Mister postman

I hate receiving parcels! I'm a stay at home mum yet they always seem to come just when I've popped out! And yesterday when I was visiting momma I missed not one but two! Deliveries! Luckily the Hermes delivery person came back so I revived my new look goodies last night but I had to traipse to the post office this morning to get my hobbycraft parcel! And it's a massive pain in the bum bum because there are only two parking spaces! But I've got my parcel now so all is well! 

And here's what I got! (I had a gift card as a Christmas present) 

 

It's all pretty boring really! Ball point needles and standard needles. 

Bright pins! 

Some needles and thread! 

And two new zips! All pretty standard stuff but necessary all the same! 

And at least now the new megan I cut out last night will have a zip! 

Much love

Frankie

Xxx 

Fitting!

Today has been busy! 

Dropped lil Knitwit at nursery

Had a shower

Braved tesco in search of nappies!

Picked up lil Knitwit

Went to my old school to sign the condolences book for a sadly missed teacher

And then went to check in momma Knitwit! 

Momma Knitwit suffered a fall yesterday (she does this quite often!) so me and lil Knitwit popped round to provide some cheering up and humour! And doughnuts we also took doughnuts!

Anyway I between my busyness I managed to fit in some fitting! 

My Robert dress that I made AGES ago was in desperate need of some TLC! I actually couldn't wear it, like at all. I'm not sure if it's bad sewing (probably) lack of fitting skills (definitely) or the fact I seem to have lost a lil weight but now if needs work! 

Due to having a new dummy I just worked off her (we are basically the same size !) 

I'm sure I've not put the darts in the right places but at least ilm be able to wear it now ! And no I don't have any before photos! Too embarrassing! As you can see I'm also taking a good two inches off the hem! 

And I think I'm going to change my ribbon back closure for a button. More security! 

Hope this works! If not it'll be the unpickers for me! 

Much love 

Frankie 

Xxx

Tidy up time!

I don't have a sewing room, I have a space in a room which is a dining/guinea pig/DVD storage/game table/ music center/ sewing room.

Yeah there's not room to swing a cat! Disclaimer : cat swinging is not recommended.

Anyway this is what it looked like...

That's a pana something photograph, fancy huh? 

As you can see very very messy! 

But now it's nice and tidy! 

Vivien has her own spot!

I'm using the coffee table as a Frankie storage table! 

My new boxes from mr Knitwit! These contain patterns , buttons and beads! 

Do you like my thread ball? It used to have chocolates in.... Not sure where those went? 

My filing cabinet! This contains, knitting bits, ribbon, lace, felt, tissue paper, notebooks, odds and sods, zips, elastic , felt tips and crayons! 

My book stack! Surprisingly I use a lot of these for reference! 

And finally my vanity case which I found in the loft when I cleared it out! This now contains, scissors, unpickers, curves, sewing machine feet , tailors ham, pin cushion and other bits that I always need by my sewing machine! 

Do you have a dedicated sewing space? Or do you share? 

Much love

Frankie

Xxx

Tinker bell stocking

I think this is the last if my Christmas makes, but saying that I'll probably find another one right after I've posted! 

This was made for a very special and lovely customer as a custom order. 

It's a tinkerbell Christmas stocking! (Like the post title didn't give it away! 

I used chain stitch to hand embroider the name. And added bells because well it's Christmas and Christmas is a time for bells! 

I stitched on some of my Christmas ribbon for a loop. Incidentally does anyone hang theirs from their fireplace? We pin ours up the wall? 

The tinkerbell was machine appliqué using felt, some of those tiny peices were not fun to work with! Especially when my sewing bulb went! 

More bells on the toe!

The body was worked in red cotton and I free handed the shape, and it's fully lined! 

I actually had a blast making it! Mainly I think becuase I haven't done appliqué in years! And it's basically a big jigsaw puzzle! 

Much love 

Frankie

Xxx

A Tribute

Today I received some bad news. I did have another post ready but this seemed more important. 

When I was eighteen and studying for my a level textiles I was the only student in the class and I had two teachers, miss Jenkins who was sweet and free and kind. 

And Mrs Leigh, who has recently passed away. 

She was a wonderful teacher and a fantastic person , she taught me how to care about my work and inspired me to be better. 

When you were taught by Mrs Leigh you worked hard, she pushed for excellence. Find your best and beat it.

She was also funny and kind, she made me cups of tea when I had to write my essay (I hated writing then). 

She showed me how to make a collar and how to do French seams. And she taught me that it was okay to like this stuff. That it's okay to knit and sew, to think embroideries cool and to want to spend hours designing the perfect gown. That it was okay to be me, to just be creative and to skip the intellectual stuff. 

She was pretty dammed cool, even if she did terrify me at first. 

I think that the people of this world are moulded by the people that taught them, the ones who imparted knowledge and who gave inspiration. To Mrs Leigh I was probably just that strange girl she taught, that she had to deal with one on one (I'm presuming I was fairly trying some days) but to me she was one of the people that shaped who I am, and who put me on the path to my future. I would have liked her to know that I'm still doing this stuff, and that I always think of her when I clip my corners, fabric wise of course, you did not cut corners with Mrs Leigh, you aimed for perfection.   

I hope that her family can find comfort in her memory just like I do.

X

New year!

New year! New me! I'm changing everything about myself as of that last chime of midnight!

Nah I'm joking, I'm pretty darned awesome so I think I might just make some alterations! 

1- knit more, it's stupidly relaxing and it stocks my etsy shop! 

2- sew more! I'm enjoying sewing clothes so much! In fact I recently brought some fabric with my Christmas money! 

This is a check print polycotton from Minerva fabrics!

And this is a blue bengaline stretch suiting also from Minerva fabrics! (And apparently it does like to be photographed!) 

3- be more organised! I actually started this already! I've cleared out our loft and given it a good sort! (6 bin bags if rubbish! Not even stuff we don't need just rubbish!) I did find some gems

A lil book on quilting quotes! 

Leather elbow patches!

Vintage reproduction postcards and a neat vanity case! 

Sewing patterns!

4- run more, not to get fit just to de stress!

5- make more cake, I like cake and I like to eat it. Win win!

6- do more craft fairs! 

7- be awesome 100% of the time! (I'm currently working at like 95%) 

Have you got any New Years resolutions?

Much love

Frankie

Xxx

VW split screen barn door!

This was one of my commissions over Christmas! 

It was ordered by my mum and comes from a private family joke.

Which obviously I'm now going to share with the entire internet! 

Once upon a time myself and momma and poppa Knitwit were traveling in France. We happened to go to the beach for the day and soon realised that French women in particular quite like wandering around with tops on, or coats, or bras. 

Anyway boobs were swinging merrily in the breeze (not mine or mommas, but other ones) when suddenly my mum noticed my dad's gaze being pulled in one particular direction. She allowed it to continue for a moment (only human after all) then decided it was being drawn too much and threatened to chop his winky off (I actually can't remember what she said so that's fiction but she wasn't happy) 

Anyway bless him my lovely daddy turned round and replied , "what? That's a vw split screen barn door? They are really rare? Of course I'm not looking at her!" And then he finished the whole charde off by tutting and saying " looking at her? She's got nah tits!" 

And since then the sighting of a split screen barn door VW campervan has become quite a big thing in our family! Hence me making this doorstop! 

There's not really much more I can say about this after that cracking tale, it's got a personalised number plate and a "no tits" sign in the window! I sewed the entire thing by hand and had to use a bread knife to cut the foam.

I had great fun making it and I can't wait to start another! 

Much love

And sorry if this was too much information!

Frankie

Xxx