Okay, Let's Sew!

I've been really interested in making some needle cases lately, mainly because I'm beginning to get overwhelmed with pin cushions! So I've been scanning through Pinterest for ideas and this is what I've come up with so far.

Needle Case Buttoned Up...

I borrowed a bee image off Pinterest and then made it up the way I wanted it in felt and sewed it on a large circle of felt. I think it looks really good and I like the neat running stitches and backstitches I used to put it together instead of blanket stitch, which is more usual. It never seems as neat as I'd like it. I sewed together the body of the needle case (I had to get out my sewing machine which I hadn't wanted to do but there really wasn't any other choice!) attaching the elastic loop at the same time and then inserted the padding to give the strip some body.

...And Unbuttoned!

I used the machine to sew in the felt sheets inside and then sewed around the edges...badly to be honest. I've not used my sewing machine for a while and I couldn't get the tension right and I lost patience. Anyway, it's all together. I hand-sewed on the felt patch with the bee on it and sewed a nice vintage button I had on. 

Ribbon to attach Scissors and Fine Needles.

 After all that, I sat back and admired it (while dishes remained undone and clothes piled up unfolded!) and realized I needed a couple more features. I added a strip of ribbon on the inside of the front cover to tie a small pair of folding scissors...

Back Pocket for Needle Packets.

 I also added a felt pocket at the back to hold the few packets of needles I have as well as a knitting needle size gauge that I also always carry around. I felt it was a very complete little unit now. Just what I wanted.

Felt Inner Sheets for Needles

And of course, a sheet of felt to hold loose needles. 

I like this but I wanted to make something a bit smaller that I could give away as gifts. Something that allowed a bit of creativity but didn't take quite as long as the Bee patch on the first case.

This is what I came up with.

Little Needle Case Shut

 It's a little folded needle case. Really sweet and cute! The fabric part was cut out in one piece with interfacing ironed to it to stiffen it a little.

Little Needle Case Open

On the inside I used two pieces of felt because I wanted to match some of the colours of the outer fabric and I didn't have a piece big enough. I hand sewed everything with fine white crochet cotton so the felt and the fabric are kind of quilted to each other. I sewed two pieces of felt in the centre for needles. I also covered the press-studs with scraps of fabric to make them look neater.

Little Needle Case Face

I sewed the felt flower on the fabric before I sewed anything else to it so the stitching wouldn't show on the inside. And to join the two fabrics I sewed bias binding around the edges. It was really a very neat little design! If I did it again I think I'd copy out the main template on cardboard and use that to trace the pattern onto the fabric required. There are things I'd change and elements that need a bit of fine tuning but over all I really like it! I might even get out the sewing machine and try and work out the tension problem...bit of a task since I think I've lost the manual...of course!

Okay, I think that's it so far. See you all later :)

Dx

Blackwork, Redwork...whatever you call it!

I love the impact of fine lines on fabric and blackwork has that sort of impact in spades! Especially when it's centred on a single small motif. So, like the pin cushions I just finished, I have about 5 designs that are either entirely blackwork or use it principally and I'm going to make a collection of scissor fobs using them. And so here is the first offering! It's kind of off-putting calling it blackwork when it's red but I can handle that, even if my kind of aspergers-y brain keeps saying you can't call it that! Dammit! I will tough it out. Shut up Brain! That's what it's called!!...
...Anyway, here's the latest.

See? Isn't it pretty?

One done, onto the next side.

When I started assembling this I used beads again around the edge since it looked so good on the last pin cushion and I used crochet cotton for the tassel and the loop at the top.

And here it is, as it would be used on a pair of scissors (I only had my shear scissors on hand). 

All stuffed nice and tight so I can put needles securely in there and the beads look so nice. Sigh. I am very happy with this if you hadn't noticed. And what ever takes my mind off possibly having ruptured my Achilles tendon is a good thing. Damn body falling apart!

See you all next time. Off to start the next one!

Big Finale! Last Pin Cushion!

I have completed the last (for the time being anyway) pin cushion of my small set! So I decided to go all out with it's decorative bits!

This is the front piece design I copied from the blurred photocopy I had. I used the organic cotton for all the colours except for the white on the wings...and now I look at it I realize I forgot the one black spot for the birds eyes. Bother!! Oh well, too late now :)

So here is the finished product! I even found some ribbon to do the tie at the top instead of the ring. And I added beads around the edges when I was closing it up. I am ridiculously impressed with myself! It's so pretty! And a suitable finale for my collection of pin cushions.

See? Lovely red beads all hand stitched on, even around the ribbon join. And now...I think I'll give it a rest for a while. No more pin cushions...
...but I do have some adorable black-work motif patterns that would make absolutely gorgeous scissor fobs...mmm...maybe keep the threads out a little longer!
See you next time :)

Cross Stitch - the Other Obsession!

I've been on a mission to complete as many cute pin cushions as I can while giving my hands a bit of a rest from frenetic knitting...not that I'm not still knitting, just not so much like a machine!
I've been tooling around on Pinterest and there are so many beautiful patterns and projects! I love small motifs, both in cross stitch and black-work because they are so simple, are relatively quick to complete and have huge impact visually because they are so small and cute!
Also I wanted to use an organic cotton thread called Scanfil which has a large selection of lovely colours. Since it's a bit heavier than regular cotton I find it quite suitable to do fine cross stitch and black-work with.
Anyway...I have finished all but one of the designs I downloaded. Here they are in order of completion!

Roses and Bees

This one taught me a few things. That sewing together the two sides SOUNDS easy...but not necessarily in practice! Fortunately I'd followed the pattern and it had this backstitch square sewn around the design and you thread through that so you get a neat edge on the completed item. Very clever :) The brass ring is so you can attach it to your sewing basket or something. A ribbon might have been better but I didn't have any and the rings were just sitting there, so...

Birds and Flowers

These are on even weave fabric and it never occurred to me how tiny the gauge would be until I was pretty much past the point of no return and my eyes were hanging out of my head!  When I downloaded the picture of the design it was hopelessly fuzzy so I drew it all out myself and as close to the original design colours as I could. When I didn't have a colour I needed in the Cotton thread I just used DMC instead. All at 1 strand thickness.

 

Ladybirds and Flowers

...And straight after tiny gauge, back onto usual gauge! Don't ask me what gauge that is, all I know is the previous pin cushion is 6cms square and this one is 8cms square. So, a bit of a difference. I think both designs cover a 50 x 50 graph square. 

Ladybirds and Bees

Back to sort-of tiny gauge. Not quite as bad as the Birds and Flowers one but still pretty small. All Scanfil cotton. I was pretty pleased with this one too. But because of the large piece of base fabric I used that I didn't trim down, folding the edges in was a bit of an irritation!

Ladybirds and Lily Bells
 And my nemesis! The design had lovely white flowers on a pale khaki background. I didn't have any base fabric darker than the cream stuff I'd used on the 8cm pin cushion so I though, "I know, I'll just sew the background the colour I need so the white flowers don't disappear into the cloth. Brilliant!"
Most. Frustratingly. Slow. Design. EVER!!
You don't realize you've  become used to finishing a piece in a specific period of time until you hit something that defies every attempt to hurry it up! It does look very attractive, as a finished project...But I would NEVER do it again!!

Florals and Swirls
And this is my latest finished one. Pretty, cute, little (About 6-7cms square) and finished! I have one more design that I had to redraw out because I couldn't see all the squares to do and it is under way as we speak. But I'm pretty proud of my collection. I'm not really sure what I'm going to do with them all but I have a similar problem with the vast amount of finished knitting projects I have so why should this obsession be any different? Hope you enjoyed my little brag show. See you next time :)
Dx

Okay, Pattern Completed!

I said I'd make up a sheet with a photo for the ridiculously-named knitted undies...
...And I have!

Cotton Undies

Notions:

1 - 2 Cotton Yarn 50g

3.75mm circular needles

Yarn needle

Gauge:

6 stitches x 8 rows = 1”

Sizes:

S (M, L, XL)

CO 68 (80, 92, 104)

Purl first row.

Work in Stockinette for 16 rows (measures 2 inches)

BO 23 (26, 29, 32) stitches at the beginning of each row twice.

16 (20, 24, 28) stitches remain.

BO 1 stitch at each end of the needle every 4 rows, 4 times.

8 (12, 16, 20) stitches remain.

Work even for 12 rows.

CO 1 stitch at each end of the needle every other row, 40 (48, 56, 64) times.

Until you have 48 (60, 72, 84) stitches.

CO 2 stitches at end of the needle every other row 5 times.

Until you have 68 (80, 92, 104) stitches.

Work even for 16 rows (measures 2 inches)

BO

Pick up and bind of 96 (136, 150, 164) stitches along each leg edge.

Stitch together hip band.

Pick up and bind off 136 (160, 184, 208) stitches from the waist.

Optional Crotch Insert:

CO 16 (20, 24, 28) stitches.

Work in stockinette stitch.

BO 1 stitch at each end of needle 4 times, leaving 8 (12,16,20) stitches.

Work even for 12 rows.

CO 1 stitch at each end of the needle every 4 rows, 4 times.

BO

Stitch insert into crotch of the undies.

This is a copy of saltonyourwound.tripod.com/basic_panda_food_panty.html pattern. Just to present the pattern with an example of the knitted item for all of us who are visually orientated J

Isn't that better? Now I can see how it's supposed to look (these are knit in XL) but I can tell you the picking up of stitches and then binding them off next really stabilizes the legs and waist. Sadly to the point that I can't get my fat topped legs into them :(But now I have somewhere to go from. Other modifications I made from the original patter was to knit the waist 10 rows longer both back and front. So 26 rows instead of 16. And when the bind off for the legs begin instead of casting off the 32 stitches I halved it and bound them off over 4 rows at 16 stitches each row. That's about all. I like the way they turned out even though I can't wear them. It at least gives me a point to work out how to knit undies with a bit more give in the legs and waist. But it's a well written pattern. Excellent :)

Still here!

I'm really slack at keeping this up. Maybe that's why I don't keep a diary!

But I have not been idle!!

I have been slowly restocking my etsy store  http://www.etsy.com/shop/danie17  and it's starting to look pretty good. Haven't sold a damn thing but a lot of people have had a look and favourited things so, can't complain.

I've been doing some commission work for a lady in Geraldton who wanted two of those thread-through scarves with the leaf-like ends for gifts and a beaded cuff like one of the ones I have but in a different colour. After we went through the frustration of trying to settle on colours for the scarves she kindly sent me the wool so all I had to do was knit it up. Easy!

I was so pleased when these were finished. But the yarn was lovely and soft!!

So now they're done and she's received them, all I have to do is the cuff. A little more tricky since I was entirely out of my beading and jewellery findings. So after ordering it all from etsy, I've finally got enough to start.

Still waiting on beads for fringe where loops are.

There are elements I'm not 100% happy with, like the loops at the bottom aren't as neat as I'd like but that's just me. I'm seriously thinking I need to buy a brass extender chain to use as a fastening for it but I think I'll try and find an Australian supplier. I'm waiting on the dangling beads for the fringe on the cuff so it's not finished yet! But at least started, finally!!!

But my biggest achievement to date is finally finishing the light cardigan I was going to wear when I thought I'd have to wear formal attire at my pseudo-son-in-law's  graduation. Soon found I didn't but now I have this lovely crochet cotton thread cardi that goes so well with the dress and spares everyone from having to view my flabby arms since I think I'm a bit old to be able to wear spaghetti straps in public. 

I wish the light had been a bit better but no one here in the wheatbelt is going to complain about rain!

The little buttons were a spur of the moment purchase that has turned out to just suit this project.

I may not get to wear it with this dress but I'll be taking it to Canberra when I go in a couple of days and see if it goes with the dress Dear Daughter will be wearing because she does need to go to the formal ball. I think that would more than make up for me not wearing it.

So there I am so far. No doubt I'll update when I come back from Canberra.

Happy Knitting :)

New Stuff in Shop

I've just put up some new stock on my Etsy shop. I've heaps more pendants to put up but this'll do for the moment. I've just resined up a heap more pendants so hopefully they'll be as pretty. I hope I get better at this. I always make such a mess! 

Wish me luck.

Still Slogging On...

...With the Vintage Jumper of course! I've now finished the back...

and am almost finished with the sleeves! Yahhh!!!

This is going much quicker than I feared it would but I'm still sceptical that I'm not going to hit problems when it comes to seaming everything up. And I'm really not liking the cream colour. I think I might have to dye it something else when it's all sewn up...outside somewhere...so I don't get dye on our rental house!

Also I finally got my parcel from Annie Howe on Etsy! Not Annie's fault, I might add, that it took so long. I stupidly forgot to change the address from my old one to the new one and so it had to first go to the wrong town before being diverted back to the right town! But now I have more goodies to play with!

I've already played with the Art Gel, a pendant tray, a tatted motif and a glass disc and it's looking pretty good so far. I just have to be patient and leave the whole thing to dry properly, then I wont have gel all over the face of the pendant! See, here's one I prepared earlier!

So, there you have it! Now, I better get off, pretend to do some house work and see if I can't finish these sleeves tonight...or at least before 12.30am :)

Happy Knitting :)

Twinkle, twinkle, Little star...

..well, they do look kind of like that. I've finally got a group of pendant trays with a tatted motif embeded in resin all finished. Not 100% satisfied with it myself yet but I'm getting better!

The first group I did I didn't warm the resin first and there are tiny bubbles trapped in the resin not to mention I didn't coat the motifs in PVA glue to keep there colour from becoming washed out when the resin absorbed into it. And some of the background colours weren't the best choice for displaying the motifs either.

These ones are an excellent example of what not to do!

While this one, while beautifully clear...

...still has bubbles trapped in it. But at least I'm getting better at mixing the resin!

Now all I need to do is wait till I get the chains I've ordered off www.etsy.com (LOVE Etsy! I've gotten most of my supplies from there and have had excellent service so far!) and some more pendant trays. And then tat some more motifs, without getting bored doing the same ones over and over and over...

I have a relatively short attention span sometimes :)

Keep Happy!

Buttons, buttons everywhere!

I've been enjoying returning to cross stitch for a while and I got these self covering buttons with a cross stitch magazine I bought. Then I started thinking of the things I could put on them and I suddenly remembered the motifs I can make with tatting. A few pieces of calico, different colours of crochet cotton and a few shuttles and Viola! I have some of the cutest, most individual buttons you'll ever see !

Aren't they sweet? I wish I had heaps more but as you can see I've covered all the ones I have. Next time I'm in town I'm going to see if I can get more and some different sizes too. These are kind of big. With finer cotton I could cover quite small ones. So pretty, so unique! Sighhhh. I could just sit and look at them all day.
Anything that makes you smile should be encouraged, right?
Have fun :)

Look what I found!

Brianna and I went to Denmark today to do some shopping since we're having some friends over for a meal Saturday night. The pantry's pretty bare at the moment so we had to buy some provisions and definitely some meat!
But while there we went into the Denmark Co-Op. I've never been in there before. I may regret having gone in there today! Such a lot of lovely pretty things!



















We spent over $20 there!
Buttons for a top I'm knitting for Brianna.












Also a DVD cleaner that'll hopefully help us play my "Bones-Series 4" discs which are a pain to get the DVD player to read, pins, needle threader, clear plastic press studs and point protectors for knitting needles. Then we decided we DEFINITELY needed to leave before we got into real trouble!


The Red Cross Op Shop was open so, just before getting the shopping done we thought we'd just duck in and see if they had anything interesting. Were we in luck!
Brianna found a jigsaw puzzle that my Mum had and I found-the MOTHERLOAD OF CONES!!















The large cones in the peach, green and saffron are in some cotton blend because when I burnt some strands it didn't melt or smell plasticy. It kind of burned away into nothing and smelt kind of woody. It's all 3ply but I have some dress patterns and shawl and bloses as well that I'd love to have a go with this stuff! I knit up a small swatch and I'm just waiting for it to come out of the washing machine to see how it washes up. It knits lovely with such a soft drape. Aaaahhhhh.














I also got some vintage knitting patterns. In the end we donated under $20 to the Red Cross!
Then, struggling hard under the desperate compulsion to look for more op shops and try my luck, we went grocery shopping instead. It came to under $200.
But it wasn't nearly as much fun as looking through the Co-Op or Red Cross :)