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..........

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...........

A busy few days

1972 - The Miner's Strike

As promised, here is the completed piece. The Miner's strike from 1972. This is now ready to be added to the panel. 

Magazine article detailing the sweatshirt design.

The past few days have been rather busy with a lot of sewing. I have been getting on with some dressmaking which I first wrote about here.

Sweatshirt with lace insert - my version.

I started off with the sweatshirt you see here. Found in Love Sewing Magazine, issue 34, it really is nice and cosy, and can be worn with thin polo neck tops underneath. My version has a slightly different neckline to the original design since I wanted the cuffs and neck to match. The lace fabric came out of my stash since I didn't need very much.

Vest

After this, I started making up some patterns of my own. I hadn't been very pleased with my first attempts at making polo neck tops out of jersey fabric, so decided to make a pattern from a top I already own. It fits much more snugly than anything I had previously made and I rather liked the style. I also made a pattern from a useful vest I also already have. I added some length to the sleeves which were rather short on the original and made it out of some cotton interlock remaining in my stash. I must admit that I am not very pleased with the neckline since I should have slightly stretched the fabric as I was sewing. Still, it is a really nice and warm addition to my winter wardrobe.

Grey stripe polo neck - neckline

Striped polo neck

The first polo neck made from my own pattern was this grey striped one and I must say I was really pleased with the stripes on the shoulder line. This worked really well, so I went on to make two further tops, completing the last of these this evening. As I write, I am wearing the flying birds top.

Leafy polo neck

Flying Birds polo neck

Tomorrow, I really must get on and get my cocoon coat sewn up ready to wear. It has been sitting beside my chair, waiting rather patiently for me to get other projects out of the way. The weather forecast doesn't sound very nice tomorrow, so a day spent indoors sewing, sounds rather pleasant. The pattern is one I bought at the Knitting and Stitching Show in Harrogate back in November. You can the pattern here. I bought some lovely woolen fabric some time back, a bright red on one side and a tartan pattern on the reverse. I fancy playing around with the possibilities offered by the different sides of the fabric.

Oh yes, the "1001 Nights" quilts are now safely back at home with me after their exhibition at Quiltfest. They will soon be heading off to Bramble Patch for their next outing.