Minerva Crafts Padded Jersey Review

So this is just a quick post because it dawned on me that I haven't shared the latest review I did for Minerva Crafts!

 

The fabric used was padded jersey which also comes in black and camel. Which was like a super soft snuggly quilted jersey!

And the pattern is an old one by prima. but I loved how it went together! 

Anyway if you want to read my whole post you can find it here.

Also rememeber to check out my Black Friday Deals post for some great deals! Treat Yo Self!!!

Much Love 

Frankie 

xxx

Thoughts on Two years of blogging.

I've been blogging for roughly two years now. I'm not sure if I ever thought it would last this long bt it has and I'm feeling pretty darn proud of myself.

This is officially my 437th post which seems a long was from my first ever post.

Ive seen my sewing and knitting skills improve in the last two years and I've noticed a huge boost in my confidence. I no longer avoid difficult techniques in patterns instead I take my time, google it and do the best I can.

I've been lucky enough, to win competitions, review products and write tutorials. In fact If you'd have said to me in the beginning I'd have my own tutorial section on my blog I'd have told you to shut up.

My little blog has come a long way since I first set it up. Originally It was just going to be a platform to help me sell things in my etsy shop, and at craft fairs. Until I realised I didn't like selling stuff. I liked making things, and if I was going to sell something, I wanted it to be a custom order I could have fun with, not something I had to churn of 30 of. I like writing, I like writing about sewing and knitting, giving my opinions and sharing my inspiration!

Now this blog is my personal sewing diary. I like to imagine that when I'm 90, old and frail, with arthritis from knitting and terrible eyesight from unpicking seams I can sit and re-read this and remember everything I once did.

This blog gave me my own space when I was a new mum who felt like her identity was melting away, It gave me a creative outlet and introduced me to some of the nicest people I've ever known.

I sincerely hope that the future is just as bright as the past if not brighter! And if you've been reading, thank you. It really means a lot that you've sat an enjoyed my ramblings.

Much Love

Frankie

xxx

Because there's only so many times you can watch the September issue without being classed as a stalker.

I love the September issue, it's a documentary about creating the September issue of vogue with interviews by Anna wintour and other huge names in fashion. 

I can't tell you how many times I've watched it, so when my beloved Netflix suggested "advanced style" I thought I'd give it a whirl. 

And this documentary is amazing! Like seriously it's the bomb! 

Without giving away the entire documentary, it's by Ari Seth Cohen and is about the beautiful older women of New York who still dress beautifully and have fun with fashion! 

It started off as a blog which can be found here:

http://advancedstyle.blogspot.co.uk/?m=1

And then became a book which I'm putting on my Christmas list

And then became a documentary film! I loved the vibrant personalities of all the women but this lady was my absolute favourite.

She was the very epitome of class and sophistication. 

And there's this one part where she says how she takes really good care of her Chanel bags so she can give them to her granddaughter. I was SOBBING! And if she'd like to adopt me I'm completely open to that! 

All in all it was a fantastic film and I'd reccomend it to anyone with an interest in fashion! 

It also reminded me of this poem : 

Much love

Frankie 

Xxx

Vintage Vibes

It's such a beautiful day! So I've got to confess I haven't actually made anything today! Well apart from Lil Knitwits new sandpit!

 

 

Well by made, I mean I attached legs. He had loads of fun playing with it though, which surprised me he's not really a child who likes to get dirty.

 

In other new I was lucky enough to win the Dragonfly Fabrics Giveaway on HandmadeJanes Blog! I might have squealed with joy when this happened and refreshed to page five or six times just to make sure It was actually me that won!

 

For anybody who doesn't know HandmadeJane  is a dressmaking blog with a definite vintage feel. Its been a favourite blog of mine for a while but I've only just started following because I now have blogger! (Before it was bookmarked on my phone! So behind with the times!)  It's a really beautiful honest blog ( I love a good honest blog, no one is perfect all the time) With lovely fabrics and patterns! And she often does tutorials and information on the more difficult parts of dressing making! And she knows how to do a full bust adjustment! And coming from a family of BUSTY (And I mean BUSTY) ladies I appreciate the worth of a good full bust adjustment!

 

Anyway as soon as I've decided what I'm getting I'll let you have a little looksee! Although looking at the dragonfly website I will be spoilt for choice! And as soon as I've actually made something with it you'll be the first to know! 

 

It's been to hot to do anything! so I've been doing some knitting! Yes its another cowl BUT its a different pattern and has a distinctly vintage vibe about it!

 

 

I'm loving the contrast between the chunky wool and the fluffy wool! Incidentally these wools are both from my goody bag given to me by Mr.Knitwits Nanny! Feeling a bit spoilt this week, Beautiful weather, Knitting patterns, Wool and Fabric!

 

 

Also loving the pearly buttons! In between the two knitted strips is a piece of lace which I applied by hand!

 

We also have a new twitter button! I'm pretty new to twitter so feel free to tweet me!

 

Much Love

 

And Sunshine!

 

Frankie

 

xxx  

Damm I'm Good

I'm getting pretty good at this blogger malarkey! We have some new features!

 

My beautiful Etsy Button - This is located at the side of the page and you can click here to see my Etsy page.

 

We have an "About Me" page! (At the top) - Where you can see a lovely picture of me and Little Knitwit playing farmer on a tractor!

 

We have a "Artwork Page" - So you can see some of the artwork I've done in the past! Which I know I never would have got round to blogging about.

 

We have a follow me on Pinterest Button at the side of the page! I usually follow back unless I don't get the notification!

 

And best of all you can now pin individual pictures to your Pinterest boards! I wont tell you how long that took me to figure this button out!

 

 

Exciting things are happening!

 

Much Love

 

Frankie

 

XXX

A Catch Up!

It's Day nothing! Pinterest fortnight is officially over! And it was quite a relief going to bed last night and not having to worry about what I was going to make today! It also means I can catch you up on everything that's been going on! Not that there's been a lot!

First of all my new hanging basket is out! YAY! Mr Knitwits Nan was nice enough to offer to do me one again this year and as usual its absolutely beautiful! Is it a bit sad that I think my house actually looks a bit classier with hanging baskets? Luckily she seems to do something to them so they don't die immediately! I'm notoriously un green fingered and everything I touch tends to wither away but these hanging baskets never do!

Next I took the huge task of sorting out my wool drawer. This is long over due, when we got our new bed with storage drawers I just seemed to throw the entire contents of all my wool baskets into it immediately without sorting, resulting in a huge spaghetti mess! But I've started to tackle it head on, not only am I tidying it, I'm also re winding all of my wool into balls! Here's what I've done so far!

 

All that winding seemed like a good idea at the time! But now my arm hurts and I cant seem to see the end!

It did give me a chance to find to find some hidden gems though and to take stock of what I've got, (a hell of a lot of blue that's what!)

So until the drawer is fully empty they are sat in the corner of the bedroom!

I'm glad I started though mainly because I prefer working with wool like this, for starters I can easily see how much I have and weather or not I have roughly the same amount as another ball, also I seem to get in less of a tangle with my wool like this, but I'm unsure why!

After the wool is sorted, I have this to work on.

You know how many sewers can't bear to throw away scraps of fabric? Well I can't throw away scraps of wool either!!! I think its the make do and mend in me that or the compulsive hoarder! Once all the wool has been re wound I'm going to start sorting this out, in the hopes I can get some lovely owls made for the craft fair I'm doing in September!

Speaking of the craft fair in September I got these made during pinterest fornight inbetween other projects!

I'm loving cowls at the moment, especially seen as the British weather is being so unpredictable. I tried a new colour way for me, pink and white, it reminds me of eating candy floss at fun fairs ! and I branched out and tried making up a new pattern! I quite like the diamonds. They look super girly!

I also got to use lots of lovely shiny buttons as embellishment! Can't beat a good button!

 

And then I made another plaited cowl, similar to here. This one turned out just as lovely as my first attempt and I'm defiately going to get making these for the craft fair!

More buttons eeek!

 Terrible hair day today! Silly weathers making it poufy!

 

That's it really lots of tidying and finding of hidden treasures, I'm hoping to get my sewing machine out next week for a good long run! But before that I'll need to cut all the pieces for the things I need to sew, urgh.

Hope your having a lovely day!

Much Love

Frankie

xxx

Oopsie Daisy

Day 9

 

So I was a little bit naughty yesterday, there was no blogging yesterday, in fact there was no crafting yesterday! Instead their was just lots of fun to be had with Little Knitwit and Mr.Knitwit!

So I'm taking this as Day 9 Pinterest Fortnight inspiration.

 

 

I did nothing! yesterday , knitting was left untouched, my sewing machine stayed under its cover, I did no washing or mopping or dusting!

Instead we played, and rode bikes, and had kisses and cuddles and tickles! And lots of good old fashioned family fun! Which I think is very important! So I am counting this picture as Day 9 as Pinterest fortnight!

 

But I'm back today with Day 10! And its another accessory! I think everyone has something that they like to knit without even thinking. You know the project you do at three in the morning when you cant sleep? Or waiting in line at the bank? Mines flowers but I wanted to do something productive with those flowers!

 

Here was my inspiration.

 

 

I  know there felt and not knitted but I just love the colours and the textures! It can be found here.

 

  

And this is just so perfect! Now I have a love/hate relationship with this blanket! It's the sort of thing I don't think I could make and just sell. This sort of blanket is the kind of thing you make for your own baby or a baby you know your going to love very much. Or is that just selfish? I wish so much that I had seen this picture when my niece was a baby , her mummy would have loved it!

 

So I compromised and turned my flowers into! Brooches!

Now I love a good brooch but they seem to have dwindled out of fashion recently. Hopefully they'll make a come back!

 

 

I made two, I small yellow one and a large blue one! Now I don't like to play favourites but the blue one takes the biscuit for me! They are hand knitted with beaded centres and felt leaves!

 

 

Yep blue definitely wins it for me!

 

 

Now here come the posed pictures, and a small confession! When I did my cowl blog post, and decided to do a picture of me in it. I MIGHT have tweaked my makeup and hair a little bit, and put on a clean cardigan. Actually that's I lie, I applied a full face of makeup and did my hair and picked out a matching cardigan, for pictures on a blog. Turns out I am a lot vainer than I originally thought! That was until today when I realised I couldn't actually be bothered to apply makeup and do my hair so I just sort of used the camera to cover my face? Life is to short to spend every five minutes re applying your lip stick!

 

 

I did put a coat on though so you could see it in action!

 

 

 

Also today is my own Darth Vader Birthday, so Happy Birthday Daddy!

 

 

Much Love

 

Frankie

 

xxx

 

It's Time To Sink Or Swim

Big things are happening here at Knitwits homebase! Well my front room! I have opened an Etsy shop! Yes! ive finally taken the plunge and put myself out there so yes it is time to "sink or swim".

So far I have three things in my shop but I plan on doing some updates very soon and adding more items! Here's what we've got so far!

Hand Knitted Pink Owl Doorstop - £15.00

 

 

Hand Knitted Green Owl Doorstop - £15.00

 Hand Knitted Multicoloured Nerd Owl Doorstop £15.00

 

I said the owls might be smartening up their look!

This is the link to the shop until I've manage to work out how to put a permanent link onto this blog (I'm still learning this technology stuff is hard! I'd rather learn how to cast on again and that was torture!)

https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/KnitWitsOwls

And remember I'm also on twitter @KnitwitsOwls

Oh such an exciting day!

Much Love

Frankie

XXX