Off the Needles

Finally finished my second pair of socks, courtesy of a car trip recently.

Hand knitted wool socks

I realise that this time of year is not the temperatures that make you think of knitting, but a sock is a small portable project!!

Recycling

This week my local Emporium had cotton tape in stock, so I was able to finish some aprons in the pile.

Apron made from recycled bedspread

These are made from a piece of fabric a friend gave me last year, originally an old bedspread.  There was a generous amount so I have 4 aprons in production,couple for home, the others for gifts.

Something for the pyjama drawer.

Yesterday I sewed up a couple of pairs of PJ pants.  Surprised myself how quickly they came together.  I used a Vogue pattern from my collection, 7054, and I have made these pants before.  Two pieces so really easy to make.

First pair in stripe, a piece of fabric from my cupboard, and it was completely used up on these pants - perfect.

Second pair I made from a recycled table cloth, also in my cupboard.  I am working on a quilt with table cloths, but this fabric was slightly off theme, yet perfect for a pair of pants, as the fabric is very soft.

I think I will call them my bush wren pants, as there sport a kiwi and a bush wren.  They also have an eclectic mix of Provincial New Zealand Buildings, including the Canterbury Cathedral, and Rotorua Rotunda. Sort of kitsch Kiwiana I guess.

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 . . .