Granny's Favourite Finished

On Friday night while the house was have an emotional breakdown, I snuck off and put the buttons on My Granny's Favourite Cardigan.

I had sewed in the ends and blocked it the weekend before last, but was dithering over button, I always want the buttons to be really neutral so it can go with as many outfits as possible.  

In the end I opted for yellow, as I think grey and yellow are a perfect pairing!
The yarn was so lovely to knit with, really soft and felt nice and thick after flitting between this and my fingering weight yarn of Miss Winkle.

I love, love, love the lace pattern at the yoke and cuffs, but the best bit about this pattern is that it is knitted in one piece….no joining or sewing bits together!! Which as much as I love sewing with fabrics I am useless at sewing knitted bits together, my finishing leaves at lot to be desired.

The details are

Pattern - Granny's Favourite by Georgie Hallam in 4yrs

Yarn - Cascade 220 Superwash Yarn in 1946 Silver Grey  (Superwash means I should be able to machine wash this!!! Woohoo!!)

Needles - Addi 4mm circular, length 60cm   

I made it in 4 years, which according to the measurements would give a good bit of growing room for a 3 year old Rose and they were spot on! It is a little big, but I wanted to get some longterm wear for this knit!
And now for the Mad Model!

I think she's impressed!

I have also cast on my Stormy Hitchhiker Shawl, in the stunningly soft, glittery and rainbowish yarn that I got from Cuddlebums Yarns.

18 teeth done, lots and lots more to go.
Just a little heads up too for all UK knitters, Deramores is having a massive discount on the Famous 5 brands they sell, until midnight on Monday, I may have had a little shop…….. Well, it would have been rude not too!!

I'm linking up with Janine's

May Cushion ✓

I've finished the first thing off my Q2 List and am very proud of myself as it's a present that was ready to give on the day!

I might have been stitching on Monday, in my normal lastminute.com style, but it was finished and gifted yesterday.

Just in the nick of time.

The details are

Pattern - Letters from Moda's Spell it with Fabric
Fabric -  Pam Kitty Love on the front with Kona White
             Random red spot from my stash and Little Apples by Aneela Hoey for the envelope back.
             Binding is Kona Red (I think, I really need to label solids!!)

I machine bound it and found it so much easier this time around, with lots of pressing and my new stitch in the ditch foot, the corners are as perfect as I'm ever going to get!!

Thats 1 of 5 done! On to the next, once I decide what to tackle next! 

Le Challenge - #11 Bright

I hope this is bright enough?

For me it is very very bright, especially when I consider my normal colours for scarfs!

The colours are definitely mood brightening and very Springish!

The details are

Miss Winkle Shawlette pattern by Martina Behm

1 Skein of Daffodils Superwashed BFL 4ply yarn from Gemini Knits 

I have to say, I didn't think I would be finished the shawl in time for Le Challenge, but it is a really simple and quick knit, that you can easily remember the pattern for and knit in front of the tv.
But, saying that, it looks really complicated, so would make a brilliant gift, a friend was already admiring it yesterday and I think I could make her one for her birthday!

And here it is being snapped as I ran out the door to Kew Gardens yesterday and a better not of me proper camera selfie today.

It felt the perfect weight for the spring weather, not so big and thick, that I look like I got lost on the way from Winter, but warm enough to keep the spring breeze from my neck! 

I'm so so pleased I signed up to Sarah's knit along now, as this was my first shawl, of what I think will be many, if my Ravelry Queue is anything to go by!!! 

I'm linking up with

 

KCW Day 7 - A Geranium Tunic and OUT!

This KCW has exhausted me, I think that it has fallen in the Easter Holidays hasn't helped, but I have seriously sewed, sewed and sewed! And I have SEWED KNITS!!!
But, today I have sewed something that isn't knits that I LOVE Love Love and that I want in my size!!!!!

A Hello Petal Geranium Tunic!!!

I WANT TO SQUEAL AND JUMP UP AND DOWN!!! I love it that much!!!

So, obviously I went a little photo crazy!

And the model was on posing overdrive!
but,

I think she was just pleased to have managed the 'thumbs up' that her brothers were directing her to do.

This blogging malarky is a real family affair! This photo is the reason I don't sew for the boys as they are permanently in bloody football kits!!!

The details:

Geranium Tunic by Made By Rae made in View B & size 4T 

Hello Petal - Hopscotch in Pink 

Blue buttons - Coats Craft 

Thats me done till KCW Summer, I'm off to lie in a darkened room…..until the children start shouting for something, probably more food!!! 

 

FAL 2014 - Q2 List

So the list is growing and I think That Katy is going to tell me off!!
The first is the 2 things that I am carrying over from Q1!

Baby Girl Quilt

HST cushion

Then from the new WIP's I want MAY to be finished and turned into a cushion quickly! It's her birthday soon….

Then this Swoon that I have decided on, with white…. needs to to be made and completed!!!!!

And these blocks need to be turned into something….anything, a quilt or cushion!

I think thats it! Not much compared to the last list…….
but, I really think I have forgotten lots……….
I thank the lovely and very had working Katy for this years FAL!

KCW day 5 & 6...

The Husband went out last night and that meant I could sew,sew,sew to my hearts content, without anyone saying

"Are you nearly finished!" 

"It's Friday night, are you going to sit down tonight!" 

"You are obsessed with sewing!" 

So, I sewed and sewed and sewed 8 ish until 10.30 and made these! 

Two more Flashback Tee's, with PUFF SLEEVES, which means that in KCW I have sewed knits and WON!!!
And I am no longer scared by them.

And also, that they are big hit with the model! 

Lots of laughing and the 12 year old trying desperately to get her to pose!!

The children of bloggers are trained well, I do worry for later life that in the company of a camera they will pose terribly!!! 

The details are 

Flashback Skinny Tee by Made by Rae in 4 with short puff sleeves 

Knits and ribbing are from Kitschy Coo and are so so thick and soft and she has new ones with ASTRONAUTS that would make amazing pyjamas, but I've reached my fabric budget for the month!!!
BOO to budgets! They should be abolished!!

I have one more thing on my KCW list, a Hello Petal Geranium Tunic……….. but I don't think I will get it made by tomorrow…..but I live in hope!

KCW Days 3 & 4 - Strawberry Knits

Last night I attempted a slightly trickier pattern in my plan to tackle knits for KCW.
And……………

 It was a success!

I had the Oliver + S Hopscotch knit top pattern from last year when I made the skirt and had got the Briar Rose Knit Fabric from The Village Haberdashery in their Boxing Day sale, so so cheaply.

I managed to use my twin needle for the hemming without too much trouble and just the knit stitch and overcast stitch on my machine to assemble the top. I found a brilliant series of posts on Sewing With Knits on Kitschy Coo's blog, which help me get my head around handling it.

The Details

Oliver + S Hopscotch Knit Top size 4T (Rose is 3 and a bit, but fairly tall) in view A with short sleeves
Briar Rose Strawberry Knit in Orange - used less than half a metre

Mad Mad Briar Rose! 

I think the model may have been paid in too many chocolate biscuits, I'm sure she's trying to do the running man!!!!

Day 5 of KCW looks a lot like mum playing chauffeur for the 12 year old and hopefully cutting into this lot….

I also really need to get my FAL Q2 list done and feed some children!

KCW Spring - Day 1 & 2

Kids Clothes Week Spring has started and I have one aim, to sew knits.

And, for once I am prepared for it!  The fabric has been washed, matching threads have been bought, brains have been picked on IG, I've picked two patterns to try, patterns were printed/copied and ready for cutting.
Day 1 was all about the chopping, making sure I didn't stretch the fabric as I was cutting and realising that knits are not great to be pinned to pattern pieces.
Day 2 has been about the sewing, and if you'd asked me earlier if this knit sewing was going to be a success, I might have thrown something at you, followed by a barrage of abuse. But, after a little machine pep talk (it kept eating the fabric!) I have sewn my first knit.
Whats more it's wearable!

And fits, even the model seems to like it!

And she can be one tricky customer!! 

So the details 

Flashback Skinny Tee - size 4T by Made by Rae

Organic Jersey in raspberry and blue stripe and Ink Organic Ribbing from Kitschy Coo

Sewn on my Janome MC8200qc, (using the knit stitch and overcast stitch) without an overlocker in sight and just look how neat those seams are!!!!! 

It was sewn together in less than an hour, the fabric is so soft and it fits brilliantly. And I have so much fabric left over, I can see a Tee in this colour way up until she leaves school! 
So KCW Day 1 & 2 has been a massive success in my camp! Lets hope the next knit is so easy……..

Sunday Stash - The Fabric Headache!

I feel a little like I may have an enormous fabric hangover! I had a few purchases this week and in the honest process of looking at the bottles the next morning, just to see the damage, I thought I'd join up with Sunday Stash this week to see what I binged on……..

First up, the cutest and most adorable Wee Wander by Sarah Jane Studios for Michael Miller.

I've had my eye on this for a while and there isn't many UK shops stocking it, so I caved and panicked bought through Pin it and Stitch on IG with no project in mind, other than to pet regularly!!!

I think that is a good enough reason alone, but if not, look at these tiny footprints, they are another reason all of their own!!!! 

I still need a few fq's to make a set, but I'll get them as I see them.

Next I bought some knit fabric from Kitschy Coo.
Tomorrow is the start of Kids Clothes Week Spring and I am determine to end up in tears let my lovely machine loose with some knits.

I got some Blue and Raspberry Striped Organic Jersey and some Dark Ink Organic Ribbing to make a mess with!

And my last splurge of the week, was not my fault!!! That Mary (who is on a fabric diet!) shared the best deal I've seen on Bike Paths and I HAD (yes had had had) to buy some for hoarding binding, backing and general needing purposes!
They were £3 a METRE, it would have been rude not to, but they've not arrived yet!! So really they don't count as a purchase yet!?!

Pondering the bucket list

Writing that Quilty Bucket list has got me thinking…….

That bundle of Chicopee, it needs to be a quilt. That way I will still have the fabric and it will keep me warm, instead of taunting me from the shelf. 

So, the first question is Puddle Jumping or a Swoon?

    

The Swoon was definitely on the bucket list! 

Then, the next question would be background fabric.

Kona White, Kona Bone or low volume scrappy?
I always thought white would be too harsh with Chicopee, but it actually looks ok!

or 

do I splash out on these Le Creme Swiss Dot?

What do you think? 

I'm the Queen of indecision, My brain is telling me the practical/cheaper Kona white and Swoon!
Answers on a comment please……...