The Race for Life

Last Sunday Emma, my Mother in Law, Debra and I ran the 5km Race for Life to support Cancer Research UK!

Here we are after we did it- super gross and sweaty!

So far we've raised around £190 pounds in sponsorship!  Isn't that amazing?  But, if you want to contribute and make that even more, please click on the button below and donate now.  This is life saving research, and, for me, it's personal. 

I've lost two grandparents to cancer, and I have a brave aunt who is a survivor.  One of my greatest fears is that one day I'll get that life changing news, so I want to be ready to fight if it ever happens to me.  And the research we're helping to fund is all part of that.

Donate below, or, as we all said we're up for running again next year- join us! Every little does count.

Freya May

 

Finished Dress

I finshed the dress I wrote about here!  

I'm so please with how it has turned out-  I'll definitely wear it :D

And I learnt some lessons on it's construction- which was the motive behind making it in the first place.

For example, I need to make the yoke slightly shorter to account for my petite-ness, and I learnt that I can make sleeves!  These were the first I've ever attempted and I'm very, very please with them!

Joy for Summer Dresses!

Freya May

This Old Thing?

Well ok, this old thing is pretty u-g-l-y!

Yes, that's a dress, not a night gown.

Its a size 18, which accounts for it tent like qualities on me, but I've wanted to have a go at refashioning a item for a while now, so for £3.50, why the heck not?  And, anyway, the extra fabric will probably be quite useful!

So, I bet your just dying to see what this was transformed into?

Well, what do you think?

Huge transformation!

All from a few absolute ton of pins and some careful snips.

Anoyingly, however, it's is clear this is my first attempt, as I missed the line between fitted and ever so slightly  too small.  Irony, huh?

Never mind, a few pounds lighter and it'll fit like a glove.

Freya Mayxxx

DIY Dip Dyes Shorts

I'm loving this trend of dip dyes shorts that I've seen around this summer.  And when mum and I went to the Vintage fair earlier this month, I saw a pair that I really liked!

However, I'm a DIY girl, and I knew it would be so easy to recreate the look, without the price tag of £20 (or £35 in Topshop!)

1 2 

So, that same day, we went to the charity shop, picked up a pair of jeans for £1.50 (!) and got to it. 

If you too want to DIY it, here is a quick tutorial.

You need; 

Pair of jeans, bottle of bleach, bucket, rubber gloves, salt, dye and a poky stick.

Cut the jeans short and submerge in approx 1/3 of the bottle of bleach in 5 leters of water until they are the colour you want and light enough for dying.

I had quite dark jeans, and it took me 3 attempts to get them to the right colour.

But when they came out they looked great!

Following the instructions in the packet, make up one of your dye colours, and dip the bottom of the shorts in and leave for a hour.  I used a clippy clothes hanger to hold them up.

Take them out the dye and rinse the bottoms out in the sink with fresh water until the water is clear, then make up the other colour of dye and repeat the process, turning the jeans upside down.

Once you've rinsed out for the second time, put them in a warm wash and Da Daaaa!

Finished jeans, for less than £9!

Dress Making Fun

Hello,

I thought I'd share my current dress making project with you.

My current favourite blog is 'Adventures in Dressmaking', written by the talented Suzannah.  I've been totally inspired to get dressmaking again.  And like I said yesterday, I made three in May!

As inspired by another wonderful dressmaking blog, and the awesome Hunger Games film, I'm currently working on a version of the Dress Katniss wore in the reaping scene.

In case you haven't seen the film

 Amy suggested the New Look 6069 pattern, which I think is perfect.

I like Dress C the most, even if D is most similar.

Now, the thing to remember is that these girls are really good seamstresses, and I am a very novice beginner.  So practice is still the name of the game.   With that in mind, I have started a practice version.  I picked up this fabric, which is an old duvet cover, from a charity shop for £3.  I think its cute, so if the practice dress turns out well, I will still wear it!  

Once I feel like I know what I'm doing, it's time to use the 'real' stuff.

Here is how I'm getting along so far-

Made the bodice and am quite happy with it.  The only thing I want to change is the amount of rouching around the shoulders. I want more.  I'm thinking that I need to widen the yoke and the top of the front pieces, but, wiser and more experianced ones, is that the right idea?

Having fun with my sewing machine, makes me happy :D

Freya May

life is good

Its been eight months since I started work, almost a full year since I finished my degree, and I'm slowly starting to actually feel like I can have a life which includes all those aspects I choose to include- blogging, writing, reading, crafting, socialising, baking and managing to keep the house in an acceptable level of cleanliness.

Yay me!

Over the last month I have made three dresses and started on a forth. and I have started going to a small group with our church- having finally found one we want to settle in. Life is pretty exciting and I'm very happy.

Now the next challenge, I have been accepted on a masters course at Leicester University (so excited!!!). So studying will once again become a major factor in my life. I hope that I will still find (some minuscule) time to give to the things I love to do along side my studies, but accept that somethings gotta give. So, I plan to enjoy this time of balance, even more the time in the summer when I don't necessarily have work but lots of time to devote to craftiness, before the ridiculously interesting but super intense study begins. 

Exciting times ahead!

 Freya May

Pussy Cat, Pussy Cat, Where Have You Been?

I've been to London to see the Queen!

It's been a excellent Jubilee Weekend, I have indeed been to London to see the Queen, camped out on St James' park with Dave and a few, equally mental, friends.  Yes, it was FREEZING. And yes, it was busy!

Despite that, we did have an awesome time!

That there is the Queen^

Freya May

p.s. I'm sorry for the month of radio silence, I've just needed the head space but am feeling back and ready to keep sharing my stories with you all.