Sewing Goals for 2013

January in my back garden

Well, we are almost at the end of January and only now do I get round to setting my sewing goals for the year!

I think I am going to keep it nice and easy this year.

I want to sew at least one item a month. As far as possible using fabric from stash and patterns already purchased. I will however perhaps buy new Sewaholic or Colette patterns. I do believe in supporting the independent pattern companies.

I know I want to make the following:

Beignet Skirt with brown striped fabric purchased last summer at Walthamstow Market in London, England.

Blue and red floral / striped Hazel dress, fabric also purchased from Walthamstow Market.

Thurlow trousers – beige twill type fabric

Undies (I purchased a book on drafting your own)

I have the patterns and fabric for the above

Then I want to make all / most hostess gifts. I am sick of rushing to buy flowers or similar before heading out to a dinner party. I have purchased a Simplicity shopping bag pattern (2806) and plan to make re-usable shopping bags for friends when we get invited out to dinner.

UFOs  also need to be looked at. I have to make a descision about finishing the items or tossing them.

Lady Grey jacket – will finish

Boy’s under pants – will finish

Zebra print bra – will finish

Lap top bag – iffy about this one. Will have to think hard!

Red Alma blouse. Love the pattern, wrong fabric perhaps??

Two Amy Butler Origami bags - ???

This is a "before" shot. Hopefully I can soon show the "after' one soon!!!

But before all of that happens I have to tidy and re-organize my sewing area. As I have a space in the basement that is out of everyone’s way, it is not the tidiest part of the house!!! I am always so keen to get onto the next project that I don’t tidy up properly.

Owl Sweater

It is finished at long last and I love my owls!!

I bought the wool back in late spring last year as I thought I would knit through summer and have this ready for the Fall. However, I have discovered that I do not like knitting much when it is warm outside.

Anyway it is finished now and with our temperatures this morning being in the minus 20s with the wind chill factor, definitely sweater weather!

This was a relatively easy knit. I downloaded the pattern from Ravelry (not a free pattern however). It is knitted in the round from the bottom up. The sweater does have negative ease, so it is certainly not baggy and shapeless. There are decreases and increase at the back waist and the side, which makes it nicely fitted in the right places. The cables at the yoke are very easy, only three rows actually of cabling.

To me the hardest part was sewing all the buttons on. All 36 of them, for the eyes of my 18 owls. I chose buttons that really blend in with the sweater.

So between my Cadence Sweater and now the Owl Sweater, both knitted in a similar style, I now need to look for something different.

Next on my list is a pair of socks (even though after the gloves I knitted last year, I said never again) and then perhaps a shawl, or cardigan.

Jewelry Pouch

As I was getting ready for our vacation in December, I decided I needed something to keep my jewelry in for traveling. The usual zip lock bag didn’t seem right!!

So I Googled and found this pattern for a jewelry pouch.

To be honest, you don’t need the pattern, but anyway…..This was so quick and easy to sew that I did it while dinner was cooking.

I think it is cute. And those with sharp eyes will recognize some of the fabric as the left overs of my Sewaholic Alma blouse!

Sometimes I just love to sew something so quick and easy!

Knitting With Wire

I completed this project a while ago but never got round to blogging about it.  I tried my hand at knitting with wire and made a necklace and cuff bracelet.

I had purchased the wire and beads back at the Toronto Creative Festival in 2010, but only got round to knitting it up late last year.

The wire was a copper, soft gauge wire. Gauge 24 or 26 is good as it is easier to manipulate. I threaded lots of beads onto the wire first, that way you can add beads as you knit the stitches. As for needles, wood needles are better for knitting with wire. I actually used two kebab sticks! Then I cast on four stitches and knitted back and forth, garter stitch, adding beads randomly until I had a length for one side of my necklace. Then I knitted the same for the other side. I joined the two pieces with a larger bead in the middle and a copper clasp at the back.

Difficult to photograph up close, but you get the idea!

For the bracelet I cast on 8 stitches and knitted, garter stitch again, adding beads at random, until it was the correct length for my wrist. Then I added a clasp.

A nice quick and easy project!