Crochet Pullover

I’m all over the place with different projects, but isn’t that what keeps life interesting. Everyone should  have some kind of hobbies. I push that on everyone. Being creative is good for the mind and body. It focuses your brain on something that you’re making and it also serves to help calm the mind from all the stresses we  have today.

I am waiting for that bright new day that is just around the corner. Leave the past behind because you can’t change anything back there, the future isn’t here yet, so focus on today and make each day count. So on with what I made a while ago.

This is from a design by MJ’s Off  the Hook. I just happened to have the very same colour and cotton yarn destined for something else. I changed my mind when I saw this. Her sizing is very good. It comes up to what she says as long as you are getting the right tension.

This is my version.  Just love that pretty minty green, perfect for springtime.

Because of the open lacework, clearly you need something underneath it, or not…. depending I guess on what you like. I decided to make this sleeveless top to wear under it. A simple top from a Simplicity pattern. Any kind of top will do. ;o)

Patterns like this are best because you get all kinds of options with it.

And here it is with the top tucked inside. I really like it. Very comfy. If I were to ever make it again, I would change one thing. I didn’t check the sleeve length as I was working along, I would probably make the sleeves a couple of inches shorter. So that’s it. Enjoy….

Odds and Ends

Just a few more bits and pieces of things I did in December. Adele over at A for Artistic had two great artists offer up free ornament classes. One is this Angel Snow Boy by Deb Wood, here’s my version.

The other artist is Elena Loukianova. She offered this class for making a Christmas Bird. I chose a Cardinal shape. While these are simple projects compared to a doll, you can still learn something from each person who designs. There is always some little tip or technique you can use another time. Here is my bird.

A couple of phone cozies ended up being needed. After cancelling our mobile carrier and switching to the new one, the free phones we got are bigger than the last ones. I made these two cozies in black felt and lined. Hubby wanted basic black ;o~, I went with the same but with a bit of embellishing.

Both have a magnetic closure and no it doesn’t affect the phone at all. I went online to check that and the information was pretty much all the same, that they were safe to use. I’m guessing it would take a much bigger magnet to cause a problem.

I’m showing the linings I used as well. Masculine for him, my embellishments co-ordinate with the lining. The back of mine has the same pocket as other cozies I made. Perfect for a few business cards, ear buds or my card reader. More tomorrow….stay tuned. ;o)

Table Runners

When I first saw the fabric that I used for the Winter Angel, I couldn’t get enough of it. I saw that Diane from the fabric department had made up a pattern and kit using it. So what’s a girl to do. I had to make two runners. They are really long too, so they make a pretty table display.

I don’t dare show the seams up very close, there are some spots that are a little on the ooops side. I did my best and I did pretty well, but I’m not a quilter. ;o~

Just love this fabric, the snowmen are so perfectly drawn and made into fabric. There are some pretty amazing designers out there that keep creating such beautiful fabrics for us whether we are quilters or doll makers or any other creative things.

Catching Up!

Time just seems to pass by so quickly but it’s that time of year. The garden beckons, the spring cleaning bits, the falling behind in doll matters. It’s always the same, catch up just to fall behind again. It would be so boring if it always went like clockwork, but I would be organized wouldn’t I.

I’ve managed some personal sewing. I did the top and pants of the pattern I showed you, but the dress part of it, has so many moving parts, I had to set it aside for a while. It’s right here, but only just hanging on a table lamp wishing and hoping for me to notice it’s there. I did have it started, but the stabilizer I used was too heavy and when I looked at the pockets, they stuck out like a hot air balloon. I took that all apart and applied a really lightweight stabilizer, held it up but didn’t like how the pockets bagged.

So I stitched the pockets closed and will go back to that another time. As it turned out, I intended to wear them when my friend and I went over to Saltspring, but it was so bitterly cold and wet that morning, I reverted back to the basics. Ah well, another day.

I got these few things done. Not terrible exciting for you, but below these pictures, I added some doll inspirations, perhaps. So first, the top (which is so comfortable, as are the leggings below. And I made a pair of pj bottoms. I love to lounge around at night in those and t-shirts. Comfort is paramount.

This is the doll head I managed to get done, and you can see I really was channeling Dobby without meaning to. And below these pictures, a little more of my amazing doll findings.

I was out with a friend yesterday for lunch. She wanted to go back to the thrift store where I found those mini books last month. I wasn’t intending to buy, let alone find anything, but yes I did.

I always hope to find doll furniture and I found this perfect wicker chair. It stands 11” tall, the depth is 6” and width 5”. Absolutely perfect for a project I hope to have done for September and along with the other find yesterday, I am totally focused now on what I am planning. This chair is in absolute perfect shape, all it needs now is a cushion and arm pads. I’m going to leave it the natural colour. The second find is even more fun. See below.

Aren’t these candlesticks brilliant. If I went looking for these I would never have found them.

I think some are made by a person who is very creative. As I was cleaning them with Brasso last night, I noticed that some creative soul has truly made some of these out of brass parts. They are all solid brass. 4 sets of 2. I am so excited with this find, just like those books.

The center set are 3” tall, the ones on the right are 2 3/4”, the ones on the left are 2 1/2” and the ones in front are 1 1/2” tall. What a treat. I guess it’s all about being in the right place at the right time without even trying.

Well, that’s all I have for you today. Take care and have a wonderful week…. ;o)

Need to sew !!!

I keep tossing out old clothes, things that just don’t work anymore, are old or just never get worn. Those things you buy and either use them to their last viable thread or buy them on impulse and it’s too late to return it. Oh well, lesson learned. I don’t impulse buy anymore.

The problem with getting rid of things, is that you’re supposed to replace them or you know what’s going to happen when you clear out so much stuff that you kind of go “oh oh, I’m in trouble..”…. ;o) and you realize you’ve spent far too much time making your dolls look better dressed. So I’m taking a few days off to do just a little bit of personal sewing.

This project is in 3 parts, leggings, top and dress. I’m spending the day away next Saturday with a friend, and decided a nice new outfit is in order. Here’s how it’s going to go. The fabrics are all knits, so flowy and girlie, what could be better.

Here is the pattern. A Vogue pattern no less. The price on this pattern is $33.00 and before you think, good grief, I would never pay that for a pattern. I wouldn’t either, that’s why I paid I think it was $3.50. I subscribe to pattern company newsletters, and they offer lots of deals. Whenever new stuff comes out, they offer big big sales for a limited time, so I have collected a few patterns that way. They also have clear outs, and those are even cheaper, $1.99 for some. ;o)

I get sale newsletters pretty much every week, so if you sew, go to McCalls, Vogue or other sites and sign up. Especially for Vogue patterns which are the most expensive.

I’m going to make the view on the left of the picture above. It’s the leggings, and top, but the back is the same as the front, rather than the straps. Because these are all knits and can easily stretch, I will have to sew the main seams with a stabilizer. This is a narrow clear elastic and while it will stabilize it will also allow the fabric to still give where it needs to.

The leggings are this colour. I know the colour isn’t “amazing”, but wait until you see how I put it all together.

This is for the top and the side panels of the dress. The panels on the side of the dress are the same fabric at the top, and the fabric for the dress front and back  is going to be all one panel rather thank separate contrasting  fabrics that the picture shows. This fabric is actually Navy blue, but the picture makes it look more royal blue.

And this fabric is for the front and back. It’s a beautiful print up close and personal. It’s very graphic and colourful. The top is dark blue/black and graduates to other colours all the way to the purple/yellow at the bottom, that’s why I’m not using contrasting fabrics, there is so much in this.

Here they are together. I tried to lay the legging and top/panels fabric against where they will contrast when this is done. I can visualize how this will look when it’s done. Can’t wait. ;o)) I’ll be back soon to show where I’m at. Given I have until Saturday, guess I better get with the program…

Needles Needles and More Needles

I am posting this on both of my blogs as I’m not sure if everyone that follows one, knows about the other.

It’s the time of year where we all need to do some maintenance on our sewing machines before we get busy with all our holiday sewing projects. For the month of September, Colleen is doing her Freebie Fridays based on basic sewing. The first article is about simple machine maintenance, including how to video’s she’s found along the way. Follow Colleen on Freebie Fridays all this month and catch up on your basic sewing skills.

During the time earlier this year, when I was enthused and on track with the TAST challenge over at Pin Tangle,  I was reading up on the stitch for week 16 (back in April when I thought I was invincible and could keep up.

Can’t do it   

In this post, Sharon made reference to the importance of using the right needles for the right job and included a picture of needles that she obviously uses.  Far be it for me, to ignore the opportunity to find out about a brand of needles I hadn’t heard of.

Off I went on a mission to search out these new needles and there I found this wonderful site. Anita’s Little Stitches. On Anita’s site she has a category listed in the right hand column specifically for Bohin products. These needles are from France and the curious cat in me just had to know the difference.  There is a minimum of $20 you have to order, but it takes no time to add a variety of products to the cart and you have your $20. The shipping is also very reasonable and being in Canada, ordering from the US, I watch sites and compare shipping very closely. Anita is very quick at processing orders and has been wonderful to work with on a special order, details further down.

I initially ordered some needlework needles to try out and see how I liked them and after my first order I was sold.

I now have, along with a variety of needles for hand sewing  including, milliners, crewel and  beading, needles for machine sewing both stretch and regular (in two sizes) as well as quilting and patchwork, curved and bulk needles for hand sewing different size weaves of fabric. 

The first thing about the sewing machine needles that was to me, the most important, were NO skipped stitches. Even with changing needles almost with every new project, there were still fabrics that my regular needles just wouldn’t sew without skipping. These Bodin needles did not skip. I know nothing about the manufacturing of these needles and profess no knowledge beyond how beautifully they work.

The special order I mentioned earlier, are needles specific to doll making. I found the Bohin site online and downloaded their catalogue. In there I found doll making needles and of course I had to have them. Anita was very quick to check with her sales rep. and discovered that indeed there are more than one type of darner.

I explained to her that doll makers use Long Darners for sculpting cloth dolls, she checked and sure enough found them for me. Along with those, she has also now brought in the 3 pack of long needles doll makers use for joining doll parts together.

Anita is  very accommodating and willing to search out special requests. I was waiting for the doll making needles to arrive and they have, so I really want to give you a heads up to these wonderful needles and a great site to shop at. There are a ton of things to see on Anita’s Little Stitches, do stop by and take a look and if there is something on your wish list, ask her if she can get it for you and I know she will do her best to help. Happy stitches.

Halloween Fabrics

I’m not really a fan of Halloween, but the other day I was in the fabric dept. and came across this line of fabrics from  the Alexander Henry Fabrics Collection, it’s called the Ghastlies. I was really excited by it because it’s not your traditional Halloween fabric of orange and black. It’s creative, fresh and new and completely unexpected.  Two of the fabrics have prints that run across the width so I’ve tried to show you the entire scenes. Tell me if it doesn’t remind you of a certain movie, but then again, it could be a blend of a few. Use your imagination ….

The last picture is that of some purple/black organza and trims for this project. I will have more to show soon as to what I’m making with it so stay tuned..

Lemons to Lemonade

Sometimes as the saying goes, when you have lemons, you make lemonade and that’s what I did.

While hubby was away overseas I asked him to see if he could find some fabric to make place mats for a friend, so nice cotton with pictures of island themes. Unfortunately, it’s not as easy to find as it is here in North America. What he did get, was actually a happy accident. It definitely would not work for place mats for indoor use, but as our friend said, it would for an outside table or on a boat etc.

When I realized I wouldn’t be able to make the place mats I wanted I got my muse working to give me some suggestions. “Of course she said, how about this”………….. Brilliant, that’s what I’ll do. Off to the fabric store to get some strapping and back home and sew sew sew because we planned to visit our friend today.

This is what we gave her and put your sunglasses on for viewing. Bold bright and beautiful. For someone who uses an electric wheelchair and gets out to do much of her own shopping, this is perfect. She will be visible by cars and others,  and for people in wheelchairs anything that draws attention to them, is so much the better for their safety.  The straps are just the right length to have the clerk in the store hang the bags on the arms of the wheelchair. I love them. What fun.

So what do you think??????  Flashy new grocery bags. I think they are great and I have fabric left over to make my own and who knows, maybe a dolly will get a holiday wardrobe from this trip to Barbados…

Place Mats

I love handmade place mats. To me they signify that you enjoy cooking, doesn’t have to be fancy cooking either, just healthy meals. It also, means that you have your meals together and talk about your days activities. A table does not have to be set with fine china and crystal either, it just has to feel welcoming.

With company coming, I just had to make place mats. I had a tablecloth I bought a while ago and while I love the colour, I didn’t have the right place mats to use. I did buy some of those skinny bamboo type, but when you rest your arms on them, not so comfy. Those I bought in a pinch, hence the need to go back to homemade.

When I was at one of our local fabric shops the other day, they had a display of the bolts of fabric and these kits made up for place mats and a table runner, didn’t buy the table runner, but for sure the mats. I didn’t have the tablecloth with me, but as luck would have it, the mats turned out to be just right…

What was a great discovery, something I had forgotten until I got the mats finished, was that the table cloth has lines of what look like hand stitching throughout. Of course it’s not hand stitched, but my sewing machine does the same kind of stitch.

I don’t use a lot of the stitches my machine has, but this one I do. It’s called a “sculpting stitch”. You use regular thread in the bobbin and invisible thread on top, adjust the tension and set the stitch on the machine. What you get is this.  My machine is a Janome Decor DC 3050 if you have a place nearby to go and see the stitch in real life.

And here are the finished mats. The last picture shows you the backing and how the stitching shows up on the bottom. Now off to conquer something else…Have a great weekend everyone.