it started with a broken needle....

I recently posted this picture on both my instagram and facebook.

with the caption - Wasn't sure it was possible but I've snapped a hand sewing needle! X


anyway i had one perfectly sensible comment and then this happened between me and one of my bestest friends Conor. (and yes his name does only have 1n)

conor - Is a sign that you have transcended to a new level of sewing?

me - Nah I think it's just because I'm "sew" hardcore x

conor - That was a "threadful" pun...

me -  I was waiting on "pins" for your response!

conor - You're gonna have me in "Stitches" at this rate!

me - Ain't no "bobbin" about from me x

conor - "Needle" to keep tabs on you!

me -  I'll have to learn to "button" it x

conor -  Nooo, it'd be wrong to keep you "Hem"-med in

me - But still ill try to keep "zipped" and stop "ribbon" you (BOOM TWO FOR THE PRICE OF ONE!) x

conor - Don't think I'll "Bow" to this, if I can ever "Tie" you down I will "Knot" hold back my revenge! (TRIPLE WORD!!! NEW HIGH SCORE)

me - I was hoping you wouldn't "cotton" on to the "fabric" of my plan. I'm going to "spool" you in the art of wordplay. Your gonna wish you'd never "cross"(stitched) me! (I SEE YOUR THREE AND RAISE YOU! BOOM!) x

conor - Don't "Spin" me a "Line"! I'm "Yarning" to foil your plan, I "Wool"'nt push it too far. I think your plan, is such a load a "Silk". Gonn have to "Enbroiden" your strategies!
 DID SOMEBODY SAY FIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIVE!!!!!!!!!!!!!

me - There's six you muppet 😅

conor - YEAH... THAT'S RIGHT NO-ONE SAID FIIIIIIIIIIIIIIVE!!!! CAUSE IT WAS SIX!!!! WINNNN!!!

me -  I can see I'm not going to Make the "Cut", I can't pull the "Wool" over your eyes. So I'm going to "Patch" together a clever response, I think that I'm better, "kNot" that I'm "bias" or anything and you "shear" are a "knitwit" ps. Not sure line counts it's almost as if your heads full of "stuffing"

Did I hear eight from the lady in the back? SOLD!

conor - Repitition!!!!

me- WHAT! The duck! WHERE? X

conor -  I Totally used wool and Knot!! Fix!!!!!

me - Yeah it is a "fix" (doesn't count if you don't quote it!) you win gosh "darn" it  x

 I have been "spooled" x

conor - "Eye" take this victory in the name of Mighty Myself!!!

me - As I said "knit" wit ........

and he finished with this picture

my friends are awesome

much love 

frankie

xxx

Finished cushion.

so I've finished another custom order for a cushion.

you've seen this embroidery before but know its all sewn up! The idea is that the little girl is the client herself wearing a coat her father brought her from his winnings from a competition.

Anyway her mum kept the buttons and then the client herself decided to get rib of her button stash (guess who helped there!) but wanted to keep these three buttons because they are special!

She want it incorporated into something for her home and before I heard the story I was going to go in a completely different direction!

Anyway it was lots and lots of fun to crack out the old embroidery skills again and to do something that's so personal!

Much Love

Frankie

xxx

Patchwork baby toys.

I like the idea of handmade things for babies, so I've been experimenting. 

I've used my love of patchwork and created some simple baby toys. 

First of all I made the ball, I traced a pentagon from my laptop and used an English paper pieced technique. 

Here's the basic steps:

1. Cut out 12 pentagons (I think this is the right number, you try counting things on a round object, it's hard!) 

2. Cut fabric slightly larger than templates. 

3. Tack fabric to templates (don't stich through the template!) 

4. Once all of your pieces are tacked, start stitching them together. I used a simple whip stitch and stitched from the outside. 

5. It gets shape pretty quickly, so you have to slip the templates out as soon as you can, (you will have to stitch a few without the template , which is easier than it sounds) 

6. Stuff with toy fibre and slip stitch your last opening closed and voila! 

I realise that these instructions are probably clear as mud but if I get chance I'll create a tutorial with pictures and all that sort of fabulousness! 

For the square one, I used the same method but made six square templates instead! 

Anyway I think they are pretty cute! You could leave the card templates in but I decided to take them out so its washable.... Babies slobber.... Like all the dammed time! 

I think they'd make lovely baby gifts, and as an added bonus they use scraps!!!! Yay!!!! 

Much love

Frankie

Xxx

Trying Tapestry

I'd love to say its been a slow week, but it hasn't! I've started three new projects and cleaned up the sewing room (turns out I own 23 zips, funny how none of them are ever right for the projects at hand! ) 

my other projects are:

clothes/embroidery/refashion = think cowboy meets a hippy

shoes/refashion/drawing = think mental thoughts

and this bad boy

That folks is a tapestry, or at least I think it is, I'm still having difficulty with the difference between cross stitch and tapestry, I think its just because one uses silks and the other wool!

Anyway little knitwits godfather saw this and thought I might like to give it a go, it came with all the wools but not instructions!

According to the paper with it, its a copy of one of the old masters pictures? Anyway I'm completely winging it, I tried cross stitching but it just looked messy so I'm doing rows of back stitch. Its more relaxing than I thought it would be but I still think its going to take a long time. just to clarify does anybody know what stitch your actually meant to do with tapestry?

I'm not 100% what ill do with the finished product but I'm sure I'll think of something.

In other news i saw these awesome shoes on pinterest and I'm now dreaming of my own little version!

I'm going to keep my eyes open for cheap tape measures and have a good rummage through my old shoes, see if I cant breathe some life back into them!

I also think I'm going to try and finish the blouse I cut out like two months ago, mainly because it was sat judging me when I was cleaning up my sewing space today,

"where you gonna put me Frankie? cant put me with fabric can you, I'm not fabric I'm pieces of fabric, cant hang me in your wardrobe I'm not finished! so yeah I might have to finish it! I just find it hard after reading to awesome instructions from Tilly's book to switch back to the sparse instructions of other books! Although this has been written by thrifty stitcher so I'm expecting good things!

I at least want to get it done before I start sewing the new pencil skirt I'm envisioning, I wear my wool check one all the time but its a bit too toasty for warmer days so I'm going to use the last of my tartan poly cotton for Minerva fabrics and make myself a summer version.

Much Love

Frankie

xxx

If it's not one it's the other....

Mr knitwit and little knitwit are taking it in turns to be poorly this week. Hence I've not really done much at all, so here's a very brief update! 

Started to re read chocolat by Joanne Harris, couldn't tell you how many times I've read it , but I never find myself bored by it. 

Had paddling pool fun! We decided to add some bubble bath because we were emptying it. We have since refilled it with water so hopefully little knitwit will have more chances to go in. 

Went for afternoon tea with the ladies I used to dance with and had a lovely time! This is just one of the plates we had! It was lovely to catch up with them all, and it was even nicer to eat lots of cake!!!! 

And during afternoon tea I was given this! It's an actual physical copy of the cd for which I did the album artwork! I think it looks awesome! And I can't wait to have a listen! 

I think this is going to be today's job! My sewing area has been sumwat neglected and I've just been given some fabric so I need to store it correctly! 

Urgh I'm not sure I have to energy for cleaning today, I'd much rather sleep! 

Much love

Frankie

Xx

I'm not saying it's been hot today, but two hobbits did just walk into my house and destroy the one true ring...

England is hot.

You've seen it on the news,

You've heard the rumours

And if youve stepped outside you've felt it. 

It is warm! 

So I'm going to contribute two tutorials today! The first is a refashion and the second is how to be British when it's hot. 

So tutorial! 

To be honest this is more like common sense (well at least i thought it was until one of the mums at nursery asked me how to do it!)

Children grow, they grow upwards and then they grow outwards, but you can pretty much bet on the fact that they will never fit their clothes properly, the waist could be too big but the legs are just right or visa versa.

Well here's what I do when the waist fits but the legs are too short. 

Get jeans 

Cut a bit of the bottom 

Do two turns up, it's really that simple (and kind of obvious) 

Here's lil knitwit wearing them in the paddling pool.

So here's my second tutorial:

How to cope with the sudden change to hot weather! 

1. Say "ooh it's hot , a lot"

2. Learn not to stare at topless men , either in admiration or disgust, either way they will think your pervy.

3. Try not to be topless everywhere, certain places require clothes, shopping for example, and whilst doing the school run, nobody wants to see you fondling the fruit and veg or picking up your kids topless. 

4. Eat dinner in the garden, ignore the fact there's crap loads of flys and that your dinners getting colder faster. Just pretend your continental and that your having a good time. 

5. Open and close your windows twenty times, same with curtains, try and work out which combination makes the room cooler.

6. Drink tea, it's a hot beverage but strangely refreshing? Plus your not sure what'll happen to your body during withdrawal. 

7. Drink loads of juice/water, make everyone else drink juice/water, force them! Dehydration kills! Consequently spend most of day peeing! 

8. Wearing a bikini top unstead of a bra.... Bliss! 

9. Use more tissues that during flu season because of stupid hay fever

10. Complain loudly about the heat you've waited 11 months for! 

11. Cover entire family in factor 50, suns rays do not prenetrate consequently have to use fake tan

Much love 

And enjoy the sun

Frankie

Xxx

Minions and marigolds.

Sooooo I finished another minion today! 

Not much to say really apart from it has one eye and it's pretty darn adorable! This one had been ordered by my mum for the grandchildrens room at her house.

In other news two of my marigolds have come into flower! Which is very exciting! Although my sweet peas still haven't flowered! I am also now in possession of a gardening fork which I'm very excited about, in fact I might make myself a gardening belt and Kneeling Matt at some point in the future! 

If you follow me on Instagram you'll have also have seen this useless bit of knowledge! I can tack a hexy in just over 1 minute although I'd say it's probably under a minute considering I had to pick up the hexy and I cut the thread at the end.

Anyway that's all really , but of a go slow at the moment because of little knitwots bout of poorly ness last week! 

Much love

Frankie

Xxx