Craftysticks November update

November is nearly over, so it must be time for an update!

Sewing:

This has been a month of quite dull but very useful sewing. I had a sudden paranoid thought that if a winter vomiting bug hit I wouldn’t have enough spare bedding for Daisy’s bed. She used to be in a double bed (long story) but is now in a single, and I only had one set of bedding for it. I’ve been saying for ages that I’d cut down her old favourite duvet cover to make a single, and this month I finally did it. I also made a fitted sheet out of another old duvet cover that had a few random stains from fabric paint (absolutely impossible to remove, but I managed to avoid them by careful cutting) and I cut down her mattress protector too. I’m particularly proud of the way I utilised the print on the duvet cover to do this on the side of her mattress:

img_6516-copy

And as if all that wasn’t enough, I bought Gabriel his first proper duvet. It was a cotbed size with a dinky little pillow to match, and rather than buy readymade covers I decided to economise and again cut down an old duvet cover, carefully avoiding some random tears and bleach stains. He now has the cutest little bedding set! Continue reading “Craftysticks November update”

20 minute sewing sprints

 

hand knit sock
Yay for self-striping sock yarn!
 
So, I’ve actually managed to stick to my idea of sewing or crafting for at least 20 minutes day so far. And in that time I’ve knitted one and a bit socks! That’s pretty good going considering it took me years to finish the last pair. I’ve also sewn a knit pencil skirt for myself (without a pattern and fitted directly to my body). It’s without a doubt the cosiest, comfiest skirts I’ve ever owned! It’s been perfect for this cold snap and I haven’t wanted to wear anything else… Except leggings and a top and underwear of course 😛 I will take some pictures and blog it properly soon. 

After the success of the skirt I hit a snag. I’d run out of things ready to sew, and 20 minutes is not an ideal length of time for cutting out garments. I started making a simple darted, zippered pouch instead, following the recent tutorial on Ikat bag.

However, this weekend I had a couple of hours spare while Gabriel was napping, so I cut out my next sewing project: a nightshirt for my dad for his upcoming birthday. It’s a simple pattern I made for him many years ago, but he’s been requesting another for ages so I thought it was about time I obliged!

I think my strategy for the future is going to have to be to do all cutting out at weekend nap times whenever I get the chance. I know I am going to have a challenge finding sewing time over the next few months as we are planning on moving house, but I’m sure if I prioritise then I can still do it. After all, just 20 minutes a day for something I love doing is not that much. I deserve at least that much me time!

Who else out there is making sure they take the time to sew every day?