Completing UFOs, making plans and plodding along

Daffodils in the garden

Everything seems to have started growing in the garden. It is lovely to see some bright colour outside.

Crocuses

Work has continued over the past few days on the weaving theme. You will see a sample of a woven pocket in the next photo. The sketchbook belongs to the challenge starting soon for the MEG group. I am looking forward to getting this one started. I don't normally use a sketchbook, preferring to jot things down in my notebook, so it will be interesting to get some guidance on how to put one together and then begin to use it.

I treated myself to a sewing magazine this morning, so will probably end up tempted to make something else. Unfortunately, my list of things to sew seems to be getting longer. I have now cut out the lining pieces for my Cocoon coat, but it has got no nearer to completion. I keep getting tempted to do a bit more with the weaving project. The first draft of the instructions has been written. It remains to be seen whether the directions and illustrations make any sense. 

The pdf pattern belongs to this design from "Sew Now" issue 3. I need to find some nice denim or fine corduroy to make this. Years ago I had a pair of dungarees which I really loved wearing. This is a more practical item of clothing for me these days. I just love those pockets.

Pinafore design in issue 3 of "Sew Now".

I did mention finishing UFOs in my title. Last time I mentioned a piece of embroidery but didn't show it. 

This is it. I only have the scissor keeper to embroider now, then I will be able to get the whole thing assembled. It has only been in my UFO pile for a few years. Embarrassingly I cannot now remember exactly how many years it has been languishing. The finished size of the closed Etui will be 3.5 inches square, so it really is rather small to have lain unfinished for so long. The brown felt shown behind the embroidered pieces will be used for the lining and the needlecase pages.

The designer, Sue Hawkins is a very talented and her work is really colourful. I couldn't resist it when I saw this little kit, which is why I am getting on with it now. There will be a needle case inside, and somewhere to stash a small pair of scissors inside the back cover, also a neat little thimble case which is to be attached to the scissors on a long cord. A rather useful item for my hand-stitching projects. I just need to find a nice sharp pair of embroidery scissors to keep inside it. 

My idea this year, is to get on with the rather large number of unfinished projects which have been lying around. Some may end up being drastically redesigned. My interests have changed rather a lot over the years. I'd like to use up at least some of the yarn I have collected, and then there is my rather too large stash of fabric.............. I must check to see if I already have something I could use up for that pinafore dress.......... Now that really would be sensible.

Do have fun with your own projects.

Is it possible to have too many projects on the go at once?

Freshly printed fabrics - own dyed cottons.

Spent a very pleasant couple of hours or so yesterday printing these fabrics. I started out just getting some ready to add to a quilt I am putting together. As usual, didn't know when to stop. These are mostly commercial thermofax prints. The floral design is a lovely wooden block which I bought from Art Van Go.

Quilt pieces placed before stitching starts

The photo above shows the quilt I am currently working on - most of the fabrics shown above are from Tracy Fox, The plain black, red and cream are from Ikea. The funny little "aliens" are my own dyed fabrics cut out and ready to be bondawebbed in place. The working title for this one is "African Crosses". The shapes come from a workshop I went to back in 2010 with Magie Relph. She had brought some gorgeous Tuareg and Ethiopean crosses for us to sketch. Such a delightful day spent in good company. I intend to use some of the engraved detail as inspiration for the quilting.

Did I say that there were a number of projects on the go at once? I have also cut out three dressmaking projects. The first will be this pinafore dress.

Vintage pattern from 1983

Pinafore dress waiting to be assembled

The other two projects use the same pattern - Hotpatterns HP 1052 Classix Nouveau Great White Shirt. I last made this design here. Sadly, the pattern now seems to be out of print.

Another Hotpatterns shirt - this time using some Liberty-type fabric.

Yet another Hotpatterns shirt - using up some chambray.

I use the three shirts I have already made such a lot. Such a very useful, classic, shape. You can see my first two attempts here and here.

A ribbon weaving sample waiting to be made up into a pin cushion.

This is one of those UFOs which should have been finished ages ago. I need an extra pincushion too! All I need to do is to stitch around where I have already marked and stuff it. So silly not to have finished it already.

My current knitting project - a waistcoat.

Lastly, I have made a start on the cabled waistcoat I mentioned last time. I'm not altogether sure I have enough yarn, so I'm hoping #I have enough. If not, I may have to redo the back without the cables. We shall see. I am enjoying knitting cables for a change.

Fabric book covers, knitting and finding inspiration.

Well the shawl is nearing completion. I have added a picot bind off to the edge since I didn't fancy either the garter stitch edging or the ruffles of the original pattern. It will be interesting to see this after blocking. Not many more stitches to go.

I've been playing about with making some simple paper notebooks lately. The book cover saying "East of India" was a paper bag I really just couldn't throw away or recycle.

This is the latest fabric book cover. This time I have covered a plastic A4 file. It has been made using African fabrics as befits the title of the file - "Africa". It now houses my small collection of printed African fabric and two pieces which have been languishing deep within my collection of UFOs. I bought the fabric here.

Both are based on this beautiful carved wood head which my daughter brought back from Tanzania. I managed to get a few photos of it before it went home with her. The photo has been altered using Photoshop to minimise the number of colours.

I really should do something with those pieces, but I don't quite know what yet.

I've been searching for inspiration lately for the latest challenge from the "Sky's the Limit" group. The latest challenge is entitled "Inspired by................" So I rooted around the library and found these wonderful books on Architecture. Whether I shall use them for the final piece or not remains to be seen. I am enjoying looking through the pages of these books for now.

I loved the photos of fences and bannisters in this book. Beautiful work and so ornate.

This one contains some wonderful buildings.

Where do you find your own inspiration?

A photograph of one of those UFOs I mentioned last time. This unfinished object is the Round Robin I started with Cranford Quilters. Its now got the stage of having all the bits sewn together. All I need to do now is the quilting. I only hope that I can get it all finished in time for the group's exhibition in early November.



This second photo shows my original block. The centre was the first piece to be done, being sent off to be added to during the run of the Round Robin. The cats faces were taken from photographs taken by my younger daughter of our own two cats.
For this Round Robin, the strips were not sewn together as the work progressed. Instead the pieces were all returned to the original block-maker to be pieced and quilted. I have added the two blocks either side since the pieces were returned to me at the end of July. I have also added sashing with written statements between each of the blocks.
The writing beneath the block reads "Now who's the cats paw?" A cats paw being someone who acts at the bidding of another. I feel myself, like many cat owners, to be the cats paw in this household.
I felt really privileged taking part in this Round Robin since the other members have made such a wonderful job of each of the strips.

I have been rather busy lately catching up with some of my UFOs. Unfortunately this has meant not being able to keep up to date with this Blog. However, I have been able to complete one item - a bag.
It started off as an Origami Pocket Pouch. The design was one I found on this delightful site:

http://mylittlemochi.typepad.com/my_little_mochi/

then add:

2005/05/origami_pocket_.html

Part way through I decided that I couldn't bear to fold up the fabric square I had made and lose sight of some of the fabrics I had used. So a quick design change was made and this bag is the result. It has two small pockets inside a larger opening. I used cat buttons to fasten the handles onto the main body of the bag.