Coffee and Cocktails #dayandnightdresschallenge

I did kind of mention this way back at the beginning of February but I had kind of decided that I just wouldn't get around to it ah well these things happen. Then the weather gave me snow days!!! Yippee! My children are too big to need me to go out and play in the snow so I have had three lovely extra days. Ok so I didn't get to spend all of it sewing but on Friday morning I decided that I would go for it and complete the challenge.

The Belledone dress by Dear and Doe was bought for my birthday last summer and it has been on my things to do list since then. One of the reasons that I hadn't got around to making it was quite simply the bias binding. All of the versions that I had seen, that I loved, had extra binding on the back detail. Well not only do I hate playing with bias binding I just couldn't work out how to add it for this detail so I kind of ended up procrastinating and just ignoring it.

Giving myself such a short deadline I didn't have time to fiddle about so I did two things that I rarely do.

1. I cut the pattern ( I can always get net printer to print me a pristine new one)

2 and this which is worse I cut a size smaller than I would usually make and kept everything crossed (I usually make it too big and then take it in)!

Luckily both of these extravagances paid off although I did have to adjust the zipper seam allowance in order to pull it up my back.

For Coffee I am wearing a Rose and Hubble cotton that I bought back in September from the Pound a yard store in Dewsbury. I had two metres and with a slightly lengthened skirt I had just enough. knew I wanted the bias binding to be a feature and when I saw this hot pink on Saturday In my local Samual Taylors I knew I had found it.

So if you are interested to add bias binding to the back just follow the folding instructions for the back pieces and then add the bias binding over the top. I also decided to add it to the waistband. For the bias binding at the waist I folded the bias binding in half and then sewed that seam with a 1/4 inch seam allowance instead of the usual. 

The dress turned out exactly as I envisaged. My DH said it was too nice for a coffee date and my daughter said it was the nicest thing I have ever made myself. In all honesty, the bias binding isn't perfect ( anything but) I think it is only me that will notice!!

For Cocktails ( or for a dinner date with my husband later this month) I used the scraps leftover from my youngest daughter's prom dress. 

I trimmed it with black bias binding from my stash. This bias binding is synthetic and was much easier to work with but even this wasn't perfect. I realise it probably won't get that much wear as it really isn't that practical. Who cares ! 

I love this dress not only is it really pretty but it makes me think of my children at Prom.

Both dresses were made exactly to the pattern... well except for the extra bias binding and extra skirt length:) It was really nice making two of the same thing at once. I used to do it all the time when the twins were little. It actually doesn't take any more time than making one. I maybe should keep that in mind for my future makes!

Till next time happy stitching!!

Arianwen x

Sneaking in another Southbank and March Plans

Hello all, I promise not to start every month with pictures of Southbank Sweater dresses but here is another taken at the sculpture park, last week. I fell in the mud less than 10 minutes after it was taken which amused my daughter no end !! I have to say I wasn't as productive as I was hoping during February , it just seemed to speed by .

I haven't quite finished my Ninilchik Swoncho although I only have one more sleeve so hopefully over the weekend I can put that to bed! I managed to finish Rumana which was my #2018sewmystyle feb challenge and as it turned out my #2018makenine project too. My fabric stash, however, seems to be growing at an alarming rate.Whoops! During half-term I managed a trip to Fabworks will Eleanor from nelnanandnora and my youngest. It was our first meet up and was great fun pottering around the fabric shops. Unfortunately, I actually think it is impossible to go into Fabworks and come home empty handed!  

So these are my purchases . The green jersey was just crying out to be a Southbank Sweater Dress and was a bargain as it was in the remnants bin. I think from start to finish it took less than two hours. Immediate gratification!! I love these dresses, they are perfect for dressing up or down and the have the distinct advantage of being really warm. I can see more in my near future!

So Plans for March. First up is the Closet Case Kalle pattern I have been eyeing this up since Lauren Guthrie made her version last year and as I have now discovered via @SewSarahSmith on instagram a button covering service how awesome is that? I can’t wait to use them! I am also planning on sewing up all of my new stash. 

The pink will be a pair of ultimate trousers ( my first pair of trousers gulp!!!) and the stripes will be an Agnes. 

The dark teal I have 2.5 metres and I am thinking maybe the SOI 1940's wrap dress but that idea might change. The camouflage belongs to my daughter so I don't need to worry about that :)

I also have joined up #makeyourstash the idea is you make up something that you have had in your stash for at least 6 months. I have some pretty pale pink Corduroy left over from my Cleo Pinafore so I am hoping that I have enough to make a SOI Erin Skirt. I am hoping to do the pockets etc in this stripey quilting fabric which has been in my stash for at least 8 years

So those are my sewing plans ....

For knitting I am planning to cast on Carbeth I have a whole load of Bright Turquoise yarn that has been in stash for years which I think will be perfect doubled up!

Well hello Dolly!

Afternoon all,

So today I really want  to talk about the unloved projects. You know the ones that you rushed out and got all the materials for, started with such enthusiasm and left in the drawer. Am I the only one who has these ? Surely not!


Anyway I have been trying to declutter over the last couple of months and it seems it is not just me that has a few of these projects ,but the kids did too and were keen to chuck them all out! Well  I couldn't let yarn go in the bin without first having a rummage . It is true what they say one person's rummage is another's treasure.

Some of them I couldn’t work out what they were supposed to be and those went into the local pet charity but two of them I kept.  A pair of striped socks and a little hand knitted doll.
The socks I am yet to find the pattern for so they might have to wait , But the doll I was in love with and I wanted to cast on straight away.



The AK Traditions doll and clothes I bought at Harrogate probably about nine years ago. At the time I was struck by her vibrant clothes and thought she would be a perfect project for a budding knitter. However the yarn is quite stiff ( with lots of knots) and on smaller needles was too tough for little hands. So the project languished, barely started.


So I frogged the few stitches and cast on. The instructions had a lot of faults, just little things stitch counts mainly,but the doll itself didn’t take much knitting,. A couple of evenings in front of the T.V she was done.



As she isn’t for a child I decided to fill her with cloves and cinnamon ( you can’t tell in the feel, because of how packed the stuffing is)She does smell very nice, rather like a pretty  potpourri!

Then it was onto the clothes. This was a little bit more problematic as I couldn’t find most of the patterns. All those lovely pictures and no patterns, very frustrating! I even emailed the company and messaged a couple of people on Ravelry to see if I could buy more. Luckily the knitting gods were smiling on me as cast off the last leg of the doll , I found the patterns yippee!



Ooh the clothes!!! There are so many amazing combinations you could be at it forever, but as I am just on a yarn using spree I just made these.

I loved making the little skirt, blouse and shoes, it kind of made me feel like I was in the  Elves and the shoemaker ( not a bad feeling this close to Christmas). I am not going to make any more clothes for her I don't think as she isn't that kind of Dolly but if ever get to make another I will definitely make more clothes  as there are so many potentials.

I am wondering if I can finish any more wips before my Christmas Cast on ....Watch this space!

Till next time

Ax