Full circle skirt with a twist

And the twist is: it isn't a full circle skirt, it's a Meringue from the Colette Sewing Handbook. But it is a full circle, because the first thing I made this year was for a http://www.sewweekly.com/ challenge. And it was a skirt. So I start and end my year with a skirt.

This skirt is my end of year celebration piece for sewweekly. OK, so it was going to be my "free for all" piece for last week's challenge. I didn't finish it. (Special note for my sweet friend Judy I am trying to do a one hip thrust out look especially for you. See, I look arthritic not alluring!)

This is what happens when we try to take photos, by the way - a pitch invasion:

The skirt took ages to make. Ages. And ages. In theory it should have taken one evening or so but I seem to have a special skill in making stuff take a long time. I did do some extras:

The rouleau pocket was completed a couple of weeks ago and was inspired by this tutorial on the Colette Patterns website.

Then I was persuaded by the ever optimistic Kate (my weekly sewing teacher at the Design Studio) that I should do something called "bagging it out" to the skirt. This makes the inside look lovely and was a great suggestion if I hadn't manage to make a right hash of it and have to unpick it before getting it right the second time. Still, here's the inside of my skirt:

I also fitted my first ever invisible zip (ironically my first ever zip went into that first skirt) which was a revelation.

I topstitched the scalloped edgeand there it was: my back to the beginning skirt. I had such fun this year. Hope you did too xxx

Miss Mia quite contrary

Mia firmly rejected my mixy-matchy idea for white buttons from my button tin and decided on the blue buttons (even though blue is for boys) because they match. So, my first doll cardi is now finished:

Valley of the Dolls' Clothes

Great things about knitting dolls' clothes:

1. really quick results
2. you only need a small amount of yarn
3. your little girl loves the results, even if not perfect
4. you can do it in front of the tv
5. if you make a mistake it's not much work to start again
6. if you make a mistake the doll won't complain about your shoddy workmanship (workwomanship?)
7. you can practise stuff you are no good at like sewing up your item
8. did I mention the quick results?

The cardigan is not being modelled yet. This is because Baby Annabell is shy. Only kidding, Mia won't be parted from her, they are both in bed. (In fact I have had to serve the doll meals ever since Santa brought her).

I used this doll pattern book:

Last summer I went to a jumble sale at the church hall in a village near here. I bought a knitting folder which was someone's collection of patterns mostly cut out of Woman's Weekly magazine in the 70s and 80s. I only bought it because I wanted to give them money for something (they were fund-raising because the lead from the roof had been stolen). Also I was concerned about why the folder was in the sale - but then I thought the previous owner would prefer me to buy it than for it to be thrown away.

Anyway I was scouting about for a simple knitting project after my snood success and found this booklet, dated 1978, in the collection. It's quite a fun booklet, the "fashion dolls" include this rather scarey "Farrah" (Fawcett?) doll:

I have an extensive collection of knitting needles, upwards of 75 pairs as my Aunty Peg (aged nearly 90) gave me hers. I also had a random ball of white yarn with no band on it. I think it's 4ply rather than the called for DK (fingering not sportweight, US knitters?) but the cardi seems ok.

I won't bother to block the cardi  - it's for a doll - and there are no buttons on it yet. I don't have 3 matching white buttons but I daren't put on the pale blue ones that I have in case Mia declares it a "boy cardigan" and therefore useless (!). Mia and I will pick out mixy-matchy buttons from Aunty Peg's old tin tomorrow, it's a very good button tin indeed:

None of the buttons in it match but they are fun to look through.

Reindeer food - it could be magic!

Mia and her friend Charlotte made magical reindeer food this afternoon. This is to sprinkle on the drive so Rudolph and his friends will see where to land.

If you want to make this (maybe next year?) you will need:

• porridge oats
• sparkly stuff like glitter (whatever you have)
• wooden spoon per child
• big bowl

Erm, that's it. Put a couple of handfuls of porridge oats in the bowl. Add glitter (or silver balls or whatever). Stir. Obviously you will have to do the magic spell to make it work. Personally I stir it and wave my hand about and make up a rhyme. This is a bit embarrassing because I made it up on the spot. This is what I said "Stir the food nice and slow, show the reindeer where to go". I tried to look mystical.

The magical food has been sprinkled outside, we have put out two carrots and the mince pie is on the mantel.

Bring it on Santa!

Merry Christmas! xxxx

Cake!

I did a lazy thing. I made our Christmas cake from a kit. You know, all you need to make your cake in a bag. Looks ok though.

I normally ice the sides but there wasn't enough in the kit for that. Mia helped me decorate the cake. We used Aunty Peg's old robins and a skiier (not really vintage but two of the robins were very old and beaten up. Mia didn't seem to notice). Then we put on some edible glitter and a frill around the side.

Merry Christmas!

Quick Christmas recycled make

Not last Christmas but the one before Mia had a long-sleeved Christmas vest (the sort that has poppers underneath, I think it's called a onesie in America) that I really liked. Last year I tried to cut the poppers off and hem it to make a t-shirt as Mia had grown and the crotch was a bit short.

But I didn't know you needed a ball point needle for jersey fabric! So I made a right pig's ear of it.

Actually, this is a good example of what I have learnt in a year. I dug it out of the scrap bag and used a ball point needle and a zigzag stitch to make it into a little decorative cushion. It's stuffed with toy filling.

Tah dah!

Lopsided but made with love

I knitted a rabbit doll. From this book by Nicki Trench (plus bunny in progress):

Based on this experience whenever I see knitted things at craft fairs they are far too cheap. OK, I am a slow knitter. So slooooooowwwwwwwww. But this small doll has taken ages. Just the sewing up took a couple of hours tonight, but I did embroider Mia's name on the dress:

This was mostly because you are supposed to decorate the dress with French knots and I can't do them. This is daisy chain.

The doll is slightly lopsided so squint at this photo:

But it does look quite like the one in the book:

It is to poke out of the top of Mia's stocking. I hope she doesn't notice it's wonky. If she does I am going to blame drunken knitting elves. Hic!

Assimilate: resistance is futile

Spent a very enjoyable morning crafting with Mia, her friend Emily and Emily's sister Lydia. Basically last year's Christmas cards, glitter, glue and scissors. Oh, and egg boxes. And some jam jars. And a ruler.

I am determined that the younger generation will craft!

Knit me baby one more time

I have been very inspired by the Crafty Christmas Club started by Tilly of Tilly and the Buttons. Crafty types are posting their Christmas makes there. In particular, one post was about a super easy knitted snood. This snood keeps popping up all over recently - the pattern is quick to knit up and looks very effective. I have made three. one for me and two for presents:

I used Sirdar Indie yarn, bought from ebay. You can make a snood from 2 balls if you stop about a row short. I also made a white scarf for my sister-in-law, the yarn has a sort of frosty effect you can't see in the photo but which is very wintry. No pattern, just ridiculous large needles (12mm), stocking stitch and 9 stitches to a row. Knit until you have finished the ball of yarn!

Here is a snood being modelled and the scarf too:

I am looking forward to another evening of knitting in front of the tv.....

Rouleau Pocket: done

I am making a Meringue skirt from the pattern in the Colette Sewing Handbook. This is a very easy pattern and would have been super speedy had I not decided to make a Rouleau Pocket following this tutorial on the Colette website. Basically, first make bias binding. Then sew it into shape. Then put up with alot of daft comments from the others at your sewing class about your change falling out of your pocket.

I am pleased with it though, this is it attached to the skirt front:

I will sew up the skirt next week at class, I am a bit distracted this week and have lots to do.... but I have a feeling the pocket will have taken longer than the skirt to make....

Party frock: I Made That Look. Sort of.

Once upon a time I saw a dress I really liked in Monsoon (a British chain store I really like but that is on the pricey side, for me anyway) that was too expensive. I wrote to Mena on her website http://www.sewweekly.com/ as she does a spot called "Make This Look" in which she explains how you could make it yourself at home. She featured my dress! (note for British readers: I felt like Jim'll Fix It had actually Fixed It for Me!)

 Of course, I bought the pattern and the fabric and then did nothing. No dress. No nothing. Slight guilt pangs. Bigger guilt pangs.

But now I have Made That Look: Tah da!

The more alert and eagle eyed amongst you will have noticed that it has now moved away slightly from the original. It is the same dress, honest guv'nor.

But obviously I made it in a blue taffeta. I am wearing shoes from Monsoon so that must count for something, surely? They are blue suede shoes, so I had to have them.

I made a blue dress because it was one of my Fall Essentials Sewalong colours, on the mood board I made.

The dress was supposed to be similar to the one on the top right of my board. If I am honest, I probably should have made it without the sleeves. They were a bit tight and impeding.

I wore my new frock last night to my work party, we went out for a meal and disco combination evening. I have no photos of that because I always dance like a loon and get sweaty and embarrassing at these events, especially during the eighties music section..... so much fun.

So here's another photo with my princess instead: