Saori Christmas Stocking

On New Years Eve I warped my loom in red and white as part of a guild year end challenge to make something in the colours of the flag of our origin.

I'm Canadian as were my parents and 3 of my grandparents, so red and white for the Canada Flag was my choice.

I found working with such a limited colour palette was quite challenging!

But red and white does make a great colour scheme for Christmas stockings!

This stocking, and hopefully two more, will all be for sale at the guild's booth at the Christmas Craft Market in November. 

They will all be fully lined with red broadcloth. 

Buttons Can Wait

Since the pandemic has closed all stores in this area that sell a good variety of buttons, and my huge button jar has produced nothing acceptable, the baby cardigan I just finished will have to remain buttonless for at least a while yet. That's okay since the baby it was made for isn't scheduled to make an appearance until May and the cardigan is a one year size anyway.

The little hat I made to coordinate with it is finished too.

I based the hat on the "Tiny Tot" hat pattern by Kristen Rettig, but made changes to accomodate my yarn choice, gauge, and preferred size. 

I'm particularly proud of my seaming efforts.







And since I don't know the gender of the expected baby ---

--- I also made a set in blue, but on that one I accidentally sewed the striped sleeve to the striped front. Ah well, I don't think it really matters.

The little fellow I made a set for last June has now grown into it.

Colour Comparison

Since it has been remarked that the colour of the natural green cotton is subtle I thought I'd show a photo of it side by side with natural Sarepta brown and Acada white, though the white is in a skein since I have no unspun sliver left.

Apparently both the brown and the green will darken and intensify with use and laundering, or after being boiled for awhile. 

Natural Green Up the Nose

A pound of natural green cotton arrived early this morning.

Of course I had to get spinning it right away! I must say it's a little different than spinning the Acada White or the Sarepta Brown cotton. I had more trouble getting started and my results, at least so far, are a little less consistent. I'm sure that will improve with practice and experience.

I also noticed that I'm getting a lot more airborne fluff flying about clinging to my face and getting up my nose. I think it would be wise to wear a facemask while spinning this. 

Of course with all this CoronaVirus hysteria going on the chances of being able to buy a facemask right now are practically nil. I guess I'll be looking up the home sewn variety before I continue.

Wee Walnut Windhaven

This beautifully handcrafted Inkle loom arrived yesterday. Isn't it a cute little thing? It's petite size means it can be used in one's lap and will make a convenient portable loom for away from home use.

It was made of beautiful walnut wood by Miss Maggie of Windhaven Looms.

The loom comes with a narrow stick shuttle, a laminated quick reference card showing the warp path, and a well laid out instruction booklet with several pretty patterns to start you off.

I was up and weaving the same day and I'm very happy with the results.

And Now the Reverse

Another table runner, this time with the colours reversed. 

2 ply handspun Sarepta Brown cotton for the main weaving, 2 ply handspun Acala White cotton for the stripes. A small portion at each end done with singles to make hemming less bulky. 

Weaving Handspun Cotton

I've spun and I've spun over the past few months, spinning up at least 2 pounds of cotton now, but this is the first time I've actually used my cotton. Now that I've tried weaving handspun cotton I'm definitely hooked. I really love the way it looks and feels.

This is the beginning of my first weaving. I cut it from the loom to use as a wet finishing sample when I spotted a mistake in the threading. It's marked on the right there with a pin. Two threads were in the same heddle. I've since rethreaded and have continued weaving.

I've already woven enough to complete quite a long table runner but I have plenty more warp to work with. This prewound Saori warp was a Christmas gift from a very generous friend.

The warp is organic cotton in varying thicknesses in natural undyed brown, green, and white. The weft is all my own handspun! Such a pleasure to weave with it. The first runner is predominately handspun Acala white with three stripes of Sarepta Brown at each end. I think I'll weave a second runner with the opposite combination. 

Lost in Time

I finished my "Lost in Time" shawl.

Free pattern by Johanna Lindahl of Mijo Crochet. 

I used "Riot" by King Cole in the "Fab 414" colourway.

I enjoyed crocheting this shawl. It was fun. With all the back post double crochets, front post double crochets, and popcorn stitches it was a bit challenging too! I found I really had to watch what I was doing at the beginning and ending of some of the rows. Even still I ended up having to rip back a few times when stitch counts were not correct. 

Everyone's advice with this shawl pattern seems to be "Count stitches --- OFTEN". And it's true. Nothing wrong with the pattern, it's very well written. It's just a little difficult on those row ends to see exactly what you are supposed to be doing.

Am I the Only One?

If schools were run to suit my learning style every student would have the option to be in distance education, learning in the quiet of their own home from well prepared lessons and at their own pace. By my early thirties I knew that lectures, live demonstrations, and group settings are not my best way to learn something. In fact, in a typical classroom setting I find it very difficult to learn at all! I am an introvert and the stimulus of all that is going on around me is overwhelming and distracting.

I realize I am the odd duck here. It seems most people like to be shown how to do things and rarely learn from a text book. I was the kid that took the textbook home, did my homework, and went back to school the next day finally understanding what the teacher was getting on about.

When the guild announced a workshop day to learn to make a fully lined, zippered boxy bag and supplied the link to the tutorial so that interested people could bring needed supplies, you know what I did? I went ahead, jumped the gun, and made the bag at my own pace and with no distractions. 

I made my boxy bag with an exterior of handwoven fabric, the warp being a hand dyed (not by me) tencel and the weft being my own handspun wool yarn. The finished bag is not absolutely perfect, but I'm pleased with it.

I'll still show up at the workshop, but now I can relax because I've done my homework. 

A-Tisket, A-Tasket

While I wait for the yarn for the "Lost in Time" shawl I'm still casting about looking for little projects to appease some of that urge to crochet. In the same crochet designer's website I found this little free pattern. It's called "Double Double" and it's a double walled basket.

Mine is done with handspun, both inside and out. I spun the plain, undyed yarn used on the inside. 

And for the outside layer I used handspun my daughter made.

I just made it for something to do. The colours would look pretty in a baby's room. I'll probably end up selling it at the Christmas Craft Fair.

Necessary Sewing

You may have been wondering if I actually sew in that beautifully redone sewing room. Why yes, there has been sewing. There just hasn't been much blogging about it.

This nightie/sleepshirt/whatever you want to call it, is one of my most recent ones, it and another just like it but in purple. I made them both using the Jalie pattern, #2805 Women's T-shirts for the upper part and then extended it to knee length and added the hem shaping of Jalie pattern #3245 Raglan Top, Racerback Tunic.

Something this plain I do less for the creating and more from simple need. I'm pretty picky about what I sleep in. Not one for the extremes of a flimsy negligee or a flannel granny gown, and not comfortable wearing pajama pants, I like the comfort of something like an oversized men's t-shirt  but longer so I'm not indecently exposed. I found a couple many years ago and wore them until they fell to pieces. It was time for new ones and I couldn't find what I wanted. Necessity is the drive behind this creation. 

Constant Craving

As a hobbyist interested in many different textile arts I go through phases. My interest in any particular area seems cyclic. It waxes and wanes over time. I go from intense interest, almost obsession, to total abandonment at times.

Last year I did a lot of cross-stitch, completing a pretty picture we just had framed (I'll show that in a future post), but I feel I'm "done" with cross-stitch for awhile. I still love it but I want to move on to other interests. I've been working on the felt wreath shown in recent posts, but that can be put down at any time and picked up later. I'm really only doing it because the kit has been sitting around for at least 10 years and I'm in a decluttering mood. It's time to make it or get rid of it!

In the last few weeks I've been experiencing a strong craving for crochet! I haven't worked in that area of interest for quite awhile and I'm really drawn to it right now. I even went out yesterday to buy the yarn for the "Lost In Time" shawl by Swedish designer, Johanna Lindahl of Mijo Crochet. I even thought I knew where I could get the yarn, but unfortunately the local yarn store no longer carries that particular yarn. I had to order online. I found some at YarnCanada.ca but it will be a few days in shipping.

In the meantime I had to do something to calm those cravings for crochet! I dug through my stash and found a single ball of fingering-weight cotton and the pattern for "Floret Face Pads/Scrubbies" by the same designer. I had to learn/review a couple of more intricate stitches but after that they worked up pretty quickly. 

In very little time at all I had four of them made. I could have kept on going but I'd like to try them out first and see if I even like them and if their use is feasible. They are meant as washable replacements for the cotton pads commonly used for removing makeup or applying toners or astringents. Storing them after use and before laundering might be a pain, and for washing them I'll likely need a small mess bag. We'll see. 

Red and White

I work a little, now and then, on the red and white weaving I dressed the loom with on New Years Eve. Progress is slow since I'm not really drawn to this one, or to weaving at all at the moment.

I dutifully go in and put in some time when I can though. This warp ticks so many boxes off of a "to do" list that I just can't completely neglect it.

This warp serves several purposes:

 +For the Chilliwack Spinners and Weavers Guild year end challenge to create a project in the colours of the flag of the country of our origin. In my case that would be red and white, for Canada, since I was born here as were my parents and 2 of my grandparents.

+To have the loom “dressed” with a new warp to greet the new year.

+To meet a guild challenge to create something to donate to guild sales to go toward the guild budget.

+To make Christmas stockings to sell next Christmas.

+To use up some of my extensive stash of “odds ‘n’ sods” of this and that and not much of any one thing.

+To use the red handspun I spun at a Canada Day celebration/demonstration two years ago.

Gingerbread Girl

Another wee addition to the felt applique wreath. 

She was created during another 3 morning coffee periods. Today I started on a heart shaped cookie with a ridiculous number of individually applied stripes, each with the addition of a sequin and a bead. I'll get a photo up of that when it is completed -- but don't hold your breath. It will be a while!

Christmas in January?

I'm working on a felt applique wreath, not late for this past Christmas but perhaps way early for the next one? 

(Yes, it's the third week in January and my poinsettia is still healthy!)

This kit by Bucilla, called "Cookies & Candy Wreath", will be a long term project done leisurely over many months. I'll take a photo now and then to show you how it's coming along.

I cut the basic wreath shape from foam core board rather than the cardboard suggested. Then I had to embroider many many leaves. The embroidery on the leaves was time consuming but easy, just simple back stitch and straight stitch. Attaching all those leaves to the wreath form was a challenge! I ended up having to go out and buy a curved upholstery needle.

The curved needle was awkward to work with but it made attaching the leaves to the stiff background easier.

Now that the background leaves are done I'm on to the more interesting part, making all the items to go on the wreath. 

To give you some idea of the scope of this project, the little gingerbread boy is only the beginning. I estimate he took around 3 hours to create.

Silver Lining

There was a silver lining to that dismal cloud. After 3 days of intense research and comparisons, and a lot of contemplation about what would best serve my own particular needs, look what followed me home!

It's not the most expensive all bells and whistles machine, but it's also not a cheapie that is missing features that I find important. I'm really looking forward to getting to know this beauty better. She's a Janome 4120 QDC-B.

Now if you'll excuse me I have an instructional DVD to watch and then I'll go PLAY! The machine is actually quite intuitive to run, but I'm one of those rare people that actually go and read owners manuals from cover to cover before ever touching a new purchase. After all, I wouldn't want to break anything!

So No Sew

I could just weep! I've only had my beautifully renovated sewing room for about a month (and little time to sew during the Christmas period) and I just broke my cheap sewing machine. Now I have a sewing room and no sewing machine.

To add insult to injury, at the beginning of the renovation I gave away my reliable ol' 1979 Kenmore because it was in the way and I didn't really think I'd ever need a back up machine.

And another real kick in the pants? I only installed the awesome sewing machine LED strip light yesterday. I didn't even get to use it and now it will likely go along with the broken machine to the garbage dump because I made sure it was stuck on there really well.

All Dressed and Ready for New Years

Fully dressed and ready for the New Years celebration.

 

The loom that is, not me!

Some weavers like to start a new year with the loom dressed with something new, full of potential. I'm wanting to do more weaving in 2020 than I did in 2019 so I felt a fresh new warp was a good place to start. Ironically, as I pack up the Christmas decorations, this warp will likely be for Christmas stockings to be sold at the Christmas Craft Market next November. 

Well now ---

That's not the kind of thing you want to see late in the evening on December 23.

While attempting to preheat the oven for dinner last night we discovered a problem -- an especially BIG problem since I'm supposed to be cooking a big turkey dinner with all the fixin's for 8 people tomorrow.

The lower element in my oven has died. Looks like it went out in a twisting and firey wreck, bit it did so quietly and unnoticed under a cover/ false oven bottom, likely during a recent self clean cycle. That ashy bit completely crumbled and fell apart when it was touched later.

The moment businesses opened this morning my husband was on the phone making numerous calls and hunting down a replacement. By 9:00 AM he was on the road to a supplier in the next community over. 

Amazing Feat

Behold my fearsome wrapping skills.

You never know when previous experience with wallpaper and/or sewing pattern drafting might come in handy. Please note that the Santas are all upright -- and perhaps salute my Mad Skillz. I know I certainly surprised myself!

First Project

The first project sewn in the newly renovated and redecorated sewing room is a Christmas outfit for a dear friend,

my walking buddy, Kona.

She doesn't look overly excited about it does she?

What's She Hiding Anyway?

A few of the Facebook comments on my last blog post made me realize that people might feel the room was too tidy to be believed. Maybe they are thinking that a creative person's domain could not possibly remain that way for long? I've decided to show you what is hiding behind that wall of Kallax cubes.

 

The white bins that are not open hide all my sewing patterns, my boro stitching supplies, and other crafting things like pine needle basketry, a glue gun, doll wig supplies and more. 

The drawers store all my sewing and serging threads and bobbins, sorted by size then colour of course.  ;) 

The bottom baskets are chock full of fabric, sorted by type.

The needed, but rarely used, small shaped ironing board and a sleeve board are hidden between this unit and the wall.

It is all well organized, but it is still an awful lot of visual clutter and I prefer to keep it behind closed doors. I don't work well in a chaotic environment. Along that same line, I have no television, radio, or stereo in my creative workspaces. I prefer working in silence.

On the other side of the room the doors on the pressing station hide my iron and other pressing tools. The baskets on the lower level are full of fabric, sorted by type. The drawers hide all the measuring, cutting, and pinning supplies I like on hand as well as dressmaker's tracing paper, small cutting mats, rotary cutters, and rulers. On the floor hidden underneath the unit is a couple of mid sized cutting mats and a longer grid ruler. I keep my larger cutting mats hanging from a skirt hanger behind the door to the room.

The drawers to my sewing table hold all of my interfacings and stabilizers, machine manuals and accessories, machine and hand-sewing needles. Under the table and just visible to the left of the drawers is a rack I use to hold taller rolls of dress maker's pattern vellum and a roll of butcher's paper. 

The little bit of "clutter" I allow out in the open are things I grab for frequently while sewing; pins, clips, various scissors, snips, tweezers, a sewing awl, elastic glides, my handmade needle book with my favourite hand-sewing needles, a bobbin winder, and a collection of sewing machine feet. The mint tin actually stores broken needles and pins and will eventually be safely discarded. 

So there you go, my mess hidden behind closed doors, for the sake of my peace and sanity. 

The weaving room next door is much more crowded and cluttered, but I'm working on it!