Dresdan Plate Quilt Topper

I feel like every time I say we don't need any more quilts I take an actual look and then lo and behold I'm like we need another quilt.

I mean technically we don't NEED another quilt but I like making them and when you've done a school run in the rain everyone just wants their own blanket to cuddle up with.....including the dog.

Fun Fact: The dog is currently in possession of 4 small quilts and 1 lap quilt. Shes spoiled I know.

And Lil man has recently informed me that his boat quilt is babyish and he also needs a new one. Maybe something with footballs or Mario. 

I've been getting around my whole "we don't need more quilts thing" by making new quilt patterns. Which means I get to have fun and test my skills!

I've never made a dresdan quilt before and I've admired them for a long time.  

The fabric came from the craft cotton company its from their new geo fat quarter range. I was lucky enough to receive one in each of the colours, blue, purple and pink. 

I kept each plate to a specific colour. I made 2 plates using all the fabrics and two using just two of the fabrics each. 

The centre circles are using the most low volume fabric in the pack, luckily these are all pretty similar in all the colour ways so I;m hoping to also use them for the binding. 

That is when I've found something to back it with and quilted it. I'm waiting for my local home and bargains to start stocking cheap fleece quilts again so I can use those for backing. 

I appliqued each of the plates onto squares of pink from my stash. Technically its dressmaking material but its cotton and its a shade of pink I'd never wear so I might as well use it for this!!! 

Then each of the blocks is bordered with either dark blue or white. I did want to boarder them all in the same colour but I had fabric restrictions sooooo.............. 

I actually really really like how it turned out. Its a bit more girlie than I thought it would be, but its kind of nice to have girlie things in a mainly boy household.

I did struggle with how to place the blocks though. I had wanted it to look random but I don't think I succeeded. Its not bothering me enough to unpick it all though!  

I might add one last big boarder to the whole thing before I quilt it but I need to work out what fabric to use first. 

By the way if you want to try your hand at this I have written a lil tutorial for the craft cotton company you can find it here. 

I actually took these photos on the the last few decent days of summer we had.

In fact I'm really really missing the summer. On Thursday me and lil man had to walk in the torrential rain and it was NOT fun at all. In fact when we got home we dried off and just put our pjs on and I had a massive grump about being cold and wet and grumpy. To be honest this always happens when it gets colder , as much as I love the Christmas and snow the whole being cold every day and having wet feet makes me just a lil bit miserable!

I'm currently looking for suggestions on how to perk myself up! Any ideas?????

Much Love

Frankie

xx 

Vertical Stripe Jumper

When I started this blog I swore that I would try and document all of my sewing projects the good the bad and the ugly. However I'm not sure if this falls into the bad or ugly category? The sewing isn't bad so I'm going to say its the ugly.

I look like a 70's referee. The vertical stripes did not work at all. There wasn't really a thought process behind this, more of a look I have some weird shaped fabric off cuts lets see what I can make from them. I didn't even have enough for the bands! So I used some turquoise jersey from sew essential. The stripe itself is from abakhans, I found it in one of the bargain bins! 

I used the threadcount wardrobe builder cardigan pattern but cut the front on the fold. I can't even remember what the pattern number is and I refuse to stand up and walk across the room to look. This project does not deserve a walk across the room. [I just looked in my notebook and apparently its threadcount 1607] 

Construction wise the main stuff was done on my over locker and the top stitching was done on my regular machine. It took no time at all to sew, but still turned out hideous!!! 

All in all its a pretty god awful jumper isn't it? That said I'll probably still wear it when its winter and I;m freezing my bum off on the walk to school. Plus I had no wasted fabrics so that's a bonus? Although now I'm wondering if I should just start binning my weird off cuts? or donating them to my sons school! 

So yeah that's today's make,

In other news I'm planning my next quilt. We don't need another quilt but I seem to have amassed quite the collection of fabric scraps so I guess its going to happen!!!!

Much Love

Frankie

xxx

Long Sleeve Jersey Top

Okay this is is possibly the most boring thing I've made ever, In fact I kind of want to punch myself its so boring!

Anyway here's the deal. WINTER IS COMING. In all seriousness game of thrones have cracked it winter is coming and whilst I love winter in all its candle burning hot chocolate drinking glory I hate that I have to walk lil man to school and how frigging freezing it is.

And as it turns out I have hardly any long sleeve tops so I took the opportunity to whip one up.

So I started with Threadcount 1607, and used view b which is a cardigan.

However when I cut it out I cut both the front and back on the fold and didn't cut out the button band or cuffs.

And heres what I ended up with a really boring long sleeve top that will at least keep me warm underneath my coat. FYI for those of you who are thinking "why doesn't she just wear a jumper?" the walk is such that we go down hill on the way there which is chilly and the way back is all up hill which leaves me feeling much toastier! [and means I now have thighs of steel, Lol or of another slightly more squishy metal]

But all jokes aside I kind of love it? The fit is much better than I thought it was going to be and now I can't stop looking at other cute prints online that I could make this from. The sleeve length is good and the whole thing took about an hour to run up on my overlocker.

Including the neck and sleeves and bottom which are all finished on my overlocker too. Which was partly laziness and partly because I have a RTW top that is finished like this and I think it looks super cool.  

And the neckline sits pretty flat which is pretty cool.

Now I'm just wondering if I can wear it with my unicorn scarf on the school run?

But I do know I can layer it with tshirts and vest tops which is also a winner.

Here's a close up of the neckline, I love that its got kind of a punk rock vibe because it looks a bit unfinished? Kind of makes it feel a bit less of a mumsy top?

But anyway, I'm calling this a success, Its definitely turned out better than I thought and now I think I need to make a few more versions in different prints!

In other news, 

I found a cut of shirt dress that I must have forgotten I was making [I actually think it was meant to be for the honeymoon but obvs I didn't finish it in time.

I finished a shirt refashion and it turned out hideous! So far there's no pictures but if anyone's having a super bad week let me know and I'll take some pictures so you can have a laugh at my expense.

I'm fully embracing the winter spirit, I've got out my hats and scarfs and I'm burning candles and drinking hot chocolate by the gallon. We have a Tassimo machine now and it makes Oreo hot chocolate and oh my days its yummy. And Rikkis happy because it makes coffee which means he doesn't have to rely on me to make his coffee anymore [my coffee is gross, if I ever offer you coffee run.]

And that's it really , apart from lots of knitting!

Much Love

Frankie

xxx 

Other people accomplishments

Sometimes you have to out source the things you need. My mum needed a blouse and she can sew but she asked me to make it. I needed some new mittens , and yes I can knit , in fact I could probably make a pair myself. But instead i asked Mr Knitwits Nan to make me some! and luckily for me she'd actually just finished whipping up four pairs! YES! FOUR PAIRS!!!!!! 

Anyway she popped them over a little while ago and I was naughty and chose two pairs.

This pair are already a bit dirty I wore them in the garden yesterday and they got a little muddy.

Ill tell you what she makes a cracking pair of mittens! These are actually my 2nd and 3rd pair from her I had a pair for Christmas one year and I wore them so much I put holes in them.

Obviously being a nan she's already made them for little knitwit.

His are Liverpool red naturally! And he also has matching welly socks! 

I don't think there's anything quite as good as knitwear for staying warm in winter!

Much Love 

Frankie

Winter is coming.....

I don't want to alarm you but when I woke up this morning, well, there was a distinct chill in the air. 

Yes a chill

And yesterday a quick trip to the shops left me looking like this . 

Thats right folks, winter is coming, put away those flip flops and dust off your winter wardrobe. 

I don't have a winter wardrobe , in fact when I was at college a friend commented that my transition from summer to winter involved wearing thick tights and a scarf. But that was the good old days, when a puppy dog look in the right direction meant I had a lift to school and didn't have to brave the weather. 

However me and lil knitwit, we walk to nursery, and I mean 20 minute walk. 30 minutes if he's grouchy/tired. In fact it's that much of a walk that I destroyed my winter boots last year, the soles came away and they had to be binned! 

But anyway it's got me thinking about my winter wardrobe and winter fashions. And here's a few things I want to make/buy/steal from relatives this year. 

I want a hat like this, something with a seventies hippy vibe, but preferably in a dark brown/black. 

And I'm going to attempt to make myself a slouchy beanie. There's a few patterns online I just need to find a nice grey wool I like. 

I'm seeing this is a darker grey or black knit with the bones appliquéd on. 

A tartan skirt, I did have some left over tartan poly cotton but I wasn't sure it would hold up to being a wiggle skirt. (Read: my backside would have destroyed it!) 

A grandad jumper, complete with fake leather buttons and chunky cables! Every year I say I'm going to make one for myself and every year I bottle it. Note to self: must be braver, or create knitting monkeys to do it for me. 

A leather jacket, I have a brown one but my sister has a black leather jacket she's getting rid of so there might be a refashion on the books! 

Cable socks, yet again my lack of knitting skill and dedication lets me down. 

I just really love the heart elbow patches!

Stag jumper, send like a pretty simple appliqué project if I can find the right jumper. 

Anchor jumper, ditto

So yeah winter is coming and I'm already preparing myself for cold mornings and wet hair ! 

Much love

Frankie

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