Diamond Vest Top

I promised better photos of this project after I took some bad ones late at night just to show you that I am actually working on it. It's taken me a couple of days because everytime I've been looking at this project I just want to add more rows to it. The rows are quick and easy and I'm about 3/4 of the way through the back already.

The pattern starts across the top of the back and goes down to the hem. Then you add the shoulders, then join the front and work down to the hem. This means the only sewing you have to do are the two side seams. I may need to add some panels or something down the side though to make it fit just a little bit better.

The purples are a little bit brighter than this in real life but not by much. It reminds me of Jacaranda trees which to me always means spring. I am going to get this done in the next couple of weeks and be able to wear it for the summer. It's so exciting!

Happy Stitching,
Caitlin

Dishcloths

Although I only just started a new project on Wednesday but then I had to start a small crochet project to get me through band on Thursday. Not that I had much time to think it was a little crazy we're only two more rehearsals until our performance and we've got a lot of work to do.

So using some of my gorgeous new cotton I had to start a facecloth/ dishcloth. I like the idea of having a house full of home made and reusable cloths rather than using sponges and paper towels. Then using rags for the really dirty stuff. This seems so much better than wasting so much stuff.

But my house aside I thought these would make gorgeous Christmas gifts with a little pot of home made moisturising cream. I just need to get some more cotton. I think I want to try the cotton from Bendigo Woollen Mills. I've done some reading and it should work great ... I can only try and I've been wanting some of their cotton for a while.

Doesn't this look gorgeous? I love love love the colours. It's my new Japanese cotton (Pierrot) knitted up from corner to corner on the diagonal. Increasing for the green then swapping colours and decreasing. I didn't like the way the edges weren't quite the same between the decrease and the increase section so I added a double crochet edging around in the grey. It just brings the whole piece together.

I will say I am IN LOVE with cotton! This stuff is so smooth and soft I keep rubbing it against my cheek. I think this one will become my face cloth and I'll have to make more for Christmas.

Have you ever made dishcloths / facecloths?  What cottons have you used to make them?

Happy Stitching,
Caitlin

WIP Wednesday 15/10

I'm running a bit late today... I almost forgot to post. I took a whole pile of photos this afternoon but it's 8 O'clock before I remember to actually get on the computer.


I had a little bit of fun today ... my friend asked me to go with her to Tangled Yarns in the Valley I couldn't resist! I wanted to get some cottons that I could use to make dish cloths/face cloths. I want them for Christmas presents. I picked some awesome colours and I'm going to have so much fun. It's Pierrot a Japanese cotton yarn.

 I also wanted to make a gorgeous lace vest thingy. I got some Cascade Yarns Ultra Pima in a gorgeous purple. I'm so excited about what it's going to be.

Also that gorgeous hook sitting up there in the top of the yarn is one of my new Clover amour hooks. I love love love love my new hook.

Here is the gorgeous pattern that I'm now working on.

 

Not the best photo and I'll get a better one tomorrow but this shows you my WIP. It is so exciting, to be working on this.

I do have a little finish but I also still need to stuff this little Kutie. Then sew up the second one. 

 

 I made sure that the back of the dog was all the same colour for the ears and tail. The red one is going to be the same. It took lots of planning.

I had to plan out the ears and tails quite carefully. It took a lot of thinking. 

 

Once we got back from shopping my friend and I couldn't resist starting crochet. Here she is making a lovely dish cloth for herself.

 

I also have done a tiny little bit of crochet on my blanket. Bit by bit I'm going to get there.

Happy Stitching,
Caitlin

Softie Fun

I get randomly hooked on sewing and have to sew a whole pile of things before I get back to my cross stitch or something else. I also go through many stages of being hooked on Funky Friends Factory patterns. I love her soft toys. I find each time I make one of her patterns the instructions are so easy to read. 

I was avoiding going to the craft show this weekend, my favourite cross stitch fabric store wasn't there :(, but I still treated myself to one new pattern. Then I spent most of the weekend sewing on it. 

These little guys have caught me at the moment. They are part of the Kawaii Kuties series of patterns. This little guy is the dog. 

I started sewing this dog on Saturday morning and by Saturday evening I was finished. That was with being distracted by a softball game and other fun stuff like that. 

That was Saturday.... by Sunday morning I had another 2 faces done ready to cut out. I had some fun with my machine and explored the blanket stitch appliqué. I was really excited by it and I learnt a lot about getting my machine around the corners. I'm not sure whether I will use the blanket stitch again but I so really like the effect. 

You can see the awesome blanket stitch up close :D I need to work on it, my machine detail stitching always needs work, but practice makes perfect.

I used a couple of the music fabrics that I bought a while ago because when these two dogs are done I will donate them to my orchestra to raffle off. I thought it would be appropriate to sew with music fabrics.

 What have you been up to this weekend?

Happy Stitching,
Caitlin

Homemade Creams

I want to become more and more able to make stuff at home and buying less stuff that is full of chemicals and preservatives. That goes for both food and house hold stuff.

With that in mind I was directed to this really cool website. It's about 50 things you should be making at home instead of buying. I am going to try them all bit by bit.

I started with the moisturising cream. You can find the recipe I used here

 I gathered all my ingredients together. It was really hard to grate the beeswax but once I worked out how to hold it it went really well. Thankfully I had a helper by that point so he could stir while I grated.

One thing I found is it said to let cool slightly... I ended up having to leave it for 10 minutes to cool down before I could add the rosewater. It needs to be starting to cream up and thicken. Once it starts that it goes very quickly. (the time I had to leave it was probably influenced by the temperature here it's quite warm during the day)

 Here it is on the stove as it's creamed up. I'm adding the rosewater at this point... bit by bit I slowly added it.

Now it was only meant to make roughly 2 baby jars full of stuff. But I used some old Lancome jars that grandma gave me (I thought to make them into pin cushions maybe but not anymore) I filled three jars plus a little baby food jar. I thought I'd added a little bit more oil than I should have!

Although reading the comments on the blog some people keep it in the fridge, some don't I think it depends where you live. I will be keeping mine in the fridge because it's too hot here and since we're going into summer it's only going to get hotter.

Also the comments say the almond oil is the moisturising agent and some people say they replaced it with coconut oil or apricot oil with lovely results. I will have to experiment with the coconut oil as I bought some recently to try cooking with it.

I'm thinking these jars of cream will make gorgeous Christmas presents for all the ladies in my family. I will have to see though how I like the cream as time goes on. If you guys make it please tell me how it goes I want to find out how other people fare.

Happy Stitching or creaming :D
Caitlin