Friday 15 January 2016

Working on my Tshirt make

Hi
I have been working on my first 10 to do's in 2016 and made my first T shirt in a jersey fabric using an old one as a pattern.
Not quite 100% perfection but I learnt a lot about my machine and the material. Used ball point needle and the machines special stretch stitch. Had to use tear away stabiliser for should seams and neck and start sewing well away from edge otherwise the whole lot went into the dog teeth and I had to dismantle the machine three times!  I watched You tube video for doing the neck with a band and I think I can improve on the way that lays next time. One of the reasons for wanting to make our own T shirts is that as gardeners  in flat lands of Norfolk and as sailors we need LONG ones that will tuck and stay in. There is nothing worse than coming apart bending over and getting a nice cold draft.  So my own make comes a nice long way down to the hips.

It is husbands 69 birthday today and I am going to make him one next with an extra 4 inches length and use all the things I have learnt so far. I am still looking for a better quality fabric, this was medium weight and I am not sure it will wash awfully well and last more than one season.

For husband's birthday we had our 1930s asbestos garage removed. It cost about a fortune but we did not want to try to do it ourselves what with bad backs etc. Young man (with relevant licences to deal and dispose) and van came across county and did it very well by himself and cleaned up nicely in a morning. He was delighted we had cleared round the garage, dug out the footings and left him plenty of room to work. Plus it was dry and sunny, if cold, and he would have been back home for an early end to his week.



We can now get on with the redesign of the entrance to the garden and drive way.  We just could not "see" how to do it with this big black smelly thing there.




8 comments:

  1. Trish, If I was wearing a hat at the moment I would take it off to you for the sheer tenacity of attempting something like that. Congratulations it looks superb. In 2003 we took an asbestos garage down. We followed the local authorities instructions to the letter and paid them to remove the sheets at £10 a sheet. Altogether it cost £120 for the large sheets and £35 for the plastic and tape as each sheet had to be double wrapped. Another £20 for the overalls, hats and masks which were disposed of after demolition. Its was hard work but a fraction of the cost of removal by a licensed company.

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    1. We got a quote a year ago and when we went back it had gone up £400 for the disposal costs. There must be loads more out there in the UK - should be some sort of amnesty!

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  2. It must be a relief to have the garage removed. How exciting that you can now plan your redesign of the garden. Good luck with that.

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    1. Had a brain wave yesterday - there is too much paving near the house and we need some to make a step by one of the new sheds, so we could move 5 and create a new bed and save money.

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  3. Very nice job on the shirt. I love a longer length shirt as well.

    God bless.

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    1. Thanks - it is going to be cosy in this cold weather. Brrrr

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  4. That looks lovely. I would be tempted to just add a few inches on the bottom of a ready made t shirt.

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    1. In my Sew magazine they have been doing that, adding a "peplum" in cotton material but I am not sure that would stay in either!

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