A lucky break

As I said last time, I wanted to finish the trousers on Wednesday and I did I just haven't had time to post the picture.  So here they are.  I wore them on Friday with the ruffle scarf that I made.  Daughter bought me the ball of ruffle yarn for Christmas and I whizzed it up into a scarf one evening between Christmas and New Year.

You may have noticed that the trousers have buttons and not a zip.  I put a zip in (a brand new zip) and then went to try them on so I could alter the waist to fit before completing the waistband.  I made the alterations required and went to fit them again to check they did fit and the zip had broken.  I couldn't believe it.  But it was lucky it broke then rather than when I was wearing the trousers at work!  Although I did have another zip, it was exactly the same as the one that broke and I decided not to use it.  I had sort of gone off the idea of having a zip.  I removed the broken zip and found some jeans buttons in my stash and used those instead.  It was quick and simple to add a line of buttons and button holes and I feel safer with these than the zip. 

Winter warmer

 Remember this wrap from the 6 September blog? (link)

I finally finished it earlier this week and I have been itching to put it on the blog but haven't been able to get any decent pictures in the evenings because of lack of light.

Here it is.  It's a bit skinnier than I wanted it to be so it can be worn as a wrap or a scarf.

 I love the texture of the bouclé yarn. 

and I did have enough yarn to make the long tassels.  I mixed the bouclé wool with some normal yarn from my stash so they are really long and full.

I'm beginning to feel that I might just about be ready for the coming winter cold. 

A lovely day

I had a lovely day out yesterday.  I went with a friend to the Knitting and Stitching Show at Alexandra Palace in London.  My friend had been quite a few times before, but this was my first time and it was definitely worth getting up early for (the journey from my house was about 1 1/2 hours).

We perused all the stalls before making up our minds what we wanted to buy.  It was like a dream - fabulous yarns, fabrics and other scrummy, crafty items all over the place.  Then we stopped for lunch before diving back in, and revisiting all the stores where we wanted to buy things.  I was trying to be restrained.

My purchases, shown above were:

Drops Eskimo in berry red to make a crochet jacket - the pattern and chunky 10mm crochet hook were also purchased.

3 balls of Drops Vivaldi in a gorgeous bright blue, to crochet a shawl from a Ravelry pattern.

3 skeins of beige yarns, that is ohh soo soft, to knit some fingerless mitts and a slouchy beret to go with my revamped cape (blog on cape to be posted later this week).

Some carded wool in blues and greens and a book on wet felting so that I can try something new!!!!

Over a quick reviving coffee and cake, we examined our purchases and talked about our intended projects.  My friend wanted a last look at a couple of stalls, then we headed back home tired and happy (and just in time for supper).

The Shrimp Pink Jacket

Here it is, the result of my Sewing Sunday,

I know I should have made more of the sunshine but dare I say it, it was actually a bit too hot this afternoon - I did go out this morning when it was cooler.  Also I have been promising myself a Sewing Sunday for ages and it had to be today because Sunday's are a bit booked up for the next few weeks.

 Here is the picture from the magazine, and the pattern pieces.  It's a asymetrical double breasted unlined jacket.  The right front forms a soft drape above the fastening.  The fabric that I used was a lovely shrimp pink cotton, that I haven't known what to do with. The jacket is unlined as I didn't have any suitable lining in my stash.

 I only had two metre's of fabric and the pattern requirement was 2.45m, but with a bit of careful positioning I got all the pieces out of my fabric.

I was doing really well the main seams were sewn, including the collar.  Then I set it the first sleeve.  I was very pleased with how it went, until I turned it right side out and realised it was back-to-front.  I was most annoyed to have to waste time unpicking the seam.  Both sleeves were set eventually.

The seams and pocket flap are all topstitched.

and I finally used the self cover poppers that were in the box of treasures that came from my nan.

I am enormously pleased with the result. It needs a good iron (unfortunately doing the ironing is my next job). I have an important meeting at work on Tuesday and I plan to wear the jacket then.

I must hunt out some of the thicker material from my stash.  I now have so many ideas, I do have time to make them all.

Stash busting

I have been unable to work on the blue crochet cardi for my mum as she is staying with me at the moment.  Unfortunately the cardi won't be ready for her to take when she goes, but I do have a few weeks until Mother's Day so I will just have to post it when it is finished.

In the meantime I have been looking into my stash to find out what to tackle next.  I have lots of small amounts in lots of different colours.  But I'm not sure what to do with it.  I have seen many jumpers and cardigan's with stripes or fairisle designs but I'm really not sure. 

I have bought a couple of fashion mags recently. I do this periodically to help me update my wardrobe with new clothes and also to give me new ideas on how to combine my existing clothes.  In one of these I saw a fabulous seventies inspired crochet dress, with zig-zag stripes on the skirt section and a simple striped vest for the top section.  I am trying to work out how I can create a similar item.  Watch this space for progress or news of disaster.

Sewing Sunday

I have been promising myself a sewing Sunday for a while.  Since I started my new running training schedule I usually go for a long run on Sunday and then I don't have enough time for sewing.  I had this wonderful peice of printed chiffon in the stash inherited from my nan.  Inspired by the pattern, and some tops that I have seen in the shops, I wanted to make a simple tunic.  A complicated design would have ruined the pattern and made everything far too busy.

I used to subscribe to a magazine that gave free patterns, and I got this tunic pattern years ago.  It's very simple and I have made it at least five times now in different lengths, with different sleeves and necklines.  This time I am putting on the tie neck as shown in the picture and I'm doing a long sleeved version.  I won't put the slits up the side of the tunic.

The material was cut..

and pinned and tacked and sewing commenced.

Millie posed for a fitting

 The neck tie was finished by hand and I put elastic through the cuffs to draw them in at the wrist.  I tried putting on a proper cuff, but it looked wrong with the pattern.  

Here's me wearing the top. 

 

It need's to be properly pressed and I'm planning to wear it next week at daughter's birthday party.

Cards Galore

I have so many birthday's coming up in the next month or two that I really had to sit down and have a good card making session.  For quite a few years now I have been making all the cards that I send.  I buy the card blanks and have quite a good stash of stamps and brads.  I also like to keep cards that people have given me and my family and reuse them, along with bits of ribbon and lace from my stash to create some stunning cards.

Here are four cards for my friends, and two cards for aunts

A card for my daughter's friend

and one for my little nephew who will soon be two

and one for my own dear daughter, who is incredibly hard to find cards for as she doesn't like the 'girly' cards that are usual for her age group.

 Finally a valentine for hubby, witha red velvet heart, shiny letter's and gold heart brads.

Thursday

Here's Thursday's outfit.  I really love this fairilse tank top knitted several years ago from a Rowan pattern.  I was trying to use up oddments of yarn so it was perfect (given my current stash, I can feel the need to make another one!).

I wear the tank top over a cream shirt and with my navy blue flare trousers.  I think the trousers are the oldest item in my wardrobe.  They were the first thing I made when I re-took-up dressmaking 11 years ago. I was really proud of the white'tramline' top stitching down the side of the legs and the top stitching on the back pockets.  The pattern is an original from the seventies, which I think was originally bought by my nan to make clothes for my aunt.  I have to mention that I do notice a size difference between this pattern and more recent patterns that I own.  With this pattern I definately need a UK size 14, for more modern pattern's I often find a size 12 too large round my waist.

New Slipper's

My felted slipper boots, which I made many years ago are finally beyond repair.  I took off the leather soles to darn the holes (for the umteenth time) and then thought better of it.  I had a magazine from a friend just after Christmas and ever since I have wanted to crochet the slipper's from it. 

The pattern size was unfortunately a bit too small for me, but after a few attempts and a change to the hook size I have managed to get them coming out the correct size.  The yarn was again taken from my 'inherited' stash and is one of my favourite colours.  When they are complete I will put a leather sole on them as this protcts the slippers from being damaged too much by the tiled floor in my kitchen, they also stop me slipping on my wooden floors.