A post of many topics.

Hello Readers

More Knitting, many years ago I made a knitted Baby Helmet for DS, I really liked the shape of it and its very easy to knit, I still have the pattern booklet so with the resurgence of Vintage Garments liked by many of today's young Mums, I decided I would knit it again and, I am as pleased with it now as I was 47 years ago. I will put it aside for the Christmas Bazaar and probably make another one or two in different colours.

A couple of weeks back I had the dog and cat to stay while DD and co went off to visit I's parents, Monty seems much more settled here lately (he used to fret and wander around sighing) but as you can see they have very different ideas of how to relax, this is Monty's usual position

flat out in the middle of the kitchen floor and Juno being a cat is always to be found here

on top of the kitchen cupboards keeping an eye on Grandma as she does the cooking, she also chooses to sleep up here which causes some consternation as she lies flat and can't be seen at all!

While they were here I was charged with the all important task of attaching some new Badges to Little H's Rainbow uniform

In the sewing room I have been busy with an experiment to make some fabric/textile post cards, I wanted to see if they really would go through the postal system having never actually posted one without an envelope before so I made this, I drew the design and fabric tinted it with crayons, using a pigma pen for the lettering

shown here in a poly bag to keep it clean, the next day I removed the bag, wrote the name and address of my good friend Laura on the back with a short message using a standard ballpoint pen, added a self adhesive 2nd class stamp, and popped it in the post box. I sent her an email to say it was on its way and asked her to let me know the warts and all condition of it on arrival. I am delighted to be able to tell you it worked just fine. she sent me a photo of the back, you can read the message and address, the stamp stayed put (my biggest worry) and its even got a readable postmark on it to prove it survived the automated machines. Yaay!!! Result, I guess I will have to make some more, hmmm! me thinks maybe Christmas cards for family and friends.
Well a lot has happened here lately but its a long story and its late so I'll be back soon to tell you more.

TTFN
Lx

Nothing on TV....AGAIN!

So it's a good excuse to talk to all you lovely folks out there. Last time I promised an update on my recent knitting projects, yes there are more than one including several on the needles!

I may have probably mentioned that I belong to a couple of knitting groups. One is held on the 1st Wednesday of the month at our local church, St. Helen's  They serve a reasonably priced cooked lunch every week for older residents and I have started taking Mum along to that on the day that the knitting group meets, so it makes a break for her from making her own lunch and an afternoon out with friends as we know most of the ladies who attend. Mostly the ladies knit for various Charities and Judith (our lay preacher in the absence of a Vicar!) who runs both the lunches and the knitting group deals with the delivery of the various items when she has a quantity. So far they have made Blankets for S.A.N.D.S. (if you follow the link you can find a downloadable pattern for a blanket) other times we send baby clothes for Premmies at our local hospital's N.I.C.U. unit. We also knit scarves hats and gloves for homeless people, plus items to sell at events like the Church Fete and Christmas Bazaar. So far this what I have made over the last couple of weeks.

An incubator Vest (designed by one of the midwives at the unit) and matching hat in Cream DK, .

They take a mere 25gms of yarn if 4 ply is used and not much more if you use DK (and you get slightly bigger vests!) I like making these as they are knitted in one piece and you can adjust the stitch count slightly to work different patterns on the body. These are very good for really tiny babies as they have buttons at the front and on the shoulders so they open up flat which avoids picking the little ones up to undress them when the Doctors need to examine them as you can see here. I still need to add the buttons to this one.

I have just completed a cardi using some left over 4ply, again DK can be used and they are really easy to make, knitted from the top down the only seams to sew up are the sleeves if you knit the border on instead of making it separately. I really like the colour as a change from the usual blue, pink or white.

Another little hat in DK, these take about an hour and are ideal to knit in front of the TV

Next you may want to put your sunglasses on, as they are a bit bright, 2 Beanie hats for the homeless. I came across a 100gm ball of this bright red yarn in the stash (don't ask me why I bought it :-) but I have another one the same!!!) I did run out just before the end of the 2nd hat but luckily  an oddment did the trick.

I make these in the round (have you guessed I dislike sewing up!) on either 4 DPN's or a short circular needle and are my usual 'carry around' project for passing the time in the coffee shop or at the Museum, you will also find me knitting one of these on the coach to the NEC Festival of Quilts in August. I can usually complete one during the journey up and back.

Last but not least I have finished the sweater I was making for Oscar, I found 4x100gm balls of this yarn in the stash and the pattern asked for 2 so job done I thought, but no!  the whole sweater only took 1 ball and I have a little left over from that! Back to the pattern file I guess for another idea to use it up.

So once again that brings me up to date with the events at Monkey Business central so I'll be off.

TTFN

Lx

Another day - Another Quilt show

This time it was Bristol Quilters 'Quiltfest' Exhibition. It was a last minute decision to go but after arranging with a friend to go by bus we set off in bright sunny weather to visit the exhibition which was being held at Badminton School near Durham Downs .

On arrival we were not disappointed, there were far too many quilts to show you them all here but this is a small sample of what we saw.

This wonderful Log Cabin is called 'Purple Haze and was made by Helen Clark.

The next two are both by Kate Sullivan first is 'Jade Garden' a Split 9 patch

and a Lady of the Lake block used to make this quilt called 'Warrior Odin' made using Oriental fabrics.

One of my favorite quilts was this one made by  Ruth Ellams as it typify's the true spirit of quilt-making,

called Joanna's Quilt the label explains the thoughts behind it and I quote.. A quilt made for my daughter to take to University. Machine pieced, hand quilted (Kantha style) Fabrics include Liberty Lawn combined with up-cycled fabrics from my daughter, myself and my Mum. 
Here's a close up for you to see the 'big stitch quilting'.

Next are a couple of general shots of smaller exhibits

The next one did not have a lot of information as it was an antique quilt, the label simply stated 1880's Log Cabin. Ottawa Canada. It's colours are still very vibrant considering its age.

and finally this may make you smile, there was previously a project in Bristol to make a Bra Quilt to promote awareness of Breast Cancer and someone obviously is still at it!!!

So what else has been happening around here? Apart from all the mundane day to day stuff I not been idle, I have finally finished stripping down, cleaning and oiling my old hand sewing machine. Its a Singer and looking up the serial number on the internet I established it was made somewhere around 1922. I wont bore you with all the details but this is what the silver looked like before

and after cleaning

I really enjoyed the whole process and was ably instructed from a U tube video by Lizzie Leonard I now have the machine sewing but I'm struggling to get the tension right.

I have been sewing, one project I can't say too much about as its a surprise gift for a friends daughter, but to give you a taste here are some sneeky peeks.

The outer fabric

Inside

Today after a request from Mum, I made her a knitting bag from some of my scrap fabrics, it  measures about 13" x !5" and looks like this.

I also repaired some jogging pants belonging to Little H, 

we bought 2 pairs of these when she broke her leg as she could not wear her usual stuff due to the huge plaster cast. I cut the leg off on one pair and then with a view to up-cycling them I opened up the seam and removed the cuffs of the second pair. DD is now delighted to announce that H has had the ALL CLEAR from the consultant and after 13 weeks in plaster life can finally return to normal. so I have turned the cut off pair into shorts and the other has been returned to normal with a little sewing today.

I'm still working on the Textile Embroidery book idea and now further inspired by what I have seen on Pinterest and at show on Saturday I bought a gift pack of materials from the trader Batiks n Beads in readiness for my next Textile Book project.

Oh! and I'm still knitting of course, but more on that later.

Once again it is bedtime and as I have to be in town before 9am tomorrow I'm off to bed.

Night Night.

Lx