September to November Wrap Up!

It's been ages! I have finished quite a few things these past few months.

This is quilt that was probably 10 years in the making.

I started sewing EPP hexagons as an easy take along project years ago, and finally had enough to make a decent sized quilt (I kind of missed sewing them and started another English Paper Pieced project).

The hexagons were stitched onto 10" blocks (using 100wt thread for invisible machine appliqué).

The quilt is about 90" square. I used a Hobbs silk batting.

I quilted it on my sewing machine with a blue dot bobbin case, using CT Essential Pro thread (top and bottom), with an Organ #80 regular needle - it quilted beautifully, the thread didn't break once, and no tension issues (sadly couldn't say that with my old sewing machine).

I quilted it very simply with my favourite to stitch designs - swoopy lines around the hexagons,

big feathers for the outer border and a leaf design for the inner border (because the hexagons look like flowers).

Back of the quilt - I also stitched in the ditch around the hexagons and borders.

I sewed quite a few clothes in the past few months (my goal was to have a complete 'me-made' outfit - now I do!).

Here are some of the things I have made. The first ones are all Lutterloh patterns - a couple of pairs of jeans (my first and second pair of pants sewn with a zipper fly - this YouTube video made it so easy), a jean skirt (I made two more for my Mom), a summer blouse (with French General fabric), and a white rayon knit long sleeve t-shirt. 

A grey Blackwood Cardigan (Helen's Closet pattern) (I also made a blue one). A pair of panties from the Craftsy Class - Sewing Panties, using a self drafted pattern. The one that I am proudest of is a bra (I feel there must be some conspiracy concerning bras - they are so expensive to buy, but now I know, so simple to make, and much less expensive). 

This is the third one I made - the first two I worked on size and fit, and just like Goldilocks, the third one was just right. I started with the Craftsy class - Sewing Bras: Construction and Fit, and the bra kit that goes along with the class - that made the whole process so easy. The style of that bra didn't work for me, so for the second one (and this third) I used a free pattern - Maya Bra by AFI Atelier. I am amazed how well this bra fits, even at the end of the day, it is so comfortable. I did make some changes to the pattern and combined parts with the other pattern, mainly the band and straps.

For me the kits I bought from Bra Makers Supply had enough fabric to make 2 bras, I just need an extra findings kit (commercial and Maya Bra size 32G).

I also finished knitting a cowl-

This is the DRK Everyday Cowl by Andrea Mowry. I knit it with handspun. I dyed and blended the fibre for this. It is a mix silk, milk fibre, Angora, merino, and some silver Angelina (very soft).

Photos from Around-

Fall set in.

The snow came in strong (Molly waiting for someone to come play),

and went,

and came back

and just about went (Molly this morning).

Miss Maggie last week.

Miss Molly this morning hunting voles. She missed the two voles hiding in the hole in the tree near the bottom of the photo.

I have never seen so many voles as this year, must be the weather.

All the best!♥︎

August Wrap-Up

It has been a lovely August. Lots of visits with family, and time spent outside. I did get a few crafty things done.

This quilt I don't really know too much about. I finished it for a family friend, who was finishing it for her friend (before our friend was no longer able to sew). The top was all finished (I believe our friend re-did a few seams for her friend), so I layered it, machine quilted it and sewed on the binding.

The quilt is really lovely. I think it might be a layer cake quilt. The blocks are 9", made up of 2 wide pieces and one narrow. The quilt is 45" x 60" (3" borders and 1.5" sashing).

For the machine quilting I used gingko leaves and loops for the body of the quilt, swirls and gingko leaves for the border, and swirls in the sashing. I used cotton batting (Hobbs Heirloom). The threads were a green CT Essential Pro for the body, and black Aurifil for the border and sashing (same top and bottom).

I recently purchased a bobbin case for my sewing machine specifically for free motion quilting (the blue dot bobbin case for the Janome 9450), and this was the first time I used it - it worked great and really made a difference. 

Luckily I had a long enough piece of leftover binding from a quilt I made years ago that matched this quilt perfectly (it is a bias piece for a quilt with curves and I can never judge exactly how much I will need).

 I really hope the owner of the quilt will be happy with it.

I have still been sewing clothes - another Blackwood Cardigan (Helen's Closet pattern) and a sleeveless summer dress (Lutterloh pattern #30 from supplement 325 - without the sleeves).

I finished a weaving that had been on the loom for a few months. A buffet runner made from handspun natural linen, and handspun wool that I had dyed (more details here).

And a quicker weaving project - a set of tea towels from 2/8 cotton (more details here).

Photos from Around -

Molly chewing on some giant wild asparagus we discovered in the yard.

The start of harvesting the surrounding field of oats.

The vegetable garden did well this summer.

It's always interesting how certain things do better than others one year to the next - this year it was celery and carrots (no so good for tomatoes and peppers).

Miss Maggie feels safer (and doesn't cry) when she is buried in her quilt for a trip to the vet - this time to see an ophthalmologist. Her once yellow eyes are now brown, along with a couple other eye issues - the vet said that we are very lucky and she is fine, and there should be no problems (please don't message me otherwise).

Miss Molly leaping at something in the long grass - probably a frog, there are so many this year.

 All the best!♥︎

A Towel and A Pillow

I wove a handspun linen towel!

It is an Atwater-Bronson lace weave.

It is based on the Pure Delight towels from Handwoven magazine, issue Jan/Feb 2015 (I changed the sett, number of repeats, ends per inch, and a bit of the treadling).

I spun the flax - that took a month! And I only had enough for one towel (lots of white left though).

It is a four shaft weaving pattern, and very easy to weave. I couldn't have fit in another pattern repeat, and used up all the warp and just about all the yarn for the weft.

The above photo is the loom waste, and the small amount of linen I had left,

I used some for the hemstitching.

Fresh off the loom the towel was 'crispy', but after washing, rolling, pressing and drying it is quite supple, and has a nice shine.

I am not quite ready to use it all the time, but soon (I am trying to use what I have and not keep things as 'precious').

The other thing I tried recently was ruler work quilting, and made a pillow-

This is with a quilt block I pieced years ago (the pattern was from Kathleen Tracy).

My son cut some rulers out of acrylic for me to try out.

The clam shell one worked well for the borders too and created a nice semi circle on the corner.

It was lots of fun to try out, but I can't imagine quilting a large quilt this way (it isn't as fast for me as free motion quilting, but maybe I just need more practice).

This week I cut out pieces for a Drunkard's Path quilt (enough for a ~90" square quilt).

This is with a GO! cutter, using the 3+1/2" and 7" DP dies, along with some 4" plain squares.

This is a long term project that fits in a tin, just to have something to sew without making a big mess.

I also made a little pincushion for my Mom like the one I made with a canning jar lid.

She had a little pottery paté dish with a spot for a knife that she wasn't using, it made a nice pincushion with a spot for little scissors (the pincushion - stuffed with crushed walnut shells, is just friction fit in the dish so no harm done). Miss Maggie had to check it out - she had a cold last week and her eyes didn't look the best, but she is all good now.

She never lost her appetite, and was eager to lick out the dog food bag.

Still lots of snow.

All the best!♥︎

A Couple of Cooperative Projects

I recently was involved in a couple of cooperative projects-

This is a pair of quilts for my parents.

I cut out the fabric, my Mom sewed them and I quilted them.

The pattern is Twilight Hopscotch by Kim Diehl from her book 'Simple Comforts'. We modified the size to make bed sized quilts (72"x100" - 4x6 block layout with a 6" border). The fabric is from Connecting Threads. We used wool batting. They are free motion quilted with an all over meander (on my domestic sewing machine), and a hooked feather in the outer red border. I quilted them with Connecting Threads Essential Pro polyester thread and I couldn't believe how well it worked (normally my machine has bobbin issues when free motion quilting).

My also Mom made the pillows on their beds, and my Dad made the cross stitched pictures on the wall (my parents are in their late eighties and are just amazing!).

 This next project is a piece of stained glass that our eldest son designed, cut and ground the glass, and I soldered and finished. It is 3"x11".

Photos from around and the pets-

Sunrise and blowing snow.

Lot of tomatoes under the grow lights.

Lettuce and swiss chard under different grow lights.

Gray Partridges trying to keep warm.

Miss Maggie

Miss Molly

All the best!♥︎

Baby Quilt, and Some Other Things

This week I finished quilting a baby quilt that my Mom and I made.

My Mom pieced the tiny thimbles, and I sewed on the borders and machine quilted it. It is a gift for a family member.

The quilt is 33"x42". 

I free motion quilted it with regular cotton sewing thread in the top and bobbin. It has a 80/20 Cotton/Poly batting, and a flannel backing.

Other recent sewing is that I made my first coat!

It is made from a camel coloured wool that I bought as a remnant from a fundraising sale at the Costume Museum of Canada ($30 for over 3m). I am just waiting for buttons to finish it up. It looks like another 'artisanal burlap sack', but that seems to be what I sew for myself.

The pattern is from this Japanese sewing book.

 

The pattern was for a much lighter fabric, and so I had to line mine (with lots of advice from my Mom!).

All the patterns in the book are very straightforward.

Since I don't seem to blog much anymore I have had a few more finishes, this time spinning and knitting.

I finished a pair of socks, made from some handspun Merino/Nylon.

I also spun up some merino that I dyed.

To make a 3 ply, about DK weight yarn.

 

I used it, along with a strand of mohair/silk to knit a hat.

The pattern is Salut Chéri Beret (link, a free pattern).

The hat is so soft and warm. I added another section of increases to the pattern because I was like a beanie of my large head at first, and I wanted it to be a beret.

The hat is finished just in time for the snow-

Molly was amazed by the snow - I guess she doesn't remember last winter.

All the best!♥︎