Pendlestitches, Author at Purl and Seam

The one that almost got away – Simplicity 2560 – FO 3/2012

February 2, 2012

Back in November 2009 I gave up on making this cardigan:

Simplicity 2560

At the time I passed it to a friend whom we thought it might better suit. And it’s lain untouched at her house since then.

Only now she’s moving and the half made cardi found it’s way back to me.

So, as my skills have moved on a bit since 2009, only a bit, mind, I set to and I pinned it and thought about it, and within an evening I had a new cardigan

Now I do recognise this is probably the crappiest photo in the world, but you really haven’t got a hope of capturing the details of a black jersey cardigan. Unless you’re Mario Testino. Which The Husband isn’t.

And I won’t be winning anybodies ‘Next Top Model’ with the lack of attention to hair and makeup. But I’ve been at home studying and cutting out patterns all day.

But suffice to say this cardi is cozy and comfortable and perfect for schlepping round the house. Or going to knitting group, which I am this evening.

And whilst I really didn’t like it first time out, I’m now not saying that I’ll never make another one. In fact I’m using the neckband on my next cardigan project, so watch this space.

The almost perfect trousers! M5238 – FO 2/2012

January 22, 2012

Finally I’ve finished the trousers from the trouser fitting course I attended last year.

I have to tell you that when I first saw this pattern I wasn’t particularly overwhelmed, and, frankly, would never have picked it to make myself.

: M5239

That would have been a mistake. Kudos to Celia!

I. LOVE. THESE. TROUSERS!

Don’t get me wrong…I’ve tweaked the pattern a bit. And wearing them I think I need to do the waistband again. It’s not quite snug enough and there’s a wee wrinkle just below the waistband at the back. My bad!

But.

And it’s a BIG but. (Rather than a big butt before all you wags go there!)

I. LOVE. THESE. TROUSERS!

Did I just say that. It’s just that they are so flipping comfortable. My one pair of jeans are too short in the body and so uncomfortable that this is a revelation. Trousers don’t need to be uncomfortable. Who knew?

For these I redrafted the leg to make them considerably slimmer. I love the finished look. And though I thought I wouldn’t be, I’m completely converted to back zips. I had plans to change these to fly fronts, but I’m not convinced I will just yet. Although I seriously need to add pockets for the next iteration.

The fabric is an aubergine wool mix that I picked up from Badder Fabrics in Hereford when we went to Ludlow. My new favourite fabric. Joy to sew. Joy to wear.

I don’t think I’m ever going to get a perfectly smooth front because I’m so round in the tummy, but these are so lovely I’m willing to forgive. And I’ve moved slightly in this picture so my leg is causing the folds. And of course there’ll be folds when you move. Duh!

But, I’m well on my way to hitting one of my 2012 goals…the perfect skinny trouser.

I think I should make another pair very soon to refine the pattern and fit, don’t you?

And to cap it all, when I’d finished these last night I realised that I had enough fabric left over to cut out another of these skirts:

Burda 8/2009

As the pattern was hanging right next to my sewing table…that’s what a did.

Rather a good day’s work, no?

PS. Badder Fabrics don’t have a website

but they will send out samples if you give them a ring and ask them to.

The owner is a most delightful lady.

She was charming the day I shopped there and very helpful indeed.

Just my opinion.

The Wedding Quilt…Made by Ma!

January 17, 2012

When we were planning our wedding Ma and I had several conversations about what she could give us as a wedding present. As she only has her State Pension, The Husband and I were reluctant for her to spend anything other than a token amount of money on us.

Ma, on the other hand, was adamant. She was getting us something significant and special and hang the cost!

We hit a compromise.

Why don’t you make us a quilt?

Apart from the fact that you don’t have to shell out for it all in one go…it hits the mark in so very many ways.

:: It’s an original piece of art and I LOVE that.

:: Every stitch was Made by Ma with love. A tremendous gift of love, time and effort.

:: It will become a family heirloom that can pass down through the generations. A legacy of Ma’s incredible talent for our children and all the children to come.

:: It will keep us all warm! A necessity when you live in the north of England! (Although, to be fair, I think this one would warm us through a Canadian winter! It’s amazingly warm.)

And so, last night, after 14 months of incredible work by Ma, and on a suitably frosty night, The Husband and I snuggled down under this beauty for a cosy nights sleep.

The backing is the same silk as the curtains and the lampshades

This is a truly spectactular quilt and we are thrilled and grateful that Ma took all that time to make it for us.

Thanks Ma…we will treasure this more than you could ever imagine.

We love you.

*******

PS. She thinks it’s not that well made. I’m thinking she’s crazy!

PPS. It was still a significant amount of money! And a significant amount of work. I tried!

PPPS. This was the mystery quilt project I’ve been working on. Ma was losing the will so I offered to do the hand-stitching on the binding. I love hand-stitching. I’m odd like that.

4

January 13, 2012

Yesterday was Button’s 4th birthday.

As she’s now a big girl, the required birthday treat was a trip to Starbucks for smoothies and toasted teacakes.

As soon as Daddy got home from work we headed to the park to make the most of the last of a sunny day and try out the new scooter she received for her birthday.

After an understandably shaky start, and with a charming degree of determination

she cracked it

How did it happen that the quiet and developmentally delayed little girl who came home to us only 3 short years ago is now scooting round the park and preparing to go to school?

It’s shocking how much I love her (and her brother), how proud I am of them and how amazing I think they are.

This little miss is beautiful, yes, but also brave, funny, charming, cheeky, and loveable. Oh and a million other good things too.

She astonishes me every day with small kindnesses, huge fearlessness, an insatiable curiosity about the world and a limitless capacity for mischief!

I am blessed to be her Mummy. I’m thankful every day that she (and her brother) found us.

Happy birthday, my beautiful, darling girl.

The château quilt – FO 1/2012

January 9, 2012

And what a way to start the year. I’m really setting the bar high for myself!

You may remember that for my birthday last year Ma treated me to a Northern Quilting workshop at The Patchwork Chicks in Barrowford.

I’ve finally finished the quilt. I call it the château quilt because it reminds me of the carved stonework in the châteaux of the Loire valley.

I know that pride is a particularly unattractive trait…but I’m awfully proud of this quilt. The design is entirely mine utilising traditional quilting patterns.

Every stitch is made by hand.

Even the edges are turned and hand finished rather than a machine sewn binding.

I love this quilt and I’ve enjoyed every single stitch. I love the feeling of continuity with women across centuries who have stitched quilts in exactly the same way as I stitched this one.

I really want to make another one…this time double or king sized. But I’m working with Ma on another quilting project at the moment, I have the Gardener’s Journal to finish, and I have another secret quilt project to follow those. So I’m not adding another quilt project to the list for this year.

But… never say never!

New York Cardigan – Made by Ma

January 8, 2012

Ma’s been at it again. She knitted me a Christmas cardigan and showed me that this is how lovely Aran weight cardigans should look.

The pattern is New York Cardigan by Erin Harper which you can purchase on Ravelry (of course…this is one of my favourite resources for knitting patterns).

The yarn is Sublime Cashmere Merino Silk Aran.

It’s so delightful to wear. Soft and cosy and comfortable.

I love the detail on the front band:

Once again I prove I’m the luckiest girl in the world!

Funny story, though…I wore this cardigan yesterday to take Ma out for belated birthday coffee and cakes and to purchase fabric for her birthday gift. We were sat having coffee and Ma got up to get serviettes. When she returned she was laughing to herself. She’d been thinking as she walked away from the table what a lovely cardigan I was wearing…only to realise it was the one she’d made!

Which goes to prove what I’m always telling her, that she is indeed a talented craftswoman.

A small quilt for a small boy – Made by Ma!

January 3, 2012

New Year’s Eve was Ma’s birthday and as is the norm we all gathered to wish her well and deliver her hugs and gifts.

I think she missed the point because she turned up with a gift for The Boy!

It’s too adorable. We got the fabric from Festival of Quilts last year. Each of the squares came ready cut so it was quite simple to construct (compared to the king sized double wedding ring she’s working on!).

The backing fabric co-ordinates with the face squares.

I wish I could tell you the name of the company I got this fabric from. They were a French family…Maman designs the fabric, Papa prints it and La Fille runs the business side of it. They were absolutely darling and very charming when I butchered the French language whilst purchasing these fabrics.

If you know who I mean, please let me know. I’d love to share a link with you. They do just the most adorable fabrics for children.

Edited: I got a chance to nip to the loft and rummage whilst The Husband bathed the bairns and the company is Il était une fois…. I’m not being held responsible for any shopping you might do whilst on their site! 😉

And Ma makes the most adorable quilts.

That was the year that was

December 28, 2011

I can’t believe Christmas is over and we are heading rapidly to the end of another year.

I love this little hiatus between festivities and New Year celebrations. It’s a time to relax with the family and take a breather to reflect on the year that was and plan for the year yet to be.

It’s been a productive year in many ways…I’ve finished 26 projects this year, my favourites being

The common thread with these projects is that I took my time, paid attention to detail, fit and finish, and it really paid off. These items are worn a lot!

I think this is the biggest lesson I’ve learned this year…enjoy the process…take the time…do it properly. It’s the only way to get results that you love and will wear again and again.

The year has been successful in other ways.

We’ve finally finished with the adoption process and both children are now officially ours…we all have the same surname now, which is more joyful than you can imagine.

I’ve committed to the last two modules of my degree…I’m on the home stretch now and by this time next year it will be done and dusted and I’ll hopefully have the results.

My niece and her family have moved to the same postcode as us. It means that we are finally getting to spend lots of time together and that really is delightful.

And despite Pa SIL launching himself through the loft hatch, and the Ma’s and niece spending far too much time in hospital for anyone’s liking, we’ve all made it to the end of the year more or less intact. This is a blessing. Long may it continue.

On checking my goals page I see that the stash has been well and truly busted, although you might notice some new stuff creeping in at the edges!!!

I couldn’t help it.

Honestly.

And whilst I didn’t make a dent in the list of TNT patterns, I am getting nearer to having a pattern for the perfect slim legged trousers. Just a little more work.

But that said, I’m still very happy indeed with what’s been achieved during this year, both in my own right and as a family.

Now I just need to think about what I’d like to do next year. There are some big things already in the plan…but they’ll have to wait for another post.

A good time was had by all

December 27, 2011

The children slept till 8.20am! Little angels.

Santa was very generous to all of us.

The bairns said thank you to Santa as each present was handed to them.

The afternoon was spent with grandparents and niece/nephew/great-niece/great-nephew, and an inordinate amount of food and wine.

I was too busy cooking and celebrating and eating and drinking to take pictures, but I did catch a rare moment of children behaving nicely

It didn’t last long!! But they had a blast.

We couldn’t have asked for more.

I’m hoping by New Year we’ll have cleared up the house! 😉

Fairly hopeless

December 19, 2011

You’ll remember I’m sure the Fairhope cardigan I’ve been knitting.

The last time you saw it, well, it looked like this:

And then, of course I ran out of yarn!

But now it’s finished.

In fact it’s been finished for a few weeks.

But I’ve got to tell you it’s not a happy ending.

You see, this is what Fairhope should look like when finished:

Gorgeous, no? Elegant and cosy and just generally lovely.

Yeah! Right!

Although, in fairness to the lovely Kim, the pattern has been a joy to knit and the cardigan itself looks exactly as it should, just with a few inches extra length.

I think the problem is with the model.

I’m only sharing this with you because I know you won’t laugh.

But really…..this is an amazing pattern that is just completely the wrong style for me. I think it’s that good old learning curve rearing it’s head again!

Thankfully Ma really enjoys such tedious tasks as unravelling unfortunate knits. Which is a godsend as frankly I’d rather stick red hot pins in my eyes. I’d even gone so far as to get permission from the designer to sell this cardigan.

But I love the colour.

So it’s back to the drawing board…with big fat thanks to Ma!

And let’s face it…if this is the worst thing that happens to me this week then the world is a pretty cool place. So watch this space.

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