Wearing 6 things I made myself! Sewing & Crochet

This month I handmade and completed 6 items and I’ve worn them all. Actually those figures look better on the page as 5 of those items are small, 4 crochet bracelets and 1 simple hair scrunchie! The other is a fashionable 1970’s retro style, puffed sleeved, tunic top. I haven’t sewn properly for about 3 years, I think I burnt out on the sewing front and retreated into crochet.

However all that is about to change as sewing is one form of sustainability and recycling that I can do well!

Sewing & Crochet

I used to do both on an equal basis, then I started blogging more about lifestyle and my hobbies took a back seat to life and other stuff. Marc recently bought me a new sewing machine, so I do declare the tide may be turning back to sewing…

Sewing: Starting slowly with a hair scrunchie or three!

Always an advocate of starting with the simple things first, I tested my machines basic stitches by making a hair scrunchie. I added a little bow, to jazz it up…

[perfectpullquote align=”full” bordertop=”false” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]I added a little bow, just to jazz things up…[/perfectpullquote]

4 Up-cycled Crochet Bracelets:

Whilst scrolling through IG I found an old photo of mine and was inspired to crochet something similar. The project was from a marvelous book I own a crochet book called ‘Hooked’ by Claire Montgomerie.

So I popped out and toured our local charity shops looking for some plastic bracelets, succeeding in finding 4 for a grand total of £2.50. I certainly was ‘hooked’ for the rest of the day as I crocheted over all four bracelets…

[perfectpullquote align=”full” bordertop=”false” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]I certainly was ‘hooked’ for the rest of the day as I carefully crocheted over all four bracelets…[/perfectpullquote]

Sewing: adapting a 1970’s vintage pattern

This is the one I’m really proud of, a 1970’s puffed sleeved tunic top. I used fabric I already had and a vintage pattern from my collection. It’s very Laura Ashley circa 1975, but without the ditsy floral print. I combined fabrics and added covered buttons with rouleau loops and trimmed it with some tiny pompom braid that was in my stash…

[perfectpullquote align=”full” bordertop=”false” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]Very Laura Ashley circa 1975, without the ditsy print[/perfectpullquote]

This picture above makes me smile. I took the pics using my tripod and the timer on the camera, I told him to look natural, but he just kept staring at the camera as it clicked away…so funny. He loves to pose and I think he is exceedingly good at it!

[perfectpullquote align=”full” bordertop=”false” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]I told him to look ‘natural’ but he just kept staring at the camera as it clicked [/perfectpullquote]

I’m happy with my starter projects and it was easy to remember the rules as soon as I began sewing. Next up is a dusky pink linen dress, because linen is more sustainable than cotton!