Espritpatch

I had bought some panels last year to make some reusable kitchen towels and some make up remover pads with the idea to gift some for Christmas. Well, that never happened as I didn't get around to do anything with the panels.  Finally last week I cut all the squares out of the panels, there were 6 per panels on 2 panels. I also cut the backing squares out of wafle fabric I had bought at a local fair in October.   I only had enough wafle fabric for 8 kitchen towels in the end so I finished those 8, making sure to match the top stitching thread to the colour of the panels. Reusable and suitanable sewing but still keeping an eye on the details :-) A lovely finish for January and one from my Fettle list . Linking to    Happy Needle and Thread Thursday ,   Put your foot down ,  Brag about your Beauties ,   Off the wall Friday ,  Can I get a Whoop Whoop Céline

  That wasn't necessarily in my plans for this month but then I came across this challenge on Instagram #SewAprilBlouse23. Blouses/Shirts have been on my wish list for a while but I never really got around sewing one, so I guess this challenge was the perfect push. There were a few patterns that I really liked and shortlisted. I am Hesat was the first one I went for, hoping I'll have time for others!  For the fabric, I raided my stash and pulled out 2 fabrics that I washed. I eventually settled on this beautiful Cobra Corsage lawn fabric that I had been sitting in my cupboard for 5 years! Too pretty to be cut? Well I decided that it's actually too pretty to be hidden in a drawer! The blouse is quite simple since it only has 4 pieces: front,  back and 2 sleeves and the construction is reasonably simple. I lengthen a little body and sleeves but I can't relever by how much 🫢 I hadn't really tried the rolled hem on the overlocker before, so I practiced onto a scrap and

  These have been a long time coming! I thought it would be a quick and easy project but it didn't turn out how I had expected when I first tried month ago so I put it aside for later.  Keeping with the quidditch theme, I offered to make the colours headbands for the local team quite a while ago. I initially envisaged making them out of stretch fabric but I didn't like how they looked once finished to make sure there were no raw edges. Plus kids and adults are playing in the same team so the head size is different.  So I searched for another idea and settled on cotton headbands with a longish velcro tape so that the size would be adaptable as well as a few longer ones that can be knotted.  Finally they're all done and delivered: white, yellow, green and back headbands 21 in total: 4 per colour with velcro and some long ones too.  And a March finish as well! Celine

  I am not sure I ever been that fast to sew up a fabric after buying it or to sew a pattern for a second time but this week I made myself a second Socks Pullover. I made a slightly different version with a lower collar and the faux buttoning on the shoulder. I cut exactly the same size for this second one and somehow, it came out much tighter, still fine to wear but much more fitted. The fabric is a viscose/polyester jersey that I bought in Lille last Saturday for my first visite to Les Tissus de Lille. I found some lovely buttons in my stash to add to the shoulder. For a neater finish, I decided to add a band over the raw edge of the neckline. I had to sew it by hand first as it was quite fiddly but I am happy with the result as it looks much neater. Of course it didn't take long to make this second version. I assembled everything with my overlocker (same as the first one actually). I managed to finish it on Friday night so I have worn it this week-end. Maybe this is my new favor

  A new IG challenge, how could I resist, especially knowing I had some fabric in my stash that would work and winter is not yet over rather it's come back recently! And this works for 2 IG challenges actually, since January #magamsewalong is #Jumpstart. I discovered this new Socks pullover pattern by Moi Je Couds on IG through the ongoing challenge. The pattern is very versatile and you can make a Socks for all your family as the pack includes kids & men pattern too as a special offer until mid-February. I managed to cut the fabric the previous week-end and sew it over the last week.  I cut between size 42 and 44 for this pattern and added one inch to the overall length. It is quite roomy and I could probably have cut the smaller size (42) but I was worried my fabric might not have been stretchy enough.  I was planning on the option with mitts as my hands are always so cold while I am working at the computer. There is even a video tutorial to make those: https://www.youtube.

After some traumatic times, our family grew by one at the end of November when we welcomed a lovely new puppy to try and ease things for all. Of course, we bought all sort of things for our new arrival, including a cushion that was shut by a zip that he duly took time to rip off and chew. Next step for him was to tear the inside cushion to get the fluff out. We took the cushion away so that he wouldn't choke on the fluff and I thought I would try to mend it. Well, this is finally done today. I very roughly cut around the old cushion in some polyester fabric I had at home (used years ago to make the inside of a bean bag) to make a new insert. I then put the insert back into the cushion cover and sew it all shut (I had planned to add velcro originally but decided against it as he might just chew it off and the cover had been ripped when he tore off the zip.) I can't really say it looks like new again but at least it is mended... at least until he gets his teeth into it again! And

  Some last-minute sewing that I had planned for earlier in December but got pushed back because I needed a party dress and then because I was in bed nursing a flu-like illness... I eventually found time for some sewing on the 24th... better late than never really! A few years ago I had made some fabric gift bags that I use every year to wrap some presents. I wanted to make more this year and some bigger ones too for those larger presents that tend to use up a lot of paper. I had the fabric that I had bought last year to make a table cloth before realising that it wasn't wide enough and some left over ribbons too. I just needed the time and energy. Well when time was running out to wrap the presents, I decided it was then or never! I needed 4 larger bags and 2 smaller ones to finish this year wrapping but I ended up cutting one XL bag, 4 large ones and 4 small ones. And because I had some fabric left, I thought it would be nice to make some Christmas/holiday napkins rather than usi

  This one was started over a year ago. I joined an online class with Claire's Thread in May 2021 to sew the Ultimate Coat by the Maker's Atelier . I didn't quite manage to finish it during the sew-along but made quite great progress. The Coat was assembled and only needed the finishing touches.  Because this was running quite close to our move and all the end of school year sewing, I left it aside hoping it wouldn't be for too long... well in the end it took me well over a year to pick it up again. I knew one of the step that was left was to sew the drawstring chanel at the waist but somehow my markings didn't align so I wasn't sure how to make sure it would be sewn straight around the waist. That's probably why I wasn't that keen to dig it out again.  At long last, I got everything out last month and decided to sew the channel anyway. With that done, only the addition of the elastic around the wrists remained in terms of sewing. That alone again took

You know the urge to start a new project when you really shouldn't because 1) you have enough unfinished ones to keep you going for a long while and 2) you're about to go on holidays so should really concentrate on everything else but starting a new project. Surely I'm not alone? Helen released the Orchard dress pattern as a free pattern and somehow I couldn't resist the call from it! So I downloaded the pattern and printed it while washing a gorgeous double gaze I already had in my stash.  Next I cut the pieces ready for sewing: front and back, pockets pieces and bias binding for the armholes and  neckline. I didn't use any interfacing for the bias as recommended in the pattern.  The dress comes together rather quickly (2-3 hours sewing time). I didn't try it on until it was all complete which was a mistake as the straps were too long for me.  Since I didn't want to unpick it all up, I folded them up and attach them by hand at the back, not ideal but much e