Emergency Hedgehog

On Friday night I had to make an emergency hedgehog! My girls received knitted Hedgehogs from Sue at Sweet pea family over two years ago and little M lost hers after taking it to school last week. 

She tried the detachment theory saying she didn't care about it anyway which she often does (sometimes about us!) but by bedtime she was really sad. She was crying quiet tears, avoiding her bedtime story which was called Lulu and the hedgehog unfortunately and wanted a hug. 

We went on Ravelry together and chose a pattern to try. And so it was I spent Friday night making a little hedgehog. She put out an egg box for me to put it in so that if she woke in the night she would see it. By 9:00am the next morning she had furnished it with bottle tops, a bedding area and food.

Sometimes you just have to do what you have to do! Jo x

Replica #2

Big Sis saw my replica blouse and asked if I could do the same for her because her favourite blouse was now too small. So here is her new one.

Her old one had a faux placket detail which I did on this one with three daisies from the trim I added to the hem. It looked a bit 'stuck on' so I added clear buttons on top and she loved that part.

The fabric is white and the trim is cream which I thought might bother me but it was just so darn pretty I didn't care.

I bought this pattern ages ago and have used it many times. It is too small for her now so I sized it up to fit a skinny eight year old. It's so easy to make either as a dress or a top - I highly recommend it as a download pattern.

One more item for the summer box under her bed. 

Bit too chilly for modelling right now wouldn't you say? 

Thanks for looking. Jo x

Sewing tips

Ever done this...?!

Dropped a whole tin of pins on the floor. My friend bought me a pin pebble for Christmas. A palm sized magnet in a plastic casing to pick up pins or keep them on the table. Genius!

I read a post at Love,Lucie and giggled at her procrastination to change the thread colour on her overlocker. I used to be like that until bloke walked in one day while I was trying to re-thread mine. He said "Why don't you just tie the new colour on, that is what we do on a machine at work that packs yoghurt." So I did and it works.
(9 times out of 10)

You cut the threads on the reel side and remove the spools as above.

Put on the new colour and tie a small knot to join the threads. Then slowly chain off a new piece. The first two reels go through easily but you sometimes lose the last two if the knot can't quite get through the eye of the needle(s). It sometimes works but if you have to put the ends through the needle that is no great job, at least you don't have to open up the front and get it all wrong inside.

Today Big sis had her first go on the overlocker. She was frightened, it was perilous, I am not going to lie, however she soon got the hang of it. I'll show you what she made next week when it is finished.

Enjoy sewing or making whatever makes you happy. 

Jo xxx

Tantilizing Crochet

Hey! I bought new yarn, I loved the feel of that navy yarn so much I used for the Saroyan scarf.

I can get through the January blues because it is my birthday month and those that love me the most get me the best presents:

How did my bessie know I wanted this book? I love the crochet dress in it. It was the inspiration for my New Years resolution on crocheting something beautiful for myself. I hadn't even said anything to her. However, I have bought the wool to make this fab jumper for summer instead because I am gonna look like that picture when I wear it - all sassy and cool.

Although I think I would have a melt down if I had that much unused stash to peruse everyday. How does she sleep at night? I would be wanting to sew in my slumber.

Anyway it is on the hook. Timescale? - no idea, I really want it to be just right so no bodging Jo, do it properly. I really do have to do it properly, the yarn cost £44.00 and that was with 50% off!

xxxx

Making

I don't make many clothes for the children, I have never needed to. My friend has three girls older than mine and we have a constant stream of lovely clothes arriving season by season but sometimes I make them something using smaller pieces of fabric left from my dressmaking projects, especially if they love the fabric like Big Sis did with this one.

Both patterns are from an old copy of Ottobre magazine. The skirt has a deep ribbing cuff which my girls love because they are slim and are not so keen on the pull-button-elastic on bought skirts because they have to pull them in so much it becomes uncomfortable. This is a breeze to make.

I have made this combo before but I had the wavy hem problem three years ago when I first started sewing with Jersey - not anymore.

She really likes it and there will be some years in the skirt but the leggings are for this year only probably as they are a bit of a  tighter fit. I made them while she was at school hence I miscalculated my growing girl.

I would be happy if I had bought that little set home from the shops. Wouldn't you?

Thanks for calling in as ever. Have a great weekend.
Jo xxx

The Monotony of Black

Oh black thingy go away and turn yourself into a fabulous cardigan I reach for all the time because it goes with everything. Where are those pesky elves when you need them? making leather shoes for Mary I shouldn't wonder.

I really, really, wanty, want it. Please send me good knitting vibes, or an elf, before I go out of my mind!

Jo x

That's fate I tell you...

No wonder the clothes I keep making for Heidi are too small, I have been using the pattern pieces I traced off at 122cm high and she is now 134cm! She is growing, she is 8, she doesn't want to hold her dad's hand anymore and holds the side of her head out for me to kiss in the mornings as I drop her off at school.

My friend bought her this book for her birthday. I didn't even know there was a sequel to the wonderful story of Heidi. It is a really heartwarming story of how she goes away to school and returns to her beloved mountains and family to realise her dream of becoming a school teacher.

Bloke and I sat and mulled over the cabin situation last night. We had a log cabin but it was destroyed in the hurricanes before Christmas and we are trying to decide what to do about it. In the end, although we could have talked ourselves in or out of either decision because of the cost, we decided to buy a new cabin.

 As my opening paragraph suggests the children are not children for long and we wanted to enjoy being there with them while they are excited about being outdoors, playing, getting muddy and being engrossed in nature. That is quite a valuable commodity we felt. We had some money saved for a 'rainy day' and I guess a windy one came along so it is just the same justification.

The parts that remain are soaked through after this wet winter so we didn't even go for a new roof on the old walls, we went for the whole lot just to be sure. We gulped, swapped some money around, cut our cloth and ordered it.

Then I read this as I was reading in bed last night and I truly believed we had done the right thing. That is fate I tell you...

Keep you posted of course. Jo x