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

Friday Finish - only 2 days late! :D

I know, I know, bit of a cheek really :D but I have been looking after a sick almost 6-year old, so couldn't really get anything done before now. She's a lot better, started arguing back today after a day of being sick (Friday) and a day of lying on the couch shattered (Saturday). Poor wee soul. Kids are at their most forlorn when they're ill.

Anyway.

I've been a busy bee today - the long weekend has been a fantastic aid to sewing. And the sun has meant a request for a sun hat for said almost 6 year old.
Thanks to Riley Blake and April Cobb, I have a fantastic pattern to work from. Kt chose the colours, and off I went...

First I fused interfacing to the fabric, and then cut out some shapes:

Two fabrics, as the hat is reversible. Three pieces for the brim, three for the sides and one piece for the crown from each fabric, and interfacing ironed behind each bit.

Quarter inch seams used to sew the pieces together, then topsewn with an eighth seam to secure. You can see that on the back of the red spot. Then comes the hard part - sewing the round shapes together. Not v good at this, but got better with practice - black one is better than the red one I did first :)

Spot the deliberate mistake? Yes, I had to unpin this one ... Just as well my hubby spotted this!

I put the two hat pieces together WS out and sewed them round the brim. All the curved seams and the brim were 1/2 inch, cut down to 1/4 to reduce bulk with notches cut into them to ease the curves.
Leave a 3" gap, turn right sides out, and topstitch around the edge. Et Voila!

One reversible hat. It's a teeny bit big, but better that than the alternative! Took me a few hours over the day but I am really pleased with how it turned out. I love the colours she chose too, they look amazing together. I'd like to say she gets it from me, but I reckon the wee smasher has her own style. I'd love to show you her modelling prowess but she was in a foul mood by the time I'd finished so this is the best shot I have:

 Hehehe :D