Start of a Project

Hello!

I've started making a knitted blanket, however, I've only managed one square so far :D

It will be yellow, light green, light blue, pink, white and lilac.

At this rate, it's going to take a year or so to finish.

So, just in time for next years Greenbelt!

Freya May xxx

Freak Weather

Hello World!

How is everyone doing??

It is two weeks until the summer holidays for me at the moment- and although it means the end of my job (boo!), I really can't wait!

However, it won't be nearly as exciting if the weather doesn't buck up and start shining on us!   Check out this photo of my route home from work this week-

credit

With weather like that, you'd never guess it was July this week!

Freya May

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.

Bonjour

Hey, how you all doing?

I've not really felt particularly inspired to write this last week, so sorry for the radio silence.

 I've also been kinda busy, been to a new church and making new friends (dinner round their house tonight-yay!).  Started a new dress pattern, and a bolero jacket for a summer wedding, making Banoffee Cupcakes and other goodies.  All needing to be blogged about, if I can be bothered.

Feeling particularly inspired at the moment to get busy dressmaking- check out my newest patterns .

All from Jaycotts.co.uk

So, really, I'm just breaking the radio silence, saying 'Hi' and I hope your all ok :D

Freya May

DIY Plate Stands

Look at this find from my charity shopping this week!  Beautiful glass candle sticks.

Which, with a little Pinterest inspired creativity can also be turned in to vintage looking plate stands!

Now I'm on the look out for larger plates to fit in with my 'harlequin' tea set, once I do, I'm just a sandwich plate and a tea pot away from a complete collection- any one for tea?

Freya May

Apple Crumble Tastiness

Apple Crumble is one of my favourite puddings to make for one simple reason- its super simple!  And it doesn't hurt that Hubby loves it :D

What is also great, is that it can be made in small portions as well as a whole dish.  I often make two ramekins of crumble for just the two of us during the week.

Here is my fool-proof recipe, enjoy!

Ingredients

• Apples (aprox 1.5 per person)
• Sugar (or sweetener if you prefer)
• Flour
• Butter
• Brown Sugar

Method

Cut up your apples, pop in a pan, with a cup of water and a table spoon of sugar/ sweetener.

Stew until soft.  Now, you have two choices, you can stew until the apples are just soft- how I prefer my crumble- or until you've got apple mush (also very yummy).  Obviously the second choice takes longer, so you'll need patience.

Once it's soft, about twenty minutes later, drain excess water and pop the apples into a ceramic dish.

For the topping on a pudding for 4-6 people use a cup and a half of flour and two heaped table spoons of butter, and rub them using your finger tips into the consistency of bread crumbs.  Then add a cup of brown sugar.  Pour this mixture on top of the apples and bake for 25 minutes.

If you like, add cinnamon into the mixture before pouring it on the apples- yummy!!!

Serve with custard or cream or ice-cream.  Like I said, easy, yummy and perfect for week day meals.

Freya May

Charity Shop Challenge Day 22!

Top (Monsoon/ Cancer Research UK)- £3, Cardigan (Primark/Hand me down)- Free, Jeans (GAP/Cancer  Research UK)- £4, Shoes (Loros)- £3

Total-£10

Happy Sunday all :D  Hope you've had a nice weekend, filled with family and fun.

We've had a nice day!  Been to a new church and got invited to dinner at a couples house.  It was quite an odd day actually, because the church service started at 330- totally out of our usual habits.  But the service was good, interesting.  It was a church grown from a student church, much of the congregation was students or ex students of Loughborough University, so definitely a demographic we felt we fit in to.

The extra time in the morning was nice too, odd, like I said, but nice.  Kinda used it for extra sleeping in, blogging stuff, playing with my pets.  Dave used it to get to the gym and get some work out of the way.  Productive, eh?

Freya May

Charity Shop Challenge Day 20!

Top (Primark/ Sue Rider Care)- £2.50, Cardigan (Topshop/ Hand me down)- free, Necklace (hand me down)- free, Belt (Loros)- £1, Skirt (Topshop/ Cancer Research UK)- £3, Boots (Rocket Dog/ BHF)- £6

Total- £12.50

Sorry I'm being rubbish at keeping up my postings, like I said before, I enjoy being lazy in the evening and don't always get around to taking photos.  Please, rest assured that I am indeed wearing second hand clothes each day, however- I'm sure that worries you greatly ;)

Freya May

Charity Shop Challenge Day 18!

Top (Dorothy Perkins/ Sue Rider Care)- £2.50, Cardigan (Peacocks/ Senses)- £2.75, Jeans (Dorothy Perkins/ Cancer Research UK)- £3, Shoes (Loros)- £3

Total- £11.25

Another day in which I just wanted to get in to my pyjamas when I got home from work, but, just for you, I resisted! And put jeans on instead :D

Really had quite a mad morning, and a lovely afternoon, so I guess it balanced out. 

And I've finished of the day with two of my favourite things- Baking and Bones.  Made some scones (yummy) and Bones is back on Sky (joy).   

Freya May

Charity Shop Challenge Day 17!

Top (Select/ Sue Rider Care)-£2.50, Skirt (H&M/ Loros)- £3, Belt (hand me down)- Free, Bag (Primark/Hand me down)- Free, Shoes (New Look/hand me down)- Free.

Total- £5.50

To be perfectly honest, I'm actually not 'wearing' this outfit today, I've put it together, taken photos and gotten promptly into my pyjamas, see-

Much more comfortable and suitable to an evening lounging around my house putting of chores and watching Come Dine with Me.

Freya May

Spring Trend - Coloured Jeans

Left to Right

MOTO high wasted Kristen jeans- £40, MOTO high waste sobet Jamie jeans- £40, MOTO cyan Baxter jeans- £40/£25, MOTO rose supersoft skinny Leigh jeans- £38, MOTO Leigh supersoft skinny- £38, MOTO Leigh supersoft skinny- £38, MOTO coral Baxter jeans- £40  All Topshop

Yes, Topshop jeans are expensive, and, not having owned a pair, I can't speak of their quality or value for money.  But, I can attest for their prettyness! I think they're lovely and would happily own a pair in each colour!!

I'm loving coloured jeans at the moment.  It took me a while to get my head around styling them, but not I think they are perfect for brightening up the British spring time!  

Freya May

Charity Shop Challenge Day 16!

Top (Monsoon/Cancer Research UK)-£4, Cardigan (H&M/hand me down)-Free, Shorts (cut from jeans)(Dorothy Perkins/ BHF)-£2.50, Boots (Rocket Dog/BHF)- £6

Total- £12.50

Back to work today-boo:( But, it wasn't a bad day really, nothing happened to make it special in any way, which I will always prefer to those really horrible days which come along every now and again.

I'm planning on starting a new craft project soon, but am feeling uninspired for ideas- any suggestions??

One thing I'm thinking about is a new jewellery stand, like these-

*pic

*pic

And I also need to make some more bunting at some point- I have all these triangles cut out and lengths and lengths of bias binding to use, so there really isn't an excuse.  

But I always like starting new projects, so ideas, please!

Freya May