One Frustrated Crafter

Doesn't time fly... Apologies for the radio silence over the last couple of months, I've been busy getting into the swing of a new job and working full time again which sadly has drastically cut both my time and energy for crafting and blogging.

Anyway, let's have a quick round up of what I have managed. The garden has done really well over the summer with lots of lovely weather, I'm going to enjoy the last of the sweetcorn tonight, my dahlias have been flowering non-stop, and I've got a sunflower heading towards 10 feet tall! No photos at the moment sadly, I'll try and get out this week for a few snaps.

No sewing unfortunately, although I'm looking forward to getting hold of 'Learn to Sew with Lauren' (of Sewing Bee season 1 fame) when the book is released next week. The trouble I have with any major sewing projects is I don't have anywhere permanent to have the sewing machine set up so I have to properly dedicate whole days at a time to working on something. At the moment with working all week and also a lot of family stuff encroaching on the weekends I haven't managed to fit anything in yet. I really fancy making a Mimi blouse from 'Love at First Stitch', must keep an eye out for some suitable fabric.

Knitting has still been ongoing; I've made two more teddies for my Nan's neighbours which are wrapped up and ready to go when the new baby arrives in the next couple of weeks, and I've been working on a V-neck cardigan in the red Sirdar Cotton DK I got in Cambridge a while ago. It's very slow going though, in the last month I've done the back and left front. Really noticeable how not having a couple of hours every day to knit has impacted on how quickly I get things done. Oh well, it will get there eventually, and I'll enjoy wearing it when it's done - I'm thinking this one is going to need some shiny gold buttons.

Does anyone else struggle to fit in crafty stuff around work? I'm not especially enjoying how little time I seem to have, after being unemployed for a while and having whole days to be creative, now having to get up to commute to London and being exhausted after long days I'm feeling a bit creatively frustrated. Mind you, I didn't help myself by buying a needle-felting kit in Hobbycraft the other week that is still sitting sealed up in the box...

Perhaps I ought to try for smaller projects that I can fit into shorter spaces of time. Am I allowed to start thinking about Christmas gifts yet? Either that or I need to start taking my knitting on the train...

Twist Cable Front Jumper

You know all this glorious weather we've been having lately? Well I've been knitting with the warmest, fluffiest yarn imaginable - hot sweaty hands really didn't help! Anyway, the jumper is finished now, and I can move on to something in a more warm-weather friendly cotton yarn.

This is the jumper I've been working on, it's another pattern from Knitting magazine. The recommended yarn was Sirdar Country Style, but as all Sirdar DK yarns knit to the same tension I figured I'd use some of the bargain Softspun I got from the Knitting & Stitching Show in March. The brown with the slight metallic through it looks really pretty, and a really flattering colour for me. The yarn may be extrememly light - over 120 metres in a 25g ball - but it is very warm to wear, so I won't be breaking this one out of the wardrobe for a while yet.

The pattern was fairly straightforward - stocking stitch back and sleeves with turn-back ribbed cuffs - until I got to the front and the cable/twist/lace panel. This turned out to be a bit of a brain teaser and I definitely had to concentrate - no knitting while watching TV with this one! It seemed to take FOREVER, but then all of a sudden I was at the neck and it didn't seem so bad after all.

When I started I was a bit worried that because of the fluffiness of the yarn the cables wouldn't show up very much, but actually they are really well defined and the pattern looks pretty effective, and I'm really pleased with how it turned out. I knitted a slightly smaller size than I would have anticipated, but it fits really well and will look smart with a shirt underneath for work in the winter (we're past midsummer now, I'm allowed to talk about winter right?!).

I love the selection of patterns that Knitting magazine features every month, they all tend to be really wearable, but still show off a range of techniques and yarns. I've got a folder building up of patterns that I'd like to get round to knitting eventually - the trouble is, every time I get onto the next project, 5 more good patterns appear and I can't keep up! Oh well, the joys of being a knitter!

I had a day out in Cambridge last week with my Mum and my sister, and managed to pop into Sew Creative for a bit of a browse (my sister wanted to look in bridal shops so it seemed only fair...), and I came away with some red Sirdar Cotton DK that I'm going to make up into a basic cardigan. I've just got a new job so I'm having to think a bit more about practical wardrobe additions rather than just things knitted for fun! I'm also hoping to apply this philosophy to some more sewing projects, maybe with a blouse or a smart dress next.

On a final note today, we had a very successful BBQ at home this weekend, supplemented by potatoes, broad beans and peas fresh from the vegetable patch - there's not much more satisfying than shelling peas on a sunny afternoon!

Delphine Skirt #LoveAtFirstStitch

I bought this GORGEOUS Liberty print cotton a few weeks ago, and it was just begging to be made up into a pretty summer skirt, so what better pattern to start with than Tilly's Delphine - an easy A-line shape with centre-back invisible zip and faced waistband.

Tilly's instructions are absolutely brilliant (as I mentioned when making my Margot PJ's), so sorting out the pattern pieces was really easy. I decided to lengthen the skirt - there really is no good reason why the world needs to see my knees - and again, the instructions in the book made it easy peasy to do. I added 6 inches to the pattern, erring on the side of caution that I could always chop a bit more off once I got the hemming stage.

This one seemed to come together much quicker than the pyjama trousers, probably just because I felt a bit more confident about what I was doing. I cut out a size 5 based on the measurements given in the book, and decided to use a slightly skimpier seam allowance at the hips just in case. In the end, I could have probably got away with the size 4 on the waist, as I've had to unpick the waistband and take in the side seams a little bit more just to get the skirt to sit more comfortably at my natural waist.

The invisible zip was fairly straightforward, I've practised doing one of these before, I just think maybe I could have got the top edge lined up a bit neater - will try and get it right next time! I used a red zip to co-ordinate with the fabric (even though you're not actually supposed to see it, I'll know it's there!).

It's my first time using iron-on interfacing, and I was a little bit nervous, but actually it worked out OK - I ended up interfacing the seams on the zip section too for a bit of added stability, after reading Tilly's tips and a few reviews from other makers. I got a lightweight interfacing on the recommendation of the lady in the shop where I got the fabric, but I could maybe have done with a medium weight, the lightweight doesn't seem to have added much body. Again, a learning process for next time. On the other hand, if the waistband ended up too stiff I'd probably find it uncomfortable to wear!

The length I added turned out to be just right after I turned up a total 3cm for the hem, and the fabric hangs beautifully, not totally drapey, but not too 'sticky-outy' either. The final thing that cheered me up no end was buying a new pair of pinking shears (that actually cut properly, unlike my Mum's really old pair) to trim up the seam allowances on the inside - the cotton doesn't fray too badly, but just to be on the safe side I've zigzag stitched and pinked!

I'm really pleased with how this skirt turned out, I've already worn it several days, and I've got plenty of plain tops in co-ordinating colours (red, orange, yellow, blue, green...) to go with it so I definitely think I'm going to get my money's worth out of wearing it this summer! And now I'm wondering what other fabric I can get to make more - maybe a denim/chambray, suiting material for a work look, more fun cotton twills, wool, jacquard - watch this space!

Magazine Review: The Simple Things

Wow! It's been a really busy couple of weeks and the time has just flown by, but I've managed to snatch a little while today to share with you my thoughts on this lovely magazine.

I've been reading The Simple Things since the first issue two years ago and I find it a lovely compilation of lots of different things that is perfect to read for a bit of quiet Me-time. The tagline the magazine is using at the moment is "Taking time to live well", and that really sums up the philosophy of the magazine - to promote slowing down and enjoying the little things in life that nurture us.

The issues are divided into various sections - Eating, Growing, Making, Living, Escaping and Wellbeing, although there is usually a common theme to tie everything together, generally something seasonal.

I'll admit there are usually a couple of things I tend to flick through quickly in each issue - quite often the recipes as I find they are not very often to my taste, but there are also usually at least a couple of articles or features that really make me think.

In the current issue (Issue 24 - June 2014), I particularly enjoyed reading Arianna Huffington's piece about moving around more at work - the health benefits of sitting down less, increased mental alertness, and the creative inspiration that can come out of walking meetings. I have to say that on a personal level this issue has never really affected me - having worked in retail for many years, I am used to spending 8 hours a day on my feet running around, and actually enjoying getting to sit down on my lunch break! However, I'm currently looking at a change of career that will potentially see me in much more sedentary roles, so the article was a timely reminder that I should make sure I keep myself moving around at work, even if it is only standing up when on the phone, or getting out of the office for a walk round the block at lunchtime.

On the flip side, and just because I love a good contradiction, my other favourite article in this issue was "The Indulgence of Idleness" about the pleasures of simply 'being' for a while, totally relaxing without doing anything, letting your mind wander with no sense of urgency or worry. Again, I found this especially pertinient to my current situation as a reminder that I have a tendency to let stress get the better of me and feeling the need to be busy all the time. In fact, I know that I work much better after a proper rest and the opportunity to chill out - the best part of my weekend was sitting in the garden in the sun for half an hour and listening to the birds and the sounds from the neighbourhood.

My final pick of my favourite bits of this magazine is a piece with some beautiful photos about women reclaiming the shed as a place to potter, create or work. Aside from the stereotypical view of the garden shed as a man's domain, a workshop and place to keep tools, I love the idea of women being able to claim a space that is private and personal, away from the demands of the house, to be able to be or do whatever you want to do. I'm living with my parents at the moment and sometimes struggle to feel like I have any space of my own, but this article reminded me that even the smallest place can be made a refuge, and can serve a single or many purposes. So perhaps I shouldn't moan about my bedroom too much after all!

I love the design of this magazine, the photography is always exquisite, and I find there is just the right balance of interesting things to read and gorgeous pictures to look at.

The only thing I miss is the list of 'simple things' that used to be on the back cover - the magazine was redesigned a few issues ago and this seems to have been lost. A real shame, as the lists always featured a few things that I love myself, things I might notice, little moments to enjoy. Perhaps this list will find its way back into the design soon.

How to Combine Knitting and Sewing

Well this Bank Holiday got well and truly rained off. What to do with a wet Monday? Get the sewing machine out of course!

 

You might remember my shopping trip to Plush Addict the other week, and the extra purchases I made apart from the foxy cotton for my Margot PJ's (I haven't done anything with the rainbow stripes yet). Well, it begins as a slightly long story, but I acquired all my Nan's knitting needles a few weeks ago, and then Mum and I decided to pool our resources too, in an effort to see which sizes (if any) we were missing. This then led to the dilemma of how to store all the needles without getting them all completely muddled up and having to rummage through the whole lot when you needed a different pair. So I thought I'd better have a go at making a storage roll for them.

As well as the tortoise fabric and gingham (half a metre of each), I liberated an old bed sheet from my stash, and bought some wadding to give it a bit of padding. I'm actually quite proud that I made this up as I went along, no pattern to refer to, just repeated measuring and checking that nothing was being sewn together inside out!

I've not really done any quilting before but have read enough tutorials in various places to figure out how I needed to layer my fabric sandwich, and to work from the outside in when sewing the quilting lines, and I think it turned out OK, I didn't end up with a big wodge of wadding in one end anyway!

 

Working out the spacing for the pockets took a little while and some very careful pinning - fortunately the gingham pattern gave me a hand with straight lines to stitch along, and I didn't go too wonky on the plain bits I don't think...

The only slight mishap was that I started by placing the ribbons at each end of the roll, then realising after I'd sewed them in that one would get rolled up into the middle and be no use at all, so I had to unpick a bit and move the two ribbons together to one end. Disaster averted!

In the end the final piece was a bit tall once the knitting needles were in the pockets, but actually that gave me a bit of spare to play with so I sewed a line across so that the top would fold down, and added a couple of little poppers. Now the knitting needles won't all fall out if I pick the roll up the wrong way!

The poor old sewing machine struggled a bit with this one, I think there were a few too many layers to go through at a couple of places, and the tension went all wonky again. Really might be time to go and try out a few new machines with a view to upgrading...

Oh, we did manage a BBQ on Sunday afternoon, during a break in the weather for some sunshine, and Mum and I pulled up our first crop of potatoes. They are Duke of York first earlies and were planted in the middle of March. There were a few tiddlers and they could have probably gone another week or two, but I get impatient to pull them up and see how they're growing! Anyway, they were delicious, gently steamed and with a bit of butter melted on top. Mmmmmm...

I am still knitting too, I'm working on a jumper from a pattern in Knitting magazine, and have nearly finished the sleeves. I've been working them two at a time on a circular needle, the first time I've tried it, and I've managed not to get in too much of a muddle. I've saved the front to do last, as it's got a slightly complicated cable and lace panel up the middle - I probably should have done it first and got the hard bit out of the way! Never mind, it hopefully shouldn't take me more than a week to do and then I can show you how it turns out. I really must try and remember to take more 'work in progress' photos of my projects too.

Oh, one more thing, I went fabric shopping again (sorry bank balance...) and got this GORGEOUS Liberty print cotton drill that I'm planning to make a Delphine skirt (from Love at First Stitch) with, in fact I might sort out the pattern pieces this afternoon...

Margot Pyjama Trousers

After my trip to Plush Addict last weekend, I couldn't wait to get started on some sewing, so the fabric went straight in the washing machine and then hung out to dry. The foxy print makes me smile every time I look at it.

I decided I had better follow the pattern to the letter, and as Tilly's instructions in Love at First Stitch are really clear, so the first thing to do was sort out my pattern pieces. I picked the size 6 based on the finished garment measurements, erring on the side of slightly generous, after all, a bit of 'wiggle room' isn't a bad thing in pyjamas! I wanted to keep all the pattern pieces provided with the book as master copies, so I used kitchen baking paper to trace the pieces off. I found it worked pretty well as the paper is quite translucent so you can see all the markings clearly.

With my fabric pressed and folded, next I used a tracing wheel and carbon paper to copy the pattern onto the fabric. I was quite impressed with this method having not tried it before, there was something quite satisfying about the rolling wheel tracking little holes into the paper and a nice neat line of colour coming out underneath!

I had to do this part on our dining room table, so was very careful to make sure I'd got a mat under my fabric so I didn't end up marking the table! Pattern transferred, cutting out was quite quick and easy, I just had to remember to snip the notches to match front and back pieces, and mark the waistband fold line on all the pieces.

Now to brave the sewing machine! Knowing that the poor old thing can be a bit temperamental, I made sure to put in a nice new needle, and had a good practice on some offcuts to get the stitch tension right - took a bit of fiddling, but got there eventually!

The leg seams were nice and quick to sew up, and I finished the seams with a zigzag stitch and a bit of a trim. I tried to use Mum's pinking shears to really try and avoid any fraying, but they are quite old and extremely blunt so that only succeeded in chewing up the fabric - switched to ordinary fabric scissors and hoping that the zigzag will stop the worst of any fraying.

Sewing the two legs together was actually simpler than I thought it would be, and with a bit of finessing round the curves I had an almost-pair of trousers! I've never normally bothered before (being a bit lazy and just wanting to finish...) but I did make sure to press the seams at every stage while making my Margots, it definitely made a difference, especially in the waistband and hems which are remarkably straight and level! I cheated a little bit and used ready-made bias binding for the waist tie, just topstitching it in half, but I quite like it plain against the busy pattern.

So there they are, my complete Margot PJ's, and I'm really pleased with them! The pattern and instructions were easy to follow, I love the fabric, they fit well (although next time I might grade to a smaller size on the waist), and are very comfy to wear. I can definitely see myself making more pairs of these in different variations - shorter, with pockets, light cotton voile, warm winter flannel... - and then hunting down a pattern to make easy tops to go with them.

I'm off on a shopping expedition later this week and hoping to get some fabric to make the Delphine skirt next, maybe in some cotton drill for a summer wardrobe staple. I'll let you know how I get on!

Teddy Bear's Picnic

Well it definitely felt like summer hit this weekend! The weather has been glorious, we had a BBQ at home last night, and were still sitting outside chatting at nearly 10pm in the not-quite-dark! I've also changed over to the summer duvet on my bed, put my boots away and got my sandals out, and painted my toenails. I think it's just wrong to be wearing sandals without pretty coloured toes! The only slight downer on my weekend is that I got ever so slightly sunburnt shoulders yesterday, even though I can't have been out in the direct sun for more than half an hour - I should have learnt by now really, I know I burn quickly but I just didn't put any sun cream on - oops!

Anyway, it's another lovely hot and sunny day today and I'm hoping to enjoy some of it before we are apparently forecast some rain for the rest of the week - how accurate this is remains to be seen!

I'm going to post later in the week about the Margot pyjama trousers I made from the pattern in Love at First Stitch, but today I wanted to share a couple of knitted lovelies.

My cousin had a baby a couple of weeks ago, and as I had a while to prepare, I decided to look for a teddy bear pattern to knit for the little one when she arrived. I found this pattern by Debbie Bliss on Ravelry and thought it was a very good looking bear (some I've seen can look decidedly deformed...)

I made up one first in some leftover double knitting yarn that I had from my Christmas jumper to see how the pattern worked and if I could manage to stuff it to look right. Except for the fact that I think my tension is a bit loose so some of the stuffing is starting to poke through, I think he turned out OK.

For the baby, I actually ended up co-ordinating with Mum, who knitted a blanket in some pretty 4 ply colours, and there was enough left for a little matching teddy. I knitted the body and head pieces in the multi-coloured yarn, and the arms and legs in pale purple. This one definitely turned out better I think, I stuffed it a bit more firmly and the tension in the 4 ply seems to be tighter, I also used quite tiny needles. I did have to finish all the sewing up and stuffing in one go and a half formed teddy just looked wrong! A finishing touch of a smart purple ribbon and little teddy was ready to go. I've since been informed that she has been named Violet and sits watch in the baby's moses basket, so that's a lovely compliment.

My Nan has just commissioned me to make two more teddy bears for the boys in the family next door to her, so I'll have a proper teddy bear's picnic going before too long!  In other knitting news, I finished the back of the newest jumper I'm working on, and have started on the sleeves. I'm having a go and knitting two sleeves at the time on a circular needle, and haven't got in too much of a tangle yet!