Buttons and Loose Ends

Sewing in loose ends and adding buttons has been on my radar this past week.

While looking for some hand-work to take along to sewing groups, I decided to dig into my knitting basket.  I found several items which simply needed ends sewn in and buttons and embellishments added.  They were actually sewn up, just not totally finished.

Here is what I worked on (and completed 100%!!!) these past 10 days while sitting, chatting and drinking coffee with friends...

Blue Green Vest

Knitted with Morris & Sons Quartet 8ply. 70%wool/30% soybean silk

Pattern:  Sirdar Escape DK #9263

Lovely soft yarn and super warm.  Perfect knitting on the very cold nights.  I am lucky there is still cold weather left to come so I can get some benefit wearing it this year.

Little Cardigan and Hat (to fit 6 months)

Knitted with Creative Fibres hand-dyed 100% New Zealand wool 8ply

Patterns:  Cardigan - Sirdar Snuggly Kisses DK pattern #1835

          Hat - from Big Baby Book 5 by Sue Batley-Kyle

Delightful, fun patterns to knit.  The flower just adds a touch of whimsy to a pretty cardigan for a little one.

Triangle Scarf

Knitted with Bendigo Woollen Mills - Bloom 100%wool

Pattern:  Bendigo Woollen Mills #8338 Murano

Once, I got 'into the groove' of the knitting, because you knit partial rows to make the triangles, it became very easy to knit.  Thoroughly enjoyed this one, even though I had a couple of goes at it while trying to understand how to start the pattern.

Hat

Knitted with Patons Jet and Patons Souffle

Pattern:  Wondoflex Yarns Ladies Wool and Mohair Garter Stitch Hat

A super fast knit with an extremely easy pattern.  Incredibly warm too with 12ply and 8ply yarns knitted together.  The mohair gives a lovely softness.

Textured Baby Jacket

Knitted with Heirloom Jigsaw 4ply  75%wool/25%nylon

Pattern:  Sirdar Snuggly 4 ply #1989

Simply delightful knitting.  The Heirloom yarn is so nice to touch and have in your fingers.  The pattern was lovely too with the changing textures in the knitting and the variegated yarn just added to the overall look and feel.

It has been very nice to find some space in my knitting basket and to get these few things completely finished.  Most of these will go into my gifting basket, except for the blue green vest, which is for me.

And... the long quilting list in my last post?  I am slowly working my way through it.  I have completed one item and worked on the others, but I think I may have been a tad over ambitious when I made that list.  However, it has given me good focus and for that I am grateful.  Slow but steady wins the race - or so they say! :)

Great Sewing Room Clean Up & Machine Trapunto

In light of lots of recent posts on a Yahoo group about having a clean and tidy workspace, I got motivated.  Too much clutter was really preventing me from wanting to even enter my sewing space, let alone sew.



Left:  The Magazine and Pattern Shelving


Right:  The Book/Project Shelf












For 3 days I folded, sorted and re-packed my fabrics, threads, patterns and whatever else was in that space.  Guess what? - the cupboard doors now work because they are not jammed up and there really is a floor in there! :)

I have taken out all clothing fabrics and patterns, not quite sure where they'll go yet, but it is such a relief to have finally admitted to myself that I am never going to do anything with them.  I will find someone who wants them sooner or later.





Right and Left:  Both Fabric Cupboards

The Four IKEA "Billy Bookcase" Shelving Units Together

My reward to myself?  I have just sewn the Three Free Motion Machine Whole-cloth 16.5in panels which I am doing with Trapunto.  They will be joined together to make a nice large runner for my dining table.


I have 4 projects out at the moment, in their boxes as my focus of what to work on that I can finish - using the theory of only working on 4 things at once:

a)    3 x Machine Trapunto Whole-cloth Panels (for my table) (see photos right)
b)    Quilted Shoulder Bag/Purse (present)
c)    Alphabet Animals Panel to quilt for a baby (due March); and
d)    Japanese 4 patch QAYG 80in sq quilt.

Only d) is on my Project Database list as part of an UFO challenge, but that's OK, because I have decided to work on what comes to the top of the pile, as eventually I would like to finish every project in my sewing room.  If I have all of the fabric and threads in bag/box in the sewing room and don't need to buy a thing, it's a project, started or not and it's all stash until it becomes a project.


I am now contented and can see a way forward.  My UFOs are not weighing me down any-more, I have gorgeous projects and purpose.

Thank you all for 'listening'.

* - UFO = Un-Finished Object
 - QAYG = Quilt As You Go