Week 113 : Owl Sweater progress

This was referred to as my Alpaca Cotton Sweater, but after a small stitching folly near the bottom hem I now think of it as my owl sweater.

The motif is taken from the Owls sweater pattern by Kate Davies. I have wanted to make this for a long time (I even have the yarn stashed for it)
I had to adjust the cable twists to account for the fact I was knitting this top down instead of bottom up.
The button eyes are small plastic from stash.

Here is the progress on the sweater.

I am now about 30% of the way down the first sleeve. You can see where the owl motif is located in the bottom right corner.

My sewing commission is finished but not yet officially handed over. But the good Blog news is that I am back to crafting I can show. I hope to have new photographs next week!

Week 112 : Late note

I have been working on the un-bloggable sewing projects and hope to be finished soon.

I have some knitting progress to post in a couple of days though.

This is a very busy week, I'm running late.

Week 111 : Non blog crafting

This week I have been helping complete a sewing commission because the person who took it on originally, broke her arm.

I've been busy, but not with anything I can show here.
I hope to have some new pictures to post next week.

Week 110 : Sewing Jar

Late one night, browsing Pinterest, I saw great sewing kits made up in glass jars and was inspired to make some myself.

I made quite a few.

Here is the first. The fabric is a scrap from the leftovers of crepe de chine silk. The dress predates this blog.

Then a made a couple more.

 The Love motif is from a silk dress in Week 24. The print is a tattoo pattern in silk.

The dog (close up its a springer spaniel) is silk from a novelty tie my husband has had for many years. It was understandably unworn and about to be got rid of. I hung on to it, sure that such garish fabric would eventually find a place.

I carefully push the pins in this one though. it doesn't seem right to pin the puppy!

My sewing kit contains, black white and translucent thread. The clear plastic (?) thread is good for sewing metal school blazer buttons on. Scissors, seam ripper, thimble and needles. More than this I can go looking for, but having these few essentials nearby makes uniform repair less time-consuming.

My method. The photographs read top left, bottom left, top right, bottom right.

I cut a cardboard base a little smaller than the diameter of the jar lid.
The fabric circle is cut with twice the base diameter to allow it to curve up and wrap over.

After a few trials, I cut a hole in this base card to make it easier to fill the cushion.
My next photo doesn't show this. It was fiddly getting the fluff in, tying it all neatly with no escaping bits. But if the cardboard has a hole, the fabric is easier to gather up and secure just over the cardboard circle. Then the the fibre filling can be tucked inside, it doesn't catch over the edge of the cardboard and make the base edge more bumpy. Its a much neater finish.

Anyway, getting the base as flat and neat as possible is key. It makes it a lot easier to glue.

I used a PVA glue. It dries clear but is slow to do so. I taped all the fabric edges down and added a few pins through the tape just to make sure the tape didn't slide off the silk.

Having finished last week's mohair monster (which I am still too scared to try on to see exactly how enormous it is). I pulled out an old unfinished project. This was started in Week 89. I was very excited with the vintage buttons I bought for it. It will be a cardigan in Sundara Aran Silky Merino. I added a few inches to the yoke. I might stick with this one, see if I can get it finished quickly.


It is sitting on some printed canvas. A small local shop was selling what I mistakenly thought were tea towels with a world map and the suggestion to embroider a journey on the.

When I unwrapped the plastic I saw it was a tote bag, not a towel, so there was some unpicking to make it a cushion for my boy's room. I chain stitched in wool yarn two holiday journeys. our 2011 holiday to Beijing and last years trip through the US. I will photograph it made up shortly.


Still on cushions, I picked up some end-of-roll fabric from Cloth Australia. these three fabrics will make cushions for our living room sofa.

Week 109 : Floral Pyjamas

I made some pyjamas. The fabric is a cotton knit with an organic cotton lace trim.

The fabric may be by Hilco (?) , sourced from Earth Girl fabrics. I've had it in stash for quite a while, thinking I had plenty of time to assemble a project. But now I realise if I'd left it any longer I might not have had enough.

The pattern is my own basic t-shirt and elastic topped wide leg shorts.

The neck, sleeves and shorts hem use the narrow lace trim. The bottom of the top, for a bit mor definition used some of the wider lace.

The lace was bought from Ecoyarns But it looks as though they no longer stock trims. Its a pity,  its much softer and prettier than many other commercial lace.

I finished Wonder and it is enormous. I think its oversized silhouette will be ok with skinny jeans and boots. But I have yet to try that out (and take photographs).
For now here is just the collar. The dress form doesn't really hold it well. It keeps sliding off.

Week 108 : Carousel and Granny Square dresses

This cotton knit fabric didn't lend itself to pieces for pyjamas, so I cut and assembled another easy nightdress. 

I bought my length from Ottobre Design's Etsy website. The same swedish Liandlo fabric is available from CraftyMamasFabrics though.

The pattern is the same as the turquoise and rose print of the week before last. It was a very quick project. It is a good project for when I don't have enough to make full pyjamas (its a pity I've waiting so long with some of this stashed fabric. My girl has outgrown some of the sizes I anticipated sewing) 

I have fabric for one more night dress and then I think this group of projects is complete.

This is a special fabric I bought from the Sydney Craft fair last year. It's a double gauze. (I will update the textile details next post)

I've cut a simple nightdress but it is sized up from my usual template because I wanted to capture the border print on both selvedges.

The bottom edge is more detailed.

I cut the top to take advantage of the carousel horse garland for the neck edge.

Week 107 : Just more of the same

Just more knitting on the kidsilk trio Wonder sweater this week.
I've now finished the back and cast on the front.

Lots of new fabrics arrived this week, so next weekend will have a big cutting out session.
Since I know I'm making a bunch of pyjamas and nightdresses for my kids, I want to do all the cutting in one go.