Back in the Friday Groove

Good morning friends! I am greeting you with a little character who I encountered this week- surely everyone loves a Shetland pony...?

Another delight this week included a serene river trip, under endless azure skies. 

I have been meaning to mention this bag for a while: it has become my default day out bag, and even commuted with me on my week in London. Made from beautiful fabric from Mallorca, with a Liberty print lining, and sewn-on leather handles, I was aiming for elegant utility. Sometimes a measure of success is whether a finished object makes you happy, and this bag does just that. Here it is adorned with my scarf, which coordinated surprisingly well. 

Yesterday I started a new knitting project... yes, because I definitely needed one of those! Here is my rationale: I am trying to use up yarns which I have stashed in order to make specific projects. I also wanted a quick fix, and so it made perfect sense to grab something chunky from my stash. This is another summery jumper, which there is no point in waiting until the depths of winter to knit. 

On the left is the brochure photo, and on the right is the start I have made. An added advantage of this pattern is that the body is worked in one piece, with minimal sewing. I was also desperate to try this stitch, which I am sure I have seen called Indian cables in a book. It is fun, but fiddly. 

Below is a little stack of ribbons, which I could not resist purchasing when I stumbled upon them unexpectedly in a cheap shop yesterday. I anticipate that all of my sewing projects will be getting pretty hanging loops for a little while to come! 

   

Out of Sync

Last Friday I wasn't ready to blog, and next Friday seems a long way off, so here is a little pictorial trip through what I have been making: 

I made this dress from grey striped linen, which has been sad and lonely, unused in my fabric stash for a while, and a contrast sort of Scandi-style gingham with red heart embroidery, which I bought in an amazing shop in Bath. They look like they were meant to be together! I'm really pleased as the dress was so easy to wear, and went from the quirky town dress to beach cover-up in one short hop. The lovely lady from here recognised it as hand made and offered her compliments. I will definitely use the pattern again.

This is a skirt made from the exact same pattern that I have used for gore skirts before: 6 gores, plus faced waist. It is unlined, as I want it for summer, and the dark blue protects my modesty. I bought the fabric in London, back when I visited in January. (Also, I love my Menorca shoes!)

This is some knitting which I started probably about a year ago. When the seasons changed I put it away, as it is quite light and cottony, so I did not think I would wear it  much through the winter anyway. I have finally finished all of the pieces, so I just need to assemble it and knit the neckband. I dislike sewing up my knitting, but I'm sure it will be worth it in the end. I'll write more about the actual knitting on my ravelry page

This top is not newly made, but I have re-discovered it! It was hiding in my box of hand knits and I genuinely had forgotten all about it. I made it last year and wore it once or twice. Now it is due for its first wash... always a nervous moment! I'll wait for another really fine day so it can dry quickly. 

School's Out!

I spent last week drawing in knowledge from a wonderful tutor, in one of my very favourite areas: pattern cutting. Although I learnt plenty on my degree, I did not learn how to really personalise the fit of a garment. Skirts are fairly straightforward, but for all the reading of books, making of toiles, and peering in mirrors to try to see the back of something like a dress, it is exceedingly difficult to professionally fit something onto yourself. Now, thanks to last week, plus the few days I spent back in January, I have a complete set of personalised blocks, and some really spruced up know-how. 

Thrown in was a bit of a reunion with some marvellous ladies: sparkly-eye Glaswegian Clare, and quietly witty Saranne kept me entertained. There is such a pleasure in going through an intense experience with like-minded souls, especially strong women. It felt like a rite of passage, as we sweltered through London heat-wave days, with no opening windows. 

Sigh: when can go on the next course...?

There is something about a Fashion room:
all those naked dummies seem to suggest endless possibilities

There was no time to recover on Saturday, however, as we were arranging a craft fair. It went well, with plenty of people coming through the door, and only minimal disruption from the rain. I seem to remember that our July fair last year was a popular one too. It is definitely time to re-stock my own stall, which although it means plenty of work, is also a sort of liberating feeling: what will I make this time...?

To top off my week, on Sunday afternoon I was lucky enough to attend a Fair Isle workshop. Colourwork in knitting has always terrified me and yet enthralled me, so it was fantastic to feel like I had learnt so much in just making a small sample: I can hold my yarns in separate hands, make corrugated rib, and twist the yarns where there is a long float at the back of the work. And I have come away with the beginnings of a cute beret- I do love a hat! I was dubious about the Jamieson & Smith Shetland wool, as although it is beautiful I suspected it might be uncomfortably scratchy to work with... but actually I love it. But oh dear, another project to fall in love with!

We also learnt icord cast on, which is very pretty indeed

Bloggin'ell!

Gosh, I've managed to miss three Fridays! Below is a little pictorial resumé of some of the things I have been up to since I last blogged. I have also finished a couple of sewing jobs, which I will hope to get photographed and share with you very soon.

This is a new design called 'Wilderness Flowers'.
This first version was made from raw silk, but I have already made more from different yarns and with different trim options, and even with matching mitts. 

Both for my niece: the 'Darling Bud' baby blanket. Made from chunky yarn this grows pleasingly fast.
The pattern will be coming soon to ravelry.
Plus this gorgeous giraffe, which I did not make, but I did customise with her initial.

Thinking a lot about crochet trims...

More cushions: I bought several cushion pads when I designed the 'Lean on Me', and I also bought a variety of Aran yarns as a bit of an experiment, so it was about time that I got on with the crochet. This top snap is for a round cushion, in Phildar 'Aviso' yarn, which I seem to remember being really quite cheap. The colours are much more pleasing than they appear here, and I am impressed by the quality of the yarn. It is the tiniest bit splitty, but it is very soft and has a lot of body, plus it crochets up nice and evenly.

This bolster is done in Rowan 'All Seasons Cotton', which is actually an acrylic blend (yes, I remember my dismay the first time I ordered some over the net). It is a yarn I have come to like for crochet: I love the palette they make it in, and the depth of colour. It crochets well, and is smooth and comfortable.

Bagged out

Wow, Friday again! 

Much of this week has been spent in planning and booking new classes for the autumn. I think I have got pretty much all of the local ones listed on my workshops page, so why not click here? 

However, as promised I took some pictures of the 'Getting Going Sewing' Bag course which came to an end this week. They are fairly self explanatory, but I will say that this has been a really lovely group to work with, and I look forward to having many of them back when I start the skirt course in September. 

Rightly proud of themselves!

Pictured below is my new beauty. She is a stunning peppermint colour, and I love her. Here is the story of how I have her: 

Strange as it may sound, I have never bought a new sewing machine before. I sewed every stitch of my degree either on industrial machines at college, or a wonderful old Singer which dated from about 1960. An inherited family piece, it served me very well, both during those intense years and beyond. I can still hear the quiet efficient ticking of the stitches being made, if I stop to imagine it. She only did one type of stitch, but that did just fine, and she did it straight and true. She is in happy retirement now, in case you are wondering.

More recently I was given a Bernina, which I also adore. It had been put through its paces before it ever arrived in my life, but (dare I say it for fear of tempting fate...?), it still works perfectly, and is a wonderful companion. I have had it running for so many hours at home, and taken it so many times to various teaching locations and I have never ever had a problem with it. I am aware, though, that it is a high tech computerised piece of kit, and although it has never complained, I have always worried slightly when taking it out on cold winter evenings, or drizzly mornings- it deserves better really. And so, now it is tucked up in a nice padded bag at home, protected and snug for when I need it. 

For my classes I now have Peppa. For the very modest sum of £100 I have a sturdy yet compact basic machine, which is easier to move around and much less of a worry- no computer for starters! She does just exactly what I need for my teaching, and is actually a Janome under that pretty John Lewis exterior. 

Dapper Ties and Formal Gardens

Today I discovered that the ravelry member who was making my beret pattern has finished her project, and also blogged about it- you can read it here.  I am doubly impressed as she used her own handspun yarn. I am so delighted that she has had a successful experience making the beret, and it looks just wonderful. Knowing that somebody on the other side of the world has been able to follow your instructions to a happy conclusion is a really indescribably great feeling. So, thank you, friends, for you help and encouragement in getting this far. 

Something fun that I have designed and made this week is this bow tie. I enjoyed coming up with a standard gents tie a few months ago, but for some reason a cheeky bow tie was even more fun, and don't get me started on the hilarity that ensued as I tried to learn how to tie it using YouTube. Expect workshops... perhaps even in exciting locations (she says cryptically!). 

On another positive note, I received some great feedback for my Getting Going Sewing bag course today. I think it was pretty honest feedback as it came to me via somebody else, so I am over the moon. This group of ladies is one of the best I have ever had though, in terms of their enthusiasm and energy. At the end of the final session this coming week they will have made a gorgeous batch of bags- which I will snap in order to share with you next week. 

This week also threw up a wonderfully peaceful outing to a usually hidden gem. Here are some of the pretty snaps I took

An exotic flash of colour among the Kentish greenery

A beautiful mosaic of logs

I am so mad for ironwork. One day I will learn blacksmithery

Secret statues in walled gardens always feel so timeless

Ancient and Modern

Now that I am trying to blog each Friday, I have come to think of Saturday as the start of the week. Last week, therefore, got off to an exciting start with a trip to London to see the Paul Smith exhibition at the Design Museum. This is in one of our favourite parts of London, and so we were destined to arrive elated, and an encounter with two Portuguese water dogs only enhanced our high spirits.

To my shame I will admit that I was not expecting much from the exhibition: I did not know a lot about Paul Smith, except that I associated him with overpriced T shirts featuring stripy minis. But instead of the obvious symbols of Britishness I was delighted to find a designer laying bare his inspirations, his philosophy and even his work rooms in a generous and engaging way. From the massive collage of inspirations and memorabilia, to surprising gems like the wall covered entirely in coloured buttons, I found the whole experience very affirming, and encouraging as a designer. I really enjoyed the fact that Mr. Smith was not attempting to create an inaccessible mystique, and I found it touching how he credited his wife so often. 

There were clothes to look at too, of course, and if I had to pick a favourite then I would have to choose this military overcoat- I just love its proportions, the unusual style lines, and the shaping in the arms. 

I was in pattern geek heaven in this recreation of the work room

A 3' Post-it note. Genius.

We picnicked outside, then walked across Tower Bridge and along the river, where we soon encountered a pair of geese. They were lovely creatures, and so tame... you can guess what happened to the rest of our picnic! 

The Thames was unusually choppy, giving us a glimpse into its steely yet elegant power. We delighted in the rhythm of waves hitting the river wall and the ensuing spray, making nature's ironic rimshot. 

Before coming home from London we went to take a look at Cleopatra's Needle and its accompanying sphinxes. None of us knew that it had been lost in the Bay of Biscay in the 19th Century. How on earth they found it again without planes, radar, or any other useful technologies I do not know.

It is strangely surreal to find a piece of ancient Egypt in central London, but then so much of London is like a Paul Smith collage, in the way that disparate elements sit happily next to each other, in perfect harmony- like, for example, the wonderful fig tree in rude health along the traffic-filled Embankment. 

Although May was my month for finishing projects, I am still chasing some up now that it is June. I completed this lace scarf and send it to a beautiful friend. She received it well, which made it very rewarding. The crochet blanket is also coming along, although I had thought that having made all of the squares and sewn all of the ends in assembling it would be a quick job... when will I learn that nothing about a blanket in 4 ply will ever be a quick job?!