Monthly Archives: March 2015

A Speedy Knit?

I was browsing through Ravelry and came across what claims to be a one-hour-knit for a baby’s cardigan. I’ve avoided knitting clothing (other than hats) for anyone, as it seems to take forever, and my knitting tension is usually a bit off as I come back to the project the next day.

But a one-hour-knit? That had to be worth trying, even if I wasn’t sure I had the right yarn in my stash.

So, I downloaded the Wee Speedy pattern, picked out two balls of Hayfield Bonus DK yarn (I was right, I didn’t have any chunky yarn that was suitable), and got knitting. It did take me about 3 hours rather than just one, but it’s a lot faster than knitting with just one strand of DK yarn, so I’m happy 😀

The button was from a free gift from a Simply Knitting magazine, and it’s the perfect size, given the size of the buttonhole.

Other than a few stretched stitches under the arms, which I stitched over a few times when I’d finished, I think it came out very well – I just hope it fits, and the little ‘un likes wearing it!

A Strange Coincidence

A few weeks ago, I purchased a really nice looking duvet cover from Primark for 9 pounds. I figured that it’d give me about 2 metres of fabric from each side, so that’s about 2.25 per metre – not quite as good a bargain as the dress duvet cover, but still better than I could get for the fabric itself. I was thinking it might become a side-zipped top or possibly a button-up shirt…. but then I came across this:

CC Jacket

Source: CC

In a strange coincidence, this lined blazer from CC has an almost identical pattern to the fabric that duvet cover was made out of! So, there was no other option but to start making a jacket from it 😀

In the current issue (Feb – March) of Make it Today, they had a free gift of three paper pattern packs, which included New Look pattern 6231 – two jacket options, a skirt and a pair of trousers. Although the trousers look the easiest to make, my legs aren’t really designed for tapered close-fitting trousers, so it had to be the jacket.

It’s not an identical style to the CC one; this has a peplum instead of the vent flap, and isn’t lined, but it should work really well with the fabric 🙂

6231_env_front

So far I’ve got the front and back done, but a slight problem with the iron means that I’ve had to delay working on the collar until I can get the interfacing to stick to the fabric.

And speaking of Simplicity New Look patterns, have you seen their blogger challenge?

 

First venture into sewing from a printed pattern

Ok, that’s not quite my first venture, as I’ve started a Kimono-style jacket, but this is my first attempt at a “proper” printed pattern (one that comes in an envelope and is worse than a map to refold!) 😉

The pattern is the Ruby Dress from Love Sewing magazine, and the fabric? Well I didn’t want to spend a fortune on fabric only to find that the dress didn’t fit, so I bought a single duvet cover for just under 6 pounds, washed it, then unpicked the seams to leave me with two large pieces of fabric. One of those was just enough to make the dress 😀

Duvet cover Ruby DressNow there’s a slight problem with the fit at the moment – I’m not sure if it’s just my measuring, my wonky seam allowance, or a quirk in the pattern, but using what I deemed to be the correct sizing, it’s an inch out at the back (oops!). So, I’m working on using the other part of the duvet cover to make a second third bodice that I can then attach to the existing skirt, and hopefully that’ll fit! The second one I tried was closer – the back pieces meet, but not enough to allow any seam allowance for the zip.

I’ll get there in the end though!

At the moment this project is shelved, as I want to try working on a pattern for a slightly less fitting top, and a shirt – I’m hoping that those patterns will help me learn how to shape the bodice of the dress, so I can get the darts in the right place, and finally have a zip I can do up!

A quick little project or two….

I noticed that a friend was using a really tired-looking purse to hold her store loyalty cards, and decided it was about time I made her a little present. I had some fat quarters left over from my last Hobbycraft purchase, and found the perfect tutorial at Midwestern Girl for a  wallet – it’s a perfect size for those loyalty cards, and should save her needing to use that tired old purse any more!

Card Holder (outside)

And inside the card holder:

Card Holder

If I made another one, I would try to get those corners turned out better – that really lets it down on looks. But it’s practical, which is the whole point 😀 I think I would also add a button & elastic to hold it closed, as it’s made quite loose (to fit as many cards as possible in), but that does mean the cards slide about a bit in the pouches.

 

While I was in a sewing frame of mind, I thought it was time I made my Christmas apron for Gran. Yes I know it’s now March, but Gran requested Christmas fabric for Easter! You can probably just make out the pocket in the photo – that’s slightly higher placed than the last apron I made, and the top is slightly narrower than the first apron, although I think it needed to be slightly wider than I have it. The straps are simple cotton herringbone tape rather than being made out of the same fabric – Gran prefers them to look like that.

Easter Apron

A rush request

I heard from a relative that he was going to be a daddy 😀 ….only trouble is, he told me about 3 weeks from the due date, which didn’t give me much time to make something!

I’ve sewn a couple of messenger bags using the tutorial from Crazy Little Projects before, and knew I could make one in quite a short space of time….  and I’d found the perfect fabric in the sale at just one pound for a metre!

So here we have the Jungle Book Nappy Bag….

Jungle Book Bag (outer flap)

Jungle Book Bag (outer flap)

Jungle Book Bag (back)

Jungle Book Bag (back)

Jungle Book Bag (inner)

Jungle Book Bag (inner)

The panels are (almost) fussy-cut, so the characters lined up nicely. I still can’t get the lining to behave though; it always appears too small when I start, and way too big once I sew the final stitches.

But I couldn’t make something for the parents and not make something for the baby, could I? Using my favourite bear pattern, I knitted Cheshire the Cat-Bear in white and cream yarn which gives him a nice mottled effect. He’s meant to be a bear, but I think his face looks more cat like, so he’s a Cat-Bear 😉

Cheshire the Cat-Bear

Cheshire the Cat-Bear

He should be just the right size for little hands to grab!