autumn decorations

I'm indulging in a little felt embroidery.

The big red mushroom is a fly agaric (had to look it up - thanx google translate)
Apparently you can call these mushrooms  'punks' or even 'spunks' in English. In my language they are called 'zwam'.  I liked to sew the spores - that's the detail to make it look real.

catching some late rays of sun

So I guess the little baby on the swing-chair can be called a baby punk..... although he doesn't look the part... Maybe I should 've gone a little more crazy on his hairdo. 

I'm putting it on display under a glass bell.  In Flanders, in the fifties & sixties, every home used to have a glass bell with a madonna + child under it.  In the zen-nineties they became really old-fashioned and were thrown away or sold at flea markets. I bought one there, threw away the (plastic) madonna and now I fill it with other objects.  It's vintage revival.
Feeling pretty hipster now. :-)

Swing along, little punky.

making dolls

Do you remember the Hollie Hobbie dolls that were soooo popular during the 70ies ?  My sister and I made one from an old sheat of cotton and made knitted clothes for them.

These days, there seems to be a revival of those sort of dolls.  In her book 'My rag doll' by Corinne Crasbercu, the hollie hobbie doll has become a real little princess.   I tried out some of her patterns, and this is the result :

a gorgeous blonde

now with my hat !

a prima ballerina in her tutu

brown pigtails are cute

2 skeins of mohair for the hair !

she is ever so soft

I don't know if these dolls are meant to play with.  The construction of the hair is really delicate.
I think they will prefer to be 'on display' rather than be played with....

Oh, and remember Sarah Kay's Hollie Hobbie ?

patchwork mania

I love flea markets.  that's partly because I love old things, and partly because you don't spend a lot of money and have a nice afternoon.

When I see old dressmakers items, old odds and ends, pieces of lace or threads turned yellow by the years, I really can't resist.
The box I keep these things in is starting to pile over, so I really needed a project where I could use some of these.  and in a magazine I noticed a small patchwork with a lot of left overs and ribbons that would be just perfect for my stash.

The most fun was actually sorting out the fabrics and the ribbons, choosing the perfect position for the old buttons and nicnacs, arranging and rearranging.

and then finally putting it all together, embroiding a little, adding a piece of felt, and here it is, my finished object.

I choose 'Chic et pas Cher' because that is the name of my sewing club. It's an old expression meaning  something 'chic' but not expensive.  And that's exactely what it is.  Nice, but not expensive !

granny squares bag for winter

My first granny squares bag was made in all bright and funky summer colours. 
But now, I prefer the more sober and soft autumn colors, just like the colors you see on the trees.

Last year I bought a couple of skeins from Drops, and I used them to make the grannies for this bag :

The wool changed into a variety of colours, so I just kept crocheting and the result was very harmonious. 

I cut some lining and sewed it in by hand.  The handles are old, I used them before.And I added the felted flower too.

It is a nice big soft bag - just what I wanted.

art on my wall

The plan was to make a patchwork cover for a cushion.

But sometimes plans turn out completely different.  I added some yellow embroidery, 2 ribbons, and stapled it to unused canvas I had laying around.

It is now a work of (small) art, hanging on my wall....

circular needles in a bag

I have several circular needles, but I have a serious problem : how do you keep them tidy ?  I tried a bag, a box, but somehow they get all messed up.  Don't you hate it when you are looking for a 4mm 60 cm one, and can only find a 5 mm 80 cm one.  I was desperate for a good system to put them carefully away.
At Knitpro or Prym you can buy these expensive cases, really nice, but I wanted something personal.
That's when I found a reference to a pattern by Butterick,  to make your own case.

I ordered it, paid through paypal, and 2 days later the pattern fell into my letterbox.  Great service !
half a day behind my sewing machine, and this is the result :

it's slightly stuffed with interfusible filling

Sesam, open up

Tada ! all the needles are safe, and in clear sight

the points have their own place

I put a little paper with the size and length visible

ready to be taken anywhere now.

I kinda like the big bag on the front picture too. Maybe I could make it to put all my knitting gear in when I 'm off on my knitting holiday .... In  this rainy weather all you can do is stay inside and sew.....

granny squares bag

My first attempt at the famous granny squares ! 

  
 

well, first isn't quite right, I remember having made plenty when I was in my teens.  They were very fashionable then.  I made a poncho and a cushion, for my mum (she still has it !)

Now I'm into bags.  The old felted one is getting a bit worn out, so it's time for a new one. 
I started it with the summer in mind, hoping for some sunshine, and choose beach colours.

 A very bright combination, it makes me happy to walk around with it, even if the sun isn't shining as it should. 

I chose a nice dotted lining, from Rebecca's collection.  But the result wasn't quite what i expected.  too fluffy, it had not enough strenght.
So i undid the lining, and added a plastic sort of lining, I secured it to the grannies on the inside, and then finished with the dotted fabric.  That's much better !

it's light and invisible,  but gives body to the bag

the bag can stand up straight

I added 3 side - grannies for more volume

It can easily hold a book.

I'm happy with my new bag !

a little bag

To take my mind off the son I occupied myself with stupid chores around the house.
Like ironing. 
I mean ironing everything, also the big table napkin that has been deep down below in my ironing basket, beneath all other stuff.  It has been there a while....
And there I also found some old jeans of the above mentionned son.  I kept it just for the fabric - the legs were damaged badly and beyond repair.  (mountainbiking... !)

I used the jeans  to make a bag, the same pattern as the Cath Kidston bag.  I used some leftover fabric from the summerdress I made, the one with the small flowers.  I think it looks good.  It has all the pockets on the outside, so the lining was very straightforward to make  !

So, that's been a busy afternoon.  Tomorrow I'm off with my girlfriends for a couple of days. ( 3 mad women, who know eachother from schooldays,   way back in the good old seventies) 

some new summer dresses

The sun is supposed to shine, but instead it's a becoming a typical Belgian summer : gray and dull weather, rain, clouds, and temperatures not rising above 18°C.  Only the brave are on the beach, and fully clothed as well.   
To keep my spirits up, I have made some summer dresses, in flower power colours.  Sitting here, at my kitchen table, sewing and ironing, it feels like a winter holiday. 
Who or what do we have to offer to the sun goddess so that she will remember to shine on our little spot on this earth ?
Any suggestions ?

Here are the dresses, in different stages of completion.

I bought 2 patterns from burda

Love the fabric, makes me feel rock 'n roll

dress nr 1 is finished !

dress nr 2 is lined with cotton, I can wear it now.

I like the little bows at the top

cut on the biais - flattering for any girl !