Ducks and Needle Books

I was a naughty blogger yesterday, I had a blog post ready to go (well I say ready, it was written in my head, it just wasn't down on paper/laptop), then disaster struck! I got a  migraine, the crippling, pain ridden kind. The kind that makes you wonder whether or not you would actually rather walk over hot coals than continue on with that particular kind of headache. Put bluntly yesterday my head felt like a ball of wool had exploded and become very tangled, and a 2 year old was trying to untangle it, with a sledgehammer, whilst listening to heavy metal, through a sub woofer.

 

But hallelujah! I'm feeling better, and have something new to show you!!!

 

 

I made these five cute needle books a while ago, but haven't seemed to get round to blogging about them, they've been on my to do list for a while and here they are.

 

 

Being that Little Knitwit is still, well a Little Knitwit. Needles, pins basically anything sharp is treated like a bomb. I actually count pins in and out, yes its that bad, one missing pin can result in two hours of me trawling the carpet on my hands and knees. And a proper good hovering! So this seems like the perfect solution, somewhere pretty I can keep sharp things (aside from my wit of course!)

 

 

The pink is my favourite I think. These are perfect stash buster projects, I used scraps of fabric and scraps of felt.

 

In other news, I also made CAKE! Yes CAKE deserves capitals. I really like CAKE!

 

 

I made this for a friends birthday, he gave Little Knitwit his favourite teddy (Donald duck). Hence the duck!

 

Luckily for me Mr Knitwit brought me a subscription to Disney sweets and treats for my birthday, (isn't he lovely) so I just used to moulds provided! And then iced it. And I managed not to eat all of the icing whilst icing it! (This is an achievement for me, I don't have so much as a sweet tooth as a sweet mouth....Oi! saucy!)

 

I'm definitely pleased with it, although it's not as much fun as crafting because it gets eaten afterwards. All that hard work gone in two mouthfuls.

 

Also quite excitingly, I've added another item to my Etsy shop! (Link can be found on the right hand side of this page) Does anyone remember the owl mobile I made during Pinterest fortnight? Well now its up for sale in my Etsy shop for the very reasonable £12.50!

 

 

 

So glad I feel better now! That's the worst thing about migraines , you can't do anything, no sewing, knitting or drawing. Even lying down in a dark room seems like hard work (not an ounce of drama in that statement at all!)

 

Much Love

 

Frankie

 

xxx

Can Owls Be Couture?

I've been watching to much project runway. I recently realised that I can watch full length episodes on Youtube and I can watch them on the television in the living room. It's bliss! And I think that unconsciously became the inspiration for this project.

 In a few days its going to become a cute little cushion but for the moment it looks like this.

 

 

I think this is such a cute, chic, little owl! Can I use the word chic? Is chic a word that can be used to describe an owl?

 

 

Its got a lot of texture involved and everything is hand sewn, not a machine in site. The eyes are buttons and hand sewn beads. I love that its kind of got a vintage vibe as well, kind of like a 1920's flapper owl!

 

 

I used a lot of texture on it, there's vintage fabric, felt and vintage dolies (thanks to Momma Knitwit and here shopping skills!)

 

 

Metal rings and assorted lace!

 

 

And more beads!!!! You can never have to many beads! Even if I did nearly loose my entire box of beads on the floor.

 

 

Okay so I  know I'm biased but I LOVE it! It doesn't help that I have an unhealthy obsession with owls! But I just think it looks awesome! I'm having a super proud moment!

 

I can't wait to start something similar I'm loving the textured approach at the moment! Although it does kind of remind me of winter with all those layers.

 

By the way if anybody is looking to get rid of their dolies! I know someone who'd definitely be willing to take them off their hands, Wink Wink.

 

Much Love

 

And

 

MAKE IT WORK!

 

Frankie

 

xxx

 

 

 

Searching For An Extra Inch

I should probably start of by warning you that I am absolutely exhausted. This is not an exaggeration, I didn't get to sleep until about 2am and Little Knitwit decided to wake me up at 5.45am, little swine  cherub. Sadly though little knitwit is just like his momma and likes his sleep, I cannot stress enough that if he wakes up any time after 7.30 my son is an angel, polite, well mannered, plays nicely , eats nicely and well if he gets up before 7.30? He just isn't.

But either way I do have some good news I finished my simplicity 4070 dress! Woop, Yay! Zip is in, trims are stitched down. It's lovely! And It fits thank god!

These are the second set of photographs that I have taken of this dress today, it turns out that taking a picture of a white dress against a white wall doesn't exactly work perfectly.

Still love this pattern, so easy to sew, fairly quick and their are so many skirt variations I can try. Here I just opted for a simple gathered skirt. Mainly because I had to sew two pieces of fabric together to get enough so there is a large seam down the middle. The gathers hide this seam quite nicely.

I added lace around the collar and arm holes after I had hemmed them but next time I might just opt for some bias binding.

I had to add the lace down either side of my very first zip because I hadn't left enough room on one side and one of the gathers got rucked up and almost pleated? The zip works fine and looked stunning on one side, so instead of redoing the zip and the skirt I just added the lace to cover it up.

The key hole detail at the back is so flattering!

My next step with this pattern is to work out how little fabric I can get away with using, I mainly draft my own skirts so the pattern packet is of no use to me . I've found an amazing site online called fabric rehab and it has so many beautiful and fun fabric choices, so I just need to work out how much fabric I will actually need and then I might just have to spoil myself!

The only other thing going on is me trying to finish off my knitting, I'm very close to the end I've just got a few inches to go and they keep eluding me! It doesn't matter how long I knit for, whenever I re measure I never seem any closer! Its pretty soul destroying work so I'm hoping it will be finished tonight! Although feeling how I feel I might just down a glass of wine and go straight to bed!

Much Love

A very sleepy

Frankie

xxx

Lazy Day's

As promised I finally got some pictures of me wearing my handmade pyjamas! My lovely daddy was kind enough to offer his photography skills for this occasion! 

 

As usual please prepare yourself for the usual round of awkward posing, although I did have enough sense to crop out my eyes because of the horrific bags underneath them (no seriously you could have packed those bad boys for two weeks holiday, abroad, with children) 

 

 

I still love them, they are very comfy and I love that I made them myself!!!!  However I was not aware of just how short I am!!! I blame my daddy he must have caught me at a weird angle, I'm fairly sure that I'm a six foot amazon women who should be strutting the runway and winning Americas next top model. At least I'm fairly sure.

 

 

Here's the bottom by themselves I should probably add that I'm didn't make the vest top its a Primark original!

 

 

And the robe is back on! So glad I put the pockets in perfect for carrying my phone around. I know there just patch pockets but they are the neatest patch pockets I have ever done!

 

In other news!

•  Simplicity 4070 dress done! Including a zip! my first one EVER! Just need to finish stitching the trim down. And by the way my zip was met with approval from both Momma Knitwit and my Aunty (who is quite the dress maker herself!)
• Starting Lil Knitwits jammies today!
• Knitting always knitting! Never stop knitting.
• And spending far to much time looking at fabric online! And drooling, and then drooling some more. 

Much Love

 

Frankie

 

xxx

Cos she thinks shes made of candy...

Ever get a song stuck in your head? Well I think it influences my crafting, I had candy by Robbie Williams in my head making this and it came out sweeter than sweet.

 

 

Here's an action shot of the little lady holding my door open.

 

 

I used wood effect buttons for the details, I think it stops it becoming too much! All those bright colours needed something to tone them down. 

 

 

I'm loving the multi coloured pompoms at the moment!

 

 

This piece will bee arriving in my Etsy shop shortly as soon as I've finished my brew!

 

 

It all seems to be owls at the moment, Its either owls or cowls with me at the moment! Basically anything that doesn't make me want to cry if Lil Knitwit unravels it!

 

But I do have some interesting things on the go at the moment!

 

- Making some PJs for little Knitwit

- Finishing my simplicity 4070 dress, I'm hoping to get the zip in today although my aunties coming over tomorrow and she is an excellent dress maker so I'm tempted to leave it and ask her to show me.

- Starting a cat doorstop , Yes a cat! Not an owl or a cowl!!!!

- Two clothing alterations both on vintage pieces.

- And I am determined to add those last two flaming triangles to my English paper piece quilt all it needs two triangles and then that's it! I just have to baste and quilt! But I do think I've worked out why I'm putting it off, I'm not quite in love with it. But I've decided that's okay its main job (once fully finished) will be as a poorly quilt for the boys so when their ill they wont be dragging nice quilts downstairs. No yucky germs on clean bedding!

 

Much Love

 

Frankie

 

XXX

 

Will I Ever Learn?

As mentioned in my previous blog post, yesterday I started recovering my cushions. It took a little bit longer than I was expected, mainly due to my inability to measure accurately. I don't know how many times I have had parent/teachers/friends tell me to measure twice cut once. But either way I still haven't learnt my lesson, I might have  definitely measured the new covers wrong, luckily after some swearing and stuffing of inserts into the new covers I got them finished! I did them the lazy way and didn't put in any fastenings just slip stitched the openings closed after sewing. This is for practical reasons, Little Knitwit has developed a fondness for zips and for stuffing his toy cars into the covers and reclosing them. I'd just like to say you have not felt pain until you've plonked yourself down with a nice hot brew and found yourself with a matchbox car up your jaxi and hot tea over your lap.

 

 

I only recovered the brown cushions they used to be a mix of grey, white and beige. So know we have three "accent" cushions (Mr.Knitwit laughed at me when I used this term earlier) and the rest are dark brown suede.

 

 

This my little nest, do you like my cushion? Its a vintage sewing machine cushion and was given to me this Christmas by my brother and his family, it reminds me to make something beautiful everyday.

 

In other news I've started the top half of my dress for OWOP, I'm using simplicity 4070, well the bodice at least I always tend to go a bit rouge on skirts depending on how much fabric I have left. I've used this pattern before and loved it but always managed to avoid the zip putting in part. I've never done a zip before, I've read up on it in pretty much every sewing book I have but to be honest its about as clear as mud so I'm envisioning a lot of ripping out in this project.

 

 

And yes that is a pattern envelope with ALL the pieces inside! Anybody who has used a pattern before knows that once you've opened that envelope your chances of getting anything back into it are slim to none! But I used to go walking and spent years folding ordance survey maps! Patterns are nothing!

 

 

This is my start to the bodice, I'm working in a nice white linen, and hoping to add a linen skirt. It has princess seams and it's going to have a zip. My first one ever!!! And as with everything else it needs a good iron!

 

Now I'm off to try and finish my knitting! I keep saying that but other things keep cropping up!

 

Much Love

 

Frankie

 

xxx

 

 

 

Too Late . . .

Do you ever make some thing and just wish you had finished it a little tiny bit sooner? I knitted this owl ages ago and only finished it yesterday, four days to late. When I picked out the colours I didn't think it would look like this in the end, I'm really glad he does but if I'd have known I'd have worked faster, Much faster.

 

Without further ado I'd like the introduce you to..... "Mr I would have been perfect for a 4th of July post, owl"

 

 

Here he is Mr Red White and Blue!

 

 

Isn't he sweet? He's going to be up in my Etsy shop very soon! If you haven't been over for a visit in my Etsy shop please do pop over and take a peek (you can find a link on the right hand side of this page). there's lots of lovely handmade completely unique owls in there, all looking for new homes!

 

 

I sign all my owls with my initials, I think it gives them a personal touch. Reminds people that this object was made by an actual human person not just a machine! (Although sometimes I do feel like a machine, not the cool Terminator kind. More the plodding along Wall-E kind)

 

 

I had to add a bow tie to make him look festive!

 

 

And multi coloured pompoms!

 

And as its WIP (Work in Progress) Wednesday, I better tell you what else is being stitched together in my house at the moment.

• I'm finishing off another owl this one is larger much like my black, white and red one.
• I've started a dress in a really nice linen, I'm using a old pattern I worked with a few times and that I love (more on that later) so I can take part in the OWOP (One Week One Pattern) That Handmade Jane is hosting! I'm so excited!
• But right this second, my work in progress is my scatter cushions, lovely future mother in law was getting rid of some dark brown fabric, so I'm using it to cover 8 cushions! I know right 8 but trust me they all need doing my old cover were so grotty!

What have you been up to this week?

 

Frankie

 

xxx