Knitting, sewing and visiting an exhibition

At the NWCQ meeting last week we were messing about with fabric paper - using PVA glue, paper and a calico base covered with tissue paper to hold it all together. These are my two pieces. I used some Japanese wrapping paper which had been around a couple of gifts I have received over the years, along with some rather nice paper bags and other papers from my stash. Coincidentally, they all used a similar colour scheme.

Neither of these are quite finished yet, they need some stitch and embellishment before turning into book covers. Well, that is the idea at the moment.

During the week, I also bought myself some lining fabrics for the two skirts I intend to make. The fabric on the left is a polyester habotai and is gorgeously light and soft, just right for the skirt fabric. Unfortunately, they only had white and I could really do with other colours in this weight. The other fabric is a standard dress lining which is just too heavy for the projects I have in mind, but will be extremely useful at some stage for something else. These were bought from Abakhan in Chester. Yes, I know I could buy this online, but there is something rather nice about visiting a shop and being able to handle the fabrics.

There has been knitting. This toddler size hat is well under way. It needs to be finished before the 4th April. The cuff is designed to be worn double, although I do wonder whether I should sew it in place. This is another test knit, this time using remnants of Debbie Bliss Rialto 4ply from my yarn stash.

The knitting experiment has been completed. This will turn into a cushion cover. I just need to start on the reverse. The back will use stripes of the yarns used on the front. 

I visited this small exhibition on Sunday. It was delightful, with a lovely range of techniques with needlefelt, weaving, free machine embroidery and beading amongst quite a range of others. The cards give a very small indication of the quality of some of the work shown. They were made by Susan Marsden and Elsa Buch. The items on show were all beautifully displayed too. It may sound a strange venue, but this is apparently where the group meets. Also Marbury Park is a wonderful spot for dog walkers and families out for the day. On Sunday the weather could not have been better, bringing out lots of families eager to enjoy the sunshine. I hope they had a lot of visitors to this exhibition. I look forward to the next one.

Knitting, sewing and future plans

The Unicorn Jumper is now completed, I just have a few ends to sew in. When I'd almost finished knitting this jumper, I was told of a technique called Ladder Back Jacquard for colourwork like this design. You will find a video about the technique here. The knitter who suggested it is really talented and I feel I ought to give it a go if I could just knit as neatly as she does. Can this old dog learn a new trick? I really ought to try.

There was a second completed item too. My green cardigan which has languished forgotten for too long is now ready for some buttons. I could do with wearing this cosy cardigan, especially with the chilly wind we have whistling around the house.

As I write this, I have a pair of shorts awaiting completion on my work table. As I mentioned last time, they are a trial run for a pair of trousers I intend cutting out and making. I needed to get the side seams sorted out to get a better fit. They just need finishing off. The brown fabric for the trousers has been languishing in my to do pile for rather too long. My next job will be to get these cut out.

I managed to get myself up to date with the Design Your Wardrobe course from Seamwork. This has now just finished. As a result I bought myself some fabric. Very naughty. It made me realise just what I found I missed from my spring and summer clothes last year. A nice soft skirt. I had had a beautiful silk skirt bought in Hong Kong. It had to be retired a couple of years ago.

These first two pieces - 3m metres each of Nugget and French Navy Viscose which are intended for two skirts I need to make. The pattern I will be using is the Zinnia from Colette patterns. I will make one of each - the first will have buttons down the front like my original skirt, while the second will have the pleated front. They will both have side seam pockets.

The third fabric I bought was this Trailing Leaves stretch Ponte Roma in a dark navy. I intend making a Neenah dress from Seamwork. You can see the design here. All the fabrics shown came from Minerva. This is rather a challenge for me since I have not made a stretch knit dress before. I think a trial run is required if I can just find the time. I still haven't started that quilt I mentioned last week and that deadline is looming ever closer.......

This last sheet is the collection of designs which I put together during the Design Your Wardrobe course. How many of these will eventually get made is quite a different matter. I think I have fabric for all of these in my stash, or most of them. I need a couple of the patterns too. I don't have the patterns for the Style Arc top or the Hot patterns dress and cargo pants. I also need to get on with designing that dungaree dress. Hopefully I will have made a start by the time I next write a post for this Blog. Wish me luck?

Trying to fit everything in

Crocus with bee enjoying the sunshine.

There are times when I really don't understand Blogger at all. I clicked on a single photograph and all the photos I had intended to put into this Blog post, but not yet, arrived all at once. Strange......

Ah well, my first photos are of the crocuses and daffodils arriving in my garden. Such a wonderful lift of bright colours whilst we have been having some really chill weather. Apparently more is to come, but the flowers just cheer everything up.

I had intended to be good and not buy any fabric........

Black spotted fabric - just over a metre

I made the mistake of going into the local haberdashery for bias binding...... Fatal...... I came out with the bias binding, but grabbed this piece from the end of roll bin. It is a crisp, cotton/synthetic blend which should make a nice straight skirt.

Thinking of dressmaking, I did finish the waterfall jacket mentioned in my last post. I'm not entirely happy with it and am thinking about whether or not to alter the shoulders. They feel a bit bigger than I'd hoped for. Ah well, it will have to wait until I have finished a couple of other projects.

Rust fabric from Tracy Fox

On Saturday, I went along to the Quilters' Guild Regional day in Frodsham. So nice to meet up with people I rarely see. Such an interesting event too. Barbara Weeks was he speaker in the afternoon. Such an interesting person. She is also a member of the International Feltmakers Association and it was fascinating to chat about the felt tunic she was wearing. We had both attended the same workshop by Vivienne Morpeth, at different venues, so it was really nice to hear a much more experienced feltmaker's opinion. It was interesting to hear that Barbara is going to attend another workshop to be given by Vivienne in the near future. You can see my tunic here.

I was very naughty and walked around the stalls whilst at the Regional Day. Not a very sensible idea when trying not to buy fabric. I spent a lot of money on quilting threads to add to my stock, and couldn't resist some rust fabric which was being sold by Tracy Fox. It was so nice to catch up with her again too. I find her fabric really hard to resist.

There has been knitting. Test knitting. My green cardigan has been left for the moment. It has got to a stage which I really don't enjoy - picking up stitches for a button band and the buttonhole border too. I will get round to finishing it, but these two test knits have taken over.

This is the Adair Hat by Aida Sofie. You will find her designs on Ravelry, also here.

This little hat is in the toddler size, although this design will soon be available in sizes ranging from toddler to adult. I chose Sirdar's Harrap Tweed for this one. It is a really nice yarn to knit with and has interesting slubs of contrasting colours. The colour I bought was shade 0109, a lovely brick red.

The next knitting project is this gorgeous unicorn design, again from Aida Sofie. I really couldn't resist knitting this one. I have photos of my granddaughter playing with a toy unicorn. So this is being knitted in the size 2 -3 years. I've managed to get on quite well with this jumper despite fitting in the Adair hat too.

Ah well, I must get on with some sewing. I have a pair of shorts cut out ready on my work table and plans for another quilt. The shorts are a trial run on a trousers pattern I first made a couple of years ago. Since I have put on weight since the last time I made these, I really need to check out the sizing again. I know I altered them last time, but I don't seem to adapted the pattern itself, which was a bit silly. Ah well, with a bit of luck I should be able to cut out a pair of trousers after finishing this project. I really do need some nice trousers in my wardrobe. Oh, in case you are wondering. I decided against trying out the new trouser pattern. It is nice, but has a pleated front. Not a good look on me.

Speaking of wardrobes, I am also about a week behind on the Design your wardrobe course from Seamwork. I really must try to catch up before that ends on Friday. It is a really interesting course which is making me think rather more about what projects I ought to sew for myself. As a result I have ordered two lengths of viscose from Minerva to make summer skirts. I planned to replace my elderly silk skirt last year but never managed to get round to it. It was a lovely french navy and such a comfortable skirt to wear. I will be using the Zinnia pattern from Colette Patterns which is similar in style. 

Could I have an extra couple of days this week? Please........

Getting back on track

Latest test knit

I'm trying to get myself back into routine. It is ages since I regularly posted on a Monday morning, so I'm hoping to get myself back into doing that from now on.

As you can see the latest test knit is under way. I showed you the yarn colours last time. The design has unicorns running all around the shoulder line. Knitted from the top down, the neckline is a double one which started with a provisional cast on. I'm rather pleased with the way the colours are working together. Hopefully, the colourwork will have been completed by the next time I post a photo.

I have another test knit to complete from this same designer too. This time it is a hat - again for a toddler, so quite a quick project. I should root through my yarn stash to see what I might have. I just hope there is a nice toddler friendly colour in there somewhere. The hat needs DK rather than the four ply of the jumper seen above.

Waterfall jacket

I'm also working on a jacket made out of polar fleece. This should be cosy for when the weather starts to improve later this month. The pattern came as a free gift with the Simply Sewing magazine issue 25. You can see the pattern here, although it does now appear to be out of print.

As you can see from the above photo, I am working on the front at the time of writing this. The jacket features rough edges, which is fine with me. However, since I was rather concerned that the lovely pocket could easily get pulled out of shape, I have chosen to reinforce the edges using tape and my overlocker. I think I will just overlock the main edge of the jacket since the wrong side is shown on the collar. This should be all right. The sleeves have a cuff, so that will reinforce the ends of the sleeves.

Oh yes, in case you were wondering. I do have another quilt forming in my head. Well, make that two. There is also a pair of trousers to be made next. It is a pattern I have used before so I know it fits. The fabric is also waiting in my stash. The only problem is this. Should I use the dry clean only wool in a french navy which would go nicely with this new coat. Or, should I go for the brown fabric bought specifically to make trousers some time ago. This fabric is also lovely, but had been earmarked for a different trouser pattern which would need me to make a toile first...........

Submitting a quilt, more knitting and plenty of sewing

Make and Take materials ready and waiting

It was lovely to see all the quilts at Quiltfest. Such an interesting exhibition. This was my table just before the doors opened on the first of the days when I was helping out by leading one of the "Make and Take" sessions. It is so nice to chat with people as they wander in to see the quilts. 

Sashiko pockets

During the quiet times while I was at Quiltfest, I started the blue Sashiko Pocket, buying the kit from the Quilters' Guild stand at the show. I had started my first one some years ago and had lost the instructions on how it should look and red one shown here. The kit gives full instructions on how to work the sashiko design also giving a couple of options. Seeing the blue version, I just had to buy it. So now I have two completed "pockets". The oversized buttons have now been removed since I felt they were rather too clumsy for my liking. I now plan to add shoulder straps to turn these into little project bags. They are a quick make with delightful hand stitched embroidery, which is good fun to complete. The Guild's shop now seems to have run out of this kits, but have other sashiko items here.

After Quiltfest, I got on with completing my entry for the "In Print" challenge from the Contemporary Quilt Group. This is the special interest group, part of the Quilters' Guild of the British Isles, which I joined some years ago. I was their Coordinator some three years ago too.

"In Print" sample before completion.

I had decided towards the end of last year that I really ought to take part in the next challenge and see if my piece might be accepted after submission. I got my online submission completed a day ahead of the deadline with the sample sent out in the post a couple of days earlier. I have no idea how I shall get on and will just have to wait until May when the jurying process is complete. I know that my form and photo have been received, but haven't yet heard whether the sample made it through the post. I think I shall just hope that, since I haven't been asked for it yet, that it must have arrived. I just haven't got enough fingers available to keep any crossed at the moment.........

"In Print - Maps"

My piece was inspired by all the work on Maps and text done with the NWCQ group in November, also the Black and White quilt I completed as a result of that same workshop. A photo of this particular quilt can be seen in my 22nd January post. "Maps" uses tea, rust and procian dyed fabrics which I have made over the past few years. There are dyecatchers which have been used for line drawings and text derived from the November workshop. Stencils, thermofax screens, lino and block printing has also been used. The lettering is bondawebbed in place. The quilting imitates the contour lines of the maps I had been inspecting.

 Now, I have started knitting a jumper for my grand daughter, another test knit. There will be photos later once the jumper is complete.

I've also done some alterations to some of the clothing I have made in the past. The first was to retrospectively add lining to a pair of linen/cotton blend trousers. I suddenly realised why I really couldn't face wearing these trousers. The inside leg seam was rubbing the skin on my legs and making me really uncomfortable. The trousers fit well, so it was a real nuisance that they really were not pleasant to wear. It will be interesting to see whether this adaptation works.

I have also altered a pinafore dress which I had found really bulky. The top has been cut off, so that I am now left with a skirt. This has now been lined. It will be interesting to see if this alteration works out as well as I hope. I had used a fine needlecord which proved to be a little too heavy for the design I was using.

With a bit of luck I will soon have two "new" and useful additions to my wardrobe.

As I write this, there is a pile of polar fleece sitting on my work table ready to be cut out. This, I hope, will turn into a cosy waterfall style coat. I have been wanting to get on and make this for some time now, but had to get a couple of other projects out of the way first. The pattern on the fleece has a musical theme so I had best get on with this. The recorder group start meeting again before too long and I'd promised myself I would wear it to our first meeting of the year.