Purl and Seam

Sewing for your girls….giveaway winners.

April 19, 2015

Classic Button…sassy as sassy can be!

But it’s time to pick the lucky winners of the Sewing for Your Girls giveaway. I used Random.org to select them.

So, Birdie and Katie Sinclair you each get a copy of this adorable book.

Ladies, please drop me an email with your postal address and I’ll get your copy out to you as quickly as I can.

Thank you to everyone who entered…I wish I had a copy for each of you. But I’ve another giveaway coming soon. This time it’s one for the grown ups, so do stay tuned.

Tropical Socks

April 14, 2015

Grab your sunglasses, folks. These are mighty bright socks!

They positively glow!

Madness!

The stripes matching is as good as I could get…the dye isn’t completely regular as you knit through the ball, but they’re as near as damn it and I’m ok with that.

The pattern is my go-to Regia pattern and the yarn is Rico Design Superba Poems in colourway 002.

There’s not much more to say about these socks other than “shield your eyes!” So I’ll leave you with one last shot of my husbands manly legs.

Steady, ladies!

Sewing for your girls – review and giveaway

April 10, 2015

Thanks to the lovely guys over at Tuttle Publishing I received a copy of their new title “Sewing for your girls” by Yoshiko Tsukiori, which is available in the UK from Amazon on the 15th April 2015.

I decided to road test this book and the blouse I’ve been teasing you with is Basic Pattern #7 (catchy, no?) made up in Liberty Tana Lawn purchased from Washable Fabrics on Preston Market for a tenner.

This book is delightful. There are 8 patterns in total, 7 of which has a basic and an applied version, which, as you’ve probably guessed, has a little more going on. You’ll see from the photo above, which is the blouse I made, that using pattern #7 you can make an adorable blouse or a lovely summer dress.

As well as the patterns the book also has a wealth of clearly photographed advice to give you the best chance of getting a great result.

The patterns traced from printed pattern sheets that are stored in the back of the book. A word to the wise….they don’t include seam allowances to do allow for that when tracing. Ask me how I know!!!

Given the chance I’d change a couple of things about this book, but they are only minor gripes.

So…to the blouse. I really enjoyed sewing this one. It’s beautifully drafted with facings to the front and armholes and bias binding to the back neckline. The front ruffles and round collar add a sweet touch without being overly twee. This is a good thing. I’m not mad on ruffles but these hit the mark.

Button didn’t want to do photos, so we decided that dancing was the only way forwards.

I cut a size 120 for my 116cm tall 7 year old, based not only on height but chest measurements.

I couldn’t be happier with the result.

Button loves it too!

The details on this top are really quite lovely.

Gorgeous, no?

Now, if you, like me, have a very pernickety small girl to sew for then I suspect that you’d like a copy of this book too. Good job I’ve got a couple of copies to give away, then! 😉

Edited to remove Rafflecopter and say…leave me a comment below to be entered into the draw!

Goodbye old friend

April 8, 2015

For quite some time now Alice-who-is-a-cat has been getting more frail and raggedy. She’s been looking somewhat like the cat in Bedknobs and Broomsticks.

But last week she went downhill fast and on Tuesday evening it became very apparent (I’ll spare you the details) that it was time to Make The Right Decision.

I thought I was ready.

Turns out I wasn’t.

Alice and I have been together for the best part of 20 years. We took on the world and won. We faced good times and bad, shoddy boyfriends (her’s and mine) and too many house moves to count.

She was cantankerous and bolshy. She could meow for hours on end until you gave up and did whatever it was she wanted.

She held a grudge better than anyone I’ve ever known and was inventive in her revenge. The Husband will testify to this. She wasn’t thrilled at moving north and let her ire be known in a most unpleasant fashion.

She was mostly grumpy with me but stood beside me through thick and thin. She did, however adore Pa, and when Button came along, Alice loved her dearly. Button loved her right back.

So, when her health deteriorated fast last week, I knew I had to make the right decision. The vet agreed. It was time.

Alice, who had spent most of her life giving me the evil eye, snuggled up close and said goodbye. She let me know she was ready to go and that it would all be ok.

And she was right. She passed quickly and peacefully, and broke my heart whilst doing it.

See…I wasn’t ready at all.

But my one of my amazing friends, when I asked her why we love our furry friends so much, summed it all up perfectly :

“They worm their way into your life and heart and become part of the pattern of your day and your history. So when they die they take more than themselves (which would be enough) they take some of the you that you were with them. And, I think our relationship with pets is more honest and straightforward than with people so it’s a big chunk of you.”

And that, I think, is the most fitting tribute to my oldest friend.

Goodbye, dear old lady…you’re missed so very much.

Sewing with The Archers – sneak peak

March 30, 2015

Oh it was all going so well. I was catching up with the shenanigans in Ambridge and making great progress with the little Liberty blouse I’m making for Button.

Front ruffle

Then on Thursday evening it was a sunny, if blustery evening, so I headed off to the park after school with the kids and the dog with the plan of blowing the cobwebs off us all.

Carter has recently returned from a 3 week training bootcamp which means he has much better manners. But he wasn’t socialised with other dogs as a pup and, to be honest, still gets ridiculously giddy around them. He’s like a teenage boy backstage at a Victoria’s Secret runway show….hasn’t the first idea how to behave!

Neckline binding

So when a small puppy decided he simply had to play with Carter….well, Carter wanted to play too. Unfortunately in his messing he wrapped my hand in the lead and pulled.

My fingers felt broken, but thankfully weren’t. But all sewing and knitting was on hold for a few days. The bruising is down now and I’m back in action!

Armhole facing

I’ve just the wee buttonholes and buttons to sew. I’m planning to do them tomorrow. Because not only do I want to get this little top ready and move onto the next project…I want to find out what happens with Roy and his dispute with Elizabeth! And any Archers fans amongst you will know exactly how far behind I am.

I’ll be back soon with the finished article!

Grainline Linden….relearning a sewing lesson.

March 14, 2015

Wadder alert!

Whilst I love sharing things that have gone swimmingly…I think it’s also good to share the stuff that doesn’t quite work.

I’ve learnt from this project…maybe someone else will too.

:: :: :: :: ::

I’ve had my eye on the Linden pattern since Grainline initially launched the pattern.

I love traditional sweatshirts but they don’t love me…I’m the wrong shape for them. Despite this I had high hopes of Linden opening up lots of opportunities for sweatshirt love.

Sadly…I don’t think it’s going to be the case. Be warned…this ain’t pretty!

Cue massively unflattering photos. Not helped by the sweater being dragged back by my hands…but you get the picture!

I’m going to start out by saying that there is absolutely nothing wrong with this pattern. It’s my first Grainline pattern and it’s immaculately drafted and the instructions are really clear.

This is a clear case of hope triumphing over experience.

I know that raglan sleeves aren’t the best for me because I have sloping shoulders that don’t support the top of the sleeve.

I know I need to be cautious of scooped necklines…if they’re loose then they tend to slip and slide.

I knew I needed to do a FBA and that would involve adding a bust dart. In this case it’s still a tiny bit long and a tiny bit low. Which would be hidden in a plain fabric but isn’t on this striped fabric.

The fabric comes from the “what the hell was I thinking pile”!

And I know I just need a bit more shape in a garment.

Whilst this is undoubtedly a trainwreck of a garment, it’s all good! This has been a great and worthwhile process for me.

Over the last year I’ve gained quite a bit of weight….you can hardly have missed it. Mostly this has been driven by medication impacting on appetite, quite a bit of it steroid based because of my repeated bouts of bronchitis and accompanying chest infections.

(Cue too many cakes and too much pasta!)

These chest problems have also severely limited my ability to exercise, as has a very frozen shoulder for the last 6 months.

My changed shape size has undoubtedly knocked my sewing mojo. I’m not overly inclined to sew for myself at this size as I’m determined that this isn’t a permanent state of affairs. Getting back to full health/fitness is a huge priority for me. It seems such a waste of fabric…which is frankly crazy. I still need stuff to wear…

My judgement as to what suits me is also off at the moment. The photos above evidence that.

However….I do know that I’m glad I tried this pattern. I bought it on sale and the fabric was very inexpensive too. So it was an experiment that cost me a little money, a little time, but has taught me to really trust my instincts.

If I listen to myself I know what suits me. It comes back to the work I did with Wardrobe Architect last year. I need to revisit this because, even with this fuller shape, the principles still apply.

So that’s what I’m going to do. I spent some time this past week sorting fabric and patterns in my stash. Some are to go into storage until I have my new sewing room up and running, hopefully by the end of the year. These are mainly lovely vintage winter fabrics…I see some beautiful jackets in my Winter 2015 wardrobe.

Others are patterns that I’m planning to build my Summer 2015 wardrobe around. I have a few fabrics that I’ve been hoarding for too long….and a pile of patterns that had me exclaiming over and over again “oh! I’d forgotten I had that!”.

It’s time to build a plan, I think. I’ll be back with that soon….and a much more successful make!

Caribbean socks

March 10, 2015

I remember the days when I swore I’d never knit socks ever again. They are long gone. The Mr loves a hand knit sock. So much so that you can’t let him near a yarn shop unaccompanied. We called into my LYS last week for a circular cable and a spool of sewing thread and spent £19. Two large balls of sock yarn had somehow found their way into the basket.

Apparently his concern was that a couple of nights previously I’d had no knitting to do until I’d acquired said cable. He couldn’t leave me without any knitting, could he. What sort of a husband would he be!?!?

Yeah…right! 😉

Thankfully, I did finish the Caribbean socks just in time for Valentine’s day. More good luck than good judgement I can assure you.

The yarn, you may recall, is Jawoll Magic. It’s a bit of a pest to knit. It’s kinda puffy, I suspect due to the nylon content, so I found it a bit snaggy on the needles. That said, I used bamboo needles that were a little past their sell-by date so they won’t have helped.

Why yes, those stripes are perfectly matched! How kind of you to notice!

I would knit this again, but only because I’ve treated myself to some KnitPro Karbonz for sock knitting.

Image: Meadow Yarn

I’m not usually a fan of anything other than wood as I like quiet knitting, but I think for socks, the dpns take too much of a bashing and I need smooth. I’ve got another pair of socks on theses needles as I speak. One that is equally puffy and pesky. It’s a joy. These needles are divine…and not overly clicky! I’m seriously contemplating replacing all my needles with them.

The colours are wonderful. The greys make the aqua and blue really pop!

The pattern, as always, is my favourite vanilla sock pattern from Regia. You can find it free on Ravelry here.

Apologies for the crinkles...I've been trying to get a photo of these for weeks but had to hide them from him when he went back to London. these are freshly dried but not blocked!

Apologies for the crinkles…these have been drying over a radiator. Sacrilege I know, but I’ve been trying to get a photo of these for weeks. He will insist on wearing them as often as I can get them washed and dried, so I had to hide them from him when he went back to London.

A very pink hat….Snowtracks Hat by Timothy Peters

February 25, 2015

I’ve been long overdue a new hat. In truth I’ve shivered at the school gate too many days this winter wishing I had a cosy covering for my head and ears. But like many other things, it’s been added to the bottom of the “to do” list and left to languish unattended.

So, when Himmelbjerget gifted me some exquisite pink yarn for Christmas, I knew immediately it would be a hat.

But still I procrastinated. Which hat would it be? I spent more time than is probably healthy scouring Ravelry for the perfect hat. In the end I plumped for Snowtracks Hat by Timothy Peters for Stitch Nation.

This pattern is lovely. The cable section is easily followed, especially as I put a stitch marker between each pattern repeat, which makes a world of difference. You can quickly see where in each repeat you are, and save a lot of time working backwards and forwards in your head counting stitches. Thanks to my friend Liz for that tip…it’s a gem!

The only problem I encountered was one that I couldn’t have foreseen. Although I used the same weight of yarn and the yardage told me I had plenty of yarn….I didn’t!

I ran out 3 rows into the crown shaping.

I tried the hat on….and looked like a Smurf in a pink hat. It was way too long. I like my hats snug not slouchy. So I did the happy dance, ripped it back to the right length, started the crown shaping about 10 rows earlier, took a few rows out of the crown shaping and ta dah! It fits perfectly, with just a yard or two of yarn to spare.

Simples! The pattern is very forgiving of tampering knitters.

I look tired…bronchitis and a chest infection will do that to you. Trust me…this is better than I looked yesterday!

And the yarn…, the yarn is oh, so wonderful. It’s Yarn Garden Aran in Purple Flowered Rock Rose, and it is sublime. Soft and squishy in the ball. Smooth to knit. The needles positively fly through it and the stitches dance through your fingers. Densely saturated colour flecked with speckled nuggets of tweedy contrast. And yes…it’s that pink in real life. I’ve had the devil with these photos as the yarn is blowing the colours out completely. It’s totally joyous, both to knit and to wear.

I was so sad to finish knitting, but am so happy every time I look at this or pop it on.

I want to knit this yarn again…now!

Children’s yoked sweaters – Made by Ma!

February 19, 2015

Oh this post is long overdue. These lovely sweaters were knitted by Ma before Christmas and it’s now February!

I don’t care how twee matching sweaters are, I simply can’t get enough of these munchkins in these sweaters. Too adorable for words!

Three colours of Drops yarn in each sweater purchased from Wool Warehouse. Drops is my new favourite brand of yarn for kids clothes. Great quality and great prices. And it washes up super soft. Which is important in this house because Boy will not wear a scratchy sweater. And, to be fair, who can blame him!

Maybe Ma will add a comment to let you know exactly which yarn she used. I, for the life of me, can’t remember.

Patterns are David and Starshine available for free on Ravelry.

I cannot tell you how much I want a yoked sweater for myself!

And a bit more sunshine. Our grey northern light doesn’t lend itself to midwinter photography. These have been fiddled with in iPhoto to make them vaguely presentable.

But still….cute sweaters and cute kids will shine through however lacking the skills of the photographer!

6

February 10, 2015

As you would say…..oohhh la la! 6 today! 6!!!!! What the chicken?????*

This picture sums you up so well, little man. Always on the go. Always making sure no-one is left behind.

My thoughtful, kind and caring boy.

When you came home to us you were so sad, so broken. I thought you’d never see the sun in the world.

But now…you are full of life and joy and tiggerish bounce. No-one’s heart should be broken so young, but yours has healed so big that sometimes I think it will burst clean out of your chest.

You are a whole bag full of fabulous contradictions. You are brave and gentle, loud and sensitive, hysterically funny and with a ferocious temper. Any time you want to do something about that last one, count me in!

Demon scooterer. Budding footballer. Maths whizz. Classic Mini obsessive. Cake fiend. London Underground’s biggest fan. Shocking flirt. Old fashioned gentleman. Kisser of hands. I love watching the ladies melt when you offer to hold a door for them, or insist on carrying my shopping because “ladies don’t carry their bags”.

We adore you, my darling boy, and see the man you are growing into. He’s going to be amazing. Because you are amazing.

Happy birthday, sweetheart. We love you 10 hundred and 36 with Smarties on top.

*“What the chick-en!” Boy’s favourite exclamation. We don’t get it either, but it’s hilarious!

COPYRIGHT NOTICE