As many of you will remember, Phyllis (my sewing machine) came to live with me just before Christmas. Since then, we have had lots of Sewing Adventures together, including quilt making which I absolutely love. Phyllis' arrival (and that of Hyacinth - ma's sewing machine- a month later) was directly inspired by all the wonderful craft I have read about and seen here in blogland. In short, sewing is a wonderful thing that I love doing and so, this June, ma and I have booked on a series of classes so that I can learn how to make my own clothes and she can have a refresher.
I am not
an expert sewer and I know this (even after a glass of bubbles, which
is the traditional time for believing you can do everything really really well), but I would really love to be able to make my own clothes, and I do believe most of us are capable of that with a little help along the way.
Phyllis and I have made wash bags (top tip, order a shower curtain on ebay for a quid or two for the lining, it is much cheaper than trying to source waterproof fabric and it does the job brilliantly plus you get loads of it for the money). The wash bag below was made using Cath Kidston strawberry fabric purchased in a sale for £4 a metre and the drawstring was a few pennies from our local hardware store, so it really cost peanuts to make. I have made a bicycle one for M and J wants one and I expect to knock up a few more as presents for friends and family.
Drawstring bags are great for all kinds of things and I've made several of the non-waterproof variety for keeping sewing gubbings in as well as knickers when I'm travelling!
Ma is currently making a summer dress, and I felt inspired by her during our most recent sewing club to tackle an item of clothing myself. I wanted something simple that I could make without using a pattern, something to give me a bit of practice before our classes start, and above all something that didn't involve hours of painstaking cutting out and pinning together, so I searched on line and found a brilliant tutorial by a very clever lady in the States which you can watch here which takes you through a step-by-step guide on how to make pyjama shorts. You use an a pair of existing PJ shorts as a template and draw round them, and the stitching together is dead easy.
To my surprise, they worked. Here is what I got at the end....
The ease with which I made the shorts spurred me on to try PJ bottoms, which are only elongated shorts really. I've now made four pairs: one for L out of some gorgeous clock face fabric (its very hard to find nice pjs for teenage boys in the shops, they're either covered in electric guitars, skulls or skate boards) two for me (butterflies and some beautiful material I used to make a quilt) and one for J, from some fabric she chose herself yesterday and which I am using for the tutorial photos below. I've now got it down to a fine art and it usually takes me less than two hours from start to finish.
What I love about it is being able to buy the fabric you love and turn it into a wearable item of clothing that you know is unique. It is a wonderful feeling to wear something you've made :o)
So, if you're interested in making some PJs, here is my simple tutorial, based on the PJ shorts one above, but altered slightly to allow for trousers instead of shorts.
1. Buy yourself some fabric. 2.5 metres is best and 100% cotton is easy to work with and looks and feels lovely.
2. Fold the fabric in half lengthways with the pattern on the inside and lay it flat on a table.
3. Fold your PJs in half lengthways with the side of the fabric that goes over your bum facing out, then lay the PJs on top of the fabric and draw around them with tailor's chalk, allowing about an inch either side for the seam allowance (this is shown by the ruler and tape measure below, and by the line of blue chalk on the 2nd pic). You should allow about an inch for the bottom hem and I do about 3 inches for the waistband hem because I like to use thicker elastic, but this is down to practice and personal preference really. Err on more fabric instead of not enough when you first start).
4. When you come to the seam allowance for the waist band, DON'T follow the line of the PJs when you draw, instead draw the line straight up to the end of the fabric as per the pic below...
5. Take the PJs off your fabric and cut out the shape you've drawn (hopefully you can see the blue line in the pics- this is what you cut along)...
6. Next, draw a "B" on both pieces of fabric (remember, you folded the fabric over when you started so you should end up with two pieces of material cut out in the shape above). This "B" is to remind you that these pieces will form the back of the PJs.
7. When you've done that, fold the PJs the other way, so the crotch part is outwards and repeat steps 3,4,5 and 6, only you draw an "F" on both these new pieces for the front, not a "B" for back. If this sounds confusing, have a look at the youtube tutorial link above as she explains it by folding a pair of shorts for the camera and it's the same principle.
8. Next, you pin the back pieces together with the fabric pattern on the inside. Pin from the top (waistband) to the front of the crotch only (not down into the legs). Repeat for the two front pieces. You aren't pinning all four pieces together at this stage, only the two front together and the two back together. Hopefully you can see the line of pink-headed pins in the pics below which show you how far to pin.
9. Run down the pinned part (only as far as the crotch- you don't go the entire length of the fabric down the straight part of the leg which should be unpinned at this stage) with the sewing machine, You can then go back over the straight stitch with a zigzag stitch for extra strengthening on the hem. I work out my hem width by lining up the edge of the sewing machine foot with the fabric as in the pic below. I use number 11 stitch for the straight stitch and number 13 for the zigzag (see pic of dial).
10. When you've stitched the crotch part for the front and back pieces, you place the two halves together one on top of the other with the pattern sides still facing inwards, and pin the inside of the legs (front and back pieces) together, and the outside of the legs (front and back pieces) together. Start with the point of the crotch and work down one inside leg, then the other, before pinning the outside of the legs. At this stage you will probably find you have more material sticking out on one side than the other- once you've pinned the two together you can trim the excess off.
In the pic below, the waistband is the top part held together with the clips and hopefully you can see the pink-headed pin at the point of the crotch. The second picture shows one legged pinned on either side.
11. Once you've pinned those bits you should end up with something that looks like this...definitely resembling trousers now :o)
12. Sew the pinned hems together with the machine, again going over with the zigzag to reinforce the hem and then can turn the trousers the right way round to get a first proper glimpse of them (remember to make sure you remove all the pins once you've done the machine stitching).
13. Turn them inside out again and put them on your model so you can pin the bottom leg hems. I turn these inwards, but you can also have them folded up on the outside if you prefer. If you like big hems make sure you leave more room when you're first cutting the shapes out. I then stitch them in so they can't unravel and open.
14. All you've got left to do now is the waistband. You can either use a drawstring or elastic. I tend to use elastic. Put the PJs back on your model (or yourself) and fold the material over at the waist, allowing sufficient space for whatever thickness of elastic you're using. Measure the elastic around your waist (or the waist of the person you're making the PJs for) and cut to measure.
Pin the waistband to the required depth (I use safety pins for this and for the foot hem while the PJs are on a person and then pin them once they're off to avoid pricking skin). Machine the waistband in place, remembering to leave a space to thread the elastic through. The youtube video above has a great tip for marking this opening with crossed pins so you can't overlook it and stitch it in by accident.
15. Push large safety pin through one end of the elastic and feed it along the inside of the waistband by hand, then machine or hand stitch the two ends of the elastic together to make a complete circle.
16. Sew a handmade label into the back of the PJs so you know which way to put them on (I got a reel of ribbon which has "handmade" printed on it from our local haberdasher).
17. Turn the PJs the right way round (fabric pattern on the outside :o) ) And you're all done! One wearable pair of no-pattern-required, simple, quick and easy to make pyjama bottoms :o)
I hope that all made sense? Do refer to the excellent youtube tutorial if you get stuck. Sometimes moving pictures makes more sense of something than writing. And let me know how you get on if you have a go at making some :o)
I'm making J a 'going away to university' present of her own quilt for Sept, so we went fabric shopping together yesterday so she could chose the colours and patterns she wanted. She loved it (we both had a ball) and is Very Excited about her quilt. She spent ages yesterday afternoon arranging all the squares I had cut out for her in the patterns she wanted. Here's what she chose. The dotted one will also make up the border.
While we were there, I fell in love with this hare print fabric and couldn't resist buying a couple of metres to make myself a pair of PJ bottoms. I'm taking my nieces (5 and 10) back next week because I've also promised them some PJs. I will be a World Expert at making PJ bottoms before you know it :o)
I'll leave you with The Hounds, who are Very Pleased to have everyone home for Easter. Roll on some Spring sunshine....
Wishing you all a VERY HAPPY EASTER :o)
CT x
<a href="http://www.bloglovin.com/blog/6808431/?claim=yf48rf28mmd">Follow my blog with Bloglovin</a>
Just checking the bloglovin thing works.
I'll post later on how to make easy PJ bottoms :o)
First of all, a huge thanks to everyone who took the time to comment on yesterday's price of conservation post. It was good to have everyone's thoughts and opinions as this sort of conservation work is on the increase and it helps to know what people think and feel about it. I realise we're all predominantly wildlife enthusiasts here and I would doubtless get different feedback in a different kind of forum, but it was helpful nonetheless.
Today is my birthday. I know- I just missed being an April Fool. Today I am 42 years young (and you know you're getting old when you call it 'years young'- what a sad old git), although my husband put 41 in my card by accident, which made us all smile. I got a card from all the outdoor people too, which I thought was Very Clever of them (although I'm a Bit Worried about what happened to the small snail once the camera was turned off)....
I had a Good Laugh this morning trying to work out what all the drawings were (art is not M's strong point :o) ).....
The end one is not, as I at first thought, a small crocodile, but is, in fact, a Great Crested Newt. The cute chubster beside him is a Water Vole, then there's a butterfly, a bird, and (believe it or not) a bee :o)
I have a dear family member who is currently very poorly. Her name is Jo, but we have always called her Jo Dear. She is in mid brain tumour treatment right now, and with characteristic good humour has named her tumour Brian. Despite being so unwell she still found time to send me a birthday card. I have always loved the cards she finds and sends me... Jo, if you're reading this- love you very much and am sending you lots and lots of healing thoughts xxx
My lovely chum Mrs M sent me some owls....
Kaz sent me Poppy before her hair cut....
And the family got me butterflies. I think everyone knows me pretty well :o)
I had some lovely prezzies: a sewing box and a gorgeous Mary Berry cookbook from Ma, mugs that look like they have Poppy on them from my sis, the complete series of Dad's Army, Breaking Bad and Game Of Thrones DVDs from M (an eclectic mix there, eh?) as well as Rachel Carson's Silent Spring and some wildflower turf for the garden which is coming later, and tokens from my lovely in laws. I'm saving L's gift to me till he's home from school as mornings aren't his thing at present and you risk Instant Teenage Melodrama if you dare to speak :o) The only thing I can't understand is why no-one got me Aidan Turner as Ross Poldark.
Right, enough Birthday Stuff, on with the Moths!
We're still getting smalls and browns here, but then the weather is so cold and dismal I reckon Spring is running about 3 weeks late so everything is delayed. Today's mothy people were a mixture of Drabs and Quakers, which is to be expected at this time of year....
I was Rather Captivated by this pale form of the Clouded Drab. The background colouration is just like silver birch. Interestingly, this form is more common in the West of the UK (we're slap bang in the middle of the South Coast here so I guess we count as both?). In the East, the darker forms proliferate. Now, why should that be? Habitat, presumably?
This next one is also a Clouded Drab. It looks identical to the first until you look closely.
This one (below) is the darker marked Clouded Drab, which we tend to get more of here.
There were ten Common Quakers in the box. I've put the ruler in so you can get a sense of scale. All these moths are around 2cm in length- the bigger ones don't turn up until end of May/ June time.
Here's the Clouded Drab beside the Common Quaker, the Drab being the bigger of the two.
And here's a Small Quaker, just to show the difference. He is only 1.4cm.
The Moth Box is filled with egg cartons so they have somewhere to rest and hide- here's a shot of a Common Quaker asleep on the side of an egg box this morning. Sometimes, it can be easy to miss the moths if they're tucked up snoozing in cracks and crevices in the cardboard, so you have to check very carefully :o)
An Odd One Out this morning was this rather beautiful Engrailed, who I found asleep on the fence. The wingspan of this moth is about 3.8cm, so a good deal bigger than the rest.
And finally, a solitary Hebrew Character, who at least injected a bit of a different pattern into this morning's haul. I'm suspecting this one is a male because of the furry antennae
Once all the moths have been photographed and recorded, I transfer them into small plastic pots which is where they snooze out the remainder of the day till nightfall when they get released back into the garden. Here are three Common Quakers sharing their pot with a Clouded Drab...
I know I've shown the Moth Defensive Position before, but it's always interesting to see so here is a Common Quaker demonstrating just how well they play dead when they feel threatened. He was soon up on his legs again, once the danger (me) had passed...
In other news, J got back from France late last night having completed her time out there. She's now fluent and has had a ball, doing her own radio show and talking to people who were in the Resistance about their experiences. She's looking for a job to save up for Uni which she starts in Sept. I want to make her a quilt so we're off fabric shopping together at some point. She wants a pair of PJs too, and as I am now a whizz at whipping up a new pair of bottoms (if you know what I mean) in an afternoon we'll be choosing some fabric for those too (any excuse really). As my pa in law has just had open heart surgery this week and is currently hooked up to various machines in Intensive Care, she'll be off to see him as well. She's been away since Sept and we've all missed her, so I think seeing her will cheer him up. He doesn't take enforced inactivity well so we're all hoping he will be sensible and not rush about too much too soon.
I'll leave you with a picture of the Small Child, who has taken up permanent position on the picnic table whenever she's outside. The flower pot she used to stand on has, apparently, been abandoned in favour of the table, largely I suspect because she can see over the top of the fence rather than just through it that way :o)
She has a Lovely Time watching life go by on the Other Side Of The Fence, a world she didn't know existed until the table reappeared and she worked out she could climb on to it. Very Naughty Indeed.
Hope all are well?
CT :o)
I'm back out water vole surveying. I've done three trips over the last three weeks and on the first one, I found nothing at all. No signs. On the second (at a different stretch of the river Test) there was evidence of recent WV activity all along both river banks, and on the third (yesterday, back at the first site) at long last fresh latrines were in evidence, including a new one much further up the river that wasn't there last summer :o)
You don't often see water voles when you're surveying for them, and in fact these pictures were taken last year when I had a bumper day and saw FIVE voles, one after another. I haven't seen any yet this year. More often you hear the tell-tale 'plop' as they drop into the water at your approach. What you look for and record are signs of their presence, and that means latrines (piles of poo, often on prominent bits of wood or stone in the river), runs (tunnels made through the vegetation), larders (small piles of chopped up bits of vegetation, cut at the classic vole 45 degree angle) and burrows. Below is a pic of a typical water vole latrine. Breeding females use these piles of droppings on prominent wood or stone as markers of their territory.
Surveys such as the ones I do form the basis for informing maintenance proceedures- working out where and when and what type of maintenance work can be carried out on the river banks. This is because water voles are a heavily protected species, and that is because they suffered 95% population losses over the last 100 years. They are predated by Mink who can get down into their burrows whereas Otters, their natural native predators with whom they have evolved, can not. They have also suffered enormously from habitat loss- the hard engineering of previous decades stripped river banks bare of shelter and food sources and replaced soft burrow-able earth with impenetrable concrete.
Thankfully, all of that has started to change. River bank management is now done with these species in mind, (as well as fish who need the cover of bank side vegetation under the surface of the water in order to mature safely) while allowing the economic function (often fishing) of the river to be maintained. Mink are routinely trapped and removed when found along British waterways. Otters are making a comeback and there is evidence to suggest that they also play a role in keeping Mink away- the two species don't seem to co-exist routinely, presumably because they compete for the same niche.
Recent dredging work carried out on the Somerset Levels following last year's terrible floods has involved the area's resident water vole population of 55 animals being moved. According to the BBC, this has cost an estimated £2400 per vole, which adds up to around .£130,000. These costs were incurred for surveys along the 5 mile stretches of two rivers (£86,000), relocating to Hampshire and Cornwall (£24,000) and overwintering costs.
The Environment Agency has footed the bill. It has obligations to protect the species under the 1981 Wildlife Act which makes it illegal to take (capture), kill, harm (injure) or disturb them, or to block access to their place of shelter or protection or to sell, control or transport live or dead voles.
I am interested in your thoughts on this. Is it too much money to spend on one population of voles?
There will be plenty of people who think so. I am a conservationist, so to me, protecting wildlife from harm is key, but I am also a realist and I do question the enormous expenditure on this one project. For one thing, it doesn't do the image of conservation any good. If our wildlife is to survive we need to engage people and get them on board to help, and I suspect spending £130k on 55 voles is going to baffle most people.
If trained volunteers had been used to do the surveys the £86k survey costs would have been dramatically reduced. You don't need a licence to survey for water voles so anyone trained and experienced in doing them can carry them out. Perhaps the EA could have asked the Wildlife Trusts to mobilise their armies of helpers for the task? I understand that Ecological Consultancies exist to do this kind of work and charge accordingly, but some headlines stick and cause damage and this is one that surely should have been expected and considered beforehand, especially given the economic state the country is in.
I also wonder why the voles have been relocated instead of returned? You do need a licence from Natural England to do that, and it is usually applied only if the existing habitat is made unsuitable for their return. I did hear this morning that these Somerset voles may be part of a reintroduction programme elsewhere, but taking a population from one area and placing it in another is no guarantee of its survival: even if the habitat matches they may not re-establish themselves in the new place.
Not doing the dredging work was not an option either- too many homes and business flooded, and the cost financially and to people was too high to do nothing.
Some folk will doubtless question the value of water voles full stop. Why do they matter? Why should we spend money on their protection? The simple answer is that they are as much an integral part of the functioning of an ecosystem as we are, and as such their role in its proper working should not be underestimated. They're a link in the chain and without them elements of it would fall apart.
People, ultimately, rely on the proper workings of ecosystems for their own survival. Ecosystems make the soil we grow our food in; they manage and absorb decaying matter so that disease doesn't become rife and kill us all; they create the water we drink and the air we breath; they filter pollutants and keep life in a healthy balance (as long as we don't mess about with them too much). They also provide us with beautiful spaces to breath in that calm, soothe and restore us; they gentle our minds and lift our hearts, all those things you can't quantify or put a price on. If ecosystems fail, we disappear, it really is that simple.
All of that happens through the millions of intricate connections that exist between all living and non-living things. Whether we minutely understand those connections or not, it makes absolute sense to protect them and allow them to flourish.
There is also the moral argument: water voles would not be in this predicament with very low population levels making them vulnerable to extinction if we hadn't destroyed their habitat and introduced Mink from America for their fur in the first place.
Whether we like it or not, we are ultimately responsibility for the fix that water voles are now in - if we hadn't caused their sharp decline in the first place we wouldn't now be footing this enormous bill to look after them.
Food For Thought?
CT.
