Ogden cami - take 2

I love the Ogden cami I made last month with my leftover blue tencel. I had bought red silk to make another one that I finally got to cut this month. (Reminder to myself: cut silk with rotary cutter in the future not with scissors!)

And I finally sat at the machine to put it together this week. Tada!

Now I think that sadly, I'll have to wait for a long while until I can wear it as the weather has turned really cold here... A real shame as it is really a nice item, both the shape and the fabric.

Another OPAM and another one off my Q3 FAL list.

Celine

Colour-in pillowcases

A while ago I ordered some colour in panel for the kids and they coloured them on and off for the last few months (years?)  and hadn't touched them for a long time so I dusted them off and thought that such a simple sewing project would be ideal to get back to my overlocker. I hadn't touched it since June and for this particular project, I needed to change the colour of the thread... Oh no, not rethreading the whole thing just knotting the threads and getting them through but still.... I knew I needed a week-end for it so I'd have time. Finally, I plucked the courage to do so on Sunday and after about 30 minutes of fiddling with it, getting the manual out and my book as well, I finally got there. I had a stitch with correct tension for all 4 threads... Ready to play!

Trimming the panels and the cotton fabric I bought for a whooping 2£ in the summer at the Cloth House Warehouse, a little hem on the sewing machine on the panel and backing and here we go, 3 lovely pillowcases that the kids absolutely love, since it is partly their handywork.

I even made a napkin with the leftover fabric

Wow, that makes more OPAM for September, I am on a roll!

Linking to Whoop Whoop Friday

Celine 

Gipsy Wife blocks

This week-end I managed a few blocks for my Gipsy Wife quilt, I caught up with the weekly blocks and made a few filler blocks too

Crazy Ann

Star

and 4 filler blocks

6 blocks so far this month!

Celine

School is back!

School was back this week and my middle daughter needed a new bag this year. I was originally thinking of making her another messenger bag but finally settled on a back pack (at her request). I had won the Edelweiss Bag pattern from Sew Sweetness a while ago so that was a good one to try.

I used some foam interfacing so there were some places where it was heavy and thick to sew and I must say my machine struggled a little but it was all worth it in the end, especially on the back

There is a zipped pocket inside at the back

and I added one at the front

I think if I make another one, I might make one bigger pocket on the front rather than 2 small ones.
The bag was finished just in time for going back to school and my daughter loves it, so that's great! It is very roomy and looks massive on her back!

And this is one of my Q3 FAL finished and a fab OPAM for September. I am really happy how this bag has come out! And this is also my September One Monthly Goal 
Linking to Whoop Whoop Friday.

Celine

Souvenir from holidays

During the summer, we went on a cruise on the Baltic Sea and stopped in 8 countries. Of course, it was wonderful and we saw some magnificent places, especially St Petersburg. On top of this, it was so enjoyable to have nothing to do for a while, no cleaning, no cooking, nothing at all but relax and visit lovely places, what else could I want? Nothing of course, apart maybe for some fabric :-)

Well in all these visits, I only found 1 fabric shop (I must admit I didn't spend time looking for fabric shops actually!) There is a lot of linen in the Baltic area so I bought 2 pieces of fabric that the girls picked to make some napkins. AND I even made the napkins already, 6 of them!

Now that's already some lovely OPAM for September.
Celine

September goals

School is back in a few days and the evenings are only going to get darker and colder. Let's hope I'll be able to spend some with my sewing machine :-)

Hoping for finish
1. School bag for C - this will be my One Monthly Goal 

2. Dance bag for A
3. Dance bag for C

4. Sorbetto black top - in progress

Bee Blocks 
None! for the first time in years!

WIP
1. Farmer's wife, let's try for another 10 blocks

2. Gipsy Wife - my goal is to keep up with that one

3. Postcards of the world

UFO / Abandoned WIP

1. HST modern sampler quilt - half way 

2. Dear Jane - aiming for 5 blocks 

3. Mischief blocks

New Project

1. Power trip bag
2. Flora case

3. Bridgetown Dress

4. A-line dress 

5. Summer dress for A

6. Demoiselle dress for A

7. Imagine dress 
8. Ogden Cami red

9. CaliFaye Valley Blouse
10. Megan Nielsen Matilda dress
11. Cardigan Jenna
12. Pillow cases x 3
13. Passport wallet for me
14. Helen's closet cardigan
15. Napkins from fabric bought on holidays
16.Pyjamas/Nightdress for the kids

Celine

August recap

Quite a few finish this month even though we went away and I didn't get much time on the sewing machine. At least I got enough done to travel in style! Let's have a look at the insane list.

Hoping for finish
1. Passports neck pouch x 2 - this will be my One Monthly Goal - done

2. Passport holdler - done

3. Toothbrush pouch x 5 - I made 7 of these

4. Sorbetto black top - in progress

Bee Blocks 

1. Flower hexies for the Inchy Hexie Swap (June) - done

WIP
1. Farmer's wife, let's try for another 10 blocks

2. Solstice challenge

3. HST modern sampler quilt - half way 

4. Postcards of the world - finished 6th city and started on 7th one

5. Dear Jane - aiming for 5 blocks 

6. Mischief blocks - 

New Project

1. Custom cushions  x 2  

2. Flora Sew Along

3. Bridgetown Dress

4. A-line dress 

5. Summer dress for A

6. Demoiselle dress for A

7. Imagine dress 

8. Ogden Cami - finished

9. CaliFaye Valley Blouse
10. Megan Nielsen Matilda dress
11. Gipsy WIfe -  started with 7 blocks

12. Pillow cases x 3

Celine

Ogden cami

I had been eyeing this "perfect for the summer" top since I saw so many on IG and also one made on a friend. I bought the Ogden Cami pattern by True Bias at the beginning of the summer but never got around to make one. Maybe it was partly due to the bizarre summer we have had. Anyway, I was hoping to take one on holidays with me but that never happened.

I had some tencel left from my shirt dress and I knew that would be perfect for it (I even bought another fabric for a second one...) Anyway, this past week-end, after lots of boring tidying and cleaning, I rewarded myself with some sewing time and finally cut my fabric on Sunday night ready for some sewing time on the bank holiday.

And sure enough, I finally made it on Monday. I love it, the fabric is very very comfortable and the garment is loose and comfortable to wear

I tried my hand at French seams on this one and it worked reasonably well.

Now I really love this top and can see plenty of use (and hopefully plenty more too).

One last OPAM for August and one off my Q3 FAL list.

Celine

Passports wallet

While I was making the passport neck pouch for the girls, I stumble across a passports wallet Up, Up and Away from Moments Designs that can hold up to 6 passports, some cards and boarding cards. So I knew I needed one of course, and if possible before the trip. So I cut all the pieces 2 nights before we left and started sewing at about 10pm the night before we left (as you do, of course!).

Well it was well worth the effort as we left with a shiny new passport wallets that could hold all the family passports (all in one place) and when we got to the airport, the stewardess commented on how nice my wallet looked, what could have been better?

I used cork fabric for the outside and a very appropriate passport fabric for the inside.

There are a few variations for the wallet and I might make one other for myself only when I travel on business.
Another OPAM for August.
Linking to Whoop Whoop Friday

Celine

A few blocks

Not many of those but just a few! I made one filler block for the Gipsy WIfe quilt before we went

and last night I finally managed to turn on my machine again (first time since we came back). I had planned/hoped for some sewing time every night but there was just too much work to catch up with.
Anyway, I made this week's block Hope from Hartford

and also a square in a square filler block

And while we were on our cruise, I also made my overdue hexie flowers. That was my 72th sets, which means that I have swapped for 6 years!

5 more blocks so far for August, maybe I'll have time for a few more... who know!

Celine

Passport pouches

After I made the first pouch for my son in July before his Scouts trip, I thought it would be a good idea to make one each for the girls too before our big trip so that they could always carry with them a card with our phone number in case they got lost. It turned out that it was very useful too as everyone had to always carry their sea-pass during the cruise so it was a very safe place to keep it. I must say I regretted not making myself one.

I choose left over pony fabric from her school bag for Middle Daughter

and Hello Kitty fabric for her little sister.

I used
2 pieces 5.5 x 7 of main and lining fabric for the body of the bag
1 piece 4 x 8.5 of the lining fabric for the inside zipped pocket
2 pieces 3' in height and 5.5' width at the top, 4.5' at the bottom for the flap
1 piece 2' x wof of fabric for the strap
2 pieces 5 x 6.5 interfacing for the body of the bag and one piece 2.5' in height and 5' width at the top, 4' at the bottom for the flap
1 piece of string and 1 button
4' zip

First step is to make the internal zipped pocket. Box is 0.25 x 3 ' one inch from the top of the pocket fabric. Both layers are stitched together on the box. 

 The box is cut open (inside only) and the pocket is pushed inside the opening. The zip is pinned behind the opening and it is sewn in place from the front of the bag

The pocket fabric is then folded in half and sewn on the 3 sides to make the pocket

Next I made the flap by sewing the bottom and sides of the pieces together and inserting the piece of string for the button in the bottom seam.

 The flap is attached to the top of the bag then the bag is constructed by sewing front and back pieces (right side together on the sides and on the bottom).
The lining pieces are sewn in the same way but a gap is left on one side for turning.
I very slightly boxed the corners.
The strap is constructed and sewn to the bag (after checking the length required). I made the strap in 2 parts attached by velcro to make it safer. That way if the strap gets caught, the velcro would get undone.
The bag is then placed inside the lining and all is assembled by sewing bag and lining around the top.
The bag is turned right side out and the opening in the lining is sewn shut.
Et voila! 2 cute little neck pouches for my girlies!

And 2 more OPAM for August.
Linking to Whoop Whoop Friday and to One Monthly Goal

Celine