What I'm working on

Is this.

It's called Oast Houses and is another one in the Heritage series, following on from the tram one I did back in April.  I'm aiming for a set of 3 for my dad.  

I meant to take photos each night to show the progression and how slow it is, but I forgot.  Bet you're all gutted.

Thanks for all the messages of support over the last week, it really means a lot to me.  Depression makes you feel very isolated and I never know whether I should write about it here or not.  I'm glad I did, you made me feel very much included, so thank you all.

dishcloths

I might be back...  It still remains to be seen, but I do have something to show you so I'll start there and see how it goes.

I saw some ingenious dishcloths on Apple Blossom Dreams.  I've got a vase of cotton yarn that got a bit dusty during the whole house falling down episode.  What better use for it that something that will be washed often?

The free tutorial is easy and quick and I love the effect from crocheting into the front post only.  I did a row of sc round the edge to neaten it up.

The round hole is supposed to loop over the tap to keep it in easy reach.  It doesn't fit over my tap but they do fit over the tap handle-thing.

As you see, we now have a sink and a tap, but no tiles yet.  We had a bit of an issue with the kitchen fitter so the kitchen is still not done...  we're now on month 6.

Eagle eyed viewers will have noticed the dishcloth in the photo above is not the same one...

That's because I made another 2.  The pattern calls for a picot edge.  I couldn't get it right on the purple one so went for a round of scs.  I had another go on the blue one and whilst I'm not convinced it's a picot edging, it is kind of fancy.

Here they all are laid out on the hob.  Yep, we have a hob.  And an oven.  What we do not have is worksurfaces to prepare food on... you people with a fully-functioning kitchen have no idea how luck you are!

An explanation

I haven't replied to your emails, I know.  I've probably not left you any blog comments.  I've got nothing to post about for a few days either.  You probably think I've fallen down a big black hole.


I have.


Back soon, meds permitting. 

somebody take the Kumihimo disk off me...

Yes, yes, I know, but it's fun!  And so satisfyingly quick...

This is a 12-strand spiral using purple and black 1mm rattail.  I followed the tutorial over at Dream A Little Bigger.

Next I wanted a bracelet that went round my wrist twice.  Again using 1mm rattail, this time in red, silver and white.  You can't tell the white and silver apart, not a good colour choice.  I used the colour placement tutorial at Dream A Little Bigger for this one.

Finally, I made a black and silver 1mm rattail braid that will go round my wrist 3 times.  I made all these braids last week and just can't be arsed to glue the end caps on.  It's a little job, doesn't take long... why am I so lazy?

Splash mat

I haven't shown you a kitchen update for a while and that's because it's nearly done!  We now have a working sink, fridge-freezer, oven and hob (possibly stove in North Americanish?) !  So exciting.  We are still waiting for one more worktop to be fitted and then it all needs tiling which is when I will show you, don't want to ruin the surprise. 

It wasn't until we got to this stage that I realised I hadn't made all the stuff I wanted to make for the new kitchen.  During the building work and prior to that, I was too depressed to even think about it.  But now I can and so I'm sewing up a storm.  I really hope to have lots of projects to show you for our new kitchen over the coming weeks.  

First up was the curtains.  Except I haven't made them yet.  Making curtains is boring.  So first up became a splash mat to use in front of the sink.  Can't have that lovely new floor (that hasn't even been chosen and bought, let alone laid yet!) getting wet. I knew exactly what I wanted to use.  Nancy very kindly sent me two mini charm packs of Marmalade yonks ago and I was waiting for the right project.  This was it. I decided to go for alternate patterned and white squares, all starting at 2.5" and finishing at 2".  The picture above shows how I kept track of what went where whilst chain piecing.

I didn't go random, I went for diagonal lines of each colour.  

I then straight line quilted it.  I used white thread to go diagonally through all the white squares, then used matching thread for each colour diagonal.  I kept white in the bobbin as the back is white.

I don't think my points were too bad, quite a lot of them match.

Not all of them of course!

The back is an old bath towel.  I didn't want to use a new one as they shrink and I don't want this ruined when I wash it, which I will have to do often as it is white!  I was worried that the coloured side of the bath towel would show through the patchwork, but it doesn't so I'm happy!

1 kitchen project down, 96 more to go (more or less)... I feel a list coming on...

An oven sleeve

Nope, that's not a cozy for an oven, I'm not sure a cozy for an oven is necessary, but what would I know, we haven't had an oven since April...  A work friend had her 30th birthday last month and I wanted to make her a present.  She always has burns on her hands from putting her hand in the oven to take out her toast, without an oven glove!  I told her off and she said that she does wear oven gloves when taking trays out the oven, but always burns her arm above the oven glove.  She showed me the evidence, it's a wonder that poor girl has any skin left!

Clearly, an oven glove was the idea present.  But an oven glove with a long cuff.  Mr CA decided this was an oven sleeve.

Whilst not exactly an oven sleeve, 100 pretty little projects had the perfect project - the Nifty Fifties Oven Mitt by June Cleaver.  

I pretty much followed the instructions, but wanting it to be longer I added an extra piece of linen between the patchwork strip and the gingham border at the bottom.  Unfortunately, when cutting the linen lining and the Insul-Brite oven-proof lining, I used the measurements in the book.  Duh.  I didn't have enough Insul-Brite to cut again so just added some strips at the bottom. This linen is home dec weight and was left over from my Weekender bag.

I really enjoyed quilting this.  I did an X in each patchwork piece and a line at the top and bottom, 3 straight lines in the gingham and wavy lines in the linen.  I couldn't remember for the life of me what foot to use for FMQ so used my walking foot.  I'm sure that's not right?  No idea why I didn't look it up, I had my laptop next to me as I was watching Numbers!

I used variegated blue thread in the gingham and blue patches and pink thread for everything else.

Here's the quilting from the back.  Whilst I'm not in the same league as a master quilter like Fiona, I don't think it's too bad.  There was a pattern in the book for the mitt, but you had to enlarge it by 300%.  That really annoys me.  I can't do it on my home scanner for some reason and I don't have access to a "copy shop", if I did, I'm pretty sure it'd be closed when I wasn't at work.  I ignored the pattern and used our (rather grimy looking it must be said) oven glove.

This is NOT our grimy oven glove.  

I was quite pleased with the binding.  It was sewn on the back first and folded to the front.  I wanted to machine stitch it and I could as I'd done those straight lines in the gingham, I managed to pin the binding down along one of those lines and I then knew where to stitch on the front to catch it.

The thumb is a bit odd.  Yes, I did snip a V-shape.

Not sure my hanging loop is long enough.

This is a shot of the back of the binding I was talking about earlier, I can't move the photos as it just puts them at the top.  Stupid Blogger.

I must say, I don't think much of the construction method.  This is the inside.  See that very frayey exposed seam?  As it's linen (and the pattern does call for linen) I'm not actually sure how long this is going to hold together.  I trimmed the Insul-Brite from the seam as I had to reduce some of the bulk somehow.

The Village Stash Society

Morning ladies.  I wanted to let you know about a new stash-builder club that's being started over at The Village Haberdashery.  OK, so I get entry to a giveaway by telling you this, but I'm also quite excited about it and have to admit to having signed up!




There are several different options - I'm going for the 10 designer fabric FQs option.  Anyone can sign up, no matter where in the world you are.  I do warn you though, ladies who live in the US, you will be horrified by the prices!  At just over £3 for an FQ, it's not exactly bargain city, but it is a nice way of getting a variety of fabrics. I very rarely let myself buy fabric so this should build my stash nicely...  Got to love fun mail!  Interested?  Go HERE.