Day - 31 A Few Finishes!

I finished sewing a tunic from fabric that I bought at the Costume Museum of Canada fundraiser sale ($4).

The pattern is the Bessie Tunic from Style Arc. It is a really nice pattern and was relatively easy to sew (I had trouble at first with the fabric - I believe a polyester, but after I put the single hole throat plate on my sewing machine things went smoothly). The only trouble is that it doesn't fit. The shoulders are way too small - the tunic part fits fine, but after I added the sleeves (the last step) I was so dissapointed (I can't even raise my arms to fasten the button at the back of the neck, and struggled to take it off). The tunic is put away for a bit until I decide what to do with it. I love the style and will have to make another one, I just have to figure out how to modify the pattern to fit me.

I also finished carving another wooden spoon - this one a little scoop. I also tried my hand at adding some wood burning decoration - not the most successful (seems to be a theme today), but it was lots of fun. The spoon is about 6" long, out of basswood.

More importantly I finished a month long challenge to myself to blog everyday - well at least post a picture. Some days were a real challenge, but I am glad I did it. Next month will be a different challenge.

All the best!♥︎

Day 30 - Molly's Morning Walk

 

All the best!♥︎

Day 29 - Sunrise

 

All the best!♥︎

Day 28 - Double Rainbow

 

All the best!♥︎

Day 27- Weaving

 I started throwing the shuttle (I can't say weaving because apparently the whole measuring out the warp, and putting it on the loom is also weaving).

This will be on the loom for a while. It is a series of tea towels (from this pattern ebook - A Baker's Dozen) - I have enough warp for 6 towels.

All the best!♥︎

Day 26 - Morning Walk

Some photos from our morning walk.

Best friends.

All the best!♥︎

 

Day 25 - Wildflowers

A type of Aster.

Sweet yellow Clover.

All the best!♥︎

Day 24th - Molly

Big girl on our morning walk waiting for her ball to be thrown.

All the best!♥︎

Day 23 - Rain

 We have had over 3" of rain these past few day and the grass is already starting to grow.

All the best!♥︎

Day 22 - Something New

 I normally warp the loom 'front-to-back', but I am trying 'back-to-front' this time.

It is supposed to be more efficient, but I am not sure so far.

All the best!♥︎

Day 21 - More Preserving

 Canned apple pie filling is so much work, but our favourite for a quick apple crisp in the winter.

This is just the start of the apples.

All the best.♥︎

Day 20 - Preserving

Just about everyday now involves some kind of canning or freezing of the harvest from the garden. Today involved some easier ones to freeze.

Swiss-chard for winter smoothies - just washed, and vacuum sealed (there is quite a lot in each bag, when I need them I just break off pieces).

 A couple of lemon cranberry zucchini loaves (the recipe is from here).

All the best!♥︎

Day 19 - Socks

I finished another pair of handspun socks.

These are made from a BFL/Nylon blend that I dyed and spun.

Shades of green and burgundy.

I knit these two-at-a-time, toe-up and used almost all the yarn.

All the best!♥︎

Day 18 - Table Runner

I finished weaving the table runner I started a few weeks ago.

It is an 8-shaft overshot pattern from the Nov/Dec 2016 issue of Handwoven magazine (the middle section of the Royal Holiday Runner on p46).

I wove 3 repeats of the pattern.

I used Harrisville Design Shetland wool (a commercial yarn) for the warp and tabby weft, and a handspun yarn for the pattern weft.

It was lots to fun to weave - the new loom works really well. More details can be found on my Ravelry project page.

 For now it is living on our buffet.

All the best!♥︎

Day 17 - Little Loom

I sold my little loom today! 

It was a bit bittersweet letting it go, it is such a good, solid loom.

It went to the loveliest couple, and I am sure that they will love it as much as I did.

 Just some of the things I wove on it over the past 5 years.

All the best!♥︎

Day 16 - More Bees

 Thirsty girls on a hot day.

Did you know that the worker bees (the ones you see out and about doing all the work) are all females!

It doesn't seem to matter if you are a person or a bee...

When my son went to see about buying our dog, her mom was keeping all her 8 puppies in check, while her dad was playing with a log...

All the best!♥︎

Day 15 - Busy Bee

 All the best!♥︎

Day 14 - Fire

 Over 1/4" of rain last week, and the fire ban was lifted.

My son made the fire pit ring.

All the best!♥︎

Day 13 - An Evening Bike Ride

 Drone photos of our evening bike ride.

All the best!♥︎

Day 12 - Sleeping Cat

 I had to wait to make the bed this morning because someone was still sleeping.

All the best!♥︎

Day 11 - A Sweater

My Mom knitted a sweater for me (my part was finding buttons to match and sewing them on).

The pattern is Lady Sunnyside by Tanis Lavallee (there is also a free child's version - Sunnyside).

The yarn is Merino wool that I spun about 5 years ago.

This was the starting fibre - half a commercial dyed red and the other half I dyed. I drum carded the fibre to blend the colours.

 All the starting handspun yarn.

I started 3 different projects with this yarn over the years, even finished one (I am surprised the yarn didn't wear out from all the ripping out). The finished piece I made was a large vest that I felt like Fred Flintstone in - you can tell why I took that one apart. I had told my Mom that I was done with the yarn - it just didn't work for me, so she kindly offered to try making something with it. The pattern is one that I bought years ago - my Mom made one, my sister made one, and now I have one!

Thanks Mom! It's perfect.

All the best!♥︎

Day 10 - Tatting

Last month I finished a piece of tatting that I started about 12 years ago (as a piece of handwork to take on a trip).

It is about 13" across. The pattern is from an old tatting pattern book. I used a very fine cotton for this one.

I started another piece of tatting too. This is also from an old tatting pattern book. This time I am using a #10 cotton thread (Knit Picks Curio in Copper).

All the best!♥︎

Day 9 - Bees

This spring my son became a beekeeper!

They are fascinating to watch, and sure are busy.

Here they are bearding, something they do when it is hot.

Miss Maggie finds them interesting (we don't think she has been stung but the dog has - she was fine).

The bees have swarmed a few times (it was so noisy).

We started with two hives, now we have five.

This is the first frame of honey, and probably the only one we will have this year - the hives need quite a bit of honey in the hive to make it through the winter.

The honey is delicious.

All the best!♥︎

Day 8 - Spinning then Knitting

I spun yarn and then knitted a few things recently, from fibre that I had dyed.

This one is merino/nylon blend that I spun a 3 ply yarn for socks.

And the knitted socks (my regular toe-up, two-at-a-time socks to use every bit of yarn).

This one is an alpaca/merino/silk blend, that I spun into a singles yarn (so the colours would remain clear).

 And the knitted shawl (really a scarf). 

The pattern is one I have made before and couldn't resist knitting again (Entrelac Shawl with Tassels by Eva Martinsson).

All the best!♥︎

Day 7 - Piecing

I haven't been quilting this summer (summer's are just too short here), but back in May I kept up with piecing the Laundry Basket 2021 Mystery Quilt.

The blocks are 4" (it is a 15x15 block layout, but some of the blocks are plain fabric).

It was lots of fun.

 The blocks are now waiting to be sewn together, but that will wait until the fall.

All the best!♥︎