It's been awhile - Show and Tell

Hello there!

How have you been? I've been pretty alright. I may have been a bit quiet on the blog front but I’ve been going crazy on my Tumblr. Check it out! The 'Inspiration Scrapbook' link on this blog will take you there too.

Last weekend I went to a local Knitting and Crochet Group and it was lovely. It was only the second time I had been to the group and I realised that that last time I went was nearly a year ago! Geez! Anywho, it was lovely meeting others who are into the same things as me and from various backgrounds. While I was there I worked on my Granny Square Throw.

This is the throw folded into quarters!

I have been working on this thing for years and years and I think I'm nearly at the end. It’s getting quite large. I think I want to do a decorative edge and then I'll draw it to a close. While I decide what edging I want to do it I've been weaving in and snipping all the tails. So that’s something that’s been keeping me out of trouble.

So I have a little story to tell you. In the later part of last year I became a little obsessed with sewing clothes. I've been reading sewing blogs like crazy (which probably had something to do with my FOMO post), I’ve borrowed heaps of sewing/fashion books from my sister who did fashion at TAFE (kinda like Australian Community College I guess, maybe) and I was gifted a couple of sewing books at Christmas. I had even downloaded, printed and assembled a couple of free sewing patterns; I hadn’t done anything with those patterns, but I had them anyway.

So the New Year rolled around and I thought, “Dammit! I’m just going to sew something. It doesn’t have to be amazing. Just something.” So on New Years Day I woke up and trundled downstairs with some fabric, a downloaded pattern, scissors and some determination. I’ve been slowly assembling this thing ever since and I finally finished it yesterday. So here it is…

My House Pants!

They are a pair of house pants. You know pants you would NEVER wear out of the house. They are really baggy and comfortable. I didn't take a great deal of care making them. There is A LOT wrong with them, but hey, it’s a start. I really am proud of my efforts considering it’s my first wearable sewed item EVER! Even if they look like a really bad Home Ec project :) They’re made from an old sheet that I bought from Lifeline (a thrift store). The fabric has been washed sooo much it’s made the fabric lovely and soft. That’s my sewing story and I hope to be able to add to it, I want to sew some more items of clothing and eventually something I could wear out in the actual world! Gasp! :P 

Oooh and before I go I have to show you the loot from my last shopping expedition to Spotlight (the Mr says he’s going to have to put a “Don’t Serve this Lady” poster of me there. Eeep!)

My Loot from Spotlight

I bought 4m interfacing for sewing pattern testing; 4m fusible interfacing to see if I can use this nifty tip to make my sewing patterns last longer; I bought another 4mm crochet hook with a thicker handle as I've been finding crocheting with my other slimmer hook gets tiring quickly; I bought I couple of D rings because I want to try making an adjustable wrist pin cushion; I've been looking around for this double tracing wheel for ages and I finally found it so I jumped at the chance to buy it; the Velcro is also for the adjustable wrist pin cushion; and finally a French Curve. It was the most expensive thing I bought, but I'm pretty pleased with it. It’s got lots of info in the packaging so I think it will be valuable as I continue to sew.

My new French Curve <3

The back of the Package - Great diagrams!

More great diagrams on the inside too. So great!

The invisible zipper foot I bought from a Janome dealer near the Spotlight I went to.

Invisible zipper foot

I've been lusting after an invisible zipper foot (unnecessarily really) for ages. So I just bit the bullet and bought it. I think the next foot I buy will be a binder foot (something else I've been lusting after unnecessarily, but my theory is if you lust after it for an extended period of time it must mean you REALLY want it).

There are a couple of other things I have to tell you about before I go. So have bought some pretty sweet fabric and I was trying to iron it on my small table top ironing board. FAIL! So last week I bit the bullet and bought a proper ironing board. YIPEE! Check it out!

My real life sized ironing board, mini table top ironing board and red iron rest

The only silly thing is that I had to buy a hot pad for my iron because the board didn't have a pull out rest. Oh well. You can't have everything.

And one last thing. I promise. I picked up this cute measuring tape and scissors set at Big W. I thought I'd lost my measuring tape so I thought heck why not get a measuring tape AND a small pair of scissors.

So cute!

Turns out I hadn't lost my measuring tape at all. Meh. I like my new set anywho! :)

Ok that's enough show and tell now I think. I've got to save the rest for another time. So what's the latest with you? Do you have any ambitions for the new year? How about any Works in Progress? Is there something you're lusting over at the moment?

Do something you're excited about,

V xo