Week Forty Seven

Last week of school term and the long summer holidays are starting. I am so excited. There will be lots of crafting over the next seven and a half weeks.

This last weekend I sorted out the fabric stash and caught up with a little dress sewing.
 Here are fabrics for four summer dresses. My new years resolution is to put aside the jeans and smarten up my day to day wear.

I have collected the fabrics over the last few months. From the top right hand side there is Natures Choice (viscose elastane), Feathered Army (viscose spandex), Water Fruit Splash (Silk Jersey), Kissing Hearts (viscose elastane)

I cut the same sleeveless shift dress from all four using Vogue 8683. Its a very simple two-piece shift. In a very drapey knit fabric it belts well.

This is the fabric on the top right hand side. its a viscose blend knit from Tessuti called 'Natures Choice'.

I shopped for several narrow leather belts during the week to coordinate with my new dresses. This one is a silver textured with bright buckle.

The other three dresses are just waiting on hand finishing of the hems.

Knitting News
I am still knitting the yellow baby cardigan. it seems strange that such a little thing, in relatively plain stitching should be taking me longer than an adult sweater! But I have been very distracted and small garments require a lot of stop-start and checking. I am on the second sleeve and will be photographing and gift boxing it up this coming week.

I wound some yarn to cast on a new sweater (even though I have lots of knitting in progress). I was distracted by some of the new and pretty Madelinetosh Merino Light which arrived in my post box (Thanks to some Black Friday sale shopping!) More details when I have cast on.

Week Forty Six

This week is the last week of school term and still very busy. I have only a few small things to post.

First up is my son's brown sweater. It is progressing despite him saying he doesn't like brown and wants red. I've knitted three red sweaters for him already. I'm done with red for the time being. He has brown eyes and brown hair. Mummy wants a brown sweater!

The baby cardigan is still on the needles. I have procrastinated longer than it would have taken to finish it. I have been concerned that this soft single yarn looks sloppy in the stitches with my gauge. I thought about going down a needle size to tighten it up, but then I have already added stitches to upsize it, because my gauge is smaller than the pattern is designed for, and I don't want to run short on yarn.
So I am pressing on and hope to finish by the end of the week.

I took a little knitting break and cross stitched some dragon flies on some linen remnants. They will become project bags in the New Year.

The motif comes from this book. I've used it a few times before and its a favourite.

The dark blue linen was a very close weave, so I tried out some dissolving canvas to guide my stitches.
I'm glad this was an experiment because I just pinned the plastic on to start with and merrily stitched away. Next time I will baste the plastic to the linen so keep it securely positioned. My dragonfly slipped slightly and finished crooked on the grain of the fabric.

The plastic canvas dissolved in water in only a few minutes.

I made a cream dragonfly on this pale watery green linen too. My stitching here is not as crisp as it could have been. The grain of the fabric wasn't right for my thread and stitching.

Better photographs will follow when they get sewn into project bags.

Week Forty Five

I have craft progress to show. But its not posted for two reasons. Last week's school fete and a weekend of social commitments has left me exhausted. Then Carols Service and School assemblies this week on top of everything else. It is all a lot of time away from home.

I have a little knitting to show though. I have made good progress on my son's brown Sundara merino sweater.

I have cast on the baby cardigan in Debbie Bliss Andes. I'm not reassured its going well though. I think I might need to unravel and try again. But I will post my work photographs and explain why I think it might be better redone.

Then I have been working on something else. Its top secret for Christmas gifting and I can't show or give any hint until after December 19th.

Tomorrow is Thursday, usually my day off. I'm hoping for an afternoon of crafting (and photography).

Week Forty Four - Update

I'm counting myself fortunate to have these two t-shirts sewn up last weekend. It has been a chaotic week and I haven't managed a single stitch for days.

But two t-shirts are now in circulation. (One is more sucessful than the other)

Firstly.
This was a dark blue stretch cotton. Possibly an organic cotton, which I bought from Kelani Fabrics some time ago.

I cut a t-shirt for myself and tied it in knots. Three or four knots up each sleeve and another series of knots from bottom to top of both the front and back. I soaked it in bleach and washed it out to find this! I like its pale blue colours, its like beach surf.

Here's a close up. I overlocked the edge and then did a double line of stitching on the neckline, cuffs and bottom hem.

My second tshirt was a white, heavier weight stretch cotton. Its very opaque so I am planning some 'perfect' white tshirts for myself.

I did a similar knotting and dyed this with navy blue. I like it enough to wear it (at home) but I'm not counting it a success.

Lesson learned for next time. Whilst I love the navy blue cap and cuff as a detail, they should be both alike!

So next time I won't cut both sleeves out beforehand.
I think they should be cut after the fabric is dyed so that they can get the same amount of cuff on each.

I love the soft colour though.

Hopefully next week I will have done a little stitching. I have lots of work in progress.

Week Forty Four

This week's post is a bit delayed, my week has been very busy.

There is craft work to show... photographs tomorrow!

Week Forty Three

I have finished my Emelie cardigan in Madtosh Pashmina. The colour is Antique Lace.
I couldn't be happier with it.

 

 

Especially the way the sleeves fit to the armholes. (I redrafted these from the pattern so I could knit them upwards from the cuff)

 

 

I'm much happier with the buttons too, now that I see them on a finished garment.

I am so pleased with this turned out-- its all I can do to stop myself immediately casting on another.
I wore this today and I think it will be a very useful cardigan.

For this week I have only the tailors form photographs. When I do a 'proper' photo shoot I will put it with the silk sift dress I chose the yarn to match.

I worked a little more on my Flo cardigan. This is also in Madtosh pashmina (colour Ink). I chose a "Pearl" from Rowan Kidsilk haze for the contrast ruffle.

I tiedyed some fabric.

 

Week Forty Two

I made another iPhone case. This time with a motif from Caroline Vincent's Sampler Workbook.

Here is a view of the reverse. I tried to keep things reasonably neat.

I used my embroidery threads as follows:

• Birds DMC924 (dark) and Anchor 850
• Pears DMC975 (dark) and DMC782
• Oranges DMC972
• Branches DMC3347



I tried the reverse of tie-dye on some dark blue t-shirt cotton for myself. Instead of dye, I used bleach. I still have to sew this together, and it needs a solid ironing but for an experiment it is quite good.

I made substantial progress on the sleeve of the Edge Hoodie in the bluegrass Savannah yarn from last week but I have decided to unravel and destash the yarn. The colour and heatheriness of the yarn isn't what I had in mind for this.

This week I am going to make an effort to finish my Antique Lace Emelie cardigan, which is wanting only the button bands. Very close to finished.
Also, keep knitting on the Flo cardigan and my little boy's brown Sundara merino sweater.

I have some grey dye which I am going to experiment with using some white cotton.

Next weekend should see me returned to my craft room and playing with my sewing machines.