A cushion for the 12th Mechanized Brigade

My sewing machine is back from the expert ministrations of Tony from Lewisham and Deptford Sewing Machines (recommended by Barley from Fabrications), smelling of oil and running beautifully. It was time to get on with making this cushion I had been promising one of our volunteers on TheSite.org for so long. And here it is.

I took the logo from the Brigade's Facebook page and printed out a template.

I initially wanted to do the logo from felt and the backing from red material, thus enabling me to make a bigger cushion - but I found that the heirloom stitch I was using to make a thick line was rucking up the material making it look crumpled. I decided to use felt for the background too. This made for a smaller cushion, but I thought this wasn't necessarily a bad thing, especially if it was going on tour! Here is is in progress, with the template.

And here it is with Alonso, the rather stern gentleman found in a charity shop by a university friend many years ago, and given to us three or four years past. He looks rather army like and official so I thought he might enjoy being photographed with the army cushion;

And finally, here's the man himself, in TheSite.org towers with his cushion. Hopefully he likes it - it's hard to tell from that smile....

And, in the background you can see a pinky purple Octopus, our YouthNet mascot Octi. At some point, I have to make an Octi costume as I plan to run the London Marathon 2013 dressed as him. I'm not entirely sure how to go about this eight legged sewing project - but I'll keep you posted...

A DIYcouture swirly skirt at Fabrications

Today I was back in Fabrications, for a workshop with Rosie from DIYcouture. We were learning how to make a swirly skirt - the finished item modelled here (try to focus on the skirt and not my white runners legs!).

Rosie creates books with pictures and diagrams to talk you through making clothes without using complicated patterns.

Waist height skirt

The skirt is a circle style, hanging in lots of folds and flaring out when you spin round. It would look good with a petticoat too. The bird fabric is from Fabric Rehab.

Below you can see how the skirt starts - with two semi circles of material to be joined together. You then add a waistband and a zip and a bias binding along the bottom. There were six of us in the workshop and Rosie dotted between us all, showing us what to do, helping us out and giving us tips on good fabric shops in London (like me, Rosie considers buying fabric, like buying books - 'not really spending money' - so it's good to hear her tips as to where you can get fabric for a pound a metre). Check out the Fabrications calendar for more workshops with her too - I recommend them.

Cutting out the pattern

In Fabrications Imaginarium

The final fiddly bit, adding the bias binding.

More modelling, this time it's sitting on the hips how I made it. After pinning it up, I actually quite like the on-the-waist style (which I think is more how it is meant to be) so I might do another one like that in future now I know how :)

Hand patchworking at Fabrications

Fabrications on Broadway Market is one of my new favourite places to learn all things sewing. Have a look at their calendar. They run all sorts of open days and sewing classes in Barley's newly created Imaginarium.

I recently went to a 'taste of patchworking' class there with Katherine May.- I'd been getting good at making patchwork on my machine, but I wanted to have a go at doing it by hand, using the old fashioned paper templates.

We used paper templates to handsew a simple square of patchwork, which we quilted to a lining with some wadding from The Cotton Patch (I have used some more of this since and it's really nice pure cotton wadding). There were a number of other people at the class too, and I really enjoyed the feeling of sitting around and occasionally chatting, each absorbed in our own projects but with Katherine there to help out if we got stuck. I didn't have time to fold the lining material over into a hem in the class, but I'll do it later.

I had this idea that I wanted to have a go making patchwork spheres (or 'peas') and I found a great set of instructions on the internet on how to make a patchwork ball. Armed with a bit more confidence from the class, I had a go that evening.

The day's work

Material and paper templates for another patchwork sphere.

I decided to use the first one for a pin cushion, and made another from felt.

My first patchwork pea

More Fabrications fun

Fabrications is an official supplier of Brother sewing machines, so they often run open days where people can come and test drive their machines - and ask questions to Brother representatives. Most recently was a bunting making day, which I popped along to for an hour after work. I experimented with a range of new stitches on their more modern Brother machines and Rachel from Brother showed to how to work my walking foot - and how useful it is when quilting.

Material ready for bunting.

Next week, I'm going along to a skirt making workshop there - I'll keep you posted ;)