Fabric, and some more handstitching

Dressmaking fabric stash

I finally got my workroom tidy this week. It was too much of a mess to get anything done. I had got to the stage where I couldn't even see the top of my worktable. The floor wasn't much better, so I got all the clutter tidied and some rubbish got recycled. The fabric got put back into the cupboard. It is stacked in types of fabric, so, from the bottom left hand side are the jerseys and knit fabrics. To the right of that pile is the silk/rayon collection.  The third pile on the bottom shelf is mostly curtain fabrics with some acrylic felt for repairs to my print board. The extreme left hand side of the top shelf, are the woolen and suiting fabrics. Next to this are a small collection of cottons and cotton mixes sitting on top of a pile of furnishing fabrics.  The last pile on the extreme right hand side is all lining and interfacings. I can see what I have and having to tidy has the benefit of finding things I had forgotten about.

So having had a massive tidy, what did I find in a local charity shop but two metres of this gorgeous bunny pattern. It is a lovely cotton jersey which has a really warm feel. Well, I just couldn't leave it there, especially not since it was priced at £1. When I saw it I could just imagine it made up as a pair of pyjamas. Washed and ready for action it waits in my growing pile of projects. I really ought to get started and make these up before the warmer weather comes creeping back again.

I also bought some yarn. This is to replace a jumper I made some years ago. It has been much worn and is really beginning to show it's age. The sleeves will soon need darning, but it will reamin a really useful warm cover up when working in the garden or working on some project or another. The yarn here is double knitting since there doesn't seem to be any brown 4ply around at the moment. Now to find a nice pattern. I could use the plain v-neck bottom up pattern which I usually use, but I really do fancy a change....

The piece I showed last time is still being worked on. I think it is nearly finished. It just needs a nice plan for something as a focal point. Some applique perhaps.

Apart from washing the bunny fabric, I also washed 5 metres of my calico ready to use as toiles. The first will be this cargo pants design. The pattern has been drawn out on tissue ready to pin on the fabric. I will be starting work on this later today. I just need to iron the five metres......

I still haven't got around to starting my piece for the Pinfold Book Challenge this month. Still thinking about what to do..........

Stitching by hand

It has been a really interesting week. Work has continued on the shed, but I managed to attend the meetings of two textile groups. The first of these was Pinfold. The meeting had a workshop from Pauline Mills who showed us how to make "Penny rugs". You can see a really good online description here. Needless to say, I will not be making a proper "penny rug", it just isn't my style. Instead these will turn into the decoration of a fabric "vase" to hold my long rulers and old knitting needles. These currently reside in an overcrowded flowerpot with the longest of my paintbrushes. Hopefully things might get tidier and easier to find........ maybe not.

I just need to think about how to weight the bottom of the "vase" to stop it toppling over.

The fifth pile shown on the extreme right in the first photo was shown without it's flower backing. This is the colour which will be finally stitched in place at some time over the next few days. There are green pieces to be cut out as "stems" before being stitched onto the backing fabric which will be some upholstery fabric found in my stash. The "pennies" are cut out of felted wool. The fabric here was supplied by a friend of mine who brought along a large collection of felted and dyed blankets. Thanks so much Meryl!

Pauline, our tutor was very generous and gave us each three cardboard templates for the shapes. So useful and meant we could get straight on with the stitching. I've used variegated Anchor threads from my collection of embroidery threads. Three strands were used for the buttonhole with the full six strands used for the decoration. (Stamens and french knots). A lovely workshop with plenty of opportunity for chat as we worked. Just what was needed.

I handed over the "Come fly with me" book which I showed last time and picked up this next book. The topic this time is "Round and round". A really intriguing title. I'm letting my imagination go free for the moment as I try to decide what I could possibly make......

During the week, I started to make a few cards with scraps of samples from a rather too large collection. These three need a little more work. As does the one below. This really needs a fair amount of stitching before it can be called a card.

I also received two more patterns in the post. I love this style of cargo pants, but have never found a pair of ready-mades that actually fit me. I really couldn't resist this rather interesting dress and tunic pattern too. I have some suitable fabric in my stash for the dress, but haven't yet decided which fabric would be best for these trousers. I really ought to make toiles of each first......

Finally, on Friday, I met up with another group of friends and Debbie introduced the idea of "boro". I must admit I rather like the idea of handstitching various fabrics together. My version is really not a true "boro", but is inspired by the idea of stitching fabrics together to repair/make another fabric. Mine are strips of raw edged fabrics of various types from my collection of "interesting fabrics", along with dyed cotton bias binding and cotton tape. The pieces are all stitched onto each other and backed by a piece of calico (muslin). This will probably turn into the background for something at some stage. For the moment it is a very pleasant stitching project for the evenings.

A last minute project

The past week has been a busy one. No time for stitching or knitting. I did have one deadline though, hence these photos. I had a page to complete for the Pinfold Book Challenge ready for tomorrow morning. Here are the pages I completed just a few minutes ago. As I write this, it is 9pm. Last minute as always.

The theme for this book is "Come fly with me." The weather here has been cloudy, damp and cold all day today, so my thoughts ran to warmer weather and the sight of swallows flying overhead.

These pages have my own felt, dyecatchers from my collection, a thermofax print of flying birds, block prints of ducks on a scrap of my own dyed fabric. The swallow is a commercial felt stitched into place. Handstitching using simple running stitch and buttonhole stitch around the swallow. Rather strange of me to choose handwork rather than machine stitching this time, especially since I was so short of time.

What was keeping me so busy this last week? Gardening and helping my husband with demolishing and then constructing a garden shed. The gardening is a rather urgent project since we have a builder coming in a week or two to construct a fence. I have been digging up shrubs and bulbs which we need to protect.

Finishing off projects and a little success.

Experimental cushion cover - front 

Well, it has been a busy week. A lot of gardening has been done and I have also managed to complete two projects. The first one is my experimental cushion cover. I started knitting the back a week ago and have just finished it and sewn the cover together. It has a 20 inch square cushion inner, so is nice and squidgy and cosy to cuddle up to. Just what I wanted.

Experimental cushion cover - back

It all started out, almost twelve months ago, as an experiment to knit quilt blocks without seams. There are a few, but most joins are achieved by adding stitches onto an edge, or knitting a piece between two edges. Good fun, but not something I will repeat in quite the same way. The back was just garter stitch stripes of varying widths interspersed with stocking stitch stripes in varying widths knitted on the diagonal rather than straight. A really quick way to use up the remaining oddments of yarn. Since the whole project was designed to use up a collection of yarns left over from a 4ply colourwork project it is amazing just how far the remnants have gone. I still have oddments of the cream, blues and greens left over

Completed Little Bandit Hat

The test knit was also completed and is ready to give to my grand daughter when we next meet. The hat is another design by Aida Sofie, but since it is a Test Knit, the pattern isn't available yet.

Top of the Little Bandit Hat

 I just love the top with the patterning caused by the decreasing. It would be possible to add a pompom, but I rather like leaving this just as it is.

Almost finished shorts

 I nearly finished my shorts, they just need ironing, the legs hemming and some belt loops adding. I didn't have quite enough fabric to make the waistband, so found this fabric in my stash. I think it tones in rather well.

Style Arc patterns 

I was rather naughty and bought some new patterns. The first two are by a pattern company which is one I've not tried before. Style Arc. I thought the Elani tunic would be rather nice paired with my new pair of shorts. I've probably got just the right fabric in my stash somewhere. I bought these patterns from Minerva.

More patterns

 I bought these patterns at the same time. The pinafore dress has been on my wishlist for some time now. I'm not sure if I am brave enough for the jumpsuit, but it would make for an interesting project for an evening out somewhere.

"In Print - Maps"

Do you remember this quilt? I first mentioned it here. Well, I heard this week that it has been accepted for the Contemporary Quilt "In Print" challenge. I will be sending this off soon ready for the first showing of the collection. This will be at the Needle Museum, Redditch from 25th May until 8th July. Exciting!