Adventures in Coco

I have had the Coco top from Tilly Walnes on my to-do list since March! Well this weekend I finally got around to making it. I went to Birmingham's rag market for my fabric I love this place you can get everything and usually at bargain prices. I picked up 2 lots of stretch fabric for £1.50 per metre each! £9.00 for the 6 metres I bought, bargaintastic.

The grey, red and black fabric has a texture to it, I think you can just about make that out???? and the green and black spot is just flat. I thought I would have a crack with the grey fabric first.

I have purchased the pdf version of the pattern, this way I can print it and cut it out multiple times. I am constantly on a diet so my shape yo-yo's a bit. If I can get a pdf of a pattern I much prefer this to tissue paper. I don't mind the hassle of printing and sticking before I cut my pattern out.

I had already cut my pattern out a few days ago so I washed and dried both bundles of fabric. I lay the grey fabric on my cutting table aka, my living room floor! Oh how I dream of a big enough craft room for a cutting table.........

Pattern pinned and Dobbie is giving it an inspection and tells me to proceed.....very nice of him!

Here are my pieces cut out, again Dobs has to get in on the act. Now whilst I love the pattern on this fabric and also love the Coco pattern I am not a fan of cutting knit fabric as it has a tendency to move when you cut it so my cutting is not the best. I hope my wobbly lines can be sorted out in the making up.

I set about making up the Coco today (Sunday), the instructions are very easy to follow and Tilly has a sew-a-long on her blog here. I did not take any making up pictures, sorry for that but my sewing is not the neatest, something I need to practice on especially with knit fabric that wants to keep moving.

This was a lovely and simple pattern and I can recommend it for beginners and old hands alike. I can see many more Coco's to come. Here is my finished article teamed with black legging and my new brown winter boots. No dog this time! LOL

Pixscan Mat First Impressions.

I have to say I was very excited when I received my Pixscan mat. I had to order the one for the portrait as the one for the Cameo was out of stock everywhere!So this afternoon I grab my mat and a coffee and got cracking. I ended up a tad disappointed.

First, when I opened up Silhouette Studio no Pixscan icon. Searched for new update and it said "no update available", a quick Google sorted that and I downloaded the new software. Calibrated my Sony Z2 camera no problem it found it straight away, yay!!!! So I stamped 3 stamps in Stayzon ink on to plain white card (I am not the worlds greatest stamper)

I placed the card on the mat, I ended up having to cut down my paper to fit within the black border and took a photo with my phone and emailed it to myself and downloaded to my desktop. Selected import from file in the software, it took about a minute to import it but it found it no problems. You then follow the steps for a normal print and cut file, opening a trace and ensuring all the images are selected.

Once this was complete I sent it to the Silhouette adjusting the cut settings for the cardstock and the bar to accept the smaller mat. The Cameo automatically detected the registration makes and cut away but for some reason it looks like the detection was off as when the stamps were cut it was a little off....

So I decided to try a preprinted sheet from a book that I had as a free members gift from Create and Craft, photo'd, emailed, downloaded and imported no problem. This was the page

Now the problem stared when I traced, because the backing paper for this was textured the trace picked all of that up, no matter what I did I could not get just the pennants to trace. I got a tad fed up and turned it off as I had nothing on plain backing to have another go with. I think further research is required.

I think this will be an excellent bit of kit when I can get the hang of it. I am not a stamper as I hate cutting out so this will open up new avenues for me. 

On a brighter note I have made 2 new cards this week, both decoupaged and both have a mini envelope in them which contained money. The envelopes were made with the Envelope Board from We R Memory Keepers, excellent bit of kit!

Well that's all for now, I'm off Googling and YouTube-ing!

Fifty Shades of Sewing?.....Well No.......

So I cranked up the new Jones sewing machine and tested it to see if will do the shirring that I bought it for and I'm really please to say that it does and quite brilliantly to! However, sewing loads of straight lines is very boring so that soon got kicked to the curb and ill get back to it later. I'm about a third of the way down the bodice.

So what to do on a boring Sunday afternoon? I know try a rope the hubby in to a bit of crafting! How to do this, well break out the duck tape and expanding foam and create a body form! So I'd seen this on YouTube a bunch of times, this is a good video:

 

 

So we broke out the grey and pink tape and got taping! Covering me neck to bum in tape, yes excuse the hair, it was in need of a wash, lol.

 

 

 

 

It was then cut off and the back taped up and we put the first layer of expanding foam in it, we then ran out of foam! Off down to B&Q for 2 more cans. The is the body form pinned up drying.

 

It was then filled with more foam and stuffed with a few carrier bags from the supermarket. Before the foam set apiece of wood was inserted to form the stand.

 

 

 

 

Its a bit wonky in some places......well I'm not sure I'm that wonky but I can live with it. Not that all the foam has set I'll be measuring the bust, hips and waist to see if they are close enough to me. Anyway it was a fun afternoon none the less, if a bit silly!





Starting Afresh

Well hello!

I have started up this blog about my trials, tribulations and triumphs in all things crafty! I like to dabble in all sorts, card making, knitting, attempting to crochet and now sewing! I have had a sewing machine for a while but only used it for repairs but spurred on by the Great British Sewing Bee earlier this year I dusted it off and downloaded a free pattern from Colette Patterns call the Sorbetto top, you can find it here: Sorbetto Top. My first attempt at a pattern turned out quite wearable

So with this triumph under my belt I was brave and bought expensive (well, expensive for me!) fabric and a pattern for the "Kate" dress, which can be purchased here: Kate It is a very good first bought pattern, simple to make, the instructions are really clear and you end up with a lovely dress. I've made 3 of them now and can do it without the instructions (so it must be easy!), this is my favourite version the "campervan one"

The pattern is Campervans and scooters. I am a massive fan of VW's and we are the proud owners of a 1976, late T2 bay camper which we have lovingly name Alan.

So after making my Kate I decided to have a go at shirring a simple summer dress for myself, but alas no, no matter what I do to my Brother machine it simply wont shir! So whats a girl to do??? Well the problem seems to stem from the fact the the Brother is a top loading bobbin and this system seems to have a disliking for elasticated thread. Its hit and miss, some machines will do it and some wont, mine is the latter of the two. So I decided to trawl eBay for a vintage side loading machine. I got out bid on a couple but can across an auction that was a stones throw from my house and I won it, all of £10! The listing did say they knew nothing about sewing so could not test it but I though for a tenner its worth the risk. All that needed doing was clearing the lint from the feed dogs, it sews like a dream! Here is is in all its glory

I will now dig out the summer dress that I started and have another go at it!