I like making things: April 2016

Saturday, April 30, 2016

I have got a couple of things made these past few weeks

It has been a busy couple of weeks here at the homestead so not a lot of crafting done but I have managed a couple of small things.

I have talked about the past few weeks in my one day to the next blog in more detail but this is my making things blog so I keep it for just that.

fromonedaytothenextone.blogspot.com

Finally, I am working on the penultimate granny square to make to complete my blanket, the next part will be to join them all up and I am open to suggestions on how to do that please? I now have quite a large bag full of the squares so it will be a good sized blanket.

I also finished the three leather key rings I had experimented with using my Sizzix machine to emboss the pattern on rather than stamp a pattern on them. It was easier to do it that way but I also enjoy doing the stamping. I stained them then gum tragged the backs and edges and attached the rings, so they are completely done now. I conditioned the leather so they should last a long time.

I sewed one of the Christmas tree ornaments, a snowman.

I enjoy making these, I can do it watching TV.

I have also done some repair work on my husband's work pants as he had worn out the knee on one pair and wanted an extra pocket sewn onto them for his cell phone so I got a little time on my sewing machine.

I did buy some fabric to make our newest grand daughter a dress for her 1st birthday. It is next week but no rush to make it for then as we will be seeing them early July and can hand it over then. It is plain yellow seersucker and I found some contrast fabric in my stash to use for the pocket and straps just to break the plainness.

So that's been my making things endeavors this past few weeks.

Last night I noticed I had made a mistake on the penultimate granny square so I had to unravel it a bit, I redid it and I had made another mistake. I undid it again and have left it for tonight when I hope to have more luck! One more after that and then it will be join up time.

I started this blog on Thursday, it's now Saturday, that's how things are around here lately.

Have a great weekend everyone.

Monday, April 25, 2016

I won a giveaway!

Just a quick post as I am off to bed as we have a long day tomorrow going to the VA hospital in Columbia.

I have never entered a giveaway before so I am so excited to have won.

It was for several fat quarters of really pretty fabric.

Will update blog in a couple of days. Have been busy here mowing etc. and giving moral support to my husband who is working on quite a big project. Have done a little crafting though in between.

Goodnight folks.

Sunday, April 10, 2016

Not much crafting done this past couple of weeks but I did find a treasure at a local Swap Meet

My husband, up until yesterday, has been feeling much better so we have tried to get as many things done as we can in the shop and outside while he is able so not much crafting done these past couple of weeks.

I did, however, find this book and set of patterns at a Swap Meet about 20 miles away last Saturday.

The book is in excellent condition and the patterns are all there and have never been used. The book and pattern set were released in 1963 so over 50 years old but they have a wealth of history and sewing knowledge. I have been reading in the evenings instead of crocheting. I paid $5 for them which was probably too much but they are well worth it in my mind.

This afternoon I did get round to cutting out 12 felt Christmas tree ornaments on my Sizzix machine. It felt good to get that done, now they are ready to sew when ever I have the time.

Glad you stopped by

I started this blog in 2011: Ever since my Mum taught me to knit at the age of about six or seven I have made things. Back then it was doll clothes. I was also inspired by Mrs Levitt an elderly lady who had a sewing room in a conservatory type room on the back of her house. I would sit and watch her in awe as she sewed.

When I was a child living in England the school system was such that you started at 5 years, did two years in Infant School, then four years in Primary School then five to seven years in Secondary School, depending on whether you chose to stay on after fifth form to get qualifications to go to University. I can't remember much of the Infant school other than making the standard square doily thingy from fabric that had holes in it so you could embroider patterns into it. A bit like the modern day cross stitch fabric but with bigger holes and spaces to make it easy for small hands to use. I also remember with great joy getting a toy sewing machine one Christmas which sewed only chain stitch but I did make doll clothes on it and that was before I started Primary school. I do have very vivid recollections of Primary school and having sewing and knitting lessons. In Primary school I knitted gloves and made a dress from scratch hand sewing it all.

Secondary school continued on with sewing by which time I had progressed to using full sized sewing machines and was making more intricate skirts and dresses. My parents bought me a proper sewing machine when I was thirteen. I used that same machine right up until I emigrated to Canada at age forty six years.

I have always had a fascination for sewing machines and knitting machines. I bought my first knitting machine at around age twenty one from an ad in a newspaper for twelve pounds. I had absolutely no idea what one was just that I wanted one. I trundled on the bus to the address in the advert and handed over my twelve pounds having absolutely no idea what I had really bought. Fortunately it came with a manual. It was an aged Knitmaster, very basic and I loved it. I wore it out. Next was a Brother push button one which I didn't keep because it was at a time in my life when things were difficult. Later on in my life, around forty, when things were better I bought a brand new Brother punchard machine with a ribber attachment. I loved it and made many things. Life took a different turn, I moved countries twice and along the way, regrettably I sold it.

Now, through the universe's blessing I now have another machine. It is a vintage one because they stopped making them early 90's but works perfectly and I love it. So I decided to make this blog to document my knitting progress and include sewing projects.

In 2013: we embarked on a new hobby, leather-work. My husband got started with it and it drew me in. It is something we can do together. We have a workshop so have plenty of room to work. We added another workbench for me to work on in 2013. We already had one but we were tripping over each other both trying to work at it. We only make things we want to make. It is strictly a hobby. We made some things for our good neighbours who help us out a lot. I am also working on Christmas presents. So this blog now incorporates the leather-work. Knitting and sewing will always be my first love though.

Fast forward to 2023 and now age almost 75 years. I have seven sewing machines, four knitting machines, several ribber attachments and a garter carriage for one of the machines. I am blessed beyond words, but I know that I have more than enough machines to keep me going in my lifetime so I don’t think I will be adding to my collection any time soon……….unless a nice embroidery machine manifests itself very cheaply.

I am a Brit living in the USA, sometimes I spell like a Brit and sometimes like an American. Sometimes I use slang and even make grammatical errors. I blog for the pleasure of it and to record my endeavours in the event that my memory fades, as I am sure it will with more age. I will be able to look back and remind myself of the things I have made along the way. So please forgive my mistakes when reading about my life making things here in the hinterlands and I hope you get as much enjoyment from my blog as I do from reading the blogs I follow.