What have I been sewing? : April 2016

Now the trees are turning a little bit greener and the flowers are in full bloom, I'm finally feeling a little bit better and more optimistic about everything. I had a week or so where I felt like I was at a dead end, but truth be told, I've had a bit of time to myself to think about everything and I feel much better for doing so! 

Jumping right in to what I've been sewing, I didn't make a lot last month with moving back home, settling back in etc. I only made two dresses from patterns I already have but made them sleeveless so that I can wear them in both the summer and winter! 

The first dress I made was a Merchant and Mills dress shirt in a navy and pink arrow print shirting cotton from Fabworks, which was £5.00 per meter.

This is a gorgeous fabric and it's really surprised me at just how durable it is. I've never used a "proper" shirting cotton before but you can definitely tell the difference! I opted to make this dress sleeveless as I'd already tried setting in the sleeves, but it just didn't look right! I've found that I've worn this more since taking the sleeves out and I suppose I could wear this with a long sleeved top underneath when it becomes winter again. This didn't take too long to make and set the sleeves in initially, but I had set it aside for quite a while whilst I moved house and settled in, but in total I'd say it probably took me around 3 hours. 

The second item I'd made was another Sew Over It ultimate shift dress in a rabbit print viscose from thetextilecentre on eBay. I've purchased fabric from this online shop a couple of times and I've been so impressed with the quality of the fabric so far. 

Not the best photos but I absolutely love this dress. I made it slightly bigger than I normally would have done and also sleeveless, I think I actually prefer this dress without the sleeves! Again, I've left the sleeves off so I can wear a long sleeved top underneath. 

Now, I've got a couple of new posts lined up and also a review of my new Singer sewing machine, which will hopefully be posted within the next week or so.

'til next time! 

♥

Blog re-design

Hello my lovelies! I hope you've had a lovely bank holiday weekend. I've had a lovely weekend as I finally had time to sit down and chill out. 

Some of you may notice that my blog has been pretty silent for the past few weeks as work has gotten super busy again, I'm in and out of the house and I just hadn't had time to do anything! That being said, I felt like I needed to change what this blog was really about. 

I decided to have a blog redesign, as I felt like I'd outgrown the flowery and somewhat childish design I had beforehand. I also wanted to change my blog name. Sweet Pea is a nickname my Dad has called me ever since I was little and for a while, it was nice associating it with something that I put a lot of thought into. However, I didn't feel like it suited this blog. 

So, I've had a bit of a mess around and actually quite like minimalistic layout I have at the moment, however no doubt I will be making a few tweaks here and there. 

So, goodbye SweetPea and hello to PuddingPop! 

♥

Pattern haul; March 2016

I love this time of year, as everything seems to get so much more colourful. Although I love the dark colours and patterns of winter fabrics, I can't help but fall in love with the bright and bold colours of spring/summer fabrics! 

I didn't really get chance to sew anything in March 2016, I did make another Merchant & Mills Dress Shirt, however I need to adapt the sleeves slightly before I'm 100% happy with it. 

I did, however, purchase a couple of patterns and I'm super excited to go shopping for fabric! 

First of all, I purchased another Sew Over It pattern. A couple of months ago I purchased the Ultimate Shift Dress pattern and absolutely loved it. I noticed this pattern on their website shortly after but held off on purchasing it until we had passed Winter and moved onto the warmer Spring months. 

I purchased the Pussy Bow Blouse pattern in a PDF format. Now before the Shift Dress pattern, I'd never downloaded a PDF pattern and printed it out, but I actually really like it! 

I love the style of the Pussy Bow Blouse and feel like I could make it in quite a few different fabrics to make this a casual top but also one that I could shove in my work wardrobe. The pattern looks relatively easy to sew together, I'll definitely be reviewing this one! 

The next pattern I purchased this month was a kimono style jacket from McCall's, which was the Easy Sewing 7200 Kimono Jacket. I purchased mine from the Minerva Crafts store via Ebay, as it worked out cheaper to purchase it from there than on their actual website. The delivery on this was so quick, it turned up the next day! 

Kimono style jackets have been in and out of my wardrobe for the last couple of years and I'm actually quite glad that this pattern has a few different variations. I first saw this on Instagram by katiemakesadress in a really quirky cactus print fabric and shortly after a geometric print and fell in love, I knew I had to have this pattern! Again, this will be one to review when I eventually get round to sewing it. 

I'll surely update this post when I manage to go fabric shopping for these patterns and will make a separate post for the finished products. 

'til next time! 

♥

Moving back home

For the last few weeks, my life has been completely chaotic. My blog has been relatively quiet and I apologise! I just haven't had chance to sit down and actually take the time to write a decent post or even so, actually sew anything. 

So, what's actually been happening? 

After much deliberation, my Boyfriend and I decided it would be best if we moved back in with our Parents for the time being. This way, we can actually save for a house of our own rather than privately renting. As much as I loved our little flat, it was slowly but surely getting the better of us because we just couldn't see a way out. All of our wages (well, mostly all of our wages) were going on forever increasing bills and we just couldn't justify it any more. 

Fast forward about 3 weeks and so much has changed. Bonnie is now an "outdoors" cat, me and Devon are living about 20 minutes apart from each other and to be honest, I feel really, really lonely. 

I don't know if it's because my bedroom is painted the same as when I moved out, I don't know. I feel like I'm about 18 years old again and this is not a place where I want to be, or how I want to feel. Don't get me wrong, my Mum and Dad have been so supportive of me moving back in, but I just don't feel like myself any more. I don't feel like an adult. I'm sure this feeling will pass, but for now, it's knocked me on my backside and I don't know how to get out of feeling like this. 

I can't wait to get back into sewing, I've had a good month long break and I really miss it! I've got a designated sewing corner in my bedroom where I have my table and machine set up and I'm itching to get going again. 

I apologise that this post is all over the place, but this is the first time in nearly 3 weeks I've had to just sit down and do nothing but just think. I plan on getting a lot more posted in the next coming weeks as the Tenancy on the flat ends on the 6th April, so I won't have to worry about that any more, and every other Saturday will be spent sewing. 

'til next time! 

♥

What have I been sewing? - January & February 2016

Can anyone else believe we're almost at the end of February already? Time just seems to be flying by! 

I've been a busy little bee when it comes to sewing, I've really come to love it. I think I've sewn 4 or 5 different things over the last two months, and here they are! 

New Look 6073 Cape Coat

It's a well known fact that I don't wear coats, I just HATE how restrictive they are! I've been eyeing up capes in shops for a while but refused to pay £30+ for a decent one. After searching the internet for what seemed about 10 minutes, I found this pattern and instantly loved it. I picked the pattern up for £2.50 off ebay and the fabric I had bought cost me £4.00 per meter (I bought 2.5m just to be certain) and the fastenings cost me about £1.00 each . I made this in an evening, so it only took me around 3 hours to make (if that!). The only part I found difficult was the hood, as I had never attempted a pleat before but after practicing on some scrap fabric, I think it turned out okay! 

I love the fit of this cape and I've had so many compliments on it already, although I think I may line it with a dark fabric just to make it look a bit more "finished". It's really warm and although it's a little bit on the heavy side, I can see me wearing this a lot when it's cold! 

Oh and one more thing, it totally makes me feel like I should be in Harry Potter, or at least take part in the Victorian Fare in Worcester when it's on... 

Sew Over It Ultimate Shift Dress

I've already made a post about my first shift dress, but I couldn't help but make another... I'm searching for more fabric to make this dress out of so I can bulk up my workwear wardrobe. 

The first shift dress I'd made was out of a polyviscose in a gorgeous black/white/grey floral print. The fabric was £8.00pm, I purchased 2m but I still have a LOT left over, so I think I might make a shift top from the remaining fabric. If you want to read more about the ins and outs of this pattern, head over to this post which will tell you more. 

The second dress I'd made was out of a mid weight denim fabric which I'd eyed up in Hobbycraft (£6pm). Now I never ever buy fabric from Hobbycraft, but I loved the deep blue colour of this denim, I think it's going to look really nice once it starts fading a bit! 

The denim fabric was lovely to work with, it didn't stretch/pucker anywhere unlike the polyviscose, but surprisingly has a lot of ease to it. Again, I had a lot of fabric left over so I've actually made a shift top from the remaining fabric, however this is yet to be finished! 

Merchant & Mills Dress Shirt

I just want to say one thing about this pattern. I. Love. It. I'd noticed Merchant & Mills in Liberty of London when I'd visited my Sister over new year but didn't even think to pick a pattern up (I later picked this up for £12.50 from FloJo online) but knew I'd be looking at pattern reviews online a little more! 

The fabric I'd bought was a a bit of a risk as it was from Ebay. Normally I wouldn't do this as I can't feel the fabric unless I order a swatch, but for £2.50pm, it wasn't the end of the world if it was a complete let down. However, I LOVE this fabric. It's such a nice lightweight denim and it has a lovely colour to it. 

I ended up making a size 18 as I wanted this to be quite a loose fitting dress, however I had to adapt it slightly. When I'd measured it up, the length of the dress was pretty much just above my ankles which would have looked ridiculous, if I remember I had to take about 7-8 inches off the length just so it sat at my knee! However, the instructions were easy to follow and I actually mastered the pleat at the front! 

Needless to say, I'm already searching for a lot more different fabrics to make this pattern out of. I love pairing this dress with a brown waist belt and a scarf to make it look like a complete outfit. 

There's my creations from January & February 2016! I already have a stash of 4 different fabrics which I plan on making shift tops from which I plan on starting this weekend, so expect another post relatively soon featuring those! 

'til next time!

♥

Pattern review: the Ultimate Shift Dress by Sew Over It

On my travels to London over New Year, me and my Sister ended up going to Liberty and spent probably about an hour walking around, lusting over everything in there. For me, the haberdashery floor was absolute HEAVEN. I think I wanted to buy around 80% of the things in there, especially the dressmaking patterns! I found the little corner where the Sew Over It patterns are kept there was something that caught my eye about the quirky, vintage style of Sew Over It. The patterns range from £10+, but to me, I generally don't mind spending a little more on the pattern if I know I'm going to make a lot of items from it. I didn't pick one up whilst I was there but knew that there was more to this company than I initially saw.

I came across Sew Over It on Youtube a couple of weeks after my trip to London, after watching various sewing tutorials. After binge watching all the videos on the channel and also browsing the website, I fell in love with the Ultimate Shift Dress pattern. Lisa, the founder of Sew Over It, had uploaded a video showing her Ultimate Shift Dress collection and from that moment, I knew I had to have it! I chose to download a PDF pattern as it was slightly cheaper (£8.50) and of course, I had instant access! 

PDF downloaded and printed out, I then had the task of putting this all together. This was my first time printing out a dressmaking pattern so I didn't really know what to expect, but to my surprise, it was really simple! Everything is numbered which allows you to match it together quite easily and the best thing is, if you make a mistake, you can just reprint the page you've messed up. 

The fabric I had chosen was a polyester viscose (I think?) which probably wasn't the best idea as I'd never ever sewn with a stretchy fabric before. However, I just could not resist the print on it. It cost me £8.00 per meter (this pattern requires 2 however I bought 2.5), which may seem a bit steep to some people, but I bought enough to also make a top one I had used it for my dress. Although, I seem to have used a lot less than 2 meters and I made the biggest size!

Okay about the sizing - I made a size 20 as I realised the sizing on this pattern comes up slightly small. I'm generally a size 14-16 with store bought clothes, but my body measurements fit exactly those of the size 20, so hey, who cares! It does have a little disclaimer in the instructions that the pattern has a little less ease than normal, so to me, making the biggest size wasn't a huge issue and in fact, I'm really happy I had done. As I have a slightly larger chest than "most" people (I'm an F cup but I have a small waist and a big tummy!) I wanted to have a little more room around the waist area, I think that if I made a size 18, it would have been a little less comfortable to wear. 

So, back to the pattern! As you can see from the image above, it's a relatively straight forward pattern to cut out and construct. I think the most difficult part for me was working out exactly where the bust darts needed to be, as I'd never sewn darts before. Or, set in sleeves for that matter! I was a little worried about doing sleeves and darts but really, once I had positioned the darts and pressed them, they looked perfect. The ease stitching on the sleeves really helped me to get a smooth seam on the shoulders, which I was actually really really proud of! 

 If I remember, this probably took me around 3-4 hours to make however I really think this was down to the fabric. If the fabric hadn't rolled around a lot, stretched, puckered or been anything less then 100% irritating, I think I could've made this in 2 hours. I had to unpick a lot on this, especially the arm seams and the back seam on the dress, as it just kept on puckering no matter what I tried. I just want to point out though, this is nothing to do with the pattern, it was in fact my fabric! 

What does the finished product look like, you may ask? 

I think if I was going to remake this dress, I would make it about an inch longer just to feel a little more...comfortable. It's not too short, it sits around 5cm above my knee but I think to feel really comfortable, I'd make it slightly longer. The other thing I would change is possibly the length of the sleeve, I can't decide if the full length sleeve makes me look slightly dumpy. I would also try and change the hem on the sleeve as it feels quite shoddy but again, I couldn't get it to stitch nicely at all! The fit on the body, however, was absolutely perfect, there's no pulling on any seams and it doesn't feel tight across any part of my chest or stomach. 

Here's an ever so slightly awkward photo of me showing off my creation! 

It's safe to say I absolutely love this dress and this pattern, I've already bought my next lot of fabric to make another dress! I think they're really versatile, I plan on wearing this to work as I can make it slightly more formal by wearing tights and a belt, however in this photo I've styled it with leggings which basically gives me a bit more security, should I lift my arms up a little too high! 

Have you made anything by the Sew Over It patterns? Or have you came cross this company before? If you have, please share your creations! 

♥

Looking back: 2015

I've been pretty silent on the blogging front for over a month now because I really needed a break from technology. I spend Monday - Friday, 08:15 to 17:15 in front of a computer so the last thing I want to do is come home and sit in front of my laptop. Like I've said before, I don't want to blog if my heart isn't in the post. 

Now the Christmas and New Year festivities are over, I wanted to take some time out and reflect on 2015, as honestly, I'm quite glad it's over. It hasn't been the greatest year for me, my Partner or my family but hey, let's look to the future, right? 

Here's a little reflection of 2015: 

January - I celebrated my 22nd birthday. I can't remember doing much for my Birthday other than going to Wellsbourne market in the morning and having a takeaway for dinner. The weather was pretty miserable, so I didn't really fancy doing anything! 

February - I left my job at Vax towards the end of the month as I really wasn't enjoying it any more. I used to dread going to work every day, so I thought it was time for a change. 

March - I landed myself in a job at a Hotel booking company. I thought this was the right decision to make, although it was a slight pay cut. I also went to London to visit my Sister- by myself! This was such a huge thing for me as I never go anywhere by myself and if I do, it's never this far. I thoroughly enjoyed going to see her. This was also the month I found out my sister's partner was planning on proposing to her! Oh and after many months of being in and out of hospital, I found out I have Bile Acid Malapsorbtion. 

April - I bought my new car early April. This was quite a quiet month as I was just getting used to my new job and also Devon had not long started his new job too. 

May - My sister got engaged on her holiday to Canada/Mexico. Although I'd known about this for a couple of months, I was still so happy for her when she announced it. 

June - Me and Devon went on holiday to Tenby for a week. I cannot explain how much I feel at home there, I didn't really want to come back! I also left my job at the Hotel booking agency this month. I ended up spending well over 40 hours a week there, for next to minimum wage. I ended up having to work weekends too, which is something I didn't want to do. I thought, enough was enough, and made the right decision for me and Devon. This is also the month I had my Septum and Daith piercing. 

July - My Nephew turned 3 this year and we celebrated with a party. I think I'd blown up about 30 balloons, wrapped so many presents and thankfully, the party was a hit! Me and Devon also celebrated our 3 year anniversary together. I can't really remember doing much for our Anniversary, other than booking tickets to go to Harry Potter World. 

August - Me and Devon went to Blackpool. Less said about that, the better! I also changed my hair back in August, I had a full fringe cut, which was a change from the side fringe I'd had since I was about 13. Also, after being in and out of work for a few months, I landed myself in a new job which I actually love. 

September - I started my new job properly at Mainstay in September. Little did I know, this would be a job that I grow to love, and still do even now. My team are amazing and have literally made me feel like I've been there for years. Me and Devon also went to the Harry Potter studio tour and I'm not even joking when I say this is one of the best experiences of my life. I also went to see my Sister on the way home, which was nice to have a catch up as I didn't realise I wouldn't be seeing her until December.

October - My Dad had gone into hospital to have his triple stent operation, which unfortunately did not go ahead due to complications. Also, Devon's Grandad passed away mid month, which was incredibly sad and is taking some getting used to. The funeral was lovely, though. (if that's the right thing to say!). This was also the month I stripped my hair dye out and changed to using Henna dye. 

November - Sewing took over my life this month. I really got stuck in with using my machine after it being in the box for months. I well and truly have the sewing bug now, which has been made all the worse by having an actual setup now! 

December - I passed my probation at Mainstay and earned myself a nice little pay rise. I also had my portfolio changed to Key Clients, which was a huge step for me! Also, Christmas was a nice event this year as I hadn't seen my Sister in a few months and it was nice to have a catch up with her. It was nice having time to spend with my family and Devon over the Christmas period, as life had been a little hectic with work. Also, New Year was absolutely awesome. I spent it in London with Devon, my Sister and her Fiancé, I thoroughly enjoyed myself. And shopping the day after in London with my Sister was amazing, I felt like such a tourist though! 

One thing I've really noticed this year is just how much my family "dynamic" has changed. I'm a lot closer to my Sister as I haven't really seen her a lot this year, however I find myself becoming a little more distant from my Parents and other Sister. I'm not sure how/why this is happening and I'm not sure I'm happy about it but hopefully this will change in 2016. 

I want to say though, I am in so much more of a better place than I was this time in 2015. Although I'm still battling with my weight and illness, I'm mentally in such a happier place. 2015 was a year of trying to find exactly who/what I want to be and if I'm being honest, I think I'm on the right track.

Much like my last "Looking back" post, it's nice to see how far I've come this year and I hope to grow more in 2016, both with my mental happiness and also my commitment to this blog!

♥