Another project finished

The red and black beaded cardigan  I started in September is finally done and I am so pleased. Next steps are to find some amazing buttons for it.

I had to stop to knit Mike's secret Christmas sweater and I also knitted mum a hat with sheep on for Christmas.  I returned to the jumper about three weeks ago and I'm so happy to have finished.

I tried to use a crochet hook to put the beads on all 2735 of them, but in the end I cut the wool every row and threaded on average 35 beads.I did not want to spoil the wool by moving the beads up and down, so I decided against treading lots of beads onto the black wool. Also they were quite heavy and difficult to work with.  My method might not be the best, sewing in all the ends was the down side.  But it has made a good finish and now I want to make it complete with nice buttons.

This jersey fabric for the top above, came from my stash, I've had it years. I think the photo does not show the collar to it's finest.  Because it really looks awful.  It is pulling and puckering. I discussed the problems with my mentor and she helped to re pin the collar.  I've adjusted it and re-tacked it, but when it's on it still does not work. I need to review and revise my actions before I take this project any further.  Because I like the fabric, it just doesn't look right on.

My lovely amaryllis, a Christmas present from a friend.  It is so beautiful, I wanted to share it on my blog this week, so anyone out there can see it too. 

The flowers are so big and the details on the petals are so fine. Inspiration for an embroidery perhaps.

Some tasks complete others just about to be started

This week has been busy again in the sewing room. I finished my trousers. What a problem that was, all I needed was a button for the waistband, could I find one? It was difficult, I went to a local well known shop and it was in chaos, stock everywhere and very untidy. The assistant said they were waiting for new stock. They had a very limited range of buttons and trims on the shelf, but I decided to settle for one brown button until I can find something better.  Honestly, these days it is so hard to find good haberdashery and fabrics locally.  I have no objection buying from the internet, but I do prefer to handle my fabrics and see what they are like before I buy.  And quite often I do not receive samples when I email for them. It is very annoying I wish I had a good fabric shop close by. Our knitting shop is brilliant. 

Finished so I can wear them

with a temporary button.

I have started working on another blouse pattern McCall's M7053 it's from their archive collection circa 1933. As it is quite different from what I normally wear I've toiled it to see how the collar lays and to get an idea of the fit. Even with the stiff calico, I think it is going to be ok.  It fits nicely although a bit big, I need it fitted on Wednesday when I go to my sewing group. 

I plan to make it up in a soft cotton fabric. The bonus is, the fabric looks good with the trousers above, so I can wear them together. 

My wool arrived at the knitting shop, so I collected it Friday, a step nearer to my new knitting project. I can't wait to get started, almost finished my current cardigan, just knitting button bands which is quite boring. 

Time to think about another kind of sowing

We started our sowing season off this week, we bought our seed potatoes and some onion sets.  As the end of the month looms closer, it's time to start thinking seriously about what we will be planting and sowing this year.

This week in the sewing room

I've had a busy week knitting and sewing. I've ordered the wool for my next knitting project. I've completed two garments that have been in a draw waiting for something to be done with them. I've made a blouse, started a new pair of trousers and cut out the side back panels of my waistcoat.

But it's so cold this afternoon I needed some extra warmth. 

I learn to knit socks from the toe up in March last year. This is the second pair I made, rather good although I say so myself!  

They are lovely and warm, just the thing for these cold winter days.


I'm almost finished with my current knitting project a black and red beaded cardigan. I want it to wear with the red and black dress shown below. I'm sewing it up now, then just the bands to do and I can wear it. 

Next I am going to knit a vintage twin set in chocolate and cream.  I found the pattern in a book called 'Knitting Vintage' by Claire Montgomerie it's lovely; I hope mine turns out as nice as the one illustrated in her book.

                                  Keep watching the blog to see how I progress.



I made this red and black dress in July for my mum's birthday party. It's a Vogue pattern
 V 8873 The cowl neck line works so well with the two bodice front pieces and it's very comfortable to wear.

 I liked the bodice of the dress so much I decided to have a go at making it into a top.  I extended the bodice back and front by 18cm and made a toile.  It fitted well because I'd already fitted it as a dress.  The longer line and the curved waist was what I wanted to check out and see how well it had worked.

I needed to shorten it a little but I thought the result was amazing. I'm so pleased with it. 

It looks great on and it's another piece of fabric used from my stash.  If I keep doing this, in 2016 I won't need to buy dress fabric, just open the cupboard and pick something, because there is loads there waiting to be sewn. 

Ten days and so much completed already

Twenty Sixteen is going to be a year of stitching, knitting and sowing for the allotment. So I hope I have got off to a good start. 

Since the beginning of the month I've completed three projects and made good progress on a fourth. 2016 is going to be a year of completing unfinished projects and using more fabrics from my stash.  This is before I start to plant for the season, I shall experiment with some new crops and regrow the usual favourites.  

A Christmas present that was a few days late!

I made this jumper for Mike as a Christmas Present, but I did not have enough wool to do the sleeve bands. After purchasing another ball on Friday, it's done.  

He was pleased with it on Christmas day in it's half finished state and said it was a great surprise even without the finishing touches.

A birthday present for myself

I made a bag like this two years ago, but found it a bit small to put everything in, so I made it a bit taller and a bit wider and now it's just perfect. 

Another success this year.



(The original bag can be found on my January '14 post)

A blouse made from my stash of fabrics.

This Butterick Retro blouse pattern 6700, was cut out at the beginning of last month.  I started to stitch it but Christmas got in the way.

It's another project I've completed in the last 10 days. It looks great on, I'll cut out a pair of trousers later and make them up so I have an outfit for my next lunch or dinner appointment. 

A project under way again after an 8 month break

Way back in April I started a waistcoat for myself. After completing the first front, I put it on the side to complete later.........

Later came on Monday last, I designed the right front panels and made them up, and I really want to finish it now.

It's a crazy patchwork sample waistcoat or is it a mad sampler waistcoat? I wanted to experiment with techniques and rather than waste all the little bits and pieces I was playing with, I made useful sections and compiled panels for the waistcoat.

Side right front panel

I cut a backing layer in white fabric and two panels of the pattern piece, one in plain fabric, one in the floral. 

The plain fabric I cut in wiggly strips vertically.
The floral I cut in wiggle strips horizontally.
Then I wove them together and stitched them to the backing panel using a decorative machine stitch.

Right front panel

I cut a backing layer of fabric  and then laid the floral patchwork sections onto the backing layer. I concealed the raw edges with rouleau loops stitching them in place close to the edges of the rouleau strips.

After stitching the two pieces together, I added bound button holes.

To see the constructed back panels follow this blog.

This week I need to complete my trousers to wear with my blouse.

Work on the back panel of this waistcoat.

And if there is time finish another job left over from last year.

Golden Outfits made in April, which seems a long time ago now.

It was back in April that I made Vicky and Stan more outfits to wear on their stand at the Chelsea Flower Show.  This year they found some lovely fabric that just wanted to be made up into waistcoats.

They both had matching waistcoats in the fabric seen above and the fabric seen below.

The fabric made up very well and I decided this time to cover the buttons with the same fabric, this way they would tone in nicely with the rest of the waistcoat.

All four finished with a view of the back too. Unfortunately Vicky had her ipad stolen with her pictures on. Therefore, I have no pictures of them wearing them at Chelsea, however, we caught up with them at Tatton Park Flower Show and I took a photo myself. 

And some cacti too.  A Gold winning display and some golden outfits to wear. 

Learning to Crochet

Many, many years ago I tried crochet, but soon gave it up.  In March my local knitting shop Sitting Knitting at Mere Green ran a beginners crochet course.  I had a lovely day, I quickly remembered what I'd learn years ago and made some samples that lead to even greater things.

I felt my samples were ok, but I wanted to make them into something.  Back home I used the small purple Granny Square and found some wool in my knitting basket and just kept going round, and round and round.

Before long I needed to go out and buy some more wool! 

I used every colour for two rows, by the time my blanket was this big, it took the whole evening to do just one full circuit.  But it was lovely and warm to do, on the cold winter nights earlier in the year. When the weather warmed up I put it away until a couple of weeks ago, when the weather changed here.

Now I can handle a crochet project and my tension is ok,  I need to try something more adventurous, a pattern perhaps. 

 But first, all the wool left over from those socks I wrote about last time needs using up, and this time I'm doing lots of smaller squares and joining them together to make another blanket.  

I've done 3 and almost finished the 4th.  The sock wool is finer than the double knit of the first blanket, so I have a feeling this one might take me a little longer. I've heard my sister is doing a blanket too, and you can guess I'm sure who will be finished first. 

Since my last post, I've been sewing, sowing, and knitting lots of interesting things.

The fair isle jumper I wrote about on 5th January did not end up as I had wanted it to.  As a loose knitter I generally use a size smaller needle than the pattern suggests. But this time I made a really big mistake.  Instead of doing the rib in a size smaller needle, I used a size bigger.

It was no surprise it turned out to have a rather strange finish to it.  But my wonderful sister came to the rescue.  She chopped off my rib and redid it for me on the correct size needles. She worked the rib upside down, really clever, something I certainly could not have done and doesn't it look lovely. She is a genius.

Mike wore his jumper for the first time last week and he said it was lovely and warm. 

Lots of lovely socks all hand knitted by my sister over the last couple of years.  I have started a Granny square blanket with all the left over wool, I will add some photos next time, because I've only done two so far. I'm wondering just how long this will take me!

Waistcoats for a February Wedding

Way back in January I was busy doing some waistcoats for a February wedding. 

I made three like this for the groom and his party. 

As well I was asked to make two more for the brides party. 

The burgundy colour complimented the bride beautifully. 

This was the start of a very busy year. More pictures and articles to follow.