I have to say – very functional work wear.

At the Juniors

Day 9 – and so to today! I am home alone which led me to take my first ever mirror selfie. I am wearing my Deer and Doe Sureau which is clearly far too big for me: a shame because I love the denim and antique brassy buttons. I’ve taken far longer over this blog post than I intended – clearly operating as a displacement activity for what is waiting for me!

First ever mirror shot

Bonus – here is the Gabriola I wore on BH Monday (but only briefly to get blog photos)

blog photo shoot!

Thank you for reading, if you managed to get this far! I hope you are having a lovely weekend and enjoying MMM15 if you are playing along.

Toodle pip,

Clarinda x

The reason why I will not be sewing this weekend

Perfect for Bluebells

Posted by Clarinda Kaleidoscope in sewing and tagged with Bluebells, Gabriola, Me Made May 15, sewaholic, Sewing, Sewing blogs, Swedish Hasbeens 04/05/2015

Hello dear readers, fellow bloggers and especially Me Made Mayers,

During last year’s OWOP I was lucky enough to win three patterns as part of a giveaway and one of them was Sewaholic Gabriola. On 29th September 2014 I pledged here that I would make up all three patterns and blog about them. Well …. one down two to go.

I bought the fabric originally (cheaply, on-line, can’t remember from where) to make a frock for the Lilac Dinner (a school event) but it was usurped by another predominantly lilac fabric I subsequently found at Sew Over It. Anyway, I had the urge to tackle the Gabriola and thought that the abandoned polka dot would be perfect. I had a little ponder over the zip and put it to the vote on instagram; the invisible zip won. What do you think?

I DO like the lacy one and hope to use it soon on something suitable.

Today is BH Monday – it was sunny earlier. We tried to take photos up on the riverbank (my garden ends at the river) but it was too blowy really.

In the afternoon we planned to go on a bluebell hunt so set off on a lovely walk: we did find some glorious bluebells but I have to admit – I did not wear my high heels and super swishy skirt all the time so what you see here is very much a “location shot”. I wish I had a decent camera rather than the one on my ipad.

In terms of making up, it took a while as most things do for me. The sizing was odd. I would describe myself as a classic pear but my waist was size 10 whilst the hips were size 6. I knew I would struggle to grade as there were all the yoke pieces to get through but lovely Saturday Night Stitch gave me good advice – thanks Hila, it worked! I did have to fiddle around a bit once I had traced off the pattern because I hadn’t realised how much of a jigsaw the yoke would be – my fault I should have labelled up my pieces more carefully. I an lucky enough to have a lovely friend and neighbour called Ali who also sews. I popped round to hers to get fitting help before I put my zip in – I had to cut a wedge out of the back. This is why this particular skirt is a better fit than most of my other makes! Whilst I was there I spotted this gorgeous frock on her dress form – a genuine vintage make.

Finally, are you doing Me Made May? I am LOVING it! I have seen so many FAB outfits on Instagram but it is a terrible time thief. I am not sure how I am going to keep up with what everyone is wearing once I have to go back to work tomorrow. Not as many Sorbettos as I thought – which is good for me!

Have a good week – I am already planning my next post – a Me Made May round up.

Toodle pip,

Clarinda x

PS just a final pic to show you how well my Swedish Hasbeens go with the Gabriola – roll on gorgeously hot summer days