A Bit of Sewing

Hello Folks!

This week, I have mostly been making face coverings, as in the UK we are now required to wear them in shops.  The one with foxes on is for Miss Clicky and the penguins for me.

For the men, I popped into town and bought some dark navy, although I couldn't resist lining them with some prints.  Who knows they might reverse them and be bright!  The flowery one on the bottom is my Mum's.

Lastly these two coverings are to go to America for Mister Clicky and one of his (female) English colleagues.  They have to cover up in the communal areas of the office now and he requested Union Jacks.

I've been working on my summer Craftpod.

I love receiving Craftpods.   

They are beautifully packaged.

The colours of the threads made me want to start straight away, so I did!

I finished the Summer Meadow hoop off last week, sitting in the sun in the garden, listening to England playing West Indies on Test Match Special.

Lavender, ferns, Cornflowers, Wild Carrot, Chamomile.

As always, this his been a pleasure to stitch.  I learnt a new stitch, a Bullion Knot, sort of a long French Knot, for the lavender.  I got better after a few!  The fern took a few evenings to complete but worth the time spent I think.

There are two projects in each box and the other one is a zip pouch with the Camomile embroidered on.  I haven't decided whether to make this, or just use the fabric to embroider some more small hoops.

Also included was a Chamomile Tea Bag and a botanical print, which I am going to frame and put up in our spare room.

I've also finished off some Lavender Houses from a Corinne Lapierre Kit that I bought a while ago.

Again, everything was included in this kit, stuffing, lavender, felt, thread and needle.  I have enough pieces of felt left to make another house too I think.

My M-I-L passed a birthday milestone the other week so I made her a card.  I've still not cracked freestyle machine embroidery, something on the list to learn.

Master Clicky has at last, been able to play cricket for his club.   He has been like a caged animal over the last few months but thankfully he is now released.

I am visiting a friend for a cuppa this week, I'm not sure whether we will be inside or outside, of indeed what the rules are any more, but I'm sure we'll muddle through.  

Going into shops still isn't particularly pleasant but it's getting better, I might try it next week.

See you soon..........Clicky Needles.

Making for Baby Needles

Hello there.

I have been busy making things for Baby Needles.  Firstly a dress.  I found this really cute fabric when I went into Stroud the other week.  

It's Rose and Hubble and really soft.   I seem to like all Rose and Hubble prints, this sheep and lambs being no exception.

I found a pattern on Pinterest which went up to a year so I scaled it up a bit for Baby Needles.

My black Featherweight, Eveline was out so that's what I used to make it.

It all went well, although I did get my modern machine out for the buttonholes on the shoulders.  I do have a vintage buttonholer attachment but I have not yet got it working fully.  With this piece of kit you drop or cover the feed dogs and the attachment moves the fabric, rather than the needle moving.  Nifty.

As always, there were a lot of things that I could have done differently, the waist gathering is a bit non-existent at the edges because I didn't run my gathering stitches long enough and the bodice is a bit wonky too.  But, the front of the bodice is 'stitched in the ditch' and you can barely see it, so that's a plus.

I scrabbled around in my button box and eventually found two buttons that matched, not the green I was hoping for, but pale pink.

I kept the skirt quite short as Baby Needles is in the half crawl half walk stage and I didn't want it to be getting in the way.

Miss Clicky has gone back to work after her maternity leave and furlough so Baby Needles is spending two days with a childminder and day each with me and the other granny.  It has been lovely having her for a day all to myself and fun to see the world through a baby's eyes again.  This week she fell asleep sitting on my lap and lying back on my hands while I sang two renditions of "My Ship Sails to China' and was out like light for 1 1/2 hours.  Miss Clicky complained that 'She won't do that for me!'  I told her she doesn't have the granny touch!

When she is at the Childminder Miss Clicky needs a wet bag for changes of clothes and washable nappies.  I whipped one up the other afternoon.

I needed a waterproof fabric for the inside, so I hopped into the attic and found some orange woven nylon that I had stashed.  A white shower curtain would probably have been better but I didn't have one at short notice.  I found a pattern here.

This involved another zip, which didn't go in too badly this time,

the outer fabric is a ladybird print fabric from Minerva Fabrics.

The orange doesn't show too much from the outside, you just get a shock when you open it!  It also has a tag on so you can tug on the zip to shut.

This bag is quite big, 52cm x 35cm and I am going to make another big and some smaller bags too.  All good for that zip putting in practise!

Well that's me for now, looks like we are in for a rainy few days, I hope it's better where you are.

Bye for now.....................Clicky Needles

Making and Finishing

Hello Folks.

Firstly I need to say a big thank you to all the comments on my Scavenger Hunt post.  I am definitely carrying on with The Hunt and I love seeing other's pictures.

How are you doing?  I'm a bit meh!  Mr Clicky was going to return home a few weeks back to renew his work permit which runs out soon, but as President Trump declared a suspension of Aliens and Visas we decided it will be safer for him to stay in the US (if he came to the UK could he get back to US?) and apply there.  We changed his flight just 3 days before he was due home.  We have no idea if he will be able to remain working in the US, even though our Visa still has 2 years to run, and as a family we don't know when we will see him again either.

I've been making and finishing things off; keeping busy.  I got my Featherweight out to finish off a bag that I made for Miss Clicky when I was in Illinois with Mr Clicky last summer.

I was inspired by the wonderful Jenny Doan from the Missouri Star Quilt Company.  I used her Tote Charm Bag.  I love her tutorials, she has a lovely relaxed way of teaching.  I had hoped to visit Hamilton Missouri and it's 12 quilt stores this year, as it's a doable 7 hour drive from our apartment but that might not happen.

Anyway, this is the bag I made using a charm pack which I bought in Hobby Lobby.  It has cute forest animals, foxes, birds, rabbits etc.  When I saw it I knew that Miss Clicky would love it.

The bag was really quick and easy to make using Jenny's instructions.  I added three pockets inside using some contrasting fat quarters, also from Hobby Lobby.

I thought Miss Clicky could use it as a smaller changing bag for Baby Needles rather than the huge one she has, but when I gave it to her I realised that it needed a zip.  I do not like putting in zips, however hard I try they usually end up wonky.  I wasn't sure that I could retro fit one and it has taken nearly a year for me to get round to doing this.  Luckily I bought a small piece of the lining fabric back with me so used this to bind the ends of the zip and bodged the sewing, not the neatest job but it does the job.

Another bit of finishing I have is a Ravello jumper by Isabel Kraemer, that I started in March 2016.  It's a top down, fingering/sport weight raglan.   When I made this I faffed a lot, tried it on, made it bigger, finished one sleeve but not the other and shoved it a cupboard where it has remained for 4 years.  A few weeks ago I pulled it out and looked at it again.

Because it's been neglected in the back of the cupboard it has a moth hole in the front which I darned up.  Can you see it?  Sure you can, but it's ok.

Of course, it only took me a few evenings to complete.  For the remaining sleeve I used magic loop rather than 5 needles and it was much easier.

I really like the rib, 2 knit, 1 purl.  

So what do I think of this?  Well, it is too baggy and I'm not sure about where the stripes stop; my fault because I made it bigger, the sleeves are too short, also my fault.   This will be a jumper to wear around the house.  Has this put me off the pattern?  Well, no.  I have cast on another! 

This time I am making the next size up, and just knitting!  I haven't tried it on, I'm just going for it.  I'm using the lovely Drops Nord for this, a sport weight Alpaca/Wool mix.  Soft, light and warm.

This jumper is looking much better.

Last week I noticed on Facebook that a local farm was doing organic milk deliveries in our area.  I thought I would give it a go.  The farm is 13 miles away, the milk is pasteurised and bottled on the farm within 4 hours of leaving the cows.  Obviously it is more expensive than supermarket milk but I am happy to be supporting a local farm.

 

I made meringue nests and used the cream.  Yummy.

So that's me for now.  Covid restrictions are easing this weekend but I'm not rushing down the pub.  I have some sewing/knitting/stitching to do.  Stay safe my friends.

Bye for now.......................Clicky Needles.