WIP: Knitting

Reasons...

I feel like I should explain why I haven't posted or sewn much since I started this blog.

I was really keen to start sewing even though it terrifies me, was making my apron and had heaps of plans and dream clothes to make.

Then one morning in April I woke up and could physically barely walk and had huge pain in my hip area. At first I though I had hurt myself or over did it but a week later and nothing had changed, in fact it seemed to be getting worse I couldn't even sit on the couch for pain. A couple of weeks later an orthopedic specialist told me that I had torn the lining of my hip joints and that I would probably have to have keyhole surgery to fix it, just needed a (turned out to be VERY painful) CT scan to confirm to diagnoses. At the next consult he said my worst fear, that the scan was clear and the he was "baffled" as to why I was in so much pain.

Many month, CT scans, bone scans, later the pain had only gotten worse. So while we were waiting to see the third specialist, we changed my diet. No more gluten or dairy (both are inflammatories). With the diet changes and seeing a kinesiologist things started to look better, my hips were out of alignment and so after only two sessions I could walk better though the pain remained. 

Then we saw the third specialist, I have Lyme disease. And my main symptom in chronic arthritis pain in my hips. Through more diet and lifestyle changes (no grains, dairy, sugar, or potatoes) I have now gotten to the point where although the pain is still with me every moment, it is no longer all consuming.

Thank you for listening,

Alex

WIP: Knitting...

There hasn't been any sewing done but I have been doing a lot of crochet and knitting. Above is the two star shaped baby blankets that I am working on for two set of friends that are expecting. Now that the shaping is finished these are quite mindless which is good for watching tv.

My knitting skills have come along way although it is anything but a mindless activity for me. I am really enjoying it and to be honest I like it better than crochet.

I am currently at the first lacy part of the scarf, so lots of referring to the pattern and watching my classes on Craftsy.

Could really not recommend Knit Lab enough for anyone looking to learn to knit!

Going ons...

So it has been over a month since I posted last, I can't believe how fast time flys. I haven't posted because there hasn't been much to tell to be honest. Sitting has only been really possible this past week so there hasn't been any sewing yet, though the are lots of plans! I am at about the 400 squares mark for the granny square blanket, will have to start sewing them together soon. And this week I have started to learn how to knit! I've signed up for the beginners Knit Lab on Craftsy. I have to say I am really impressed with the course, the instructor Stefanie is great. So I have casted on for the course project, the Lacy Keyhole Scarf and after many dropped stitches and other random going ons I completed 9 rows by the end of the opening ceremony of the London Olympics. Hopefully this time next week I will have pictures on my finished apron to show you all...well I can hope right :)

What I have been up to...

It has been a while since my last post and while there has been no sewing going on I have been busy....with a KITTEN!!

A couple of weeks ago my guy and I adopted a cute as pie kitten.

Little Theodore on our first day with him

I still can't sit long enough to sew but there is only so long that you can lie down with no TV and stay sane. And with winter now in full swing I had the idea of making a huge granny square blanket. I don't remember learning to crochet, my mum taught me when I was little. Though I'm pretty sure that for all my started projects the only one I ever completed until now was a baby blanket for a friend last year.

Now this is going to be a big blanket, 1,200 squares and as I have only done 279 I still have a loooooooong way to go :) but has been really good, very relaxing. And Theodore loves to help!

I have broken up doing the blanket with making a couple of beanies for my guy and I have a few projects planned for me aswell. Will post some picture next week.

The squares so far

Inspiration | May

Yummy Soup | One of my next projects | Beautiful Hair | A pretty dress

• There has been a discussion about slips and linings over at Colette Forum, I know that for most this would be known territory but I was thinking of this subject only last night as I fell asleep

• Tasia from Sewaholic does a wonderful tutorial on sewing inseam pockets, I will be doing this on every skirt I make!

• Rachel at A Beautiful Mess shows how to make a hanging basket garden

• Sherry from Pattern Scissors Cloth does a great series on matching checks and plaids, see part 1, part 2 and how to sew it up

• Miss Jackson shows off her awesome version of Colette's Macaron dress

• Doortje from Just Skirts and Dresses' beautiful Cambie dress using eyelet, certainly going to give that fabric a go in the future

I have started this section mostly just to remind myself of things that have inspired me or things that I would like to try out in the future, and hopefully someone else will like it as well.

Palette Challenge - Spring & Summer 2012

I'm a little late jumping on this wagon, though believe me I started dreaming and planning as soon as Sarai and the Colette team announced the challenge back in early April. I really like the idea of this challenge as I want my sewing to create a wardrobe, not a bunch of clothes that don't really go with anything else and therefore get limited wear.

The main thing that slowed me down was the mood board, I have watched previous challenges and have loved seeing everyone's fancy boards and was determined to do the same. This resulted in downloading multiple programs, as surely it was the programs fault that nothing seemed to work as I thought it ought to, and lots of words that sound like 'trucking fell'. Several rage quits, more time than I care to admit and lots of tutorials later I have a mood boards that I am happy so share with you!

First of all even though I am in the Southern Hemisphere and we are heading into winter, I'm participating in the challenge with spring and summer in mind for a couple of reasons. As I am very new to sewing none of my pieces are going to be ready very fast so this gives me lots of time, and time is a wonderful thing. Also as a new sewer easy projects are what I have in mind, and although I am sure that there are winter projects that I could handle, shorts and simple tops are all I feel comfortable aiming at for now.

With that in mind here is my mood board.

  

Sorry

I am so sorry for my absence so soon into this blog. I hurt my hips a month ago and all of my energy has been taken by work.

I had hoped that it would be a short term thing, but that has proven not to be the case so I still haven't progressed with the apron past my last post. Though I hope that some headway will be made very soon. I am planning to tackle it in small doses or the next week or so as I cannot sit for very long.

So until then :)

P.S. Oh My God!! I have not one, but two followers!! Thank you so much for taking the time to notice and read my blog!

First Lesson

Turns out there is a reason why the pattern layouts call for certain pieces to be cut out when the fabric is folded.

This lesson was learnt when on Saturday night I went to attach the second side of my apron to the middle and discovered that I had cut the pieces out the same way and so I had two right sides and no left! Of cause I didn't have enough fabric to cut the again so it meant another trip to the store, lucky for me it is only 5 minutes down the road!

Other than one-side-of-the-apron issue, I am pretty happy with how things have gone so far. I will admit that a friend who knows how to sew did come over to guide me through, lucky because I would have been pretty lost without her. I probably could have worked it out *cough* u-tube *cough*, but it was quicker and much more fun with my friend there holding my hand so to speak.

 The apron so far

So now all I hav to do is the left hand side, sew on the facing (think that is the word) and sew on the straps and buttons. Hopefully by the end of the week!

What was your first lightbulb moment?

Apples and trip ups..

So for my first project I thought I would start with an easy staple, an apron. But of cause the only apron that I found that I liked and fitted with what I wanted was Vintage Vogue V8643. I saw it and that was the end of my search. I really love the half aprons but I thought that I would be practical and make version C because although I love the though of floating around the house in sundresses and aprons, that's not really going to happen. Yet...

So last weekend I went to the local fabric shop and saw an awesome print that was just begging to be made into an apron!

Due to various commitments I was only able to wash the fabric last weekend and as my brain was all mushie from a massively busy week at work, today was the first day that I was able to bring myself to tackle even the first step. So I cut out the pattern (very scary!) and ironed the fabric and then....... I got stuck!

There are some pieces that are required to be cut 'on the fold'. But my fabric would mot fold! It just wouldn't fold straight! When I tried to line up the long ends of the fabric at one end, the other end would be out by a couple of inches. If I tried to line up the center, the fabric would kinda twist on itself and not lie flat.

Some time, several interesting words, a stab wound from a pin and a skype call to mum, (a good sewer but lives basically on the other side of the country so it was mostly a "mum it's not working!!" call) later, I decided to just let the fabric lay how it wanted to and cut the pieces out. I am after all, making an apron that I will wear while I cook, not a dress or something.

I then ran ito the issue that the pattern runs one way and that to cut the pattern pieces so that my apples weren't upside down or sideways, I had to change the pattern layout and that meant that I don't have enough fabric to cut out all the pieces..... Yes I know that the instructions say something about getting extra fabric for matching patterns etc, but to be honest I couldn't even work out if the instructions were in feet or meters got flusted at the counter when I bought the fabric. So it's back to the shop on Monday to get some more and see if round two works out any easier.

Has anyone ever found this problem with fabric? Is it common? How did you work around it?

A beginning...

This blog is to track my progress through the wonderland of sewing, from being a complete beginner.

I have always loved the look of the 1950's and early 1960's clothes but as a t-shirts and jeans type of girl who thought shorts above the knee was out there, I always felt the style way beyond my bravery levels. Then last year I stumbled on to a couple of sewing blogs, the girls and their projects were amazingly wonderful and I spent quite a few months stalking their blogs looking at clothes I could never dream of wearing.

Then somewhere I found some courage. I have borrowed my Grandmother-In-Law's sewing machine, bought needles, thread, buttons and more.

So now my journey begins....