Just getting on with it.

Well, I have started work on mum's quilt. Just got the lettering sorted out. Well, thats a start. The fabric I shall be using is all ready to be sorted out. Its all in a jumbled pile at the moment - correction, two piles. It was all in one pile and toppled over! Thats why it is still rather jumbled. Never mind, I shall get the board out for some theraputic ironing ready to start work on the calligraphy elements.


My page for March is also well on the way to being completed. This will be posted on the Traveling Pages site as soon as it arrives with Juliette. I did have a panicky moment when Felix decided to jump onto my newly painted fabric..... Poor dear, he ended up with his back paws in the bathroom sink being washed. I have never known him so quiet! I was forgiven at tea-time. He knows who feeds him................


The knitting is not going so well. I think the tunic pattern just isn't working for me in this yarn. It is time to rip it all back again. Don't misunderstand, I love the pattern and I love the Jaeger yarn. The cotton/silk mix just seems to be better suited to a more plain design, it is quite highly textured. I shall not be buying any more yarn for a while, so will have to start a different project instead.




For now, I am knitting a pair of Firestarter socks, so will get on with these for the time being.


The reading I mentioned in my last post is also going well, I am getting on with my magazines and am now up to date with them. "Quilting Arts" arrived last week and I am already half way through. It is a magazine I subscribe to and I really like to take my time reading, since there is usually rather a lot of ideas I want to have a go with. This edition is no exception. There is a really good article on screen printing. It is something I have really wanted to have a go at for some time. I already have a couple of screens and some fabric printing dyes. I just need to get my table top sorted. My dear husband has given me a lovely piece of board and I have the felt and old sheeting to cover it. So what is stopping me? I need something stable to rest my printing board on.............. I am reluctant to get any large-scale printing done in my workroom. I would much rather keep it nice and clean in here. So I must organise a space where I can be messy. The felt-making usually gets done in the garden, so that's probably where I shall do my printing. It does make sense, but it is rather frustrating the thought of not being able to do any printing except in the summer months. However, I could really get a lot of fabric ready for use in the colder months............... Perhaps it will work out after all.

Sorry there is only one photo this time. Blogger is not cooperating today................

Still prevaricating.

I have been doing far too much reading of websites, Blogs and the like just recently. There is so much fun to be found. Here is one I read regularly. RicRac. This is such a charming post from a really beautifully written Blog.

This last week, I have found it really difficult to get started on any new projects. There is just so much going round my head at the moment. I really don't know where to start!

Theres an admission!

Now that I have said it, I know what I need to do. As Alison Lee puts it so succinctly "Get your butt in the chair". Now she is one lady I really ought to listen to. After all she has so much experience in making beautiful things for a living.

Well, lets get down to what I really must get on with:

First, my page for the Traveling Pages. I haven't started March yet. Ooops! In my own defence, I do know exactly what I am doing for this, I just haven't got around to getting on with it. I am still not entirely sure what techniques to use................

Second, getting on with my knitted tunic top. Well, that at least is still moving. I got into a muddle with where I was on the front, so have abandoned that for the present and have started on the back. That may sound completely mad, but since the front and back are identical almost to the shoulder, I should be able to discover where I have gone wrong on the front.

Third, mum's quilt. I still have not started this. However, during my holiday I ended up getting some rather interesting ideas which I am slowly working on. No further information for the moment in case one of my daughters, or my mum just happens to read this...................

Fourth, altering a skirt I bought last week. Well, I may end up altering two skirts. I bought them in a sale and they are both rather too big around the waist and hips.

Fifth, reading. I am steadily reading my backlog of magazines. I have even finished reading two from this month! This makes a change, since I am usually at least three months behind. I also have a mountain of books waiting to be read. They are climbing the wall in my bedroom at the moment.

Talking of books, I bought two on Saturday. There was a sale in WH Smiths of certain titles. All the books were in a rummage box. Well, I could not resist. I found these two books there:

Simon Henry's "The Little Black Dress".

This book looks really interesting and should teach me all I need to know to make Liz's wedding dress. (My daughter is getting married in September next year.) It is written like a dressmaking course, but in book form. There is so much about dressmaking that I still don't fully understand. Hopefully the knowledge will help me to make a decent dress for Liz. I intend to get on and follow the exercises written up at the start of the book. Wish me luck, I may need it. Oh, and avoid my house while I'm doing this...................

"Katrin Cargill's Curtain Bible".

Now this is something I have been wishing for. I have made curtains in the past, but my ideas are the usual boring and straight-forward ones. This book has some rather nifty ideas which I can actually see myself using in this house. There is a rather awkward round window downstairs which I have never been able to do anything with. A nice bright blind could be rather nice..........

Why is it that whenever I give myself time to sit and think there are more projects I wish to get on with?

My younger daughter now has my beloved sewing machine so that she can get on with some projects she is intending to make for sale. I have my old sewing machine back. (Shown above.) It is good for sewing clothing, but I cannot do any Free Machine Embroidery on it. Shall I buy another machine? Rosie cannot afford to buy herself one.............. Now is this why I feel so lost?

Too many questions and far too much prevarication. I must take myself in hand and get something started. Felix has just jumped onto my shoulder, so I think he agrees. Either that, or he is warming his chilly paws.

Back again and raring to go!

I've been away on holiday for a couple of weeks. My workroom colleague - Felix, the furry fiend on the right - just won't leave me alone for long. He loves to sit on my shoulder while I am working. It makes for a noisy time, since he likes nothing better than to purr down my ear.....



On my return I had a lovely surprise - a package which had these lovely stamps on the front. It contained the February page from Johoanna. This is all part of the Traveling Pages project. For further details see the link at the side of this Blog.



Isn't this lovely? I feel so lucky to have this as my second page.



Talking of being lucky. This arrived in the post today. I am a member of Just Hands on TV, an internet community which has a really good series of quilting related videos. They have sent me a small bundle of the new Fusion Fabrics from Robert Kaufman. The fabrics are just as gorgeous as they look here.

Going into a local Supermarket today, I found this delightful not-so-little fold-up bag. So useful. Just fifteen inches tall and thirteen inches wide, it is six and a quarter inches deep.



It rolls up small into a package just six and a quarter inches wide and three and a half inches deep. Something I shall now start to carry around with me.



The crafter in me wonders whether I could use this idea to make a series of similar bags for myself. I shall of course be using much better fabrics - the only fault I find with this present bag. Rest assured that I shall not be copying this design - that would break copyright laws, I feel sure....

Oh, back to the title I have used. Coming home rested and relaxed I now find a multitude of ideas welling in the back of my mind. Watch this space for new proejcts as they start coming to life.

But first, has anyone got any good ideas for getting a cat, painlessly, off my shoulders?

Stitching, knitting and mending.

Sometimes I enjoy mending. Not often, but I enjoyed doing this.

It was one of those comfy, much worn but still reasonably neat long sleeved jumpers. Stupidly, I managed to get a hole in one sleeve last week. I could have darned it, but had nothing in exactly the right shade, so cut the sleeves off just above the elbow and scoured my ribbon box for lace and ribbon. I bought the lace on a whim some time ago. The ribbon was decoration on a box of chocolates................

So now I can wear a favourite jumper to work once more.

And yes, it was worn to work this morning and here is the proof. A photo taken not ten minutes ago. The subject is my newly finished bag. I posted about it last time.

The bag is huge, but is going to be oh so useful................... As you can see, I did alter the handles. Now I have a bag I can carry over one shoulder. I have a tendency to put down bags I am holding in one hand using a handle. To be honest, I have nearly lost them too! At least I won't walk away from it when it is on my shoulder...............

Speaking of bags, I also finished this one. This is the lining. It is a fun print of frogs.

It now sits awaiting an owner. It is one of my useful-for-presents containers.

I also got on with my tunic. It is a pattern called Cicely from Jaeger and can be found in their JB25 booklet - 15 designer garments by Martin Storey. I am using Jaeger Trinity from my stash.

This is the photo from the booklet.

Oh, I forgot, I did finish the socks and was wearing them yesterday to keep my toes cosy when I went out to clear the snow off my car.

These two photos are of my palette used when finishing my latest page for the Traveling Pages project. Photos of the finished page will be available as soon as it arrives with Maya.

Have you ever had one of those moments when a fabric shouts "take me home"? I had one of those last week. I went into a shop I had never visited before. Bubblitex. I had been past the farm gate many times, but never had the time to stop and browse. I managed it last Friday.

If you are ever in Cheshire, I implore you to go and look for yourselves. It is a glorious wealth of furnishing fabrics housed in an enormous renovated barn.

This gorgeous fabric will make a wonderful fully lined jacket. I can hardly wait for the warmer weather when I shall be able to wear it. I do have to make it first, but I do like to dream..............

Works in progress.

Firstly, my helpers. Fast asleep, as usual............



Felix has snuggled himself under the blue and white fleece cat quilt to the left.



I was seen taking photos, so Coco demanded a fuss and a tummy rub.



The cat bedding was all in a messy pile so that I could take photos of the projects I am currently
working on.

But first, a couple of completed items. The first is rather an indulgence. This skirt is a kit from clothkits. I do love their cheerful designs. I bought this for myself some months ago in one of their sales. I just could not resist. Fully lined, the skirt is knee length. The design is called "Big Birdie".



The second skirt if a little longer. I made it using the same shapes as the Big Birdie skirt. This was made from a scant metre length I had in my stash. I added the pockets. The striped fabric came from my stash of quilting fabrics. Like the skirt above, this too is fully lined



Now onto the items in progress. First, the knitting:



A delightful cabled bag design by a friend. I just love the way the cables twine into each other. This has a picot edge and will have a ribbon threaded through a series of holes. It is knit from the top down.

Next, another pair of socks? Well yes, I do not feel that seven pairs is quite enough.......... Well, thats my excuse. The pattern is "Wise Hilda's Basic Ribbed Sock" by Kate Atherley.

This time I have tried to make them the same. I have not quite succeeded. I might have done better if I had thought of the idea first and measured the length of the first red length of this variegated yarn. I'll do it next time.



Now the projects I am working on. First, a bag. I need this one for a holiday which is coming up. Since I don't like the handles, I am going to made a shoulder strap instead. Much more practical for me. The pattern is Vogue V8215. You can see the lining fabric to the top right hand side of the bag.

The outer fabric was a remnant from a local Upholsterer's sale, but the lining is an Amy Butler fabric I bought in an online sale.



The next item is a new skirt. Or will be. I had to piece two short lengths of wool tweed together to get enough fabric for this project. The design is from the second edition of "Sew Hip".

The next project will be a re-build. (The link gives details of what I did last time. You will need to scroll down. The finished bag is here.) One of my faithful shopping bags has started to deteriorate badly. I had lined it some time ago to keep it going. Now, however, it needs rather more work. This will be fun!

It is still functional, but the outer is getting rather too thin and going into holes. The lining is holding the whole thing together.

Oh yes, I found these two remnants sticking out of a shelf in a craftshop recently. I can see two nice little evening tops here.

Next week is Half Term Holiday for the local schools, so I can sew................... Hope you have a nice week too!

Having fun with textiles.

I have not been posting about the work I have been doing lately. Sorry about that, I have been rather busy.

This collection of fabric is destined to become clothing. I am seriously trying to get my large piece fabric stash into more manageable proportions. Yes, I know you have heard this all before, but I really must make some clothing to replace the aging items in my wardrobe. Rather more satifying than going into a shop and buying............. or that's what I'm telling myself.

Here are some of the patterns I shall be using. Yes, that is a vintage Burda shirt pattern at the bottom of the pile.

The main project I am doing at the moment is my monthly pieces for the Traveling Pages group. This is great fun and I am learning a lot seeing other people's work.

This first lovely page was made for me by Trillian. My theme is "The Sea". Isn't this interpretation lovely?

Here is a close-up.

The next piece is my working of "Flowers" for Kath. This was sent to Crete at the end of January.

It uses some of the lino-print fabric I made earlier in January. (You will need to scroll down through this post to see the fabric I printed.)

This is a close-up of some of the stitching.

Here you can see the flower bud I added.

And some free machine embroidery in progress. This was used for the appliqued flower.

Now, I have started on "Leaves". This is the theme for Maya and will need to be completed and sent off before the end of this month.

I indulged myself this morning, having huge fun with fabric paints.......... Children are not the only ones to enjoy playing.

Memories are made............

Memories, in this instance are definitely made of fabric and thread.

I was taken back to the time when my daughters were aged 10 and 8 (back in around 1993), when I found these items.

My husband had been taking boxes down from the loft (roof space) when one of them collapsed. The boxes all belonged to my elder daughter and were to be taken to her new home so she could sort out what she wanted to keep.

I used to make quite a lot of my daughters' clothes and these two pairs of culottes (one in brightly coloured cotton, the other in crepe de chine) alongside the cotton shirt were made years ago. I had forgotten all about them.

We used to have a lovely fabric shop in the local town. Called Harts, it was a favourite haunt of myself and my daughters. They chose the fabric and the patterns, I did the sewing. They usually liked to wear the same things, so my younger daughter had pairs of culottes exactly the same as these.

The clothes were summer weight and the culottes would have been worn with colourful t-shirts.

The last item here is something which my dear husband returned to me after sorting through a drawer of stored items. I had stitched the insert to my own design on 32 count Aida (or was it 28?), in 1996 as a present for my mother-in-law. It was found, safely wrapped and never used after her death some six years later. It is one of those lovely pottery bases with a kit lid produced by DMC. Do they still produce these?

I remember stitching one of a completely different design for my own mother. Her container sits on the dressing table in her bedroom. Another of my designs, originally contained within a card sits in a mounting as part of a small clock in her bathroom........

Why the photo of Felix? Well, my dear little friend has been spending most of the time I have been typing this trying to get me off this chair! Cats!!!