Greetings in 2020

Posted: January 25, 2020 | Author: | Filed under: Bookbinding, Coats, Patrones | Tags: , , | 29 Comments

Yes, I went missing again. I seriously considered shelving my blog but I find it useful to look back at what I did to patterns, and the feedback I get from out there helps with my direction. Also it seemed mean to use other people’s blogs for inspiration and not reciprocate so here I am.

In my last post I said I was about to start a coat – but as you can see I haven’t got far.

The pattern is from Patrones issue 380, and is allegedly designed by Guess. The fabric is fairly deep stash boiled wool bought in Birmingham in October 2016. Time it was used 🙄. I knew if I made a toile I would probably grind to a halt again so this was cut directly into fabric before Christmas, and the interfacing ironed into place shortly after that. I even got a few major seams done between Christmas and New Year so I could try on for fit. And stopped.

Seeing this waiting is acting as a log jam against some other ideas I have so I’m putting it out there to shame me into finishing it. I have a full day available tomorrow (provided I don’t spend an age reading the Sunday papers) so I should see good progress by tomorrow night. Hopefully.

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I have been enjoying the art group I attend weekly. It’s wonderful being among like minded people and just playing. We are all exhausted by the end of the day but mostly it’s a happy tired. We made marbled paper before Christmas and I brought some home to try book binding. Sadly the pieces weren’t big enough to use as end papers (like in some old books) but I think they look pretty good as covers 🙂.

I hope you’re being more productive than I, but next time I hope to have real progress to show. Bye for now!

Knitting…… but no sewing

Posted: October 21, 2019 | Author: | Filed under: Bookbinding, Books, Knitting, Ravelry, WRE | Tags: , , , , | 17 Comments

I haven’t done any sewing since my last post – I had every intention of starting to sew my coat for this winter but I got diverted. I’m blaming the lovely Sheila from Sewchet who I follow on Instagram

More explanation needed. Sheila posted a beautiful book that she had made. Yes – made. She gave the link to the LearnBookbinding site where she bought the materials and instructions. I love a new challenge, and this looked intriguing.

Well with a solo day coming up that I knew I could use to concentrate on this I made my order and settled back to wait for delivery. And wait. Sadly the kit didn’t arrive until after my intended day but I thoroughly enjoyed the experience once I got another free day after its arrival. Check these out! (Sorry if you’ve already seem them on Instagram)

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I was thrilled with the results and have every intention of making more. They are fairly time consuming but I wouldn’t describe them as particularly difficult. Addictive perhaps.

I also finished a jumper I had been knitting for what seemed like … ever. It is the Sunray Ribbing Jumper by Susan Crawford which I found on Ravelry and is something of a departure from my style but I liked it so……

This is a vintage style, and as such it is a fairly close fit. I don’t really wear close fit so though I’m pleased with the results it feels a bit strange. I’m sure I’ll get used to it but for the minute you get flat lay photos. One of the things I loved was the points round the neckline. I didn’t change anything much though I did omit the short back buttoned opening.  Very much of its time so perfect in the design but I was sure I could get this over my head without and thought this colour might prove a challenge to get buttons I liked.

 

The yarn was bought in that massive haul I brought back from WRE which was a while ago so it felt good to use almost all of it. There’s more yarn to be used  from that day but we’ll gloss over that. This was a cashmere mix that is a discontinued Rowan yarn and is lovely directly against my skin – just as well since that’s how this is designed to be worn. The design looks very impressive and wasn’t anything like as difficult to knit as it appears.

Hopefully I will get that coat started now and have some sewing to show you next time.

Until then keep sewing/knitting/or whatever floats your boat 😁