Blousy Blooms Pillow Cushion [Hidden Zipper + Pointy Corner Removal Tutes]

Haven't done any #selfishsewing in quite a while so took a day off from the computer (writing blog posts, tutorials, newsletter and sewing patterns) at the end of last week to have an afternoon at the sewing machine.

Covering A Button - Step By Step Pics

This is my On The Bright Side quilt.

Nordic Wind Shawl

Hard to believe but it's almost ten months since my trip to Vancouver, BC, and what a busy trip it was - you can read all my posts here.   While there I visited the yarn store, Three Bags Full, and one of my purchases was five balls of  Istex Lettlopi from Iceland - it's an Aran/10 ply 100% wool.  

What Took You So Long?

A while ago I shared this crocheted blanket with you

during the making of which my pup Thatcher (Tatty to her friends) ate my bamboo crochet hooks several times

but I got there in the end and gifted the blanket to my eldest son

much to Tatty's disappointment.  

So just like any good puppy dog Mum I promised to make her her very own identical crochet blanket and set to it straight away almost finishing it in less than a week but didn't.  The blanket than sat in a knitting bag for the next year and the next year - yep that's right for just over two years - but this week I got it out and finished it.

 See it looks pretty much identical to that first blanket, exactly as promised.

In fact it looks so similar I'll forgive you for thinking I've just recycled old photos.

But there's been some changes around here over the last two years.  The eagle eyed might spot the cream fabric sofa is now cream leather and the back wall has turned a serious shade of aubergine (eggplant)

but the biggest change has to be that Tatty now has a Havanese puppy brother, Watson

who's lived with us for just over a year - proof if needed that this is indeed a different blanket to the first!

And just like the first blanket, Tatty (and Watson too) loves it, she only has one question for me 

"What Took You So Long?"!

Do you have an almost finished, promised to a loved one, project tucked away somewhere?

Share your stories in the comments and ease my guilt! :D

Clicking on a image will take you to the new page of crafty goodness :)

Just Another Class Sample Quilt

Finished my sample for an upcoming class I'm teaching in Manhattan.

Jelly Roll Quilt, The City Quilter, Manhattan - $70

Held over 3 weekly sessions Thursday, 5, 12, 19 Feb 2015 

12 noon to 2.00 pm

Using 2.5" strips we'll learn a super fast Half Square Triangle (HST) method and use these to create a stunning quilt top with border.  During class we're aiming to finish the quilt top but some students may progress further towards making the full quilt.  Open to all levels but must know how to use a rotary cutter and sewing machine and sew an accurate ¼” seam. 

Contact store to register.

I've no idea what the strip fabrics are - they were put together by my friend Mallory over a year ago but I did pick the border and backing fabrics:
Dear Stella Paloma Stripe Citron #214
Blue-Green Istanbul from the Passport collection by Modern Quilt Studio for Andover Fabrics
Dogma Bubbles Teal by David Hearn for In The Beginning fabrics


I've found some photos I took along the way which are always interesting to share.

Making layout choices.

Planning borders and binding.

And then the finished quilt, 

  

pieced back,

red dots popping in the border,

one direction diagonal quilting,

yellow striped binding,

and, finally, the quilt roll.

The weather's too cold and damp to take outside photos so I'm trying to make use of what little daylight there is by my floor to ceiling windows.  This, of course, means I have a couple of little helpers always willing to test drive any quilt that hits the floor.

So I told Tatty and Watson to leave the quilt alone while I was taking photos and when I turned around they were both watching from the chair behind me.

So the quilt's off to hang in the store where the class is being held, if you've registered for the class we'll have a lot of fun along the way and I'm looking foward to meeting you :D

If you live in the greater New York area or are making a quick visit to the Big Apple, why not join in one of my classes?  You can find details of all Spring 2015 classes I'm teaching via the 'My Classes' link in the side bar or by clicking the link button below.

 

 

  

Handknit With Love

Remember this hat?

It's for my Grandson-to-be, Oliver, due in September and I posted about making the hat here.

This last weekend I finished up making a jumper to go with the hat.  

 

 It's from this book by Debbie Bliss - design it, knit it babies

Spoilt for choice I decided to make this simple square necked jumper.

I've used Adriafil Knitcol trends, superwash merino wool, colourway 57 - Botticelli Fancy again for the main - you might remember I bought this at Atelier Yarns on my last visit to San Francisco (you can read my post here) and the contrast is a leftover wool from my stash, Patons UK Double Knitting in light cream (no longer available). 

I'm still super in love with how the Adriafil Knitcol works up in a project - the Fair Isle/Jacquard style patterning created by the colour changes in the wool are fab and it's such fun to see how they work into the piece as you're creating the pattern.  I admit to starting both sleeves at the same point in the wool so the patterning is practically the same on each.

I've also given the jumper a go in the washing machine - yep that Merino wool is machine washable at 40 degrees and it came out looking and feeling just perfect, in fact all the pics in this post are taken post washing :D

Here's some pics of the details:

Side seam and my small label.

The back and that small label again.  I like the small details on this knit - the garter rib left unseamed is a great touch.

The square neckline is very easy to work and, as always, Debbie Bliss gives great instructions in a written pattern (I've always worked from written patterns not from charts as seems to be the trend these days).

Square neckline detail, with my large label and monkey buttons (also purchased on my last trip to San Fran at Britex Fabrics, you can read that post here).

I didn't think my pics were doing the jumper justice so, in the absence of yet-to-be Oliver I had to find another model.   Tatty and Watson are exactly the right size and, as you can see below, well up for the task but I thought better of it 

and went in search of another of my nest flown daughter, Flicky's, teddy bears.  

Having used Bedwyn Bear in two previous photo shoots,

here 

and here, 

I needed a much smaller bear this time around.

Step forward ... oh dear, I have to admit to not having a clue what this bear's called, but he performed admirably and I'm sure Flicky will be proud.

I think he looks pretty cute in his oversized jumper!

Some time in the Spring I'll be able to update this post with a pic of Oliver sporting his very own jumper and hat, and the thought of that makes me very happy.

These are for you Oliver, handknit with love by Grandma xxx


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