Return of the Native

Been a quiet holiday for the blog, but I have been beavering away between family outings and driving miles around Scotland for holiday purposes.

M.M.B.A... AHEM, I mean, scenery...

I decided to take a couple of sock wool projects away with me. One was a Christmas present for a friend, so am not putting a pic up on the blog (just in case) but the other is a mitre blanket, and it goes something like this:

Various 4 ply (well, 3-4 ply really) sock yarn oddments, 3mm needles (yup, thats a tiny UK size 11 right there) and a basic mitre pattern which knits each square on as you go along. Totally addictive and great holiday knitting :)

Every other row is decreased by two, so as you get nearer to the finish, the rows are shorter and quicker - its like a race with yourself! And then you have to start another one, and then just do a couple of rows, and then another couple to see what the next stripe is, and then, and then...its 2 in the morning....

Let me know if you want the pattern, and I can rough out a copy :) I have done one already, but I cant seem to find a pic on the laptop - remind me to take a pic of that tomorrow and post it up!

When we came back home on Saturday from our holiday, I flew upstairs to my sewing room, possibly even barricading the door behind me, in case small whiny children appeared. Managed to crank out a couple of cushion fronts which are in the process of being quilted.

This log cabin came about from the centre square - couldnt find a place for a wee charm square and thought it would make a perfect centre. Looks like eyes peering out to me :) Photography shocking, colours bright and orange-yellow in real life.

this was taken in good light. Camera phone not liking, it must be a summer palette :)

Colours even more washed out in this one, but it looks fab really. Or at least it did until l tried grid quilting it. It seems that the walking foot is pressing down too heavily on the fabrics so they bunch up and pucker as you stitch towards the end of the squares where they join the next square. Short of getting a new machine, any hints or ideas as to how to stop this happening? Any and every comment gratefully received!

Hope you are all having a lovely crafty summer - and in fact you are, blogland is, as usual, filled with lovely things :D

XXX

A welcome return to productivity

Thanks to Crazy Mom I have a couple of yay finishes to show you :)

The first I have already mentioned here and am chuffed to bits about it. Really couldn't have been much easier (unfortunately I never took pics of the process - my all-singing, all-dancing phone is still new and I have yet to realise I have joined the modern generation that can take pics whenever they choose)

but I can show you the finished object and describe it to you! TADA!!!

This lovely looking item was covered in a stained ratty floral horror up till yesterday. I took the old cover off, pinned it to the new fabric and cut around it, and took the old gathering string off it to use on my new cover.
I then cheerfully rolled up the old cover and binned the bugger :D
Then I double folded the edges of the new fabric, keeping the gathering string inside the fold so I could sew it into the new hem and use it to gather the new fabric.
Worked like a charm :D
Here's a close up - cant remember who the manufactures is, but isnt it sweet?

So now I have a lovely new cover - and I found an excuse to use it.

Because I have ANOTHER finish!

This wee charmer is another cushion for my cousin, knitted in Rowan Kid Classis, Rowan Tapestry and backed with the same cord fabric I used for the first one:

Finished size about 18 inches square. Second use of buttonholes, I think these are slightly better than the first ones, although again not quite in a line. Better every time though :D
The stitch pattern is from one of my stitch books, 4 rows with two slip stitch rows, and another 4 rows with the slip stitch slightly offset, giving a wave effect. I used three colours, so every 12 rows another slight change. Here's Johnny! a close-up - 

The Tapestry is variegated, so adds another dimension to the pattern. I'm v pleased with it, and also with sewing it to the backing.
I used a 1/2 " seam and a walking foot and chugged my way through. Worked out pretty well. Am liking this experimenting!

You'll get a peek at my sewing room soon :D

PS It will never again be as tidy as it is in the photos....

Said the Traveller...

It's been a while since I posted, mostly because I have been having, of all things, a social life!
We've been to Spain for a few days, sans child (woohoo!) and had a book club/cocktail party meeting, and I've been to London for a weekend at a friend's birthday celebration.... busy, busy, busy...

Phew.

In between times I have managed some sock knitting, but because they are just bog standard ribbing, they don't look very exciting to show. Work is slowly progressing though. Quite relaxing on the train to read my kindle and knit - because the kindle sits nicely on the table and all I have to do to turn a page is wiggle my pinky :D

And no sewing. But I have found some amazing patterns, and have a couple of cushions to finish and some good ideas for them, and some gorgeous bag patterns thanks to Bending Pins.

Onwards and upwards then!

(after I clean and tidy the house, empty the washing bag, shop for groceries, dig in compost and plant some veg, chop some wood, etc etc)

:D xx

Finish-it Friday and a First for me

Very alliterative :)

I made a cushion today! Well, finished one really. I'd made most of the top up before with some tweeds that my folks had sent me, and needed to finish it off. My cousin is looking for autumn-coloured cushions to go with her living room, and I thought this one would fit the bill perfectly.

And I got to do something new on my sewing machine today - Buttonholes!
I know, I know, I should have practiced them before, but somehow never got around to it. Today was the day :) I had a couple of practice runs and launched myself onto the main back. And it worked! Yay me!

Have some photos:

 The finished size is 20" square. The front is pieced with 1/2 " seams because the wool tweed frays like mad, and it is quite bulky. The green is less in your face in real life :)

 I made the back from two pieces of corduroy fabric I found on ebay. Love it! Love the seams too, look at that baby. Nothing showing, nothing squint! Excellent to cut too, you just go along the lines :)

Because the wool was a bit frayish and a looser weave than I'm used to, I hand-quilted the seam again, sewing parallel to the machine-sewed lines, just to catch it at the back and make a feature. I also cut the corners where the seams meet, to reduce bulk on the inside. To finish the front, I ironed on interfacing to the back and cut it to the shape of the top. All three layers (front, interfacing and corduroy back) were sewn together on my wee Brother (which sounds funny when you read it out loud!) XL5700.

Luckily I found three matching buttons in my stash. You can see that the middle buttonhole is slightly lower, but for a first attempt I am pretty chuffed. Have a close up :)

 I used hemming web in the fold to give it a bit more stability and because I'd never tried it before. It held pretty well, but it might have been ok anyway. It's a sturdy fabric and nice to use. How clever are sewing machines to make a buttonhole in one go!

I filled it with two IKEA pillow forms, cos one looked a bit weedy.
And voila! If I can tell you anything else, please ask!
Linking to Finish It Up Friday at Crazy Mom x

Small but perfectly formed

Updated to join with Crazy Mom Quilts linky Finish it Friday party!  (I think that it counts that I've finished my quilt top, even though its not the whole thing yet )

Even though I have been a bit under the weather, some things are ideal makes when sitting cosily by the fire, in front of some excellent telly (or in this case, Supernatural on dvd).

Check these out - what do you think?

Cushions were bought, and decorated, little brooch motifs are detachable for washing. Each one I finished was my new favourite :)

PS Borders on Arrows quilt, just needs basting and quilting and binding. Well that will keep me busy for about 10 minutes. ha.

Time Warp

I have a deadline looming; the Ayr Town Hall Craft Show is on 7th October, 1-4 pm and I have a table. All of a sudden it's next week! I don't know where this month has gone.

People say it's a side effect of ageing, this accelerated time passing, but I reckon it may be a craft thing. Something about working with your hands and making stuff is a huge time suck. You can lose yourself in the sheer colour and creativity of it all and suddenly its teatime, and the cat's battering the door trying to get in, and you were supposed to pick up the wee one from school (no, its ok, haven't done that. Yet)

Like anything to do with computers is a time suck, but at least you have something to show for it when you finish crafting. Words with Friends, Not so much...

Anyway. Aside from straightening the edges of the Arrows Quilt, I have been designing cushions and making decorations. Really good fun, and partly out of necessity. My tennis elbow is playing up, so no knitting for me just now, so have been crocheting and sewing, and draping ribbons artfully hither and thither, excellent stuff. All I have to do now is unpick side seams on cushions, sew the ribbons and brooches on, and sew the seams all up again. That won't take hours at all, will it? Eh?

Will have some photos tomorrow. Every one I do is my new favourite. Hope other folk like them too!