On a roll

With the machine up there is nothing like a quick look in the stash while there is momentum about.  I bought this pattern inspired by a Fabric Store blog.  The was purchased with the takings after selling off excess fabric at the Fabric-a-Brac, (very very disciplined I thought).

The fabric was also purchased at The Fabric Store, at an earlier time, ahem, but now it is a dress, hooray.

Vogue V8805 in Linen from The Fabric Store

So now I know what I will be wearing when I go back to work 2015!

New Year Holiday Making

A lovely start to 2015 at my sewing machine.  I received a gift of some sheer fabric, collected by a special friend from the road side inorganic collection.

 

I created a top with two rectangles, a couple of seams, and added a belt.  The hemming and seams were far less scary then I imagined, and have given me confidence to embark on a few other pieces in the stash.

Then as a final challenge I have installed the Blogger App to publish this post, nothing like a New Year to prompt new skills.

Round Robin # 8 Hand Drawn Portrait

A quick turn around on this one which I received two days ago.  The centre is another hand drawn picture but this one took a tactile turn early on!  Master 11 years old here has already declared he would love a quilt with the orange finger duster fabric too (the central orange sash).

I have added the orange outer sash to this one. and now to me delight have figured I can provide a backing with some polar fleece from my stash - yippee.  Noe sure this is a good choice to begin quilting on, lots of slinky and stretch fabric which might be a challenge . . .

Round Robin # 7 House

Today I farewelled the little house in the garden, and received the next project in the Round Robin series.

I have added the sash.  Slightly challenging to contemplate with all the different colours at the edge.  After a conversation with a fellow quilter I went looking for a batik fabric in blue, and found the perfect piece at Warkworth's little quilt shop.  As is so often the case it was very enjoyable, and did not take as much time as I thought!  This will be quilted by a talented quilter, and I turn my attention to the next project . . .

Round Robin #6 Hand Drawn Flower

The centre of this quilt is a hand drawn picture.  This one gave me an opportunity to make my first ever purchase of quilt fabric, and enjoy the creative experience of laying a project out in a shop full of delicious fabric and play.  Planned to get two pieces of purple, but as it turned out bought three pieces - I think it often goes like that!

Arrived complete to the green sash.  I have added purple bands top and bottom, and a black and white sash around.  It is nearly single bed sized.  On it goes for the next step . . .
Meanwhile I have been clearing out ready to go to the Fabric-A-Brac this Saturday.  It has been a wonderful journey to find fabric purchased long long ago, and I hope it will find homes in new hands with refreshing new energy and ideas.  In the final measure and label there were several things I did re-consider, but decided to leave it in the lap of the gods, if no one wants it then it will come home with me again :)

Off the needle

The picture says it all, I have completed a sock.  Where is its pair you might ask.  Well that is still to come!
I used Malabrigo Yarn from Robyn Egge Yarns, lovely to knit.  It is from Uruguay, pure merino.  I can report it is a very warm yarn, I have one warm foot as I write.
This was created with patient one on one guidance from an excellent knitting teacher - Rosemary.  I knitted on a circular needle using a magic loop method.  The beauty of this pattern is it pretty much all knit, easy to do in front of TV, or in the car waiting for school pick up.

A little gift making

A recent 6th birthday gave me an opportunity to do some sewing.  This apron was for my niece and I make it out of some fabric from my Mum's sewing room - I like connections like that.  The bias was vintage, still is it's original packet, can't recall where I picked that up from.

Then to complete the gift the 13 year old here created the Cowgirl Cookies in a jar, after testing the recipe, and after a search for pink M&Ms.

Miss 6 informed my over the phone on the morning of her birthday 'I don't make biscuits like that Auntie Claire', however her thoughtful parents did send me a photo of her wearing her apron mixing the biscuits :)