Tuesday, April 23, 2002
Finished the peasant top in a daisy batik cheesecloth. I'm not too sure of it, it seems a bit big around the front which is probably because I didn't press the fabric before cutting the pattern pieces. I think that next time I make this top I'll use less elastic in the neckline to make it a little more fitted. What I really want is for my Vogue 2594 folk tops pattern to arrive. I had to order it because David Morgan didn't have it in stock and they said it might take a while to arrive. Just found out that the presenter of the BBC entertainment show Liquid News, Christopher Price, has died. What an absolute shame, IMHO he was one of the best personalities on television.He treated entertainment news with humour and well placed derision. He'll really be missed on our screens. Wow, I feel quite down now. Ummmm did a little bit of knitting on my Kureyon vest back, not long to go on this and I can start working on the fronts. Sunday, April 21, 2002
I’m going to try and get back to regular blogging, my email has been on the blink recently and although it sounds silly I didn’t want anyone to whom I owed an email thinking that I hadn’t got back to them yet because I couldn’t be bothered or something. I felt that if I was seen blogging they’d think that. Anyway.............. Yesterday was a very busy day for me. Particularly because it involved getting up earlier than 12pm which for a Saturday is very unusual for me! I had to meet my friends Karen and Liz in town for 10am, we’d meet up with Hannah later – she got to have a lie-in! Karen had to be back home for 1pm as her ex was bringing their daughter Ali back then. Leaving the house a little late, chatting to a neighbour and my calf muscles rebelling against me when I tried to rush, meant that I didn’t arrive until 10.15 – thank heaven for mobile phones. We met outside the only department store in Cardiff that still has a haberdashery – I think I’ve written before about memories of shopping with my mother for fabric as a child in several stores – David Morgan. Karen has been roped into making things for Ali’s school fete and was looking for sequins to embellish little bags. I was very good and for once didn’t buy anything! Although I was a little tempted by some fabric that might have been interesting for the peasant top pattern that I bought last week and had to resist some Rowan Summer Tweed yarn in a variegated purple. Onto Cardiff’s very own garment district – City Road. While it certainly doesn’t compare to NYC’s garment district this is the only place in the city where you do find fabric store, after fabric store. We went into Calico, I hadn’t been there for a while and thought that it would be a good place to start. We were in luck because they had lots of fabrics reduced to £1 a metre. I bought four different fabrics for peasant tops and a few metres of a really fun print – some of the cats even look like mine! – to make cushions for my garden furniture. Hannah met up with us in the store and bought some fabric for a tunic while Karen bought some amazing silvery stuff for the fete bags, a wonderful jungle animal print for a bedspread for Ali and finally found purple felt for her Indian Elephant cushion. Time was cracking on so our final stop was The Crafty Stitcher, I just love that name!, a great source for all kinds of things from quilting fabrics and tools, to cross stitch kits – nearly bought a tiny cat one but knew I’d never get around to doing it no matter how small it was. I found some elephant shaped sequins which are just amazing. I don’t want I’ll use them for, perhaps as embellishment on a velvet scarf, but I’ll be giving some Karen for her cushion. Liz bought a cross stitch kit – she used to do a lot but has decided to get back into it, and Karen bought a selection of sparkly sequins and beads. Later in the day I did some more work on my first peasant top – made from a wine coloured cheesecloth with batiked daisies – it’s easy to sew as the pattern claims but there’s a top of ironing involved in making the elastic casing for the neckline and that took ages. I hadn’t pressed the fabric prior to cutting out the pieces – please do this you’ll save yourself a lot of grief. The back and font are too long at one end and it’s real faff to even those bits out. I really don’t to cut the fabric in case I mess up. I left it after a while and will struggle along with it today. I did trace the patterns for two of the vest fronts from Carol Doak’s book though. I’m not sure which I’ll make yet but it’s for another reversible vest. I have two half yards of the same turtle print in different colourways and obviously the pattern pieces have to fit the fabric. She has another longer vest style that I may use for my blue dragonfly vest. I bought a piece of Yukata, the traditional fabric used for making kimono, with a dragon fly design in Berkeley last year to use as one half of a vest. The other will be pieced from co-ordinating blue and dragonfly fabrics. I’ve gone through my stash and have assembled a range of fabrics but have yet to make my final selection for the waistcoat. I’m developing my colour skills and it can be difficult to make a good blend of colours. There are also some purple and pinky shades in the Yukata and I haven’t decided how to best make use of them yet. I saw some colour wheels for sale in a art supply store last week and think I’ll buy one to help. But of course that’s only one side of the waistcoat the other will probably feature some Geisha prints from my collection. I love Geisha designs – I have a tunic and another waistcoat with Geishas on them and can’t get enough. I also have a fabulous Michael Miller panel with two fabulous Geisha designs on it that will become two cushions one day. I have to say that I’m very jealous of Clara and Theresa’s candy swap. I discovered Hershey’s nuggets with toffee and almonds in NYC and wish I’d bought more than the one bag. If anyone wants to do a swap for British candy let me know marie AT scifville.com Remember to remove the spaces and replace “AT” with @
Damn I just wrote a load and accidentally clicked on a link and lost it all. It's too late to rewrite it now so I'll just have to post it tomorrow. From now on I'll write my posts in Word first. Saturday, April 20, 2002
Not a great deal done this week. I did make a double sided waistcoat (vest) last weekend and it was a lot easier than I'd imagined it would be. You just need a regular vest pattern, I used Simplicity 7320 One Hour vest pattern. The pattern must be for a lined vest design but you will only line the back. Usually when making a lined vest you would cut out two vest fronts and a back in your main material and the same in a lining fabric. However, to make a double sided vest you only need to line the back - you will cut out two sets of vest fronts from your two fabrics. Follow your patterns directions for assembling the vest being careful when sewing the sides where the two fabrics meet. I usually use a plain lining fabric for the back but you could use the same material as your vest front or a corresponding colour/design for both back pieces. If you're interested in learning more about double sided vests check out Doak Vests">"Easy Reversible Vests" by Carol Doak. It's a great book, full of interesting ideas plus patterns for four different styles of vest. Carol is a lot better at describing the reversible vest construction than I am! At the moment I'm in the middle of making Simplicity 9573 - Easy To Sew peasant style top. That pattern also makes shorts, pants and two other styles of top. Knitting wise I'm still working on the Noro kureyon vest and a Colinette Point Five vest. The Kureyon is a very fine gauge (knit on 4-5mm needles) and is taking its time. Three excellent magazines arrived for me this week - Interweave Knits - lots of nice sweaters, however all in a fine gauge Beadwork magazine - wonderful butterfly shaped bead knitted amulet bags. My heart left when I read the ingredients for the pattern - I had all of them! Except for the 1.25mm needles..... Ah well, another thing to order. Belle Armoire - the fabulous Wearable Art Magazine. Two knitted items in the gallery this time. The last issue had an amazing knitted jacket on the cover. Lots of cool stuff to make in this one - making print blocks out of polystyrene, beautiful beaded bracelets, buttons tons of stuff that I can't remember. Tuesday, April 09, 2002
Well, that was frustrating. I just wrote my blog entry along with one from my NYC visit only to have the comp crash before I’d saved it. Had to restart the comp so it’s all lost. I did kick the computer not that I’d recommend that though – you may hate it but it’s an expensive piece of crap and you’d miss it if it was gone. Anyway, I haven’t had the best week hence this blog hasn’t been updated in a while – I’ve been sick and even had to take a couple of days off work which considering that I’m still freelance and don’t get sick pay I try not to do unless I’m really ill. I haven’t done much craftwise either. Have made some quick jewellery FOs over the last couple of weeks Simple black seed bead necklace with silver marcarsite dragon fly charm from NYC Red three soft flex strand seed bead necklace Two pairs of Cloisonné bead earrings – one black, one royal blue One pair Chinese painted wooden bead earrings One pair crystal and Bali style silver plated bead earrings. The dragon fly necklace and the crystal and silver earrings are my current faves. I still have my knitting WIPs – % indicates percentage of knitting done Fiber Trends clogs – Green and Black Lopi for Andy - 0% had to frog, purple worsted yarn whose name escapes me at the mo for me – 85% Noro Kureyon Indian style waistcoat (vest) – 30% Colinette Point Five waistcoat - 65% Stocking stitch with garter border scarf for Andy in nasty hard to knit yarn – 25% I want to get some of these finished out of the way so that I can start on some more. Perhaps the Rowan denim bag or a cardigan from the wonderful skeins bought at The Yarn Co. And don’t get me started on the sewing WIPs. I did a little bit of reorganising in my craft room a couple of weeks back which included sorting out the summer sewing projects into a large plastic storage box. I really need a new lightweight jacket so my black linen Journey Jacket looks like the next project. After that perhaps the Paw Prints Kimono Jacket pieced in oriental fabrics. I have some wonderful peacock fabric for this as well as some cool buttons. This project has been in development since last summer so I really need to crack on with it. And then there are Andy’s shirts to be finished.........groan..........I hate sewing collars......... Here’s another of my NYC blog entries – Thursday 21st March Blog - It's the end of our second day in NYC and I know for sure that we'll have to come back soon. There is just so much here - the garment district is to die for! This morning I met up with Joan Wiggins, a lovely and generous lady who after seeing an inquiry I posted on an email list about fabric stores in NYC offered to show me around the garment district. It's just amazing fabric store after fabric store, shops that just sell trimmings, bead stores, amazing. And we only covered a couple of blocks! I was unusually restrained and only spent $17 on some lightweight purple linen for a top and some heavier blue cotton twill with a Chinese embroidery design printed on it that will make a nice skirt for the summer. Beadwise - I bought some beads and charms from Toho Shoji, mostly dragon flies that I may use as embellishment on a waistcoat or something. Joan was so amazing and as I said before very generous, after hearing that I'd left my Thread's NYC fabric guide at home - What a D'Oh! moment that was - she lent me her's. What a nice lady! There is nothing quite like looking at fabric stores etc. with a like minded person, so much better than shopping with the exasperated person who sits on a chair and asks “Are you done yet?”. I saw a lot of things I liked so am planning on revisiting some of the fabric shops tomorrow. One in particular was selling Chinese brocade for only $2.99 a yard. I intend to use some in the PAW Prints Kimono Vest pattern. xxXxx Well, the next morning I did go back to the garment district and picked up all of the things that I’d admired the first time – 2 1/2 yards of a red linen for a peasant style top ($7.50) 4 yards of black organza ($12) 2 1/2 yards of a burn out style velvet in a purple multi-colour ($10) for an evening top – this will be lined with some of the organza 3 yards of a Chinese brocade ($9) 3 yards of a lightweight poly mix fabric for another peasant style top ($5) I also went to the Yarn Co. in the afternoon where I met fellow knitters Judi and Julie but I’ll write more on that later. Tuesday, April 02, 2002
I happen to have an excellent sense of humour! Lame jokes indeed.....Damn quiz.........:-) (Of course I'm joking! Yes, it was rather lame wasn't it............:-) Monday, April 01, 2002
I've just archived the March entries and updated my Blog navigation bar and there seems to be a problem somewhere. I don't know exactly where but my linkage looks fine , it's just that when you click on the March link an errant "%20" appears from somewhere and mucks up the link. Delete the "%20" or click here to check out March. I've felt really under the weather this week, a combination of getting used to UK hours again and a bit of a cold I think. Friday was the worst day, I could hardly concentrate on work and went right through a box of tissues. Over the weekend I did a bit of tidying of up in my craft room/studio - most tidying efforts are destined to fail because I still don't have enough storage space. A trip to IKEA is planned shortly though and then I'll have some smart new cabinets over the fireplace to store books and tubs of fabric. I did get most of my beads organised on Sunday though. I managed to find my favorite little plastic sets of drawers at B&Q - I used to get them at Focus DIY but they've stopped selling them - they're the type that you use for screws and things but I've found them to be good for everything from reels of thread to earrings. They're now on one of the free spaces I have on the walls and filled up. I have enough room in that location for one more and boy do I need it! It might be sad reading to some but it was so exciting to finally organise all of my findings and things! Of course I've already gone and ordered more from eebeads! Also sorted out some of my summer projects into one tub as opposed to being piled up in a heap on the sofa. Knitting - I've nearly finished one ball of Noro Kureyon on my waistcoat - only five more to go. I wasn't too sure of the colour as it knitted up but think I can live with it. There just some peach and mint tones in with the blues and purples that I'd rather weren't there. Finally an NYC post! Here's one that I wrote on the first proper day of our trip. Wed 20th March Our first full day in NYC and the weather was terrible, it poured with rain all day. It was just like being back in Cardiff! Despite that I did get to visit two yarn stores. The first was Downtown Yarns and it was a revelation! - this was my first ever visit to a proper LYS - Local Yarn Store - there aren't many in the UK and certainly there are none near me. Anyway DownTown was recommended to me by someone on the Knitlist who explained that one of the women who works there had previously been a florist so the colours and textures were laid out really fabulously. They certainly were, it was just amazing, seeing so many wonderful colours - to think that I used to wonder what the fuss was about Noro! - I wanted to buy a little bit of everything but had to control myself. I ended up buying a skein of Fluff - which I always intended buying in NYC - a ball of Corsillo by Filatura Di Crosa in a blue shade that was on sale, some Monet by Berroco - no idea what I'm going to use it in but it just looks fab! - and some 12mm (size 17 US) Britanny needles. Although Downtown is a small store it's full of interesting yarns and the owner Rita and her assistant were so helpful and friendly. They really went out of their way to make me feel welcome. Rita showed me an example of a Fluff scarf and advised me to combine the Fluff with with a corresponding colour of cotton yarn in order to give the scarf some body. I'm following her pattern of 17 stitches in garter and it's coming along nicely.The fluff is so furry and soft - I keep pausing in between the knitting to fold it against my face because it's just so soft! We also visited Schoolhouse Press @1201 Broadway - They're on the 3rd floor. This is a good place to go if you're a machine knitter as they have cones of everything, they do of course have a great hand knitting yarn selection. I finally succumbed and bought some Noro in purples, blues and mint shades - I bought six balls and hope that it'll be enough for a waistcoat. I know I should have bought more but I was scared because it's so expensive. But it's just beautiful, the colours are breathtaking - after we got back to the hotel I just stared at it for ages. I know that sounds really sad but if you love yarn and fibre you'll know what I mean! I also bought back issues of Knitters and Vogue Knitting and a ball of a rayon furry yarn in royalblue.I plan on making a jumper with fur trimmed sleeves and possibly neckline too if I have enough. Owner Bert (?) and his son (I assume) served me and were really nice. There was a sale on so I had 10% off my yarn! Cool! So next time you find yourself in NYC check out School Products and Downtown Yarns - I'm sure you'll like them just as much as I did! Note - April 1st. The Fluff scarf is currently my favorite item, it's warm and wonderful and doesn't molt like my Isis scarf did. Sadly, the weather is warming up up here so I won't have that long to wear it :-( |
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