Purl and Seam

oliver + s birthday party dress – FO 19/2010

October 18, 2010

Whilst the fabric for my wedding dress languishes in a bag waiting patiently to be sewn (soon, my lovely, soon) I have tarried with other projects, namely the oliver + S birthday party dress.

image courtesy of www.oliverands.com

I’ll admit that I was reluctant to spend quite so much money on a pattern, but rationalised that if I traced it off I could get a few year’s use out of it, which in my head made it so much more reasonable priced. I’m very glad I did.

Sorry for the rushed on-the-bed-before-we-dash-to-nursery photos

The pattern is lovely. Printed on sturdy paper with clear markings and wonderful instructions, it shows what can be achieved with patterns if you take the time and actually give a crap about your product and your customers.

Big 4 take note!!

Sadly the same can’t be said of the fabric, which is a hideous but practical polyester that is washable but simply refuses point-blank to hold a pleat! I made a size 2, but would make the next size up next time to give her a little more growing room. And I’ve lots of the fabric left, so will probably draft a new front without the pleats to use this up. They are the perfect dress for nursery.

Button loves the dress, despite the failings of the fabric, and I love the pattern. I see more of these in our future. Just not in nasty polyester!!!!

Light at the end of the tunnel

October 10, 2010

Autumn is well and truly upon us in my little corner of the world. As I’m typing this, on Sunday afternoon, the sky is cornflower blue lit by glorious sunshine and bereft of clouds.

It’s chilly, but only sweater chilly, and the kids are playing on their new little slide, which is keeping them out of the sort of mischief they got up to earlier in the week.

: Extreme Home Makeover – Toddler Edition

My Belle Epoch roses are still pretending it’s summer, much to my delight

and whilst there are still apples on the tree

we have been picking them and making them into delicious, if rustic, crumbles with blackberries picked from the hedgerows.

The turning of the season heralds the high-speed approach of That Bloody Wedding, and, despite all my protestations to the contrary so far, I’m starting to feel a little trepidation that the dress is still a pile of fabric and I’ve not even cut the pattern out yet!

Thankfully most of the other plans are falling into place. I have something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue and a sixpence for my shoe.

I don’t have lingerie! Or flowers. But I do have cake. Oh, and we’ve still to finalize the menu and wine.

We’re meeting with our priest on Friday and will have the hymns and music sorted this week.

The Ma’s have their outfits after a lovely day spent shopping in Manchester yesterday, along with a spot of lunch

We are making progress. And this week marks the turning point.

My final exam for my current degree module is on Tuesday afternoon, and by next weekend I hope to have the alterations done to Alice-who-isn’t-a-cat’s dress. Ma is cutting and sewing the toile for me this week so I can fit the dress next weekend and start cutting and sewing the following week. I will have 4 mornings a week for three weeks where the munckins are with their grandparents, plus naps and evenings. I should have no trouble getting the dress done in that time. Don’t you agree?

Now all I have to do is find the boy’s missing Croc (how do you lose a shoe in the house? I have no idea), and my Gardener’s Journal book (same question applies), so I can continue with the stitcheries. It’s driving me more crazy that I’ve lost these two things somewhere in the house than that my wedding dress isn’t on the table.

It’s say’s a lot about me, no? 😉

Park Life Sweater – FO 18/2010

October 5, 2010

Five weeks and a bit to go to the wedding and still the dress isn’t started.

I have, however, finished Button’s latest sweater, just in time for the temperatures to really drop. We call it the Park Life Sweater as it’s perfect for playing out in the park on crisp, sunny autumn days.

Or for just bouncing!The yarn is the very inexpensive, but machine washable Hayfield Bonus Aran….£7.49 for 400g and I still have loads left. I’ll definitely be using this yarn again for kids knits.

The pattern is a Debbie Bliss from this book, which I’ve had for years but you can get on Amazon.I love this sweater. It’s a mindless TV watching knit and so practical. Button is thrilled with it. This is the first knit I’ve made for her where she’s understood what I’m doing and she’s been so excited. She even “helped” me knit a few stitches, to the absolute delight of both of us.

Next up…I’ve got some gorgeous yarn for a sweater for me. I shall wind some balls and share with you soon.

My final exam is next Tuesday and then I’ve just alterations to Alice-who-isn’t-a-cat’s dress, and hems for the three bridesmaids dresses and then I’ll start mine.

As I’m still losing weight…it’s a good job I’ve waited so long to start otherwise I’d be doing major alterations now.

That’s my excuse and I’m sticking with it!!!!!!!! 😉

Winter Flame scarf – FO 17/2010

September 16, 2010

Although I’m ridiculously busy Chez Stitches at the moment, what with kids, the alternative French summer school for my degree course, the small matter of planning a wedding and just generally making sure there’s a shirt in the wardrobe for Mr S for work and a meal on the table at appropriate times, I’ve also managed to finish the Winter Flame scarf.

I’m amazed!

It’s actually been unceremoniously dumped in the workroom for a couple of weeksBut today I managed to finally block it.Although I’m most definitely not a process person, I’ve really enjoyed the actual knitting of this. The yarn is delightful and the pattern simple.But I suspect I’m going to enjoy wearing it, it all its pointy perfection, even more.

Currently on the needles is a sweater for Button. I’ve done the front and backs. I have 8 rows to do to finish the first sleeve. I think I’ll get it done in the next week or so, so pictures will follow soon.

Sands of time

September 15, 2010

On Monday of this week Button started nursery. Just two mornings a week.

We are all thrilled but in a corner of my heart is a little voice reminding me that this is just the first of her major milestones that we will guide and cheer her through.

Still, she has been through so much in her little life so far that to see her strolling into class, without a backwards glance or a care in the world, we realised that maybe, just maybe, we were doing ok by her.

I think she’ll be fine.

Smaller than the smallest uniform

An Angels Story – Made by Ma

August 30, 2010

Before I start I have to say that the pictures don’t do this justice, simply because it’s so big! It’s nearly 70 inches wide and about 80 inches long. Huge!This is An Angels Story Quilt, designed by Anni Downs and made for Button by Ma Stitches.

It is spectacular.

It almost fills the whole wall of her bedroom, which is where it’s staying until she is big enough for it to go on her bed.

It changes the whole look and feel of the room.

And, most importantly, Button absolutely adores it. She pronounced that she was “very excited” about it whilst Daddy was hanging the café rod. She declared it “beautiful” once it was on the wall. My girl has excellent taste!As you can see the appliquéd stitcheries are just lovely. But perhaps the most impressive aspect of this quilt is that it’s the first quilt that Ma has ever made.

I kid ye not.

Impressive, no?

RSVP

August 27, 2010

Last weekend Mr S and I were chatting about what still needed to be done for That Bloody Wedding when a cold trickle of sweat dropped between my shoulder blades and a sickly feeling of horror crept over me.

I hadn’t sent out the invitations.

And we needed them back by the 31st August so we could confirm with Northcote how many bedrooms we’ll be needing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Now I know I’ve been a bit busy, but really. Forgetting to send the invites is spectacularly dumb, even for me.

However, they are now out there, and the RSVP’s are coming in, with some delightful “yesses” from folks I didnt think would be able to make it. Happy me.

So I thought I’d share a little of the invite with you as I had them hand-made for me by letterpress queen Jackie at Print for the Love of Wood.

The invitations themselves are letterpressed on cotton paper:

: Front of the invitation

The inserts are printed, but in the same typeface. We wanted them to be very informal, so included the following quotation, which speaks so clearly of our relationshipOf course, they wouldn’t be the same without reference to TBWI cannot speak highly enough of Jackie. I’m lucky that she lives quite close to me and she made me welcome in her home. She also made the whole process of organising the invites an absolute pleasure.

Extreme toddler sport – sofa sliding

August 19, 2010

You climb upthen you slide (or more appropriately, shuffle, but who cares) downI’m ridiculously proud of their ingenuity in coming up with new and vaguely dangerous ways to play. God help me when they discover trees!

All hands on deck

August 15, 2010

Finally the sun is shining in Lancashire.

Which means the timber for the deck is dry enough for Mr S to be able to get outside and start filling the big black hole in the garden with a lovely new deckLike any sensible woman faced with the man of the house doing DIY, I took the only option available to me, packed the kids up and went to the park.

We are blessed with a lovely park just a couple of miles away.

: C’mon Mummy, the ducks are this way!

: Whaddya mean you didn’t bring bread?

: Milk please, Grandma. Ooh and a cookie too? Yummmmm!

: Ruuuuuuuunnnnnnnn!

: Can we play too?

: Ha! This walking lark is a breeze!

: I don’t think we should jump, Puppy, do you?

If the weather is even remotely dry next weekend, the deck will be finished. But for now, we have two tired babies fast asleep in bed, chicken dinner about to be served and Mr S nursing a well deserved stiff drink.

winter flame photos

August 11, 2010

As promised today I snapped a quick photo of my Winter Flame scarf in progressI cannot tell you how much I’m loving this yarn. It’s soft and warm to handle and glows with a gentle sheen. I swore I’d never knit bamboo again after the Green Tea Raglan (especially as the Bamboolo washes up like dish-rags) this is changing my mind. I’ll be interested to see how it washes as I can imagine a sweater in this would never be off my back!

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