Monthly Archives: May 2015

The Simplicity Blogger Challenge

Although I’ve sewn a few things so far, I’d never actually completed an item of clothing. I’ve started several, but they’re all still in various stages of “not quite finished”. However, Simplicity’s Blogger Challenge spurred me into actually starting and finishing something!

I picked the easiest option – pattern 2286, which gives 6 different options for elasticated waist skirts. Not being overly fond of “girly” clothing, I picked option B; no lace, overlay or frilly bits!

At only 5′ tall, I normally have to decrease the length of clothing, but I felt that 16″ was still a little too short for a skirt worn just below the waist, so I added a couple of inches to the length. But just adding to the length wouldn’t be enough to make it my own style, and being a relatively new sewer, I didn’t want to dive into something that would be beyond my skills!

skirt1

I added in one pocket rather than two (I prefer the asymmetrical look), and found some fantastic daisy trim that I hoped would work around the edge of the pocket. When the package arrived with the fabric and trim, the trim was a little larger than I had thought, and would overpower the pocket if I used it all the way around!

As luck would have it, I came across a flower button in the local sewing shop, which was a perfect match on size for the trim. But just sewing on a button wouldn’t be enough for me…. no, I had to make a working button, which would mean tackling my first ever buttonhole.

pocket

Thankfully my sewing machine has an automatic buttonhole setting, so after a quick practise, the final hole came out perfectly! Ok, it could’ve probably started about a centimetre lower down so it didn’t overlap the top stitches, but it works!

I stitched the trim with a single line across the centre, and caught it into the pocket stitches on the sides just to help it stay attached when the skirt goes in the wash.

And just to prove that the buttonhole works:pocket-montage

 


 

This skirt is part of the Simplicity Blogger Challenge. I was sent the pattern for free, as part of the contest entry. There are no affiliate link in this post.

 

Cooey!

I can’t resist a bargain, so when I spotted the Stitch London book in the Works for just £3, I knew it would be an interesting read. Several of the projects use the dreaded double pointed needles, but there’s also a few that are knitted flat, so for about the price of a Starbucks Frappuccino, I decided to get the book.

It comes complete with a kit to make Cooey the Pigeon…. along with some tiny dpns to use. My previous attempts with dpns have always ended in me frogging the knitting, and ramming the needles back into the base of my knitting bag. But I wanted to give this a go, as Cooey just looked too cute to pass up on!

I pulled the first two rounds off the needles when I realised I hadn’t made the stitches tight enough, but on the second attempt, things went much smoother – I think the shorter dpns were more helpful, as the longer ones just seem to wave around too much when I knit.

I couldn’t find the instructions for how to make Cooey’s feet (the website link has changed since the book was printed), so Cooey has slightly quirky feet, which are sewn on with yarn rather than glued. I wasn’t able to get the first wing to look all that neat by the colour changes, so for the second one, I cast on another 5 stitches at the start of the white row, then cast them off in the next row. That was then sewn onto the back of the wing after I’d finished sewing in the blue yarn, neatly hiding the yarn ends.

pigeon-blog

The only disadvantage with the book, is picking what to knit next – should it be the Tube Rat, Red Phonebox (maybe a TARDIS), or the Tube Scarf? They all look so incredible, that I just can’t decide!