Fabric : Fibre : Family
If you take this dreadfully coloured fabric:
add some of this
mixed with equal parts of this
cut out using this
and try to avoid doing this
and with any luck you’ll end up with this
I lengthened the sleeves on the pattern to make them full length. Next time out I think I’ll take a smidge off, but its very nice having full length sleeves…not something I often achieve in RTW.
I really want to make this again…but next time as a dress!
One of the things you’re not allowed to do when you’re adopting your children is baptise them until the adoption is fully finalised.
Which was a while ago.
But with all the operations that folks had last year, baptisms have been pushed to one side a little.
Until today.
A very happy day.
I’m not entirely sure how it happened, but The Boy was 3 on Friday.
The sad and quiet little boy we first met has grown into the feistiest, funniest, most loving little chap
My brave and handsome little man.
He’s such a charmer and is so kindhearted.
Happy birthday my beautiful little man.
We love you.
Over the past year Ma and I have become quilters. And, as with all new skills, as you progress you learn new things.
What I’ve learned is that if I’m at my sewing machine I want to be making clothes. Not quilts. However, I’ve also learned that I love hand sewing quilts. Phew. Quilts are too lovely to abandon completely.
So, much as I’d like to crack on with another North Country quilt, I have another project that’s been waiting for my attention:
Aren’t they just adorable?
Nearly a thousand beautiful little hexies waiting to be sewn.
I have to add at this point that I didn’t cut these out. Ma did. Isn’t she amazing? Thanks Ma!
I made a start last night.
This is definitely a slow project. Perfect for evenings curled up by the fire with The Husband and a movie.
But I know I’m going to enjoy every single stitch.
PS.
The Husband was most cross that I was starting another quilt.
Until I put his mind at rest that this one is destined to be a sofa quilt.
The Wedding Quilt is staying firmly on our bed.
He’s happy now!
sat on a speckled log.
Or in this case a speckled table.
These little guys are made from this free pattern over at Purl, with thanks to them for sharing.
A few scraps of fabric, some ‘past their sell-by date’ lentils, and voila, happy children.
The originals have beautiful little bead eyes,
but in this house they’d be pulled off and eaten
faster than you can say
‘Ribbet’
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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!