A tidy workroom at long last - sewing too!

 I have spent a couple of days getting my workroom rearranged and tidy. It has been well worth the effort since I now feel comfortable enough to get on with the sewing projects which are waiting for me.

Tailor's dummy and bookshelves beside my cupboard

The first of these you can see on Aggie2, my tailor's dummy. It is yet another toile for the "Sew the perfect fit" course which I am doing with my friend Eilene. This has been quite a learning curve to date, but it is good to learn a new skill and it will help my dressmaking skills. I look forward to feeling confident that any clothes I make will fit properly.

My sewing desk, cluttered as always

Speaking of sewing projects. I have a third pair of these cargo pants cut out and ready to sew. The pale blue light denim should make for a comfortable pair. I just need a bit of time to settle down to getting these started.

I bought some more fabric on Friday to get a couple of projects under way. The floral jersey was bought from the Fent Shop in Macclesfield. The last two and a half metres from the roll. It was a little more than I really needed, but I couldn't leave that extra length. This is intended for another long sleeved polo neck jumper to add to my collection for the autumn/winter. There should be sufficient fabric to make a second top, though I am not entirely sure which design to use.

Floral jersey fabric

Quilting cottons

The half metre lengths of quilting cottons will be used to help me repair a quilt I made for my mother a few years back. This has been loved and washed over the years and is definitely in need of some tender loving care. I'll share some photos another time once I have decided exactly how I am going to tackle this repair. The fabrics were bought from The Quilting Box in Macclesfield.

Walking through a couple of local charity shops I found these scarves. They are now washed and resting with my feltmaking supplies to help me with some nuno felt experiments. I really feel the need to get some felt made before too long. The loose woven piece might be better suited to some of my hand stitched projects, but since it is quietly unravelling itself as I watch, it might be better to felt it into something.

Mending pile

While tidying up my room, I found my pile of mending/alteration projects. These have been ignored for far too long. I have challenged myself to get ten of these pieces finished this week. I have already finished five of the easiest - replacing buttons, minor repairs to seams. The items concerned have already been ironed and are hanging up in my wardrobe ready to wear once more. I need to tackle some of the more demanding items next.

My scrappy cardigan is nearing completion. All the knitting has been finished, I am just stitching the ribbing sections into place. These were knitted separately, which is quite an unusual method. The sewing together may take some time yet since there are also quite a number of ends to sew in too!

Last week my copy of the latest book from the Contemporary Quilt group arrived. It is a record of the quilts which were selected for the "In print" exhibition. I have a quilt in this collection so it was rather a thrill to see my work in print, literally. You can see the previous posts where I blogged about my quilt here and here.

I haven't been able to see the exhibition for myself just yet, but will be able to see the quilts for myself early in 2019 when they are shown at the Quilters Exhibition and Fabric Sale in Nantwich in January. They then travel to Quiltfest in February.

In case you are interested, the remaining venues showing this exhibition are:

October 2nd to 30th, 2018
The Curve Gallery, Carnegie Library, Bangor, Northern Ireland, BT20 4LH

Sunday 20th January 2019
Quilters Exhibition and Fabric Sale, Nantwich Civic Hall, Market Street, Nantwich, CW5 5DG

February 7th to 15th 2019
Quiltfest 2019, Llangollen, Wales

March 26th to April 25th 2019
The Old Chapel Textile Centre,
Newbury, RG19 6HW

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?