zondag 31 mei 2015

So, back to blogging...

I had a blog a few years ago, but I never really found my "groove" and the blog died a (very) quiet death, ahem.

I'm still reading a lot of blogs though, and I'm still sewing - probably more than back then. And I'd like a place where I can keep my pictures of things I made, and some notes about what patterns I used, what I liked about them, what I'd do differently next time, stuff like that.

That's pretty much why I've decided to give blogging another go.

I'll start with this divided basket (pattern is by Noodlehead). I love this pattern!



The only thing I changed was that I sewed up the lining and exterior by pinning right sides together and stitching all the way around except near the inner partition - right near that, it wouldn't get under the presser foot easily.
So at both sides of the little partition I had an opening, one of which I could then use for turning everything right sides out. Finally I topstitched all around, closing both openings as I went.

The way the pattern suggests doing it (pressing the top edges of both lining and basket exterior in towards the wrong side, then stitching them together) made me a bit nervous, especially since I was making this as a gift, so I wanted it as perfect as possible. I don't think I would have managed a nice clean finish that way. I'm not so great at ironing/pressing very precisely...

I had (still have, actually...) loads of fabric left and as I said, it was going to be a gift for a dear friend who had her first baby, so I made a very simple diaper clutch (using this tutorial) and a baby blanket.

That's an awful picture... I only remembered to quickly grab my phone and take a photo right before I was leaving to visit little cutie Sam and his parents. 

For the blanket I used this tutorial
I had only just enough of the minky dot lying around to make a decent sized blanket. As I was pinning the minky and the cotton together, it kept shifting and pulling but the trick is just to use plenty of pins and it came out fine! 
It was my first time ever making a blanket (exactly because I was scared of the shifting and moving fleece combined with non-stretchy cotton) but it won't be my last! Same goes for the divided basket - I already have my fabric cut to make another one!