Entries Tagged 'WIPs' ↓

Whenever I gave homework to my japanese teacher it would always come back with a jolly stamp and the words ‘keep on doing!’ on it. Well, quite. Such a simple phrase but universal in application.

Our mantlepiece is currently obscured by the kitten blanket wip, which has been a wip for well over a year. When I was younger this sort of inability to complete a project in a timely manner would have infuriated me with myself, to the point of condemning me as a ridiculous person. It’s so good to get old. You realise that time taken is not necessarily the yardstick by which everything should be measured, and that, sometimes, just continuing to take the time, when you have it spare, brings the same results, but with less gnashing of teeth.

Progress is good, and I can see an end to it, which seems amazing. My only wish is that I didn’t have to do all that tedious weaving in of tails, but then, isn’t that what box sets of Mad Men were invented for?

You know how some weeks get? When the pile of things to be done stays the same height when you’re sure you’ve been running about non-stop from dawn til dusk? Yeah, it’s one of those weeks. Which is why the parcel I just got in the post was so very welcome…

Julia had said she would happily send me some of the iron on vinyl she’d mentioned on her blog, but it was such a surprise to open the package and find she had also packed a parcel of soapnuts (which I’ve wanted to try out for a while) and a lovely little selection of green fabrics “to play with”. It’s this sort of thing that makes the world into a nicer place, isn’t it? It cheered me up enormously, so thank you Julia.

In other crafting news (for yes, I am crafting, despite other evidence to the contrary on here) I have a pile of things on my desk being processed into small items for the craft fair. Bibs, little doorstops and coin purses to begin with…

And despite all of this needing to be put together, the house refuses to clean itself and the laundry stays stubbornly in the basket until I remove it. You know, when Virginia said that for a woman to be creative she needed a room of her own, she forgot to mention the cook and the cleaner she was so used to relying on as well. I’m feeling a touch of housewives’ rebellion today. It’s so dull and so constant, isn’t it? I like a good deep spring clean to be honest, but this never-ending maintenance stuff is enough to drive a woman to a brandy cocktail before the long hand hits noon.

It’ll seem better tomorrow. Won’t it?

So I haven’t posted in a while, and regular readers might wonder what this means. Any number of things can stop a person from keeping up with the internet; things like kidnapping, hotdog eating competitions, putting ships in bottles, learning to jive in 40s costumes. None of these are the reason for my absence dear readers, but I’ll share with you the rather more mundane things that have kept me occupied of late…

There’s been a lot of binge watching of Grey’s Anatomy. I got into this very late, about two thirds of the way through season 2 (and UK TV is currently showing season 3 so all of you who know more, I have my fingers in my ears and I’m not listening.) While I enjoyed it I wasn’t entirely sure what was going on and Amazon had the dvd of season 1 for only £12… And so I am hooked. There is something very comforting about watching pretty people wandering across the screen being witty and clever in a way that no one is in real life, and US shows always make sure everyone is very pretty to look at. Sometimes I like to zone out. Mr Joleo knows this and is very understanding – this is why he bought me season 2 for my birthday.

I’ve also been noodling about on last.fm, which is a great way of finding new music. You can download software which monitors what you play in iTunes so that it builds a radio station of things you might like, or you can choose a radio station of similar artists to your favourite band, or listen to the things your musical neighbours like. So far my new favouritist song is ‘The world at large’ (listen here) by Modest Mouse. Never heard of them before Monday, but this song sounds a little like Mercury Rev, and the Flaming Lips. I am rubbish in music shops, but this is really because I like to know what I’m getting and looking at a cd case doesn’t help. Thank goodness for the internet and iTunes. (US chums also have Pandora to play with.)

Then there’s Grand Theft Auto IV. I love games, and this one is just stunning. Of course there’s swearing and violence and you can run any number of people over in your big truck, but it is a form of entertainment, and it’s meant for adults. There’s no way I would give this to a kid, in the same way I wouldn’t give them the Godfather trilogy to watch. It’s satirical, it’s funny and the main character is great. Oh and did you know it’s made in Scotland? Over 1000 people worked on this game, and I thank every one of them.

But I do still make things. This exterior went together well – the piping was much easier than last time, and I love the new interfacing. Love it. The bag stands up and keeps its shape so beautifully. I didn’t use it on the zip panels, because that would be horrendous to work with, but it’s on all of the other panels. The only place it was really problematic was attaching the bottom, and then really only on the short sides. My fingers ache from keeping it in the right place! Anyway, now all it needs is a lining, and then we’re done. Much faster than last time eh?

I’m very excited by this picture. Yesterday I decided I would do some sewing, although as Susanne said recently, a lot of sewing is not actually doing any sewing. Instead I was sorting out the interfacing for my friend’s Sophia, which is going to be made with the Amy Butler Starflower tile in spinach. (I love spinach. Especially bahjee.)

As you know I was a little disappointed with the squooshy nature of the first Sophia, having followed the instructions to the letter and used fusible fleece. So when Lisa was extolling the virtues of this new product she was stocking I thought it might be just the thing. It’s a firm, flexible, fusible interfacing, and seems to do just what it says on the tin. I’ve substituted it for the fleece and I’m so far delighted with the way it stands up – literally.

The next test is to see how it sews, but somehow I’ve misplaced the thread I bought. Mysterious indeed, and more than a little frustrating. And I have a spool holder on the wall! Where else would I have put it? I’m sure at the time it made sense but for now I’ll be turning the room upside down.

*Helen, you are are exempt from answering this as we all know how much you like it.

Thank you to everyone for the birthday wishes – they really made my day.

I have always been envious whenever I’ve seen people posting about finding fantastic things in their local charity shops, which they then take home and fashion into marvellous things. It seemed as if I was doomed not to be able to partake, because the selections in my local charity shops were thin and uninspiring.

Persistence pays though, doesn’t it? And the reward this time was this fantastic 70s single duvet cover, washed and pressed, and with the magnificent price tag of £2. I’d wanted something like this ever since seeing how they could be re-fashioned into fabulous house trousers, or as they are also known, lounge pants.

Even though the week was full of preparations for my holiday (washing, cleaning, shopping for provisions for husband, more washing, finding the suitcases, having friends round for dinner, packing, getting essential prescriptions and contact lenses, yet more washing…) I still managed to find time to trace the pattern, cut the fabric and gradually piece together something approaching trousers…

Actually I love them, although I abandoned the suggestion of making a tie from self fabric, and instead used ribbon. Ribbon is always nice, isn’t it? The contrast of texture and the sheen adds so much.

And apologies for the sideways photo – you can click on it for a larger version, but still sideways. This is what happens when you’re up a hill with a laptop on an intermittent connection and iPhoto dies :)

Since I’d finished all the necessary bits I thought I would slip the lining into the bag to see what my bag would look like. I’m so glad that I did, because I realised I wouldn’t be happy with the end result. This is what the pattern tells you to do with the false bottom – simply lay it inside the bag. I don’t know about you but I have enough rolling about at the bottom of my bag(s) without the bottom roaming around in there loose as well. Other women might be able to keep better charge of their handbags but I am not of their number.

The solution:

I’d decided that it needed purse feet anyway, because the fabric is pretty, and so I decided to add another bag bottom. I’d cut two anyway, from the plastic grid that I use for bag bottoms usually – I can’t find timtex over here, although I hear that it is no more, so we’re all looking for replacements now. Only one piece of my plastic would fit inside the fabric covering for the false bottom, which is no hardship since it’s very sturdy stuff, so I decided to make good use of the piece left over.

Firstly, cut very small slits with your seam ripper for the purse feet. I measured 1.5″ from the short seam and 1″ in from the long seam. Make sure that you cut through all the layers.

Push the feet stems through the slits, and on the inside of the bag push through one of the holes in the plastic. Open out the wings and press flat to secure them. (You can do this by making a corresponding slit in your stabilise, if it doesn’t have holes.)

when you’ve done all four, take the false bottom and cover one side with some good fabric glue.

Press down on top of the other bag bottom. This will ensure that you can’t feel the feet or the plastic through the lining of the bag. Secure the corners with a few stitches if desired.

So I know I said I would follow the pattern to the letter but this is one instance where I felt the pattern let itself down. For other tips you can check out the flickr group for the Sophia Sew along which is being run by Monkey Foot designs and Stacy Sews. One tip I wish I’d known is to make the handles just a little bit longer, more so since I’ve realised that my iBook fits inside it. This means I not only want to make one more as a gift, but another for myself. I’m a glutton for punishment.

Now since the clocks went forward last night I’m feeling that I’ve been cheated out of some of my Sunday – the remedy can only be to find a costume drama on the telly and do some more of my blanket…

After playing around last week I thought I really ought to get down to doing some work with the machine today and maybe clearing out some stuff from the wip box. What I did instead was dance around for a couple of hours to mid ’90s dance music, so by the time I sat down it was a bit later than intended. I apologise therefore for the dark photos, taken by the miracle of electric light and not by lovely daylight, as was my intention.

Oh Good Lord it’s the Sophia! Yes, indeed. We are moving on to the lining, made out of lovely, lovely cotton. The first job is to make the inside top panel, so you only have to sew a very short seam and leave the rest open for the zip. It was here that I realised how useful my seam guide is – screw it in, set for half an inch seam, line fabric up against the edge, sew, done. Then simply attach the end panels and that part is done. It was here I started to suspect that it might come together rather more quickly from here on in.

So I quickly moved onto the pockets. The only seam sewn on the wrong side is the top one, and you then turn right way out and press, before topstitching (again using the seam guide to keep things neat…). On the right side you simply stitch a basting seam 1/4″ from the edge, because this will be hidden when you put the lining together.

I used the seam guide again to do another basting set of stitches to attach the pocket to the main panel. I don’t normally mark out seam allowances with a pen, so it shouldn’t really seem much quicker, but I think the confidence this tiny bit of metal gives me means that I sew that much faster. I really felt that I was whizzing along.

The final part for tonight was sewing a centre seam down the pocket so that you divide it in two. Or you could divide into three if you were so inclined. I half wish I had myself.

And there I stopped for the day. A quick sewing session but it felt productive, and I’m actually looking forward to doing more tomorrow. Who knows – maybe it’ll be finished by the end of the month…

Maybe it’s just me, but the amount of stuff I have in my wip box, not to mention the stuff I have planned in my head, can be a little daunting. I thought that perhaps I’d have a look in the box today and see what’s really in there. Besides which I was distinctly not fit for any other purpose today, having enjoyed a lovely night in the pub with my japanese class.

The box mostly contains fabric cut out for bags. Right at the bottom are the fabrics for two jaunty little bags, which I use in the summer, although one of them is currently in the back of my car holding the scraper, a spare wing mirror and the de-icer. (Alexander Henry fabric makes anything look good.)

There are also three basket bags cut out in here, both the black and white, and the pale red that you can see, plus a purple japanese inspired fabric. There are also two linen shoppers ready to go, and one small doorstop. There’s the rest of the Sophia too, and surprisingly that’s it. Not as scary as I expected.

In terms of fabric that’s still as whole as the day I bought and paid for it and brought it home there’s the jersey for the Simplicity wrap dress, the batiste for the Regency gown (how could I let that get away from me?!), fun fur for the kitty tunnel in In Stitches, more jersey for a top from the WOF, fabric for a travelling bag, more fabric earmarked for doorstops – oh, it goes on.

I really wanted to make the list to make me take stock, and possibly stop me from buying new fabric for any other new projects that might take my fancy, but I’m also hoping that I’m not the only one with a stack of unfinished and half-baked plans…

I’ve made one each of the six patterns required for the blanket (I’m calling it a blanket just so you know) just so that I don’t have to keep referring to the book all the time. I think I have the granny square down now so it’s safe to take my eyes off the instructions. Just five more of each to go and it’s practically done.

Being bemused by the afghan question (this is all crochet and no politics mind you) I decided to look it up. It seems that afghan crochet is a different beast altogether from the kind of crochet I’m getting caught up in, being done with a hook that has a stopper at the other end and seems to be more like a one hook form of knitting. Wikipedia explains all. Since it makes a denser fabric than normal crochet perhaps the traditional use for it was as a blanket, although this wikipedia article doesn’t make the connection.

Now the question vexing me is whether or not it’s possible to become allergic to alcohol. Over the last year or so I’ve noticed that whenever I drink I wake up with a stuffed up nose that lasts all day. Not only are my hangovers growing as I get older but lovely wine is making feel as if I have a cold? Too cruel. I will have to consume more chocolate instead.

Here be visual evidence that I did indeed do some sewing on the Sophia today, and finally attached the bottom. Sadly there can be no visual evidence of the grand quantities of swearing that went with it. At one point things got so bad I thought “I’m really starting to hate this bag.”

It was grim.

Here’s more visual evidence:

My third needle. Well, some of it. These were the heavy duty needles too, but the concentration of piping and layers of fabric, fleece and interfacing at the corners were far too much for them. Perhaps my machine isn’t powerful enough. Perhaps the fabric is simply too thick. Whatever the cause, it’s been frustrating, and has left me with some tidying up to do by hand at the corners where no amount of coaxing would get the needle through in the right place.

Incidentally the tip of the first needle is lost somewhere inside my machine so I’m also waiting for that to come back and haunt me.

I have decided to modify the bag slightly and add little purse feet. It’s far too nice a fabric to get all filthy and worn by putting it straight down, and besides, purse feet always cheer me up and make a bag look so much more finished. Everyone always admires them, so I think they might as well be noticing the silverware as the dodgy corners.

From here the pattern moves onto the lining, which should be much easier and more straightforward, and that will bring rainbows back into the sewing room, instead of them just appearing outside.