Crafty Bits this Week

Following on from my attempt at a sprocket cushion I thought I would have a go this week at a cathedral window. After  seeing a few instructions it appeared to use a lot of fabric so I decided I wouldn't be using my new fabric for this as most of it would be folded in and unseen.
The youtube video I found on this was just using hand stitching so I decided to follow this one, I have made a start with some cut up chambray trousers that I had given to me for the fabric.  There won't be enough base fabric to do all the background in this, as I said it uses quite a lot so I will mix in some other recycled bits along the way.  Here are my first few blocks...

It feels like you are doing origami with the fabric, also reminded me of those little paper fortune teller things I used to make when I was a child.  I can see this is quite a time consuming way to do this but I thought I would get the hang of the style first then maybe later do machine stitched ones. 

Because of the nature of all the folding it is a really good way to turn old shirts into cushion covers and quilts that might otherwise feel a bit thin to make anything substantial with. You can then just save your colourful little bits of best fabric for inside the window piece.

There is also a little growing pile of crocheted squares on my work table, still undecided what I want to do with them, I have noticed that despite being the same kind of wool they grey is much thicker than the pink and green! This has obviously caused a variation in size, I tried changing needle size and tension but it's still obvious. i may have to leave the grey squares out and just do two colours.

Me being me though I am a bit bored with squares now though and want to try other patterns from the library book (which I renewed) I also want to learn to make the little leaves and flowers.

In light of closing the Folksy shop last week I remembered that ages ago I had opened a free store with weebly so I thought I would add that to my blog page.  What a time wasting exercise that was!

 I just wanted to add a photo and a link but the pages are hard to use with it, it wouldn't let view URL for image from there either I had to search through own photos first, then when I finally got it on and sorted I decided to check that the link was working and what happened when I clicked on the link? It took me straight to a flashing full page advertisement for some dodgy product and not my store page. 

 So I checked the link was correct, it was, then I tried again this time up popped a full page add for online gambling!! 

 Unbelievable, that is not something I am interested in promoted or would ever want anyone to get involved in.  Obviously if you set up these free sites and try to link them they want to make money this way, well I don't like it so I have closed that one too.

I was ill at the beginning of the week and still not fully recovered now but I have managed to get back into practising my guitar this last three days after a bit of a break since Christmas.  I need to get back into the habit of using the Justin guitar lessons  I was progressing well I thought and I started finding songs that I like and having a go at the simple versions of them that I found, but then I didn't stick to the stages.  So I am back working through the lessons because I feel if I don't I will not learn what I am doing properly and therefore not progress beyond pottering about on it.

Taking in a Thin Cardigan or Sweater (Makeover)

In my wardrobe I had a charity shop cardigan that I bought because I liked the colours. It was £4 from the Bluebell Wood Hospice shop and originally from M&S (Peruna).  It is lovely and soft but  a bit shapeless, I also wasn't keen on the small pearl effect buttons.
So I decided to make it fit properly and change the buttons, here it is to begin with...

I already had a bag of buttons with lots in the right colour, I bought them from the works a while ago and have used some for card making. They are all different so it was just a case of going through the bag to find seven of a similar size.

The ones I chose are a bit more interesting than the existing ones and not bad to say the bag cast £1.99 last year and they keep coming in handy for all sorts.

(There are only six there, I did find number seven)

If you have any sweaters or cardigans that have gone a bit mis-shaped in the wash this is something you could do to extend the life of them.

I tried mine on my mannequin inside out and pinned it down both sides, I wouldn't do it too snug at first as you will want to try it.

Then you need to follow your pins as you sew down the sides, I started mine a little way into the sleeve under the arm and tapered it into the line of pins so that it would blend in.

        When you sew you should have your stitch on small and don't pull at the fabric as you go.

When you have done both sides try it on and check it fits the way you like, if not add more pins and reduce a little more.  Next you need to sew down each side with a small zig zag stitch close to the seam, then trim away the excess.

I think it looks much better now and I know I will wear that with jeans and a long sleeved t shirt under while it is cold.  I also think the odd buttons add a bit of interest.  If you had a cardigan in plain grey or black it might look good to have all your buttons different in bright colours.

We went into the city centre today as I had a gift card for John Lewis. It is not some where we would normally go to as I think it is expensive but the gift card was from Christmas.  I wanted to look at the fabric and lucky for me the ones I was looking at were on sale!

Two of them were reduced from £14 per metre to £3, the other two £7.  My gift card covered that, just as well really as I wouldn't have paid full price, or I would have only got one metre of one pattern then agonised over cutting into it. Does anyone else do that?

It is all very summery I know and I will have to get thinking what to make with it all.

First Attempts at Crochet

This week I had my first go at crochet, I was up early with the dogs and thought I would get on and have a go but following it from the book didn't seem to make much sense. I must have undone the same piece about 8 times trying to figure out why it didn't look like the picture in the book. Eventually I watched a Youtube video and straight away I could see what I was doing wrong!  So come lunchtime I had a growing piece.

Later I tried a circle and I did create one but now I see that was inaccurate but I know how to do it properly next time, I added a frill as I went around just experimenting it wasn't from the book.

Next I managed a granny square, again the first one went a bit wrong but after watching a video it made sense. I really must watch the videos first without just plodding on and getting it wrong.  My auntie taught me to knit when I was small and you can't beat watching someone else for learning something. (Providing they are doing it right of course.)

So I am sure it will improve and get neater, these are still a bit wobbly.

Another thing I did this week was to take down my Folksy shop.  It has become just an irritant to be honest, it hardly gets any traffic and I feel like every few months I just pay to renew items that no one sees and it doesn't really inspire me to spend time putting up anything new. So I am either going to try a new site or add a buy button here. 

So far I haven't started my next piece of patchwork but I do like the look of the cathedral window effect but it looks like it wastes an awful lot of fabric with all the folding and I do hate waste.  I will have a look if I can create the same effect without quite so much fabric.