Dressmaking skills

Here is my dressmaking update, I am obsessed with looking at fabric online at the moment and trying not to keep buying it. I also have a very old machine, I think we bought it in the early 1980s so it only does the basics but it works for me and I don't want to change to anything new just yet !
So I just finished the jacket for Laura and managed to get a better photo in the natural light. I also put a dress under the jacket on the hanger so you can see the shape better. I sent her the photo too and she thinks it looks good. Just hope it fits fine now.

It was very simple really, front and sleeve are all one piece and no fastenings or anything.

I made this to go with the dress she wants me to make. I found a lovely fabric with Russian dolls on and sent her the picture to see what she thought. Her response was she wanted a dress made from it and choose New Look 6143 pattern.

 



I am doing the pink version in the middle with no sleeves. I have made just the top part up in scrap fabric to see what the fit is going to be like. She is back home on the 13th Feb so I will check the fit then and then start the actual dress. Becki also likes this pattern and wants me to do one like the model is wearing, which is a red underlay dress with lace overlay (no challenge there then!)

Lastly here is the top pattern I have been using. I made the main one with straps for me (sorry no photo this time) then have 2 more lots of fabric. The light blue is for Laura she has picked the strapless version - bottom left. And the terracotta Broderie Anglaise is for me to do the top - top right. This is Simplicity pattern 4127.

So lots to keep me going and several more plans on my to do list.

Thanks for looking

Ginnie xx

What I am working on

As promised a little photo update.
I was going to post a photo of the jacket I am stitching Laura using the pattern I showed earlier but it is in dark navy and I can't get a great photo in this light with flash on. I also need to finish the sleeve edge, so a photo of that will have to be another time.
So just cross stitch this time.
Here is my progress on the Disney Dreams Sleeping Beauty - this is quite a challenge, on 18 ct aida with lots of colours so it is slow going but I am loving how it is turning out.

Then this is the birth sampler I have only just started. It is from World of Cross Stitching 188. The toys have either blue or pink added bits. This is for a work colleague whose wife is due to have their first baby the end of July. They don't know yet if it is a boy or girl so I am just doing the colours that are in both versions.

 

 

As for an update on my life in general, well nothing has really changed since the post in 2013. The girls are now in their final year of University and will be graduated in the summer. So I aim to sew me a nice dress for both graduations ! They plan on coming back home. Laura wants to do an MA in Antiquity at Birmingham Uni (part time) and work part time. Becki wants to come home to work and then in 2016 do an MA in ballet studies at Roehampton Uni in London. This is the plan but neither have sent in their applications yet. Will be strange to have a full house again and I have no idea where all their acquired stuff will go !!
Until next time
Ginnie xx

New blog title

I have been away a long time again and I am sorry BUT I am now back and with a slightly different blog title (I have left the web address the same)
Over the last few months I have really got back into dressmaking as well as still doing some cross stitch. So decided to start up the blog again to show my progress on both. Hence the new title !
So my posts from now on will be either cross stitch themed or dressmaking themed.

I will update with photos later but this is what I am working on -

Cross Stitch - Disney Dreams - Sleeping Beauty and Pension Day (from an old magazine on my WIP list for ages!) My daughter Becki also now cross stitches (yeah) so I will sometimes post her work too. And just started a birth sampler for a friend.

Dressmaking - About to finish a nice linen jacket for Laura. About to start a summer top for me in Broderie Anglaise and part way through a top for Laura (she needs a fitting and isn't home until mid Feb)

Here is the pattern I am using for the jacket NEWLOOK 6217.

Back later with photos and more updates

 

Ginnie xx

 

 

About time I posted again !

I have had a lot of nagging from friends on Facebook asking when I am going to blog again...... so tonight I thought I would get around to it.
I can't promise I will be a regular again though ! But I will try harder.
So my last post was February, since then not much has changed. I still work for the same company but we moved offices in July and now I work about 7 minutes away - it is great !
My family are all doing well, the girls are now in their 2nd year of university and still loving it and doing very well. Laura is currently in Verona with her classics society, she visits Venice on Friday then back Saturday. I speak to them via email or text daily but don't see them as often as I would like. Next visit is the end of November, but I am getting used to it and they are happy. They both have their own rented houses now and enjoy their independence.
Here's 2 of the latest pictures I could find of them. (Laura left Becki right)

 



As for stitching I have been doing lots of Christmas stuff over the last month and nearly have all my cards done. But my biggest finish was the Medieval Lady by Joan Elliot. This one is for Laura and now I am doing the Victorian Lady for Becki.

So here's some of my finishes -

 

 

The cupcake cards are for the girls, Becki is an amazing cup cake maker and Laura enjoys sampling them ! So cakes seemed a good theme this year. Working on a "Christmas Carol Tiny Tim" one for Stuart, which I will show next time.

Anyway until next time - happy stitching

Ginnie xx

 

 

9th February 2013

Just got 2 to show you today.
I added another to my rota..... request from Becki. She wanted a "home sweet home" type thing for her new house she is renting in Sept at uni with her friends. She saw this in the latest World of Cross Stitch and wanted it straight away. It isn't one I would normally choose but I am loving it.

 

It has lots of blocks of colours which makes it an easy stitch, especailly if I have taken it to work to stitch on quietly when no one is around !

 

Then this is my progress on Pension day, the right hand side is coming together well. Just the other half to work on now. Maybe I will get this done this year for my mum and dad, they have been waiting a while !!

 



 

 



This week I have been working on the Rome Lady and a bit more on the Home design. I will update those again next time.I am pleased that I am loving my stitching at the moment and have been spending a lot of time on it, so this year should have more finishes than last.

 

Happy Stitching

 

Ginnie

25th Jan

Lovely to see I have 4 comments already from my earlier post saying "I am back" nice to know I was missed !

Since my last posting in May '12 things have changed a lot here as both daughters are now settled and happy away at university. Although it did seem odd at first I have got used to them being away and enjoy my free evenings to stitch. Luckily we chat everyday thanks to the internet and they come home every 3 to 4 weeks, or we go and visit them.

 

At Christmas I looked back at my stitching for the year and it was very poor show ! So I decided to work harder in 2013 and work on one larger piece a week in a rota like I used to.

 

So here are my 4 pieces in my rota -

This one is Pension Day, I am actually working on this at the moment so this is how it started on Monday. I will update again after Sunday's final stitch.

 

This is Poppy Pixie, a Nora Corbett design.
This one hasn't got much to show yet!



 


This one is Rome Lady. I mentioned this last year and was aiming to do it for Laura. But she went to Pompeii instead of Rome so I am saving this for when she does go to Rome !














This one is my new start, from.the christmas World of Cross Stitch.magazine. 1920s Christmas scene. I am loving this!




Hope these show ok on my blog because it has been a pain putting the photos on and adding the text, this part has changed since I blogged last year !

Happy Stitching
Ginnie xxx

I am coming back to blogland

I miss blogging and miss having somewhere to post my progress on my stitching.
So I will return and post some WIP photos at the weekend !
I have gone back to my 4 pieces rota, one a week and I think I work better like that.
This weekend will end my first set of 4 weeks so need to show progress !!

Ginnie xx

Little ballerinas

I have very nearly finished the little ballerinas picture for Becki's dance teacher. In fact since I took this photo at the weekend I now have just the last bit of the curtain left to do. We are going to finish it on a nice ornate hanging, just need to buy that. I think Becki will wait until July when she leaves dancing to give it to Rachel. I have enjoyed doing this and fancy doing the Nutcracker one in the same series.

Here is the card I made for my dad's 75th birthday last week. We didn't do much for the occasion just a take away and a bottle of wine. It was very nice.

Since my last post it has been the girl's 18th birthday too. (see new photo at side) we had a lovely big party and all had a great time. Laura has now finished college and just has to go in for exams and Becki has just 2 more days to go. She is now looking for a part time job for the summer.... not easy though when you have no experience!

I have also taken up a new hobby. Well actually gone back to a hobby I loved before - dress making.

I have dusted the sewing machine out and bought a fancy dress costume pattern. When the girls go to university they tend to have a lot of fancy dress parties, especially in the first week - Fresher's week. So I thought I would get back into machine sewing with costumes first then move onto other stuff for me and the girls. I am doing the cavegirl outfit for Becki first, then the toga one for Laura. So far so good !!!

Lastly I have started a new piece of stitching (yes I know I have many others to finish... but oh well!) This is for Laura. It is from an old World of Cross Stitching magazine that I have fancied stitching for ages. Well now is the time as hopefully when Laura is at Nottingham University she will get the chance to go to Rome in November. So I want to get this done for then. I will just write the year 2012 smaller below the word Rome.

Happy Stitching

Ginnie xxxx



A few smalls

Finally back with a few small finishes, otherwise I haven't got much to show!

Firstly I made yet another Forever Friends card for a friend of Becki's. I seem to have stitched loads of these teds recently.... I think I have had enough now! He is pretty cute though !

I have also been working on the pieces for the girl's 18th Birthday cards. Having just had some time off for Easter I got Becki's done in just a couple of days.

This one is for Laura, for her love of history. I am going to back it on some Egyptian symbols paper on the card and put a Happy Birthday in hieroglyphics. Mind you the darker orange colour of the skin was supposed to be more gold but I mis read the symbol..... by the time I noticed it was too late. Oh well I think it looks good still.

Then here is Becki's - dance related of course. The original chart had a pink ballerina and roses but Becki prefers purple, so I had to do some changing around. I like the way it has turned out.

Since my last post Becki had her audition at Bedford University and it was successful. She loved the place and the course and is now happy to be going here and feels it is the right place for her. It won't be as intensive as a dance school but you get the same degree at the end of it. I also think it will be better for Becki as she has struggled with keeping weight on since dancing at college and has lost over 1 stone since she was 16 and I would have worried more if she was dancing 9 - 6 at a dance school. Now at the uni she will do more theory as well which will open up other options. I am glad she is happy and sorted.

Laura has now been offered her accommodation at Nottingham for the first year and will be living in Willoughby Hall... sounds good and seems ok although we didn't look at this Hall when we visited, so aiming to go again after exams.

I have no idea what I will do with out them..... more stitching I suppose !!!

Happy Stitching

Ginnie xx

Little Ballerinas

Oh I let 2 weeks pass by.... whoops. Problem is I load photos onto our old PC..... and it is very old and slow. So I avoid going on it unless I have time to hang around and wait for it to load etc. Instead I borrow Stuart's work laptop on week evenings to catch up on my Facebooking !

Since my last posting I have had another birthday... didn't do much, booked the afternoon off work and did some stitching.

Then on Wednesday Laura and I went to visit Nottingham University again, she loves it here and has now firmly accepted the place and booked her accomodation. Just needs to get ABB grades in her A levels.

Becki has her audition at Bedford University on the 14th, so if that goes well they will both be sorted.

So here is my update of the Christmas Window, the man in the window is coming along well now.

I have put this away again now for a while.... others to work on.....

I also started Little Ballerinas, this is the one I am doing for Becki's dance teacher for when she leaves in July. Not a lot to show yet.... lots of whites and pinks...

I am still working on this so will update again next time.

I need to start a few small pieces for cards again, another forever friends teddy for one of Becki's friends and then something for the girls for their 18th. I have also spotted a new one in the latest Cross Stitch magazine which is of a Roman Goddess.This is stitched on black fabric but I am keen to give it a go!

Happy stitching

Ginnie xx

Good enough to eat

I finished my Liquorice Allsorts jar for Becki, don't they look lovely? It makes me feel like eating some when I see it. Becki has a tin in her room that we have to keep topping up with allsorts ! I now need to stitch it onto her blanket.

I also dug out one of my WIPs this week - the Christmas Window one. I have been working on this 2 years now and think I ought to try to get it finished for this Christmas. Once I picked it up again I enjoyed stitching on it and aim to work on it all week. I have done more though as I have had 2 days off work, but now I go back tomorrow and therefore will have less stitching time. This is how it looked last week -

Lastly here is my Valentine's card for Stuart. I normally stitch one but didn't have time this year with all the 18th birthday cards I had to make. So I made a decoupage one instead. I was pleased with the end result.

Laura had her interview at Reading University last week and has been offered a place there too. She thinks though that Nottingham is still her favourite but will pick Reading as her "insurance" place as they require lower grades. We visit Nottingham again in a couple of weeks. Becki too has now heard from one of her Universities and has an audition at Bedford in March. This is her favourite one so let's hope the end result of this audition is more positive than the Dance School ones.

Today we have had a family portrait photo session. We will get one free family print and then will buy one of just the girls. So looking forward to seeing how they turn out.

Happy stitching

Ginnie xxx

This famous blog

While flicking through the latest issue of World of Cross Stitching I was surprised to see an article on "websites we love" that mentioned my blog. What an honour, especially as I have only just got back into blogging! I feel famous !!!

Since my last post I have just a couple of small pieces to show you. Firstly this Buzz Lightyear square is for a charity quilt. We are trying to do a Toy Story/Super heroes one for a very sick little boy. I am working on Woody now.

I am also stitching a liquorice allsorts jar for Becki who is just mad about them!! For Christmas I bought both the girls a fleece blanket and they want me to sew small cross stitch pictures on them so they can take it to University. I will show a photo of the whole blankets at some point but they barely part with them!! I should have this finished by next post. The chart is from WOCS magazine.

Lastly here is the card I have now completed that the girls gave to their friend for her 18th birthday. I believe she really liked it.

Becki has now applied for University Dance courses after getting a "no" from the Dance Schools she auditioned at. It has been a very stressful time as she has been very upset about it all but is now coming to terms with it and moving on. Least she can still pursue her love of dancing just not at such a high standard.

Laura has an interview at Reading University next week, although Nottingham is still her favourite.

Happy stitching
Ginnie xxx

An old UFO

I have dug out one of my oldest, oldest, oldest UFOs! I think I started it before the girl's were born, so 18 years ago but it could have been just after.... my memory doesn't quite recall.

It is a Dimensions kit of Noah's Ark and just before Christmas I started to take it to Stitch Club to work on as one of the other ladies was doing a Noah's Ark too.

Here is my progress:

Some of the reasons it became a UFO are it just was so big, it is on 18 count aida and it grew very slowly. So my new aim is to take it to club when I go and try to get it done by the end of 2012. As you can see I have just over 50% complete.

My small finish this week is the piece for another 18th birthday card. The girls thought the saying was apt for this friend. I will make it into a card over the weekend.

Becki is waiting to hear back from her audition on Saturday. She liked it there and thought it went well but you can never tell. One place she sent an application and payment to have just sent a letter back saying they can't offer her an audition. That's nice, they take the money still though. This Saturday she has an audition in Leeds, so fingers crossed for that one. I am getting more and more stressed as the realisation hits me that she may not get a place so will be devastated. Especially as Laura will then probably go to University in Sept and Becki may stay home. Her back up plan then will be just to apply for Dance courses at Uni, but that would be for the following year. Don't you just wish you had a magic wand to make everything right for them !

Happy stitching

Ginnie xx

First card finish of the year.

I am pleased with how quickly I stitched this Forever Friends ted. I only started him last weekend. He is out of the latest issue of WOCS magazine. The chart had the candles all different colours but I went with just the lilac. He is so cute I wish I was keeping him myself ! But he is for one of the girl's bestest friends who turns 18 in a couple of weeks. I kept the card simple so she could just remove the Happy Birthday sticker and frame the picture. I hope she does.

Because I worked on this all week I have done no more stitching on Pension Day. I want to start another small cute picture for another card soon but have just realised I need to stock up on a particular DMC colour required in the chart.

Otherwise I am still stitching squares for my charity and may start one of those instead until I get to the shop.

Had a tiring weekend, not because I went out but because the girls have had late nights out and I tend to wait up for them (or have to pick them up late !) I suppose that is the joys of having 17 year old daughters. Next Saturday we are going to London again as Becki has an audition at London Contemporary Dance School, I hope she gets a good outcome from this as we all liked this school when we visited in October. So fingers crossed !!

Hope you have all had a good week.

Ginnie xx

Good Start !

The first day of 2012 and I am blogging... what a good start !

We had a good Christmas but then after Boxing Day I got a cold and cough and felt pretty rough. Still not 100% now. Stuart not feeling fab today either so hope I haven't passed my germs his way. Spent New Year's Eve with my mum and dad, girls went out (first NYE with out them). Back to work on Tuesday !

Luckily I managed to get some stitching done while I wasn't feeling too well. I started a while back a new picture for mum and dad called Pension Day. It is from an old WOCS magazine. It has lots of colours in it though so I put it away for a while. Over Christmas I sorted several of the colours onto my thread organiser and that really helped.

Here is what it will eventually look like -

And this is my progress so far. I made a slight mistake early on too so I have that to make some parts up as I go along ! Lots of browns.... oh well !

This year I also want to stitch this -

Hopefully if Becki gets into a Dance School she will leave her local dance school where she now teaches too and has been attending since she was 5. So she wants me to stitch a special piece for her teacher Rachel. I intend to stitch the dance school name instead of just her name.

Before I start this I have a couple of 18th birthday cards to do for 2 of the girls friends. I have started a Forever Friends bear already for one of them and will update next time with a photo.

Hope everyone has a happy and healthy 2012.

Ginnie xx

New Year Resolution

I have been away from my blog for far too long and I have started to miss it.

So I am determined to try and blog more again in 2012.

Since my last post in July I have stitching only small things, a few of which are below. I don't seem to have as much time as I did as in October I increased my hours at work. I have also lost some motivation to stitch.. I hope I can get back into the swing of things more agin in 2012.

The girls have kept me busy too, especially Becki. We have been down to London (and Leeds)several times to view Dance schools and in December she has had 2 auditions. Sadly she had a straight rejection from the one school but the other has put her on a reserve list... which is a little more promising. In January she has 2 more auditions, so lets hope one of them is a "yes".

Laura has had offers from both Nottingham and Birmingham University to study Ancient History and Archeology in Sept '12. She wants to go to Nottingham as long as she gets the grades.

So here are a few of my pieces from the last couple of months. Firstly these are the cards I made the girls this year for Christmas. Becki's is London... in the hope she ends up at a Dance School there and Laura's is Rome as she hopes to visit Rome when she is studying Ancient History. They were stitched with metallic thread !

This is a Forever Friends one I just fancied stitching for myself. I haven't actually done anything with it yet.


Lastly this is my Christmas Angel, she is very pretty. I have just made her into an ornament but haven't taken a new photo yet.



Hope everyone has a very Merry Christmas and see you in 2012.

Ginnie xx

Henry is finally finished

I don't know where time has gone too, I didn't think it was that long since I blogged but it was the end of May.... oh dear. Must admit my stitchy bug has had it's ups and downs, there used to be rarely a day that I didn't stitch but I know recently I can go for days without picking my needle up.

Never the less I have 2 finishes to show, one of which is Henry VIII and his wives. I finally put the last stitch in it this morning making it around a 19 month project. So pleased to see it all finished at last, it looks great, and here it is -

The photo is a little dark but it has been a dull day here ! Now to save up to get it framed.

I also finished the Ballerina for Becki recently. I really enjoyed this even with all the similar colours. She loves it too...... and other one to frame !!

Been a busy few weeks for us as a family too. We have visited a few universities now and have another few to visit in September. But at the moment Laura especially loved Nottingham Uni.... which is set in lovely park like grounds and they are having a brand new Humanities building this year where she would then be based. Becki still wants to get into a Dance School in London, but if that doesn't work out she visited Bedford Uni (still to do Dance) and liked that as a second choice. They have to start applying around the middle of September. I really hope they get what they want but I am going to miss them so much next year when they leave home... all part of growing up I suppose.

Talking of growing up we have also had a "first" boyfriend on the scene. Becki started seeing this lad called George..... but it lasted less than 2 weeks when she realised they had little in common etc etc...... was an emotional time for all of us, I never realised how involved I would get with all this....... and I suppose I have more to come. Now the 2 of them are spending most of their summer over at friends houses !

Good job I have new stitching lined up for the lonely times ahead !! I am about to start one for my mum and dad called Pension Day which was in a magazine a few years ago and also fancy doing another Forever Friends one for me. Will update you on these next time.

Until then Happy Stitching

Ginnie xx

Ballerina grows

Hope everyone is having a good weekend, or extended weekend if you are in the UK. The weather is a bit dreary here still, I wish it would warm up. I have both Monday and Tuesday off work so nice to think it is not the end of my weekend this evening!

I still haven't been stitching a huge amount, but I am slowly getting my mojo back...... Here is my progress on the ballerina, I thought I may get fed up with the similar colours but I am actually enjoying working on it. I think Becki will love it when I'm done.

I suddenly realised last week that of all the Lizzie Kate month stamps I have stitched I was missing June. So yesterday I started it, I doubt I'll get it finished for Wednesday but hopefully sometime during June it'll be complete! Here is the small progress so far.

Finally I got around to doing another charity square, this one is for a "Toys" theme quilt. Very cute!!

Laura has just 2 AS exams left to go, so far the others have gone ok I think..... although her normal reaction is "it was awful!"

Becki is working on her show dances for the end of June, she is pleased that she is choreographing some as well this time and her dance teacher has said how good they are looking.

Stuart got another job last week, although he only moved schools last September he has found it hard to settle there. This new school seems a bit of a challenge as they have had a lot of problems but he was used to this at his last school so feels happy that he'll get on better here.

Happy stitching.......

Ginnie xxx

Some new things

I knew I hadn't blogged for a while but I can't believe it has been over a month, whoops. Time flies ..... I have also had lots of problems with my PC at work so haven't had much chance to get on here and download photos.

I have continued on my Henry VIII a little but the border is so repetative... that I am struggling to keep motivated..... but I will get there.

Otherwise I have a few new ones to show you.

I have started a ballerina one for Becki, it is all in sepia type colours so will be lovely eventually just takes a while to take shape. I have run out of DMC0739 though and hope Stuart is popping to the shop later to get me some.

I actually started this Angel one just after Christmas but forgot about it. It is a Joan Elliot one and will have lots of little beads on too. She is progressing well and is very pretty.

Last week I finished this little Flower Fairy one that was free with one of my magazines. When the girls were really "into" Flower Fairies this was one of their favourites. I think Becki had a costume made to be this fairy at school once. So I had to stitch it. I just need a nice square frame now.

Last Wednesday my two lovely girls turned 17..... I have no idea where those 17 years have gone. We had a little family get together with a take away pizza on the Monday then on the actual night of their birthday they went to Wetherspoons for a meal with lots of their friends. This photo was taken then.

Laura starts her AS level exams next week, this first college year has flown by. Becki doesn't do exams on her course but has lots of assessments and dance shows coming up. Next we have to start looking at Universities etc.... that is a scary thought !

Well I will try not to leave it so long to update next time.... happy stitching

Ginnie xxx