Happy Easter

My cake may not be perfect to look at, but I did my best, not quite enough marzipan to put on the 11 Disciples, that are the traditional topping.  Instead I topped it off with a nest of eggs. Which is quite appropriate for someone who loves birds.

The recipe I saw Mary Berry do on TV earlier in the week, I found it on the BBC website.  The birds nest is my own addition, 2 shredded wheat broken up and then mixed into 25 grams of butter and 75 grams of good quality chocolate that was gently melted over a pan of warm water. The eggs came out of a packet, I did not make those. But the marzipan is home made, far nicer than shop bought. 

Just had a piece for lunch and it was lovely. 

A week of making patterns

It's been busy here this week, everything but sewing.  Having a new boiler installed did not run smoothly and stress levels in the household rose somewhat!!

But I did find time to make some patterns for some new clothes.  A dress and jacket for a lady client has been drawn up ready to test out in calico.  And a casual jacket for a gentleman client. 

Watch this space to see the patterns develop.

Another task completed

Yesterday I had a great day out at the NEC in Birmingham, attending the Sewing Show.  I found all the things I needed and came home very happy.  My sister went home happy too; we met at the show and before she went home I gave her the coat I have been finishing for her this week.

I started this coat after she did her own toile before Christmas, which I fitted.  I have only seen her once since then in the middle of February, when I fitted the coat for the first time in the fashion fabric. It's a lovely 100% Bouclé wool.  That fitting went so well that I was able to get on and finish it for her.  I spent all this week on and off completing this job as I wanted to make sure that it was done for yesterday.

It was very bulky in places and difficult to stitch, the buttonholes were a real headache, because the fabric was so thick under the sewing machine.  But it went together very well, the pattern was lovely to work on, it's Simplicity 2311.  

This 'fitting' in the car park at the NEC was done in very bad weather, it was windy and snow was falling around us, but I wanted to make sure it was OK before she took it away with her.  Considering it has only had one fabric fitting and the original toile fitting, I think it is rather a good fit. 

It was her birthday recently and I found the perfect birthday present locally, a nice blue scarf to match her new coat. If she knits herself a woolly hat and some nice gloves now, she is all set up for the cold weather that seems to want to stay with us this winter!!

I'm back on to other projects now that I've managed to get some more check fabric yesterday to make another man's jacket.  I'd bought 2.5 metres last year, of a lovely check to do my second jacket at my gent's tailoring class but it was not enough, fortunately for me the fabric was still available and yesterday I bought some more.  And I found some cotton lawn at the show to interline a nice suede effect fabric I want to make into a jacket.  But my first job is to finish the red jacket I cut out at the end of February, something to keep me busy this week perhaps.

What price is time?

It's done.

Over the last eleven weeks, I have designed, cut, joined, stitched, pressed, quilted and finally constructed my jacket and I can say after 77.1/4 hours it's done. 

I am so pleased with it, today I wore it for the first time and must admit, showed it off to my sewing friends at a lunch date.  Then I called in at the shop where I purchased the fabrics to show them the completed jacket. I really enjoyed all the positive comments I received, and must say I am quite proud of my work.

The sun was shining as you can see in the photos, it's been a nice but cold day here in the West Midlands.  The plants and bulbs I planted back on 9th November - blog title  'Thinking of Spring' are looking good now.

At last the jacket is coming together

It's been a long job, but finally the quilted jacket I started to design on 26th December, and last wrote about on 25th January is under construction.

The sleeves are in and the side seams stitched, now I need to apply the patch pockets and put in the zip.  Once I have completed this I can make a collar.  

I've been quilting on and off for weeks now.  The back turned out very disappointing and I unpicked all the quilting from the middle and bottom rows on the design. It did not lay flat and I was not going to spoil the finished jacket so it had to be done again.  That has slowed me down and added to the time taken, it should have been finished by now.  

Now it's really beginning to look like a jacket.  As I've been working, I have felt perhaps it was a little too bright, and also a bit thin and it might not be very warm to wear. When I was able to try it on for the first time not only was I surprised how warm it is, but also how much I really like it.  This has given me the incentive, to get on with it now and get it finished. With the weather here as it is, I might be able to wear it very soon.

Fitting and amending the toile

Fitting the toile

My tailoring teacher Doreen, fitted my jacket toile at the last Wednesday class before the half term holiday. It made the next steps for me far easier. It is difficult to see your own back when fitting, and I know I have a sway back and it would need attention. I have to make this adjustment on every garment I make. Also a critical eye to help with any issues is always a good thing, so it was much appreciated. She picked up a few areas that will need attention.

The pins mark the problem areas

I need to make five adjustments to the toile and check the fit again.

1. The side seam needs to be increased from a) under the arm to just below the waist, b) decreased from the waist down to the finished hem. I don't really have any hips!!
2. The jacket is tight under the arms and certainly won't allow me to wear a blouse or top underneath it comfortably.
3. There is too much fabric on the waist line at the back, it needs reducing.
4. Finally the collar stands out and needs to be tightened.

I am pleased with the toile even with all the amendments I need to make. This will improve the look of the finished garment, if I make the changes now.

 I need to make the amendments to my pattern. Firstly I always put a note of the alterations I am making in with the pattern, it will be an aid memoir for the next time I use the pattern. Then I adjust the paper pattern pieces so the fit is perfect for me, before I use them to cut the fashion fabric out.

I have adjusted the side seam taking off 0.7cm at the hip. But need to add from just below the waist 0.5cm extending this up to the under arm. This can be seen in the photograph. These changes needs to be done on both the back and front side pattern pieces.

The pattern was also altered by scooping it down under the arm on the front and back side pattern pieces to allow for the tight fit to be adjusted. This adjustment is now 1.4cm, as it includes the adjustment already made, plus the additional adjustment to address the tightness. (0.5cm + 0.9cm = 1.4cm) You may just see where my red pen marked the pattern before I cut it out in the next photograph.

Alterations made to the pattern.                                      Adjustments made on toile.                                    

                                                                                                                                                              

The sleeve pattern was also adjusted at the under arm point to address the tightness and balance the alteration made in the side seam under the arm area. I've added to the pattern at the sides, by the same amount I put into the side seams 1.4cm. I have also lowered the sleeve at the under arm point, but not yet cut it off (in the photograph), this is marked with the red line.

Sleeve adjustment

The sway back is corrected by folding out a tiny pleat across the back at the waist line. The red arrows in the photograph show where the pattern has been taped to make this adjustment for my size. The grain line has been redrawn on the side back panel, because the adjustment has altered it.

Back waist line alteration

Adjustments made on toile

Once the pattern alterations and the toile alterations are done I will fit and check the toile again to make sure it's right. Before cutting into the fashion fabric.

The collar will be adjusted next time.

It's hard work on the allotment

Yesterday a local gardening company delivered to our allotment site a great big pile of bark chippings.  And it was all free, they said there was another load for later in the day and told us to help ourselves.  I was on the plot repairing the fruit cage and could not miss the chance of topping up our paths with these chippings, because over the last few months the paths have been getting very patchy and untidy.

With the fruit cage back in good order, I collected the wheel barrow from home and set about loading it up with the chippings from the pile which had been left in the car park.  It was not far transporting it down the path to my plot. I lost count on how many journeys I made.

I started my challenge at midday and at 2.30 p.m. was feeling very tired and hungry, it was well past my lunch time!! I decided that was enough for the day.  But bright and early today I went back to finish the job.  Another 4 hours and the job was complete, Mike helped me, so in all it took the two of us about 13 hours.  Even if it was hard work, I think the end results are worth it. 

The view from the top path looking down towards the fruit frame with all the paths finished.

Looking up towards the shed from the bottom of the plot.  A few red cabbages have survived the winter in this bed, but the crop was poor last year. 

Looking across the plot from the side, the strawberry plants on the left are looking good. I hope the yield this year is as good as last year, if one thing grew well, it was the strawberries.

It is looking so much better now we have done this job, I must thank the gardeners for the bark.  Now it's time to start to tidy the beds and get ready to plant the crops!