Making a book and looking forward to changes.

MCAL in progress.

Over the past month I have been working steadily on my crochet piece. So far it is 30 inches long and almost 20 inches at the widest point. I am just about half way to completion, I think. This will make a useful shawl/wrap for chilly evenings around the house. It should also look quite nice on the back of one of the chairs. It started off as a Mystery Crochet-a-long, hence the "MCAL" in the photo caption. I will never gain any prizes for my crochet technique, but I am quite pleased with this and it is a really enjoyable alternative to knitting and is giving my achy elbow a much-needed rest.

I'm also busy with a textile book at present, but apart from letting you know it is being prepared for a show and tell display to take place in October, I really can't divulge more. Photos of the book will come after that meeting in mid October.

Apart from this, I have to start planning a move in my workroom. In a few days time I will be having a new door fitted and it will mean tidying my room and making space for workmen.................. eeeeeek! No matter, the resulting door will be well worth all the effort of sorting out my muddle of a room. But, if you are reading this, do wish me luck. My main concern for the moment is finding somewhere safe for my sewing machines to keep them away from the dust which is bound to invade my space. I can always wash my fabric collection. Special fabrics are already in boxes with fitted lids. I shall not bore you with more, but photos will be taken of the work in progress and also once it is all finished.

I nearly forgot. There has been a lot of sewing going on too. I managed to get the next four of my journal quilts uploaded in time, so I can now continue the project until the end of the year. Such a relief since I was worried that I wouldn't be able to get the stitching finished in time. The first of these you may have already seen.

May - a journey to Prague was the inspiration here. 

 The purple wristband is my identification tag from the Prague Patchwork Meeting in Prague which took place in April. The background is a print, on silk, of one of the tourist maps form our trip.

June - a continuation of the map sequence.

July - another of the sequence of maps.

August - walking with Ella. 

This piece shows my dog, Ella, wearing her doggie back pack on one of our walks. It holds her water bottles, treats and bowl in one pannier while the other holds a flask of coffee for me. The Blue Bridge carries a dual carriageway over the River Weaver. The paths beneath the bridge are a favourite with the local dogwalkers, joggers and cyclists. The river is busy too with a wealth of wildlife, wildflowers and trees along this length. It is a haunt for the local fishermen and women, canoeists, as well as the boaters who travel through.

The 12 journal quilts - work in progress.

This photograph shows a mockup of how most of the year's journal quilts will look. I need to start work on the September journal quilt, before completing the remaining two map sections. I am undecided about the last JQ. It will probably show some of the local trains. The background to September will show the river and boats. The main issue is, do I start work on September before sorting out my workroom, or do I wait until the dust has literally settled and my room is clean once more. Can anyone advise me?

Quilting.

Its been rather a busy and single-minded week this last week or so. Lots more quilting completed on Rosie's Quilt.

Here is a close-up of the blue sashing. Leaves moving out from the centre of each square, with a small flower stitched in the centre.

The reverse of each square looks something like this. The irritating thing is that I just cannot get the tension to let me have just the light coloured thread on this side. (YLI Machine Quilting thread Sand, 16V) I always get some of the darker thread leaching through from the other side. (YLI Machine Quilting Thread Paris Boutique, V74 for the flowers, and Danube Blues, V80 for the sashing.)

Coco just loved lying on top of this pile of completed squares. Yes, for all the world she looked like the Princess in The Princess and the Pea.

Then the worst happened...........I started quilting the blue sashing strips on the nineteenth block when I ran out of thread! Disaster! I won't be able to get back to Jaycotts for some more thread until later this week. It is just too far to go for a few sewing items. Yes, I could phone and get them to send me some, but I am trying really hard to be good. I have rather a lot of other things I should be getting on with.

The Traveling Pages for May still needs completing and I need to make a start on June.

There is a longstanding UFO I really need to look at and baste - there is something not quite right with the piecing which will drive me mad if I don't get it sorted out before finally quilting the thing.

These photos show the top of the quilt.

And this is the back. The design was the Mystery Quilt for the Quilters Guild some years back. As you can see my photos date from 2007! I really should get this one completed.

Then there is the mending............ as usual, this has become rather a large pile. Also the altering and completing of dressmaking projects - three skirts in there............

Then the two bags which need a rebuild.

This is a photo of one of the bags in healthier days - the corners are now getting rather large holes in them and the whole bag is being kept together by the lining. So they really do need some work. The handles are still good.

Yes, there is rather more than a weeks worth of work there, so I shall not phone Jaycotts.

That apart, my whole workroom is a muddle and needs sorting out before anything else gets started. I wish I could work and keep things tidy at the same time, but that is something I find impossible. I am such a messy worker.
A well, off to work - I think I shall get some handstitching done on my Traveling Page for May ready to post it later on.

Getting reacquainted.

Sounds daft, I know. It is a very long time since I really knew my old machine, it's foibles , weaknesses, strengths. I got the strong feeling this last week that, if I was ever to get any sewing done whilst my younger daughter has my own machine, then I would really have to get to know this machine really well once more. I need to trust it. It needs to trust me............

I may be going too far here, but I do talk to my machines and, in return they purr along to me as they work. If I forget to talk to them, they stop working well.......... It has happened far too often for it to be anything other than the truth................... Or perhaps I am going completely around the bend towards insanity.

No, if it works, don't stop doing it.....................

I started by cleaning my untidy workroom. No views of the "before". Believe me, you would not have been able to see much more than glimpses of the floor, and very little of any of the surfaces. There was also an enormous pile of stuff to the left hand side of the sewing machine. This is now tidily put away in the wardrobe. (Away to the right of this photo.)

My dear husband had mentioned the dreadful phrase "throw out...........".

As a true lover of fabric, fibre, yarn and thread, my various stashes have now been caressed, folded, tidied and put away neatly. Only two lengths of a truly dreadful polyester cotton sheeting that had pilled, and which I could never see myself even using as a "muslin" have been sacrificed.

I should explain that the white desk really should belong in my younger daughter's bedroom. There is no room for it in there, so it does service as the table for my overlocker (serger). The books upon it are hers.

I now feel better, more confident and have started using my old machine once more. It was also cleaned during the general tidy-up and is ready to go...........

The latest edition of "Sew Hip", found on a recent trip into W.H.Smiths was truly well-timed. It has this delightful blouse on the front cover. I shall make this, though I shall probably have to alter it quite a lot to fit my more ample bustline.

Inside was this lovely little hanging.

Fun to make, and so useful, it now hangs on my wall. I used scraps of upholstery fabric left over from making a bag. The lining came from the remnants of a skirt I had made from an overly wide-legged pair of trousers.

The extra pocket on the bottom was made from two extra pocket pieces and their lining.

I also added a small pocket inside to hold my sewing machine screwdrivers - so helpful to have those immediately to hand when needing to retrieve the broken point of a needle.......................... Or does it only happen to me?

I have not done very much knitting lately, but the tunic I have struggled with now looks a little more possible.

The cabled jacket abandoned a little while ago looks as if it may get restarted. Well, three WIPs (Works in Progress) is much better than one WIP and two hibernating projects. Isn't it?

Of course, the socks are still under way, albeit at a rather slow (for me) pace.

Perhaps this is an irrelevant thought, but I can even see the telephone on my window sill. True happiness is made of this.

Plans

At long last I have started knitting again and I have plans for a quilt!


Its been a funny time just lately, far too busy to really get my head together to do any sewing or stitching of any kind Now the sun has come out and today looks really nice outside. I should really be outside enjoying the weather rather than contemplating starting any sewing! I think I should compromise, and take myself off for a walk and then come back to sew a little later on.


Ah!!!





The plant above, a Spathyphyllum, is the latest addition to my workroom. It was given to me last weekend as a birthday present by my younger daughter, Rosie. Its such an elegant plant.


Now, the sewing.
I rather fancy having a couple of quilts I can bundle into the car, ready for sitting on the grass for a picnic. The pattern below, I have had for quite a time now. I really should try it out.




Last weekend, I went to Hobbycraft and found these stripes and checked fabrics. The plan started to come together at long last.






The colours are such fun. Reduced price too! Just couldn't resist.



Then on Thursday, at the Knots and Needles meeting, we had a speaker, Barbara Crompton, who also runs the shop "Material Pleasures". She got all of us doing some English Patchwork using papers. I hadn't done any of this style of patchwork for a very long time. It got me back into sewing again. Thanks Barbara!


She had brought some items from her shop along with her. I found these. Just the right range of colours to go with the bright stripes and checks!




So now, the fabric has been washed and ironed and I am ready to go.........................

Oh yes, yesterday, I went into Aldi and found the perfect yarn for my next cardigan.




The design is by Sirdar for their Click DK range of yarns. The leaflet number is 8956.


The colour I chose? Well, its a rather nice green acrylic. Acrylic? Yes, well this cardi will be used for school and I do like to be able to wash things easily.




As usual, I rather overdid it and bought enough for three garments (3 x 500g!) The other two colours will come in for some other tops and cardigans I really need.


Then, because I was in the mood, I resurrected this pattern by Vladimir Teriokhin. (Vogue Knitting International, Spring / Summer 2008). This is a design I really love, but last time attempted to knit it using the wrong yarn. This time I am using bamboo, just like the original! It feels lovely..........................

Storage solutions, sewing and knitting.

I saw my elder daughter Liz a couple of days ago and was able to hand her the first of the two sweaters she asked me to knit. It was duly worn, admired, and when she left, a few short hours later, she was still wearing it. Now, what more can a loving mum hope for? To knit something for someone and for it to be appreciated............

I'm working steadily on the second sweater. This is the Dickinson Pullover by Kathy Zimmerman from the Fall 2007 edition of Interweave Knits. This is such a nice design to knit, that I find it rather compulsive knitting. Just as well, since I've had to rip it back a few inches or so. I made such a silly error in placing the cables, then compounded it by making a different error when I sarted that section again. It got ripped back around four inches the first time, but only around a couple of rows or so the remaining times. Never mind, the back is now completed, though I have not cast off the stitches. I've placed these on a stitch holder.




Here you see the ever helpful Aggie modelling the back. On the shoulder of my tailor's dummy, you can also see the work completed so far for the front.





I decided to add to my storage containers again this week. I went into "The Works", which is a very cheap stationers/booksellers/artist's supplies shop. I bought a couple of their large paintbrush holders. I bought two some months ago as an experiment - wanting to find some way of keeping my knitting needles neat and tidy. I needed two more to contain my many circular needles. The nice thing about these holders is that they can stand upright when you fold them, useful when doing a series of tension (gauge) swatches.



As you can see, the folders look really neat and tidy on the shelves above my desk. The next thing I must do is sew on some labels. The folders are all fabric covered.

Whilst in "The Works", I also found a really cheap book about Japan. It is beautifully illustrated. Especially useful since I shall be returning to the annual "Arts Week" in school after the Easter break. My topic this year is "Japan". The children will find the photos in this book really helpful.




One other item I have been working on is the Japanese folded hanging which I started some time ago.



The photos show the completed bottom half. This now has a purchased tassel as well as beading and some tiny bells. The red heart came from the miniature rose my husband bought me for Valentines Day.
I am intending the hanging to be hollow, though I might change my mind when it comes closer to completion. This shows the inside.



Recently, I got the next part of the Band Robin in the post. This gorgeous piece now hangs on my board ready for me to start work. Did you see the deilghtful little card sitting on my shelf beside the hanging? The card arrived with the Band Robin. The stitched design is printed on the reverse......



I am looking forward to getting on with this one. For further information about this project, please visit the Stitching Sisters Blog.

Mothers Day.

Here in England it has been Mother's Day today. It has been so nice to see both my daughters together this weekend - a rather rare event these days.





My elder daughter gave me this delightful little cat by Jenny Winstanley. Its eyes seem to follow me in such a friendly way. I am keeping it in my workroom. I'm not sure what Felix and Coco will make of it when they finally see it. My younger daughter gave me a lovely box of chocolates. I shall enjoy indulging myself with those later.






This book was a lucky find in a Charity shop yesterday. The illustrations are gorgeous, full of inspiration. Such a variety of pattern. The following photographs show two pages chosen completely at random.







I do so love richly illustrated books like this. Tiles give such a wealth of repeated patterns. I can see myself using these as the basis for an applique design.






Last time, I showed the start of this little box. It is basically Japanese Folded patchwork, but the "centre" has been added on top instead of inside the main fabric. I've added stitching and buttons to each side and to the top. The top itself is attached to the main body of the box by a hinge made of tubular beads stitched through to create the join.






It was fun to make with very little stitching needed to hold the whole thing together. Not sure what I shall use it for, but it looks pretty on a shelf for now.



I have been continuing with the knitting. Both the sweaters are now close to completion. The aran sweater is just needing the neck to be started. Shown here are the sleeves. I have not followed the pattern with these, preferring to make them match the front and back. (The original design had sleeves with the narrow cable running up the centre of the sleeve surrounded by double moss stitch.)






Liz's jumper is coming along well too. It now has around half of the second sleeve yet to be completed. Then I will only have the cowl neck to complete. The design is the Placed Cable Aran by Cathy Payson from the Fall 2007 edition of Interweave Knits.

A happily creative 2008 to all!

I hope you have all had a creative start to this new year.

The orchid shown above was given to me as a Christmas present by one of my pupils. A truly delightful, and much appreciated thought. I love flowers.

This holiday from school has been a very creative one for me. I've been very busy with the Band-Robin. The stitching is now getting close to completion. I started the Ice Queen cowl, but have now ripped that back since I really wasn't happy with the way I had knit the pattern. It really wasn't quite right. So I shall start that again once I have got the stitching completed for the Band-Robin. (Photos for this will have to wait until after the sampler has found its way on to the next participant.)

I have also ripped back the Naive socks which I had also started knitting. The wool I was using, although wonderful to knit with, was really too dark to show off the subtle cabling of the design. The yarn will be great for a plainer pair of socks.

The other day I bought myself three huge balls of aran weight yarn (400g x 3!). Its not such an expensive purchase since the yarn is a mix of acrylic and wool. I needed some bright colours to lift my mood. The red is destined for a cardigan and the blue for a warm cowl to go with my blue jacket on windy days. Yes, I do have a scarf. But this is such a nuisance when it is windy, since I really can't keep it warmly and comfortably round my neck.

Amongst all this activity, I completed Hazel. Yes, it is too cold here in the Northern Hemisphere, to wear it just now. I really enjoyed making it though. The cables are such fun to do. I have plans for a cardigan/jacket to go with it.

I also decided this week, to sort out my fabric stash. I'd had to live with such a lot of it blocking access to a cupboard for rather too many months. The cupboard housed my collection of books and a number of other textile bits and pieces. So I spent a useful day sorting it all out. The books now reside in a bookcase in my workroom, just where I can use them. Wonderful! The pile of fabric has also gone, it is now sitting inside a large box in my cupboard and the fancier fabrics also sorted into the relevant drawers and shelves in my workroom. All my stash of fleecy fabric is together at last, sitting on the shelf under my sewing table. I have plans for a couple of new jackets.............

Amongst it all I found this

An unfinished aran jumper that I had completely forgotten all about. I must have left it partly because I was using metal needles at the time. I find I can no longer use these - they make my wrist and fingers ache far too much. Nowadays I use the reinforced plastic needles or bamboo. So much nicer. Now, I am not certain whether to rip this back and use the yarn for something else, or to finish it. I shall wait for a few days. I don't wear jumpers very often, so I could turn the design into a cardigan...................... but a jumper is so cosy when going out on a walk...........

Have fun!