Butterick Pattern 3037

Posted on November 15, 2014 by craftycreeky

Pansy topDigitally printed linenThis is the second creation from the Goldhawk Road stash I bought in October. It was a complete impulse buy as I wasn’t sure what I would do with it, I just loved it! It’s linen with a digitally printed pansy design, I love the colours, it’s vibrant without being gaudy! It was £15 a meter so I could only afford 1m, however that is plenty to make a sleeveless top for the summer.

Back view of Pansy topI used a Butterick pattern I’ve had for a few years. It is fully lined, the pattern suggested using the main fabric to line the front pieces however I felt two layers of linen would be too bulky, I decided to line it in a co-ordinating cotton from Leeds market, there’s a few good fabric stalls in the indoor market and one had a perfect colour match.

It went together fairly well, although I did need two attempts at the curves on the  centre back hem. It was a weird fabric to match anything too, which colour do you go for, and none of them are standard colours! I went to Samuel Taylors for buttons, these were the only ones that seemed to match well. I was tempted with some delicate pewter ones but I had a bad experience of metal buttons Buttonsyears ago; I made a beautiful silk dress with buttons all the way down the front, the first time I wore it they all popped off one by one, I just about saved my dignity with a safety pin at upper thigh level!!!

If I use the pattern again I’ll probably make the hip area a little bigger as it is a bit snug, I’d quite like to use five smaller buttons too, instead of the four 1.5cm ones it recommends. Looking forward to wearing it on holiday 🙂Pansy waistcoat top

 

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Cats in Cross-stitch

Posted on November 9, 2014 by craftycreeky

Lanarte Cats in Cross-stitch

I have a bit of a soft spot for this cross-stitch picture, it was the first cross-stitch kit I ever stitched. It would have been early 1980’s, I was 16 years old and my mother and I were visiting friends on the Wirral, they took us to Voirrey Crafts at Brimstage Hall where I fell for this Lanarte kit. I think it took me nearly a year to complete it but I did it!Detail of cats

At the time we had two cats, Suky and Tabitha, Suky was mine…apparently, so the story goes, when I was about 7 and our elderly dog died I cried my eyes out for an hour, then with a big sniff said “Does that mean I can have a kitten now?”

I love the way the eyes really stand out on the embroidery. As I recall the cats are stitched with two threads and the background is stitched with a single thread. It measures about 16cm in diameter.Cat in Cross-stitch

 

The eyes have it!My next project was, of course, the other Lanarte kit in the set, bigger and just as beautiful, I seem to remember it took quite a long tome to complete this one, the eyes are just as gorgeous. This embroidery measures about 22cm diameter

 

The two little kittens are actually tent stitch, I found this one very challenging as although it’s only 6cm square, there are 28 stitches to the inch, I found it more difficult to count the pattern in fine tent stitch too. I love it, but I wouldn’t choose to do it again!!Two kittens in tent stitch

I’ve got two dogs now, Zac and Rosie, they’ve been immortalised in an appliqued and embroidered collage of our garden but more of that another day…

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Homemade evening outfit

Posted on November 3, 2014 by craftycreeky

We went to a Halloween Ball on Saturday night, I don’t do fancy dress (there were some amazing costumes!) I decided to wear my black evening dress and velvet cape, accessorised of course by the little black embroidered evening bag! Claire Shaeffer Couture Dress

I made the evening dress a few years ago and luckily it still fits, albeit a little snug now! I used Vogue pattern 8449 which is a couture dress by Claire Shaeffer. It’s floor length, with a lovely deep V at the back and  rouloux straps. The fabric was a lovely soft black satin.Evening dress

The pattern was interesting to make, the dress is basically one big piece cut on the bias with several large darts, the only seam is the centre back. As the pattern piece is wider than standard fabrics the instructions include adding a piece diagonally before fully cutting out.  It hangs beautifully and I love wearing it. I added some Swarovski crystals around the neckline to add a bit of sparkle.

I made the cape in the late 1980’s, I’d just come back from London with it’s nurses balls, and joined Rotaract, which had lots of Black-tie dinners, however my mothers response was ‘What are you making that for, you’ll never get any wear out of it”!! I have worn my cape so many times. Do you remember the Scottish Widows advert… this is known as my Scottish Widow’s cape by all my friends!Velvet cape

I made it from a Butterick pattern, I went over to Denhome Velvets, they used to have a factory shop next to the mill in the village, sadly I don’t think the mill is still there. I chose a beautiful midnight blue velvet. I lined it with a turquoise satin which looks stunning, but it was a complete nightmare to make up…the velvet sewed fine, the satin itself sewed ok with lots of pinning…sewing the two together took three attempts, unpicked each time, it just moved and slipped all the time!! I remember it well!! In the end I had to hand baste the lining to the cape before sewing it on the machine. I have never since stitched velvet and satin together!!

The button is the most expensive button I have EVER bought. I felt the cape needed a statement button, so I went to Duttons for Buttons in Ilkley which is a treasure trove of buttons, they still have shops in Ilkley, Harrogate and York. As soon as I saw it I knew it was the right button, but I still hesitated over paying £10 for it!!

My most expensive button!

My most expensive button!

The button is purely decorative as the cape fastens with a large press-stud, I think I’d had so much difficulty with the lining I decided not to risk a buttonhole!

As usual I ended up with half an hour to shower and dress, so the photo-shoot wasn’t quite the leisurely affair I was hoping for. It is a nice feeling though going out in something you’ve made yourself 🙂

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Embroidered Evening Bag

Posted on November 1, 2014 by craftycreeky

Tonight is the first opportunity I’ve had to use my embroidered evening bag, we’re going to a Halloween Ball, luckily it’s not fancy dress as I don’t do fancy dress, but I do like a black tie do!Silk Evening bag

I made this bag earlier in the year, the pattern was from an old issue of Inspirations, an Australian embroidery magazine (why are the Australian craft magazines in a league of their own??) When the WI had a local competition for a bag, I knew just which one I wanted to do.

The pattern called for linen, I wanted to use Detail of embroiderysilk dupion so I used iron on interfacing to strengthen the fabric behind the embroidery. The basic outlines of the pattern were traced onto the back and then tacked in white thread so the pattern could be seen from the right side.

The embroidery consisted of chain stitch, stem stitch, bullion bars, satin stitch and french knots, so there was nothing too complicated but I think the effect is really pretty.

I lined the bag in a lavender silk dupion, used a frog and tassel closure, black cord was used for the strap. I wanted to slightly change the design of the bag as I wasn’t keen on the elasticated front inside, however a prototype I made didn’t work out, so I decided to just follow the instructions instead.

Just in case you’re wondering,  I got 17/20 marks which wasn’t enough to even get third prize so high is the competition in the Women’s Institute!

It’s going to be a handmade evening tonight as I made my dress, velvet cape and my bag, albeit over the last 25 years, hopefully tomorrow there will be some photos to share.

Silk Evening Bag

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Stained Glass Window Quilt

Posted on October 30, 2014 by craftycreeky

 

Well it’s nearly November and whilst it’s still mild there is an autumnal nip in the air so the patchwork quilt is back on our bed to keep us cosy. I made this quilt about three years ago and I still love it. It was the first full size quilt I had made for 30 years, I was inspired after a trip to a WI exhibition where there was a beautiful stained glass window quilt on display.

I’m proud of this quilt, it’s not perfect by a long stretch, but I made it before I invested in rotary cutters and quilters rulers. As the design was based on a window in our hall measurements were sort of worked out as I went along. I love purple but I did struggle to find enough different fabrics  in nice plummy shades so as one person (rather snootily) pointed out, I have mixed batik and traditional fabrics, there’s even the odd Christmas fabric amongst the greens, so apologies if that breaks taboos in the quilting worlds, but I like it!

It’s a pretty big quilt, approximately 84″ square, I made it in pattern strips, then joined them together, used the leftovers to make the border and then used iron on bias binding for the stained glass window effect. It seemed to take an age to hand-stitch each length on and with hindsight I should have bought a 50m roll instead of the 10m ones. I discovered the multitude of sins that could be hidden under a strip of bias binding!

I took the quilt to Christine Marriage in Thackley for quilting, she is amazing on a longarm quilter and I thought very reasonably priced.

We had the stained glass window made about 10 years ago by a French glazier near Colne, Lancashire called Normandy Glass. I found the basic pattern in a magazine, we then chose the colours together. It looks amazing when the sun shines through it.

I’m very jealous of people who have that perfect spot in their garden to photograph a quilt! I’ve got a fairly big garden but no where to hang a kingsize quilt! I tried the washing line, but  the background is untidy, I tried the bedroom but that doesn’t show the whole quilt, although it does picture in in situ against our purple feature wall (I like purple!!) I even persuaded my daughter to hang it over an old railway bridge near us, though I’m not sure flipflops are the footwear I would choose for an autumn walk down the lane! So I’m afraid I still haven’t found the perfect spot, apologies, hopefully the next one will be easier as it’s cot-size 🙂

 

 

 

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Random quilts

Posted on October 26, 2014 by craftycreeky

Is it just me that struggles with ‘random’, I’m talking quilt piecing here! My heart sinks when I see the instructions to arrange squares in a random pattern…I don’t think random really exists in quilting, I mean you need an even spread of colour, patterns, tones, you don’t want two pieces the same next to each other…I can spend hours trying to arrange squares randomly, I just think I’ve cracked it when I spot two pieces that need to move and that’s when the fun really starts, which ones do you swop without causing more chaos!!

I’ve just started a baby quilt for a friend, I decided to make the ‘100 hugs’ quilt by Deanna at http://weddingdressblue.wordpress.com I thought the name was very apt for a baby quilt. I chose a Moda Storybook jellyroll which I hope will be ok for a boy or a girl. The centre  is made up of 100 2 1/2″ squares arranged in a random pattern…

I thought it would be a piece of cake this time as I had over 30 different patterns in the jellyroll, but no…there’s about 8 different patterns in 4 colour ways, well you don’t want blue castles next to taupe castles! I spend ages arranging the squares looking at colour and pattern, I thought I’ve finally cracked it, I carefully sewed the squares together, pressed it…only then did I spot one row had three clouds and three cherry blossoms on it

Hopefully baby won’t notice 🙂

There’s four borders to go round the centre so hopefully it will grow fairly quickly now and be ready for when baby arrives.

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The Rose

Posted on October 25, 2014 by craftycreeky

This months poem is actually song lyrics, I love ‘The Rose’ sung by Bette Midler, it’s beautifully written. It was written by Amanda McBroom in the 1970’s and used in the film of the same name. I particularly like the middle verse, the words are almost haunting, the sentiment is so true.

The roses are from my garden this afternoon.

The Rose

Some say love, it is a river
That drowns the tender reed
Some say love, it is a razor
That leaves your soul to bleed
Some say love, it is a hunger
An endless aching need
I say love, it is a flower
And you, its only seed

It’s the heart, afraid of breaking
That never learns to dance
It’s the dream, afraid of waking
That never takes the chance
It’s the one who won’t be taken
Who cannot seem to give
And the soul, afraid of dying
That never learns to live

When the night has been too lonely
And the road has been too long
And you think that love is only for the lucky and the strong
Just remember in the winter
Far beneath the bitter snow
Lies the seed
That with the sun’s love, in the spring
Becomes the roseTeasing Georgia

 

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Cross-stitch Birth Samplers

Posted on October 13, 2014 by craftycreeky

I love doing or making something special to commemorate an important event, be it making a quilt, planting a tree or a rose or stitching a sampler, I’ve done them all, apart from everything else its a good excuse to make yet another quilt…or sampler…

The first birth sampler I stitched was for my niece, back in 1988. I chose a very pretty cross-stitch design which is probably still available as it was based on the frontispiece of Beatrix Potter books, you know the one. It was beautiful, I embroidered ‘Made with love by Auntie Margaret’ at the bottom so it would be under the mount of the frame, my little secret. 

The next one I stitched was quite a few years later, for my friends daughter, Kathryn. I decided to make a sampler that she would still be happy to have on display when she was an adult, which meant not the usual baby sampler of teddies and alphabet blocks. After all, a sampler is stitched to last a lifetime and more, so it needs to have lasting appeal.

I chose a design called ‘Yesterday’s Dreams’ from the book  ‘Home Sweet Home’ by Vanessa Ann (1988). It’s a very pretty alphabet design in cross-stitch decorated with Mill Hill beads. I  missed one alphabet out of the design and instead I embroidered her birth details and also her christening date and church. I’ve since used this sampler for a friends wedding and also my own     daughter’s birth sampler.Rache's Birth Sampler

When it came to celebrating her sister’s birth (also my god-daughter) I found a sampler design by ‘Just Nan’. It was very pretty and I felt the words fitted the occasion.  I liked the fact it wasn’t just cross-stitch too, there’s bullion roses, eyelets, as well as beads and a heart.

So when you’re stitching a birth sampler, think outside the box, after all they are not babies for long. Find a sampler you love and adapt it.

Happy stitching 🙂

 

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Christmas Wish Santa

Posted on October 12, 2014 by craftycreeky

I finished my Father Christmas yesterday, I think he looks great! I made him from a pattern called Christmas Wish Santa, it’s designed by The Button Angel

Felt Father Christmas

Santa

of Clitheroe.

He went together fairly quickly, I’d forgotton how forgiving felt is to work with.  The embroidery and applique patterns for coat were really clear and easy to use. I spent three or four evenings embroidering his coat, I used a chalk pencil to write the lettering before stitching it with back stitch. The appliqued pieces were attached with bondaweb before stitching with either chain stitch or blanket stitch. I used star buttons instead of applique as I’d had some in my button box for nearly 30 years and I decided this was the perfect piece to use them on.

Detail on coat

I found the instructions for sewing him together were not as clear as they could have been, though it was probably me reading them too quick and being impatient! The instructions said join the main body pattern pieces together and add seam allowance. I found the two halves of the body with the embroidery pattern on, this filled two A4 sheets. I duly sellotaped them together, cut it out and embroidered the front. It was only when I came to make it up did I realise there was another pattern piece at the end of the instructions which formed the top part of his body!!! After a few moments of panic I decide to make the extra section a feature, rather than trying to hide it, so my Santa has a yoke on his coat…as I said, felt is a very forgiving medium. If the pattern had just said 1 of 3 I would probably have spotted it!

I varied my technique slightly from the instructions as I prefer to cut out a pattern piece with the seam allowance, then sew it, rather than tracing the final shape onto the felt, stitching round through 2 layers of felt, before cutting out.

I used Wensleydale sheep wool for his beard which has a lovely ringlet effect, although possibly nearer dreadlocks than ringlets!  I tried gluing it on but it was getting messy so I stitched it on instead and then covered up the stitching with the white brim. With hindsight it would also have been easier to attach the arms before the beard as it did get in the way somewhat. using aquatic gravel as a weight in the bottom is a great idea, cheap and effective! As a final touch I added a silver bell to the end of his hat.

This is the second Father Christmas I’ve made, here’s my first one…

Felt embroidered Father Christmas This one is probably about 10 years old now, his coat was made separately, embroidered with flowers and made with a fringed hood, he’s gorgeous, probably more of a grown up Father Christmas, where as the new addition is more of a ‘Santa’, fun and cheerful.

Happy stitching!

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Stitching for Christmas

Posted on October 5, 2014 by craftycreeky

I love Christmas and in particular I love creating special things both for presents and for decorating our home. About four years ago I fell for a little Christmas cross-stitch at the Harrogate Knitting and Stitching show in held each year in November. I knew I didn’t have time to finish it in time for Christmas so I planned to stitch it the following autumn…when I couldn’t find it! I always found the kit in January when I really wasn’t in the mood to do Christmas stitching. Last January I got myself organised, I started a ‘to-do box’ and put my cross-stitch kit in it!

Father Christmas in cross-stitch

Father Christmas in cross-stitch

I started stitching the bell pull at the beginning of September and I’ve just finished it, I think its rather quaint, I like the fact that the bell pull hanger was included too. The kit was made by Rico Design, the chart was simple to follow and plenty of threads were included. My only gripe would be that the bottom actual bell pull isn’t hemmed straight. I’m tempted to mount the cross-stitch on some Christmas fabric, maybe with a point at the bottom and a bell, I think it would hang a little better with a bit of weight at the bottom.

 

I’ve now started stitching a Father Christmas, I bought a pattern at the Harrogate show last year and the heavy-weight red felt for his body. He is designed by Button Angel of Clitheroe in Lancashire and called the Christmas Wish Santa.

 

The front of his coat is appliqued and embroidered. I used bondaweb to attach the fabric initially, the pattern pieces were thoughtfully provided in reverse so they could be easily traced onto the bondaweb. I then hand embroidered round the shapes in either blanket or chain stitch. I used ribbon round the presents and stitched a hand tied bow on the top.

 

The main variation I did from the instructions was with the stars. The pattern used appliqued stars, however I had a card of star buttons which I had bought nearly 30 years ago in Covent Garden market which I had never quite found a use for, they are going on the front of Father Christmas’s coat. My next step is to make up the Father Christmas…

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