Sleepy owl

I needed a little break from sketching today, so I picked up my hoop. 

I'd started this a while ago but becuase of orders etc. it found itself pushed to one side! Feeling ignored. 

But today I just needed something mindless to do so I got it back out. 

I like it, it's a bit more whimsical than what I usually do. 

It's got lots of swirls and flourishes. 

My little moon! 

It's a bit of a mismatch project becuase I'm using all of my scrap threads. 

Other than this, I've swept the carpet (yes swept the hoovers on the blink!) and we visited a Christmas fair this morning, where I won a baby doll for lil Knitwit! Thankfully the lady on the stall was kind enough to change it for a stuffed dog. 

Poor lil Knitwit is desperately trying to recover from his cough and cold , but it really seems to have settled in his chest poor thing!

Here he is feeling sorry for himself, does anyone have any cough and cold remedies? 

Much love 

Frankie 

Xxx

Baby dungarees!

Okay so I wanted a quick project for today, I needed something completely mindless to work on. 

I turned to this pattern from the great British sewing bees "sew your own wardrobe" 

I've never actually sewn anything from this book (I traced a pattern and realised I didn't have enough fabric and tried the eek the fabric and basically wasted my fabric and time) 

Anyway the patterns sheets look like this 

Like an acid trip from the eighties , not that I was alive in the eighties , or have ever had an acid trip come to think of it. 

Anyway after a lil tiny bit of swearing I finally found all the peices and traced the little sod! 

Three pieces isn't too much work! 

This is the fabric I chose for the main body, I have no idea what it's called as it's from my grandmas stash, but I like it becuase it looks like bacteria. I like fun fabrics for babies! Can't stand it when lil children look like adults they should be comfy and FREE!!!! 

I followed most of the instructions regarding the sewing of the seams! 

I hemmed the armholes and much to my surprise found that placing the pins this was worked far better on the curves! 

Then I used bias binding (which I made myself- insert smug face) for the crotch area and the legs. 

Now here's my problem, I need to add buttons, but I'm stuck on which ones to use!!!! 

Funky red gingham? 

(Oh yeah I forgot to mention the pocket I added at the front!)

Green spotty? 

Green gingham? 

Green khaki? 

Black? 

I'm totally lost!!!! I think it's a hard fabric to work with because it's so busy (to be honest there's a small part of me that thinks it might be a little bit hideous!).

Anyway what have I learnt:

•bias binding is easier than I thought

•ironing makes everything easier! 

•some fabrics work better for children than adults! 

•tracing pattern pieces is never as painful as I think it's going to be! 

Anyway what do you think about buttons! ???

Much love

Frankie

Xxx

New janome sewing machine!

Okay so remember I said I'd gotten a new machine? Well remember I said it needed a little tune up? Well it was having a little bit of difficulty sewing, it was stiching the back quite loosely so I had to have a tinker! 

First I cleaned out the bobbin area thingy!

Including unscrewing the plate! 

Next I cleaned the up downy bit! (Technical term) and changed the needle! 

This still didn't work! So fiddled with the tension for a bit, no luck still loose stitches! And then I decided to try the zig zag to see how that worked! Now by some fluke although I changed the stitch length and width, I forgot to change the actual stitch! (Bear with me I'm getting to the point) 

Anyway it produced a lovely line (not zig zag) of stitching! No puckers! No loose stitches! Now after a little bit of dective work it became apparent that the machine will only stitch nicely if the needle is off centre! 

No seriously ! Central = messy stitching, 2mm off center = perfect! 

And I have no idea why! I might try undoing the entire foot bit incase it's been put on wrong! But other than that I have no ideas? Anybody out there know what it could be? 

In other news I have downed my usual craft tools today in favour of this! 

Yes sometimes, on certain projects only a bread knife will do! 

Much love 

Frankie

Xxx

Arrrrrrrgggghhhh!

Christmas is coming!!! Has anyone heard! Everyone to panic stations! Man the wrapping desk! Someone grab that turkey! 

IT IS COMING! 

Seriously though I'm blaming Christmas for my sporadic posting, although hopefully It should get better soon! I've completed two orders and ones nearly finished (hopefully I'll be able to post about it later) and I've got some art coming along nicely! 

I've also got a hankering to make a Megan dress from love at first stitch, probobly a wearable muslin type thing and then maybe treat myself to some fabric after Christmas (or have a complete meltdown and get some anyway before Christmas!) anyway I'm going to have a zip rummage tonight and see what I can do! Although I bet a full button back version would look lovely! 

Other than that! Christmas is nearly wrapped up stress wise! (There's a pun in there somewhere) Christmas presents have all been brought and most are wrapped (insert smug face here) and I don't even have to worry about Christmas dinner as we are at mr knitwits nans this year! 

In other news I got to see my lovely aunty and uncle today in Nottingham! (If your reading HEYA!) and they have to pleasure of owning this 

Which I did for my mum to give my uncle one year! It's him sat on a fence (as a child) with rupert bear! My uncle has a love for rupert bear that is unrivalled by anyone I have ever met. No seriously! 

And for those of you wondering why rupert isn't white? I've had it drilled into me from a young age that whilst rupert is white inside to books he is always brown on the cover! 

I have a wealth of useless knowledge! 

Much love 

Frankie 

Xxx

I now pronounce you... Finished!

It's nice to step out of your comfort zone once in a while, and it's always nice to finish something especially if it's going to be a gift! 

I've never done this sort of thing before , in fact I've never made anything for a wedding before apart from my sisters garter! Which I'll have to blog about at some point! 

But wedding letters seem to be the rage at the moment and I've got to admit I love them! 

The bride requested white and some sparkles (never met a bride who doesn't love sparkle!) 

We decided to go for the classy look rather than the my big fat gypsy wedding look ! 

I used a mixture of pale gold and silver for the sparkles and applied them by hand! (I officially never want to see another sparkle in my life!) 

I'm so excited for the wedding aswell! It's in six months time , so I've got plenty of time to decide what to wear! 

Much love 

Frankie 

Xxx

Nobody understands me!

I like to think I was a fairly normal teenager, slightly grumpy but not the obnoxious kind, slightly introverted but not a huge emotional wreck, interested in boys but not obsessively in love after 10 minutes. Yes I think I was fairly normal but apparently not, this was the wall of my teenage bedroom, 

Oh yeah! It started with the skull and just expanded? There's a lot of emotion on that wall, a LOT of teenage angst! 

And yeah my mum did let me scribble on the walls (I have the best parents)! 

Surprisingly it actually helped for a while with dealing with the whole "growing up" thing. I kind of thought of it as a huge visual journal, everything I felt I wrote down. And then when I felt better I got rid of it. 

After all it's unhealthy to dwell on the past? 

I kept the skull though, it's copied from my tarot cards (I've told you I'm a hippy before!) and represents new life or a change in path, sort of an out with the old approach to life. 

Gosh can you see that time label? 2009! 

Anyway here's the question, well two of them, 

How did you cope with the whole growing up thing? 

And would you let your child draw on the walls? 

Much love 

Frankie 

X

It's been a while...

I haven't posted in a few days , I'm sorry, I didn't mean to leave you, it's not a rejection, no I still love you, baby? Baby please? 

I'm joking! Sorry it always makes me giggle when bloggers apologise for having a life/work/child, even though none have these have actually got in the way. I've just had nothing to write about, so unless you wanted a play by play of my fairly mundane days it just wasn't worth posting! 

Mainly I've been finishing orders (Christmas gifts so can't be blogged yet) and doing some custom art, not released yet , and doing some alterations which is just snooze worthy, here look what I hemmed today..... 

That was until this happened 

That's a sewing machine for those of you outta the loop, 

A janome excel pro 5124 , to be precise. 

And it was free!!!! Mr knitwits aunty is getting the biggest hug next time I see her!

It's a little different to the one I have at the moment, I had to hunt for the spool holder! 

Ooohhhh I've never had a get in on top one before! (In my defence that sounded less filthy in my head) 

And it has a put the needle up and down button (insert gasp here) mr Knitwit had a LOT of fun playing with this feature until he tangled the entire bobbin case! 

I really like it! It's heavier than my other one but they both had different stitches! So duh duh durr! I'm keeping both! (Insert more gasps) it's greedy I know but at least I've got a spare! And one for my sister to sew on when she comes over! 

The sewing gods must be smiling down in me!

So does anyone else have this machine? I think it's discontinued? But I'd love to have someone to harass if it breaks 

Much love! 

Frankie

Xxx

It started with a Facebook post....

It all started as I browsed my news feed this morning , 

Everyone right? Well apparently not as it goes, mr knitwits informed me for example that he never played with his mothers button tin. 

NEVER! Growing up it was one of my favourite toys! Can I sort buttons mummy? Please? I'll put them all away afterwards!!! 

Well it got me thinking about my button tin (well actually it's a drawer but ya know) 

Yeah it's very messy, (and yes that's my button hole foot, it lives with my buttons) 

This is a personal favourite 

This is from the first setee I remember my mum and dad having, 

The spare button from my mums tartan suit, 

I think this was off one of my brothers cardigans, 

Creepy eye buttons that my mother has had forever, 

And the biggest tackiest button I have ever seen which came with my grandmothers stuff. Genuinely still can't get my head around why such a lil women chose such a huge button! 

I've always loved buttons , I tend to think they can make or break an outfit and on many occasions I've changed the buttons on something shop brought to make it look better.

But mainly I just love sorting them! 

Did your mum / gran / dad? Have a button box? 

Much love

Frankie

Xxx

Costumes

Please allow me to introduce you to the queen of homemade costumes 

My momma! 

She's done them all, Viking, roman man, Mary poppins and many more besides! Growing up I don't think I ever had a shop brought costume, but here are some pictures of a few of her creations! 

Belly dancer : from what I remember this costume was originally made for my sister, and then passed down to me. I wore it for a fancy dress birthday party, and needless to say I felt awesome! 

Indian sari : this was made for a multi cultural day at school, the veil is some old netting and my momma stitched on all the trims using her machine. You might notice she used the bottoms from the belly dance costume aswell! Thrifty madam! 

Pirate costume: I hated this, mother I'm going to have it out with you now! MOTHER I WAS THE ONLY BROWNIE IN THE PRODCITION OF PETER PAN WITH FACIAL HAIR!!!! Pretty sure this is going to have me seeing a shrink in a few years! The sash round my waist and the bandana were/are both my dads from his (young) motorcycling days. Since then I have stolen both! Sorry daddy if you thought you'd lost them! 

And last but not least

1950s ladies at the goodwood revival: now she didn't make these but she did research everything we are wearing and find the extras we needed! She also lent me her fur coat (bagsy when she dies) and spend 2 hours pin curling my hair the night before! 

As a side note if you LOVE vintage I would definitely recommend going to the goodwood revival! It's an incredible experience! Everyone dresses up, and there's market stalls so it's like stepping back in time and the cars are all vintage so it should be pretty easy to slip your fellas wallet out of his back pocket whilst he reminisces about his childhood!

Much love 

Frankie

Xxx

P.s don't be surprised if this segment returns these aren't even some of my favourites! 

In the good old days...

I've never been normal, I've always been a little bit quirky, and I've never really gone with the flow, fashion wise.

And this item definitely proves I was never "a dedicated follower of fashion"

This is my school blazer, I probably had it from year seven to year eight, and then had a new one. At which point this happened.

Yeah I embroidered the entire thing, and I used to wear it all the dammed time!

Obviously I embroidered it with some super cool symbols, crosses, wings, eyes, bubbles?

Just to be clear, the teenage Frankie thought this jacket was the BOMB! Seriously why blend in when you can stand out!

Oh a teardrop, lil bit of emo Frankie creeping out there.

I honestly don't know if I would wear this (or even make this again!) but at the time I thought it was brilliant! As you can tell from the wear and tear on the stitches I wore it a lot! But can't actually find any pictures of me in it?

I don't know, part of me thinks that my teenage self has some very questionably taste, but the other part of me wasn't to put it on listen to some my chemical romance and whine about how the world doesn't understand me!

Have you made any questionable fashion choices over the years?

Much Love

Frankie

xxx