Hello Dear Reader,
A holiday to me is any day I don’t have to be in work. Therefore I’m on holiday. I don’t go anywhere, Dearly Beloved is at work when I’m ‘on holiday’ and I don’t intend go anywhere on my own. So, I’m home amusing myself.
The initial stages of making any quilt is to get ALL of the quilt blocks cut first. If you do a bit at a time, you might be tempted to not finish it and then you’ll have a UFO lurking where you would rather have a finished item.
Now everything is cut, I’m in the process of making 448 of the 3.5″ block below in various blues and neutrals. The half triangles above are in the process of being sewn. I take a ‘back’ break every now and then. Sewers will know what I mean.
I keep all the little blocks in separate baskets and keep a tally of them as I go. I’ve made a few mistakes cutting and will need to make some more but that’s quilting.
I also have 125 of these blocks to make. I love that moment where my blocks are ready to be sewn together. This quilt will start in the middle and I will work out. It will all be blues and neutrals and a geometric design. I love the maths of quilting!
My little blocks start in strips and I keep every off cut and then sew them together. These will all go into my scrappy quilt that I add to now and then to use up my bags of scraps as nothing gets wasted here. I’m aiming for another king size quilt out of my scraps.
I’m also aiming to have another go at dress making. I’ve learned a lot watching the Great British Sewing Bee about fitting. I’ve also learned a lot about handling different fabrics and matching the fabrics too. I learned how to centre the fabric so the pattern runs down the middle and matches on the shoulders and sleeves. I’ve recorded it all to watch again some time. I can understand patterns now and know more about grain, nap, cross grain and bias of fabric. I’m using patterns that a dear reader sent me but I bought fabric today. The blouse fabric was £2.50 a yard and 1.5 yards will make a blouse. The dress fabric was £3.75 a yard and will take just under 3 yards to make it. If I can master fitting then I will have clothes for a fraction of the cost of buying them. I’m also tall so I can lengthen patterns to fit me. (£3.75 for the blouse, I will use recycled buttons I’ve kept from shirts and a dress for under £15 including zip and interfacing.)
I’ve given myself a talking to and I’m not going to start the blouse (the hardest thing to make apparently so I’ll make that first!) until I have my quilt top made. I don’t have the space at home to lay a quilt out so that can wait until I can borrow some space.
It was great to have a chat with you. Now, what do you need to finish? What do you need to learn to do to save yourself money? Who else is tired of paying a fortune for clothes? Who else, like me, can make clothes but hasn’t mastered fitting? Has anyone else picked up some valuable information that they can turn into skills after watching the Great British sewing bee? I’d love to hear from you.
As so many of you read, keep up to date with me on Twitter queen_frugal, or follow by email or just follow the blog. Add me to your reading list and keep up to date with my daily blog and frequent tweets. xxx
Until tomorrow,
Love Froogs xxxx
p.s If you haven’t voted yet please click on the MADS finalist link top right and vote for me as best thrifty blog and best food blog. Thanks folks.
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I can't take any credit for this tip as I think it was Bonnie Hunter's in the first place but it's a method I've adopted and find it so useful - when you're stitching loads of blocks like this before you assemble the quilt top safety pin them into 10s as you go along, it makes them so easy to tot up and keep track of how many you've done
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I can follow patterns and make clothes, but I struggle with fitting, its very hard to fit clothes to yourself. I keep meaning to watch the sewing bee online, I don't have a recordable tv. Maybe if I do that I will get some tips, my clothes never quite look right around the bust when I make them!
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FG, if you are interested in sewing blouses or tops, esp. with a body shape that is different, I recommend you try sewing patterns with built in cup sizes. Simplicity / Vogue/ McCalls all have them. New Look might, I am not sure. But I have had some decent results with the simplicity multicup patterns.
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Hi Froogs and Kay
I was going to menchion about simplicity patters as well they are on half price sale in the habadashers in plymouth and Dingles untill the 12. went and splurgedmy birthday voucher Dad gave me on 5 but idf you buy 4 your 5th one is free!. Simplicity run this offer about twice a year I have been told. I find I want to go clothes shopping less and less and recently decide that fro things like good shoes and coats and jeans possibly undies(looking for undewear patterns) I am not interested in shopping anymore. My next investment buy will be a tailors' dummy. I buy a lot of plain good wuality second hadn quilts fro turning into shirts and waistcoats. A lot of fabric for very little money! Love the blue tones you are using Froogs one of my fav colours.
Happy sewing
Rachel
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I am tired of the cost of clothes too! I am going to cut off some smock dresses and turn them into tops inspired by the post!! Enjoy your stacation. I love a stay cation !
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I sew many of my own outfits. I even have the same dress pattern. Hope you like it.
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That fabric was a very good price; where did you find it? The best thing about making your own IS getting things that really fit!
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I love the sewing bee program , so disappointed it has finished , i too have been inspired to make my own clothes , i have a dress that is almost complete but made a mistake with the zip so i have to unpick it and do that part again , the fabric was new from a jumble sale , it only cost a pound , my daughter also bought me the sewing bee book for mothers day , it was such a nice surprise and it has a folder of patterns included , i cant wait to sew me a new wardrobe of clothes.x
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I make nearly all my own clothes as I'm very hippy and getting a descent fit just doesnt happen with bought stuff. I enjoyed the Great British Sewing Bee and think this years was much harder. Craftsy.com has helped me with getting a good fit. I have bought these courses with the patterns when on special offer and these were about the same price as buying the pattern.I had a treat of a lunch with friends and was stressed in things I made myself and they both said how good I looked.
Downloading free patterns from Craftsy is also a very frugal way to get clothes patterns if they suit.
Brenda in the Boro
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