Tilda Giveaway

We all wish we had more time, right? But sometimes we waste time. I waste endless time waiting for photos to upload to my blog posts or waiting for PDF patterns to print out in their multiple pages etc.

This week I did a little cutting out every time I was sat at the computer 'waiting' for it to do it's thing. It felt very productive.

I then had a selection of beautiful Tilda dolls to choose from every time I was 'waiting'. The two sheets were 10p each in a garden centre craft sale where some stock had been a bit damaged (hence no legs on this one!) 

Every download waiting session, I created a card.

Do you like them?

Would you like to choose one? I will send a blank one for you to use - you can choose by using the greeting message as an indicator when you leave a comment. I will draw a winner on the 20th March. Maybe today, Friday the 13th, will be your lucky day?

Summer is here, Enjoy your day, Hip Hip Hurray, With Love or Someone Special. 

Good Luck Everyone. Jo x

Pyjamas from pyjamas?

Big Sis has grown too tall for her Christmas pyjamas already. How did that happen?? I found some pyjama bottoms from a long time ago which are waaay too big for me... (postnatal I think) 

So I cut pyjamas from pyjamas...

I traced off two pattern pieces from one of my Ottobre children's magazines for the style below.

Then made two pairs of pyjama bottoms on the overlocker in no time. I even used the hem from the old trousers so that I didn't need to hem them.

A snail pair and a zebra pair.

...and she does...

I started tracing at 14:10 and folded them onto her bed at 15:15. I love my overlocker - How could I live without it?

Jo xxx

Making for friends

I wanted to make something for my best friend for her birthday but she has had enough woolly things from me to last a lifetime so I made her a picture. 

OK so I need to take the back off and get that bit of rubber off the branch!

It was a very difficult thing to photograph in all it's simplistic glory. 

I tried it with buttons but they were too big so I used up some ceramic greek beads which I used to edge a shawl many moons ago.

She liked it and I am not sure if she realised I had made it. Maybe she was just grateful it wasn't another scarf!

Jo xx

Colourful mistakes

Do you know Yoma shoes? I first saw them in a beautiful shop in Norwich on holiday last year. I did not have a job at the time and expensive shoe shopping was not on the agenda. I searched ebay when I returned but found no joy. Then last week I saw these yellow shoes and made a quick bid. I didn't really need yellow shoes but I knew them to be so comfy and well made that I made a hasty bid.

But what do you do if you then saw a green pair being sold by the same person five minutes later? I didn't see them at first and had already bid on the other ones... I bought them both - green is my favourite colour.

But then what if the shoes arrive, they are more beautiful and gorgeous than you imagined they were going to be and the seller says, "I have a blue pair as well if you want them?" Yes, you guessed it.. I had those too.

In total I bought three pairs of Yoma shoes for the price of one pair so I have all my colourful shoe needs covered for quite a while now.Yoma are a UK based company. Go and have a swoon. People who know me would say these are 'Jo shoes!'

Do you have more than one of the same thing because 
they are totally brilliant?

Happy, happy, happy

Jo x

Confidently pretty

I have had a few bad days at work: lost my ID badge, made some diary cock ups, sent the wrong exam papers to the wrong place etc.etc. and I felt like nothing was going right so I turned to the sewing machine to boost my confidence.

I have a collection of 'ladies' oddments in the front pocket of my work bag and last week they were all over the boot of my car as my bag tipped over. Why have I not got a make up bag???
 
  

So I made one in 45 minutes to attempt to feel successful at something and it worked. It gave me time to put things in perspective and feel a whole lot better.

I love this kind of Guerrilla patchwork. No measuring and perfection just joyful sewing in rows.

I didn't care that the front and the back didn't match, that was not the purpose of this kind of functional project. It was to solve a problem and feel positive.

I used Left over Liberty Wiltshire from White Tree Fabrics and left over patchwork quilt border fabric. It is a perfect fit in the front pocket of my bag, one less thing to go wrong....

Objective Achieved! Feeling like 'I can' again.

 Thanks for looking. Jo xx

Pepe skirt photo diary

This post is purely a follow up to last weeks moment of skirt glory. Thank you so much for your comments, I was overwhelmed. I am guessing some of you are here because you clicked the link on Ravelry and want to fathom out the Pepe Skirt mystery.

The pattern is not published (see forum discussions on it's origin) but you can obtain the charts from HERE. I will show you a photo after each chart and share any tips I found out along the way. This is not my pattern and should not be credited to me - I am simply sharing my project as a photo diary.

Starter information:

I used a 3.5 mm hook. 
I used Rico Baby cotton soft DK (8 balls)
I use UK terms when I am describing things
I am giving guidance not a pattern translation!
You need to be a competent chart follower to complete this skirt
It is a photo diary so light conditions are different in the shots as they were taken over time, some in the day and some at night (sorry!)

Chart 1 

To make size 14 I used a foundation chain of 168. If you want to go up or down you need to use multiples of 12 to increase or decrease.

I made a waistband of 4 rows of double crochet

At the end of chart 1 it will look like this:

The last row is chain 6, dc in each space preparing you for joining on chart 2. There were 30 spaces ready for the diagonal section.

Chart 2

I pondered over this one for a long time. I wanted to start the section whilst still joined to the skirt but took the plunge and chained 25 on it's own, turned work and trebled 25 then joined to the loop, turned, double crocheted 3 and trebled to the end.

Today it looks like this:

The red marker is where I finished chart 1. You can see the start of the diagonal section at the right hand end of the first row.

When you have finished all the way round and have used all the loops up, join the two diagonals with dc on the wrong side. Chart 2 finished. 

Chart 3 is easy. Just rows of trebles in groups of 4 with 3 chains between each. Here is a good place to lengthen or shorten your skirt. I made 4 rows of chart 3 and left the other 4 rows but I am short so think about your waist to knee length.

Chart 4 begins with a row of double crochet. Then you can work the drops individually. 

Chain 3, treble 7, turn (repeat)
Chain 1, decrease 1 using trebles, treble 6
chain 1, make 4 treble clusters.
chain 3, treble 3.
then ss along the edge of the droplet to start the next one.

The next part of chart 4 looks complicated but is easy. 
Chain 8 between each droplet, it pulls in a bit but looks better in a few rows time. Follow the chart using trebles for the line marks and chains for the dot marks.

Looking good?



So continuing on ...

 ...then you start the pineapple motifs on every other droplet using double trebles.

I hope you don't run out of yarn 3 rows from the end and have to wait in suspense while another one arrives from wool warehouse. Which is what I am doing right now... they were £2.29, I used 8

OK it's here Completed.

Good Luck folks! Link back to here if you found it useful so others can share too or click yes to 'Was this helpful? in the entry on ravelry.Thanks
 Jo xxxx

Phone case

An easy-peasy make to show you today. I have a work phone that kicks around in the bottom of my teaching bag and it needed some woolly protection. Rounds of double crochet in a winter colour palette was the perfect solution.

I have been enjoying my new coffee table book which was bought for me in January as a gift. I got the colour range from the cover.

I am deciding whether to add the buttons with a loop or whether to just leave it as a sock.

The yarn is a combination of little tapestry hanks that someone gave me. Do you have some kicking around?

Anyway it was a quick and satisfying make which was free and fun. Two of my most favourite things! 

Thanks for dropping by. Jo xx