I like making things: January 2017

Sunday, January 22, 2017

I got this gift for Christmas and it's like I have to live up to it!

A day without reading is like.....just kidding. I have no idea

In recent years we have spent Christmas day with our neighbours. They always have a big family gathering at their place and we get invited along. It is always so much fun. Last year, sadly, our good friend Keith died leaving Cynthia a widow. They still had the family gathering and it was a little sad with Keith not being there but as he loved Christmas so much the family carried on with the tradition and we all had a good time. The two daughter's made these mugs and gave one to me and one to Cynthia as we are both avid readers. Since I got it though it is like I have become totally obsessed with reading. (I am a bit of an all or nothing type person!) Anyway, this past week common sense prevailed and after reading the last three books of a 16 part series and a 1200+ page trilogy I have not started another book..........yet!

I did make a waist slip for myself yesterday. I had purchased some thin black silky fabric a while ago to do this and yesterday I got up to my sewing room and made it. Just a plain slip and very simple to make. I french-seamed the sides, hemmed the top and bottom and ran elastic through the top. Quick and easy and fully functional.

Getting the itch to go out to the workshop and do some leatherwork. The really cold weather has gone for the time being so maybe this coming week.

On the down side, my husband isn't doing too well right now. I will be writing about that in my other blog.

Click here for other blog

Friday, January 6, 2017

Yea, back to the land of the living!

We made a trip to NJ on the 26th to visit with family for a week. Well, they had all had an attack of the stomach heebie jeebies and guess who caught it? Not the one with the compromised immune system, which is a good thing, but I came down with it with a vengeance. We had to delay our flight home by a day and then it was touch and go, but I made it without any expulsions, thank goodness.

So I have been feeling a bit sorry for myself but today I feel good for which I am thankful.

Before we left I started on a hand knitted stocking cap for myself, it's a bit thicker than my other ones and it is pretty darned cold here right now.

I finished it last night and have been using when taking the dogs out and it is nice and warm around my ears.

You might wonder why I am wearing a summer dress when it is so cold but my husband feels the cold so badly that we have to crank up the heat for him so I wear summer clothes and he wears three layers and we can co habit nicely that way.

We only put up a little Christmas tree this year as the space where our usual one went got taken up with a big screen TV. It was a cute tree though and I had all my hand made ornaments on it.

So upwards and onwards and looking forward the the rest of 2017 and I hope it will be a great year for everyone.

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.

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Sunday, January 22, 2017

I got this gift for Christmas and it's like I have to live up to it!

Friday, January 6, 2017

Yea, back to the land of the living!