Simplicity 8418

My new favourite jacket - Simplicity 8418 in barkcloth by Leah Duncan for Cloud 9. 

I didn't make a muslin for this one, and luckily it fits perfectly. The fabric is a little heavier than what is normally used for a bomber jacket, so it doesn't have the best drape, but combined with the lining it is a very warm jacket. Perfect for the middle of winter here. 

The instructions were not bad, but I still couldn't work out how to finish the sleeves properly and I didn't want to take too much time to do it, so the seams are not inside the lining, but they will never be seen so it's not worrying me. I'm also not a huge fan of the pockets in the side seams - if I made this again I would definitely do welt pockets towards the front more. 

I am happy with it, I've worn it a few times and the fabric makes me very happy!

Ready to Roam Rucksack

 The Ready to Roam Rucksack by Merchant and Mills has been on my list of things to sew for a while, but it did look a little daunting so it kept being pushed down the list. Wanting to make something interesting for Chris's birthday was the push I needed to give it a go.
I'm glad I did - it was a very satisfying project.
I had some oilskin/waxed cotton in my stash which I think might have come from fabric.com (that or eBay) and I ordered a kit that included Ann the leather for the straps, and the fastenings.

If you are a beginner the Merchant and Mills instructions are not as 'step-by-step' as some other patterns, but shouldn't be a problem for anyone with experience. I did make a couple of errors which involved trying to remove rivets (not easy and not fun) but that was my fault for rushing and thinking I knew what I was doing.

Other than that this was a really fun project. The fabric was a lot easier to sew than I thought it might be and I've learnt some new skills. In fact I loved the finished project so much I bought another kit from Fibresmith to make myself one to cart my marking to and from school.

Radiate Quilt

Introducing the Radiate quilt!

An interesting, fun quilt to make that only needs two fabrics. Use two solids, two prints or one of each!

You can find the pattern in my shop.