sewing in Canada

You'd think, when I was on holiday, I'd get a rest from sewing. Nothing could be further from the truth! I did a ton of mending for Debbie which I didn't take photos of.

The biggest thing I mended was Emily's old rocking horse - Mayo-neighs. You would think by looking at this photo, that he looked perfectly healthy but his frame (inside) was broken and unfixable so we decided the best thing to do was to "just" take him apart and sew him up like a toy.

We had to cut his feet off to get him off the frame and we couldn't undo the fixings so had to think of how to deal with that.

We got his feet off the frame as best we could but he needed new soles so I used some blue fleece that Debbie had in her stash to make those.

I covered the holes where the handles had been with some felt.

Debbie, Emily and Isla stuffed him and I sewed him back together. I said that in 4 words but it took me a whole morning to do!

Here he is all fixed and admiring the girls' Lego boxes!

He looks fabulous now. The girls have been told he is not to be sat upon as he's not strong enough for that but he is strong enough for lots of hugs!

On my last day in Canada, I made nighties for the girls teddies - Howard and Albert.

We had a lovely holiday in Canada spending lots of fun time with Debbie and Emily and Isla. I was sad to leave them but I was also ready to come home. We flew back overnight and I didn't sleep for long on the plane - 2 hours if that! So, by the time Jo picked us up at the airport, we were fuzzy-brained and exhausted. It took a couple of days to get into our old routine again. No doubt the sewing will start up again soon - after all, I brought back a TON of fabric! LOL

things I made in November

I started the month with some quilt blocks. I can't remember where I saw these blocks as they've been in my "inspirations" folder on my computer for a very long time. The name I have for what will be the completed quilt is "squares and chains" but that didn't lead me anywhere when I tried to find out a source. Oh well, here are the blocks:

I haven't joined these together yet - I suspect that will be a January make.

I then made Douglas some pjs. He needed some new ones so I used up some of the tartan from my stash to make these for him.

They're already in the rotation and, more importantly, the ones that needed replaced have been taken out of said rotation!

Then I went on a dolls' clothes making binge! First of all a cardigan:

I tried it on Grace. She loves it!

I made another one exactly the same. I haven't shown it because, honestly, it is exactly the same!!

Next I made a couple of dresses out of old shirts of mine. The shirts had seen better days but still had enough decent fabric to make dolls' clothes so that's what I did. The fronts:

The backs:

Yet again, Grace loved them!

Then I wanted to make an easier dress - sewing dolls' clothes can be very finicky! I couldn't find a pattern in my stash that I wanted to use so I made one up myself. I am so very proud of these!

Grace tried them on. They don't quite sit right at her neck because I left her top on and it had a rose in the front which made the dress stick out a bit. Still, Grace loved them!

Next, Debbie asked me if I had a pattern for trousers for dolls. I didn't but I did have a shorts pattern so I lengthened that to what I thought would fit Grace then tried it out. It worked beautifully! (You can see the rose I talked about in this photo!)

Of course, I had to make 2 pairs of those!

Next I made Christmas ornaments for the girls. This has become a bit of a tradition now and that's fine by me! These are the bejewelled heart ornaments from Embroidery Library.

I always put their names on the back so they know which is which!

I watched a youtube video of how to make Christmas tree shaped napkins and wanted to have a go. I'd tried a couple of years ago using a different tutorial and they were not good but I thought these ones might work and they did.

I had to make another 2 so Douglas, Joanna and I could all have one on Christmas Day.

There is another thing I made in November but that's a Christmas gift so will have to wait to be shown later.

Normally, all of these dolls' clothes and the ornaments would have winged their way over the pond to Emily and Isla but Canada Post, in all its wisdom (!!!) decided to go on strike. So our girls won't have all the little bits and pieces I've picked up through the year for their Christmas. It's so disappointing. I sent Debbie money so she could get things from us but it's not the same. Thanks Canada Post!! How selfish could you be?

Oh, and I *think* I might have solved the problem I was having with the comments on here. Blogger, for some reason, wasn't sending me notification of comments so, unless I came on here and looked, I never knew if anyone had commented. Apologies again to anyone who wondered why I was ignoring them! Anyway, fingers crossed that's sorted now. I suppose I'll find out!

I hope to get back with my December makes before the end of the year. I doubt that'll be before Christmas so let me wish anyone who's reading a very merry Christmas. I hope Santa is good to you!

November's makes

Not nearly as many makes this month but a couple of the things I made took considerable thinking and figuring out! The first was my tree wallhanging. I saw the idea on this youtube video. I liked the idea of it but I didn't have the ruler that was needed to make it. I went searching for it and, to my dismay, could only find it on US sites. Not too bad but it cost something like £15 and the postage was something like £16! Good grief!

Now, I'm the first to admit that I have a LOT of quilting rulers but, if you use them all, why is that a bad thing? It's not! So, I dug through my collection and, sure enough, there was one with the same angles but mine was much shorter. No worries, said I to myself. You're a Maths teacher - or was! - and can figure it out for yourself! So I did. It took me a good few days and a good few attempts to get it right but I did it. This was my prototype:

And this is the final wallhanging. I *LOVE* it!

I was so pleased with it that I hung it up right away in the hall where it will stay until the decorations come down after Christmas.

The next thing I made was the head of a hobby horse for Isla's Christmas.

It's been sent on its journey to Canada with the instructions for mummy (and daddy) for how to finish it off. No way could I include the piece of wood for Isla to be able to ride it!

The pattern I used is this one. I made it for both my girls for Christmas 2000. Yes, they were grown-ups (aged 20 and 18) at the time but they loved them!

I made some more drawstring bags for the girls. Two have been sent already and the other two will go when there's room in a box!

Next, I wanted to make the girlies' dollies a cape each. I didn't have a pattern but had a look on Pinterest and found one I thought might work. The next day, when I looked at what I had downloaded, I realised I only had the front and the hood so back I went to find the pattern for the back. Well, imagine my hilarity when the back pattern had "cape for Barbie" written on it! Well, that wouldn't fit Grace by any stretch of the imagination!

So that started a good few days' worth of work trying to figure out how to make a cape that would fit Grace and, more to the point, would go over her hair! I eventually managed it - quite a few prototypes were made and discarded. Anyway, here are the finished capes. Grace loves them and she's positive Emily's and Isla's dollies will love them too!

The last thing I had to make before the Christmas box was sent to Canada was the girls' ornaments for their tree. This design is one I got from Embroidery Library shown here. It was made in grey felt on the pattern but I didn't have any grey so I used white instead. To be honest, I think it looks much better in white!

When Joanna saw them she threatened to steal them so I made one for her too!

There are other things I've made this month that can't be shown until later in the year so that'll do for now!

mostly doll's clothes and quilt blocks

October's sewing has mostly been making doll's clothes and quilt blocks. I did start the month with another patchwork runner. This one will go under the telly when the Christmas stuff comes out. (Not long now!) I worried when I was making it that it was too busy - nowhere for your eyes to rest - but, after finishing it, I really like it!

Then the doll's clothes making took over. Grace was very obliging in modelling them all!

Dresses:

Yes, Grace's shoes are on the wrong feet. I sorted them for the rest of the photos!

Sundresses:

Tee shirts - I made 2.

Then the knitting needles came out and I knitted jackets and hats.

I don't know if I'm finished yet but I had fun making them and I know the girlies will love them!

I've been making more quilt blocks. Every time I make them, voices in my head keep asking me what I'm going to do with them and why am I wasting my time making something I have no plans for. I just tell the voices to mind their own business! I can make whatever I want with them or just put them aside until I do decide.

The blocks are all made using this book:

As it says, it has 501 block patterns. Not all of them finish at the size I'm making (9½" which will finish at 9" in a quilt) but there are still plenty more for me to make! Yay!

Here are the ones I made this month:

Electric Fan:

Four Knaves:

9 patch straight furrow:

Pavement pattern:

Pennsylvania:

Turnstile:

Twelve triangles:

Union Square:

Windmill II:

Windmill Square:

Economy:

I'm still enjoying making all the quilt blocks so will keep doing them off and on until that stops or I come up with a plan for them.

So that's October done and dusted. I wonder what November will bring?