Today I've just finished the set of placemats made from the instructional video I posted about a few weeks ago and we will enjoy using them hopefully for a long time.
After the experience with the prototype in non-pre-washed furniture fabric/wadding, I decided to go with pre-washed quilt weight cotton using pre-washed Hobbs 80/20 wadding. By the way, do not pre-wash the Hobbs in a front-loading washing machine on 'super quick' cycle unless you are purposely making cobweb-tatters for your Halloween party. I pre-washed the replacement batch by hand which was much more successful. The placemats are dead easy to make although a bit tedious, but the end result is good. And hopefully as it was all pre-washed first, they won't wrinkle up too much when they are subsequently washed. They are reversible so I have a different red print on the under side.
Yesterday I posted off another set of little knitted clothes to my friend's daughter, the owner of the knitted doll I made last year from the book by Louise Crowther. These are in 4-ply cotton from Susan Crawford Vintage. From time to time I quite like knitting toys. I hope the doll's large hands and feet are going to go through the openings as I didn't have the doll to try them on. I'm sure Mum can help if the owner can't manage.
I'm now sweeping up previous furniture kits from the Japanese dollshouse so I put together kits for two low tables. I also used the table kits as templates to make a third table which I have turned into a Japanese kotatsu, or heated blanket/table. So the owners will have a cosy room with a fire pit and an electrically heated blanket/table to sit round. Inspired by the Italian blogger who made this house, I even glued a printie of the heater grille on the underside of the kotatsu.
Yesterday I attended the Rushden Lace Day for several hours of peaceful lacemaking. It's hard to take a clear picture but I hope you can see that the end is literally in sight now on my Bucks Point hexagon. The line of pins and lace at the bottom of the picture (under the loose threads) is where I started the project a year ago. So it was very exciting in an ultra-slow-motion kind of way to be working down towards the start point. When I reach it, I will be connecting the working threads back to the beginning stitches, hopefully unobtrusively and ideally almost invisibly but it's tricky to do. I hope I don't wreck it.
A few weeks ago I tried out a workshop at Coleman's Craft Warehouse over in Rushden to make a Japanese-style apron, just for a bit of fun. It was a nice few hours out - I miss having a regular quilting group to go to. Their 'new' workshop mezzanine is well appointed and nice to work in (when it isn't roastingly hot as they attempt to keep the main shopping floor above freezing), and refreshments, fabric and thread were included in the price. The tutor was good and it was nice to just sit and sew in company. I chose a lightweight denim, and embellished it a little with some embroidered hearts that are a programmeable stitch on my machine. I'm not sure when I will wear it. I prefer waterproof aprons for cooking, and I wouldn't want to ruin the new apron by dollshousing in it (my dollshousing apron is covered in glue and paint) or gardening. It would be suitable for housework if I ever did any of that :) The apron slips over the head with no ties, and is finished with a double hem all the way around.
My Mohs surgery on my nose takes place this coming week. I'm so not looking forward to it. I watched a Youtube video about the procedure made by an American surgeon, which provoked much cringing and shrieking aloud through fingers clamped over my face. So I am now both more informed and more grossed out about what's going to happen. It's got to be done though, the alternative is the tumour getting bigger and eventually eroding my nose which would not be a good look. Wish me luck! The upside is I get to stay home from work the rest of the week so once I start recovering I hope to relax and work on some projects.
4 comments:
I was so excited to see your blog. I got here from your comments about Pavluv Payne's Japanese Ryokan dollhouse. I have the same house, and was so excited to see another one! yours is looking beautiful! I'd love it if you added labels, (easy to do on blogger), so it would be easier to find all the dollhouse posts, or put the ryokan posts on a new blog. I'd love to link to it from my blog. I was also inspired by her blog, and got a lot of tips that made building my ryokan much easier. Pay particular attention to her posts about the roof. She made that a lot easier for me. I also have a link to my ryokan pinterest page, where I have links to other ryokans on the internet.
We have a lot in common, I have done a lot of dollhouses, the same kinds of mittens and gloves as you make, sewing, and bobbin lace, although miniatures and card making have been what I've concentrated on most in the last few years. Anyway, I need to get back to reading your blog!
I just got to the first part of your dollhouse posts. I see you did already find my blog, because you have a link to it there. I'll add a link to your blog so people can find you as well. :-)
Hope your surgery went well! I meant to mention your 30’s blocks from last week looked wonderful. I’m glad your having better success.
Oh wow, I can't believe you watched an op on YouTube - I purposefully avoided even reading any descriptions of the operation when I had my tonsillectomy!!
Post a Comment