Monthly Archives: June 2014

Thing 181

by  on  in 365 Things, Sewing

I have a long list of clothes to make in the next five weeks. Some of them will be challenging and time consuming but I started off with an easy one.

Martina loves her pink Hollyburn skirt and wanted to add another Hollyburn to her wardrobe. I pulled out the blue fabric I used for Esther’s Hollyburn.

I didn’t have a blue zipper to spare (the one I have is earmarked for another Thing) so I gave the skirt an elastic waist. I used the 2-inch elastic I bought for Esther’s Minoru jacket. It doesn’t look like an elastic waist on this photo because the elastic is cut to the same length as the waistband. The fabric has quite a bit of stretch so Martina can still pull it over her hips. I like the clean tailored look.

 

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This skirt is a versatile addition to Martina’s wardrobe. The colour goes with most of her shirts and she can wear it year round — like this in summer or with tights and boots in the winter.

I love how quickly this pattern comes together — under three hours from start to finish. I’ll definitely be making more. Maybe in purple wool for the winter? I still have lots leftover from Esther’s jacket.

 

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Esther and Martina now have matching skirts. They agreed with each other not to wear it on the same days. Because otherwise? Oh, the horror.

 

Cost of this Thing: €2
Cost of all Things to date: €201.62

Thing 180

by  on  in 365 Things, Sewing

Yesterday I made a bag for the bunny brothers. The fabric comes from Martina’s old curtains. I’ve used it for lots of projects over the years so there’s not much left but I still had a carrot section for the bunnies.

 

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The other side is flowers, also a favourite habitat for our hoppy friends.

 

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A scrap of green ribbon for the drawstring finishes off the bunny bag.

 

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A beautiful bag of bunnies!

 

Cost of this Thing: 0
Cost of all Things to date: €199.62

Thing 179

by  on  in 365 Things, Crochet

Last week I crocheted a bunny for a four-year-old friend of mine. I haven’t had a chance to give it to her yet so I decided to make a sibling. Bunnies rarely live alone.

I had three small balls of apricot wool that were exactly enough for one bunny.

 

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I used a 2.5mm hook and the same pattern used for Thing 67.

 

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Bunny brothers:

 

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I better deliver this gift soon before the rabbit population explodes. I still have more of the apricot wool…

 

Cost of this Thing: 0
Cost of all Things to date: €199.62

Thing 178

by  on  in 365 Things, Crochet

The sloth of bears is complete.

This time I used the Tiny Teddy pattern (the others were Little Teddy) from the Mini Teddy Bear post at Lucy’s blog.

 

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I used a 2.5mm hook and the apricot wool from my yarn lady. It should have been a quick, easy make, but I was busy off and on for much of the afternoon. I was distracted and crabby and kept losing my place.

 

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But I’m done, and I’d like to think we’re all just a little bit more aware of Crocheted bears. 

Next week I’m getting back to my sewing room. I have a long list of projects to complete before the summer break, including skirts, blouses and shorts.

 

Cost of this Thing: 0
Cost of all Things to date: €199.62

Thing 177

by  on  in 365 Things, Crochet

Today I give you the next bear in Crocheted Bear Awareness Week. The pattern is Little Teddy from Lucy’s blog again but with a twist.

 

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Bet you weren’t expecting a panda. Not after all my panda whinging.

 

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I followed the pattern, just changing colours when needed, and then added a little tail. I used black felt and 6mm safety eyes for his eyes. The result is okay, but definitely not as cute as the pain-in-the-neck panda.

I do, however, love my sloth of bears.

 

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The panda and the brown bear are crocheted with the same weight yarn but I used a 2.5mm hook for the brown and 3.5mm for the panda. I prefer the tight weave of the smaller one. Rainbow is my favourite bear.

I’m not sure if I’m done with Crocheted Bear Awareness Week. I thought the panda would be the last, but I may add to my sloth, just so I can keep using the word sloth.

 

Cost of this Thing: 0
Cost of all Things to date: €199.62

 

* To amuse myself I googled “Crocheted Bear Awareness Week.” My blog was listed for the first three hits. I’m not sure why I’m so proud.

Thing 176

by  on  in 365 Things, Beading

Last night my beading buddy Cheryl brought along a baggy of beads, the remains (we think) of a broken necklace. I separated out some blue glass discs and used those as my starting point for a bracelet.

I found a scrap of beading wire just long enough for two bracelet strands and rummaged around for some other blue glass.

The nautical-style spring ring clasp complemented the shades of blue.

 

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Perhaps this is the start of a new line of summer accessories. Beach Baubles. Lakeside Luxuries. Pool Party Pretties.

 
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I’ll stop now and leave you with this pretty picture of roses from my garden.

 

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Cost of this Thing: 0
Cost of all Things to date: €199.62

 

Work-in-Progress Wednesday: Belcarra Blouse

by  on  in Work in Progress

I’ve been crocheting for the last week and haven’t even stepped into my sewing room. Nature has a way of taking over, even indoors. This little guy was suspended in front of my sewing machine, from chair to table.

 

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I carefully dismantled the web and the little spider scurried off into one of the many piles on the table.

***

My most recent sewing projects have all been relatively successful, leading me to believe I’m actually progressing into an intermediate sewist. This was a humbling afternoon.

I was quite a bit behind on the Sewaholic Belcarra Blouse sew-along and it was 2:00 this afternoon before I sat down at my machine, but I figured I’d be all caught up in an hour or so. I was busy for three.

I started by sewing on the sleeves and attaching everything at the shoulders and sides, giving me the basic structure of the blouse. Moment of truth: did my FBA (full bust adjustment) work? Argh! The darts are almost two inches too low but I don’t know how to raise them without changing the entire structure of the blouse. The back doesn’t hang right either. I think I may need to go down a size and increase the FBA.

 

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Despite the fit being all wrong, making the blouse completely unwearable (though how wearable was a bed-sheet shirt going to be?), I decided to continue in order to practice all the steps. I’ll have to do another muslin before I cut into the Liberty lawn but by that time I’ll hopefully have mastered the other elements. I confess I lost any sense of perfectionism after this, so the neck binding and the cuffs leave much to be desired.

 

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I should be finished this blouse by the weekend and I think I’ll dive right into a second attempt. This pattern has potential but it may take a few tries before I get there.

Thing 175

by  on  in 365 Things, Crochet

Before we dive into Day 2 of Crocheted Bear Awareness Week I want to show a quick follow-up to Fulfilled Promises Week.

I asked Martina to get a shot of her friends with their animals, and they pulled her into the shot as well.

 

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Aww. That makes it worth it. Apparently Panda girl and Horse girl caused no end of trouble with the animals in class.

But back to bears.

Today’s bear is the same pattern as yesterday but with a completely different yarn. Esther had a long strand of corking she made with super chunky rainbow variegated wool a year or two ago. She’s mostly used it to hang stuff off the balcony. However, she was ready to part with the rope, especially after I promised to convert it into a bear.

Since the yarn is so thick I crocheted with a 5mm hook. By skipping one row in his midsection I had just enough yarn to finish the bear and a tiny scrap over for a jaunty bow.

 

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He towers over yesterday’s bear.

 

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I think he’s groovy.

 

Cost of this Thing: 0
Cost of all Things to date: €199.62

 

Thing 174

by  on  in 365 Things, Crochet

Jim: Question. What kind of bear is best?
Dwight: That’s a ridiculous question.
Jim: False. Black bear.
Dwight: That’s debatable. There are basically two schools of thought–
Jim: Fact. Bears eat beets. Bears. Beets. Battlestar Galactica.
Dwight: Bears don’t… What is going on? What are you doing?!

 

May 19 – 23 was Bear Awareness Week and I completely missed it, but I have a plan to make up for it. I hereby declare this Crocheted Bear Awareness Week.

We will start with the common brown bear.

 

 

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Because yesterday’s horse had so many pieces I was left with lots of longish brown scraps. I knotted them together and used them for today’s Little Teddy.

 

 

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I made it halfway through the head before my scraps ran out and I had to start crocheting from the big ball.

 

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It’s quite a nuisance to crochet around all those knots but I get a certain satisfaction from using the scraps. I used the too-small pieces for stuffing. This is a frugal brown bear.

 

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Cheap and less threatening than your average bear.

 

Cost of this Thing: 0
Cost of all Things to date: €199.62

 

 

Thing 173

by  on  in 365 Things, Crochet

It is with great joy and relief that I proudly announce the arrival of the long-awaited horse. Thing 173 is a promise fulfilled and a total-pain-in-the-neck completed.

 

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The pattern, in case anyone is not deterred by my anti-crochet-horse bias, is here. It’s free, it’s cute and it’s made up of nine pieces plus mane and tail. And that’s without the saddle, bridle and reins. You have been warned.

 

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I used a 3.5mm hook and worsted weight acrylic. The mane and the tail are made with the last of some flecked off-white yarn in my stash.

 

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I packaged up the promises, hot-glued a ribbon on each, and Martina will take them to school tomorrow.

 

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She has been given careful instructions. If anyone asks for a horse or a panda she is to say no, not in this lifetime. A sheep? Well, maybe.

 

Cost of this Thing: 0
Cost of all Things to date: €199.62