Handmade for Christmas

This year I decided to try and make as many presents as I could. Well... it did not quite work out as planned. Next year I will start a lot earlier! But I did manage to make some presents.

I was commissioned (by my mum) to make a present for my aunt in America. I will post a photo as soon as I know she has received it.

I knitted a scarf for my Mum. I knitted a scarf for my niece. This is in big wool. I found the pattern in a charity shop. It uses a twisted rib. I enjoyed knitting it so much that I decided to use the pattern for my mum's scarf but in a finer yarn. It was a lot finer and took me ages to knit. But I am happy with how it turned out.

I also knitted a scarf for my sister using the same yarn but I made up the pattern using motifs from an excellent book I bought called 'The New Knitting Stitch Library' by Lesley Stanfield. I recommend this book to anyone who loves knitting. The patterns are lovely and the charts easy to understand.

However, I have not finished the scarf so it will be a late present.

I did finish a bag for my niece. I wanted to make a messenger bag. I used a fleece fabric with a cotton fabric in owl design that I bought from etsy. I designed it myself (sort of as I went along which involved much deep thinking on my part). It turned out reversible Yes!! I am very pleased with it and so was my niece.

The photos are of me wearing the scarf for my niece and the bag I made for another niece.

Flowers growing everywhere...

I have posted my big blue flower brooch on etsy. This is there large one made out of Rowan Big Wool Tuft and then felted. I had trouble getting a good shot of it though.
Whilst I was there I retook some photos of my purple flower brooch hopefully in a better light. It is difficult to get good natural light here at the moment with the rain clouds constantly overhead.

The photo

I forgot to add the photo for the purple flower so here it is.

More Flowers

I really enjoyed making the little red flower brooch so I have made another one only this time I used cream doubleknit cotton and purple embroidery thread. I knitted the two together.
I think that I can do the pattern now without thinking!!
I went to a flea market last Sunday and bought some knitting wool so I have plans for my flowers in different sizes.

Little Red Flower

I knitted a large flower for a brooch, using Rowan Big Wool Tuft. I really enjoyed it. I then felted it using very hot water, soap, and a good battering in my bathroom.

So much did I enjoy it that I wanted to make another flower. However, this time I'll try smaller, thought I. I ended up using red embroidery cotton as a yarn and darning needles to knit with. It turned out rather well. You can see it in etsy at the link above and also on my flickr page. But I have posted a photo here as well.

In the middle is an antique 19th century glass button. On the back is sewn a silver plated brooch back.

I am really quite happy with it.

Serendipity

I have changed my working hours so that I am no longer working 37.5 hours a week. Instead I am now working 30 hours in 3 days. So although it means long days at least I will be at home more.

So now I can get creative - designing and making.

Last night I was sewing a card wallett and realised that I had made it too small. SO suddenly I thought - 'a cuff'. I tried it and yes it would work. I think it turned out quite well.

Needle Felting.

I had heard of needle felting but did not know how it was different to normal felting.
I found this great tutorial http://allbuttonedup.wordpress.com/2006/12/02/needle-felting-a-tutorial/#comment-8604. Check it out.
I did my first bit of felting today. On Monday we went to Winchester and I went to a great craft shop there - Creative Crafts. The staff were lovely and one fantastic girl told me how to felt.
I bought some merino tops (wool that is not spun). I laid it down into three layers. Poured hot water and soap onto it and basically bashed it one the floor several times. Rinsed it and yes! it stayed together. Admittedly it is not the best felt ever but I can improve it. I had great fun and it is a good way to get all you frustrations out of your system.
Needle felt is different in that it does not use water. A special type of needle does all the work.

Purple Knight and Green Moss

I have put two things for sale in my Etsy shop.

http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5289522

I made the little Green Moss card wallett as I felt the need to make something and it was fun to make and quite simple.

Yesterday evening I knitted the Purple Knight purse. I made up the pattern by myself and I think it is quite effective. I love knitting again and will make some more but I am waiting for some yarn to come from ebay.

I am also waiting for some fabric that I bought from fellow etsyers. Due to the strikes it still has not arrived. I hope that it does as I am worried it might get lost in the post.

More on Etsy.

I spent some time on Etsy today. I am amazed at all the gorgeous things out there. I do plan to start selling but I am still designing my bags.

Here is a photo of Little M that I took one day when we were looking at my growing fabric collection.

I love reading the Etsy forums and having a look at the sellers' items. This also leads to looking at their blogs. One I visited recently is http://tadahpdx.blogspot.com/ and I hope the lady will not mind me mentioning it.

Nothing new made...

...but lots of ideas.
I have been working in my new job and when I am not at work I am asleep (or almost). However I have spent a lot of today looking at etsy. My little princess has been playing with the cat and her (the princess's not the cat's) Prince so I have had time to potter about on the Internet.
I want to make her a pair of princess slippers with sequins and things but so far have not found a pattern. I think I might just sit down and invent my own pattern.
My mum gave me some fabric and I am going to make myself a bag. I bought stiff interfacing which I will use as I want it to be a clutch bag/purse.
As I have not made anything or even started on anything I have no photos but as soon as I have done or started a project I will keep you posted.

Patchwork Throw

I found some fabric I had stored away in my wardrobe. It is perfect for my current needs. I have decided to start making a patchwork throw for our couch. It will be handmade i.e no sewing machine (but of course I might change my mind!). I was going to do octagons as I have an octagon template but decided it was too hard so it is nice easy squares for me.

I have posted photos of the very beginning and hopefully you will be able to see the progress week by week. This was a few days ago and already I am a little further on.

My mum has given me some lovely remnants that she bought from Allders (when they existed). They are going to be made into something sumptuous.

Also I went to a shop that sells curtain material and bought lots of remnants for a very good price.

So I have a very nice stash of fabric but I still want to buy some fat squares from Etsy. Lovely Japanese material.

Pillowcase Apron.

This afternoon, with Little M at playschool, I set about making my pillowcase apron.

Actually it was quite easy and finished very quickly. It would have, of course, turned out better if I had complete control over my sewing machine. A couple of times it went a bit quicker than I could follow but taking all things into consideration I am pleased with my apron.

Next time I would make the pockets less deep as I might easily lose things in them. In the photo I have popped the pencil and scissors up. I also intend to make a little pincushion which I might sew or velcro on.

So if you have an old pillowcase or see one in a charity shop then here is an ideal project for you!

More about The Crafter's Companion book

The book is edited by Anna Torborg and published in the UK by Snowbooks. If you want it from outside the UK I am sure that any good bookshop will be able to trace it for you.

The first project that I am going to attempt from the book is an apron. This design by Hillary Lang uses an old pillowslip and this morning I bought a lovely one for 50pence from a local charity shop. So all I need to do now is to get my sewing machine out from the wardrobe.

I have a fairly modern electric one but I pine after my old hand powered Singer. I did see a similar one in another charity shop but it was missing parts.

Number One

I am taking a break 'twixt Georgette Heyer audio books to write my first blog ever!
Well, I thought that I might as well join the rest.
But really my inspiration comes from a book called The Crafter's Companion. This is a wonderful book and has inspired me to take up crafts again. So I will be posting news of my attempts here plus any other things of interest. Now I am going as I have to pick up Little M from school. I will post the crafters from that book later.