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Thursday 30 October 2014

Smarties Cake

Nothing sewn today, instead check out this cake I made for my step-daughters birthday!



It's a basic victoria sponge, covered in chocolate buttercream.  I then squashed chocolate fingers into the sides of the cake and arranged smarties on the top (no pinks ones as pink is not cool apparently).

I'm still pleased with how it turned out!  Also, in case you were wondering this is what the contents of six tubes of smarties sorted by colour look like.


Monday 27 October 2014

Winter Coat

With the nights drawing in and the temperature dropping it was time for Small Bean to have a new coat.

Coats for babies need to be 3 things - washable, easy to put on and take off and big enough to grow into without being too big!

With this in mind, fleece was the obvious choice and measuring was done carefully to make sure it was the right size.  As back fleece was what I had to hand, we went with a slightly punk/goth/emo look.



Please excuse the randomness of these pics.  Small Bean didn't want to model, she wanted to crawl and be fed pink wafer biscuits (she was out of luck there, I didn't have any in).



But as you can see, it's a knee length, overlocked fleece coat.  The overlocking was done in white to relieve the blackness and it has a hood and three buttons.


The sleeves currently need to be rolled up a little and it's baggy, but with any luck this merely means she won't grow out of it until the spring!

Thursday 23 October 2014

Hattie's Accessories

I showed you Hattie's dress on Monday, today I want to show her apron, capelet and muff.



 The apron is Butterick 5509 and made in a heavy woven cotton of some sort (remnant gifted to me by a friend).  I edged it in a rainbow thread using a fancy hem stitch from my machine.  I did adapt the pattern by putting an elasticated bar across the back because I didn't want the straps to slip down when I was running or waving my arms to cast spells...


The muff is to my usual pattern, using the fur I picked up at the Knitting and Stitching show.  it did a great job at keeping my hands toasty warm!


The capelet is white faux fur and purple velvet with a silver clasp.  The pattern is McCall's 4139, just the capelet from version c.  

I'm currently done with larp kit for a little while, but I am taking part in my first ever swap, so I'm busy sewing for that and I have a few other projects to consider.  Next week I will hopefully show you Small Bean's new coat (it's got a slight goth feel) and a small pouch I made for one of Hattie's most important props.

Monday 20 October 2014

Introducing Miss Harriet 'Hattie' Worthington

I played my new character on Sunday!  She's a fire mage, but from a very 'special' finishing school for Young Ladies of Quality.


 Hattie currently has a muff, an apron, a capelet and a renaissance style gown.  Today I'll talk about the gown, but I've added this photo to show how it all goes together.



It's McCalls 5155.  I made it in an embroidered cotton batik and trimmed it with a white sparkly cotton lace trim


 The belt is trimmed with a different white lace and tied with a purple satin ribbon. 


The elbow puffs are white lace over white cotton.


The back hangs loose and if worn without an apron it flows out behind me as I walk in a manner resembling a sack dress.


I just love the mottled purple of the fabric! 

Friday 17 October 2014

Knitting and Stitching Show at Alexandra Palace

Huh - for some reason, this didn't post yesterday.  Oh well, enjoy it now instead!

On Saturday I was up ridiculously early.  So early in fact that there was mist over the lower part of Bath.  I crept out of the house and headed over to Ruthwhoisnotablogger's place.

The view on my walk

Pretty autumnal leaves

Her lovely husband gave us a lift down into town and we went to the bus station and caught a bus.  We then had a mini adventure on the tube (one wrong turn, some petulant phone navigation and a closed tube line later it was fine!) and arrived at the bottom of a hill leading to here.

About two thirds of the way up the hill

Nearly there!
Once inside Alexandra Palace we met up with my Mum and Ruth's Mother-in-law (both of whom are awesome!).  My mum needed a sit down and some lunch, so we left her to it and the three of us headed into the corridor leading to the main hall. 

Just inside the door I found this.

Apologies for the dire photography
 I promptly went a bit bonkers, and started gushing over it and about it.  Not because I was bowled over by it's amazingness, although I was, but because all the people you see on it?  That's MY family!  And the person who made it?  That's MY Gran! How cool is that?!  How many other people get to go and see work their Gran ha done displayed at the Knitting and Stitching Show?


Eventually I stopped babbling and we got into the hall.  Just like last year it was stupidly busy.  Luckily I am quite tall and looming so I don't get pushed that much.  Which meant I could slowly make my way along our intended route and collect the others as they eddied past in the crush!  After an hour or so of looking mum and I were in need of a sit down.  Luckily we had afternoon tea tickets so off we went!


The waiter who managed the queue was lovely and so kind!  Sadly, the food was not as good as last year, which was very disappointing. The sandwich selection wasn't as large or as nice, the scones were tiny and the cakes were a huge disappointment (in part caused by my dislike of walnut and carrot cake and coconut cake but even so).

This picture taken after we'd had a few sandwiches
Still, the tea was free flowing and it was lovely to sit down and listen to the piano being played as we ate.  After which, we headed back into the main hall, to make our purchases.


 Here's a picture from the only stall I managed to take photos of.  Sorry!  A lot of them had signs up requesting no photos, which made me sad, partly because they were beautiful and partly because isn't it sad that they have to do that to protect their work?

Still, this was a delightful stall of lace and pretty bits.  We were encouraged to take photos and I even got a discount, because I had cash so saved him struggling with the chip and pin machine.  Incidentally, that did seem to be a theme for the day, the chip and pin machines were almost universally unhappy!

I'm sure by this point you'd like to see what I acquired, so here it all is!


Look at all my shinies! Aren't they pretty?


I did take the opportunity to stock up on pretty embroidery threads.  The four on the right are silk (this photo sadly doesn't do the colours justice), the two on the left are rayon, the rainbow braid is much finer than the sea coloured one though and the three in the middle are also silk.  Again, the picture doesn't do the colours justice as they are all actually variegated.


 This looks like a very fun book.  It was actually part of a buy three for a reduced price deal, but I only wanted one.  Luckily, Angela wanted two, so we split and shared!


A dresden plate block ruler!  I know I could have made my own, but I'm lazy!  I am very much looking forward to making some dresden plates, I have an ambitious plan for a table runner and place mats.  At some point.  Probably.


 The faux fur has already been turned into a muff for my new larp character.  I wasn't planning on buying fur to do that, but it was perfect and it's so soft!


 Some brown stretch lace from Fine French Laces.  I want to make more fingerless gloves!

 

An extremely reasonable packet of floral trimmings also from Fine French Laces.  I can't wait to explore the contents properly, but I'm trying to be good and leave it alone until I finish my kit making!













And finally, more stretch lace!  I fell in love with the colour...

So there you go.  A lovely day out and lots of pretty things to add to the stash.  Now, I really must get back to Hattie's kit...

Monday 13 October 2014

Coasters

No kit pics yet (sorry, I totally failed to take pictures!).  So instead, look at these quilted coasters I made, whilst I recover from the Knitting and Stitching Show! Which I will tell you all about on Thursday.


They are a set of four and went with the Huge Manatee to complete the present.  They are backed with towel and are made of cotton, decorated with ribbon.




 And here they are all prettily tied up and ready to be handed over!


Thursday 9 October 2014

Reversible Waistcoat

I made this a while ago, it was going to be larp kit but ended up as wedding wear!


One side is black pinstripe velvet, the other red suede.  The buttons are plastic and fastened with ribbon loops.  It's edged with satin bias binding, has side slits, pockets on both sides and darts in the back.









































You'll have to excuse the bad quality photos, my 'assistant' was causing havoc!



Here she is 'helping' me adjust the camera.  Little pickle!  But I forgive her, because all she was really after was this!


Cuddles make everything better!