Pockets, pockets and pockets

I made another dress last week.  It is 100% cotton, 3/4 sleeves with two front pockets.  At first, I was convinced the fabric was too thin but will all the sweeps and three layers for the big front pockets, it hangs very well and doesn't cling to parts of mine like my other two dresses that I made recently.  It's always a weird thing buying fabric and hoping it will conform to the ideas that I have in my head about how fabric should look and feel.  

I got an amazon voucher from my dear brother for my birthday at the end of March.  It was a truly lovely suggestion but I'm clueless what to buy with it.  I know fabric would be the obvious choice but I like to see a piece of fabric in real life and to touch it as well.  I need to see it and feel the weight of it to get some idea IF it will work for me.  I'm quite picky about fabrics.  Also, I find amazon's search features for fabrics, well, frustrating to say the least.

I haven't been as creative as I would like to buy as my dear son wants to go for long walks lately and really, it is England after all and when the sun is out, you really have to take advantage of it.  Yesterday's walk was just over 8 miles from Silsden to home.  We haven't done that walk before and it was definitely a winning walk.  Stretches of nice houses, woods and views of the countryside and very little people.  We definitely decided to include that on our list of walks for the future.

Apart from that, I had a job offer but I'm waiting for references still.  I imagine it will still be some time as it is the Easter Holidays now and my references I supplied are teachers as obviously, I was in education for 7 years.  SEVEN years.  I'm still desperately trying to escape that unhappiness.

I am now going to cut some pattern pieces for my next project, pictures will follow:

You can visit my Facebook page for more details on this dress:

Dresses and Changes

I have many reasons for making my own clothes.  For starters, I was so disappointed in the lack of variety, poor quality material and fabric...it actually started to depress me going into clothing stores.  I wanted better, my own style, natural fabrics so I started to make my own clothes.  Granted some of my earlier clothing is still in great shape but my tastes have changed.  I feel like it has been a voyage for me, learning who I am again and what I like.  I've discovered that I am not a fan of trousers, that I love dresses, I love patterned tights, I love coloured shoes, that I love cotton...and more importantly that I love to sew and knit and I'm not bad at it either.

I have also discovered on my voyage of making my own clothes that my skills have improved, along with this, the quality of my own clothing has improved.  I am able to modify and adapt patterns to fit me now, I add french seams to my tops and dresses so I have no messy frayed edges inside, I have an overlocker that makes me feel like I have a finished, tidy object.  

For my knitting, I am understanding more about lace knitting, I am able to look at a pattern, dissect it and reassemble it into something that I love and this has been a wonderful thing.  I still feel like I'm growing older but happy with my new identity, my new look.  I've forgotten that I'm not defined by boundaries that other people put in place, that I am still me, I am still that individual that never fit in at 18 and now that I'm 50, why should that be any different?

This dress is for sell in my Etsy shop on special order.  I love the fabric and hope I can find it again as it is a beautiful cotton needlecord.  I wear it all the time and it has never faded or lost it's shape.  It is my favourite dress in my wardrobe at present and I plan to make more.

Simple Knitting

After I knitted my cardigan, the feedback I got was that it was beautiful but some of my friends found the idea of knitting a cardigan quite daunting.  They requested that I make something more simple that they could knit for themselves.  

I thought about this and remember how I began knitting and how I made scarves.  I found scarves allowed me to experiment with different textures and designs without having to worry about tension and blocking.  I used to have a large collection of hand knitted scarves, but gradually over time, some of them have been donated to charity and gifted to friends.  I remember one Autumn, I made four scarves as Christmas presents to some of my closest friends.  However, I wanted to design something a little different from just a plain scarf, so I decided upon a cowl.

I wanted a cowl with texture.  Originally, I was going to do a mock cable cowl but upon research, there was several already out there with that same idea.  In the end, I did something that I made up on the spot, the includes a moss stitch and a basket weave.

This was the end result:

I'm quite pleased with this and the pattern is available to purchase here.  I hope that people will buy, especially those that requested something more simple and manageable.  I think it is pretty and versatile for someone with some experience with knitting.

I will put it up for a competition at some point as well.

Changes and a Cardigan

One of my great ambitions (ha!) this year was to bite the bullet and actually design and publish a knitting pattern myself.  However, when I was working full-time and then some, progress was slow and I found it took way longer than I ever anticipated.  For a time, I thought it wouldn't happen and then something amazing happened.  I quit my job.

It was liberating after months and months of being stressed, anxious and deeply depressed.  Yes, I still have a long way to go, I need to think about my future and what happens next and how I can move forward but I'm out of such an unhealthy environment that I could actually focus on my passion of finishing my cardigan and writing up the pattern.  I've had some interest in it and really, I would like to generate more.

This is the final project:

I was in a cold classroom for the winter, there was only heat from the computers and the students.  At the start of the day, it would be freezing but it would gradually warm as the day progressed.  However, when you have like 8 billion emails to answer in a 10 minute gap before meeting and your day of teaching actually beginning, it isn't the best start to the day.  Of course, I never finished this in time to show it off at work...I was gone when that happened.
The link to buy my pattern is here. It is also available on Etsy.

I hope it generates more interest.  It is really a lovely cardigan.  You don't have to be advanced knitter to knit but have some experience with knit, purl, yarn over needles, slip stitches and decreases.  If you can do that, yes, you can do that.  It is an oversized cardigan deliberately to keep you warm and cosy.  Enjoy!

Back To School

I have been very busy lately, adjusting to my new life of being a student again.  I'm doing my teacher training to be a Computer Science teacher in Secondary Education.  As it is a postgraduate course, I hit the ground running.  There is tons of reading, assignments, lectures, observations and countless other stuff.

It has been a whirlwind and I'm trying my best to maintain some kind of work/life balance thing.  Of course, this is no easy task as it's hard to know when to stop, how much to do, etc.   However, yesterday I was very focused and spent the entire afternoon doing subject based knowledge revision so tomorrow I only have to modify/update/proof-read my final version of my coursework that is due on Tuesday.

Which means today I have a FREE day!  Woo hoo!  I'm actually very excited about this.  A guilt free day to indulge myself however I see fit.  I am going to go out shortly with my son for a long walk, possibly to Salts Mill.  Salts Mill is definitely one of my favourite places in Yorkshire.

Books, books, books!

Hopefully, I'll have a bit more free time to do some sewing as well.  I had a sewing frenzy two weeks ago and completed two nice tops as well.  I need to post images of those but every time I remember this, one of them is in the laundry basket or the ironing pile.  I promise to post pictures of those very soon.

I also want to watch the Matthew Collings show on Abstract Art on the iplayer later today. I find what Matthew Collings has to say about Abstract Act absolutely fascinating.  It is so hard to believe that art was once so influential and had such an impact on society.  Today we seem to be immune to the messages of art or numb or something.  It makes me sad as I find art so inspiring, it leads me to different paths and trains of thought in how I feel about life and myself.  Art should never be ignored.

Finished Dresses

As promised, two photos of the finished dresses.  Both are pink flowers.  One is a lightweight fabric and the other one is a sturdy cotton.  I added belts to both of them to stop them looking like tents.

For your viewing pleasure, I give you dress number one:

Yes, I make a rare appearance in this photo

And now for the second dress (minus me):

A pale pink but heavy sturdy cotton.

I have to say I like the second one better than the first.  I think that mainly because the second one the fabric is a good quality cotton while the first one, I'm not sure what the material is but it is very lightweight and feels flimsy in comparison.  I'm sure that both will grow on me.  I'm getting there with my hand made wardrobe...slowly but surely!

Bags and Fun

I finally finished work for the summer last week.  It was, without a doubt, one of the best weeks I've had in a seriously long time.  I had a friend visiting from the States.  I haven't seen her in 25 years!  She's currently touring around Europe and I was on her list of people and places to visit.  I was hugely flattered she took time out to visit me.

She was sick of cities so we went on day trips out to surrounding towns and little villages.  We went to Saltaire, Hebden Bridge and Heptonstall.  The weather was gloriously sunny and warm.  It was fabulous to catch up with everything that has passed over the long period of time.  I knitted her a lace scarf on her visit as well.  I really should have taken photos of it but I completely forgot.

However, I have some photos to share with you of a finished project that was a collaboration between me and my other half.  Its a bag for a friend in the States:

The exterior shot

The interior with pockets and lining

Isn't it sweet? I'm also working on a light weight summer cardigan but I'll save that for later.  Hope your summer is as lovely as mine has been.

Cranberry Cardigan Update!

Sometimes life gets busy and its that routine and work and home and other commitments.  The positive thing is my son has finally finished his GCSE exams, all 24 of them.  It meant endless days of revision with me asking him questions from his revision guides, going through past papers and trying to be supportive.  But its finished and he is home for the summer, just relaxing.

Now that he has finished...my cardigan is nearly complete.  Here it is with the front and backs attached:

Hey, hey its taking shape.

And here's a shot of it with the sleeves attached:

Nearly there!

There's still blocking to do and the button to add on top but yes, its nearly complete.  Obviously, I would not wear this fitted cardigan with the clothes I'm wearing in the pictures.  They just happen to be the clothes I was wearing at the time when I took these photos.  I have plans to make two dresses to compliment this cardigan and I have two tops that would go nicely with this cardigan.  

I also need to write the pattern out and post it to raverly as its my own pattern.  Yup, I designed this cardigan myself.  I promise more artistic and better pictures when its complete.  But I'm pleased with it immensely.  Next project is well, I haven't decided the truth be told.  Stay tuned.

Two New Dresses

I'm hoping that the weather will be reasonable enough to wear two new dresses I made this past week.  I can hope.  They are both 100% cotton and from the Stylish Dress Book, one of my Japanese pattern books.  I got the book from Salts Mill and I've made two tops from it last summer.  I made them "large" even though, I'm hardly what I'd call a large person.

First off, the blue flower dress:

Pretty blue flowers

This dress should have been so simple to make but the neckline caused me no end of grief.  I kept getting confused which way to put the pieces and I had to unpick the neckline twice.   The original pattern called for five pleats in front but I opted for a gathered neckline instead.  I'm glad I did.  It hangs much nicer this way.

The second dress is fabric my son picked out.  Its a box style dress.  If I was to make it again, I'd make it a little smaller but live and learn.  Here's a picture of the end result:

It has two pockets on the front as well.

I figure I could actually wear this in slightly cooler weather with some tights and a long sleeve t-shirt underneath.  I'll probably wear this on weekends and when I'm not working.  Remember, stupid dress codes and other people's ideas about what you should and shouldn't wear.  I might be accused of having too much fun in this dress.  Enough of my whining.  Two dresses completed.  Oh how I love time off from work!

Digging and Thinking

Yesterday it was actually sunny out.  A much needed sunny day to get me out of that dark hole that is my mind.  Sunday I ended up being one of those tedious moods where it just rained, the whole house felt damp and with that, my mood was definitely damp, cranky and impatient with myself, my life and especially, the weather.  I don't mind one day of rain that I'm happy to stay in and do my knitting or sewing but when it goes on and on...well, I feel like I'm climbing the walls quite literally.

So the young man and I went out for a blissful walk to clear our heads.  We found a £5 note on our travels so our drinks and chocolate brownies cost £1.20.  Always a bonus when you live on a tight budget.  When we got home, he settled down in a better mindset for revision, while I finally got stuck in with the garden.  I cut the grass, pruned some bushes back, weeded the garden and tidied up the edging.  Here are the results:

I spent hours doing this but you wouldn't think to look at it now

It looks much tidier but in need of more colour.

I want to get some snapdragons or something...something to brighten it up a bit.  Anything would be an improvement.  This year I said no to sweet peas.  Every year my parents get me some and its this search of find some suitable sticks to tie them to and then I lost interest in looking after them.  I prefer my old house and its brighter garden.  This one has too many trees over looking it and its ALWAYS dark.

Today, the young man and I went out for lunch with my parents.  It was enjoyable and afterwards, they went home and we went out browsing.  I got fabric to make something else.  Just as well because yet more rain is forecast for tomorrow.  Because clearly we haven't had enough of it this year.

Lace Borders

The weather in the UK has been typical for a Bank Holiday weekend.  Cold, wet and dark.  It is pretty miserable to say the least.  However, being indoors has allowed me to crack on with on-going projects.  When I say on-going, I mean ones that are taking longer than they should.  I don't really know why this is anything new.  It happens in life.  I have all these ideas and inspired ideas and then I come home from work...drained, lifeless and unmotivated.  Ugh.  I really need to kick that habit.

However, I've had a few days this week where I've been knitting while watching telly on a night and cracking on with my projects.  So work is actually progressing and MOVING forward.  I can see the light at the end of the tunnel and I feel that inner peace again.  Yes, yes and yes.  I need that.  I'm tired of feeling like its just work and home and just that blah feeling from life.  That feeling where you are not feeling content within yourself.  Just restless and unsettled...but nothing you can put your finger on.  I hate those times. 

So here is one nearly completed side of my cardigan.  I'm being ambitious (for me) and knitting a lace border.  This side has NO mistakes...unlike the first side which has one or two and I'm seriously thinking about unpicking it back to those mistakes now.  Before I was going to leave it...but well...it will bug me if I leave them now.  So, for your viewing pleasure:

One side of a cardigan.

This is not normally a colour I'd normally wear but I'm trying to step outside my "comfort zone" with regards to colour.  I think for the past few years, I have to conform to a dress code at work and my sense of style went completely out of the window.  I can't even begin to tell you how sick I am of my work wardrobe.  Its drab and makes me feel older than I am.  Enough of that crap.  So what if I'm getting older, we all are.  I can still have my sense of style and individuality.  Clothes can be beautiful and make you feel good about yourself.  I don't have to resign myself to cream blouses and black trousers for work, do I?  I hope not...

Made Me May

I didn't know this as I'm always a bit slow on trends, events, fashions, etc. but its "Made Me May" month.  I found out about it in Ysolda's blog and read more about it here.  I had no idea but anyway, I decided this week to dress in something I made at least three days a week.  And you know what?  I did it.

On Monday, I wore my mandarin shirt.  Tuesday, I wore my paisley and roses shirt and Thursday, I wore my olive green cardigan.  Tomorrow, I will wear my owl top or something else.  I still have great lengths to go with regards to producing my handmade wardrobe but its a three day weekend so time to sew a dress!

I have great ideas for this dress I want to make.  I've been looking at Pinterest for ideas.  One of the things, oh it pains my heart....that I actually fell in love with was this tunic dress.  Lisette 2245.  Oh its so my style but sadly out of print!  NOOOOO!!!!  I even discovered a pinterest board with admirers of this dress.

Oh how I wish for this:

Tunic Perfection
 

Awww.....how could such an unique and timeless pattern as that be out of print?  Its a real shame.  I even looked on ebay.  Yup.  Still, more pictures to come of more sewing inspired ideas and a some works in progress knit-wise.

Cream, short sleeved top

I spent most of Saturday and a little bit of Sunday sewing another top for myself. This one doe not have the mandarin collar but just a simple round neckline. I was supposed to put some lace around the sleeves and the bottom of the shirt but I think it would have looked too busy. Also, I only had bit of one cream lace in the house and I didn't really want to venture out just for a bit of lace.

Here are the results:

I decided against the lace in the end but it looks fine.

I have been enjoying this creative time sewing tops but now I need to focus on skirts and dresses. I have 2 lots of fabric left. Actually 3 lots of fabric. I have one pink one with lots of flowers, a blue and green flower one and finally an olive green one with leaves and vine patterns on it. Decisions, decisions, decisions.

I have found it very therapeutic sewing as of lately. I've been very careful with my sewing and making sure to iron pieces to get a neater finished top. It has been working. While I sew, I find I stop beating myself up about life in general. I feel just calm. Isn't that what everyone needs?

Mandarin Shirt Completed.

My most recent top did prove to be a challenge.  It is a pleated short sleeved short with a mandarin collar.  I am actually very pleased with the results.  Here is a close of the collar.  I don't think the picture actually does it justice.

Close up of the collar
 

The fabric in the photo makes the fabric look darker than it is.  It is actually a dark blue.  I had to hand sew the inside of the collar and make it with invisible seams.  It took time but it was worthwhile. 

Here is a picture of me in the shirt. 

Finished Top.

It is a very flattering cut on me, well, that's my opinion.  Its always hard to decide what I should be wearing at my age.  When I was young, I just wore what I liked, there wasn't always all those questions such as "Does that suit my shape?", "Is this age appropriate?", etc.  Those things happen with time.  You think as you get older, you become less preoccupied with how you look but you just find you have different issues.  Such is life.

I have some cream fabric with little pink, green and blue spools of thread on it.  It is very sweet indeed and very much me.  I'm debating what to make with it.  Another mandarin top?  A three quarter sleeved blouse?  A tunic top?  Decisions, decisions, decisions.

This time off from work has been very constructive this time.  I have had the opportunity to see old friends, spend time with family and sew.  Normally I return to work after a break thinking I didn't use my time as productive as I could have.  However, I realised that this time, I really need to knuckle down and get on with things.  I just feel so much more at peace with myself.  I need to do this more often!







 

Cost Effective and Long Overdue Update

One of my friends recently asked me an interesting question about my sewing. I was sat across from her and I was feeling pleased with a top that I sewed the other week. I told her I made this top and then she asked me if sewing was cost effective. That was it, no other questions, just that. Was sewing cost effective?

Now, that's a tricky question because it is all relative with regards to what some people consider cost effective and what isn't. How do you measure cost effective? Price of materials? Time spent sewing? Quality of items made? What specifically? Also, other questions such as it depends upon how much money people spend on clothes, what they consider to be quality and how important are clothes to them? Do they spend hours looking for the “perfect piece” or just buy something cheap and cheerful but disposable?

Olive green cardigan.  Isn't it sweet?

First off, sure I could actually buy myself a mass produced, cheap generic top from certain stores for cheaper but is that what I want? The answer to that is no. I have realised as I grown older, I'm tired of cheap, mass produced, poor quality clothing. I want something that is unique to me, something that I could consider good quality, made with love and care plus attention to detail. I don't mind spending a day or two making something for myself. I find it hugely rewarding. I like that by making my own clothes, I have choices about style, colour, patterns, quality of materials and type of material. It is my way of expressing myself uniquely. I do not have to follow a fashion or a trend, rather clothes that suit me, my body shape, my personality and my sense of style. Why does that have to end at my age? I used to pride myself on being an individual when I was young. Now that I'm older, why should that change?

Green Dragon Fly Top. 

Secondly, dress codes. My past three jobs have all had dress codes. You have to look smart and professional. I hate that. I'm not going to lie, I hate having to conform to a dress code. For the past couple of years, my wardrobe has been bland, mainly blacks and generic tops. I do not look in my wardrobe and look forward to wearing something. I wear the clothes for work because I have to, it is expected of me. Blah. Well, that has to change. How you dress does affect how you feel. I can still look smart and professional. But the clothes do not need to be outrageous or bland. That can be just me. 

Owl Top with kick pleats in the front.  Hides a multitude of sins.

In the past couple of months, I've made 3 tops and knitted one cardigan for myself. I have enough fabric to make 3 more tops and a dress. I'm currently knitting another cardigan for myself. I have an A-line skirt pattern for myself. I intend to make some skirts as well to coordinate with my new tops. The range of colours is blues, greens, pinks, rose reds and creams. Patterns are varying from purple owls to flowers to simple spools of thread. My cardigan I'm knitting is a deep shade of cranberry. Yes, there will be some black in my wardrobe but not as much. 

Blue top made with fabric that was a gift from my son.

 So there has been much progress in my life with my handmade wardrobe. Its high time. I should have done this years ago. So it is cost effective? Yes to me. You can't put a price of feeling content with life.

Finished Hat

I finished a hat for myself this week. The reality was I wasn't feeling well and I wanted to knit something quick and practical. However, I wasn't feeling well and I had zero concentration. I won't even begin to tell you how many times I had to restart. (Hint, it was more than twice.)

However, as soon as I began to feel better and I had full concentration, I knitted this up in no time. I'm quite pleased with the results and it only took one 50g ball of yarn. 

One winter hat

Now, that is complete, I'm starting one of my more ambitious projects. Here's a sneak preview:

This is the back...plain for now.

Finished vest

I finished my vest I was telling you about. I have mixed feeling about it. Yes, it looks good on the hanger but I wish it would hang better on me. I think I tried it on with the wrong top or maybe the boobs got in the way. I just wish there was a little more on the sides to it. But hey...it could be worse.

The plus points...I like the colour, it was knitted on circular needles as a one piece, it does keep my shoulders warm and it has a nice shape. It will grow on me. On the plus side, I still have enough yarn to make another vest...need to search for a pattern I like.

Here it is in its finished glory:

A quick, simple knit

Finished Cardigan!

My beauty

Last weekend, I finished my cable cardigan. It was therapeutic to see it finished. I even wore it to work on Monday I was that pleased with the finished results. Here are some pictures for your viewing pleasure. Unfortunately, the one hanging on the door is way too dark but you get the idea.

Cardigan slowly being pieced together

Potentially too dark of a picture but you get the idea about its shape
 

 

I like how the cables turned out on the sides of the front. I also like eyelets on the raglan sleeves. I modified the pattern to do this as I thought it looked nicer than the original pattern.  Here's a close up of the cables.

 

Finishing this cardigan has been inspiring. It made me get off my butt and I'm now nearly half way through a vest that I began last week. I find I've been watching programmes on hoarding on the Internet and knitting at the same time. Its strangely therapeutic. It makes me feel less anxious about the amount of stuff that I own and keep things in perspective about my own life. I would like there to be a good film to watch on telly but it just seems to be an endless circle of repeats. I think I need a light comedy tonight. Just the thing to end a long week at work.

Finished Tunic!

Remember the fabric that I cut out and was ready to sew? Well, I actually finished the project over a week ago. I meant to post them sooner but as often the case, real life gets in the way of blogging. I was back at work, which meant to adjusting to early mornings again and days preoccupied with work. It always seems to take me a week to feel like my old self again after the initial shock of those 6:30 wake up calls.

So, here are some photos for your viewing pleasure:


I'm really pleased with the neckline and the sleeves
 

As you can see the sleeves are gathered!

I have also nearly finished my cardigan. I have one more sleeve to attach to the body and then the rib around the neckline. Oh and add the buttons. I promise to post pictures of that real soon. 

I have to admit, I have this huge mental block about piecing and blocking together my knitting projects. I really need to learn to get over that hurdle. I tried one night after a particularly long day at work to sew it together and the sides didn't match. I was getting all flustered about it when I realised, I didn't match it at the bottom so of course, it was all askew. The following night, I pinned it together very carefully and voilà, the sides matched exactly. A valuable lesson in learning to be more PATIENT.

My next knitting project is going to be done on a circular needle with no need for blocking or piecing together. I feel pretty excited about that prospect so you would think I'd be more motivated to finish my cardigan. I will get there and hopefully, get over the piecing together anxiety.

Knitting Therapy

I've been making a conscious effort to get more involved with my knitting. Last night, I finished the first sleeve of my cardigan so I have now completed the back, sides and one sleeve...which leaves one sleeve left, blocking and then the ribbing. I can actually see a light at the end of the tunnel.

The positive thing about knitting as it does require some of my attention so it stops me for fixating on crap like work issues, applications for Graduate School and future plans. I obviously still have to write a personal statement and that will happen in due course. The truth is I need a clear head and lately, work has been draining and I'm not in the right mind set for that this week. Next week will be different, no work and time to just focus on that. 

Of course, like most knitters, I'm already thinking about what I would like to do next when I complete this project. Last week, I went to Purl and Jane in Skipton and got this lovely pattern. 

From Purl and Jane, available on her website

 
Jane makes such wonderful patterns, so easy to follow and yet so beautiful. She is also incredibly helpful and very friendly! It requires 3 ply wool and I know I will have to do a tension square next. It leads to all sorts of problem solving for me as I tend to be a “loose knitter” and generally have to go down a size in needles. I don't really intend on knitting on much smaller needles than I already have and since its in children's size...I might have to experiment with that. The fun part will be deciding what wool I would like to use. Yup...first world problems.

Say it with me, just two more days of work then a whole week off. There, it doesn't sound that bad now, does it?