Ducks and Rabbits

Bubbles and Ice Cream

2012-02-02T11:39:00.000+11:00

I made this bubble skirt for my friend's 3 year old. She always wears very trendy clothes and I thought this fabric and look would suit her perfectly. I can't wait to see it on her!

The fabric is from Joel Dewberrys' Aviary 2 collection - sparrows in aqua, and is lined with a basic muslin. I kind of made up the pattern, but it's heavily based on the skirt from the Oliver + S bubble dress. I used the front skirt and front lining pattern pieces, size 24 months, to cut out both the front and back pieces of the skirt and lining (this worked well for a size 3 skirt, as on the dress the skirt starts up well above the waistline). Then I stitched it together and stitched the elastic as per the pattern. I completed it with a simple elastic casing at the top for the waistband.

I really love it and secretly wish it was in my size. I've been contemplating how to replicate it for me, but it would be more complicated with gathers and a zipper, so not too sure yet.

I thought I'd also include some photos of my daughter wearing her ice cream dress and top, now that they fit properly!

Today, I'm laying out my son's quilt blocks. I might have a quilt top before the end of the week!

Kitchen Curtains

2012-01-26T08:36:00.000+11:00

Really? Have I not blogged since my giveaway winner post? Sorry about that - times have been busy (in good ways, mostly) - overseas visitors; brother-in-law's wedding (can't wait to show you the flower girl dress I made my daughter); my sister's moved here!!!

I've got lots of projects to blog about, some from ages ago, so here's the first one - our kitchen curtains. Yes, it took five years for me to make a window covering for our kitchen, but at least these are pretty awesome, thanks to Melody Miller's Ruby Star Rising fabric. I was super excited when I showed my husband about a dozen fabric options and he chose this one! I was even more excited when an online search turned up this fabric half-price - making it much more affordable. Somehow I managed to order just a bit less than I needed, so I used some Denyse Schmidt Country Road from my stash to make the casing and some tiebacks - it coordinates really well.

Unfortunately, I found it seriously hard to take a good photo of curtains, as they were so back-lit. Hopefully you get the idea.

I've got lots of little Christmas presents to blog about, and that flower girl dress - I'm just waiting for some photos from the proper photographer.

And the winners are...

2011-12-17T20:46:00.000+11:00

The three winners for my SMS giveaway have been chosen by the random number generator. Thanks so much to everyone that entered - I wish I could give you all a prize!

The Grand Prize Winner is #400:

Robin said...

My favorites are the Punctuation charm pack and the Lizzie house scraps. I just can't seem to get enough of scraps!

So Robin gets her two picks - Prize #3 - Punctuation Charm Pack, and Prize #2 - Lizzy House scraps (which I've added some more to!). Congratulations Robin!

The next winner is #260:

baukje said...

I would love to win 1 and 3. My favorite salad, very easy. Lentils with oignons , herbs and smokes salmon

Baukje, you get Prize #1 - DS Quilts fabric.

And the last winner is #15:

Katherine said...

And I'm a follower! Have been for a while. :)

And in her comment #14, she wrote:

Katherine said...

Prize #2 and Prize #4 would be my top two picks :)

I always bring something called "Berry Mallow Yam Bake" - it is a casserole that has yams, whole berry cranberries, a oatmeal brown sugar crumble on top and browned marshmallows on top of all of that. Really yummy!

So, Katherine, you have won the Moda scrap bag, and given me a super yummy casserole idea!

I'll email all the winners tomorrow to organise details.
Thanks again!

Crayon Rolls for Christmas

2011-12-16T20:23:00.000+11:00

Crayon Rolls

Firstly, a quick hello and thank you to my followers - old and new. You've provided me with such wonderful support, inspiration and assistance in my crafting endeavors (and sometimes life, too)! I'm a bit overwhelmed again by the response to my giveaway - thanks so much, especially for all the food tips; I hope to add some dishes to my repertoire. My giveaway will be open a bit longer than the official time (I'll be sound asleep here in Australia at 6 pm PST); I'll close the comments when I get up in the morning, and draw the winners sometime during the day. I'm so excited to pick and announce the winners!

Crayons galore!

I've made three more crayon rolls, for Christmas presents, using Skip to My Lou's easy-to-follow tutorial. Every bit of it - from the size of the pocket to the length of the ribbon, works great. But what works even better is Lizzy House fabric - those peeps are just the right height for the pocket - don't you love it?

Red Letter Day Ugly Duckling

The above fabric is particularly special to me, and since my little girl loves pink, this one is for her! Lizzy House Red Letter Day Ugly Duckling on the outside; pearl bracelet on the inside; and some DS Quilts for the pocket - I thought they looked great together.

Castle Peeps - for boy

The next two are for a sister and brother - our friends' kids that we're about to meet for the first time when they visit from Holland (for Christmas). So I made coordinating Castle Peeps rolls.

Castle Peeps - for girl

I love how the peeps look like they're guarding the crayons!

On Guard!

So that's three gifts finished, about a dozen I'd like to complete before Christmas. I'll be happy if I finish four more. How many gifts do you still hope to make?

SMS Giveaway Day!

2011-12-12T21:54:00.001+11:00

**COMMENTS CLOSED**

It's finally here, the SMS Giveaway Day - I needed a good excuse for a giveaway! I've got not one, not two, not three, but FOUR prizes to giveaway, to three lucky winners. The first two are pretty special to me, and will be a bit hard to let go! The second two have been sitting in the stash and I hope will find a happier home.

All four prizes

Prize #1 - DS Quilts fabric

Prize #1 - DS Quilts

Four 1/4 meter+ cuts of DS Quilts fabrics that are exclusive to Australia/New Zealand. More than 1 meter of gorgeousness! Please note that the top two fabrics are pre-washed and dried as I used them to make a dress and a skirt for my little girl.

Prize #2 - Lizzy House scraps

Prize #2 - Lizzy House scraps

My followers and friends know that Lizzy House fabrics are one of the things that got me started sewing. This bundle contains various sized charms and strips from the Red Letter Day and Castle Peeps lines. It weighs about the same as a charm pack. I should be able to add some more when I cut the fabrics for an upcoming project.

Prize #3 - Punctuation Charm Pack


Prize #3 - Punctuation Charm Pack

Prize #4 - Moda Scrap Bag

Prize #4 - Moda Scrap Bag

I only just broke the seal to take this photograph. They're lovely fabrics but not the bright colours I like to use. I've searched a bit to figure out which collection this is, but haven't had any luck. Anyone know?

How to enter

Leave a comment with your first two prize preferences. You could also tell me about the side dish or salad that you like to bring to holiday parties.
Leave a second comment if you follow my blog.

I will randomly pick three winners. The grand prize winner gets their two prize choices. The next two each get one prize.

Extra Information

I will ship prizes internationally.
Giveaway starts now and is open until December 16 at approximately 5 p.m. PST
I will post about the winners and email winners.

Good luck and happy giveaway day entering!

SMS Giveaway Day

Ruffled Skirt

2011-12-12T20:50:00.000+11:00

This skirt has already gotten a lot of wear; it's about time that I posted about it!

Bubbles

I made it without a pattern - a long strip gathered to make the ruffle, and a rectangle for the top section, 'gathered' by the elastic waistband. The only reason it took me a while to make is that I'm a bit of a perfectionist when it comes to things like gathering.

Striking a Pose

The fabric is DS Quilts and I love how the two prints work together (the blue is an Australian-only print - be sure to check out my SMS Giveaway post for a chance to win some). I got the best compliment from my husband - he asked where I'd bought the skirt!

Brotherly love

Coming up next, my SMS Giveaway Day post. If you don't know what Giveaway Day is, click the link below to find out. Good luck to everyone entering giveaways!

SMS Giveaway Day

Another sweet little dress

2011-11-20T16:53:00.001+11:00

Sweet Little Dress #2 has been gifted. I made it for a good friend's one-year-old. I let her choose the fabric (mum, not the 1 year old!) and was really happy when she chose this fabric from the Habitat line. I think it makes a pretty hip urban baby dress.

I made the 18 month size and added a bit of length to the elastic, with the hope that it will also fit next summer as a top.

I got to see her in it the other day and it looked great - a little bit big but that's better than small!

In WIP news I finally cut the fabric for Mimi's flower girl dress - it's from the Bliss line. I really hope it fits. I added a bit of length to both the bodice and the skirt for my very tall girl. I figure if I make it now and it doesn't work, that gives me time to make something else or buy something! I'm using the Oliver + S bubble dress pattern. Wish me luck!

Sweet Little Dress

2011-11-12T15:22:00.000+11:00

I rarely sew (or knit) a pattern more than once. I enjoy the challenge of figuring something out the first time, and usually find it a bit boring to repeat the same motions again. This pattern, however, is different - it is very simple and quick to put together, and the result is exceptionally cute! I've already made two more (but they're gifts so still a secret). The only challenge was getting this little one to stop and pose!

The pattern is called Sweet Little Dress by Leila & Ben. I definitely recommend it!

I used fabric from the DS Quilts line sold here in Australia and am really happy with how it looks. I would love to make myself a dress using the same fabric (I have a great new Japanese pattern book with the perfect pattern in mind).

So in future posts expect to see some more sweet little dresses. And I'm still planning on a tutorial for a ruffled skirt made out of fat quarters. And finishing the wheels quilt. And, most importantly, sewing Miriam's dress for her Aunt and Uncle's wedding! That's only some of what's planned in my head. Does anyone else need more time to sew and less time to daydream about sewing?

Castle Peeps Skirt

2011-10-09T11:11:00.000+11:00

I thought about making this skirt for a long time. I really need to start using my precious fabric so I finally got it out, cut it and made this. It was so much fun! And it turned out just as I wanted. I only had fat quarters of the Castle Peeps fabric, so I made this up as I went along, using the amounts of fabric I had. The bottom ruffle is from Riley Blake Bloom and Grow - I think it compliments the Castle Peeps perfectly.

Miriam loves to wear it. We call it her princess skirt and she sings the theme song to the show Little Princess while she wears it. As you can see (and as I'm sure many of you experience), it's impossible to get her to stay still and pose for a photo!

I have so many cute fat quarters, but no skirt patterns that use the right sizes. That's why I've made up some patterns myself. I could write up a tutorial and measurements for how to make ruffled skirts using only fat quarters. Anyone interested?

Mimi's Miffy Birthday Party

2011-10-02T16:04:00.000+11:00

My beautiful girl recently turned two (well, about 5 weeks ago now). I had lots of fun preparing a Miffy party for her. It's actually really hard to find Miffy things to buy, so I focused on the colours and made my own paper bunting:

And used colour-coordinated balloons:

Now, the cake wasn't perfect (I was frantically cutting and icing it about an hour before the party!), but everyone knew who it was, and the birthday girl was happy. I must thank the talented and generous knitknotnat for the cake inspiration and template that she kindly emailed me. You must check out her cake, which is much more impressive than mine!

Notice the cute little Miffy cookies - a good friend lent me her cookie cutters - these were so much fun to make, and the kids loved them:

I try to make 'lolly bags' reusable; I found cute containers and decorated them with personalized stickers:

I know my kids are now using theirs as little treasure boxes.

Warning: upcoming posts shall feature my cute little girl in cute little handmade skirts and dresses - I've been having way too much fun now that the weather is warming up!

Another red letter day tote

2011-09-30T21:00:00.001+10:00

I made this ages ago, as a gift. I didn't write a post when I took the photos (so as not to spoil the gift), and forgot until now!

I used the same pattern as for this bag, the Left Bank Granny Bag from the book Carry Me, by Yuka Koshizen. This time I left off the pocket - I still use my bag daily, and I never use the pocket. I figured that way it could be reversible, too. I also made a matching lil cutie pouch.

I hope she loves it and uses it lots!

Hello Again

2011-06-27T16:18:00.001+10:00

Wow! Has it really been so long? Thanks to everyone that's stuck with me and especially to those who have sent me personal messages to check that everything was OK. Things are fine here. In fact, they're great - I live in a beautiful country with my husband and two beautiful and healthy children. Life's just gotten, well, busy. I think I've pulled out the sewing machine 3 times since February. Why? I went back to work. Again, so lucky that I live somewhere where I could choose to go back part-time, but seven days every two weeks leaves me without much energy to sew or knit. I've also started teaching at a different school, with all the extra work planning new lessons and getting those kids under control!

The good news about working? I've got money to buy fabric - I'll save that for another post, when I've had time to snap some photos of it all!

But I thought I'd show you something completely different...we got a new printer yesterday (love it!). We haven't had a printer at home in years and we quickly printed out all sorts of things for the kids to do. And my husband printed out a page to make this:

Anyone who has seen My Neighbor Totoro will no doubt recognise this creature! Isn't it incredible? Here's the link to the pdf. I have never made something out of paper like this and have certainly learned a lot from this first project.

And for a bit of sewing...I made this ages ago for my girlfriend's one-year-old's birthday. It's the skirt from the Portabellapixie Gracie pattern.

I've cut fabric to make myself a new skirt and a tote bag, both using some Echino fabric. Hopefully I'll be able to get the machine out soon to stitch! And now that things are starting to settle down at my 'new' school, hopefully I'll find more time to craft, and to blog again! I miss it.

castle peeps!

2011-01-24T22:06:00.000+11:00

I had so much fun making this crayon roll! And I can’t imagine any young boy or girl that wouldn’t delight in all its castle glory. The only thing I’m worried about is keeping it away from the recipient's mother!

I bought fat quarters of castle peeps in every colourway a while ago, but haven’t had a special enough project for it yet. But I didn’t hesitate to cut it for this – part of a little care package for our friends in Brisbane. While their house was spared the worst, the cleanup of their backyard and garage and neighbours’ houses is unimaginable. Hopefully this, along with some baked goods, will help pick up their spirits.

Pattern: Crayon Roll Tutorial from Skip to my Lou

Fabric: Castle Peeps by Lizzy House

Modifications: Cut the inside and outside fabric pieces 6 inches wide instead of 5 – to accommodate the height of the towers on the outside.

It’s the second time I’ve made a crayon roll using this tutorial. It’s really simple and easy to follow and the measurements work out perfectly. It was fun cutting the strips to take advantage of the fabric design. Don’t you just love how the peeps appear on the inside when it’s unraveled?

By the way, have you checked out the auctions and raffles on make it perfect yet? As of last week they’d already accounted for $45,000 in donations to the Queensland Flood Appeal. Truly outstanding. While the auctions end tonight, most of the raffles continue until Wednesday – a $5 or $10 donation buys you a ticket in the raffle.

Tomorrow morning Toni's posting a Raffles Master List on make it perfect, so have a look! I’ve entered already for a sewing machine from the red thread and an amazing Dr Seuss pillow at a cuppa and a catch up.

jill in wonderland

2011-01-21T21:26:00.000+11:00

I never expected to sew clothes for myself. Sewing for kids is, after all, much more forgiving - they still look cute in something obviously handmade, they don't have figures to fit, and elastic waistbands are the norm. But after honing my skills on lots of little projects (and a couple of small quilts), I jumped in the deep end and made this:

Pattern: Souffle Skirt from Make It Perfect by Toni Coward
Size: Medium
Fabric: Wonderland by MoMo (Moda)
Modifications: I didn't add a contrast band at the bottom, as I didn't want to draw away from the main skirt panel. I cut the rectangles for the main skirt a bit longer than the pattern called for to compensate (basically my one yard cut in half, so just under 18"), and simply hemmed the bottom.

It fits perfectly! And my husband gave me the ultimate compliment, saying, "you don't need to buy clothes anymore." Does this justify a fabric shopping spree?

I could wear this everyday and just stare at the beautiful Wonderland fabric. If you don't know about my obsession with Wonderland fabric, then you should read this, this and this.

Of course, I did learn a couple of things to improve on next time:

Match the zip to the waistband fabric, not the main skirt fabric - that zipper pull stands out a lot!
Place the zipper stops at the top, not the zipper tape! The zip stops about and inch short of the top.

At least I always wear my shirts out, not tucked in, so this gets hidden.

I was so anxious to get this photographed that I had my nearly-four-year-old try to photograph me in it. This is the result:

Not badly composed, but he got the exposure all wrong! Luckily, my husband got home with enough light out to take the second photo above.

Have you sewn any clothes for yourself recently? What did you make?

my sewing space

2011-01-19T17:14:00.000+11:00

This is my kitchen table:

It's also my sewing space. I am envious of the beautiful sewing spaces and rooms I see on Flickr and blogs. But for now, this is all I have. At least it's well lit (this photo was taken in natural light on a gloomy day) and I always start off with a clear and clean space!

This is my machine. It's seriously heavy, but I love it.

I'm not sure I can call it 'mine'. It's my mother-in-law's. But it lives at my house. She tells me I've used it more in a couple of years than she has in decades.

It's a Bernina 830. I think it's from the early '70s. It's fairly basic, but it runs really well. It only has a handful of stitches, a 5-step buttonhole, and is, obviously, 100% mechanical. But it can pretty much do anything, including quilting. I was told it would cost me thousands to buy a modern machine of comparable quality to this one. So this will be with me for many more years!

I love the Bakelite accessories case:

It's filled to the brim with new and old:

I unpacked it all today and turned kitchen table to sewing space to work on this - The Souffle Skirt:

It's from the Make It Perfect book by the wonderful Toni Coward who is organising the Flood Appeal Auctions. If you can't afford the copy she's auctioning, then you can purchase it here.

I've actually finished the skirt - I'm wearing it now, and it fits! But no one else is home to photograph it. I'm in Wonderland heaven! I'll hopefully get some photos soon for my next post.

Happy sewing!

free as a bird gypsy skirt

2011-01-16T21:12:00.000+11:00

I've been resisting the urge to purchase some of MoMo's Freebird fabric pretty much since it was released. So I was delighted to have an excuse to buy some - I just didn't have the right fabrics, or the right quantities of the right fabrics, in my stash, to make a cute skirt for a two-year old. So I was off to a new-to-me fabric shop, where I bought a few bits of Freebird, and whipped up this cute skirt in two evenings:

Pattern: Gypsy Skirt, from Making Children's Clothes by Emma Hardy
Size: 2-3 years
Fabric: Freebird by MoMo (Moda)
Modifications: instead of adding ribbon, I topstitched along the bottom edge of each layer.

Yay! I love how the colours work together (something I'm not always good at choosing). The pattern was straight-forward and easy - just lots of patience and time to get the gathers right.
The birthday girl wanted to put it on straight away. Here she is looking beautiful and pensive:

And holding a balloon. What could be better than a balloon and a new twirly skirt?

Happy Birthday Lila!

Cute!

2011-01-15T13:27:00.000+11:00

I was introduced to Noodlehead and lil cutie pouches by the comments on my giveaway post. I just had to whip up some myself!

I used Bloom and Grow fabric by Riley Blake for the exteriors - I love these prints, especially those dots. The interior is a lovely turquoise blue kona solid, but I just couldn't photograph it well. The tabs are scraps from Modern Meadow and Red Letter Day. The one with dots is for me and the other is part of a belated Christmas present for a friend.

I do like them, but they are rather small (my phone doesn't fit). I think I'll use mine when I go to the pool for a swim, something I aim to do more often this year!
While I was scouring my stash for cute fabric combos, I stumbled upon this:

It looks even better in person! I foresee a cute little pleated tote - with the dots across the top and for the handles, and the peeps (from Lizzy House's Castle Peeps line) as the main body. The dots coordinate well with the whole colourway from Castle Peeps - wouldn't it make a cute playful twirly skirt for a little girl?

Flood Relief

2011-01-13T09:12:00.001+11:00

I'm having trouble writing this post and putting things into words, so I'll just direct you to make it perfect, who is doing an outstanding job of communicating about the floods. She is also coordinating online auctions for handmade items, with all proceeds going to flood relief. So head over for a look. The master auction list will be posted on Monday. Get in touch with her immediately if you'd like to host one yourself.

The Queensland Goverment has also put up this site with information about how to donate to the flood relief appeal.

Edit: I forgot to mention that I don't live anywhere near the flooding. However, I can't imagine that there is a single Australian (as well as many around the world) who doesn't know at least one family affected.

Gift #2 - for a first birthday

2010-12-31T14:52:00.000+11:00

OK, this one is nearly a week late, but it's done now and off to the birthday girl tonight!

The pattern is Gracie by Sandi Henderson (Portabellopixie). I made version A, a reversible jumper, in size 12-18 months. The main fabrics are both Wildwood by Erin McMorris, and for the yoke I used those gorgeous pink honeycombs from Modern Meadow by Joel Dewberry. I really love how they work together, especially with the trees.

The jumper went together quickly, but I'm glad it wasn't one of the first garments I'd sewn - whereas Oliver + S patterns tell you exactly what to do at every step, this pattern left off a few basics. Some of the things I did that the pattern didn't mention include: trimmed all seam allowances to 1/4 inch; added some iron-on interfacing along the back edges for the button holes and buttons; and clipped the seam allowances for smooth curves.

Do you like the big green buttons? I love them! They were from my stash so I was amazed how well they matched.

Hope the birthday girl (and her mum) loves the new dress!

Well, at least one gift got finished on time...

2010-12-29T22:42:00.000+11:00

And it wasn't even a Christmas present! This blouse was made for my girlfriend's daughter's 2nd Birthday. I finished hand stitching the bias edges on the sleeves, wrapped it up, and went to the party.
I used the Oliver + S 2+2 blouse pattern, size 2, short-sleeved version. The main fabric is MoMo Wonderland and the contrast is from Joel Dewberry Modern Meadow. I love those honeycombs!

As I am still quite new to sewing, this project, again, had lots of firsts: first time cleaning and oiling my machine (so not as scary as I thought); first time sewing buttonholes (wow, not hard!); first time making lots of my own bias tape (fiddly, yes, but definitely easier having rotary cut the strips); first time using fabric from, gasp, not the same fabric line (still not too sure how much I like this combo).

This took a lot longer than I expected to sew, as it was quite fiddly throughout, and many seams were ripped and redone. However, those concise and well-illustrated Oliver + S instructions made every step clear. Overall, I'm happy with the result. I look forward to seeing it on its recipient to make a final judgement.

Tonight, I worked another baby birthday present and am nearly done. Next up is a belated Christmas present - another Left Bank Granny Bag. And yes, I still plan to post those links to all the amazing patterns recommended during the giveaway. In the meantime, I'm using all my inner strength to resist buying some of this (already sold out at Hawthorne Threads but still available at fabricworm):

Smashed Grapes - Free Fingerless Mitts Pattern

2010-12-20T12:45:00.003+11:00

I've been a bit neglectful of both my knitting and my knitting friends. So please, have a free knitting pattern. The pattern is shown below and is also available as a free download on Ravelry. If you're not on ravelry and would prefer a pdf of the pattern, leave me a comment with your email address and I'll email it to you.

With many thanks to 1funkyknitwit

test knitter and photographer

http://1funkyknitwit.blogspot.com/

Find me on ravelry as knit1purljill and at

http://ducksandrabbits.blogspot.com/

Smashed Grapes

I have quite a few pairs of fingerless mitts. This is the pair I put on when I need free movement of my fingers. They add a bit of warmth and style while you drive, type, or hang out the washing. This simple mitt pattern, with a thumb gusset, is knit the same for both hands. They match the Berry Bramble Hat by Cosette Cornelius-Bates (cosymakes), using the same moss stitch pattern on the cuffs as for the hat brim. While this pattern is written to be knit using the magic loop method or 2 circulars, it could also be knit on double pointed needles by dividing the stitches equally amongst 3 needles. They can easily be knit 2-at-a-time.

Size

Women’s S (M, L)

Materials

Malabrigo Merino Worsted: 100% merino wool, 192m per 100g skein; 1 skein; shown above in Velvet Grapes colourway; shown on cover in 1funkyknitwit’s handspun

1 x 4.5 mm (US 7), 40” circular needle for magic loop OR 2 x 4.5 mm circulars OR 4 x 4.5 mm double-pointed needles

4 stitch markers (only 2 required if knitting one-at-a-time)

Approx 24 inches smooth waste yarn in a contrasting colour

Tapestry needle

gauge

18 st = 4 inches

Pattern Notes

pm – place marker

sm – slip marker

m1L (make 1 left-leaning stitch) – insert left needle from front to back, under the strand of yarn between the last stitch on the left needle and the first stitch on the right needle; knit this stitch through back loop.

m1R (make 1 right-leaning stitch) – insert left needle from back to front, under the strand of yarn between the last stitch on the left needle and the first stitch on the right needle; knit this stitch.

Directions

Cast on 32 (34, 36) stitches. Divide equally and join to knit in the round.

Cuff

Rounds 1-2: *k1 p1* repeat

Rounds 3-4: *p1 k1* repeat

Repeat these 4 rounds once more, for a total of 8 rounds.

Knit 8 rounds stockinette.

Thumb Gusset

Next round – Begin thumb gusset: K16 (17, 18) pm m1R on the first needle, then K1 m1L pm K15 (16, 17) on second needle.

Knit 2 rounds stockinette.

Next round – Thumb increase: K16 (17, 18) sm m1R K1 on first needle, then K2 m1L sm K15 (16, 17) on second needle.

Continue to increase in this manner, every 3^rd round, until there are 15 (15, 17) thumb stitches between the markers. Note: the increases are always immediately after the first marker, and just before the second marker.

Next round: K16 (17, 18), transfer 15 (15, 16) thumb stitches to waste yarn, cast on 1 stitch in the gap (backward loop method) on the second needle, k15 (16, 17).

Knit 7 more rounds stockinette.

Decrease 2 stitches in the next round as follows: k2tog, knit to end of needle; k2tog on second needle, knit to end (30, 32, 34) stitches.

Cuff

Knit 8 rounds of moss stitch as described under first Cuff section.

Cast off in pattern.

Thumb

Pick up the 15 (15, 17) stitches from the waste yarn and then pick up 3 more stitches in the gap. 18 (18, 20) stitches.

Divide stitches evenly and knit 4 rounds of stockinette.

Cast off loosely.

Weave in ends and block if desired.

Giveaway Winners

2010-12-18T21:23:00.001+11:00

Wow, over 700 comments but it had to come down to just one winner for the Red Letter Day bundle:

Jenniffier said...   So I just found this website today, but it has tons of sewing info, patterns and stuff. http://www.burdastyle.com/ 

Congratulations Jenniffier! I've also sent you an email.

And the mystery prize goes to:

JuneBug said...  My current favorite tutorial is the Lil Cutie purse pouch: http://www.noodle-head.com/2009/10/tutorial-lil-cutie-pouches.html
I've made many for holiday giving, and they're great for scrap use and working with funky fabric combinations. Plus, no pins!!! 

JuneBug has a really cute blog and it seems that she's recently discovered the joys of online fabric browsing (and purchasing). It will be easy for me to put together a bundle of fabrics for her...perhaps to make some more Lil Cutie Pouches? Check your email JuneBug!

Many thanks again to everyone who commented, to my new followers, and to my loyal followers that have been with me from the very beginning. I wish I could send each of you a bit of Red Letter Day!

So what's next? I'm still in the process of compiling everyone's pattern suggestions, and will post the list as soon as I finish it. Tonight, however, I need to cut some patterns and choose fabrics for two birthday presents before Christmas - an Oliver + S 2+2 blouse (size 2) and a Portabellopixie (Sandi Henderson) Gracie Jumper (size 1). Hopefully I'll have photos to post very soon.

Thank you!

2010-12-15T20:31:00.000+11:00

Click here to go to my giveaway post

Wow! I am truly overwhelmed by the response to my giveaway (more than 500 comments already). I'm so glad to have found hundreds of others who share my love for those ducks. I'm also delighted that so many of you have chosen to follow my humble blog. You are all inspiration and motivation for me.

With so many comments, I apologise if I don't reply personally to each of you (though I'm still considering it!). However, I have read every single comment and looked up the pattern, or blog, or book, or tutorial that you've recommended. You've introduced me to many new patterns and blogs and my brain is swimming with ideas. As a thank you for all of the time you put into your comments, I've started compiling a list of all of your pattern recommendations that I will post on my blog shortly.

With so many entrants I'll just have to give out another prize (to the second number selected by random). I'm not sure what it will be yet - fabric, supplies, or a small handmade item. I may wait till I've chosen the winner and stalk their blog to decide!

Thanks so much for joining me at Ducks and Rabbits. And good luck on this and all of the other giveaways!

My First Giveaway!

2010-12-13T21:13:00.001+11:00

Comments closed - winners to be announced shortly!

I'm fairly new to sewing, and even newer to blogging - I started this blog about half a year ago after the last Sew, Mama, Sew! giveaway day. It was an avalanche of inspiration that led me to starting this blog, making my first quilts, and a new fabric addiction. So it's my turn to give back to the blogging community as part of another Sew, Mama, Sew! giveaway day.

Those that already read this blog know that I have some particular fabric obsessions, namely Lizzy House's Red Letter Day and MoMo's Wonderland (thus the name of this blog). So for this, my very first giveaway, I am offering up some Ducks - a gorgeous bundle of Red Letter Day fabric. I hope it makes someone as happy as it makes me!

One lucky winner will get 12 pieces of fabric totalling about 2 yards - all 6 prints in both the Galosh and Feather colourways (including that hard-to-find Ugly Duckling in Feather).

The Galosh colourway (on the left) includes a fat-eighth of each print, except the stripes which is a larger quarter yard.
The Feather colourway (on the right) includes a range of sizes from some large squares to fat eights to two fat quarters.
Aren't they gorgeous?!

And here's how to enter:

I like to sew a bit of everything - accessories, quilts, clothes - but need some more patterns. Please leave me a comment telling me one of your favourite sewing patterns, designers or tutorials.
For a second chance, leave another comment if you are already a follower of Ducks and Rabbits or have become one.

The giveaway is open till Friday December 17th and the winner will be chosen randomly on Saturday. It is open for international entries.

Thanks for visiting!

New stash + giveaway soon

2010-12-12T21:15:00.001+11:00

Firstly, I'm ever so excited to host my first giveaway very soon, as part of the Sew Mama Sew! Giveaway Day:

Sew, Mama, Sew!

Tonight I'm pulling out my stash and even cutting into some of my precious goodies (perhaps some of the collections alluded to in the name of this blog) to prepare my giveaway. So check back tomorrow to see what made the cut!

Now for my new stash...

First, here's a giveaway I won - a beautiful bundle of Heather Ross scraps from The Mad Quilting Librarian. Having only seen Heather Ross fabrics online, I was overjoyed to win this scrumptious bundle, and even more excited when I actually saw them in person - the colours are so vibrant and illustrations so precious.

Then I stumbled upon the tadpoles below on ebay and bought one yard. I'm keen to swap some fat quarters of it, especially if I can get some of the goldfish in exchange.

I also bought 2 fat quarters of Flea Market Fancy on ebay. Again, this is the first time I've seen these fabrics in person. Love them!

Finally, I bought a few metres of fabric from Sew, Mama, Sew! during one of their recent sales. I've been lusting for the Modern Meadow Honeycomb in Pink for ages, and was happy to get it for such a good price.

And also some It's a Hoot of my very own. I love the cute selvages! These fabrics are even more beautiful than they looked online. The bottom fabric is for a skirt for me, and the top for some type of bag.

Now, I better start gathering my giveaway bundles!

Red Letter Day Mod Sampler Quilt

2010-11-20T16:34:00.000+11:00

Well, it's finally quilted, bound, washed and dried AND we've had a sunny day = photos of my Red Letter Day quilt! I love it so much and can't wait to give it to my friend and her kids.

I was also lucky enough to have my big sister visiting, and she helped by holding the quilt up. :)

The pattern is Oh Fransson!'s Mod Sampler Quilt-Along and the fabrics are all from Lizzy House's amazing Red Letter Day line, along with Kona Snow for the sashing. I used 10 fabrics (5 pairs) instead of 12, and made the quilt a smaller 4 x 5 blocks to make it a cot or crib quilt. The dimensions are approximately 40" x 51", after washing and drying.

I also cut and pieced a lot of strips instead of cutting out and piecing all the itty-bitty squares, and was happy with the result. If anyone is interested, I can post some photos and more details regarding this approach.

I was so confident after my first attempt at free-motion quilting, but was quite surprised at how much more difficult it was to quilt this larger quilt. It wasn't the extra area to quilt, it was the difficulty and even physical strain to control all that bulk of fabric. About halfway through the quilting I bought a pair of all-purpose gloves with latex palms from my local grocery store. They were well worth the $5 spent! It made the quilting substantially easier and the stitches a bit more regular. I like to think that the inconsistent quilting adds character to the quilt and overall I'm really happy with the crinkly result.

And here's the doll quilt washed and dried as well. I love how this shot helps put its size in perspective.

Sunshine, beach, visiting family and a finished quilt? Definitely a Red Letter Day.

Red Letter Day Doll Quilt

2010-11-06T14:38:00.004+11:00

Just in time...
Well, just in time for the Blogger's Quilt Festival, but not quite in time for its recipient. I've literally just finished hand-stitching the binding and with less than 3 hours left to post it I've taken some indoor photos on a wet and gloomy day.

Blogger's Quilt Festival

I'd hoped to finish this doll quilt and it's coordinated baby quilt before my girlfriend's baby was born. But the beautiful girl arrived yesterday afternoon, and I have yet to baste, quilt and bind the larger baby quilt. At least I can post some photos of the finished doll quilt - under the assumption that the mum won't be looking at my blog in the next few days with a newborn baby!

This is my second quilt (albeit small) but there were some firsts - first time I pieced randomly (so much fun!) and first time I free-motion quilted (also fun!). I really enjoyed the free-motion quilting and will definitely stick to that for a while, at least until I give in and purchase a walking foot.
I really love the back of the quilt, probably more than the front:

And was pleasantly surprised with how good the quilting looks on my first effort:

The pair of quilts are for a good friend who has just had her second baby girl. Her older daughter and my son are best friends. The idea is that the larger baby quilt is for the newborn, and the small doll quilt is the gift for the new 'big sister' to use with her doll and cradle.
We're off now to visit them and meet the baby girl for the first time!
Thanks for visiting my blog.

An overdue update

2010-09-26T10:41:00.000+10:00

Including giveaway wins (yes, more than one!) and some handmade highlights.

Well, it's been too long since I've posted - a result of being back at work and other commitments that have taken up too much time. I'm actually a bit surprised how much going back to work has impacted on my crafting time - I usually sew or knit in the evening anyway, after the kids are in bed, but I've just been too tired lately!

First, a long overdue post about a my first fabulous giveaway win! It was from the lovely quilary and it feels like it was made just for me:

It was beautifully packaged in a reusable tote, and contained the following goodies:

So perfect! I really needed the pin cushion and scrap bin, and I love the little homes for my essential tools (and the cute little paper cutouts to illustrate what goes where). And, did you notice - it's made with some scissors fabric from my favourite Wonderland line! The flower brooches will be great accessories for my little girl, and I have a bit of a soft spot for vintage patterns - my collection of vintage knitting patterns is massive and these will help grow my small sewing pattern collection. Thanks so much quilary! Such a wonderful prize for my first giveaway win - I can't imagine any being better than this!

And then, about a day after I found out I was the winner of the above giveaway, I got an email from Sew Mama Sew - I won one of the Back to School patterns - it looks like a lot of fun - here's the original post on Sew Mama Sew. I feel so lucky with these two wins!

In other news, my beautiful girl turned one last month. Here she is in her still-too-big ice cream dress, opening presents:

And the cupcakes I made for the party:

And the lolly bags that I sewed, using some oh-so-bright fabric I got on special at my LQS:

They were fun to make, but I can't say I'll be doing it again (especially when I only had to make 7 - I can't imagine doing any more).

I'm finally ready to sit down and do some sewing now, and finally put my giveaway win to good use. It's a top secret project using some of my precious Red Letter Day fabrics - top secret since the recipient may be reading this blog!

Something for me...

2010-08-13T21:16:00.002+10:00

I love my new bag. I don't know what I love the most about it - the Lizzy House Red Letter Day Fabric (ducks in a row), the stripey lining and handles, the internal zippered pocket (first one I've sewn!), or the amazingly endless bottomless pit that will fit everything I need inside.

I needed a bag to throw everything into for the days that I casual teach, and for the outings with the kids that require food, extra nappies, etc. I thought this pattern was perfect. It's the Left Bank Granny Bag from the book Carry Me, by Yuka Koshizen.

The book's a bit intimidating - it's translated from Japanese and most of the instructions are in diagrams, with only minimal words. There were no full-size pattern pieces for this bag, only schematics to measure and cut out each rectangular piece. But having good maths skills I thought I'd give it a try.

I made a few modifications and had to improvise a couple of times where the pattern seemed a bit lost in translation. I'll try to describe them here for anyone planning to use this pattern:

My bag is an inch or two shorter - this way I could squeeze it out of my one yard of ducks in a row fabric. Basically, I cut the width as per the pattern for the entire length of my piece of fabric and squared it off.
I cut my outer piece in half and pieced it so the ducks were right-side-up on both sides :)
The straps were cut from my lining fabric as I wanted to use the stripes. But if you only have 1 yard of each fabric I think you need to use the lining fabric anyway (unless you piece the outer fabric to get the right length).
The pattern has you cut interfacing out for the pocket, but never tells you where to use it. I fused it to the wrong side of the lining fabric, where the pocket gets sewn on.
For the gathers and pleats at the top, the pattern instructs you to randomly sew pintucks. I couldn't see any pintucks in the photo, so I'm not sure if that's what she meant. This is what I did: I 'basted' 7 large tucks (about 1 cm wide), evenly spaced across the top, using my maximum stitch length. I finger pressed them toward the outside of the bag. Then I sewed my gathering stitches and gathered to match the top panel width. Once I completed the bag I ripped out the stitches holding the tucks as well as the gathering stitches. If I did this bag again I'd sew some more tucks (about 1 inch apart instead of 2) before gathering.
After top-stitching the top panel, I slip-stitched the inside seam to add strength and neaten the edge.

I grin whenever I see this bag and look forward to using it all the time! I would definitely make another one.

Ice Cream Dress #2

2010-08-08T15:58:00.000+10:00

I am so happy with this one! And even happier that I even managed to get my model to wear it for a few quick snaps on a cold morning.

Pattern: Ice Cream Dress by Oliver + S, View C
Size: 12 - 18 months; as you can see in the photos, plenty of room to grow!
Modifications: lengthened to size 2 length for my long girl!
Fabric: Calme by Lecien, lightweight

Nearly a year ago I bought a pair of handmade bloomers at a local market, made out of this fabric. I've always loved the fabric, but couldn't really find anything to 'match' the bloomers. So I was delighted to find the fabric, on special, and quickly stitched the blouse to match.

This blouse was so much quicker to make than the dress, for many reasons - no pockets or double hem for View C; I was familiar with the pattern already; I only needed to cut out one extra pattern piece since I'd sewn View A in the same size. On the other hand, the fabric was more challenging to work with as it is so lightweight, but the result was well worth the fiddly-ness.

I love this pattern - It is simple enough to sew yet looks elegant and better than what you can buy at the shops!

Fabric Finds

2010-08-05T16:30:00.002+10:00

Is there anything more exciting than finding an out-of-print fabric that you thought you'd never get a hold of? OK, I'm sure there are plenty (a recent example - my baby girl finally started crawling, well, er, moving forward with great effort); but what great finds!

Those of you who know me know that I am a little bit obsessed with MoMo's Wonderland fabric. My first quilt was made using one and a bit charm packs. And I've previously shared my Wonderland stash with you.

I'll try to make this story short - my girlfriend was in a quilt shop about an hour's drive away and noticed some Wonderland fabrics. She excitedly rang me and brought me back a yard of the pink vine fabric you see below. I couldn't resist and drove down a few days later and acquired the rest.

From left to right: approx 2 yards; 1 metre; 1 metre; 2/3 yard; 1/2 metre; 3 x fat quarters and a 1/4 metre remnant of dots.

I was in heaven! It was a lovely shop and very bright and friendly. Mostly more traditional prints but a good selection of modern fabrics and some Japanese too! So if you're ever travelling in Australia check out Berry Patchwork Shop in Berry, NSW, about 2 hours south of Sydney.

I also picked up some great deals on lecien fabric on special...
For my first garment for me:

For Miriam's second Ice Cream Dress (View C - the blouse):

Next project is the Ice Cream Dress - fabric is washed and ready for cutting.

Ice Cream Dress #1 - Finished

2010-07-25T13:00:00.000+10:00

I've finished my first Ice Cream Dress (well, I still need to buy and sew on a button):

Pattern: Oliver + S Ice Cream Dress, size 12 - 18 months
Fabric: Panache by Sanae for Moda

It's been a learning experience with lots of firsts - mainly gathers and rounded pockets. I ripped out and redid a number of seams, and performed some major surgery on my pockets - probably not noticeable to the greater public, but definitely to me and other sewing enthusiasts!

Before:

After:

Can you see the difference? I hope so! I ripped the pockets off, repressed the curves after clipping the seam allowance and using a cardboard template, and restitched them on using coordinating thread, with a longer stitch length. Oh, and stitched twice. Phew! Now I'm happy.

I look forward to making my second one, and improving the gathers and the back of the yoke. I may get your help to choose the fabrics. But for now, a big bowl of ice cream for me :).

Ice Cream Dress #1

2010-07-20T21:13:00.000+10:00

The Ice Cream Social

I've joined the Ice Cream Social, hosted by the lovely (and relatively local) badskirt and One Flew Over. It's a sewalong for the Ice Cream Dress pattern by Oliver + S. I've been wanting to sew an Oliver + S pattern for ages, so this has been the perfect motivation!

The first dress I'm making is View A, in the 12-18 month size, to fit Miriam this summer. I cut out the pattern and fabric about a week ago, and last night I sewed the button loop and the pockets. Yay! I sewed pockets!

In previous posts, I've referred to a 3 pieces of fabric I received as a gift when Miriam was born - I'm using the other 2 pieces for this dress - Panache by Sanae. I think it's going to look good - and i like how the dots sort of look like sprinkles you might put on your ice cream:

The pockets took a while to make, but I'm pretty happy with the results:

I made the 'v' with the one horizontal stitch as suggested by the pattern. Only realised later that I should have done one diagonal stitch at the pocket yoke corners as well.

I'm pretty sure that I'll be making more than one of these, perhaps view C as well, which is a top. The only challenge will be choosing the fabric!

Latest Projects...

2010-07-20T20:49:00.000+10:00

Since I finished my first quilt, I've been busy completing a few UFOs and have started Joseph's quilt. I've also joined the Ice Cream Social, but I'll write about that in a separate post.

A set of placemats (four of six shown):

I started these months ago, to practice cutting strips using my new rotary cutter, and to practice piecing with a 1/4" seam. I had the tops pieced and the flannel 'batting' and backings cut for months, and finally finished them last night. Hooray! The fabric is Natural Effects by Michele D'Amore. I used most of a set of 6 fat quarters and a bit of yardage. I made up the pattern.

Softie Wheat-bag Friend:

I've made lots of knitted toys; this is my first sewn plushie. I think it was supposed to be a Christmas present; it finally got to its recipient on the weekend. The pattern is the 'Softie wheat-bag friend' from the 'Meet me at Mike's' book, compiled by Pip Lincolne. The pattern is well-written and easy to follow. It's stuffed with wheat kernels to make a nice warm friend! The fabric is mostly from Spotlight with a re-purposed Japanese hanky for the ears.

Do we really have to give it to Auntie Jeremie??

Cheery chicken potholders:

I made these as practice for quilting and for attaching binding and mitering corners. We also desperately needed to replace the potholder we were using under our teapot. So they're really used as trivets instead of potholders. The fabric is Metro Market from Robert Kaufman, with some dots from my local fabric store.

Joseph has claimed the other one as his own coaster; notice how it is perfectly aligned with 'his' new placemat:

Finally, I've made some sample blocks and then cut lots of strips for Joseph's quilt:

The fabric is Wheels from Riley Blake. I think it might be a bit busy and could do with some coordinating solids? Any thoughts?

My First Quilt - FINISHED!

2010-07-13T16:37:00.002+10:00

Basting...a couple of hours quilting...a day or so of indecision...an hour and a half of ripping out stitches...a few more hours of quilting...machine-stitching binding...hand-stitching binding...a wash and a dry...rainy day photos...

At last, my Wonderland Quilt is finished. It's a 'crib-sized' quilt, about 38" x 50", for my baby girl's first birthday in August.

Here's the front:

And the back:

And a close-up of the binding, made using that first piece of quilt fabric (Tweedle Dee in tomato) I ever acquired, as a gift from a friend:

After ripping out a lot of stitches and then re-quilting, I arrived at an amount of distortion and puckering that I think is acceptable, even to my perfectionist self. I think realism reigned, and I had to accept that there were going to be some imperfections, especially using a normal presser foot.

And, I will do it all again. I've already designed and started cutting for my next quilt - a single (twin) bed quilt for my son, using Riley Blake Wheels fabric. It's been really fun involving him in the fabric choice and design process. But that's for another post.

Fabric Stash - Castle Peeps

2010-07-08T16:37:00.001+10:00

I hope you'll forgive another stash post. While I've been productive lately on the machine, I have no photos or finished objects to show off yet. I've made some pot holders and placemats, and I finally basted and started quilting my Wonderland Quilt. It will definitely be a bit wonky, but I can settle for a Wonky Wonderland.

However, I had to share some new stash - Castle Peeps by Lizzy House:

I bought 3 fat quarter sets from Hawthorne Threads, so I basically have a fat quarter of each print in each colourway - joy! I liked these when I saw them online, but I loved them when I saw them in person. The colours are incredible and the peeps are so cute! I like the Cardinal Red colourway (bottom row) the best, even though this was my least favourite online. I think my favourite print is the Castle Fortress (far right).

And the fun and talented Lizzy House is hosting a Summer Camp, with different bloggers posting projects using Castle Peeps (click on banner logo on the right to learn more). I look forward to seeing and participating in some of these projects.

And here is my son checking out the Castle Peeps along with some Wheels:

Fabric Stash - Red Letter Day

2010-07-01T21:42:00.000+10:00

I'm really not sure if this should feel like an accomplishment, but it does. I am now the proud owner of at least 1/4 yard of every print of Lizzy House's Red Letter Day - 18 glorious and gorgeous pieces of fabric. The colours, the images, the whimsy - I love everything about this fabric:

In the photo below, the colourways are Pond, Galosh and Feather, from left to right. Even those names are cute! I think my favourite prints are Walk in the Woods in Pond (green and blue trees on white), Ducks in a Row in Feather (small pink ducks on brown background) and Ugly Duckling in Pond (larger ducks on green). But I also love those amazing stripes, especially in Pond:

I bought all but three prints from various online shops based in the US. Then, the lovely Jenny from Cut.Sew.Iron.Repeat and I did a fabric swap and she kindly included some Stripes in Pond and in Galosh. Finally, I rang a quilt shop about an hour away and they had a few metres left of Ugly Duckling in Feather. I controlled myself and only bought 1/2 metre (prices are sooooo high for fabric here in Australia!). And that completed the collection.

I'm glad my son agrees with me that this fabric is special:

What will this fabric become? Definitely a quilt or two. A summer dress for my baby girl. Maybe a bag for myself. I can't wait to get started!

My First Quilt - Part IV

2010-06-29T20:15:00.000+10:00

A Progress Report

I've made some progress on my Wonderland Quilt. I finally stitched the border on the quilt front:

And I've pieced my quilt back (sneak preview below) and prepared the binding (out of that first inspirational piece of tweedle dee in tomato):

I've got the batting, basting pins, and masking tape ready. Now I'm just waiting for a quiet day (preferably without the kids) to baste. But I'm quite nervous to start quilting. I plan to machine quilt but don't have a walking foot (I can't commit to buying one yet). Any tips? I plan to quilt as in this quilt.

Helena for Miriam

2010-06-22T20:26:00.001+10:00

A few years ago I knit Helena, a free pattern from knitty, for a friend's newborn. It was one of those rare moments where pattern, yarn and colour all came together to create a perfect garment. It is still my favourite handmade project. This is my attempt at recreating it. I do love it, but just not quite as much as the first.

The main yarn is merino silk DK and was purchased from Camelot Yarns in Australia. They often have a stall at the Bus Depot Markets in Canberra. I love that their yarn is grown, produced, spun and dyed in Australia. The merino silk is soft and shiny and has a beautiful drape. They don't have a website but are happy to sell via email: camelotmc (at) yahoo (dot) com (dot) au. The contrast yarn is plain old 100% wool Cleckheaton Country 8ply (DK).

I knit the 12 month size. The main modification is that I used contrast yarn for all the edges and hems, and knit 8 rows garter stitch instead of picot. I also lengthened the sleeves a bit. And used buttons instead of ties for closure. Here's my beautiful girl modelling her new jumper:

And here is the first one I knit (3 month size):

These projects are on ravelry here and here.

My First Quilt - Part III

2010-06-17T22:12:00.000+10:00

I've nearly finished the quilt top and I love it!

I was surprised that I enjoyed sewing this so much - not even the pressing of seams was tedious. It was a joy to work with each little square. And I only needed to rip out about 4 seams (when my second strip came out about 1/2 inch longer than the first!). Of course the squares don't always align perfectly but I can live with that. Here's one of the better 'intersections':

Now all I have left to do is:

Finish the quilt top by adding the border strips
Design and piece the quilt back
Baste
Quilt
Bind

So it should definitely be finished by next winter.

Knitting Pattern: Magic Mitts

2010-06-10T22:05:00.000+10:00

Ever since I began knitting, I have adapted patterns, improvised, and written up my own patterns to meet my needs. A while ago, I formally wrote up a pattern and made it available as a free ravelry download. Now that I have a blog, I thought I'd replicate it here, so that it's available to all web users. My next free pattern, another pair of mitts, will be available soon.

Magic Mitts

This simple mitt pattern, with a thumb gusset, is knit the same for both hands. It uses 2x2 rib cuffs and plain stockinette stitch to show off the lovely self-striping colours of the yarn. It would work well with other self-striping, variegated or solid yarns with a similar gauge to the Lincraft Prism, such as Patons SWS. While this pattern is written to be knit using the magic loop method or 2 circulars, it could also be knit on double pointed needles by dividing the stitches equally amongst 3-4 needles. They can easily be knit 2-at-a-time.

Size

Women’s S [L]

Materials

Lincraft Prism: 70% wool, 30% soybean, Approx 65m per 50g ball; 2 balls

1 x 4.5 mm (US 7), 40” circular and 1 x 5.0 mm (US 8), 40” circular needle for magic loop OR 2 circulars of each size OR 4-5 double-pointed needles of each size

4 stitch markers (only 2 required if knitting one-at-a-time)

Approx 24 inches smooth waste yarn in a contrasting colour

Tapestry needle

gauge

22 st = 4 inches

Pattern Notes

pm – place marker

sm – slip marker

Directions

Cast on 32 [36] stitches on smaller needle. Divide equally and join to knit in the round.

Knit 14 rounds of K2 P2 rib.

Switch to larger needle. Knit 6 rounds stockinette.

Next round – Begin thumb gusset: K16 [18] pm m1R on the first needle, then K1 m1L pm K15 [17] on second needle.

Knit 2 rounds stockinette.

Next round – Thumb increase: K16 [18] sm m1R K1 on first needle, then K2 m1L sm K15 [17] on second needle.

Continue to increase in this manner, every 3^rd round, until there are 9 [11] thumb stitches between the markers. Note: the increases are always immediately after the first marker, and just before the second marker.

Next round: K16 [18], transfer 9 [11] thumb stitches to waste yarn, cast on 1 stitch in the gap (backward loop method) on the second needle, k15 [17].

Knit 3 more rounds stockinette.

Change to smaller needles and knit 7 rounds K2 P2 rib.

Cast off in rib.

Thumb:

Using the larger needle, pick up the 9 [11] stitches from the waste yarn and then pick up 3 more stitches in the gap. 12 [14] stitches.

Divide stitches evenly and knit 6 rounds of stockinette.

Cast off loosely.

Weave in ends and block if desired.

variations

There was quite a bit of yarn leftover, so you can easily add length by knitting more rounds before starting the thumb gusset.

Use 1x1 rib on the cuffs instead of 2x2. Or 3x1, etc.

For a medium size, CO 34 and use 1x1 ribs on cuffs. Increase thumb to 9 stitches as with smaller size.

My First Quilt - Part II

2010-06-08T16:13:00.007+10:00

Last night I arranged 48 Wonderland charms on my dining room table. They're on top of the fabric I'll use for the sashing, but the sashing will be wider (1.5") - I just didn't have enough room anywhere. Here's what I came up with:

I arranged the blocks quite deliberately. With my minimal knowledge of colour theory and design I divided the charms into 3 groups:

light - cream background
medium - green, blue, pale pink background
dark/bright - red, bright pink, brown background

Next I started to place them one by one (starting at top left and winding down row by row), choosing from the pile I thought best at the time. As much as possible, I also alternated, checkerboard style, between the regularly patterned blocks (butterflies, scissors, dots, etc.) and random blocks (floral, etc.). For the 8 extra blocks I needed from my second charm pack, I chose the blocks that I also have in yardage. A few snapshots and a few swaps of blocks led to the final arrangement above.

I noticed that I'd placed most blocks that were directional right-side-up - as if the quilt had a top and bottom. I randomly changed some to see which I prefer. Here are the two side by side:

So the big questions are:

How's my layout? I want the eyes to travel all over the quilt and not just focus on one part. Are there any squares I should swap around to better achieve this?
What about the orientation of the squares? Random or all in the same direction? Can you even tell the difference between the two above?

Remember, this is my first quilt, so I'd love all and any advice!

My First Quilt - Part I

2010-06-07T15:12:00.001+10:00

I began writing this post and then realised that I was writing about my process. I've therefore decided to take the Process Pledge:

I've been thinking about my first quilt for some time now (at least 6 months). I've spent lots of time browsing Flickr and blogs and then daydreaming about how I could best use my Wonderland charm squares. Some of my favourite Wonderland quilts are below:

1. Untitled, 2. Autumn Cot or Lap Charm Quilt, 3. Wonderland Jelly Filled, 4. Gingham in Wonderland, 5. quilt front, 6. Wonderland Quilt

Although I love the idea of 1.Untitled (could make with my charms and honey bun) and 5. quilt front, I've decided to do a sashed quilt like 4. Gingham in Wonderland. I think the best part of a quilt made with this fabric is the fabric and that the sashing really frames each little work of art. As for the other two that I like, well, I think for my first quilt I should stick to some basic piecing.

The next step was working out how big to make the quilt and how wide to make the sashing. This is for a cot quilt for my beautiful daughter, and some Internet research said some common sizes are 36" x 48" and 40" x 52". As for the sashing, the quilts I liked the best on Flickr had a ratio of about 5":2" in width, including the seam allowance. Thus the blocks with turn out to be 4.5" square and the sashing will be 1.5" wide. A bit of maths led to deciding on the final size: 6 charms x 8 charms = 38" x 50" quilt.

Next is arranging the 48 charms out before sewing, but I'll leave that for another day.

Adventures in Wonderland

2010-06-05T16:31:00.003+10:00

This is the fabric that started it all:

I was given 3/4 metre of this gorgeous fabric as part of a gift when my baby girl was born. This was my introduction to quilting fabric, and the concept that you could use it to make garments. What began as 3/4 metre has turned into this:

and this:

I was so pleased to find the charm packs and the honey bun online, so that I at least own a scrap of each of the 40 prints. Some creative Internet searching turned up some more yardage, but I was overjoyed with the limited reprint and picked up the larger scale prints (below) and the dots. I love these (forgive the creases):

So, what are my plans with all this beautiful fabric? Quilts, skirts, dresses, bags, you name it. In my next post, I'll discuss the quilt I plan to make. It will be my first quilt so I'm trying hard to keep it simple. Then some day soon I may actually start to sew it!

Itty Bitty Skirt

2010-05-31T15:42:00.000+10:00

I'm not too sure a skirt for a 9-month old makes sense, but I had fun sewing it, and it's so cute on her! It's just not very practical for sitting on the floor or in car seats, and I can't imagine it will stay on for long once she starts crawling. It was also really hard to photograph on the model.

It's a slightly modified and downsized version of the Corduroy skirt from Emma Hardy's 'making children's clothes'. It's shorter and I did not use the entire width of fabric (maybe about 30 inches? I could take measurements if anyone is interested). I also left off the ribbon. The corduroy is from a local craft chain. The owls were an online purchase and are from the 'Apple' collection from Timeless Treasures. I love these owls and have plenty left to play with.

And then there was sewing...

2010-05-28T14:47:00.001+10:00

Another pregnancy, another new craft. This time I found out that I was having a girl. I'd borrowed my mother-in-law's sewing machine to make some basics - curtains and burp cloths and snuggle blankets. But now I started dreaming of sewing cute dresses and skirts, along with all the baby accessories you need: bibs, change mat, etc. After getting the machine serviced a couple of times and putting it to good use, it is, at least temporarily, residing here. It's a gorgeous 70's orange Bernina that weighs a ton, and I love it.

So far I'd only sewn some basic items, using mediocre fabric from the local chain craft store. Then my girlfriend bought me the best type of gift for a crafter - supplies! - when Miriam was born - 3/4 metres x three different fabrics - to sew something for Miriam. Two of them were Panache by Sanae prints, the other one of MoMo's Wonderland. My love, perhaps obsession, of quilting fabric began. (Should I send her the invoices?).

I've spent quite some time, money and effort collecting fabrics from two particular lines of fabric - MoMo's Wonderland and Lizzy House's Red Letter Day (leading to the name of this blog). I was lucky enough to grab a couple of charm packs and a jelly roll of Wonderland, and a fair bit of yardage, especially once they did the reprint. With some internet searching, quilt shop calling, and swapping, I'm on my way to having at least a fat quarter of each of the Red Letter Day prints. Joy! What will I do with them? Well, I initially planned on just sewing clothes - cute dresses, etc. But now that I have a collection, I'd love to make some quilts. But that's for another day. Here are some of my creations from my meagre stash of quilt fabric.

So why start a blog now? Well, I've been looking at lots of blogs and have been inspired by them. But when I left a comment, there was no link back to me. Plus, I'll be needing some advice as I venture into designing and making my first quilts. And then, of course, I'd love to offer up some giveaways. I haven't thought of a milestone yet - maybe a certain number of posts or a certain number of followers? Any thoughts? Anybody listening yet?

Inspiration

2010-05-27T11:49:00.000+10:00

why i started knitting

It all began when we visited friends and their new baby boy. The new mum showed us some gorgeous handknits that her mum had made for the baby. They were so unique and beautiful that my only thought was that I'd love to make things for my children. Shortly thereafter I became pregnant with my first. So after a failed attempt at knitting about a decade earlier, I came home from a craft store armed with a pattern book, some acrylic baby yarn and wooden straight needles. This is what I created:

Nearly four years later my yarn choices, skills and tension have improved greatly, but I still love my first basic, wonky, green jumper. Joseph got a lot of wear out of it, and my beautiful 9-month old girl is wearing it today.

Some of my favourite handknits since include:

I knit mostly small projects: baby and toddler clothing; accessories such as hats, mitts, and scarves; toys. I love to knit lace, but don't seem to have the time or energy lately. Most of what I knit is in DK weight, but I adore Malabrigo worsted (so hard to get here!) and have a growing collection of sock yarns waiting to be knit.

It's becoming winter, so I'm mostly knitting at the moment, but in my next post I'll tell you how and why I began sewing (and the subsequent acquisition of an ever-growing quilt fabric stash).