The Original Doodle

On Friday I said good bye to the original Doodle.

She was a brave and very much loved boxer dog. She was almost twelve years old and had been struggling for the last six months. Each time we had conversations with the vet, she showed such strength of will to get herself up and out the door. But there came a time when the accumulated problems were too much and she died quietly in my arms in the vets surgery.

She will be missed xx

Doodle in younger and healthier days.

Week Fifty One

I cast on three new knitting projects to start the new year.

A simple cardigan, Lantana in this buttery soft Aslan Trends King Baby Llama and Mulberry Silk. I have started with a sleeve. I think it will be a useful addition to my Autumn wardrobe.

I then cast on this sublime deep blue Sundara Aran Silky Merino (colour "The Great Pacific") on for a cowl necked sweater. When I ordered the yarn I knew I wanted a cowl necked sweater but I didn't have a particular pattern in mind.

This holiday I realised Rincleau would be perfect. the moss stitch bumps of the cowl are gorgeous with the silk lustre. These are the first rounds of the cowl neck.

Then in what might be folly I cast on with this Rowan Scottish Tweed Aran. I wanted to make Sullivan, but nothing else in my stash seemed appropriate.
I chose this with the idea that a frivolous colour could be cute with jeans and ballet flats.
I'm not yet committed but I'll get a bit further up the sleeve and see how I feel.

I did progress one 2012 project. This is an Annabelle cardigan in Sundara Aran Silky Merino in the colour "Somewhere Out there". I split off the sleeves from the yoke and am working my way down the body. The yarn is hand dyed so I'm alternating skeins and I have reserved some of the yoke yarn to continue the sleeves down full length.

I sewed a dress for my daughter.

Each week we take our little savages out to a restaurant in an attempt to civilise them. My daughter likes to dress up for this and usually wears a tulle party dress with and sequinned shoes and little bolero jacket.

It's the same outfit each time. I thought we needed a variation, not to mention Sydney is experiencing a heatwave and I don't know how she can bear to wear all that frothy sequinned stuff.

I went to the Tessuti sale and bought this embroidered silk chiffon as a small remnant. I dug the stash for some lining silk and made this quick summer dress. She loves it despite not wanting to be photographed today.

I'm not entirely sure about it. It is very voluminous and given the lining added a lot of 'whoosh' I could have cut it with less fullness.

My Tessuti shopping wasn't limited to that. I bought this as a dress length for me.

I also bought this amazing seqinned silk for me. Although my daughter believes there will be some left over for her. (That might be a vain hope)

I also bought some of this. I think I'm going to stash it and make something in time for next Christmas. I also have a milestone birthday at the end of the year.

I did some cross stitch. I completed the 'Love' banner (even though the photograph is a bit out of date) and am about to start on one of the bluebirds.

Week Fifty

I finished my daughter's 'Christmas Dress'. A simple Burda sleeveless pattern (as I posted last week) with the front pleats. I decided against using the buttons she had purchased, they wouldn't show up on the fabric. Instead I dug in the notions box and found some red and white striped ribbon and a little rosette for embellishment. Red bias binding for the neckline but I got impaitent and just did a simple stitched hem for the armholes.

Her doll got a Christmas dress too.
I made up the pattern (such as it is) myself a while ago. Just a very wide front piece and two back pieces with a dart/pleat at the centre front.
I overlocked all the raw edges and then machine stitched braid over the neck and armholes. One of my daughter's special christmassy bells buttons at the waist.

Then we made a very quick improvement on her denim jacket. Like garments before, she wouldn't wear this because it was too "boyish". We bought a handful of iron on badges.
Flowers, butterflies and a Tinkerbelle. Of course the doll's jacket was included.

Here's the original.

Here are the finished jackets. I think this is just a start, I'm hoping that now she feels 'ownership' of this jacket she will be more adventurous.
This will be grown out of next year, the next jacket I might be able to encourage her into fabric painting.

I finished the silk jersey "Water Splash" dress for myself. I think it might be my favourite. The fabric drapes wonderfully. I missed a close up.

I have made good progress on the Love Tattoo cross stitch. This photograph shows it almost at 50%.
It is missing five plain rows at the bottom (which I'm leaving until last) and a little bit of infil at the side banner.

This coming week I hope to have the lettering and the whole banner complete.

Only a little knitting and not much to show. When I'm back in the city next week, I will have more knitting focus.

Week Forty Nine

Its Christmas week so only a very quick post. I'm still away from home.

The last two days I have made a lot of progress on Love Tattoo. It is really coming together. Taking it off the stand (although I kept the rectangular frame) has made all the difference.

Here it is. I have done a few more flames, the bottom of the heart and a chunk of background beige.

There are two other cross stitch cushion kits here too.

The spaniel puppies one belongs to my daughter. It is progressing very slowly as she is only seven. But she is enjoying it.

When we went shopping I tried to encourage her into the flower and bird cushion kit, which I thought would look cute with her bedroom colours. But she was transfixed by the puppies and so we went with the other cushion.

In the Morris and Sons sale I went back and bought the one I liked. She's thrilled that I will do this one for her quickly (after Love Tattoo). We might be able to sit together stitching!

Week Forty Eight - Another update

I'm posting to motivate myself. This Emily Peacock cross stitch kit has been on its frame for a long time. More than a year, maybe two! Surely not more???

This is the summer holiday I'm going to make progress on it and by announcing it on my blog, I might find some additional motivation!

Here is the design. Its called Love Tattoo and it will become a cushion.

Here is my progress so far. Its on its frame but I am contemplating taking it off the frame to make it more convenient if I want to sit in other rooms of the house.

Any words of motivation gratefully received!

Week Forty Eight - Update

I have collected the photographs for one more project.

A Knitting Bag.

Materials and Process
I started with Zweigart linen, bought at Morris and Sons which has a nice even grain for cross stitch.
I used anchor thread in a mustard colour for the flower motif. The chart for this came from my favourite book Made in France.

I used a pair of Rowan bamboo bag handles (I bought several sets when they were discontined a few years ago) and I chose from a few stashed Saffron Craig printed cottons for the lining.

Here's a close up of the finished embroidery. I did run short after the first skein. Unfortutely there is a dyelot change between that and the subsequent thread. I'm accepting this as evidence of hand made!

Hers's a view of the reverse embroidery. I knew this would be concealed by the lining but I still tried to keep it reasonably neat.

A view of the bag in construction, inside out. I applied fusible interfacing to the sides to support the bag a little more. (The linen had a lot of drape)

The view right side out with the lining inside but not fixed. Two pleats either side of the embroidery.

Then I folded the fronts over the handles, and hand sewed them down.

Finally I giftwrapped in a box with gold tissue and tied with gold ribbon.

Week Forty Eight

First week of school holidays.

Kissing Hearts Dress
The navy and white Kissing Hearts dress, which I will wear with a narrow belt.
The belt isn't shown here because I was out of the city when I took the photograph.

Here it is full length. I will still wear it without a belt on a very hot day.

Feathered Army dress
This dress is also finished and goes well with its pale leather belt.

Only one more dress still to finish from my previous weeks cutting session. The silk jersey Water Splash.


Baby Cardigan
I finally finished the baby gift cardigan. (Ravelry link) I found the plastic buttons in stash and secured them with strong DMC stranded cotton. The pattern is Boy-O-Boy from 101 Designer One Skein Wonders.

I made a few modifications. I upped the stitch counts to account for my DK gauged yarn, so that I would still have a 3-6 month size. I also picked the sleeve stitches up from the armhole edge and knit down in plain reverse stockinette. I did this so I would get a very neat seam. I though this yarn was hard to get a good finish with, and a ribbed cast off edge would pose particular trouble.

If I had knitted the slip rib downwards, the stitch 'arrows' would have faced the wrong direction. Although I did consider that briefly.

I giftwrapped it in tissue and a white glossy box with this cute cherub print ribbon.

Blue Gingham Sweater
I cast on a new sweater. The yarn is Madelinetosh Merino Light in the colour Blue Gingham. Its the first time for me with this yarn, although I've used their DK version before. I am very impressed with the lustre and stitch definition. Its beautiful.

I am also using my new Knitters Pride interchangebale needles in black (with silver connectors and black cable). Its a limited edition set from Jimmy Beans Wool.
I am a sucker for pretty knitting needles.


Christmas Dress
My young daughter is getting a Christmas dress.
The printed cotton and buttons were bought at a local fabric shop. I meant only to buy some thread but shopping with a small enthusiastic girl often involves extra purchases.

I think it will be a simple, sleeveless dress with the buttons as an embellishment to the front.
Probably my go-to Burda pattern. Its number 9885 and can be seen here. My paper pattern is too small for my daughter now but it is a simple pattern to upsize, especially as I won't be doing sleeves and will just finish the armholes and neckline with bias binding.


Holiday Blog Posting
We are going out of the city for Christmas so I may not be posting next week. However, I will be filling my camera up with images for a bumper post the following week!

I have another project still to add to this weeks blog entry. I will post it later this week.