Purl and Seam

It’s the most wonderful time of the year

December 22, 2015

I know it’s been a while since I posted a finished project, and I do have some to share, but, frankly, I’m sat on the sofa with the kids watching Christmas movies and relaxing and that seems like the best thing to be doing today.

There’s still stuff to do before the big day, but it’s the last minute stuff so it can jolly well wait. Whilst the house looks like a grenade has gone off, most of the Christmas lunch is prepped and in the freezer. Joy!

So, from our family to yours, we wish you a peaceful and fun filled Christmas, and a New Year blessed with health, happiness and love.

And if there is yarn and fabric in the mix, well, that will just be marvellous too!

A very Merry Christmas to you all.

xxx

Photos were take at Lantern Magic at Chester Zoo last weekend. The rain couldn’t dampen our spirits. If you get the chance to go, it’s a lovely adventure for small folk.

The tyranny of a handmade wardrobe

November 18, 2015

Image from BurdaStyle

For as long as I’ve known him, which is nearly 10 years, the husband has been giving me a very hard time about the state of my wardrobe.

I’ve know women who have snuck bags of clothes into the back of the wardrobe and burnt the receipts in the vain hope of their other half not noticing that they’ve been shopping again. I am not one of those women.

Neither am I one of those women who struggle to fit another thing in the cupboard and have no idea what delights lurk at the back of the closet.

Nope…I’m the girl with 6 things in her wardrobe and who, when an event comes up unexpectedly, genuinely has nothing to wear. I’m not even kidding! I can wear a pair of jeans and 3 tops to destruction…and frequently have. That’s why tumble dryers were invented! And why hubby has been so frustrated with me!

Whilst I can in clear conscience say that during the early years of our relationship our finances meant that it was more important for the kids to be clothed well and for the husband to be kept in suits than for me to have an outfit for every event; or that, at 5 foot 7 and plus sized, clothes shopping isn’t the most fun because I sit squarely between standard and tall sizes and, well, everyone over a size 14 knows how tricky finding your size on the rack can be, these were really nothing more than excuses for not having anything to wear.

No. In reality, the single most significant contributor to the lack of clothing in my wardrobe is one small and seemingly innocuous phrase.

“I could make that.”

I could make that blue instead of lime green with pink dots. I could make that cheaper. I could make that with a better fit. I could make that better quality. I could make that and people in Bangladeshi sweatshops wouldn’t die so I have clothes on my back.

I could make that.

Except…I have 2 young children who have faced challenges due to the circumstances of their births. Boy didn’t sleep through the night or past 5am until he started school. It’s only in the last 3 months that he regularly sleeps past 6.30am. He used to sit and scream for hours on end. Hours. I’m telling you…that makes for one tired mum!

Except…For the early years of their lives I was studying to finish my degree. Then I was doing up the house. And doing it again. And now I’m studying to become an accountant.

Except…my husband works away from home all week. He leaves at 6.15 on a Monday morning and gets home late on a Thursday evening. It used to be Sunday to Friday. This is bliss!

Except…I have a home to run and family and friends.

Except….

Now don’t get me wrong. My life is exactly how I want it to be. Well…apart from the husband working away bit, but we’re a team and it’s the nature of his work, so I’m not complaining. And my kids are champions to have come through some much.

But adding to everything the desire to make every. single. item of clothing I wear. And for the kids too. It wasn’t my greatest idea!

Let’s face it, though. We are surrounded by people who do this. Who sew fabulous garments one after the other. Who have drawers full of beautiful handmade lingerie. And stunning hand knit sweaters.

We are reminded that oftentimes the clothes we can purchase are made with the sweat and blood and lives of people who will never have the luxury of choosing whether their wardrobes are handmade, ethically produced and locally sourced. Sadly the tone is often one of reproach towards anyone who strays from this path.

I hasten to add at this point that I’m not advocating mass consumerism. Regular trips to the shops is not my idea of fun. I have never and will never purchase a thing from Primark. £2 t-shirts cannot be considered a Good Thing for anyone.

I still want to get to a point where I’m making more than I’m buying. But let’s get real. At the moment this ain’t gonna happen.

Over the last few months, however, as my thinking on this has shifted, I’ve been making a few strategic purchases.

So now, if the hubby wants to take me out to dinner, I’ve got a couple of nice dresses that do the trick. Coffee with friends…jeans and a cute top. Ditto cinema dates or a day out with himself.

I have cosy boots to do the school run and cute loafers for a lunch date.

It is wonderful.

I used my Wardrobe Architect knowledge to ensure that everything goes together. And something quite marvellous has come out of this.

I now have a very, VERY clear idea of what I want to sew. I know what it is I reach for in any given situation. I know what colours garner the most compliments and what shapes I feel most comfortable in.

This has been a revelation. Not only is this one less thing to stress about, but it’s also given me a plan for moving forward with my sewing. I promise to share that soon in another post.

The moral of this story is that whilst the goal of a completely handmade wardrobe is a worthy and worthwhile aim, it’s ok if life prevents you achieving that right now. It’s ok to cut yourself a little slack and shop a little. Who knows…it might be as revelatory for you as it has been for me!

Darling designer dachshund

October 30, 2015

You all know my friend Liz…she of the mad knit seaming skills who always rescues me from that onerous task. Well she’s be working on another project that is altogether more fun. So much so that I begged her to let me share the finished product with you because….well, you’ll see.

You’ll love it!

Meet the designer dachshund.

Isn’t he just wonderful?

The base is this plain calico dog from Hobbycraft, although you could, if you were so inclined, make your own base. The decoration is, of course, simply a fabulous collection of clothing labels hand stitched to the base.

I cannot tell you how much I covet this wee dog. It such a simple but genius idea and the result is just adorable.

I suppose a more sewing inspired version could be made using fabric selvedges. Hmmm…perhaps I should start collecting them!

What do you think?

Overabundance!

October 27, 2015

Last weekend we finally found time for a little outing to Hebden Bridge to take the hexie quilt to The Quilt Cabin to be long arm quilted. It’s my first time using a professional long arm quilter so I’ll report back on that in due course. It was also our first visit to Hebden Bridge.

I wasn’t prepared for just how pretty HB is. It’s a enchanting former mill town full of independent shops, quirky cafes and restaurants, and charming little streets. A river runs through the centre of the town and as the day was overcast but dry we spent a happy few hours wandering in and out of the shops and taking a hearty and warming lunch at The Blitz 1940’s themed tea room. Hubby had oxtail stew, I had a steak pie…both were delicious. The meal was rounded off with a bowl of jam roly-poly and two spoons. Heavenly on a chill October afternoon. And the staff are simply delightful.

Image courtesy of Feathegills Emporium, Hebden Bridge

On our meanderings we stumbled across Ribbon Circus yarn and sewing shop. Whilst I chatted happily with the owner and some of the other knitterly customers, Hubby prowled the shop with a sharp eye and the next thing I knew four new lots of sock yarn were being rung up on the till. The man is a demon!

This is what we came home with:

Sirdar Heart & Sole in “Happy Camper”

This is a new yarn for me so I’m quite intrigued to give it a go and see how it wears. One of the other customers at Ribbon Circus was knitting another colourway of this and it stripes up beautifully. If she hadn’t got the sock out we’d have escaped without these two purchases. Damn you, lovely knitting lady!

Sirdar Heart & Sole in “Find Your Sea Legs”

Juniper Moon Farm Herriot Fine in “Lakeville”

Another new to me yarn and the one I’m most looking forward to knitting. Whisper soft alpaca with the gentlest of halos and 25% polyamide for strength. Saturated, heathered colours. What’s not to love? I think these will be a joy to knit as well as wear!

Juniper Moon Farm Herriot Fine in “Deep Plum Passion”

With such an overabundance of lovely sock yarn, not to mention projects for Button and Me, I’m really rather pleased that I’m already on the second of the Tannat socks.

Abundance

October 16, 2015

I finally finished knitting the husband’s Longfellow cardigan and handed it over to my friend Liz today for seaming.

If you ever wonder if you love someone, knit them a cardigan in 4ply. If you finish it and can still look them in the eye, then they’re a keeper!

Knowing that I was on the home straight with that particular project I’ve recently spent some happy time online selecting my next projects and patterns. Whilst Liz and I chatted today I borrowed her swift and ball-winder (mine are in storage) and spent a happy hour converting skeins into jolly cakes of yarn ready and waiting to hit the needles.

Sadly it’s impossible to get a picture of them as it’s so heavily grey outside today. A typically northern day, but I’m just glad it’s not raining!

Now, back to the knitting. In no particular order of what will be cast on first we have:

Fleur Bleue by Christal LK designs

This will be knitted in the leftovers Drops Alpaca from Hubby’s cardigan.

I do love my girl in a navy cardigan!

Lemongrass by Joji Locatelli

I’ve been looking for something cosy to pull on over a tee or shirt for school runs and park date and this really fits the bill. I love a good cable as you know and I’m enamoured with the unusual shaping of it.

I’ll admit it’s a bit of a risk shapewise…I’m not sure it will work for me. But, if it doesn’t, I’ll frog the yarn and reknit it into something more conventional.

Speaking of the yarn, I’ll be knitting Lemongrass in this gorgeous Malabrigo Merino Worsted Azul Bolita.

The colour has slightly more purple in it than I’d anticipated online, but the colour is so saturated and luscious that I can’t be disappointed with it. And the texture of the wool is sublime….slubby and soft and lofty.

It leaks colour like mad, so I’ll have blue hands whilst knitting it, but this is to be expected with kettle dyed yarn. It’s a price I’m very willing to pay!

And last but not least….

Socks by Regia

Winter is coming.

(GOTs pun entirely intended)

Recently over coffee Liz was knitting the most perfect pair of socks. I loved the colour. I loved the feel of yarn. Considering imitation to be the sincerest form of flattery, I quizzed her about the yarn and ordered a skein the same day.

It’s Manos del Uruguay Alegria in Tannat (A6729) and it is really quite lovely.

Hub’s is thrilled! He has quite bold taste in socks.

So…that should keep me in stitches for some time to come. And who are we kidding…you know those socks will be cast on tonight! 😉

Blue socks

October 14, 2015

Well, that’s an imaginative title!

And the iPhone pictures continue.

But these socks have been finished for a while and I thought I’d share them before he wears them out!

As usual this is my standard Regia sock pattern and a mystery Regia yarn that I have no idea of the colourway.

So, all in all, a useless post…but another cosy pair of socks.

Shall we dance?

October 6, 2015

Life is gradually slowing down a little here, which is a blessing. Although we did manage to squeeze in one more day of madness at the weekend.

If you’re a regular reader you’ll already know that in June the kids started taking latin and ballroom dancing lessons. They’d done ballet and tap when they were teeny tiny but had become very bored with that and so I’d let them drop out of lessons in the hope that it wouldn’t put them off.

They are huge fans of Strictly Come Dancing, and for the past couple of years have been pestering me for ballroom dancing lessons, but I’d been unable to find a class locally that catered for such small folk.

Serendipitously Ma SIL changed hairdressers, and the owner also runs a small local dance studio, Will Foran Dance.

Yeah…we signed them up pretty darn quickly, I can tell you. And it turns out they love it, and they are pretty good too. So much so that after only 3 months of lessons they attended their first competition on Sunday.

Boy was hugely worried about dancing in front of the crowd

but thanks to the wonderful Will he soon started to relax and enjoy the whole thing.

Button was in her element, of course!

And managed to dance her way to a recall for the quarter finals, which we’d not even thought could happen and finished me off completely. I was the most ridiculous and proud mummy…and very teary eyed the whole way through. Oh, and there may have been shrieking! Ooops!

So it seems I’m going to have to learn to sew dance costumes and dress hair. And I don’t mind one bit. Because not only are they having the most amount of fun, it’s also giving them a huge boost of self confidence…and, oddly, their concentration and performance at school has improved significantly too.

For all those reasons I’m happy to get up at 5am on a Sunday morning to drive to a venue.

And for this….

I do apologise for the crappy photos…but, honestly…I was a mess. I was so proud and so nervous for them. This was one of the occasions in life where I just wanted to experience it rather than worry about pictures. Grandad was at work with the video camera. Fingers crossed for good footage!

The making of Chanel’s FW15 collection…..swoon!

September 30, 2015

With the estate agents coming tomorrow to put our little house on the market I have no sewing of my own to share.

I think this is a wondrous substitute.

Enjoy!

Langston Blue

August 10, 2015

When I bought the yarn for my Harbour Island cardigan, I chose the yarn before the pattern and so, as you do, purchased way too much. With small folk in the house this is never a burden, so I had a quick look through Ravelry and realised that the Langston pattern was perfect.

I have knitted this little cardi before and was thrilled with both the knitting of it and the end result, so it was a no brainer to cast on it again.

This time I decided to knit it in plain stocking stitch without the cables. I wanted a quick and easy knit that I could work on whilst watching a movie.

The cardi had it’s debut outing on a girls night out to our new fave Italian restaurant, La Corte in Leyland. Leyland isn’t renowned for much other than it’s automotive history, and certainly not for it’s nightlife, but La Corte is a welcome addition to the town. And a great use of the long defunct old police station/court house. If you’re in the area I highly recommend a visit!

Button was given the choice of where she’d like to go and this was it. Although the cardi was still missing it’s buttons at this point, it was the perfect topper for a cool but sunny summer’s evening.

This is super little pattern and I highly recommend it.

Summertime

July 20, 2015

….and the living is busy!

So much going on here. The kids are on holiday from school now for 7 weeks. Already we have a playdate with friends and sleepovers at grandparents planned. A week at playscheme will be a good break for all of us, as will spending the last week with friends in Bedford. It’s hard to believe but when they go back in September Button will be in juniors.

Needless to say everyone is tired. Boy threw the mother of all tantrums this morning and after 3 hours (I kid ye not) of yelling and stamping and tears and throwing toys around the place he’s finally asleep. Button is enjoying the respite as much as I. Things will settle soon after a few days of chillin’.

Husband and I are shattered as, despite not completing the reno on this house, we’re thinking the best option might actually be to move!

I know….it was totally outta the blue for us too. But our current home is teeny tiny with a garden the size of a postage stamp. After a recent visit to our friends in Bedford and their half acre garden, Button would stand at our bedroom window wistfully wishing that we could knock the fence down between us and our neighbours. Add in that we have need of a home office and a dedicated sewing room and only one small room that could eventually be argued over and we decided it’s time. Trying to sew, eat and run a business from the kitchen table is getting old! We’ve spent the last few weeks looking at everything on the market that remotely fitted the bill. We think we may have found the ideal candidate. There’s another interested buyer so we may lose out…time will tell. I’ll let you know as things develop.

So, as you’d expect, there’s not much creativity happening here.

A little knitting…..

This is Brooklyn Tweed’s Longfellow by Michele Wang which I’m knitting in Drops Alpaca in Navy (colour 5575) for Hubby.

There’s also a quilt to be layered ready for hand quilting:

And a new bag kit that I received as a birthday gift from my in-laws:

Mine will be red leather.

That should keep me occupied over the holidays. I’m hoping to get a little time at the machine too. I’ve two lots of fabric for shirts for Boy and the yellow blouse is going to be remade for Button.

I’m planning a version of her Liberty blouse, this time with a pleated front as per her request.

I think it will suit her more than me!

I also have a couple of makes that need photographing. Perhaps we’ll have a day of nice weather soon and we can get out and about with the camera.

Priority for the next 7 weeks, though, is picnics and playing in the park. Reading and drawing. Visits to the zoo and museums. Playdates and pyjama days. Pretty much taking the days as they come. Hopefully without too many meltdowns! Either theirs or mine!

So posting will sporadic…I’m sure you’ll understand. In the meantime I’m off to do some colouring with a small girl. I’ll see you soon.

Photos were take at Lantern Magic at Chester Zoo last weekend. The rain couldn’t dampen our spirits. If you get the chance to go, it’s a lovely adventure for small folk.

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