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.

Started in April, finished October, worn yesterday!

After a few months in the making, the jacket was finished in October and received its first outing yesterday. I must say I'm really pleased with the end results.  Even if it took so long.

I made Mike's jacket at my gent's tailoring classes last year.  And although I finished it way before Christmas, we have not really had anywhere to go to wear it. The weather has been so bad, he did not want to wear it and get it wet and spoil it, but the wait was worth it.  Yesterday we had a lunch date with friends we have not seen in years, so the special occasion gave us the opportunity to dress up and go out in style.

Here are a few of the stage photos of the construction process of the jacket.

The collar is attached to the jacket here, showing the roll line of the collar which leads onto the lapel.

Applying the Melton to the jacket, this is used in place of the fashion fabric for traditionally tailored jackets for the under collar section.

Placing the top edge of the Melton to the top of the outer edge of the collar fabric. This is machined, then it is turned over and hand finished. 

The lining is machined together, then hand stitched into the jacket. The challenge here is to make a neat finish around the vent. 

A close up of the finish on the vent.

This picture shows the finish to the inside of the pocket.

And finally the front view of the completed jacket.

I've just cut out Mike's new overcoat, from a beautiful wool tweed.  I have started to tack all the important marks on the pattern.  I will chart the progress here with more details of the individual sewing steps showing the stages and methods to make a man's winter coat. 

Update on my knitting project

On 22nd June last year I started my current knitting project.  A Fair Isle pullover for Mike. It's come along way since then but it's going slowly so I thought it was time for a progress report. 

I've completed the back and I'm just passed the armholes on the front, I've got to split for the 'V' neck line now, but it's giving me grief.  I altered the pattern a bit and also found the pattern had a couple of errors, so the number of stitches I have on the needles, and the number the pattern says I should have is different.  All my maths skills are now needed to work out how many stitches I need to do before I turn around and put half of the stitches on a stitch holder, so I can do one side at a time, bearing in mind at the same time I have to decrease on the armhole edge. 

On New Years Day, I decided it was time to make myself a knitting bag to take my knitting in to my weekly 'Knit and Chat' group I go to. A plastic bag is not quite the thing.  I go along on a Friday morning to 'Sitting Knitting' our  fabulous local wool shop in Mere Green.  It's always a great way to spend a Friday morning, chatting, drinking tea, eating cake, and oh, yes there is knitting too.

Apart from my bag and the laptop bag I did over Christmas I made a mini quilt for my friend Susan.  We go to a City and Guilds class every Tuesday together and she has this little sketch book she had filled with little art items made by people she knows on the various courses she has done.  She asked me to contribute to her book and this is what I did.

HAPPY NEW YEAR

to all those people who show an interest in my little sewing projects.

My Christmas Project

Last year my project over the Christmas holiday was my patchwork coat.  This year, it is not going to be such a big task.  I am making a computer bag for Mike to put his new laptop in.

Front panel of the bag

I bought the fabrics at the Harrogate Show in November from The African Fabric Shop stand, I love the bold deep indigo colours and the patterns in the fabrics.

Two blocks of Log Cabin design will make up the back

For the back I have done two Log Cabin blocks on a plain blue fabric background, the same plain blue I shall be using for the lining.

Front view of the finished bag

I used one of the fabrics for the strap, side and bottom panels and for the front edge of the flap. With two buttons to secure the flap in place it has taken about 2 hours every afternoon for just about a week.

The back view of the bag

With the laptop safely inside it's new home, it's time for me to begin my next project, a new knitting bag for myself.  I want to take my knitting with me to my weekly 'Knit and Chat' group in a proper knitting bag and not the plastic carrier I've been using!!