The Knitting Novice

I've always had a knitting project on, but I generally keep it simple.  Then it's normally a year before it's finished.  But since my retirement in 2010, I've been doing a bit more knitting, getting more adventurous and also quicker.

I've just completed another jumper for myself.  It's taken about six months, but I did go wrong once and had to unpick a lot. Now it's finished I am pleased with what I achieved.

A couple of months ago this book caught my eye and I've chosen a pattern from it for my next project.  It is far more ambitious that I have ever been before with my knitting, so it might just test my skills to the limit. And it's the first time it's not going to be for me. 

This lovely book by Patty Knox is published by David and Charles, it's full of great patterns and I have decided to have a go at Catch a Wave on page 66

There is a problem, the pattern is for sizes 28 to 40 chest and I need to make it 42.  But luckily I have a very clever sister, whose knitting skills are far superior to mine and I have asked her advice about how to make a bigger size.  She often tells me what to do when I go wrong, and this time her help was needed again. In return I will give her tips and advice on her sewing projects. 

I've started my tension square, apparently very important, to ensure your knitting is the right tension and you are using the correct needles for the work. After all that work, you want it to fit right.

I bought the wool from Jamieson & Smith, which is genuine Shetland Wool from the Shetland Isles and the lady on the phone help me with advice on my colour selection. www.shetlandwoolbrokers.co.uk

This might take a while, but I will report progress from time to time.

Things are growing at last this year

There are potatoes, onions, strawberries, beans, peas and cabbages, all beginning to grow at last on our allotment plot.

After a slow start to the season, finally things are improving. I have five raised beds full of potatoes and the big bed at the top of the picture on the right with all the onions in. With any luck these will keep us going until the spring!

It's all go at this time of the year, these onions already need to be weeded, again.

The broad beans don't look much at the moment, but they will soon fill out. One or two have flowers on already, so that looks promising.  I generally stake each plant, as I find just a few canes and string around the rows never works on our plot.  This time two years ago we had already been eating our beans, but not for the last couple of years. Will the weather every get back to what it was like when we took on this allotment six years ago?

These potatoes have come through now, they have been in over a month. More updated photos to follow.  The strawberries in the centre of this photo are all in flower now, so with any luck, we won't be long before we are eating our own fruit.  If last year is anything to go by we could be in for another bumper crop.  At lease something is growing well.

I want to plant my sweetcorn, leeks, spinach and celeriac just as soon as the rain stops and have a general tidy up on the plots.   It's amazing how quickly the rubbish piles up. 

Making a Waistcoat for Ross

Buying fabric these days gets more difficult. Fabric shops are not as easy to find as they were 20 years ago.  Purchasing from the internet is fine and companies will send samples. But I like to see a large sample of what I'm buying especially as I am about to spend a good few hours making a nice garment.

My nephew came to stay on Monday, so I could make him a waistcoat. He is going to a wedding in July and needs to be dressed for the occasion. We went into Birmingham after lunch to find the fabric.  

This 100% silk fabric was just what he wanted, so first thing Tuesday morning, I checked the toile again for fit and style and started to cut out and stitch.

While I spent the day sewing, Ross worked in my garden, dead heading, weeding and watering.  Then after 6 hours I just had the button holes to do and the buttons to put on and it would be finished. Being navy blue, it was getting difficult to see well to sew, so I stopped for the day. 

Early Wednesday morning in good light I finished the waistcoat, gave it a press and it was ready to admire.

Job well done I think.  Not only could he now return home, but complete with waistcoat and a boot full of plants for his garden. 

The Chelsea Flower Show was amazing

Yesterday I went for my first every trip to the Chelsea Flower Show it was amazing. I loved every minute, it was so exciting. 

The secret sewing I've been working on over the last few weeks can now be revealed. I made this jacket using a cacti print for my friend Vicky. We found the fabric in February and thought it would be perfect for her Chelsea outfit this year. She is co owner of Craig House Cacti with Stan her partner, who are exhibiting at the show. 

Their display was awarded another Gold Medal, their fifth at Chelsea.  It was a great display, as usual.  They were very busy while I was there with a lot of people stopping to admire their stand and to buy cacti and seeds from them.

  
Stan has a waistcoat in the same fabric.  It was a challenge to work on because the pattern repeat was so big, getting all the pattern pieces from the fabric we bought was difficult.  But I think they both look very grand and complimented their beautiful plants very well. 

The rest of the show

There was so much to see, all the show gardens were wonderful.  Here are some of my photos, I took over 50, so I will just show a few.

The Massachusetts Garden caught my eye because of the leather appliqué, it was beautiful, such a great combination of artistry in this garden, it is very inspiring.

--------------------------------

The garden I liked the most was the RBC Blue Water Roof Garden. Which is a vision for an urban rooftop garden.  It was full of good ideas and biodiversity.

I just loved the living wall and the clever use of shapes in the design.

As well as the way the circular shapes for the natural habitat feature was constructed.

                                   ------------------------------

Finally the photo I took which I liked the most was this one of the M & G Centenary Garden, there is something about this picture that makes me pleased it is my photo.

A day out at Rockingham Castle

Our friend is visiting us from Germany, yesterday we went for a day trip to Rockingham Castle. It was a great day out.

Rockingham is a wonderful castle, still lived in by the family who owns it, but is open to the public.  It's well worth a visit.  The castle if full of amazing things, there are beautiful glass chandeliers and wall lights in one room that are stunning.

The local Embroider's Guild have restored some exquisite embroideries in another room, they look beautiful now they are complete.  The wood work is outstanding, carved pieces and lots of marquetry  It was a pity photography was not allowed inside the castle. I would have liked to photograph the embroideries in particular.  But outside I make up for it.

A view from the castle grounds.

We climbed to the top of this tower to enjoy the panorama.

At the top we could see for miles

 During my visit I found lots of inspiration for my sewing work, designs and ideas from the natural environment at the castle inspired me. I could not resist taking the following pictures.

Growing on the walls the moss and ivy looked lovely in the sunshine.

The textures in this photo just want to be transformed into an embroidery! 

The patterns, shapes and colours of the bricks are so varied here. More inspiration.

I can't help but be amazed at nature, roots above ground make a wonderful pattern.

Even when nature takes over, this branch still looks good, what an amazing texture the tree now has. 

Oh! yes, I have been sewing, a lot recently, but I could not blog about it as what I've been doing is a secret at the moment still.   Over the last three weeks I have been making an outfit for a lady who is going to a wedding, a lovely green dress and jacket.  And also I've made something special for my friends to wear to the Chelsea Flower Show, but the photos of that will be in my next blog

A great day out at the Quilt & Stitch Show in Uttoxeter

On Sunday I travelled to Uttoxeter to attend my first Quilt and Stitch show, it was excellent.   There were lots of great store holders, who all had some good products for sale.

I stopped and spoke to lots of lovely ladies and their husbands, who complimented me on my patchwork jacket.  It was good to meet you all and to learn about what you are sewing.  It quite made my day meeting so many really great people who just loved to talk about sewing.  I can't wait until  the next Quilt show to meet some of you again. The Quilts on display were amazing so much hard work goes into them, it's a pity everyone can't win a prize!

This is the African Fabric Shop stand, where I'd previously bought the blue fabric for my waistcoat last year.  I stopped by to show Magie my finished waistcoat and to enquire about getting some fabric to make a matching pair of trousers.  www.africanfabrics.co.uk   for details of the wonderful fabrics  they sell.

These two enthusiastic ladies are from ZigZags a company offering workshops and courses for Creative Textiles, their web site is well worth a visit, they supply all kinds of lovely art items as well are running courses. www.zigzagonline.co.uk 

This is Hany AbdelKader, he came over from Cairo, Egypt especially to demonstrate his skills at the show.  The quality of his work is excellent, the applique wall-hangings he stitches are wonderful. 

He has just opened his own shop and is now developing his own personal designs.  The tiny stitches he does are almost invisible and the speed he sews at, is quite remarkable.  For more information about his work explore www.khayamiya.com 

Yes, I did buy something, I have just designed a new patchwork jacket, that I want to work on over the summer months. The fabric I found to make the jacket is perfect, just what I was looking for.

This came from Castle Court Quilters in Oswestry. 

Finally the  two books I bought are wonderful, really pleased with them from Kaleidoscope Books, full of interesting projects and ideas to develop over the coming months.  www.kalquilts.com

         The Complete Photo Guilde to Textile Art by Susan Stein
          The Art of Manipulating Fabric by Colette Wolff

I think I might be very busy for a while now!

My new Cosmo bag

I've been making myself a new bag all week.  I need a roomy bag that I can take out with me that doubles as a handbag and holds all the 'junk!' I need to carry everywhere I go.  At the same time I need it for the odd bit of shopping and the impulse purchases (mostly fabric and gardening items).  Also my lunch from time to time, and my sewing bits and pieces, when I go to classes or go out to visit my clients.

The fabric was left over from the waistcoat I made last autumn and I bought some red to do the contrasting handles, side pockets and the lining. I got the pattern from one of Amy Butler's books, she calls it the 'roomy and super-easy-to-make bag for today's runabout'. Which was just what I wanted. Well roomy it certainly is, it will hold all the normal things, like purse, keys, phone, water bottle etc.  And there is enough space to add things when I'm out and about.  However, the easy bit I did not agree with.

Like last time I found the instructions difficult to understand (I've made another bag from this book already), so had to make it up as I went along.  I did some minor adjustments too; I made pockets inside for the things I want to take out regularly with me. Like my hand sanitiser, my glasses, a pocket the correct size for my purse and another for my note book.

 The stiffening that is needed to make this bag is difficult to stitch and work with.  The bag was a challenge to do and I spent a lot of time working on it, perfecting it to my standard of workmanship.  Otherwise it is great, just what I wanted. I really like it, and can't wait to go out with it and give it a test run.

I used my new gadget for the first time as well this week.  I found these silicone finger covers that help when pressing, they worked a treat pressing the side seams open.  I bought them because I find I burn my fingers a lot when pressing the seams during tailoring projects, but now I know they work and I am sure they will be very useful.