What Do You Do with Your Empty Thread Spools?

1200 metres of sewing, represented in spools

During the year I have gathered a collection of empty thread spools. I have been reluctant to throw these out as they are a representation of how much sewing I have achieved this year (over a kilometre's worth!) but they are now starting to fill up my tin of threads. So, what can you do with your empty plastic spools?

• Recycle them! 

• Give them to kids to play with - suggestions I've read about include threading them onto string, printing with them and using them to blow bubbles.

 Thread spool snowflakes. Image from here.

• Give them to your cat to play with:

My cats were pretty interested in the spools. You could also hang them on a piece of string and tie it to something, like the back of a wooden chair

• Make a toadstool pincushion, using this tutorial from Blueberry Junkie :

Image from Blueberry Junkie

• Make a back massager, using this tutorial - no pictures sadly, but please send me a photo if you make one!

• Make Christmas decorations, like this garland:

 

Image from Maria's Quilt Scraps. Made using this Tutorial.

• Use them to organise ribbons, bias tape or pieces of elastic:

This was the idea I chose, and it is perfect for keeping things neat in your sewing box. Just secure the end with a pin.

Have you got any other ideas of how to make use of empty thread spools?

K x

Favourite Finds of 2011

Hello there

I hope you have been enjoying the festive break. I've been using the time off to do some knitting and sewing (of course) and have some new finished projects to bring you once I get them photographed. In the current spirit of looking back at the year, today I'm highlighting my favourite finds of 2011. I hope you don't mind this kind of round up post - I will have new and exciting things to bring you soon, I promise.

I enjoyed looking back at my posts to remind myself of the bits and pieces I have picked up throughout the year. These are my favourites:

January - Sweet tablecloth cross stitched with pagodas

March - 1950s/60s sewing box

March - Teapot

July -  1950s/60s Glass Jug with matching glasses

August - AMAZING button collection

September - Selection of vintage sewing patterns

October - Silk scarf commemorating the Queen's Coronation

November - Set of 1960s/70s Meakin crockery

K x

Baby Gifts - Knitted Rabbit and Cardigan

Hello there!

I thought I'd share a couple of knitted gifts I recently made for a friend's new baby girl. First off is a rabbit from the Susan B Anderson book 'Itty Bitty Toys'. I bought this when I visited Loop in London in December last year and this is the first project I've made from the book, though it has a great range of lovely projects.

I used a cotton yarn, with bamboo for the underside of the ears. It was knit in the round, meaning less sewing up, but as some of the elements are a bit fiddly (legs and arms particularly), knitting flat for some parts might actually have been quicker. It looks pretty much exactly like in the book, with a nice simple face, which I really like.

Don't Jump!

Pom pom tail

To accompany the rabbit I made Nikki Van De Car's Autumn Leaves cardigan (free on Ravelry) using the same slightly pearlised bamboo yarn that features on the rabbit's ears.

It was a pretty straightforward project, knit in the round. I found some lovely plastic iridescent rose-shaped buttons which complement the yarn and design well, and it was impossible to find buttons that matched the colour exactly.

I think it might be bad form to encourage the new mother to open your baby gifts asap with a loud whisper of "Open your present", but I was excited to be handing them over after all the time spent in crafting them. Both gifts were well received and I was really happy with how they turned out.

K x

What have I been doing all year?!

2011 Tops & a skirt

Making quite a lot of stuff, it seems. When I counted up what I'd made this year I was quite astounded to find I had made 25 items this year, namely;

8 dresses, 5 tops, 5 skirts, 1 cardigan, 1 jumper, 1 pair of socks, 3 shawls/neckwarmers and 1 hat.

And that's only the things I've made for myself - I do occasionally make things for other people. I know, I know, I'm so generous.

2011 Dresses

What's really nice is that many of these things form the basis of my wardrobe. Most days I wear at least one thing I've made, which makes me really pleased.

2011 Knits

At the start of the year I wrote about some things I wanted to achieve this year, so let's see how I got on...

• Cable cardigan in 4 ply from Debbie Bliss Land Girl book - Abandoned when I found I didn't enjoy knitting it, only for me to later find a carpet beetle larvae munching it
• Oatmeal Pullover, with a narrower neckline - Made it, turned out too small and I never wear it
• Make more clothing instead of buying it - Done!
• Gain a better understanding of fit. I've ordered Real Fit for Real People, which I hope will help explain some of the mysteries to me - I think I understand fit a bit better now through trial and error. Honestly, I didn't get much out of the book, I found the 1990s pictures too distracting. I know, I have no vision.
• Design a knitting pattern - Done! For a hat and a scarf, but I haven't blogged about them or written them up yet!
• DE-STASH. I'm not too bad with fabric but have a lot of wool. I need to prioritise this when selecting knitting projects. Hmmm. A little. I have been pretty good. But I definitely have more fabric.
• Continue sewing clothing and enjoying it. Done. And isn't this the most important one?

It's been a great year of knitting, sewing, charity shopping and blogging. In addition, I've taken part in some fun sewalongs, done my first 'Me Made Month', met some bloggers in real life, devoted a week to knitting, launched Pattern Monday, hosted some giveaways.

And next year?

More knitting, sewing and thrifting (of course), with the Crafters' Ceilidh to kick off the year. And as I now have nearly 100 followers, I promise some giveaways when I reach the magic number.

Thanks for reading!

K x

Finished: Houndstooth Wool Dress

  

Just in time for Christmas and the party season, I present my New Look 6000 dress. I wore it out last night to my work Christmas Meal, and received some very nice compliments.

A few weeks ago Scruffybadger was deliberating about which pattern to use for a winter dress. So enthusiastic was the response to this pattern that she organised a sewalong. Knowing that I had a piece of houndstooth check lambswool that was begging to be made into something special, I decided to join in. I have to admit that some of my intended festive making was put to the side in favour of this dress, but I couldn’t resist!

 

Here’s my review of the dress:

Pattern Used

New Look 6000. I made view C which is a shift dress with sleeves and gathers at the side.

Does it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope? 

Overall, yes. I left out the cuffs as I was a bit short on fabric. The collar doesn’t sit the same as the envelope picture as the two pieces should be fully overlapped with the button sewn through both pieces and onto the dress. I didn’t notice this until the dress was nearly finished but it doesn’t bother me.

Were the instructions easy to follow? 

Yes, if you have followed patterns before there are no surprises here. Instructions and diagrams are good.

What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern? 

I loved the classic shape of the dress and the pattern was easy to follow. I was interested to see how the houndstooth would look when gathered at the side, and I really like the way this means that the pattern runs horizontally on the skirt and diagonally on the bodice. I could pretend that I had known it would work out this way, but I really hadn’t, and it was a happy accident.

My one classy pair of seamed tights, which I managed to ladder before heading out for the dress' maiden voyage last night

Fabric & Notions 

I used a Scottish houndstooth lambswool in teal and black. I bought it from a vintage shop in Glasgow a few months ago and was initially planning to make a pencil skirt. Luckily there was just enough to make the dress. I bought a grey herringbone pattern lining from Mandors for £3.99 a metre as I wanted something a little more interesting and luxurious than a plain lining. I don’t know what it’s made of as the label said ‘unspecified’ but it’s very silky and feels like good quality.

Pattern alterations or any design changes you made

I added 2 inches to the length as I read a review which said it was a bit short for a tall person, which I am. An inch probably would have been enough but I was glad I erred on the side of caution. I lined the dress (but not the sleeves) which was the first time I had tried this. It took a bit of trial and error and ripping out, but I cracked it in the end. I considered interlining instead of lining but after doing some research it seems that interlining is primarily to add warmth and body to your main fabric, while my reason for lining was to add a layer of slippy fabric beneath so I didn’t need to wear a slip. I left out the cuffs too.

Sizewise, I cut a 12, even though it should have been a 14 according to the measurements on the packet. However I have had experience of my supposed size ending up massive, and the finished garment measurements for the 14 were too large. With the 12, I took the seams in an inch at each underarm, tapering down the side seams by 3 inches. I then took each side seam in an additional ¼ inch. I feel I got the fit just right, but let’s hope I can still fit into it after Christmas!

 

Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others? 
I would definitely sew it again and recommend it too. I’d like to make it in a darker colour and maybe in a suiting fabric.

Cost  

Fabric   £15  (Mr Ben’s, Glasgow)

Lining   £3.99 (Mandors, Glasgow)

Zip        £1.50 (Remnant Kings – the same 22 inch invisible would have cost a shocking £3.40 in Mandors!)

Pattern   £5.95 (www.sewessential.co.uk)

Thread    0.00 Black - Already had loads

Button    0.00 Stash 

Total     £26.44

More expensive than my last dress (which admittedly was ridiculously cheap) but well worth it for a lined wool dress.

Conclusion 

I really love it and think it’s one of the most flattering things I’ve ever made. The pattern was a great match for the fabric and I am just so delighted with the fit. My only problem is that I feel like it’s too nice to wear to work, which was my original intention!

Thanks for organising the sewalong  Scruffybadger !

K x

Pattern Monday #6

The girls' grins were frozen as they caught a glimpse of their cardigans in the mirror

Apologies for late posting of the pattern today - Blogger messed up. Pattern Monday will return in the New Year on Monday 9th January. Merry Christmas pattern lovers!

The Owl & The Pussycat Wore Some Mittens

At the weekend I posted about the lovely things I received from Sian Lile Makes as part of the blog swap organised by Faith, Hope & Charity Shopping. I wanted to share the mittens I made for Sian, as I was really pleased with how they turned out. They pattern I used was Owl Mittens by Julia Temiseva.

The pattern was quite simple, knit in the round and using cables to form the shape of the owl, just like Kate Davies' Owl Jumper. I decided to make one of the owls into a cat, by adding a tail and omitting the cables at the top of the head to form pointy ears. I wasn't 100% convinced that this was going to look sufficiently cat-like until I sewed on the facial features. In the end I was really chuffed with the mittens, not to mention pleased with myself about thinking of 'Owl & Pussycat Mittens'.

As Sian is vegan and was a bit concerned about the practise of wool farming, I used Rowan Purelife Wool DK, which is organic and dyed using natural dyes. The colour I used was Alder Buckthorn, which is a bit more mustardy than it looks here. The label said that the colour might bleed when washed, but I found it was fine when blocking and did not run much at all. I would definitely use Purelife wool again, the wool I used was really soft and although the colour range is muted because they are dyed naturally, there are some lovely colours.

For the rest of the swap I sent an apple print lunch bag made of recycled bottles, a felt snowflake Christmas Tree decoration (Sian's Christmas colour scheme is brown and pink), a wood and plastic bracelet and a piece of fabric.

The swap was really fun, and I enjoyed trying to work out things that I thought Sian might like. I'd definitely participate in another swap. Thanks for organising Lakota! :)

K x

Pattern Monday #5 Cold Weather Special

Look at these cheery kids bedecked in wool. Not sure I fancy getting caught in a snowstorm in one of those outfits though...

Two New Patterns

Last weekend I was very excited to take delivery of 2 new patterns. The first is New Look 6000:

 

I really liked this dress when Scruffy Badger featured in among a choice of lovely patterns she was considering in order to make a winter dress. When she announced a sewalong, I decided to join in. This is the fabric I have in mind:

A gorgeous teal and black houndstooth lambswool

I have just enough fabric to make the view C with the lovely side gathers, as the model is wearing. My version will be without the cuffs as I couldn't quite squeeze those out of the fabric.

My second pattern is another New Look, number 6007:

Now, I have been thinking for a while about capes. Last Winter I tried on a few and decided they looked weird on me. However when I scored some fantastic wool at a charity shop recently, I knew it would be perfect for a cape:

3.5 metres of wool. Cost? £3.99

Although there is enough to make a longer coat, I think the strong pattern would look a bit overwhelming on a larger coat - for my tastes anyway. I do hope I like the cape when it's finished. I was going to make the view with a short funnel neck rather than the collar, but I haven't definitely decided. I will also be lining the cape and adding buttons for a more secure and cosy front.
 
What are you sewing at the minute?

K x

Christmas Blog Swap with Sian Lile Makes: What I Received

Recently I took part in my first ever blog swap, organised by Lakota of Faith, Hope & Charity Shopping. There was a maximum spend amount with between 3 and 5 items sent and at least one item was to be handmade, one was to come from a charity shop and one was to be a Christmas decoration. I was paired with Sian Lile Makes, and was delighted to receive my parcel this week. Look what I got!:

Cute vintage Christmas postcard

 Gingerbread Men Christmas Tree decorations - look at their adorable faces!

Ribbon and buttons

 

Vintage Needlewoman magazine from 1956

I have sent Sian's parcel off so I hope she likes what I sent - I took some photos before sending so I will share them once she has received it.

Thank you Sian and Merry Christmas!

K x

Join us for a Scottish Crafters' Meet Up!

Are you a Scottish/north of England-based crafter who has felt just the teeniest bit jealous of the fabulous London blogger meet ups? Do you want to meet some like-minded knitters or seamstresses? Are you crafter looking for a reason to visit Edinburgh? Well, the Crafter's Ceilidh is for you!

What is it?
A meet-up of sewists, knitters and crafters. It is open to everyone - you don't have to be a blogger to attend. We'll start by getting to know each other over a lunch and then depending on how many people there are and what your interests are, we may split into groups (i.e. fabric shopping, yarn shops, vintage shops, etc.)  We'll meet back up for a pattern/fabric/yarn swap and more merriment.

Date
Saturday 21st of January 2012

Time 
11:00am until 5:30pm.  And then why not stay on and join us for dinner and drinks if you can?

Location 
Edinburgh, Scotland

Join Us! 

Let one of your co-hosts (me, Kristen and/or Debi) know that you are interested in attending and we'll make sure you are on the mailing list for important logistical information.  Either leave a comment here or email me at: kestrelmail[at]gmail[dot]com.


Thanks to Debi for initiating the meet up and to Kristen for designing the fabulous blog button.

I do hope that some of you will be able to make it - and sorry if you have already read all this on Debi and Kristen's blogs - we're going for blanket coverage!

K x

Finished: Bargain 1960s/70s Dress

It feels like absolutely ages since I've posted a finished garment and a proper pattern review. I was inspired to make this dress after finding a great bit of charity shop fabric and matching it with a pattern in my stash. I was hoping for a pretty and smart dress that wasn't too formal and decided to aim to get it finished for my meet up with Debi and Kristen at the weekend. I had in mind those simply-shaped dresses you often see on the High Street that you can throw on with leggings or tights to look a bit smarter for going out.

There was *just about* enough fabric but I was able to squeeze the pieces on, despite breaking a few rules about having the grain line exactly straight on a couple of bits - shush! 

Pattern Used

Simplicity 8638 from 1970. I made View 1. It's quite a 60s-looking dress, which makes sense considering 1970 is only just in the 70s.

Does it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope? 

Yes, except without the centre front seam.

Were the instructions easy to follow? 

Yep, this was a really straightforward pattern to follow. No surprises! 

What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern? 

I liked the simple shape, and that the simplicity of pattern allows changes like buttons on the yoke and in inset in different colours (View 2). There wasn't much to dislike, though I did take the time to carefully number all the notches, as on the pattern pieces, which really wasn't necessary as the instructions did not refer to the notches by number, and putting it together was pretty obvious.

Fabric & Notions 

Fabric is some kind of man-made, slightly shiny printed floral. It cost a whole 95 pence for just over a metre and a half. The wooden cut-out buttons were from my stash - a Christmas present from last year. I think they could have been made for this fabric as they match perfectly in colour and style.

Pattern alterations or any design changes you made

I didn't want a centre seam on the front as it would have disrupted the fabric pattern, so I cut the front piece on the fold. I didn't make any fit adjustments - I usually cut a 36 inch bust and have to make it smaller but as this pattern was a 34 inch I just cut it as it was. It does fit well but is a little tight on the shoulders and upper chest, which is always where I need adjustments.

Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others? 
I would definitely sew it again, probably in a plain fabric for work. It would be nice in a light wool or a plaid suiting. Next time I would add a little more room at the shoulders.


Cost

Fabric    0.95
Zip         1.50
Pattern   0.50   (Approx - part of a job lot from eBay)
Thread   0.00    Already had the right colour
Buttons  0.00    Gift


Total   £2.95 - Yes, that's right!

Conclusion

I'm really happy with the result and would like to make it again. It fitted the bill perfectly for a simple and satisfying (and cheap!) make. I also made a decent job of the invisible zip - my best yet. I'm also super-proud of my top stitching on the front yoke. I had to re-do it after it looked dreadful the first time. My easing at the shoulders is a bit dodgy, but there wasn't much give in the fabric as it's man-made. As I was putting it together I had a slight panic that the fabric was a little curtain-y. I think I got away with it though. Overall I can see this dress being a really useful wardrobe staple.

K x