Week Nineteen

iPhone Case:
I recently upgraded my ancient iPhone. I chose a white 4S. I am enthralled by the Leese Design cross stitch kit. I bought this one (in white) from Morris & Sons. I used my own thread and a motif from one of my own books.  Made in France (amazon link), it has lots of single colour charts.

I am already planning more case embroideries. I love the contradiction of a high-tech phone compared with the vintage suggestion of cross stitch.


Tempest Cardigan
I started this cardigan at the end of last year.  It is Tempest cardigan, from Knitty in 2008 but only got as far as the first sleeve.
The yarn is Fingering Silky Merino (50% silk and 50% merino) by Sundara Yarns.

Sundara was inspired by an old Chinese folk tale (which I think might be called The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter. But unfortunately this is no longer mentioned on her website).

The story tells of childless parents finding a baby hidden in a bamboo stalk, hence the freshness and depth in the green yarn. It is called "Bamboo Grove". The grief of the parents when they eventually lose their daughter is represented in the "Moonlit Bamboo" colourway.
I was so moved by the story. I immediately clicked to purchase the yarn.

I hope to finish this sleeve this coming week and immediately start the second. I'm hoping it will be my 'primary' knitting project. Or if not perhaps Lotus Tee might step up this week.

I have finished the green malachite 'Emelie' cardigan. Pictures will be posted next week.

Week Eighteen

We had a wonderful weekend and I got to do a lot of crafting.


The Malachite Cardigan
I kept working on the malachite green Emelie cardigan. But I am a step further with the insertion of the first sleeve.

I had unravelled the patterns instructions of the top-down, short rowed sleeve cap because I didn't like the way it sat with the armhole. So I knit upwards from the cuff and made my own sleeve cap, slowly row by row with lots of measuring. That's now sewn in (and I'm very proud of the almost invisible mattress seaming). I have clear notes and hope to replicate it for the second sleeve.

The Silk Chevron dress
I finished the cowl necked dress noted in last weeks blog entry. It is exactly as the Vogue pattern 1179 except I drafted sleeves (with a loose casual cuff). I like wearing dresses over jeans, I can feel a little bit smarter but at the same time, comfortable in jeans and low heels (for chasing after children). This is dress number four, I think the fabric choice is the most successful with jeans.

A Missoni Cushion
More chevrons when I found this leftover Missoni knit fabric in the stash. Not very much, it made a skirt in my wardrobe already. It was also a large cushion until it was damaged. This little offcut I used for a small 35cm square cushion. I was sad about the loss of the bigger cushion.
I made a simple wrap closure on the back using the chevron selvedges.

The Violin Cushion
My daughter plays violin. She's very young and last week lost her shoulder support thingy. Its a little bracket that helps her keep the violin nice and snug on her shoulder. She has Strings Ensemble practice today-- and late on a Sunday afternoon I came up with a temporary replacement for the shoulder support. Just until her proper support is found.

Its just a little padded 'teardrop' shape cushion out of this cute fabric sample. (She chose the sunglesses motif to show). There is a loop of elastic to the chin rest that stops it from slipping.

A Little Boy's Quilt
Now I have my sewing machine back (yay!) I can make a start on my boys bed quilt in the coming week. Textile artist Shannon Lamden of 'Auntie Cookie' (her online shop is in the sidebar links) made and sold me this screenprinted linen. The design is called "Cheater", its in navy on white. This weekend I bought some plain white linen for the backing from a local fabric shop.

I have some short lengths of other blue, turquoise and white fabrics for mismatched pillows. But quilt assembly first.

Week Seventeen

Hurray!! My sewing machine has come home. And fixed.
I tried it out making a very quick cushion for a sofa that is otherwise a bit worse-for-wear, thanks to dogs and children.

The fabric is a vintage remnant, bought online from Funky Fabrix.

(The dog print fabric is a few years old. It was sourced from the Funkis shop, in Sydney's Strand Arcade.)

I sorted out my fabric stash and put this silk crepe de chine to the top of the pile. I hope to assemble it next weekend.

It will become a cowl necked dress. Like this Vogue pattern by DKNY. I've made it several times already both as dresses and tops. Its been very sucessful.

I continue to unravel and reknit the green malachite cardigan. It is done save for the sleeves,  I hope to have at least one finished this week. I will give a great sigh of relief when this cardigan is finished. I have knitted the equivalent of two already, counting my mistakes and adjustments.

Finishing this cardigan now is all I can focus on.

Week Sixteen

I kept knitting the green malachite cardigan this week. I am now starting the sleeves. I went shopping for buttons from All Buttons in Newtown and found the most perfect green plastic.

I pulled from the deep this Olive top intending to continue a few more rounds of knitting.
I have knitted the yoke band and am some way down the body.After which I'll pick up and continue both sleeves to 3/4 length.

The yarn is Wollmeise sock yarn. The skeins coming from various destashes on Ravelry. Main colour is Golden Pear and the contrast is Skarabaus.

Here's a closer look at the colours.

After eight weeks I am still without my sewing machine. but the overlocker is getting a solid workout instead.

I made this tshirt in the black and white roses knit fabric from Tessuti. This time the sleeves were cut correctly.

I am dreaming of future knitting and sewing projects. Here is some inspiration.

This gorgeous button came home with me whilst shopping for the green cardigan buttons. I think all my knit projects might come to a screetching halt to cast on a new sweater for it.
Here is the button.

I have another sweater like in mind.
This is a sweater I knit, (my own pattern) to show off a dramatic button.

I haven't decided what yarn to use but it won't be grey or black. I will have to go online shopping however.

Then for sewing inspiration. I want to make an upholstered top for this toybox for my son's room. I bought a remnant of this Anna Maria Horner fabric. Its called "Drawing Room" and I bought it from Keleni Fabrics. The graphic design is based on stacked books. I'm wondering if it suits a horizontal surface though-- it calls out to be used for a vertical panel! But I've already commited to pinboard panels for his room.

I suppose my enforced absence from my sewing machine will give me time to ponder this.

Week Fifteen

This is a very short blog post because I have been a very loyal knitter this past week and only worked on one project.

More focus means I have finished the back of Emelie and blocked it and picked up the neck band stitches with the ribbing.

The Madelinetosh pashmina yarn really does look exactly like its colour name of malachite.

My next step is to knit one of the front bands (the button side) so I can go shopping for buttons this week, then the band with the buttonholes to match and then finally the sleeves which will be knitted from the shoulder down to the cuff.

I have done no sewing this week (I'm not counting the repair to the torn school blazer or the replaced buttons). I am still without my sewing machine.


This week I might see how I feel about casting on a new project, I'm in need of something requiring more attention. Straight stockinette is great for kindle-reading but I need variety. (Like a colour work yoke sweater.) Or I might dig deeply into the hibernating projects and see if there is a project which I could finish quickly.

I also want to finish the black and white 'Roses' t-shirt from last week. I have some great new vintage fabric to make into cushions too.

Week Fourteen

Week fourteen now with photographs! I managed a little work-around. The laptop is still iffy but I managed to extract my camera pictures another way.

This week I made a new dress for my daughter. The same principle as the red polka dot top, but longer and better gathered. It's in a turquoise and again with the Oliver + S cotton interlock.

 I also made two teeshirts for myself. One a blue grey wool jersey from Tessuti called "Clouded Water Snakes" and a second 100% silk jersey in a natural taupe. Here are the fabrics.

Since I was on a roll with the tops,  I also cut into a fabulous black jersey with cascading grey rose motifs running from one selvedge to another. It was unfortunate to find I'd cut the sleeves upside down to the pattern direction. But, thankfully, I was on the phone to Tessuti straightaway and they were quick to send me additional fabric. Hopefully I'll finish this top next weekend. This photograph was taken before I cut into the fabric. I was trying to decide which way to run the pattern.

I'm still without my beloved 25 year old Elna sewing machine. It's been away now for almost five weeks. I am promised its return next week. This break we've been on has been good for getting to know the overlocker machine. I am embarrassed to say I've had it for quite a while and it took an enforced separation from my regular machine for me to try it out.

I've still been knitting and making progress on Emelie, the green malachite cardigan. I've finished both lace detailed fronts and am working on the back. This is plain knitting and I hope will go quickly.

Week Thirteen

It was only a few days since my last craft update and we're still on school holidays. But there are two new sewn items and quite a lot of knitting (although not much of that to show)

I pulled from stash a lot of pure cotton interlock fabric. All are by Liesl Gibson for Oliver + S and purchased online at ZigoZago (link on the side bar).

Firstly this pink and this green polka dot.

I traced one of my daughters tee shirts to make a simple pyjama top. My love affair with my overlocker continues and it made smart and neat internal seams. I hand finished the hems and sewed pink lace trim.

And ended up with this.

I will be making more tops and also matching pyjama bottoms in both the fresh green and pink floral.

I then looked at my favourite Japanese sewing book and made a top with more of the Oliver + S fabric.

I had very little of this red and white. I had to make it a bit less gathered that I would have liked and my next version will be longer too.
I pieced together every little snippet to make a decorative neck tie.

Finally I mentioned knitting. This Emelie cardigan front may look familiar. But it is new knitting. I frogged my work of last update because there was an error and started again. I'm hoping to finish this front in the next day or so, the left hand side by the end of the week and then (I hope) it will be plain sailing for the plain knitting of the back and sleeves.