Happy holidays!

Hope you're all having lovely Christmas, got presents you wanted, are enjoying great food and company of loved ones without any stress. Happy holidays! xxx

Chunky knitted cowl scarf

Apart from sewing I occasionally knit, or shall I say I used to as this is probably my first knitted item this year apart from my knitted t-shirt rug. Last night I knitted chunky cowl scarf. I can't believe how popular they are. Last year I knitted one for myself and I don't think I saw many people wearing them. And this year everyone's wearing them. They're really comfy.

So I had this purple and green yarn from of course a charity shop. It wasn't thick enough, so I tripled it and combined it with colourful yarn. I made it wider at the bottom. They do not take long to make at all. One evening while watching TV and you're done. So today I'm making my second one, green one, with purple and colourful stripes.

Haven't decided what I'm going to do with them. Might keep one for myself and give the second one to someone for Christmas or sell them or sell one of them. I'll see.

So this is my finished one. Oh... it's so warm.

 

And the one I'm still working on.....

Upcycled bangle

Last time I went to charity shop and seen a lot of bangles, I've decided to have a go and reuse one to create a unique accessory. I've decided to cover it with a red silk sari fabric, which I bought on Etsy, I have managed so far to use it to create two oversized tops, of which one of them is being sold in my Etsy shop, and the other one will get there soon. Also use pieces on my white linen bag. Didn't just want to cover the bangle in fabric, sort of boring, thought. So I created sort of pattern by gathering the fabric. I do like the result, hope you do as well.

Time flies.... and "Fabric Party" bag

I can't believe it's been over a month since my last post. Time seems to fly. Do you also sometimes realise after another week passed, that you haven't managed to do any of the thing you were planning to do? I planned to do lots of sewing projects, but only made two tops and a bag, but only took pictures of the bag. I must admit that it's more difficult for me to take the pictures, than to create something. So I really like to make bags and bracelets as there is no need to bother my boyfriend to take the pictures for me and pretend to be a model, as I really don't like it, not really photogenic, or to bother someone else.

So it's probably going to take a little while to take the pictures of my tops.

"Fabric Party"

I've been carrying a bag design in my head for ages. I had a piece of lovely heavy white linen left from a curtain project I made for someone. Absolutely gorgeous fabric, was pretty expensive. I've decided to combine it with few different fabrics to create unique applique on the front, red silk sari fabric, recycled denim, blue cotton from men's shirt and tweed fabric bought in the charity shop, all stitched by red thread. Hence the name "Fabric Party".

The bag has 4 inside pockets, two on each side, and is closed by a fabric flap made of the same fabrics and vintage black button.

Comfortable wide strap is made of all the above fabrics cut in different shapes and again stitched by red thread on one side and blue cotton from men's shirt on the other with two metal bangles, one golden, one silver, which look like buckle.

The lining is made of flowery white cotton and red silk fabric. There is silk applique and two blue vintage lace strips sewn on the back of the bag.
I used to go to charity shops to look for pieces of clothing for myself. And now I usually find myself looking of stuff that can be reused, upcycled, reborn.

I must say that I absolutely love my new bag.

 

This is how it started.....

 

 



And this is the finished bag....

Two new cuff bracelets

I must say I really enjoy making leather and embroidery bracelets. I do though have to buy needles for sewing leather as using normal needles is not much fun. On Monday I finished two bracelets, if you remember two pieces of cross stitched linen I was working on, I ended up using for my bracelets.

I absolutely love the triangle one, I think I might make one for myself. There are two holes cut into the leather, so you need to pull thinner end in through one hole and out of the other (hope it makes sense :-) and it's fastened by vintage plastic brown button and elastic loop. The cuff has two blue ceramic buttons sewn on.

The second one is simple, yet very elegant. I did not want to 'overdo' it, as I thought that cross stitched piece of linen deserved something really simple.

Both bracelets are stitched by dark blue thread. You can wear them with just about anything, your favourite jeans or a dress...

I am just in a process in listing them onto Etsy, so if you like them, please just stop by. It's Friday tomorrow so have a lovely last working day and look forward to the weekend! Good night!

And here are the pictures, of course...

 

 

 

 

 



Fruitful weekend!

The weather has been pretty miserable for the last two days, but last weekend it was very different story, gorgeous and sunny. Crisp fresh Saturday morning called for mushroom picking and a little walk. We definitely weren't disappointed. I haven't seen this many mushrooms for a while.

 

 

Aren't they just so pretty, and also yummy. There is nothing so satisfying as foraging, maybe just growing your own. I must say, that as a girl who lived in a block of flats most of my life, would never consider growing my own vegetables very exciting, but it has changed. Having had a little garden for the last couple of years, I find growing my own veg very satisfying. It's not always success, but never mind. This year the weather's been really against us, but still managed to grow a lot green beans, few cucumbers, some courgettes, just picked our tomatoes, still green, but will be good enough for chutney. It's been second year I've been trying to grow peppers, didn't happen last year, so I've been especially excited this year. Just moved them indoors, to grow them a bit bigger.

Love it!

 

 



 And last of my experiments is making lime pickle, it's been a long process, over a month so far, just added all the spices to it, it smells like lime pickle now, can't wait for it to be ready.

 



My first two necklaces and what I'm working on right now

After making couple of wrist cuff, I thought I'll have a go creating necklaces. I actually haven't done any cross stitch until recently for many years, probably since I was a teenager. There is something very relaxing about it, as you can do it while watching TV and you never know what it's going to look like (at least in my case). So after using cross stitch on my handbag, which I've done recently and on one of my wrist cuffs, I thought I would be good idea to use it on necklaces. I'm very happy with the result. What do you think?

I haven't really been able to do much sewing in the last couple of week. To cut long story short, I have few stitches in my index finger, so it's been a little bit difficult. I was missing it so much, that I had a go on a little bit of cross stitching

 

 

So just wait and see what they'll end up as, I think that most likely bracelets, I'm thinking blue ceramic beads I've got and maybe, only maybe blue lace, let's surprise you and myself as well.

See you soon.