tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-77191063210845497202024-03-05T21:53:16.765+00:00Kirtle's Homespun AdventuresA blog about making things with yarn and fabricKirtleBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07655719623313611929noreply@blogger.comBlogger22125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7719106321084549720.post-12266445982686049502013-09-23T23:55:00.003+01:002015-09-02T22:39:10.440+01:00Night Time is the Right Time<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Although the quality of light is not really conducive for it, night time is a good time for actually getting on with making things. Machine sewing is good at night, but possibly not for the neighbours if the walls are thin. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When I lived in my little crow's nest over Edinburgh there'd be noise all night, but a different range of sounds from the day. At night there would be the clatter of bottles being emptied into giant wheelie bins at the back of the pubs, the faulty air conditioning fan outside, the whoops and cries of folk out for the night, singing, arguments, the traffic... Meanwhile I'd be trundling on at my sewing machine, waiting for the kettle to click as my signal to stop for a break. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There's something satisfying about the level of concentration that builds up during the evening, that last burst of energy before sleep. It's the kind of concentration that will tolerate irritating music on the radio rather than allow you to get up to change the channel and break the thread of activity. It's the concentration that blots out the discomfort of sitting for hours cross-legged, that numbs the bladder so that when you eventually come back to the world you can barely stagger to the loo in time. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So it was one night that I was sitting on the floor trying to regrade a knitting pattern for a sample garment needed at work the following morning. The radio was on; I remember registering there was some kind of drone coming out of the speakers. Every now and then there would be an almost instinctively felt change in the sound, not enough to distract, but soothing in the way that a slight movement after a lengthy period of standing still brings relief. It went on...and on... Somehow, it seemed to set some kind of order in my brain (which is not on particularly friendly terms with numbers) and I had most of my pattern regraded as the drone ended. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The radio programme was <i>Late Junction</i> on Radio 3. I think the track must have lasted at least 15 minutes. I don't know many radio programmes that would give up 15 minutes of airtime to a church organ drone. I don't know why I didn't scribble down the track title, although I got the name of the composer/performer. I don't know why I let it go for years without seeking it out. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But then the other day as it started to sink in that I will have to "do" some Maths on my new course, I had a mini freak-out tempered by the recollection of that evening of church organ-powered brain efficiency. I will do my sums at night when my brain is at its top setting. I will listen to my newly arrived cd of Charlemagne Palestine's <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fpMGbyrXhro">Schlingen Blaengen</a> (a full 71 minutes of splendid organ drone) and see what transpires. </span></div>
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KirtleBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07655719623313611929noreply@blogger.com0Scotland, UK56.490671199999987 -4.202645800000027547.764661199999985 -24.856942800000027 65.216681199999982 16.451651199999972tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7719106321084549720.post-61360300268956642272013-08-26T20:52:00.002+01:002013-08-26T20:52:07.039+01:00Hello Sunshine<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Over the past couple of weeks we've had more wet days than sunny ones, but it doesn't matter. We've seen the sun, it was nice while it was here. I will remember what it looks like in case it doesn't fully appear again until next year. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Have a look at this...</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaGR4iQxq43qL5V3fU9BsQf3bH3EWx9Efcaf_6a_3BJUPxNRYpRpqA-GHiMuXf6O21_XQWvTLTGCJjfIPRMpTlZibsAo3AZ_ermAhG1KO7085URw6NvdJ5r2kZnjksq8HMwXvbqlrXk62-/s1600/DSC04605.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaGR4iQxq43qL5V3fU9BsQf3bH3EWx9Efcaf_6a_3BJUPxNRYpRpqA-GHiMuXf6O21_XQWvTLTGCJjfIPRMpTlZibsAo3AZ_ermAhG1KO7085URw6NvdJ5r2kZnjksq8HMwXvbqlrXk62-/s1600/DSC04605.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It is not a Pantone colour chip, although they have probably patented this particular shade along with every other colour that ever existed. It's the sky above my house, taken earlier in the summer. After three years of crap, wash-out summers, I thought I'd snap this to enjoy in the winter. It's probably also the best composed photo I have produced for this blog. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It actually got hot enough for us to do a bit of wild swimming this summer. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There was a beautiful quiet place, so still and peaceful it looked like the setting for a low-budget horror film. The glamour was provided by my friend R, looking very elegant in her Esther Williams 1950s swimsuit.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Somehow, whenever I go wild swimming I find myself enjoying the sunlight and scenery, pushing through the water at a gentle pace thinking "this is nice", then I start to wonder if there might be a pike waiting to savage us under the water. It has never happened, yet as soon as I think about it, the idea of swimming loses its charm and I retreat to the bank. On that occasion we got hassled by some creatures that looked like caddisflies which kept nipping us so getting back in the water provided some protection. It did at least take my mind off the possibility of a lurking pike. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There has been little time for creative activities although I have finished a simple a-line skirt that had been draped over the back of my sewing chair for a good while. It has subsequently been worn to work a few times, as I have to look a bit smarter in my not-so-new job. So here it is, having been worn and washed a few times... </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This skirt actually looks quite nice on, but there is no one about to take a picture of me in it and I haven't had much luck with the "selfie" approach to garment photography so far. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This picture reminds me that as much as sewing has been a feature of this blog, so has bad photography.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I did a bit of knitting when we went on holiday to the Borders, but that was blighted by my inability to pay attention to what I'm supposed to be doing. I was going great guns until I realised one of my needles was the wrong size. Subsequently, the knitting had been shoved into a bag and ignored. However, this fabulous summer we have been experiencing will come to an end at some point and cardigans will be required. Now that my studying is over (until October) there really is no excuse not to knit and get ready for Autumn. So far I've got the back knitted (with the correct needles) and am about to start a sleeve. Since I seem to have at least a two-month gap between posts there's a possibility it might be finished for my next write-up! </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUVuQQnESLy9XLS60y6yp24QsIZk4oaoYaydrPJpYb8ycmvFGO5ae0Krzg-5FJ2qizbaeIxloFAl4ro03VQ5j81hDsUOgoHu3DVKyfcEf90laRHEUSBueYcf3UnZYroB1C55W7XaKSA6az/s1600/DSC04664.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUVuQQnESLy9XLS60y6yp24QsIZk4oaoYaydrPJpYb8ycmvFGO5ae0Krzg-5FJ2qizbaeIxloFAl4ro03VQ5j81hDsUOgoHu3DVKyfcEf90laRHEUSBueYcf3UnZYroB1C55W7XaKSA6az/s1600/DSC04664.JPG" height="212" width="320" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ollie-bird had been doing well after surviving a cat attack where s/he sustained a broken leg and a gash to the side of the head. Last seen, s/he was still slightly bald, but the leg was mending well. There's so much for birds to eat in the garden this time of year that are probably tastier than cheese (if grubs and beetles are your thing, that is) so we only get fleeting glances of him/her. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />So next up, hopefully another completed nomad jacket. I was also hoping to come up with my own version of a mock kilt I bought over the summer but need to get suitable fabric before I can tackle this. From October there probably won't be much time for sewing and knitting as I have signed up to do a social sciences course with the Open University. It's nice to have something planned for the winter months and to gain a sense of moving forward after a long period of feeling stuck in a rut. We'll see how it goes...</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>KirtleBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07655719623313611929noreply@blogger.com0Scotland, UK56.490671199999987 -4.202645800000027547.764661199999985 -24.856942800000027 65.216681199999982 16.451651199999972tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7719106321084549720.post-81600635257940832802013-05-30T21:49:00.000+01:002015-09-02T22:50:17.767+01:00Little Birdie<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Suddenly it seems that after a long period of treading water, exciting things are starting to happen. There has been some sewing going on lately, usually late at night into the small hours. Also, a bit of studying (nice to get the brain fired up again), and preparation for a new job starting next week. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Beaky, our family blackbird died the other week aged (at least) 8 during an intense hailstorm. The average age for blackbirds is about 2 1/2 years. He was looking after one of his newly fledged chicks until he died, a task we took on which entailed chopping up earthworms. Chicky (officially called Ollie) is doing well and visits the back door for snacks of blueberries and cheese. S/he can dig up his own worms and grubs now. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Until I started keeping the company of blackbirds, I couldn't really tell one bird from another. They all seem to look pretty similar, especially at a distance. But Beaky had a bright yellow-orange crooked beak and an idiosyncratic way of moving so he was easy to spot, and the more I watched the birds in our garden, the easier it was to tell them apart. Sometimes he would sit with us and sunbathe in that funny way birds do with their beaks open and their wings stretched out. He and Mr K spent most dry mornings having breakfast together at the bottom of the garden. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It got me thinking about a statement I heard </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">when I was doing some work training years ago -"all behaviour is the communication of an unmet need". I don't know if Beaky sat with us because he just liked to hang out with us or was there another specific purpose - to show other birds he had big friends who'd look out for him, or to keep us sweet so we'd continue to provide him with snacks... if the statement can always be proven, how do qualities like free will or altruism fit in - I suppose they don't..? Do we ever do anything purely as an abstract or ultimately non self-serving act? I hope so, I don't want to accept a mechanistic explanation for everything we do. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It has been strange in the garden in the evenings; Beaky's son Frankenbird leads the evening song from the roof of our house and appears to be top bird now. The birds seem to fight less, maybe because in Beaky's absence they each have a bit more territory. The swallows are nesting in the garage, forgiven for crapping all over our bikes and the lawn mower because they are such amazing acrobats and come back to us every year from their exotic adventures. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Back to the sewing then...the impending new work role means no more turning up for work in manky old jeans. I am going to have to look a little smarter; I might even have to get a proper hairdo. I have bought myself some <a href="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/71wZDwFnCwL._SL1423_.jpg">sensible new work shoes</a> that remind me of the pastry lids on scotch pies. My younger self would have been horrified to even contemplate wearing such ugly shoes but man, they are comfortable! </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7qY6AYxn6NuygBGwzSvlBN_tlp_H3wGB0XPRplkQ8q4c3POokgGr6gilZxL6u3gQhAXwHKdZe4TJTUQoQkDxsxCJh1gEXEzcLOw1Vx1iZmBwia9EAnkaUn4hui5I7mHCxGNkiwlyoSVpP/s1600/DSC04619.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7qY6AYxn6NuygBGwzSvlBN_tlp_H3wGB0XPRplkQ8q4c3POokgGr6gilZxL6u3gQhAXwHKdZe4TJTUQoQkDxsxCJh1gEXEzcLOw1Vx1iZmBwia9EAnkaUn4hui5I7mHCxGNkiwlyoSVpP/s1600/DSC04619.JPG" width="212" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I have nipped in the waistband of last year's <a href="http://kirtlehomespun.blogspot.co.uk/2012/08/till-victory.html">sewing challenge trousers</a> to improve the fit and have them in wearable condition for work. I've also been involved in a sewing bee at work, on the right is a picture showing a wee detail of a background I made for others to embellish. I used bondaweb, three different fabrics and some sharp scissors. Other people have subsequently added a ship and some breakers to it using applique and stitching. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Next month will be busy as I settle into my new job and get started on my next course assignment. I'm hoping there'll be time for a quick sewing or knitting project. A friend is due a baby in July so I should get something on the needles quickly...</span>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Not much info to share on the new job yet. I will find out more when I get there, but it sounds like a bit of an adventure - still social care - but with more out-and-about activities and some research. Sensible shoes will come in handy.</span><br />
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KirtleBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07655719623313611929noreply@blogger.com0Scotland, UK56.490671199999987 -4.202645800000027547.764661199999985 -24.856942800000027 65.216681199999982 16.451651199999972tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7719106321084549720.post-25619545899434194752013-04-30T23:56:00.003+01:002023-03-24T10:49:19.531+00:00I Hear Music<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Creations of the world's ultimate fibre artist</span></td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Here is the handiwork of spiders after exposure to psychoactive drugs. The image in the top left of the series is a regular web. The rest show how different drugs affect the spider's productive abilities - caffeine clearly is not a useful start to the spider's day! The drugs were administered by feeding drug dosed flies. I suppose a teeny-tiny bifter or miniature cup of espresso might be cute but impractical. (On a tangent but have a look at these <a href="http://www.nhm.ac.uk/resources-rx/images/1025/dressed-fleas-490_13384_1.jpg">clothed fleas</a> from Tring Stuffed Animal Museum).</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Six months ago I got moderate unilateral hearing loss during a virus. So the GP gave me an assortment of meds to try and sort it, including pseudoephedrine (see benzedrine/speed web). I certainly noticed a boost in energy but not in a way that felt particularly productive. I did have a lot of great plans in the middle of the night (I was awake quite a lot); not really the best time for using the sewing machine though. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Since then I've had a comprehensive hearing test at the Infirmary. Apparently I have bat-quality hearing, so now I have to stop complaining that music still doesn't sound right to me. The pitch is wrong in one ear but I can hear it well enough. I should just get back into listening to music and enjoying sound. The birds have been knocking out some cracking tunes by our bedroom window at 0545 each morning.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So there have been no blog entries as I attempted to keep assorted plates spinning. There has been a bit of sewing - just another Burda A line skirt for work using some stash fabric. Not a very exciting project, but I will post a pic of this in a few days.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Keeping on a spider theme, I have started doing some free-arm embroidery after a gap of many years. I'd forgotten how much fun it is to "draw" with the machine. The Bernina 1008 is great for this. I will need to come up with some kind of project that needs a bit of doodling...</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Although we're in April and we've had a good few sunny days, it's been so cold I've been tempted to knit more than sew. I've got my eye on some Wendy Norse chunky yarn in a warm dark blue. I was thinking of using this Sirdar pattern from my Nomad booklet. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It has been cold enough for me to waste an hour looking for the knitted frogman suit with integral balaclava I once found on a Bulgarian website in the early days of the (publicly available) internet - sadly it's not there any more. However, that would take a lot of yarn and time so I will probably settle for this plain sweater without the cowl neck piece.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So projects on the go are: a breton sweater for Little Creature, this sweater on the left (trying out a tension swatch just now), a short distance learning course. I have also threatened to make some kind of vintage style hat for my niece this year. Nice to have assorted irons in the fire. Happy Beltane!</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">I'm managing to keep some momentum going and have made two new garments already this year... </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">I started with this simple short sleeve top from the February issue of Burdastyle. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">I had just enough of the red bamboo jersey fabric that I used for a <a href="http://kirtlehomespun.blogspot.co.uk/2012/06/everything-in-its-right-place.html" target="_blank">Vogue double layer top</a> last year. The fabric's a bit clingy but I thought it would do for a toile. It's actually turned out ok, and I'll probably get some wear out of this. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Mr K suggested the ruching at the hips as it was quite long in the body. Here it is then:</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">I seem to have a ruched neck in this as well :o(</span></td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">I was hoping to present some classy pics of this top, but alas it was not to be. Earlier, I asked Mr K if he would take some photos and he grumbled a bit about having to set up lights but agreed to do it. I wasn't expecting lighting but thought "Great! Deluxe photos at last!" My photos are usually a bit fuzzy and gloomy. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Unfortunately Mr K is having his pre-bedtime snooze. So it's back to fuzzy pics and exotic locations - this photo shoot took place in a bathroom in Scotland.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg71DU63LYpaLyBASH0ca_-nry3e12qZoMXconllfhDdR6YnKrkxx091rs6haSEyxgmC1HSb87SVemVg5LUS2fj9I8rXBcOTGgbEqsHXT0X0VI-4S1_aHhlYkkV1hL7XUqZyf9IOgdrvxwf/s1600/DSC04426.JPG" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg71DU63LYpaLyBASH0ca_-nry3e12qZoMXconllfhDdR6YnKrkxx091rs6haSEyxgmC1HSb87SVemVg5LUS2fj9I8rXBcOTGgbEqsHXT0X0VI-4S1_aHhlYkkV1hL7XUqZyf9IOgdrvxwf/s1600/DSC04426.JPG" width="179" /></a></td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Garment no 2 is rather small: I made a dress for Little Creature's cuddly rabbit. LC has been dressing her in a manky old baby vest for the past few months; before that she was naked. I decided it was time for her to have a proper dress so we went to the sewing shop so LC could choose fabric for her. He chose some fabric for another rabbit of a different shape and size so I'll have to figure a pattern out for that too.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">By the time it gets to February, I'm restless for some signs of Spring. It's definitely on its way! Little Creature has been on snowdrop patrol in the garden and the birds are tuning up for their spring songs. Beaky, our family blackbird (who will be 8 this spring) is much more vocal as he hops about on our doorstep waiting for cheese and grapes. </span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Beaky </span></td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">I'm encouraged by these natural cycles and patterns, and living in the countryside, it feels easier to connect with them. I've enjoyed the snow this year (or more specifically, the sledging) and the clear starlit nights when I've gone out to get the coal. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">My friend G keeps me updated with texts about the state of the cosmos and what to look out for; he has a good understanding of where things are up there. Years ago when we were neighbours, he chapped my door late one evening and said "Come out and see Mars". So we stomped up to Johnston Terrace at the foot of Edinburgh Castle in pyjamas and coats to look at Mars. It was beautiful, like a newly-minted penny. In spite of the light pollution of the city we had a clear view. A passer-by stopped to ask us what we were looking at. She was on holiday from Australia and enjoying an evening stroll. The three of us stood and looked at Mars for a while, and then went on our separate ways. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Recently, I read an interview with former Dr Feelgood guitarist Wilko Johnson who was discussing - among other things - receiving a diagnosis of terminal pancreatic cancer and how he is spending the short time he has left. (If you haven't encountered Dr Feelgood and in particular, Wilko's charismatic stage presence, I recommend that you check out <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GPRP0gdS95A" target="_blank">this classic performance</a> on the Old Grey Whistle Test). </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" face="arial, sans-serif" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><i>"I do want to look at the Great Nebula in Orion, 'cos Orion is passing now with the wintertime, so obviously it's the last chance I've got to see Orion, and I wanna have a look at that. And, especially, I do hope I'm around to see Saturn again, which will be in the sky before too long."</i></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;">The full article is <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2013/feb/02/wilko-johnson-interview" target="_blank">here</a>. Now when I look at Orion, I have the guitar riff of "Roxette" in my head. It's a welcome, purposeful rhythm. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;">Next up project-wise, well I'm not sure...I've got some red denim and a bit of fine corduroy in a lilac colour to use up. Either could be good for a skirt. I'm putting off the 1950s dress for now as I've got a big project at work and some studying coming up. Perhaps it will be a good project for the summer when the evenings are lighter.</span></div>
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KirtleBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07655719623313611929noreply@blogger.com2Scotland, UK56.490671199999987 -4.202645800000027547.769040199999985 -24.856942800000027 65.212302199999982 16.451651199999972tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7719106321084549720.post-91310340532519238322013-01-08T15:39:00.005+00:002023-03-24T10:49:46.856+00:00Don't Play No Game That I Can't Win<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My year-long "make-a-garment-a-month" challenge is finally over. I've made 12 pieces; one was a bit of a disaster, the rest were successful in varying degrees. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I set myself this challenge for a range of reasons. One of them was to feel in control of something at a time when, in specific aspects of life, I didn't feel like I had much agency. Looking back, I don't think that was actually the situation, but the choice element of this challenge was very motivating. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">To add to the challenge, I decided I wouldn't buy any clothes during 2012 except underwear or footwear and I pretty much stuck to this until late December when I paid for 1/3 of a swimming costume (the other 2/3 was a gift). </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />Every blog entry I have written for this challenge is named after a song (usually one that I like). In most instances, the content of the song had nothing to do with the content of the blog entry. Choosing the titles has been a fun, sometimes time consuming aspect of the project. This one seemed right (from the last Beastie Boys album), and reminded me of something I read on Edinburgh-based poet Graeme Hawley's website:</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">"In the English language there is this ridiculous rule about double negatives equalling a positive. However, in Scots language negatives are accumulative. The more negatives used, the more negative the statement is".</span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So maybe I won, maybe not. I missed several deadlines but managed 12 garments in a year, which is a good few more than the previous year. I learned how to use an overlocker, and that making trousers needn't be scary. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So, a review featuring the best, the most useful, and the worst garments of the year. The worst, by a country mile, goes to this skirt :</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The pattern wasn't the problem, it was just my poor choice and effort that made this such a turkey. I chose some old fabric that wasn't right for the job. I should also have made a toile so I could get the fit right, but instead I ploughed right in and this is what I got. It's at the bottom of the wardrobe. I threatened to make it into a bag...this hasn't happened yet.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
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Next up is my favourite garment of the year. This was an easy pattern, I found lovely fabric for it and felt fabulous wearing the finished dress. I pulled out all the stops with this one as it was for my friend Kath's wedding. I knew she and her gentleman D would be putting Herculean efforts into making everything lovely so that everybody would have a great time, and I wanted to make something suitably smart in honour of their special day. So here it is plus a cocktail hat, which was a last minute project the night before the wedding. The hat was fun to wear (don't usually get to dress up this posh) but when I took it off for the evening do, I had a jaunty angled red line across one side of my forehead where the hat had been. It didn't fade for a few hours! </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Favourite and best garment of the year</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Last minute hat worked out nicely</span></td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Finally, most useful garment of the year. It aint pretty but it's probably been worn more than anything else I made in 2012. I made another one in a smaller size which is a better fit, but this remains a useful, if not particularly elegant piece of clothing.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I'll keep sewing and knitting throughout 2013 (and most likely writing about it), but I won't be setting deadlines. I want time to finish projects to a better standard than I could achieve in the space of a month. Plus it would be good to make time for other adventures...</span><br />
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KirtleBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07655719623313611929noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7719106321084549720.post-84619847014220774732013-01-08T00:06:00.003+00:002023-03-24T10:50:27.922+00:00Memories of a Colour<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This is the last garment I made for a challenge to make a garment every month throughout 2012. I set the challenge, made up the rules and often fell foul of them.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Based on gathered top 116 from Burdastyle July 2012</span></td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />With December being an expensive month already, I used some cotton lawn from stash and a pattern from the July 2012 edition of Burdastyle magazine. It's not the one I intended to make but I had less than a metre of fabric to work with. It's the first time I've traced a pattern from a sewing magazine and it took the use of a headtorch and a fair bit of muttering to get the job done. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The pattern called for double layers of chiffon but I had barely enough to make it with single layers. The project was not helped by my making a cutting error with one of the sleeves as I tried to follow the plot of a spy drama on the telly at the same time. Then I lost the other sleeve, wasted an hour looking for it, but managed to cut two new sleeves from the scrap of fabric I had left. (Won't attempt multi-tasking with scissors again).</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The brown edging is not what I had planned for it but on two different occasions I went to buy bias binding for this project, forgetting to take the fabric with me. Both times I got it wrong, the second time I bought three different colours in the hope that one would be right - this is the most ok of the three, although the contrast is more striking than I would have liked.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And that was the end of my making challenge for 2012. Thanks for reading, and happy new year!</span>KirtleBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07655719623313611929noreply@blogger.com0Scotland, UK56.490671199999987 -4.202645800000027547.769040199999985 -24.856942800000027 65.212302199999982 16.451651199999972tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7719106321084549720.post-86954527940885817492012-12-24T17:58:00.002+00:002023-03-24T10:40:53.381+00:00Listen, the Snow is Falling<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In the 1970s, when Christmas decorations tended to consist of paper chains and lanterns made of tissue honeycombs that would decompose in the loft before they were needed again, my sister and I started making paper snowflakes to stick on the windows. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">She was pretty nifty with the scissors, so hers were delicate with intricate shapes. I was a few years younger and not yet fully in charge of my hands, and my efforts were more like squashed snowballs with a few holes poked through. The memory of us sitting together, concentrating with scissors and covering the floor with little flecks of paper still cheers me.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Now we are in our forties, still making snowflakes. There were none for several years when our respective paths wandered onto separate maps. But now, e</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">very year she sends me new ones to hang up at Christmas. I still have a quite a few from previous years.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This year I was organised enough to make and send some to her while she has a year off from the scissors and paper. It was a nice thing to do whilst watching the telly, although you need a bag on your lap to catch the confetti.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I also made some for our house. This is the sum total of my scissor-work this month:</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBrOiYcwDLWCm_kPJhxDbnbVIjDGu1iEUdsEqRGVNw5RigKf2jTQ7EBGlW7osuxhMCNniOdgEQzK38h_XqzkTF95fOmLbD0nEqLC-F4YSamuepzGDj5G4hsrD04Uh6pPsTwsyxbiLyyYGn/s1600/DSC04332.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBrOiYcwDLWCm_kPJhxDbnbVIjDGu1iEUdsEqRGVNw5RigKf2jTQ7EBGlW7osuxhMCNniOdgEQzK38h_XqzkTF95fOmLbD0nEqLC-F4YSamuepzGDj5G4hsrD04Uh6pPsTwsyxbiLyyYGn/s400/DSC04332.JPG" height="225" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This one got a bit mangled after being left on the sofa</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN8iGly8KB2TSGMo3q-X_bVthKdht69NHjdXu8nOi2-6_9UR7g1abrxOR_p4kkUxErMF_RY4RxVn-yCVklX7X-ZqNK5-5-j0tQIB68pnX3HoybsnumO9fOIhK0EdlSwqZrTs30KP6kJyOk/s1600/DSC04323.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN8iGly8KB2TSGMo3q-X_bVthKdht69NHjdXu8nOi2-6_9UR7g1abrxOR_p4kkUxErMF_RY4RxVn-yCVklX7X-ZqNK5-5-j0tQIB68pnX3HoybsnumO9fOIhK0EdlSwqZrTs30KP6kJyOk/s320/DSC04323.JPG" height="180" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Far right: one of my sister's snowflakes</span></td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">These, along with some lights in the birch tree in the garden, are all we have in the way of Christmas decorations. It's our first Christmas as a smaller family; one of us is missing so it will be a quiet, reflective time. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Little Creature is so excited about Santa; he and Mr K sent a letter up the chimney and received a confirmation text from an elf administrator at Santa's HQ. Things have changed a bit since we used to write our Christmas letters. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8AGBdnTQN2txfLFWlBxRrTXHK8VXIIBnxHyp7ZVrRrAWZsARabKbbyUCp_sKy1OH93maCNnKCD1KXdWmW9PVTB9JaJsiV61ZC4roZajyyBuHSCY2oWpGp89Ta9jdMxdbIv8_KTNOC7Cg/s1600/102-0511-B_1500x1500-ID266091-.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8AGBdnTQN2txfLFWlBxRrTXHK8VXIIBnxHyp7ZVrRrAWZsARabKbbyUCp_sKy1OH93maCNnKCD1KXdWmW9PVTB9JaJsiV61ZC4roZajyyBuHSCY2oWpGp89Ta9jdMxdbIv8_KTNOC7Cg/s320/102-0511-B_1500x1500-ID266091-.png" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">From Burdastyle July 2012</span></td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">December is hurtling by and I haven't even traced the pattern for this month's project. I will be doing a short sleeve blouse pattern from Burdastyle using some printed lawn from stash. It looks easy enough; I think tracing the pattern will be the most time consuming part of the project as it's from the magazine (lots of different pattern pieces overprinted on one sheet). Not very festive but there's not much fabric and this will come in handy at some point next year.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I've got under a week to do this to complete my year-long challenge....</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>KirtleBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07655719623313611929noreply@blogger.com0Scotland, UK56.490671199999987 -4.202645800000027547.769040199999985 -24.856942800000027 65.212302199999982 16.451651199999972tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7719106321084549720.post-36182469975637791212012-12-06T21:56:00.001+00:002023-03-24T10:40:36.368+00:00Almost Blue<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My recent burst of creativity and motivation has collided with an unavoidable round of winter virus bingo, which has meant there have been lots of creative thoughts but not so much in the way of actually making stuff. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Luckily, </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I finished the nomad jacket just before the latest virus cranked up to full power. Less fortunately, I misjudged placing the buttonhole (which I wrote into the pattern last time round) and it needed to be a couple of rows higher and closer to the edge by a couple of stitches. Ordinarily this wouldn't seem like much of a big deal; it was only 7 rows to rip back and re-do. It took a few evenings to sort it out and it really could have been done in one. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A few days in the head-clearing spaciousness of Keswick have helped; not enough energy for big walks but we went for a wander along the lakeside and enjoyed the winter sun. </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Derwentwater</span></td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://kirtlehomespun.blogspot.co.uk/2012/11/im-not-done.html" target="_blank">The dress</a> I wrote about last month has been deferred into next year - too much to do in December without tracing pattern pieces and making toiles etc. I did buy a linen/cotton blend fabric although I'm not so sure about the colour. I bought it online and it looked much bluer on my screen; it's really more of a lilac. (I also bought some habotai silk to line it as it worked out only slightly more expensive than buying an acetate lining). This is only the latest online purchasing mishap. Previous cock-ups this year included ordering a miniscule hat, and fabric that was too light weight for a skirt. The lightweight fabric will get used for something, not so sure about the hat though.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">l-r: purple corduroy, printed lawn, habotai, linen/cotton </span></td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So instead of the dress, I might be making a quick and easy skirt using some stash fabric that Kath gave me (purple corduroy, far left) and a previously tested <a href="http://cdn102.iofferphoto.com/img3/item/459/642/66/skirt-uncut-burda-sewing-pattern-sz-8-20-ee334.jpg" target="_blank">Burda skirt pattern</a>. Or I might make something from the December issue of Burdastyle which has some interesting patterns. It's the first issue I've bought where I'm not sure what to make first. As ever, there's some weird stuff in there too:</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb168tH9PQJE8d-DYNaWGMlnai0I8H3CEEOy2UMYH33zQwu7WvX82kXcYAIGkUf0cZwwFMBsBS66RX2AWZVZbRueU0v_9f9Kdvc2xtVCtZeoEduKLws6rw9jY5jAiG7XSbWp3Is-IYsDvB/s1600/DSC04284.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb168tH9PQJE8d-DYNaWGMlnai0I8H3CEEOy2UMYH33zQwu7WvX82kXcYAIGkUf0cZwwFMBsBS66RX2AWZVZbRueU0v_9f9Kdvc2xtVCtZeoEduKLws6rw9jY5jAiG7XSbWp3Is-IYsDvB/s1600/DSC04284.JPG" height="200" width="112" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Burdastyle weirdness<br /></span></td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Next year I'm hoping to use up some stash fabric and work from patterns I have already. That includes a pile of Burdastyle magazines that I haven't tried yet. Each one has at least one worthwhile pattern in. Unfortunately, during the time I took out my subscription there were some monstrosities in there. This Krystle Carrington biker jacket on the right here is an aberration in an otherwise excellent issue. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The picture below is of the completed nomad jacket. This is the second one I've made, but this time using yarn closer in gauge to the recommended yarn. The colour scheme is a bit 1980s but I'm happy with the fit. I'm pleased to report it looks better on me than it does on my trusty dummy Maria. I'll try and replace this fuzzy pic with a clearer, human one soon.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Nomad Jacket</span></td></tr>
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KirtleBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07655719623313611929noreply@blogger.com0Scotland, UK56.4906712 -4.202645852.001809200000004 -14.310067799999999 60.9795332 5.9047762tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7719106321084549720.post-283695323458746502012-11-15T11:59:00.003+00:002012-11-15T11:59:58.970+00:00I'm Not Done<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Now that Autumn is here and it's only a few weeks to the shortest day, I've been trying to get organised for the dark evenings and keep busy. So far I've felt quite positive about the approach of Winter so long as I have plenty to do. (Well actually there's no shortage of things to do - I could be clearing out the understairs cupboard or cleaning the oven).</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Butterick Retro 1956 Dress B5813</span></td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I've just bought a couple of patterns I've had my eye on for a while, with a plan to make one of them as my December project. The <a href="http://butterick.mccall.com/b5813-products-27961.php?page_id=147" target="_blank">dress pattern</a> arrived (see right) arrived ahead of the <a href="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51wqSt4mUgL._SY300_.jpg" target="_blank">blouse</a> so I may well source fabric for that and keep the blouse project for the New Year. I'm inclined towards a linen/cotton blend for this dress.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My year long challenge ends in December and I've been wondering what sort of creative plans I should make for next year. It's been both a pleasure and a bind at times, but has definitely helped me feel I'm in a good place mentally. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The dead</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">lines have been helpful in motivating me to complete projects, but I think sometimes the quality of the finished item could have been better had I taken more time. So rather than make a garment a month next year, I am going to aim for a small number of projects and see how long they take - I expect some will be quick, some may just need more than a month. I will keep going though.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So far I am up to date with my challenge. I have included the spider costume in my list although it's not for me, it is a wearable item. (Perhaps that's cheating - I will need to think about this). LC wanted to wear it for the next two days after Halloween and has been asking to wear the tights again. I suppose they might come in handy for outdoor adventures on cold days. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This week saw the start of the second series of The Hour on BBC2. I watched all of series one; it was a little uneven script-wise, but I did enjoy the outfits very much. Last night's episode did not disappoint (not least because Peter Capaldi is now in it and I think he's always interesting to watch). As of next episode, I will be keeping a pencil and sketchbook handy. Quite what I'll be doing with any doodles I make I don't know. I think making the pattern for last month's spider costume has possibly given me delusions of excessive ability!</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnE8mbzbOJzyxMyAHolg1NOY0uMIemzK26h1x6YCpffwnntW_SWVqomSDSCoz16gSDdNHd9Z66EWKV98CD1R7v07QBIeijfdaBGceJAFhsFm3ERj0wiXbjzUwVT4jg7s2wu2QHoLQHinkl/s1600/8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnE8mbzbOJzyxMyAHolg1NOY0uMIemzK26h1x6YCpffwnntW_SWVqomSDSCoz16gSDdNHd9Z66EWKV98CD1R7v07QBIeijfdaBGceJAFhsFm3ERj0wiXbjzUwVT4jg7s2wu2QHoLQHinkl/s1600/8.jpg" height="250" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Romola Garai gets to wear some snappy dresses</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Wages at the BBC must have been ok even then.</span></td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I am quite far on with my second Nomad jacket. I decided to try the coloured yoke version but with long sleeves. I'm halfway up the second sleeve and have completed the back and front pieces. I remember the slowest bit of this pattern was the pick-ups for the yoke and rib bands up the front. I'm trying to crack on with the knitting the pieces so I can take my time with the pick-ups. I'm aiming to post a pic of the finished jacket by the end of the month.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Won't be wearing with headband or feathers<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></span></td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Over this past month I've worn a few of the things I've made including items that I wasn't too pleased with initially. The <a href="http://kirtlehomespun.blogspot.co.uk/2012/06/everything-in-its-right-place.html" target="_blank">Vogue long sleeve top</a> has been a good weight to wear now it's getting colder and I've even got round to wearing the <a href="http://kirtlehomespun.blogspot.co.uk/2012/05/model.html" target="_blank">Burda a-line skirt</a> (not the <a href="http://kirtlehomespun.blogspot.co.uk/2012/04/i-never-picked-cotton.html" target="_blank">really awful one</a> though). </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I've had no more opportunities to wear my 1947 dress since Kath's wedding, but Christmas isn't far away and I won't be cooking the dinner.... </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>KirtleBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07655719623313611929noreply@blogger.com0Scotland, UK56.4906712 -4.202645852.001809200000004 -14.310067799999999 60.9795332 5.9047762tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7719106321084549720.post-61751449451783566142012-10-31T19:46:00.001+00:002023-03-24T10:43:04.323+00:00Slowly Goes the Night<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Emboldened by my success with the 1947 dress last week, I decided I would make a Halloween costume for Little Creature. Unfortunately, I left it until tuesday to actually do anything about it.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I had some ideas about making a grasshopper/cricket outfit (for an Ugly Bug Ball/nursery bunfight) but when we got to the fabric shop (nothing suitable in the stash box) he was insistent on a spider costume. I suspected there would be several spiders there, probably better dressed, as I have had four hours to put this together and just drew it on the fabric with a piece of tailor's chalk. I winged it with the design, deciding as I was going along how it was going to work out. Earlier, I got some good suggestions for making spider legs at the fabric shop but settled on rolled up sections of curtain interlining stuffed into black fabric tubes with a knitting needle.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I started off quite neat and lined the bodice. It was looking not bad for something drawn straight onto the fabric. However, as the night wore on my standards slipped a lot. It was 0245 by the time I unplugged the sewing machine. I'd had vague (as ever, overambitious) plans to make myself a Halloween skirt as well but there was no time. I think it sufficed that I arrived at work this morning looking like I'd just been dug up. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sometimes I really enjoy working late at night. There's always something interesting on the radio which I wouldn't tune in for specifically. Last night there was an interview with Ken Dodd, then some Finnish folk singing that mimics reindeer calls on Radio 3's Late Junction. Not something I would be likely to seek out but happy to sew along to it. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This morning, LC took some persuading to put on the woolly tights I'd bought him to go with the costume. "I don't want anyone to see me in these tights". I suggested he keep them for an hour or so, trying not to be a pushy mum but inwardly feeling a bit peeved by his lack of enthusiasm for my late-night efforts. Arriving at Nursery he decided that his costume was too spooky and didn't want to wear it, but once he saw that everyone else was in costume (I spotted an excellent snail with papier mache shell, a slug with dangly antennae, assorted spiders, a ladybird, and some kind of beetle) he couldn't get it on quick enough and ended up wearing it all day. It was nice to see so many home-made costumes. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So here it is before and after it got a good wearing. (My pics are generally not good quality and this is slightly worse than usual, I could barely see what I was photographing by this point). </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Spider!</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Spider costume after a busy day</span></td></tr>
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KirtleBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07655719623313611929noreply@blogger.com0Scotland, UK56.4906712 -4.202645852.001809200000004 -14.310067799999999 60.9795332 5.9047762tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7719106321084549720.post-45816795338442218332012-10-27T16:24:00.000+01:002012-10-27T16:25:14.966+01:00I'll Wear It Proudly<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ten months into my make-a-garment-a-month challenge and I've finally made two things I really like! </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Firstly, I finished my dress for Kath's wedding in the early hours of the morning before the ceremony. I'd actually finished the construction of it the day before but needed to sew on a hook and eye to complete it. The hat was cobbled together from a blocked felt shape I got from Macculloch & Wallis, and a sprig of velvet flowers sewn on as I sat in a corridor outside our bedroom so I didn't wake Little Creature.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I'm fair pleased with how they turned out, and really enjoyed wearing them on such a magical and lovely occasion. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So here they are...</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilTj__UO8tq2qLIV8bKBix2VEl6Ye96Sqye7hqTk04HUZVtPRI3NLvEsVQD3zbCUlCfeR-fPvlNs4QjjOgMWzGg0tMBu8A90pbuzE_YI1euHOtzf8YWcCcAtuQlcE0F3YikWp9mW2E1SSr/s1600/DSC04249.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilTj__UO8tq2qLIV8bKBix2VEl6Ye96Sqye7hqTk04HUZVtPRI3NLvEsVQD3zbCUlCfeR-fPvlNs4QjjOgMWzGg0tMBu8A90pbuzE_YI1euHOtzf8YWcCcAtuQlcE0F3YikWp9mW2E1SSr/s1600/DSC04249.JPG" height="225" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Black felt cocktail hat with velvet flowers<br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><br /></span></span></span></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq3165o8cODVryFzCiMFmsTeuVw_MkSXclisT7wwJMcwKGSRKO6b2x5XNldGjgGZsXHwlQWMOmR4HsByjPrCEVAYAwl7NcDe73SqVPQUh0VajsXGe1_GM1AtvWbiQUDtLtTMd7zfsovy1g/s1600/DSC04243.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq3165o8cODVryFzCiMFmsTeuVw_MkSXclisT7wwJMcwKGSRKO6b2x5XNldGjgGZsXHwlQWMOmR4HsByjPrCEVAYAwl7NcDe73SqVPQUh0VajsXGe1_GM1AtvWbiQUDtLtTMd7zfsovy1g/s1600/DSC04243.JPG" height="640" width="360" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Butterick B5209 1947 dress<br /><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpVb0Z6Ux5rzVSHxFknpDhMS0jtW3lHTeLNu1NSLJZqSsS4r-fSpvRR2hyphenhyphenKaSTJ6f4C2DnHxXWZj7swCTjbBoSynIxMDZ8FxB7CABziecw6IUu1m4Ywfh5u_Ysyt3_QkJx_QjPSBTBrrhh/s1600/DSC04247.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpVb0Z6Ux5rzVSHxFknpDhMS0jtW3lHTeLNu1NSLJZqSsS4r-fSpvRR2hyphenhyphenKaSTJ6f4C2DnHxXWZj7swCTjbBoSynIxMDZ8FxB7CABziecw6IUu1m4Ywfh5u_Ysyt3_QkJx_QjPSBTBrrhh/s1600/DSC04247.JPG" height="400" width="225" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Bodice made up of 3 sections</span></td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I made a slight alteration to the pattern after making the toile as it was a little wide and flappy under the arms so I took 1cm off each side for a neater fit. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I'd also wanted to put in an invisible zip and bought a special machine foot for the purpose. Unfortunately, ill health and time were against me - post-virus I still feel like I have just stepped off a roundabout after a few ciders, so I found sewing hard-going at times. So no attempt at invisible zips this time. It's been good to have an external deadline, instead of my usual self-imposed ones.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The pattern matching was a little tricky as it had a large repeat and I didn't have enough fabric. I tried my best to match on the front and back of the bodice. As the skirt was gathered, I thought I could get away without pattern matching and just did my best to balance the pattern on each side. The bird and branch pattern is quite forgiving and I'm pleased with how it's turned out.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The bride looked stunning in a slinky sequined dress, simple in construction but beautifully elegant and sparkly. Groom very smart in his kilt. It was definitely a wedding of snappy dressers!</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Kath and her good gentleman (with the help of family and friends) put so much work into planning their wedding to make it an inclusive and relaxed few days; it was definitely the most chilled-out wedding I have been to; really lovely to catch up with old friends and make some new ones too. The location, a remote corner of the Highlands was a beautiful setting. I'm not sure if Kath had a hand in booking the weather but it worked out well - crisp, blue skied days, then a sprinkle of snowflakes as we were leaving. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I'm hoping to post some pics of the location and all their creative work on making the place look so splendid, but they are on honeymoon so will await permission.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Here I am being outdone by carpets, busy light fittings, marble fireplace and china dogs...</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAKvID9VhePxZMdopKFRBvHsxq3KDbatcfqaQUxIanyPntLdO-AUahgCvquAn3hjQuuhlLtaHZwG1TEjePFRuITr0M1a2T1u-j9xCNWUz09e-i1Lp9BSW9Prmtfrbu8_Av25XF3dONsxC7/s1600/DSC04223.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAKvID9VhePxZMdopKFRBvHsxq3KDbatcfqaQUxIanyPntLdO-AUahgCvquAn3hjQuuhlLtaHZwG1TEjePFRuITr0M1a2T1u-j9xCNWUz09e-i1Lp9BSW9Prmtfrbu8_Av25XF3dONsxC7/s1600/DSC04223.JPG" height="640" width="360" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Forgot to bring handbag - full glass & nibbles are the best accessories</span></td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I think this brings me a little more up to date with my challenge. I've counted 9 items made in 10 months so next month I'll need to do 2 again. Before then I have to get some kind of costume sorted out for LC's ugly bug party at nursery out of the stash box. He's got quite a social life these days - he gave it laldy on the dancefloor for two hours at the wedding stopping only because the band needed a break. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Can't wait for an excuse to wear this dress again!</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>KirtleBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07655719623313611929noreply@blogger.com2Scotland, UK56.4906712 -4.202645852.001809200000004 -14.310067799999999 60.9795332 5.9047762tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7719106321084549720.post-62579905250205281502012-10-11T22:49:00.001+01:002023-03-24T10:45:34.458+00:00That's How You Sing Amazing Grace<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The dress has been progressing nicely and I've been thinking about making a hat too, but nothing too ambitious this time. It's many years since I made a hat, and although I still have two hat blocks and a spiral spring, I got rid of my stash of felt hoods and blocking net a long time ago. So it actually works out cheaper j</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">ust now to buy a blocked shape and stick some flowers on (which I suppose is cheating a bit).</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.macculloch-wallis.co.uk/Content/Products/HAT674_s.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://www.macculloch-wallis.co.uk/Content/Products/HAT674_s.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Coffee Bean felt hat</span></td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I've been looking at blocked shapes and after consulting my friend Kath (in whose honour I will be wearing the hat), this is the one we decided looked least like an air hostess's hat. The other two looked decidedly British Airways circa 1980s. The selected coffee bean is from Macculloch and Wallis, so not cheap. I ordered it yesterday; I hope it's larger than an actual coffee bean. I have already made one bad micro-millinery choice this month, more on that later... </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In my teens I used to wear hats a lot. I wouldn't have gone out to the shop without sticking on a beret or an old charity shop breton. These days it's more for practical reasons like not getting frozen ears. In my younger days I was convinced that more people spoke to me when I had a hat on than not. I will have to see if this theory still holds...as I live in a fairly small community it's difficult not to have some kind of human interaction when out, and most folk are wearing hats at this time of year anyway (not usually ones with flowers on them). Here are my nice red flowers:</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Velvet flowers to go on coffee bean hat</span></td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I bought these online along with a little black sinamay hat base called a "cookie". They weren't kidding, it's not much bigger than a biscuit. I must have misread the measurements; I thought I'd get something the size of a side plate. I've been wondering where the line is between cocktail hat (quite like) and fascinator (definitely not ok) and I think the cookie is on the wrong side of the line for me. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3pkWWpQ066vW7GFrMGE_u79TgzOtuccppu7-23XKa5zYZV7oxivN9R23aq7B6HbCRmiKtz4LFiAiUNizxYKKN0neF9iSP06R3n8QBG5B_1bL3lzzTF2HH4BzGJNfKJxlxSHgk0YZUCfbU/s1600/DSC04198.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3pkWWpQ066vW7GFrMGE_u79TgzOtuccppu7-23XKa5zYZV7oxivN9R23aq7B6HbCRmiKtz4LFiAiUNizxYKKN0neF9iSP06R3n8QBG5B_1bL3lzzTF2HH4BzGJNfKJxlxSHgk0YZUCfbU/s320/DSC04198.JPG" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I've not been doing any sewing for the past few days as it was my turn to get the virus that's doing the rounds, but I did start some knitting for my November project a couple of days ago. Knitting feels more sedate than sewing, and I can watch telly too. I'm trying another one of these Sirdar Nomad jackets using their new brushed yarn Babouska. In spite of my initial disappointment with the last one I made earlier this year (aka the <a href="http://kirtlehomespun.blogspot.co.uk/2012/06/crabtown.html" target="_blank">Heffalump jacket</a>), I have actually worn it a lot, and it is surviving quite well in its various roles as dressing gown, work jacket, and fetching-the-coal jacket. I should add, it washes very well! </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The new one is in a plum coloured yarn and a size smaller so I'm hoping to get something more like the shape of the one in the picture.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Well as the week moves on, this virus is looking suspiciously like hand foot and mouth. Luckily Mr K and LC shook it off in a matter of days. I am feeling quite sorry for myself and frustrated that I can't get on with the dress. Having made the toile recently, I have a fair idea of how long it will take so I'm not too worried about the timescale although I don't want to leave it to the last minute. My hands are nowhere near as sore as my feet so I could be sewing tomorrow, or the next day.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Earlier, Little Creature and I were sitting in a cafe waiting for Mr K to come out of the dentist. I'd bought him a magazine with a free camera (with little revolving picture disc in the viewfinder). He was pretending to take snaps of people in the cafe. The waitress obliged him with a toothy smile. "It' doesn't really work," he explained earnestly. "The batteries have died." He gave me a commentary of what people were doing in the cafe, and the street, as he worked on a teacake. My cup of tea seemed to stay hot for ages. I forgot about my sore feet. Time goes at a nice pace when small folk remind you of how interesting now can be.</span><br />
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KirtleBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07655719623313611929noreply@blogger.com0Scotland, UK56.4906712 -4.202645852.001809200000004 -14.310067799999999 60.9795332 5.9047762tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7719106321084549720.post-47240720261930059252012-09-30T21:09:00.003+01:002023-03-24T10:46:11.024+00:00Road to No Regret<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I am typing this in the same room as a large, uninvited spider, last seen scuttling under the desk. Because of this distraction, there may be typos and grammar issues along the way.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My lovely Bernina sewing machine is away for a service so I dusted down my old Singer Melodie 40 to get on with the toile for my <a href="http://img1.etsystatic.com/000/0/5270707/il_fullxfull.191666529.jpg" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">1947 dress</a>. The Singer has been out of use for a while and although this is the machine I use for sewing things I wouldn't allow near the Bernina (paper, plastic, rubber etc), it's working a treat, much better than the ailing Bernina. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My sewing machines don't have names, but I am quite sentimental about them. The Singer was my 18th birthday present, and a very fine present it still is, because with it I have had the opportunity to experience all sorts of creative adventures - making clothes, hats, bags, curtains for numerous windows long left behind. It took a hot summer of overtime as a chambermaid to save up for the Bernina. However, I discovered last week Mr K has named my dressmaker's dummy after the robot in Metropolis. For the past 23 years it has just been "the dummy" as far as I was concerned, until Mr K needed to borrow it for a work display and then it turns out she's called Maria. </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Mr K asks Maria about her favourite fabrics</span></td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There have been occasions over the past 20 odd years where I have been needlessly bored; I could have been sewing or making something. But I just have to push on and make the best use of now. To be fair, in the past three years there has been little time to squander. This year has been a fairly creative period,</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> although I hoped I would have achieved more than I have. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I now have a bit more time and money for creative adventures as last month, I finally got round to taking my driving test. I had Mr K's dad's driving gloves in the car for luck, as he was a calm, encouraging presence when I was learning to tackle single track roads pitted with potholes on our missions to find good tea and cake around the region. What has this got to do with sewing? Well not much directly, but Mr K's dad also helped me appreciate the value of having a project on the go - which is why I started my year-long project of making a garment a month. I wrote about it in this <a href="http://kirtlehomespun.blogspot.co.uk/2012/04/i-started-something-i-couldnt-finish.html" target="_blank">blog entry</a>. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So, to the business of actually making stuff. My local sewing shop had no calico so I have had to make up my toile in this poly cotton gingham. The dress is actually quite quick to make and the instructions are straightforward. This is how the toile turned out (this is it straight from the sewing machine so it's a bit crumpled); I eventually settled on the size 12:</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUxiJc5hmnk3KxPgkWzk-KnopxgEAkTogJbziSr9YP66dfbVNdNVU-Xdjwp3ZmB2xgPEumKm5lqSuWsGFfjCrGXTYRu_-TnWL8ietrbWAPADgVoq6P8ZnhDsDSNVg9fBro1hKTiOdT9X3O/s1600/DSC04185.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUxiJc5hmnk3KxPgkWzk-KnopxgEAkTogJbziSr9YP66dfbVNdNVU-Xdjwp3ZmB2xgPEumKm5lqSuWsGFfjCrGXTYRu_-TnWL8ietrbWAPADgVoq6P8ZnhDsDSNVg9fBro1hKTiOdT9X3O/s640/DSC04185.JPG" width="360" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Butterick B5209 1947 dress - toile</span></td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Initial thoughts: am wondering if pleating might look smarter for the skirt rather than the gathers? Does the front midriff really need a seam up the front or would one piece be better? Or should I just get on with the real thing now? It needs to be a little neater to the body on the side seams under the armholes - it doesn't look so bad on Maria but it's a little flappy on me. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Maybe I could make more of a cap sleeve... or just get on with it.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Here's the fabric I've bought for the actual dress. I had to buy two lengths from different suppliers but the dyelots seem pretty similar in daylight. This should give me enough to match up the pattern at the midriff and skirt seams.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Joel Dewberry Aviary 2 - Sparrows</span></td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It's not the cheeriest fabric for a wedding, so I was thinking a cocktail hat in</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> a plum or deep pink colour </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">and some vintage style shoes might jazz it up. I have been a bit crap at sticking to my garment-a-month rule (so long as I have 12 things by the year end) but I have been utterly resolute in the no-buying-clothes-except-underwear-and-shoes part of the plan. This is what I'm reminding myself as I feel a bit of guilt for buying these shoes online last night. There were some lovely raspberry coloured ones but they had sold out. These are probably more sensible anyway. Will definitely need to add a bit of colour with the hat now.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flylondonshop.co.uk/images/models/zoom/newP142171008.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="127" src="http://www.flylondonshop.co.uk/images/models/zoom/newP142171008.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Fly London Peak shoe </span></td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Buying the shoes online means I shouldn't have to cram in another trip to Edinburgh before Kath's wedding...which is a shame because I was hoping to catch up with my friend (and </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">ask for an invisible zip masterclass)</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> who makes the lovely things that you can see at <a href="http://misterthread.tumblr.com/" rel="" target="_blank">Mister Thread's Needlework Emporium</a>. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My Bernina has since come back good as new! It sounds so much quieter and the feed-dog has been reset - what a difference. I'll not leave the service quite so long next time (16 years - not good). So the Singer is back in its case. Poor old Singer.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>KirtleBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07655719623313611929noreply@blogger.com0Scotland, UK56.4906712 -4.202645852.001809200000004 -14.310067799999999 60.9795332 5.9047762tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7719106321084549720.post-80851871143106826612012-08-23T21:40:00.000+01:002012-08-25T20:58:34.390+01:00Till Victory<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Fashion newsflash: are the big cities </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>the</i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> happening places where new trends emerge? Not necessarily. The creative deviants who inform fashion and cultural developments are creating and deviating in unlikely corners of the planet. </span><br />
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<tr style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The look for S/S13</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Observe the sock and sandal combo in this picture (left). An emerging look for the debonair gentleman who values comfort as much as looking stylish, it accommodates the busy man who hasn't time to ratch through the laundry pile to find a matching pair of socks. It has been reported in <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/fashion/2012/jun/18/jw-anderson-mens-fashion-week?INTCMP=SRCH" target="_blank">The Guardian</a> as a key component for Spring/Summer 2013 menswear collections. </span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">These were spotted in rural Southern Scotland at a garden "event". I am also aware of a surfer on the East Lothian coast who has been in the vanguard of this look for many years, and he may be heartened to know that soon those who previously scoffed at his choice will be rushing out to remedy this fashion oversight. </span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This month's distractions/excuses not to sew have been the Olympics, visitors, domestic chores (as ever) and intermittent garden events (rare sightings of sun). The Olympics have been exciting and I've been intrigued by sports I didn't even know I was interested in. It's amazing how much effort people put in for such a fleeting opportunity to prove the level of their ability at their particular discipline. In sartorial terms, I have concluded that yellow is not a forgiving colour for lycra, especially for the men. </span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Vogue 1051 - view A (right)</span></td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So I've been putting off making these trousers (see right) for months now, and with good reasons. It's years since I made a pair of trousers and over the past few months I've been repeatedly faced with the fact that I am no longer a classic Vogue shape, and probably should cut my own blocks (a bodice one at least). It's unlikely to happen any time soon!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Back to the trousers then... I tried view A from Vogue 1051 in a medium weight denim. This was a fairly easy pattern and I especially enjoyed making the pockets. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I've not done anything like that before so it was a good challenge and I think the pockets turned out quite well. I used a red lining which you can't see, but I know it's there. My notebook came in very handy to get the right settings for denim (previous project) for the overlocker - saved a bit of time and thread.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIl26EJWAt-L6UhF05YCW4_yXyYJX5AH1EKn3v1TzT_eq1TBkuQdDuube_4qmgjKm8kienQc8WWKrJ4qcHQyUECC580CQVyZz5t7Rsk1eo56pHihnvCGg1i7MT99ZsSq9wAUPyJIRUCBCo/s1600/DSC04165.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIl26EJWAt-L6UhF05YCW4_yXyYJX5AH1EKn3v1TzT_eq1TBkuQdDuube_4qmgjKm8kienQc8WWKrJ4qcHQyUECC580CQVyZz5t7Rsk1eo56pHihnvCGg1i7MT99ZsSq9wAUPyJIRUCBCo/s400/DSC04165.JPG" width="225" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Might replace this with picture taken in natural light without snazzy carpet...</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">However, the trousers don't much resemble the garment worn by the slinky glamourpuss on the pattern envelope. I made a size 12, and they made my arse look like it needed its own postcode. There was a lot of fabric in the legs, particularly from hip to knee. I made some adjustments to the crotch to remove excess fabric which has slightly improved the look of them. On the model, the trousers look like hipsters; these sit quite high on the waist for me, but then I don't have model proportions. I'm still not sure about the hem length, I might shorten them a little. I'll probably come back to this pattern now it's been amended. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I think I've made some kind of progress lately, but still have a long way to go...</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://voguepatterns.mccall.com/filebin/images/product_images/Full/V8701.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://voguepatterns.mccall.com/filebin/images/product_images/Full/V8701.jpg" style="-webkit-user-select: none;" width="302" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Vogue 8701 Jacket</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It's well past past my deadline. <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Now I really need to be cracking on with something for Kath's wedding.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I do have a pattern that I'm not fully settled on but it doesn't look too difficult. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My alternative is to sort out the trousers pattern I've just been using and pair it with </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">this jacket</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">. A bit difficult to see beyond the loud check fabric. I'm not in love with it though, so I will keep looking for jackets that are not too complicated. Suggestions are welcome! </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Going by the past seven months, it's unlikely I'll get something wearable for this wedding within a month. At the very least, I'm going to dedicate what's left of August and September to it. Kath is coming down so we can fit her for her wedding outfit. She'll have lots of ideas and plans, and positive sewing energy. I'm hopeful that should help get me inspired too.</span><br />
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</span>KirtleBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07655719623313611929noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7719106321084549720.post-85433275586482569502012-06-29T21:36:00.001+01:002012-07-02T00:43:10.711+01:00Everything in Its Right Place<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
A month sounds like a long time<span style="font-size: small;"> </span>in which to make a garment. I haven't exactly chosen anything complicated to make so far but quite often, by the time I've done all my chores and the Little Creature is in bed, I can't be bothered to kneel on a bony floor and trace patterns, or - most dreaded sewing chore of all - cut out fabric. </div>
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The other evening I could have got cracking with my next project. Mr K suggested we watch Star Trek instead and leave sewing for another day. "You can make me a tabard," he said blithely. "It'll only take an hour." Star Trek won on that occasion, but be careful what you wish for, Mr K...<br />
<br />
I also missed an evening of sewing time by going to the pictures to see Prometheus. Despite all the fantastic effects and super technology of the future (instant carbon dating on unknown planets for example, or a Photo-Me booth that performs surgery), Mr K spotted a serious flaw of the future - poor quality luggage. If you'd travelled across space to collect a valuable artefact, you'd likely have a special kind of case for it - perhaps one that floats or has lights or something. Or has a strap. They forgot to pack such a thing on the Prometheus. Next, you have to transport the head of an android containing life changing information on man's creators to your spaceship. Would you be using some <a href="http://img29.imageshack.us/img29/2183/53155149.jpg" target="_blank">old bag</a> with a dodgy zip that would show you up at the launderette..? I suppose even in the future people will be grappling with the futility of bad design. </div>
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In a blatant act of procrastination poorly excused as an effort to get more sewing and knitting done, I have been tidying up my sewing room. Somewhere in this room there is a dead slug. It left a silvery pattern on the rug last month but I never tracked it down. If I push on with this <strike>project-dodging</strike> tidying up I expect I'll find it under a pile of papers or stuck to a pattern piece. If I cleared out all the boxes of yarn, fabric and ephemera from under the bed I'd probably find it fairly quickly, but this is exactly the task that will push me back to my sewing project. The slug can wait.</div>
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Mr K gave me these old crates for storing my knitting patterns and sewing books which has made the room appear instantly tidier:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAl9g0rTGK_8ZyiNgsQqjHuazTFdWoC1Cl2Ewtkj2ZhUW0AzAwCXl9Eg-7f20tsB9dWT0mGxPlxTe7p6RO5M_dgwcfxAsg6E-84CMRQrxAlkN14YjFTKpmYFESkhiQUgGSPZdqJaxZ4RW9/s1600/DSC04100.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAl9g0rTGK_8ZyiNgsQqjHuazTFdWoC1Cl2Ewtkj2ZhUW0AzAwCXl9Eg-7f20tsB9dWT0mGxPlxTe7p6RO5M_dgwcfxAsg6E-84CMRQrxAlkN14YjFTKpmYFESkhiQUgGSPZdqJaxZ4RW9/s400/DSC04100.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">New purpose for old crates found in the shed</td></tr>
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Well after a delayed start, I
decided to make the Vogue
2011 long sleeve top next - thought I'd better tackle my fear of the
overlocker with a nice easy project. It's turned out to be a good choice
as it's a quick make and I was able to use the overlocker for most of the
project. I followed the pattern instructions fairly closely but they don't account for overlocking. I'm not so pleased with the armholes but I'm not sure how much I can do to resolve that on this garment. If I make it again I will need to adjust the pattern to take account of my narrow shoulders. It might be worth resetting in the sleeves to see if I can ease the puckering in the upper third of the armhole.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1mvLr1-c496kqld7rztGoSlYKzlHZrsThV1vt0Cz82ustnmfClSXXvqN7WPQo32_DJL38EV0FhLfk5KUTMWh8ZdC_rInQ9FB1Vv1kAXgcQ17qqOBAJrEMLdK8tkvQXoIACMVGw1Do3oFU/s1600/DSC04118.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1mvLr1-c496kqld7rztGoSlYKzlHZrsThV1vt0Cz82ustnmfClSXXvqN7WPQo32_DJL38EV0FhLfk5KUTMWh8ZdC_rInQ9FB1Vv1kAXgcQ17qqOBAJrEMLdK8tkvQXoIACMVGw1Do3oFU/s320/DSC04118.JPG" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">June top and April skirt</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
There
was some faffing about with the machine to get a 3-stitch overlock set
up, a little slower than setting up a sewing machine as there are more
things to thread and it's a bit fiddly. But the results were pleasing,
and quick too. I think I need a bit more practice to get more control with the foot
pedal - at the moment it's either warp factor 8 or nothing. (Using my sewing machine after that feels tediously slow). I used woolly
nylon in the loopers for the
first time for this project and I'm quite happy with the results; it's
got a nice stretch and soft feel. </div>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;">
<br />
Overall, I think I chose the right size and made a reasonable
fabric choice for this project. (The fabric's a little clingy for my liking but it does feel very comfortable). It's been a good opportunity to make friends with my
overlocker. Now I have a better understanding of setting it up for
different requirements. </div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://pk.b5z.net/i/u/2174754/i/may2008/5209b192.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="http://pk.b5z.net/i/u/2174754/i/may2008/5209b192.jpg" border="0" height="320" src="http://pk.b5z.net/i/u/2174754/i/may2008/5209b192.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I like the cap sleeve version</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;">
<br />
Next up is a dress for Kath's wedding in October. Better start thinking
about it now so I can get some fabric and start sewing! I've got this
Butterick one as a possibility but am still looking, perhaps I should go for
something more Autumnal like a wool blend suit. </div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">There's a very nice version of this dress <a href="http://trashplanet.blogspot.co.uk/2011/06/1947-dress.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">here</a>. </span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">So for July, I'd better get on with the delayed Vogue trousers. I've got the fabric and the toile (but not altered yet). Got some baby knitting on the go too.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Still haven't found th</span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">e slug.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>KirtleBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07655719623313611929noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7719106321084549720.post-27593828497114733162012-06-06T00:39:00.001+01:002012-06-12T14:50:48.379+01:00Crabtown<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">In the mornings, the sea </span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">reflects its restless patterns on the ceiling above our bed. High tide or low, the sound is constant and soothing, even when the sea is rough. The high tide rolls in within metres of our front door, although there's a six foot climb down a ladder to the rocks and the sea. This place feels safe and cosy. It's ours for the week... </span><br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDHNotfViCnblwaFZVGSH8I8dZfLH_MVeyspQ65au0qe3ACmTtWQMjSfYpRcI7Vu-YZ4tb864owlehF6FW1FKYGvOC2RfzR11X5j97satdUEji-CjwosDvguoWckBjHDKVZWWIH7ZkVthF/s1600/DSC04060.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDHNotfViCnblwaFZVGSH8I8dZfLH_MVeyspQ65au0qe3ACmTtWQMjSfYpRcI7Vu-YZ4tb864owlehF6FW1FKYGvOC2RfzR11X5j97satdUEji-CjwosDvguoWckBjHDKVZWWIH7ZkVthF/s320/DSC04060.JPG" width="180" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> On the first night we heard seals singing in the bay. Earlier we had seen them lolling about on rocks further out as Mr K and I clambered over the beach (rocks, no sand) discovering assorted debris dragged in by the sea - medical waste, battered old diesel cans, nylon rope, golfballs etc. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Along from the harbour, a fisherman opened a bucket for Little Creature to see crabs, big as dinner plates. LC eyed them warily from a safe distance. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">We've had a few warm sunny days, a couple of dreich ones, and a full-on wet day when we decided to walk the coastal path to the nearest town. We found out along the way that our jackets are no longer waterproof and my walking boots leak quite badly now. I'm not sure a weatherproof jacket is something I'm capable of making to any decent standard. I'll have to make do with the one I have and hope for dry weather.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Knowing I'd be away for a week this month, I stuck with the portable knitting project. Other than a documentary on tv that my sister had recommended, we (Mr K, Little Creature, Granny, and I) didn't bother with radio, telly, newspapers or internet. I wrote the start of this post in my knitting notebook. We're home now; it was nice to just be in a restful place in good company. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">So the Nomad jacket was finished a few days into June. Had a bit of a delay by leaving behind the needles for the front borders and yoke, but managed to pick up another pair in Berwick plus some unnecessary merino dk to add to my yarn stash. </span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Here's the finished garment, I'll try and get Mr K to take a better pic but for now:</span><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU7C1oaXy7LfbCmlFAcvszilw0tsfqkjWBe2qpO0vL4R_rcgH9p11INO0D8TvDYqeDnrfJueBpO5QmHYhtWLyD4kG-8exs7nr7S6hbb5nCnBRKS6Mt7ZdV-5uBQgRKwPt7G6yyXNphHPJN/s1600/DSC04088.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU7C1oaXy7LfbCmlFAcvszilw0tsfqkjWBe2qpO0vL4R_rcgH9p11INO0D8TvDYqeDnrfJueBpO5QmHYhtWLyD4kG-8exs7nr7S6hbb5nCnBRKS6Mt7ZdV-5uBQgRKwPt7G6yyXNphHPJN/s400/DSC04088.JPG" width="225" /></a></td></tr>
<tr style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I suspect this may end up as a gardening jacket</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I think it looks a bit dumpy. The yarn I used knitted up a wee bit wider than the one recommended for this pattern. I'd probably do this again but with a different yarn. The text was straightforward; I do like Sirdar patterns for layout and clarity.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The pick ups were slow going. It took a fair bit of poking about with the needle to make the stitches, the knitted up yarn is so dense. I also discovered in the text that the jacket is fastened with poppers and the button is purely ornamental. Sod that, I paid £2.50 for one button, it's going to get used! So I made a buttonhole. </span><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img height="253" src="http://imageserve.babycenter.com/28/000/122/k9cshJzwA84iOAMNlXkP1D1xvR80yOPv_lg.jpg" style="height: 253px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 450px;" width="450" /></td></tr>
<tr style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Swirly resin button</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I suppose I should get round to making the <a href="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51vca6I8MBL._AA300_.jpg" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">trousers</a> now. I also threatened to make a long sleeve overlocked top last month which of course didn't get further than my tracing the pattern. I have fabric ready for both garments. I also need to think about what to make for Kath's wedding in October. Maybe that can be my project for July. </span>KirtleBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07655719623313611929noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7719106321084549720.post-43726175704903560702012-05-18T01:57:00.001+01:002012-06-03T22:32:11.197+01:00Zig Zag Wanderer<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Halfway</span> <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">through the month and I haven't really got far with the project I was meant to be doing. Oh well. There have been some good diversions though, more on that further down the page...</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">At the start of the year I sketched out a vague plan of things to make for this garment-a-month challenge. I'm supposed to be doing <a href="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51vca6I8MBL._AA300_.jpg" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">these trousers</a>, and I have made a toile for them, but then I had a change of plan and thought I'd try and conquer my fear of the overlocker by doing a project where I would have to use it a lot. </span><br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://s.ecrater.com/stores/155249/4dbd8211be2bd_155249n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="http://s.ecrater.com/stores/155249/4dbd8211be2bd_155249n.jpg" border="0" src="http://s.ecrater.com/stores/155249/4dbd8211be2bd_155249n.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Vogue 2011</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">So I started tracing the pattern for the long sleeve </span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">top (Vogue pattern) I've had in the cupboard for years. I made the asymmetric skirt (nice fit and quick to make) a few years ago and it still gets a lot of wear. Going further back to my last year at college, I made the sleeveless top from some fabric I'd printed to wear at my degree show. I'll have to go up a size, even back then on a meagre student diet it felt a bit on the neat side. I made it on the sewing machine, but this time I'd like to try doing the whole thing on the overlocker.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
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<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">It's a double layered garment (not that clear on this image) with the undergarment showing at the hem of the body as well as at the cuffs. I've got some nice drapey jersey fabrics in red (bamboo blend) and dark grey (viscose blend) to use for this. Will probably go for the red as the outer colour to help me look a bit healthier.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
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<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">After much procrastination, I have finally spent a night away from the Creature - the first since he was born. He seemed cool with it; sounds like he and dad had a fine old time. I suppose I was cool with it too, a couple of phone calls home helped. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I went back to Edinburgh to visit my excellent friend and fellow textilian Kath, who is getting married in October and has all sorts of creative plans for it. I've missed Kath, and Auld Reekie too.<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span>Plenty of tea, scones and blether, not to mention plenty of doodling in sketchbooks, looking through collected images of every possible permutation of wedding dress...it was a busy 24 hours! Kath is doing a printmaking course so that she can print her own wedding invitations. She will also be making her own dresses (possibility of a costume change for the evening). And making decorations. I hope there will be a couple more trips to the Reek between now and October to help glue pine cones/pin hems/drink gin and tonics etc.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The other diversion has been finding a knitting booklet and suitable yarn in the sale at the yarn shop last week. I had no need for either, but it has been a handy thing to do while we've all been poorly this week. It doesn't take much energy and I don't need to think about the pattern too much. Here's a pic of the cardigan I'm doing: </span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.sirdar.co.uk/images/products/designs/9174_col.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://www.sirdar.co.uk/images/products/designs/9174_col.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Long sleeve nomad cardigan </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">It's the long sleeve version in the top right corner. I also splashed out on a large snazzy enamel button for it which cost the same as one ball of yarn. At least I resisted the tractor beam of the vintage haberdashery box this time.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">This is the first time I've worked with boucle yarn. It was a bit of a faff for the first few rows and fortunately I've not lost any stitches, I think it would be hellish trying to find out what was going on if I did. I suppose the flipside of that is it's quite forgiving yarn to work with as any minor mistakes just disappear!</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">It's knitting up quickly. I managed to knit a front panel in an evening and that was with the distraction of telly and stopping for a tea cake. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">All being well, I'll post a pic of the finished cardie in a couple of weeks. If I really get it together, I might even have the long sleeve top done too. Ok, that's maybe a bit ambitious...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span>KirtleBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07655719623313611929noreply@blogger.com0United Kingdom55.378051 -3.43597336.641164 -43.8656605 74.114938 36.9937145tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7719106321084549720.post-13515316104412523122012-05-01T21:38:00.001+01:002023-03-24T10:53:03.364+00:00The Model<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">On time at last!</span> <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Here it is, a <a href="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51WWklp6s2L._SL500_AA300_.jpg" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Burda 8281</a> skirt (view a) completed by Beltane just before midnight:</span><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img height="253" src="http://imageserve.babycenter.com/30/000/118/dycvQlM70Pct8qojW5GEZK4nKzi73kiS_lg.jpg" style="height: 253px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 450px;" width="450" /></td></tr>
<tr style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Burda 8281(a) skirt in lightweight denim</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The hem is only tacked at the
moment, so am I cheating by defining it as a finished garment? Probably.
I did have time to finish it last night within my deadline. But I'm
swithering about what colour thread to use and how many rows of
stitching (I was thinking two rows, Mr K suggested three). I figured
attempting a handsewn invisible hem on denim could get a bit ugly so it
will only take a minute on the machine once I've made up my mind.</span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">At some point, I'll add a picture of the skirt as modelled by a real human.</span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> It doesn't seem to matter how I adjust my trusty dress form, I can't present finished garments well on it. </span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">In spite of the perky conical boobs (unlike any I've seen on a human) it has been a handy item for dressmaking over the years. It was an 18th birthday present and back then, it was set 1" up from the narrowest waist setting to 25". Twenty odd years and a baby later, I've had to crank it up to 28". I had a look at the new version - the fabric's a different colour and the bust doesn't look quite so pointy (maybe that's the illusion of a different colour). I think I'll get a few more years out of my old dummy. </span><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" height="253" src="http://imageserve.babycenter.com/19/000/118/1OYNtLuorQuYEJ9TIpTTbcKqJwpptRnX_lg.jpg" style="height: 253px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 450px;" width="450" /></td></tr>
<tr style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Supafit dress form</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> Once, I decided not to bother with the dummy and its pointiness when, two days before my wedding, I thought it would be a good idea to adjust one of the bust seams of my dress. With an 8" mirror tile as the only reflective opportunity in my flat, no one to help or advise on what I was doing, and a pointy-breasted dummy seemingly mocking me in the corner of the room, this turned out to be a really-not-good-idea at all. </span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">After hours of a tacking-sewing-unpicking routine and trying to angle that tiny mirror to get a proper view I gave up. </span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Somehow, either the power of the Force or sewing elves working through the night sorted it out </span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">while I slept</span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">. </span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Whichever way it was solved, it looked fine in the end.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I made such an arse of the last skirt, so I'm relieved that this one has turned out ok. I like the fit. I'd like to do a few more of these, possibly a couple of centimetres longer and with some applique or embroidery on them. It's a quick and easy make (when I can actually get near the sewing machine).</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img height="253" src="http://imageserve.babycenter.com/12/000/118/v2fhMTnVZWn7mln3D8bcNnajciCzQaG4_lg.jpg" style="height: 253px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 450px;" width="450" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Snazzy Lightning vintage zips</span></td></tr>
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<span style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Last time I was
at the sewing shop I picked up a few vintage Lightning zips. I don't
usually go for metal ones but the packet promised "permanently coloured
teeth" with money back guarantee and charmful packaging offering a
special offer booklet from their Publicity Dept. for 6p in stamps (bit
late for that one). There was a whole box full of them in bright
colours. I thought 3 was quite a restrained purchase, but now I know
they're there, I'll probably "have" to go back for some more...</span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">In other activities, we have been doing a lot of speedy racing in the dining room. It can get perilous where small cars and busy patterned carpet meet, and there have been a few unfortunate crunches underfoot. So far the Lamborghinis and Porsche have escaped any damage. So we have now introduced a parking system:</span><br />
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<span style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img height="253" src="http://imageserve.babycenter.com/7/000/118/q0gTdAcWnjH1OqwrHeyXU5SyidoTsuJF_lg.jpg" style="height: 253px; width: 450px;" width="450" /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>KirtleBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07655719623313611929noreply@blogger.com055.378051 -3.43597336.641164 -43.8656605 74.114938 36.9937145tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7719106321084549720.post-70726740296679520762012-04-19T23:29:00.000+01:002012-04-19T15:54:56.390+01:00I Never Picked Cotton<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Some time has passed since my disappointing effort at making a <a href="http://farandole.canalblog.com/images/patron_burda_8281.jpg" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Burda 8281</a> skirt and I've stopped tripping over my lip, so I thought I'd post a picture...</span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img height="253" src="http://imageserve.babycenter.com/3/000/117/YltKEblhBcaAca0s8tjrtNA0yTZKMxXt_lg.jpg" style="height: 253px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 450px;" width="450" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Skirt mishap...</span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">buckled fabric</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">So:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">aside from the wonky hem, the main issue is the area between the inserts - the horizontal line and the buckled area underneath it. </span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I should have noticed this when I first marked out and cut the fabric.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Both fabrics are 100% wool, the heathery one is a slightly lighter weight than the tweed (the colours haven't come up very well in the photo). They're long term stash pieces, at least ten years old so at least I'm not feeling the waste of money too keenly. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I got some advice from the lady at my local yarn and sewing shop who reckoned that if the fabric had been folded up in storage for a long time it could cause fibres to stretch. She prefers wool blends for a bit more stability. Lately I've been using wool blends for knitting as my cashmere stash is drying up and the blends are a good deal cheaper. I do remember that we used to find that old cashmere yarn on the cone could degrade quite badly - stretching and snapping easily. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The pattern itself is easy, and the inserts pressed out nice and flat (plenty of notching on the back) so I would come back to this pattern and try again, possibly in a lightweight wool blend or linen blend. I'll make sure I use the same weight for inserts and main skirt pieces too. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Currently I'm making <a href="http://farandole.canalblog.com/images/patron_burda_8281.jpg" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">view A</a> from the same pattern envelope and hope to post something a bit smarter than this effort soon...</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">What I have learned from this project:</span><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Don't skimp on notching when working on curves</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Check fabric in daylight</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">It's nice to be sewing (and learning about sewing) again </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">My hips are not as big as they look in the mirror</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Mr K will tell it like it is, so be prepared to hear the bad news </span></li>
</ul>KirtleBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07655719623313611929noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7719106321084549720.post-49127520133609000302012-04-11T07:17:00.001+01:002023-03-24T10:51:06.209+00:00Adventures Close to Home<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The January skirt is finished at last. I'm not happy with the result though, and it's unlikely to be worn. Mr K has given his critique and he's spotted all the things I wasn't happy with but was trying to ignore. I might add a pic when I've stopped sulking.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The skirt has taken up
so much time (mainly with unpicking), I've let it eat into time allocated for other projects. I suppose I've learned a few things on the way. The pattern wasn't that difficult, but I did make some bad choices with fabric.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I was tacking it the other night and had a sudden reminiscence of the woman who taught us sewing at primary school. She</span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> was pretty stern and economical with praise.</span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> Her name was Mrs Harrison; I haven't thought about her in nearly 30 years. </span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">It was heartening that I could remember her name, and not that of the teacher who, exasperated with my inability to grasp the concept and purpose of long division, asked if I was stupid. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">In Mrs Harrison's class there was only one sewing machine and none of us were allowed to use it. We did the tacking or hand stitching and she did the big seams for us on the machine. The fabric seemed to pass through her fingers in a blur. I really wanted to get my hands on that sewing machine. Eventually I got to use my stepmother's Singer under close supervision. She was also a good teacher, very particular about preparation and things like tacking. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Here's the garment I completed for March.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<a href="http://imageserve.babycenter.com/24/000/114/DPQduHemxER6SkJi88JWIDX6sTx3bJvy_lg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://imageserve.babycenter.com/24/000/114/DPQduHemxER6SkJi88JWIDX6sTx3bJvy_lg.jpg" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> It's another cheat as I started this Nessie tank in 2007 and then hid it in a bag when I started some other more interesting project. It's a <a href="http://www.theknittinggarden.com/images/rowan/mag/classicweekend/nessie.jpg" target="_blank">Martin Storey design</a> in a lambswool/cashmere blend - nice yarn to knit with.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">In spite of it taking five years to complete, the pattern is actually a quick knit. There were just a lot of gaps between putting down the needles and picking them up again. (The yarn colour is a bit more earthy than in this photo). I'd probably add another 1" into the body length if I knitted it again.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">My next project is meant to be <a href="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51vca6I8MBL._AA300_.jpg" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">this Vogue pattern</a> for trousers (view A). I've got some lightweight denim set aside for this and have made a toile in a size 12. It seems to fit as well as any trousers I've bought from a shop but it doesn't help that the toile is in a light, unflattering colour. I might do an easy skirt for April and start the trousers in May.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The Little Creature has been great company lately, and full of curiosity (one recent query: do birds burp?). We haven't ventured far lately, but there's been stone skimming at the river, random digging in the garden and making dens with blankets and dining chairs. His enthusiasm is good to be around. </span>KirtleBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07655719623313611929noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7719106321084549720.post-76956450202777980972012-04-10T22:00:00.001+01:002023-03-24T10:51:45.340+00:00I Started Something I Couldn't Finish<div class="content">
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
Originally posted (elsewhere) on 10/3/12</div>
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At the start of the year, <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/money/blog/2012/jan/06/making-do-and-mending-stop-buying-clothes" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">this article</a> got me started on a plan that even at this early stage is unravelling before me.</div>
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<br /></div>
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I decided that this year I wouldn't buy any clothes, with the
reasonable exceptions of footwear and underwear. Instead, I would make
one garment a month, with a view to learning a new skill or technique
each month.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmDo9YyNp5qwBpup3PXtzttjcNjsm7kBEewfDINPAAV9pM0fxXcxRSRnaso9J5Dd7bs8uqebw99HPUxVeeK1DAM-eExteBQTXInLwmyyUBJ1tfuQuvkRuu9UeiwMkUV3TTaLBD6gIwDGtJ/s1600/patron_burda_8281.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmDo9YyNp5qwBpup3PXtzttjcNjsm7kBEewfDINPAAV9pM0fxXcxRSRnaso9J5Dd7bs8uqebw99HPUxVeeK1DAM-eExteBQTXInLwmyyUBJ1tfuQuvkRuu9UeiwMkUV3TTaLBD6gIwDGtJ/s320/patron_burda_8281.jpg" width="224" /></a></div>
So January - a nice easy task to get started with an aim to learning a
bit more about my overlocker, not least how to rethread it without
swearing so much. I chose this Burda skirt pattern (see right). My skirt still isn't finished, but I have got better and quicker with the overlocker.<br />
<br />
There are reasons for this, some of them are the same reasons that
got me started on this project too. Mr K's lovely dad, a former engineer
who usually had some sort of project on the go, as well as managing a
large vegetable garden, spent the last six months of his life quietly
losing a battle with pulmonary fibrosis. As he lived nearby, we were
lucky to be able to spend a lot of time with him - in good health and
bad.</div>
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<br /></div>
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In days of better health, he used to teach me to drive on the country
roads round here. The driving lesson was an excuse to try out different
cafes and tea shops for fry ups or tea and cake. We made vague threats
about compiling a book on the cafes of Southern Scotland. The quality of
their cheese scones was the usual test. If they had gluten-free cake on
the menu they got extra points, but not if it tasted like packaging
material. Once we were at a cafe where the owner came out of the kitchen
and announced they were closing early that day as they were going to
bury their cat and have a little ceremony in their garden. After that,
the cafe was always known to us as the Dead Cat Place.</div>
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I've wasted hours - years probably - thinking about doing things or
making things. Laziness or lack of confidence have been the usual
obstacles. It seems to have only recently occurred to me that life just
isn't long enough to get everything done, and to fit in all the
learning. I've been so slow to figure this out; meanwhile lots of people
around me have been busy getting on with all kinds of interesting and
worthwhile stuff.</div>
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Here is my February garment. It's from this<a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_2129018130"> </a><a href="http://www.knitwitspenzance.co.uk/1mages/thumbnails/scan0011_9_301x601.jpg" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Debbie Bliss knitting pattern</a>
with a couple of my own alterations. I learned how to do mattress
stitch for sewing it up. Somehow I got this finished before the skirt:<br />
<br />
<span style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://imageserve.babycenter.com/12/000/112/cDKu5fzEuUXEZR5IyI6VEOCsQLFcsD5r_lg.jpg" /></span> </div>
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There's something quite meditational about knitting that I
don't get from sewing. Once you've got the pattern set you can get into a
bit of a trance. You can also watch telly and knit; I wouldn't try that
with sewing.</div>
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<br /></div>
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The over-exposed photo hides the mistakes I made on the last
two rows of the collar. It's a bit of a cheat as I started this piece
last July, put it away in a bag and finished knitting it in February. It
was a day into March when it was actually sewn up and finished. A lot
happened in February. </div>
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<br /></div>
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KirtleBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07655719623313611929noreply@blogger.com0