Glastonbury top

I have been sewing like a woman possessed lately. I don't really know why, perhaps the seasonality of certain crafts (wool based = winter, sewing = summer). Whatever the reason: if there is sewing funk I have been giving it up. 

I made this top with my upcoming trip to Glastonbury (whoop whoop, first time after an eight year hiatus) in mind. I chose the fabric because it was full of things you might find there. I had a search around for simple sleeveless patterns and found this one bought from an Etsy seller:

Let's hope it's not buried under a cagoule the whole time. Please.

I also made two of these simple blouses for work.

The little patch of Liberty fabric is quite dear to me as it is the same as a dress and bloomers my Granny made me when I was tiny.

I made the second one a bit longer, more a tunic length to go over skinny jeans. 

You basically cut out the front and the back, and sew them together. Add some bias binding and that's it. I decided to add the asymmetric panel because I felt that's what David Bowie would do if he made blouses for his job as an art teacher. And I try to think of what David Bowie would do every day.

More to come, but for now I'm off, off to where the ley lines meet, the kids will be at my mum's... if you see me say hello!

Laptop case

Well, this is a strange post to write. I lovingly made this case for one of the most important things in my life, the recipient of hours of my time and waking thoughts: my dear laptop. 

The second most expensive thing I have ever bought even with the staff discount my friend got me. But my word, it was worth it. I decided to make it a cover as I simply could not bear the thought of any little blemishes on its perfect body.

I made it a couple of weeks ago but did not have a chance to write a post about it. Since then we have been parted. And things have changed. I have been on holiday, camping and travelling and have not had time for my sweetheart. It has been so nice to get sun baked, eat a lot of sausages, drink surprisingly potent hot chocolate and sleep under nothing but stars and canvas. And be unplugged.

So it feels odd to be writing this ode to my laptop now. I know it is only temporary, an evening or two and we'll rediscover our spark. We just need time.

To make the cover I used this tenugui from Japan. I love the way it has been dyed, the thick softness of the cotton and the deep beautiful blue. I also thought the glasses print had a great studious, ocular feel. 

It was not big enough so I added some more cotton from my stash. The floral print came from here and worked perfectly. I used some old curtain lining for the padding, the really thick kind, essentially a plain blanket. This gave the cover enough padding and protection.

To finish it off I sewed the whole together and used red bias binding for the edges. For once I used the invisible hand sewing technique for binding, and I loved it. I had forgotten what a lovely way hand sewing is to spend a few minutes of your life. I did it the way shown in  sewing books: you sew it back to front on the machine on one side, then flip it over and use tiny invisible hand stitches on the other side.

Amy Karol has a great tutorial for the all machine way here, if the project had been any bigger I would have used that method.

Some well-placed velcro, a few zig zag stitches and it was done. What would have been great is if I had used red velcro, but there just wasn't the time.

But for now I am feeling happily analogue, grimy and brown. 


As long as I ignore the perfect storm of dirty washing, unpacking, empty fridge and tired children brewing downstairs.

If Carl Cox made pyjamas for his dolly

Just over a year ago now I made this doll for my daughter's second birthday. She came from Clothkits and was very quick and easy to sew:

I copied the pattern for her dress and made her three more so she had a little wardrobe:

She was much loved and adored. She and my daughter spent many happy days lacing daisies into each other's hair and swapping secrets. 

But then. A new doll was given as a present. And this one had a dummy, a bottle, a pink babygro and when you squeezed it's tummy it cried. All of a sudden dolly was dumped. So it goes. Kids: so fickle.

But, I have learned that toys come in and out of favour and this has certainly been true for dolly. Recently, her popularity has been given a boost by the purchase of this pyjama kit. I bought it for a Christmas present and made it up a few days ago.

I used my overlocker and my sewing machine just for the sheer hell of it. If Carl Cox made pyjamas for his dolly - and I like to think he would - his workbench would look something like this:

It went very smoothly. I got a little bored by the end but that is more to do with my limited patience as a dressmaker than the pattern. Less good was the Liberty bias binding supplied in the kit running out but fortunately I had some of my own.

There was a little of the cotton gingham left so I made her a teddy in matching pyjamas.

I cannot say what the future holds for this doll but for now things are secure.

Way out west #1: CD covers

Yes yes, falling golden leaves, starting the wood fire,  knitting a snood: these are all well and good. For some, the real signifier of colder weather is to curl up in the warmth and make compilation CDs. Not a playlist, an actual CD.

When it comes to compilations, I am more of a receiver than a giver. But, twice in the coming weeks we head west to dear friends and there will be music - both the listening to, and the talking about -  in abundance. Friend no.1 writes a music blog and you can read his words here. Friend no.2 is so industrious in his output that he has his own section on my shelves.

I had this idea to make some nice covers for compilation CDs. Not just a print out and a nasty bit of plastic that will end up stuck to your foot. But something tangible and beautiful, an object in this digital age. A small thank you for all the ones thrown my way over the years.

I made a template from an existing cover. I got down my box of paper ephemera and the fun began.

Can there be a better way to spend an hour than cutting and sticking?

I think these really worked. As with my favourite projects they are useful, quick, and full of visual potential. Hope they like them.

I am going to add the template (and the freezer paper tutorial) as a downloadable pdf in the next few weeks.