Rats...

Remember the long-sleeved top I made here? Fate seems determined I shall never get to wear it again. Got it out of the washing machine and there was a stain right in the middle of it - washed it again, and not only has the stain not gone, but a new one has turned up. Not impressed!

I'm currently sewing a grey shift dress, and am having a bit of a nightmare with the sleeves. First I put them in back to front - and had overlocked them, so unpicking was fun! Then I tacked them in the right way round - all seemed well, but once sewn in, they still pull funny at the shoulders.

Either the dress becomes sleeveless, or it goes into the circular file. I hope it's the former!

This is the dress:


In other news, I've been asked to knit some toys for a work colleague's impending arrivals in September - an anime bunny called "Totoro". I've never made amigurumi before, so it'll be a learning experience.

Weird dream last night that I discovered we'd got a second cat, a female tortie, who had somehow hidden in our house and lived on Eddie's leftovers. Bizarre! He snuggled up for the second time this morning, only a few minute on me as I lay in bed, but it's progress. Purring away too! :)

Current mood: sleepy

FO: tossed alphabet skirt

Another Lutterloh pattern, if you can call it that - it's just a simple rectangle. Belatedly posting this as it was made two weeks ago during the heatwave.





Loving sewing with jersey (especially the "no fraying" aspect) and trying to stop myself from buying more of it!

More socks need photographing, I must get a round tuit. Some lovely rainbow socks I knitted at the AGM have come out a little odd - one pools, one stripes, and the pooling one (my favourite) is noticeably shorter than its mate. Hoping there's enough yarn left to knit a third one...

Current mood: enthralled

FO: tossed alphabet top

I just love this fabric! Simple sleeveless top, a Lutterloh pattern, run up this weekend from leftovers. If I make it again I might add a little fabric to the armholes, they are a little snug for my liking.

There's also a matching skirt but the Cog reckons wearing both together would be a "bit much".

Current mood: impressed

Because I need more fabric...

Apropos nothing, picked up this pretty cotton (for just over £8) in Manchester this weekend:



I'm quite tempted to make this with it (from the Lutterloh set):

Ravellenics dash and more sewing

Socks for a friend after knee surgery


A not very good hat for charity


A blanket - bit of a weird shape, but used up a few yarn ends from stash.




Some Lutterloh shorts - very pleased with them, although the waistband could have been better (it was a squeeze to get the shorts out of the fabric I had available). Good enough for schlepping around the house, anyway. Of course, it's hardly stopped raining since I finished them. Oh the irony.

Started cutting out for another dress yesterday - New look 6371 - and was lazy and didn't do a FBA on the bodice. We'll see what happens.

Current mood: tired

A Lutterloh toile

Thought I'd better make a toile of some shorts I'm planning on sewing, as I don't have a lot of the planned material (and it was the end of a roll). I was expecting to have to add more fabric to the back and take from the front, my side trousers seams tend to skew because of the way I stand, but these fit really well! No zip and no waistband, and I'll probably make them a bit longer if I can squeeze it out of the fabric, because I was hoping to make more of a Bermuda short - I only seem to be able to get short-shorts for women this year, and even that's getting tricky now as the autumn clothing is now appearing in all the shops.





No, I'm not pregnant, it's just a very weird camera angle to try and get my legs in the shot, and yes I do have a little middle-aged spread, although in my head I'm stuck at about 28 :) I really do need to clean that mirror, too! Feh...

If anyone has the Lutterloh system, these are pattern no 3 on the leaflet that comes in the front of the book. They have back darts, four front pleats (my first!) and turned up leg cuffs.

Current mood: energetic and excited - which is great, but it's late here and I really ought to be sleeping! :S

FO: T-shirt

We're having a bit of a heatwave - the car read 31 degrees yesterday afternoon (and it didn't drop much once I got on the road). So what's a girl to do in hot sticky weather? Get out the sewing machine, of course! I was very keen to try out the Lutterloh patterns so fixed on no 35, which is a simple V neck tshirt made from four pieces - a back, front and two facings. There were some incidents with the sewing machine sewing the knit fabric into the machine, but I think I cracked it eventually. Full of mistakes and a wonky bit by the neckline, it fits really well, and no I didn't do a toile. I seem to have scads of this white t-shirt type fabric and no recollection of when I bought it!

Current mood: enthralled