Sew Happy

27 June 2020

One of things I thought I would have lots of when we were in lockdown is time.  Oh how wrong I was.  I thought this might be, because we didn't have to be anywhere by a certain time, I was not using my time so efficiently.  So many of the jobs I do still need to be done, the house needs cleaning, the laundry bin needs emptying, food needs thinking about, buying and cooking and of course there is the education of my children.  We have done this from our home for years but now we found ourselves at home, and rather than their needs being fulfilled in part by me and in part by classes, groups, and playdates on every week day, now it was just me and my husband when he was on furlough.  

My time to do the things that I wanted to do was in small pockets, dotted throughout the day, much as it always has been.  I have become the master of breaking projects down into small pieces, choosing things to do that are small enough to be achieved in the time I have or things that can be picked up and put down easily.  It has been a long time since I shared anything I have made or am working on, so grab yourself a cuppa and somewhere to sit comfortably this is a long read!


Way back in April, remember then?  No me neither.  I found a lovely free embroidery pattern online.  I have always loved embroidery, and would love to improve my skills, but am not drawn to kits nor have I found any patterns I would like to purchase. My sewing has always been fairly freeform and that is the kind of embroidery I wanted to do too.  This pattern seemed like a good place to start as it gave advice on what stitches to use, and videos of how to do them.  I didn't however want to do the embroidery for the sake of it, so I did what I always do, I let it sit in my thoughts and waited for an idea to come to me.  Eventually it did whilst the children were sitting knitting with me, they both have me made drawstring bags to hold their projects in, I have made lots of these bags as gifts but I have never made one for myself.  I would embroider onto the fabric for the main panels.  As this was the time of total lockdown I had to make use of what was in my stash, I found some linen which would be perfect to embroider on, the lining is also linen, light green.  I also found a small piece of green fabric with cream flowers which was a perfect match.  The tape for the draw strings was more difficult to lay my hands on.  I have a drawer of ribbons and tape and it is rather messy so diving in there is always an interesting activity, perhaps I should tidy it?  I am rather pleased with the finished bag, I am currently using it for my sock knitting.


We bought ourselves a new bed at the beginning of the year, it didn't have a headboard as the old one did and sitting up reading was not very comfortable and giving us both a crick in the neck every evening.  I needed to make some cushions.  My husband wanted something plain and his was made using an old cushion cover from our futon sofa, I was able to make use of the zip so it was an quick and easy project.  I fancied something a little more patterned and thought I would do some random patchwork using pieces of fabric from my stash, we were still in full lockdown.  I didn't have any suitable zips in my stash so I used an envelope method where the fabric overlaps at the back.  I once again made use of the linen I used for the bag above for the edging and the back.  In fact the fabric at the top right is the flowery trim at the top of my bag too!  As both of these cushions covers were made to measure I had to make the cushions to go inside them myself.  I had a bag of sheeps wool which a friend had given me years ago, I had made use of some of it but luckily there was still some left.  I washed it, carded it, made a cover and stuffed it.  I had exactly enough wool for both cushions.  Reading in bed is now a lot more comfortable.


A dear friend of mine had a birthday back in May.  I wanted to make something to send to her but it needed to be light to keep the postage costs down.  I have made many of these fabric baskets as gifts and for us.  They are so useful for keeping things in and fold flat for easy postage.  The basket on the left was sent to my friend, along with a small green felted bowl.  This was made by knitting on large needles to create holes in the knitting then you wash it on a hot wash to deliberately shrink it.  It makes a lovely tight, thick strong 'fabric'  which is perfect for a little bowl.  The basket on the right was made as a gift for my friend's daughter who has been finding life during lockdown hard and also because I love to make things to gift to people for no other reason than it brings us both pleasure.


A long time ago, I think perhaps last summer?  I bought a metre of purple linen fabric with the intention of making myself a skirt.  I had washed it and it sat in the bottom of my ironing basket, waiting patiently.  Back in January I finally got round to ironing it and cutting out the pieces.  I don't have a dedicated sewing space so I have to be creative storing my work in progress, I found a suitable hanger and hung the pieces in my wardrobe, a ingenious solution I thought except it was out of sight, and out of mind.  When the weather started to warm up in April I discovered those pieces amongst my summer skirts!  It is now all sown up and being warn a lot, hence the creases in the photo above.  The pattern was a free one I found online, however it was unlined,  I don't think linen hangs very well unless it is lined so I adapted it to make it a lined skirt.  Luckily, as I had bought this fabric so long ago, I had a zip and thread otherwise it might have had to sit there for a lot longer waiting until my local sewing shop could open once again.


It hasn't always been about sewing these past few months.  Alice and I tried out needle felting for the first time back in December last year, we made some felted stars using biscuit cutters to help with the shaping.  We have become rather hooked, excuse the pun, and had a go at some other shapes which we felted together and attached to some blank hair slides that I had in my sewing box.  Alice made the one in the middle and I the other two.   A girl can never have too many hair slides.....


Alice loves needle felting so much that she requested a couple of books that we had looked at online for her birthday, along with her own needles and felting wool.  One of the books was full of ideas and tutorials to make dolls and fairies.  When she sat making her first one, I couldn't resist having a go myself, they are fiddly but such fun to make.  The tutorials are really easy to follow with lots of photos which makes it easier for me to follow it, I don't do well with only words.    The fairy in the middle was sent to my friend's daughter along with the fabric basket above.  The other two have been added to our collection of things we have made for our seasonal table, for Spring and Summer, they sit in the little driftwood tree that a friend made for us.


I wouldn't be without my knitting, ever.  I always have a project on the go.  This is the cardigan that I made for Alice for her birthday.  She is still wearing it a lot despite the fact that it is on the small side, she loves it.  The buttons are a little on the large side but they were the only ones she liked that I had in my stash, once I am able to take her shopping with me again we will look for some that are a little more suitable.



This is turning into a year of making socks, I am not the fastest knitter so this is my fourth pair this year.  They match rather nicely with my sock project bag too!  I made a mistake in the first pattern repeat, one that does not effect the overall pattern, it was creating a twist.  I decided to leave it in rather than rip out many rows to get back to it.  I just need to make sure that I do the same with the second sock too, otherwise they won't match!


I have mentioned here, many times, that I am knitting myself a shawl.  By sheer coincidence it has the exact same pattern on it as the cardigan that I knit for Alice.  I am knitting the stocking stitch part at the moment so this is very easy to pick and put down, I can also knit it whilst I am reading or watching something.  I bought this yarn in a local-ish yarn store, it is spun from locally bred sheep and is wonderfully soft and a delight to knit with.  It was, as you would expect, expensive to purchase (I used money I had been given for my birthday and Christmas, the perfect present) but I can see why as it has the most beautiful drape and is creating a wonderful 'fabric' if you can call knitting that.  There is a narrow edge strip all the way round this shawl, some of it has buttonholes knitted into it and some will have buttons sown on.  This enables you to wear the shawl in a endless number of ways, something that attracted me to this project in the first place.  I am hoping it will be in use year round, as a extra layer of warmth in the colder months and as a means of keeping off the cool that we have in the evenings in the spring and summer.

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Embroidery tutorial here
Drawstring bag pattern and tutorial here
Fabric Baskets are in this book 
A Line skirt pattern and tutorial here
Needle Felted Fairy book is this one
Cardigan Pattern here
Sock Pattern here
Shawl Pattern here

27 comments:

  1. Wow, what a lot of beautiful and creative projects. I am in awe of the knitting as I can only knit a scarf! It must have felt really good to use what you had too.
    Best wishes
    Ellie

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    1. Thank you Ellie. I love my knitting, it is my most favourite creative thing to do, I wouldn't be without it. It felt great to use what I had in the house, it has made me realise that I should default to this rather than going out and buying more fabric!

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  2. Beautiful and inspiring! I love those little draw string bags! And thank you for the link! I am going to whip up one this week to send to my granddaughter!

    And that shawl has long been on my radar... your yarn choice is simply perfect! I love it!

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    1. I hope your grand daughter loves her drawstring bag they are easy to make, I love them. You can alter the size easily too.

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  3. Very impressed with you work, it must be lovely to be young and have a family to make things for. I also knit, but need new glasses and haven't been to the opticians yet as it is not possible.

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    1. It is lovely to make things for other people whatever their age. I am flattered to be called young as I will be 50 this year! It is all relative I guess!

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  4. Such beautiful projects I love them all!!! You're right about time and using it wisely or not as the case may be :-) Thank you for sharing your projects they have lifted my spirits today. God bless you dear friend x

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    1. I am so glad to hear that this post lifted your spirits San. Thank you for your kind words.

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  5. Your work is just so beautiful and I must admit I am envious of your creative talent. I am especially looking forward to seeing your finished shawl. X

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    1. Thank you Jules, I do love to make things. Creativity can come in so many different forms and these are mine. My shawl is slowly growing I have now reach the part where I start to create the pattern at the other end. Not many row left now!

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  6. I love everything but particularly the cushion cover - I thought I would get a lot more sewing done during LD but it has not happened - in fact nothing much has happened - I must have become so lazy these last few weeks. I needed something to motivate me and your post has done just that, so thank you.

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    1. Thank you. Maybe you needed the rest? Rest is good for us too and out of rest can come creativity.

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  7. you are very talented! I envy the sewing skills, I can sew I just don't because I'd rather knit. My sister is the sewing whiz. During covid I have been reading a ton!

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    1. Thank you! I have a bit of a love hate relationship with sewing, I love to do it but I don't have a dedicated space which means that I have to put everything away and then get it all out again every time I do it. As my time tends to be in small pockets I do get a little frustrated. Like anything the more you do the better you get at it, I guess as I don't do it that often it is taking a long time to feel like I am improving!

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  8. Beautiful and very inspiring.....I'm always a little bit in awe of those who can knit and sew (I can do both, but terribly usefully). It's definitely something I wish I would devote more time and energy to..but, like you, I never seem to have as much as I think I will! xo

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    1. Thank you Mel. We all have our own creative endeavours that we are good at don't we. I am always in awe of your writing the words you use and the way you put them together. I would expect that you time and energy is spent with words rather than with knitting and sewing as that is what you would rather be doing. We don't always have to produce a 'physical thing' with our time for it to be productive. xx

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  9. You've been very busy. I seem to have gone off the boil with the charity quilt I was working on so will have to give myself a kick up the btm.

    You have made some beautiful things. I liked the little bag with the Cow Parsley sprig on it.

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    1. I think there are times when we don't want to be doing certain things and we put them to one side don't we? I have not been in my garden much in the past fortnight as I have wanted to be making things inside. I guess we just have to decide what we want to be doing and get on with that and make peace with the fact that something else may be neglected in the process.

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  10. Oh, such beautiful things you've made! I adore the cushion with the patchwork; I really must try patchwork one day soon. Your sewing and knitting and stitching and making must bring you a lot of contentment and the recipients of your work a lot of joy. MegXx

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    1. Thank you Meg. I love doing patchwork and I admire people who make quilts that follow a particular 'pattern' however I have always loved my sewing to be more freeform which is what I think those quilt designs have originated from. I tend to take an idea and run off with it in my own direction! My creative projects do bring me a lot of contentment, I love working on them, I love the process almost as much as the finished article and I absolutely love to make things for other people.

      I hope you find a time to try some patchwork and enjoy it as much as I do.

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  11. WOW!!! I love each and every project....but I had to run right over and print out that sock pattern!!! I haven't been nearly as creative as you during this quarantine period, but like you, I've had to figure out all kinds of ways to make do with what is in the house, and for some strange reason that has made me feel incredibly good about being resourceful. I was rearranging my greenhouse and wanted to hang my gardening tools along the frame of the structure. No s-hooks around, so found some large paperclips that worked fine. When we could venture out a bit, I bought some hooks and they don't work nearly as well as my paper clips! Sometimes, resourcefulness is the best way.
    I don't think you could have found a better combination for either your pillow or your bags! Good job!!!

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    1. Thank you Steph. I hope you enjoy knitting the sock, I have found another mistake in it but I am leaving it there. I am becoming more accepting of my mistakes these days, they are part of the beauty of a handmade item.

      Being resourceful is rewarding isn't it. I am glad that I have been forced to do this and I will continue to make the effort to be as shops start to open up.

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  12. A lovely collection of handmade beautiful and useful things. I am in love with the hair slides, just so cute! I'd wear them all. The lining fabric of your skirt is very pretty. Isn't linen just perfect for warm weather? I also thought I'd have more time during lockdown but that was clearly wrong. Work has never been as busy and having the children at home has been difficult, although they did marvellously with home learning. I can recommend English paper pieces as a project to pick up now and then. I really like the slow hand stitching and creating small blocks to be assembled later. I think you might like this, too.

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    1. Thank you Christina. I am glad you love the hair slides. I think we will be making many more of these, especially as they are light and will be easy to post if we want to gift them.

      Linen is perfect for warm weather. I now have two linen skirts and will have three tops when I make up this latest one.

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  13. I find I have less time than I used to, I think it's all the extra cleaning. I just love all these projects, you are wonderfully creative. The cushion is simply lovely and I also fell in love with the hair slides and dolls, gorgeous.xxx

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    1. Thank you Snowbird. It is amazing where the time goes isn't it. I am always a little baffled to hear people say that they are bored.....

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    2. Stunning! How did you learn to knit so beautifully? Is this something that has been passed down the generations in your family? I absolutely love the cardigan for your daughter, I'm not surprised she doesn't mind wearing it even if it's a little on the tight side. The shawl is gorgeous too - it looks so soft.

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