New Flimsy

This past week I finished sewing together some clamshells I had cut with the GO! cutter two years ago! Every now and then I have been sewing them together.

Trimmed it up (this way it looks like dragon scales). It is about 37"x45". I made the clamshells for the centre of a medallion quilt using blocks from two years ago - 365 Challenge blocks from 2016. I knew that I would only be making some of the 3" blocks - 81 at the time,

and I needed to piece 15 more to have enough to go around the centre (I just chose easy blocks to piece).

Pieced borders ready for sewing,

after adding strips of fabric to make up the difference between the centre and border (the magic of medallion quilts).

I also added a little border around the outside. I was going to add more borders, but then decided I didn't need another big quilt and this one is a really nice size - about 60"x70". Now I need to get some backing.

I also finished a couple of knitting projects, both gifts.

This first one is a Midge Shawl by Odessa Riechel.

I used hand spun yarn,

natural coloured silk and merino that I blended with sari silk threads and gold Angelina.

Also finished a pair of socks from commercial Cashmerino sock yarn that I dyed. I was surprised how different the socks are considering they are from the same skein.

Today I dyed some more fibre. I am so pleased with the top one - definitely my colours! Dyeing for me is always a fun surprise.

Our little furry visitor seems to have found a favourite spot in our basement - he has slept here a few times this past week.

All the best!♥︎

Weekly Quilt Blocks

This past week's quilt along blocks.

This first one is block #11, Direction, from Moda Blockheads 2, a 6" block.

This one is from the 1880 Sampler Sew Along quilt along from the Temecula Quilt Company blog, a 4" block.

All the best!♥︎

Finished Shawl

This week's quilt along blocks - 

I can see this one needs to be pressed better -

It is the Sampler 1880 Sew Along block from the Temecula Quilt Company blog, a 4" block.

This one is the Moda Blockhead 2, block #10 'Ducks and Ducklings', a 12" block.

This week I finished knitting a shawl with some of my first handspun yarn.

The pattern is Campside by Alicia Plummer, a free pattern from Pom Pom Magazine.

Not only is the yarn from 2013 when I first started spinning, but it is also one of my first hand dyed yarns. It is a soft merino alpaca blend (one ply of each). I had started a couple other projects with this yarn, but they never seemed right. I am really happy with this.

I also finished weaving this little sample project using leftover handspun from the Granny Stripe blanket. I'll probably make a pillow with it.

All the best!♥︎

Quilt Blocks, Knitting and Sewing

This past week I caught up on some quilt along blocks.

This first on is the Antebellum Album block from the Civil War Quilts Blog - a 12" block.

This one is the Moda Blockhead block #7 (I decided I didn't want to make blocks 8 and 9) - this is a 6" block.

These ones are the 1880 Sampler Sew Along blocks from the Temecula Quilt Company for the past few weeks - 4"blocks (one is a smaller version of the Moda Blockhead block).

For knitting I finished this tiny bag - the Weightless Produce Bag (a free pattern from Simply Notable).

It was designed to reduce the use of single use plastic bags. I used #10 crochet cotton and it weighs just 9 grams. It was a quick knit, and amazing how much it stretches.

I also made a couple more Blackwood Cardigans (I have made 4 so far). This is such a simple pattern, that is so well drafted. The grey one is the second one I made with a slinky rayon (the first one went to my Mother), and the cream one is made from very stretchy 100% cotton (actually from a fitted sheet, when 't-shirt sheets' were popular, but I didn't like it - I was cleaning out the linen closet and was going to get rid of it, it is perfect for a light weight cardigan).

All the best!♥︎

Tour de Fleece 2018

Tour de Fleece finished on Sunday (a three week spinning event held during Tour de France).

This year I spun over a kilo of yarn! All from raw fleeces that I was given, and prepared myself.
All 2 ply, about fingering weight yarn.

710g, 2441m of yarn with high twist. I plan on dyeing this for a weaving project.

This was part of a brown fleece that was lighter. 161g, 361m that I spun in the reverse direction than normal for a twined knitting project.

After cleaning and combing the fleece, I drum carded some white fleece with a small amount of brown fleece. 92g, 265m.

80g, 210m. I have no plans for these last two skeins.

I really enjoyed working with different coloured, natural fibre this year.

All the best!♥︎

Sewing Tops

This past week I made a couple of tops -

The pattern is from Jalie - Sewing Patterns , another Canadian designer, this one is the Adèle Flutter Sleeve Top.
I enjoyed making the first one so much I had to make another! The pattern was very easy to sew, and well explained. It has some great details that worked out so beautifully (maybe it has been such a long time since I have made clothes, but the new patterns seems magical!).
The first one I made was the light pink one, out of handwoven Thai silk that I had bought earlier in the year at the local quilt show. I found the fabric a bit too stiff for this pattern (although the fabric is not really stiff) so the ruffles stand out a bit.

For the red one I used a very lightweight rayon that was perfect. I decreased the width of the ruffles to about 2.5 inches, and I am so happy with how it turned out.

All the best!♥︎

Monday Update

Here are my two quilt along blocks for the week.

The Moda Blockhead block #6 - Path Through the Woods, a 12" block. This was much easier to sew than I thought it would be.

The 1880 Sampler Sew Along block from the Temecula Quilt Company, a 4" block.

Here are all the blocks I have so far. Last week's Blockhead block is really large and definitely needs some appliqué.

I do have a few hexagon flowers I could add....

These are all the blocks with the same beige background....

I have given myself until the end of the year to make blocks, or until I run out of the beige background fabric, then it will be interesting to see what kind of quilt I can make!

The first week of Tour de Fleece is over and this is my total yarn so far - 444g (almost 1 lb), 1447m (1,582 yds) of two ply yarn (averaging about fingering weight), all from the same raw fleece.

All the best!♥︎

Flying Geese

Both of the quilt along blocks for this week had the same size Flying Geese blocks.

The Moda Blockhead block #5 (Impact) is a 24" block (the centre square is 8").  Since it is so large (and I am not making the actual quilt) I plan on adding appliqué to this block.

The Temecula Quilt Company 1880 Sampler Sew Along block is 4".

For other sewing I made some pattern weights. The pattern/tutorial is from Tea Rose Home

They are so cute and tiny, plus they were very easy to make. I used scraps of Liberty Fabric (there is a Liberty Scrap Challenge on Instagram with Ava and Neve). They are stuffed with BB's and crushed walnut shells. I am going to have to make some more!

Tour de Fleece (a spinning event over on Ravelry that takes place during the Tour de France) started this weekend. This is the fibre I hope to spin during the three weeks. All raw fleece that I washed and prepared.

I am working on the biggest amount first. I am spinning it with a lot of twist for a future weaving project.

For knitting I started an Entrelac project just because it had been so long since I have knitted this technique (using Merino I dyed and spun recently).

 All the best!♥︎