Making More Clothes

I definitely go on spurts of doing one thing for a while, before I switch to something else. Recently I have been having fun sewing clothes (I am trying to use my fabric stash, and some of these are from deep stash).

Here are some of the things I have made in the past few weeks-

A pair of pyjamas from some flannel from a friend.

A top in rayon (this is the yoke & sleeves of the Sydney Dress by Style Arc, extended to make a top, with elastic on the bottom edge).

Another Blackwood Cardigan by Helen's Closet - this one out of a yard of 30 year old cotton knit (everything was made shorter).

I also made a few tank tops and a t-shirt out of different leftover knits.

I am super happy with this skirt. It is a self drafted pattern from a Craftsy class (Sewing a Perfected Fitted Skirt with Aurora Sisneros). I used fabric leftover from a Sydney dress I made last summer. I definitely want to make another skirt. The class was great, and the skirt easy to make.

I also finished knitting a cowl using the leftover yarn from a hat I made a while ago (it is the Wolkig cowl, a free pattern by Martina Behm)

Photos from Around & Pets-

We have had days of strong winds, so this is a picture from a while ago on a calm morning.

Best friends playing

Miss Maggie happy to roll around in the dirt.

Last week Miss Molly had a run in with a muskrat (she was sniffing at him under a tree in the yard, and he attacked her). She ended up with a large gash on her lip that needed stitches, and has to wear a cone until next week. 

She tends to hide in her dog house when she is scared (there was a air compressor being used that day), and she got stuck in her house.

She figured out it was better to hide behind it.

She also learned to crouch down and scoot backwards to look for her ball (when she was spayed she just had to wear a little inflatable collar, so this is the first time she has worn a cone). She is healing really well.

Her best friend is frightened of the cone - Miss Maggie has been scooped up a few times.

Everyone will be glad when that cone can come off.

All the best!♥︎

Sewing Clothes

I had fun sewing a few pieces of clothes this week-

A Blackwood Cardigan by Helen's Closet. This is about the tenth one I have made (not all for me), it is such a great pattern. I shortened the sleeves and the body, and no pockets. All the sewing is with an overlocker. This one is out of a blue and white, lightweight knit.

I also made the Fernway Culottes by Twig + Tale. This is the first time I have made this pattern. Twig + Tale patterns are so well done - great detail for how to sew, with lots of videos. It went together so well. These are made from a cotton/linen woven blend. The fabric for both pieces is from Blackbird Fabrics in BC.

I was given fabric and sewed a little produce bag - we are trying to be less reliant on single use plastic.

Progress is being made on other projects too-

I finished hand sewing all the hexagon flowers for a quilt, and they have all been appliquéd to 10.5" squares. I just have to work out the layout and sew the blocks together.

I started a new hexagon project because I enjoyed sewing the others so much. For this one I decided to use  plastic templates instead of paper. I used the GO! cutter and the small  (1" sides) hexagon die to cut templates out of some quilting template plastic I was given. No real goal for this one, I am using light neutral fabric.

The cross stitch is coming along, all the green lines are stitched.

Photos - 

The pets seem happy that the weather is warming up and they get to spend time together outside.

Molly's favourite game is to chase rocks - such concentration. I am sure she is happy there is no more snow covering all the rocks in the driveway. She collects them too and puts them in her doghouse.

Miss Maggie is happy to roll around on the driveway.

The frogs are out in full force too - this one is a Wood Frog, but there are lots of Leopard Frogs by the pond - the sound is incredible.

All the best!♥︎

Stained Glass & Pets

This week I made a piece of stained glass for over the kitchen sink-

Inspired by pieces on Pinterest (I am trying to use up glass). It is about 6.5"x38".

Pets-

We had another snowstorm this week, Molly was enjoying herself.

She hears voles under the snow.

Maggie keeping an eye out.

Afternoon walk.

Doing her best to avoid puddles.

All the best!♥︎

Some Finishes and WIP's

Finishes-

I finished weaving a set of towels.

These are some tea towels woven with 2/8 cotton and some hand towels woven with 100% cotton chenille (all on a warp of 2/8 cotton).

It is the first time I have tried chenille and it makes a nice hand towel.

I finished knitting a hat made with some yarn I won last year.

This was my car knitting project, no pattern.

Works In Progress - WIP's (I like to have different types of projects on the go for variety)-

On the loom I have an overshot table runner,

woven with handspun linen for the warp and tabby weft, and handspun wool for the pattern weft.

Hand sewing some hexagon flowers.

and machine appliquéing them to 10" squares (the hexagon flowers started years ago).

This will be a queen sized quilt one day.

For a new car knitting project I am using the leftover yarn to make the Wolkig cowl (a free pattern by Martina Behm).

I finished the outer border on the long term cross stitch project.

Using the Featherweight to sew Drunkard's Path blocks (one day this will be a bed quilt too).

There is some more linen on the spinning wheel (this linen is bleached).

Pets-

All the best!♥︎

Slow Stitching

This week I tried some 'slow stitching'.

Slow stitching is about using needle and thread to create art. It is also about using what you have.

I used remnants from crazy quilt projects I made over 20 years ago

I made some things with embroidered/lace handkerchiefs from various family members (for various family members and a couple of the pieces have come back to me over the years).

Since I only used a corner of the handkerchiefs for the projects there were pieces leftover.

I started by laying remnants over a layer of plain cotton with a layer of thin cotton batting on top.

Raw edges and everything. The layers were basted together (removed as the embroidery progressed).

I used different embroidery threads for the stitching.

Added some old mother of pearl buttons.

I stapled the piece to a stretcher bar frame.

It was lots of fun to stitch. I like how the cotton batting created some nice texture.

I kept the stitching really neutral because I wanted somewhere to keep pins I have collected over the years (also why I mounted it on stretcher bars so there would be room for the pin backs).

The finished piece is 11"x13".

I also made a couple of very tiny quilts using acrylic templates my son cut out for me (using a laser cutter), just to try them out. These two are from the skewed tumbler and tiny equilateral triangle.

Photos from Around

Sunrise this week

Miss Maggie

Miss Molly

All the best!♥︎