Tattooed Emery Dress

I showed you a sneak peek of this the other day and it finally stopped raining long enough to get the pre-teen to take some very early morning shots of me in it!
I have lusted after this fabric for a while but didn't know what to make, until I made my first Emery Dress and then I knew just what I could make No.2 out of…..

Tattoo Fabric…..I flipping LOVE it!!!!
I'm far too chicken to get a real tattoo, so this for me is the next best thing.

I wore it out last week to the Knitting & Stitching Show at Ally Pally and it was so comfy, I then wore it on Sunday and had to be told by the husband that wearing it again on Tuesday was a little too soon. 

I did get quite a few strange looks in the playground on the school run! "Does that woman have tattoo's on her dress??" "You look different!" "Err, is that new!!" 

After talking about it on IG we have a tag now for a few of us that have children or friends or fellow school runners that think we are a little bonkers! Yes I'm a  #weirdmum and am proud.

Although my lovely neighbour liked it and couldn't believe it had been a folded bit of fabric on the Monday! I've also managed to talk the said lovely neighbour into a sewing machine from Lidl….we are converting them one by one people!!! 

So this is my second attempt at The Emery Dress and I have learnt loads more sewing it this time. 

Firstly, I need a smaller size on the top of the bodice and larger on the bottom, e.g. I have a thick middle and small shoulders! Even though I made the 16 this time the shoulders were still quite big and I had to make the darts bigger on the back, I need to learn to grade/merge pattern sizes?!?

Secondly, zippers are really not as scary as I always though them to be and I love my zipper foot, it worked a treat. 

Thirdly, as a bigger bust lady I do need to keep those necklines scooped out! It just looked too blocky on me with the higher neck. 

And lastly, I love, love, love sewing dresses with Olive the Overlocker! Those seams are soooo neat and tidy and it is so much quicker than the overcast stitch on my Janome.  

I bought four metres of Tattoo fabric and still have a fair bit left, but I'm a crafty cutter and don't like to waste a bit of fabric. I have also got to say you will save lots of fabric if you use a cheaper cotton solid or like to line the bodice. 

The Details 

Pattern - The Emery Dress size 16

Fabric - Alexander Henry Tattoo Fabric in Black from Frumble, spotty pocket fabric leftover from my Minnie Mouse version. 

So, I still love this pattern and I can tell you that dress No.3 is not far behind after buying the fabric at the Knitting & Stitching Show! 

I fear I have an addiction starting! 

2014 FAL - Q4: My final list for the year

It quite scary writing the Q4 list, as I really can't quite believe that we are nearing the end of the year! And more to the point I can't believe that some of these wip's have been on the list for nearly a year!

Anyhoo, heres the list.

1. Fabulously Fast Fat Quarterly Tile Quilt

Thats a bit of a tongue twister. The top needs two borders to be added to it, and then basting and quilting.

2. Cushion for Helen

These are my ones, she will be getting something like this

Is is a paper pieced Christmas Cushion that Helen won in my giveaway. I've started it, (but can't show you, as the end result is a surprise for her!) the block needs finishing, quilting and turning into a cushion.

3. Magrathea Shawl 

This is about a quarter of the way through the skein, think I need to order another skein!!!

4. Chicopee Swoon

This has been on the list for ever and wasn't touched at all in the last quarter (hangs head in shame), I need to make the last 3 blocks, assemble, border, baste and quilt it!!

5. HST Cushion

This has been on the list for the whole year now, so needs to be finished!

6. Baby girl quilt

A whole year of being a wip too! Needs basting, backing and quilting.

7. Paper pieced post hanger thing

This was started at FQR and needs to have the postman finished and made up and the letter block finished too!

So, not too bad, if we wasn't coming into the busiest time of the year for me.
Thanks again to Katy for kicking us along this year and doing the god awful task of checking all that we have done! I'm off to pick a project to get cracking with! 

Raspberry Leaf Tea Scarf Finish

During the last few weeks of pregnancy with all three of my little darlings I drank copious amounts of Raspberry Leaf Tea, under the rouse that it can ease labour. Now, there is no real evidence here that it works, but if you tell a pregnant woman that standing on her head and singing I'm a Little Teapot will help labour they will do it! Needless to say after the amount I drank in those last few weeks of pregnancy I now HATE fruit teas, the smell and the taste! Eurgh!
So, (reason for the ramble will be apparent now!) when I saw this scarf pattern at The Wool Sanctuary, I ignored it, until I saw NEON WOOL!! Need I say more!

The pattern is by the lovely Suzie Johnson and because it is super chunky it knits up so quickly. It is such a textured scarf, that I just want to keep snuggling it!

The yarn is actually 70% acrylic 30% wool, but is not a bit squeaky or plastic feeling which I can find with a lot of acrylic ones!

The details

Pattern - Raspberry Leaf Tea Scarf by Suzie Johnson

Yarn - 7x Schachenmayr Boston 00136 Neon Pink 

It has taken me 3 weeks on night knitting, but it could have been finished a lot sooner, I was just lazy!

Elvis lip again!

It is soooooo long it can go around my neck quite a few times and as my husband said, I won't get lost wearing it!!!

I've got my next project lined up, just need to get my head around reading a chart again, and it's on 4ply so this may take a while!

New Toy!

Monday morning saw me browsing through my IG feed and at 8am I stumbled across one of the amazing dressmaking ladies that I follow, in a Lidl store buying an Overlocker. An OVERLOCKER from Lidl!!! I dumped the children at school and hotfooted it to my local one and after handing over £129 of my saved birthday money I left the store with this!!!

A Singer 14SH754, which according to the good folks of Google would have cost me as least £120 more from a few online and local shops!

She was set up by the afternoon, next to the beast that is Susie the Sewing machine and as each male member of the family came home from school or work they all said "ANOTHER sewing machine", although my husband also asked was I setting up a section of Underworld on the kitchen table! Cheeky sods!

I am starting to spread along the table, I think I need a sewing room!! 

After a bit of threading and faffing I put her to work the next day. I want to overlocker ALL the fabrics and I might have already started. She's helped me whizz through a new Emery Dress, that if it would stop blinking raining here I would get a photo of! 

The children have named her Olive the Overlocker, which I think that gives her a good solid, work horse name! Do you name your machines, or am I just a little more weirder than I thought??? 

Now, this may look like a impulse buy, but I had been hinting, not too subtlety to Father Christmas that I would like the Janome one, to help with dress making and children's clothing, so I have not only saved a few quid, but I've now got space on my Christmas list for something else!!!! Win, win!

So, any Overlocker tips or tutorials?? I've already been scouring Pinterest and love Kerry's Board, but I keep hearing "Mind the cutter!!' so anything else I need to remember.  

FAL 2014 - Q3: the results

Well, I did knock more off The List than the last quarter….but there are just some that are determine to say on the list for the year or more!!
So, how did I do.

Baby Girl Quilt
It is still in the assembled but unquilted state!

FAIL

Chicopee Swoon

Errrrr, still just 6 blocks made!!!

HST Cushion

Still in the tiny squares it was in before….moving along swiftly!!!

The Blocks Called Fred
These need finding, assembling, quilting and making into a cushion.

Finished and well and truly in use, post here!!!

Stormy Hitchhiker

It's finished and very much around my neck these last few wet and chilly days! Post here.

Molly Market Tote

This was one of the first things off the list and has been used to death over the summer! Post here.

Thread Catchers

These are finished and have been swapped out to 3 lovely swapper at FQR and I still have the blue one all for myself! Post here.

So that is a finish of 4 out of 7 things, some things I really need a kick up the arse to finish, but I think it's because they are not needed that they keep being put to the bottom of the list!
Quater 4 looks to be a manic crazy few months in this household and I look to have a few wip's that are still very much being ignored and are outstanding!!! But all I ask is a few more hours in a day or even an extra day in the weekend and everything will be fine!!!!!
I've missed linking up with the wonderful master of FAL 2014 ceremony Miss Katy, but I still wanted to post how I'd gotten on.
Heres is to a fantastic last quarter full of finishes!!!!

So long September!

Well that was another quick month, Autumn has well and truly made it's self know around here with chillier mornings and the leaves starting to litter the ground! I am a Spring person, but there is something so comforting about the arrival of Autumn.
I've had a manic September, a trip to The Handmade Fair which I never got to blog about, two new items made towards my handmade wardrobe (three if you count the Color Affection Shawl), an assembled quilt top and a tiny bit of secret sewing.

I'm hoping for another knitted finish for October, of course my cushion for Helen has to be made and another Emery Dress? Maybe?
I'm off to sift through my very neglected FAL list and see what the damage was this quarter and to read all of the other Fresh Sewing Day posts!

I'm linking up with the lovely Lynne's