Pattern testers wanted!

Some might remember my knitted Photography Gloves, posted back in March. The idea is that a couple of the fingertips are missing, to keep hands toasty warm, and fingers free to use your phone or camera. I've sold a few knitting patterns, but not had any feedback yet, and it would be great to see other versions of the gloves!  These work incredibly well with all smartphones and iPhones too :)

If anyone would like to have a go at knitting the gloves for free, get on over to the Ravelry Testers Group, post in the Photography Gloves thread and I'll send you over the pattern!

*edit - The Ravelry thread has now closed.  You can purchase the pattern here, thanks!

Nordic Lace Mittens Pattern now available

It's only taken me 6 months to get it tested and up on the patterns page, but FINALLY you can purchase the knitting pattern for the Nordic Lace Mittens! Once you've finished, you might fancy making the Nordic Lace Hat too!  This simple stitch is a good one for knitters new to lace knitting.  As it is only an 8 row repeat, the pattern is easy to memorise and quick to knit up using double knitting weight yarn.
Watch this space, I'm currently knitting a matching lace cowl pattern ;-)

Pumpkin Tea Cosy Pattern

It's been soooo long since I posted anything, I apologise! After preparing for a big move to Bristol in August, actually moving, and then getting used to a new job,  I've finally started to get the itch back to make things again.

It helps of course, that I was asked to design a teapot cosy for my friends over at Cosy Tea,
which soon got me picking my sticks back up and clicking away.

The result is this, a lovely seasonal pumpkin cosy, sure to keep your tea toastie.  It makes me smile every time I look at it!

Bring on the leaves and the breeze,  I say - hopefully that will keep my knitting juices flowing and I can produce some more patterns to share!

You can find the free pattern for the pumpkin tea cosy here or download a free printable PDF from my patterns page.

Enjoy!

Happy Birthday Dad!

It was Dad's 60th yesterday and I wanted to make something special. Plus he's really hard to buy things for! I thought it might be nice to treat him to a handmade shirt, and the only specification was that he wouldn't have to iron it.

I found this fabric round the corner, it's a school gingham so it's pretty durable and doesn't crease easily.  Thankfully he likes it, he didn't want anything too dark and I wasn't sure about patterned, so I settled on this one.

I'm really loving the black on the inside of the collar, button band and cuffs.   It fits great, and I've told him there will be a photo shoot, however I really wanted to get these pics up straight away!  Keep an eye out for more to come.

Rockabilly Baby Trousers!

After the Skull and Crossbones trousers I posted last week generated so much interest, I thought I'd put a few basic, more affordable ones together too! This is some fabric that I had left over from last year - I'm trying to use up a lot of my stash before the big move to Bristol in August.

Currently the trousers are available in the shop in newborn, 6 months and 12 months, but I'll get on the case to make toddler size ones too.

I think these will be a great summer thing for the little ones, they are 100% cotton and elasticated at the waist for comfort and ease of getting in and out!

Watch this space for different fabrics :-)

My New Frock!

I thought it was about time I made something for myself! I don't think I've made a new dress since... January 2010?  I've been so busy sewing things for the shop and putting ideas down that I've neglected myself a bit, so I spent all last week designing this dress, drafting out a pattern and putting it together.

The fabric is all 100% cotton from a shop next to Exeter Central called Inspirations, which until recently I didn't realise had a whole wall of lovely fabric! It could be something to do with the fact that I left for five years and in that time the shop is even more exciting than when I left :-)

Someone said once that I could pull this colour off so I thought I'd give it a go.  The lining is a fantastic contrasting turquoise colour and the belt a lovely chocolatey brown.  I wasn't sure at first about the pleated waistband but I think it works.. It just needs a slight alteration so the folds stay put!

Skull and Crossbones Trousers for a Little Pirate!

I've had a lot of requests recently for clothes for boys.  This is the first of a line of things that will be going into the etsy shop for your little rascal, think, pirates, robots and dinosaurs - I'm going on a fabric mission!

James' Shirt

Ok firstly - whoops! I haven't blogged for ages as it seems I've been spending all my time sewing and not a lot else! Posts will follow with pictures of the things I have been distracted with!

However, I just thought I'd put these pictures up - I've just been sent them by photographer James Lewis, who I made a shirt for in February, and as a thank you he has provided me with some great photos of him in it for my gallery. 

The original blog post for the shirt with more photos can be seen here

Nordic Lace Mittens

Ok so here are the matching mittens to go with the Nordic Hat I posted last week.  These are based on a 12 stitch lace pattern that goes all the way around the mitten, increasing at the thumb. I made the hat to go camping with last week and thought some matching mittens would be nice - I'll admit maybe they're a bit unnecessary in april but I was enjoying the pattern and playing with the wool.. And the best thing is, one skein will make both mittens and the hat!

I'm in the process of writing up the pattern so those of you who fancy having a go can download it. :-)

Tedward

Just a quick blog to introduce Tedward!

Tedward is around 9 inches tall and is made from Regia Color 4-ply / 4-fädig on 2mm needles.  I made him for baby Harvey about two weeks ago.  The pattern for Tedward is a vintage Weldons one I have used a few times now and can be downloaded for free on my patterns page

Happy knitting!

Nordic Lace Hat

I've had this yarn knocking around for ages, I bought two skeins of it in St Ives for £12.99 each, and it is sooo lovely I haven't been able to work out what to do with it! The yarn itself is Manos Del Uruguay 30% Silk, 70% Merino, Kettled Dyed. It's LUSH

So inspired by a recent camping trip I decided on making a hat.  I knew the yarn would be warm, being merino, but I wanted something thin that wouldn't take up much space.

The idea for the Nordic Lace Hat was born, after finding myself longing to knit something interesting that wasn't cable, and the thought that this lovely yarn would lend itself well to the pattern.

You can now purchase the pattern on my patterns page.

More Summer Dresses

Yes the sun is shining and it's finally warming up! To celebrate I've made this little selection of cute summer dresses for the little ones.  Watch this space and you'll see pants to match!

All of the dresses are now up and available in the shop, just in time for summer :-)

Dad's Photographers Gloves Pattern!

Ok so this is the first pattern I've written so I apologise if there are any mistakes!  I made 5 pairs of these gloves over Christmas (all complete with fingers) before writing it up from memory so I haven't had a chance to knit from the pattern to make sure it's all correct.

(*EDIT - this pattern has all been tech edited now!)

I'd also like some feedback as I'm not sure if the way I've written it is all that easy to understand, and if it isn't maybe I could have some pointers for things to include in it for beginners?

I've never been so great at teaching people how to knit as I feel like whatever I'm saying must sound to them like I'm trying to teach them to suck eggs, however mostly I'm just met with blank looks whilst I try to explain again, too fast.  Teaching isn't my strong point.

However people do seem to be interested in the things I am making so why not reward them with a some patterns,  I thought!

Let me know what you think :-)

Cute Baby's Summer Dress

Just an update what I've been up to recently!  This dress is the second in a group I will be making.
It was requested by Auntie Mim for her great-grandaughter, who is 4 months old.

I'll be making more of these dresses and putting them in the shop, as I think they make really cute dresses for summer! And now the sun is out, I think everyone is starting to feel a bit summery... :-)

The dress is made from cotton fabric and I can make any size from newborn to 12 months in any fabric required! I have a selection of cute girly ones but I've also made one in rockabilly skull and crossbone fabric, which was fun :-)

The dress fastens at the back with poppers, though I think I will change the poppers I put on this one before sending it to Mim as they seem to come undone really easily! Is there any issue with putting metal poppers on baby clothing if it's secured well?  I can only see plastic ones wearing down over time but I'll have a good look in the fabric shop tomorrow and see what else they have.

I've also made matching knickers! These were fun to make and I'd like to make lots more in funky fabrics.  Not having children myself, I wonder how the mum's out there rate these.  For example, if your baby girl is dressed in a plain dress, would you dress it up by putting her in polka dot baby bloomers? Or safari print? I think I would but I wouldn't mind hearing what everyone else thinks!

The casing for the elastic around the leg is binding I have made from pink ribbon.  I might try making a pair with this on the outside too as it's hidden away, and might make quite a sweet feature I think.

Amazing Portraiture Art...

I just wanted to bring attention to the amazing art of my friend Mel Evans.  Mel is a self employed artist who has exhibited in Cardiff and Brighton and is currently taking very reasonably priced commissions.

All of Mel's portraits are painted from photographs, which makes things simple if you aren't in the same area or you have children or pets that won't keep still!  She uses a medium of predominantly oil on canvas and works from her studio in Brighton.

You can contact Mel through her website or become a fan on facebook

Angry Birds Plushies by Obsessively Stitching

I'm loving these Angry Birds toys by Obsessively Stitching!

Not that I've been at all addicted to the game (ahem)! These cute creatures are so spot on I couldn't help but smile :)

There are a whole crew of angry bird tutorials to be found for free on Obsessively Stitching's blog, and the original red bird is available on Etsy for the less creative of you.

Recycling old for new

I just found this awesome tutorial to turn a man's shirt into a child's dress on www.dana-made-it.com.

I love seeing anything that supports making and recycling old clothes rather than throwing them away and buying new, cheap disposable clothes and this is a fantastic idea!

Dana-made-it.com is a fantastic blog packed with ideas for refashioning new items from old clothes and lots of fab photos.

Take note!

Knitted Nativity!

How cute are these guys? My friend Steph donated them to me at the weekend thinking I might be able to give them a better home than her.  It seems a shame to keep them hidden away until Christmas!

Ethos...

When people ask "What do you do?" how many of you are excited by your answer?  I mean, really passionate about it?

This is just a little thing I've been thinking lately and I thought as it's so relevant to what I'm trying to do, I would share it with anyone reading.  I'm talking about sewing, dressmaking.. Buttons and Beeswax. 

I love the feeling of making something for somebody and playing a part in their excitement of having something new, that was put together just for them.  I like the idea that something as simple as an item of clothing can make you feel really good about yourself.  It can change your confidence,  the way you stand and how you see yourself in the mirror.

Creating things for people to wear is exciting because it makes them feel special.  It is a personal and indulgent thing to spend money on hand made clothing and I want people to feel like they are getting a treat.  That's what gives me a buzz.

Dressmaking started for me as a hobby, but I know that isn't enough.  It's what interests me, and if I have to do something to live then I want it to be that.  To give people that feeling I just described.  And if we have to spend most of hours working, why not spend it working on something we love?

James' Shirt

I've never been a massive fan of denim, but there's something about it.  I like the way it presses and how the stitches look when they are holding pieces of it together.  There's something very satisfying about creating garments out of it.  So when I was asked to make a shirt I was quite excited to get going on it.


The fabric itself is quite thin, for denim, however as it's a shirt and not a jacket this was important.  I chose the lightest weight I could find knowing that the yoke and the pockets would all weigh it down.


Here is the result :-)

Dad's Photographers Gloves

Prompted by something my dad had mentioned, I decided to go on and make him some gloves for christmas with a couple of bits missing... He'd said how gloves should have the tip of the right finger free, for pressing the shutter on the camera.  Thinking about this, I realised how generally it's quite useful to have a thumb free also, but without all of the missing fingers of fingerless gloves which frankly don't keep you warm in the winter!  (Yes I realise it's now March, but I've been terrible at keeping this blog up to date recently (possibly something to do with the excitement of moving from the south east back to the south west. ))


I digress..

Here are the gloves.. now tried and tested, they proved very useful! The pattern for the gloves can now be downloaded from here.

Shop

Have you checked out the shop recently??  Lots of lovely lovely things to get your hands on :-)

Ebay

Hola! So I've been away from the blog for ages again, mostly making christmas presents and all those aprons last year, but my excuse this time is the shop I have been setting up on ebay. I thought I'd have a go with these fun skull and crossbones/rockabilly type fabrics and see what I came up with.

Here's a baby dress to give you an idea of the sort of things I want to do - you'll have to excuse the rubbish photo I was in a bit of a hurry to get it all listed yesterday so it won't be permanant!

Check out my ebay shop here