Snow Post

This what have started from the class on Saturday, very interesting, eventually it will be a thimble pod thanks to Barbara Kerry - great tutor. Small class & have already learnt a lot. I also have a lot of homework to do. which i did a little of on Saturday afternoon, while some methods were still fresh.

So Sunday I made a jacket. hmmm... seamstress I am not. I think my main problem is my lack of trust of sizing in patterns & so while the jacket looks pretty cool, it is far too big. Then it snowed.

Snow is very rare for Wellington - first time in the 5 years we have been here that we have seen it.

So, I made a scarf for one of my Facebook friends of whom I owed a handmade gift. Finished this morning before work & it has now been delivered - perfect for this "polar blast"

While it was a kit, I bought the kit for the knitting pattern part of it. I tried the crochet pattern, but got confused as I have never actually crocheted anything before, where as the knitting part, while expanding my knowledge was comprehensible enough to pull it off - yah!

Oh and today I got my Amazon embroidery book purchases... such prettiness, but I must finish projects on the go first. So now to my homework, as i am off to Auckland this weekend for work - no sewing :(

Frustrations & Success

Bit of a delay between posts, but I have been busy! Not all of what I have been doing has been successful however.

Firstly I was attempting to create a costume for my work function in Auckland later this month. The theme is Super-Heros & Villains & so I started to attempt this character:

She is the best character in the movie Kick Ass. & for a super hero - surprisingly well covered.

So I got this material:

& decided to start with the leggings/trousers & just happened to have this pattern lying around

Yes, it is from 1987 :)
then I realised that my purple material has no stretch in it what-so-ever. So off to the shops I went & bought some material that was more suitable.
The pattern was just as advertised - Quick & easy. - sorry no pics of this. Then, i thought I would attempt to get my overlocker to work...

I got this for free through "Freecycle" about 2 years ago, got my Uncle to give it the once over & make sure it was ok to use, then I left it in my spare room.
I think i followed the diagram to make it work & it would cut material (Yah!) but the stitching didn't happen. I gave up in frustration and it is back in my spare room until I give it another go. one day.
Then it was late & I was tired, so I stopped.
Now, I will still make the jacket of the costume, but I realised why I don't make clothes very often - all the cutting out! shesh! it takes so long!! But I WILL complete it on Sunday. promise.

Meanwhile I completed the stitching of the biscournus (pics will come) now they are resting until I decide if I want to put any embellishments on them.
I have completed 3 "Congratulations" cards - it seems there are many lovely ladies I know who are "in the family way"

 

Firstly I did the stitching, each one took about an hour. Then to mark where I wanted the boundary, I pulled a thread. Next, because of how I wanted to present these, I ironed on some interfacing to give them more rigidity. Then cut to the pulled thread lines. (these cards have been sitting in my house for a few years now - good to have a use for them)

My next project is to re-learn to crochet & make a couple of scarves (hopefully before summer) & this Saturday I am going to my first embroidery class since I was at primary school... making a thimble pod.

Loving Links

Here are a few links of places I love - some give me inspiration, some are just WOW! & all are crafty of a kind :)

Firstly, one of the many amazing crafty ladies I have met since moving to Wellington...

I was introduced to Kat through the Crafty Foxes on FB & since then, I have participated in Craft swaps, Clothing Swaps & Wednesday Wardrobe Challenges. Anyone from anywhere in the world can participate in the challenges & what a great way to get more out of your wardrobe!

Cut out & Keep has given me so much inspiration including the inspiration to start my own blog. Some of the fun has actually happened in the kitchen, not a place I have been inspired before, luckily I like trying new things :)

Here is something recently posted in FB: English Embroidered Bookbindings. When i checked it out, I nearly drooled at the amazingness.

This Blog, I found through Cut Our & Keep, and while she does a lot of quilts, she also does a few quirky things along the way, which keep me reading. The other day she posted a quilt she has done for a cancer patient & the timing has hit me & for the first time in my life I am inspired to give this a go.

Felt is a NZ website, where you can buy handmade goods made by Kiwis - yah!

These are the main ones I go to, but of course I have a while folder in my bookmarks for "Craft"

Any great links for me???

4 day project

Most of my stitching is done in the evenings - some time between 6:30pm & 9:30pm... in between updating FB & checking out other equally time sapping websites.
I decided that for one of the 3 remaining presents I need to make for my FB New Year promise I would make one of the lovely ladies a bookmark. (don't worry, even though they don't know who is getting it, I do)

So, Day one... chose the lettering & graphed the pattern:

 

I saw something similar recently, but just can't bring myself to curse with thread.

Day two saw me choose colours & stitch the evening away:

 

No pic for day 3, but this involved making decisions on how I was going to finish this off, I stitched some back lining on the reverse side & arranged the lace. If you can imagine day 4 (today) finished product without the lace, that was the end of day 3.

Personally I think my ability to tidily finish project off has greatly improved - yah!
Now I have 2 more hand made  gifts to think of... hmmmmm in the meantime, back to biscornu.

Huzzah! take that!

yes, i unpicked & redid the stitching on the back of the postcard. So today I got to add the beads for the border.

My original plan was to use those little note clips - I thought I had seen them nearly everywhere & always thought why would anyone buy them?? so when I finally see a use for one, I can't find them anywhere!! Lucky I found this very cute & small easel.

Whew! Now I can get back to the biscornus, I just want to finish one more before starting on a bookmark & the green project.

So Close, and yet...

I decided that this weekend I will finish the postcard.
Here are some pics:

I'm pretty happy so far, so I proceeded to put it together by folding the two together just above the "July 2011"

Right sides together & stitched 3 sides - there is baking paper inside so that the angeline fibre doesn't go crazy while I iron the edges.

Then turned right-way out & inserted a piece of cardboard & stitched the final edge.

THEN I realised that when I flip it over - the back is upside down. sigh & grrrrr. Fortunately I hadn't put the beads around the outside. So I need I need to reverse ahhhhhhhhhh.

Fixing things

After sending a pic of what I was doing to my mum, she gave me some insightful feedback. Which is GREAT!
Firstly though, I carried on with what I had until I reached this point - which gave me thinking space:

the boulders here are too black & while I was going for a 3D effect, the joined boulders look like clouds. I do like the sand base & the sky & sea horizon... so only the middle to fix :)

so now it has been changed to this:

I will bring more of the sea horizon down & probably put more sky above, but I am really happy with the effect of the boulders now.

At the weekend I went to Bloomfields - at the Hands up for Chch, & got a couple of patterns, one of which I am looking forward to starting... but must finish this, & 2 other things first!