End of Semester - crochet bonnets, crochet easter baskets, sewn diary covers, crochet jumper and beret

Hello world,

Well, the semester has been arduous and the exams are still yet to come, but I felt like it was time that I made another post here, just so y'all don't think I've fallen off the planet.

I did find the time to work on a few little projects over the last few months, so here they are:

First, our new neighbours had a baby girl. I decided it'd be darling to crochet her some booties and a bonnet. Unfortunately, I forgot the take a photo before I gave her the booties. The bonnet, however, came out a lot larger than I intended - here's the one I made from the same thread as the booties:

As you can see, it worked out just a tad too large for a newborn. So I decided I'd get out great-grandma Stinson's old thread crochet gear and try again. Here's the much smaller and more adorable and lacy result:

Isn't it adorable? I love it to bits. Of course, when I get some nice soft white silk ribbon I'll replace the stiff red satin stuff.

I also got my craftybones out for Easter time. I crocheted a collection of Easter baskets for my family with which they were delighted:

I have also made a couple of diary covers. As I mentioned a while ago, I found the cutoffs basket in the upholstery section of my local spotlight, where you can get copious amounts of pretty, sturdy fabric for very cheap - copious amounts if you're making little items such as diary covers, that is! First we have this deliciously lacy number:

And this adorable and snug-fitting purple one, too. It has pockets in the inside of the front and back covers for keeping track of loose notes and the like, and elastic on the edge to hold your pen.

My etsy store has become empty because my listings have expired, but as anyone who's looked at my side banner in the past may have noted, I only had the one item for sale - Fervourography, my compilation of prose and poetry. I will be relisting this, but in addition I'd really like to make a collection of these diary covers and list them as well. And I'm planning on making more bookmarks, too. Then I will have a whole THREE types of items in store, can you imagine? :)

The most recent project I've got to show you is twofold - a crochet jumper and matching beret:

I'm really happy with this because it's so cozy - mohair and silk blend - and I made it without the help of a pattern.

I started writing this post aaages ago but I put off publishing it because I thought I'd quickly take a picture of the other project I was working on - an adorable petticoat-style skirt. It's almost finished, I've just got to get a little more of the satin bias tape to cover the waistband. Here's a piccie anyway, just because it was the cause of my delay:

In news from my life, aside from exams coming up the big news is that we've been told we have to move out of our unit. The property was sold and the new owner wants to move in. What? You don't think that moving house creates the greatest study environment? Pah!

Fortunately we've found a new place to rent about ten minutes from here. It has 3 bedrooms instead of 2 and a lock up garage instead of a car space, so it's a move up. Too bad the price difference shows it! Oh well. I'm really looking forward to having enough space to set up my dining table and chairs that until now have been in storage at my parents' place. I'll be able to hold a dinner party! Or, thinking more mundanely, I'll be able to eat my dinner at a table rather than in front of the tv! And the extra bedroom means that we can have both a craft room and a study, and since all three rooms have built-in wardrobes I'll have somewhere to put all my stuff. It's almost disappointing to recall that we'll only be there for half a year before moving wherever I get a job in 2010. But let's not think that way, but instead rejoice in the extra space I'll we'll have!

Customised t-shirts, fabric bookmarks, new pencil case and fabric storage cubes

Hello world,

The final week before uni came back spurred me to make a bunch of things!

First of all, we have these lovely tshirts I did for EJ:

This is EJ's real name. It's too long for one side of his shirt. :) The little bit down the bottom at the back says, "(or EJ for short)".

Awesome-pi (you know, as in the mathematical symbol) is just something we say. It's funny because of its perfect nerdiness. I have a black shirt the same as this one, in fact I am wearing it right now.

For these two I have to thank Threadless. The subliminal slogan I saw on one of their shirts and while I would have liked to buy it, I couldn't justify the expense, so I made my own. The other one EJ did buy, I didn't make it, but he wanted to show it off, so here it is! You can find it for sale here.

In other news, I decided to make EJ's grandmother (Oma; they're Dutch) a bookmark to give her when we went to visit for her birthday. While I was at it I made a few more because they were so quick and easy!

The first one is featuring my work called 'The Sea Ladies', which is posted over at deviantArt. I've also made a couple using my work 'Bewrecked'.

Oma's one is using photographs EJ took on a visit to the botanic gardens. The other two use images that I love and found on dA. You can find the originals here and here.

I recently discovered that my pencil case that I made for last year has mysteriously disappeared to another universe. I'm crushed, as you might imagine, however in order to help myself move on from this tragedy, I made a new one! This one is big because I wanted to fit my french curves rulers inside. Do you like it?

I got the idea for the birdie one from the birdie cushion below that Everyday Chaos made.

Finally, I actually made something from my future projects list! Amazing, I know. Crazy Mom Quilts posted a great tutorial for these adorable fabric storage cubes. It's easy to follow, they're quick, and you can make them in any size you want! When I first saw the tut I made a big one to put my paper patterns in, and now I've got these little beauties to keep my buttons safe. P.S. Since I got the fabric from the leftovers bin at spotlight and cardboard from grocery boxes, these things cost about 20c each for me to make. Cost-efficient, no?

So that's the good news this week. I wonder when I will post again... I am going to make a tutorial for a book/scheduler cover in the not-too-distant future, so we'll see how we go. Au revoir dear friends, I need to tidy the house for an inspection.

~Jessica

Companion cube softie tutorial

Hello world,

Just the other day I finished making this lovely companion cube softie for my darling EJ for our anniversary on 6 March:

If you don't know what a companion cube is, you can find out here. Basically, it's from the game Portal. You use it to help you complete the game's tasks. And the cake is not a lie.

Anyway, I decided that I would make one of these for my honey because I know he'd appreciate the effort. And I thought I'd post a tutorial of it in case anyone else thought it was a good idea. :)

Materials and tools

• Dark grey felt - you'll need a fair amount of this, 60x90cm at least if you want to make one the same size as mine, i.e. 25x25x25cm when finished.
  
• Light grey felt - I got half as much as the dark grey
  
• Pink felt - you only need a little bit of this, enough for 6 hearts and 24 little lines.
  
• Cotton thread - I chose black as a contract, you can make your own decision. :)
  
• Stuffing/hobby fill - Use whatever you can find. If you're into repurposing, get an old pillow or two from the op-shop and use the filling in there.
  

Method

1. Download my pattern by clicking on the image below, or make your own. As I mentioned above, this pattern is to make a cube that's 25x25x25cm when finished. Print it, stick the two pages together and then cut out only the main square. Don't cut it up into little pieces until I say to further on. By the way, I've included 1cm seam allowance around the perimeter of the square only - the rest doesn't require it because the felt won't fray.

2. Use the square pattern to mark out six squares on your dark grey felt. They'll be 27x27cm because of the 1cm seam allowance. Cut them out.

3. Cut out of the pattern the areas that will be light grey - i.e. a corner piece, one of the little kinda C-shaped pieces in the middle of each edge, and the circle. Use these to mark on the light grey felt. You will need 24 corner pieces, 24 C-shaped pieces and 6 circles. Cut out your felt.

4. Cut out from the pattern the heart and one of the little lines that go from the circle to the C-shaped pieces. Cut 6 hearts and 24 lines from the pink felt - make the lines a bit longer than the pattern piece.

5. When you arrange all the pieces, each face should look like the picture below.

6. Now it's time to applique all the pieces in place on all the faces. I did them in this order: corner pieces, little pink lines (so their ends end up beneath the other two pieces), C-shaped pieces, applique the heart to the circle, then the circle to the face. When you're done, the faces should look somewhat like this:

7. If you want to make it more true to the game, you could stuff the corners and C-shaped pieces now, but I didn't think it was necessary. The next step is to install a zipper between two of the faces. If you know how, go ahead and do it, then skip ahead to step 10. If not, I'll explain how I do it, even though it's a bit... unprofessional. :)

Place two faces right sides together and run a seam with 1cm allowance down one of the edges. Use a straight stitch with the longest length your machine will allow.

8. Iron the seam allowance open, then pin your zipper over top of the seam.

9. Use a zipper foot and sew down the length of the zipper, turn, and up the other side. Now you can unpick the seam, et voila! A zipper for you.

10. Open the zipper. Proceed to making the cube. Now, I will try to explain it here but you'd do will to look at this cube tutorial, which most likely explains the whole cube-making process a bit better.

Okay! Get two more faces and attach them with a zigzag stitch so that you form a shape like the one below. When you're doing this, make sure to start and end your seams 1cm away from the edge of the fabric. This comes into play when you attach the last two faces.

11. Now take one of your final faces and attach two opposite edges of it to corresponding edges in the existing work, as pictured below. This is why we left that 1cm at the edges of the seams, so that you have a nice clean edge to sew these seams. Leave the same 1cm at each end again for these seams.

12. Okay, now it's time to create some square corners. Take one of the remaining open edges and fold in the two faces on the sides so that you get a flat edge to work with, like pictured below. Pin it lots and then run a seam along this edge, but don't leave 1cm at each end this time. Repeat with the opposite edge.

13. Repeat steps 11 and 12 for the remaining face. Aren't you glad I directed you to that other cube-making tutorial?

Now you should have a cube like below. Turn it right side out through the open zipper.

14. Now get out your stuffing and fillerup!

And there you go, you are the proud owner of your very own companion cube softie.

I hope you liked this tutorial, and I'd love to see a picture of any companion cubes you make!

~Jessica

Spats Tutorial

Hello world,

Upon a few requests over at Threadbanger, I've decided to put together a quick tutorial for the spats I made to match my she-tails:

Apologies that I don't have pictures of the first couple of steps - I began making this pair before I decided to make a tutorial! :)

Materials and tools

• Main fabric - at least 1x0.5m
  
• Lining fabric - at least 1x0.5m
  
• Matching cotton thread
  
• Iron-on interfacing
  
• Elastic - 2x 10-12cm lengths; use thin elastic, like 5-10mm width
  

Method

1. Download Thank you for not being perky's spats pattern by clicking the image below:

2. Print the pattern and cut it out. Place the pattern pieces on the interfacing with the printed side up and cut two of each pattern piece. Then place your pattern pieces on the interfacing printed side down and cut two more of each piece. This way you will have one spat for each foot. You know what I mean! It's easier to visualise than to explain.

3. Separate your interfacing pieces in two identical piles (each containing 1 A and 1 mirrored-A, 1 B and 1 mirrored-B, 1 C and 1 mirrored C) and iron one pile to your main fabric, one pile to your lining fabric. Make sure you leave enough space around them so that when you cut them out you can add 1cm seam allowance. Also make try to ensure you put your fabric's max stretch going across the pattern pieces. Cut them all out with 1cm seam allowance.

4. For both the two mains and the two linings, sew the seams as indicated by the notches in Thank you for not being perky's pattern, i.e. piece B on the left side of piece A, C on the right side of A. You can see one main and one lining complete below.

5. Now snip little triangles out of the seam allowance and iron it open. Doing this will prevent puckering in the curved seams. Run a topstitch down both sides of the seam, securing the seam allowances as shown below.

6. You will now be able to see the general form the spats will take. Fold over the front of one of the mains (i.e. fold piece C over onto piece A) so that the two peaks at the bottom of the front match, as you can see in the top part of the image below. You can see the position where the elastic should be attached. Mark this position on both your mains.

Baste your elastic in place on the main fabric. Make sure you sew it on the right side of your main, right near the edge of the fabric so that it will be hidden in your seam allowance in the finished product. (See the bottom part of the image above.)

7. Now it's time to sew the first part of the perimeter. Place main and lining right sides together, then pin along the edge as indicated in the image below. It's important to do the perimeter seam in two parts, because the elastic pulls too much to get a neat seam otherwise. Make sure the elastic is hidden inside, between the main and lining.

8. Now pin and sew the other part of the perimeter seam, leaving a gap for turning on the straight edge as indicated below. Oh yes, because of the curved seam, that little bit in the middle at the top of the work in my photo is just folded over. The seam really is continuous, since you will join the second part of the perimeter seam at the corner where the first seam ended. Once again, easier to do than to explain. :)

9. Trim the corners and then turn your spats right side out through the hole you left in the last step. Use something skinny to push the corners out so they're nice and sharp and heat up your iron.

10. Iron it flat, tuck in the raw edges around the turning hole and pin it shut.

11. Run a topstitch around the perimeter of your spats to give them a polisehed look and to close up the turning hole.

12. Add buttons and button holes and you're done! Note - if you suffer from the dreaded cankle like I do, you will want to position the buttons quite close to the edge of the spats so as to give you as much wriggle room as possible. Those with slender ankles, I envy you.

Et voila!

Alright. I hope you enjoyed this tutorial and that you will make yourself many and varied spats, because it's time they came back.

As a side note, I decided I will give this tutorial's pair away to the first person who leaves a comment saying they're interested and with a way for me to contact them. I don't want to call it a competition, because I disappointed myself by doing one very messy button hole and accidentally snipping a tiny hole (like 4mm) in the middle of the lining of one of the spats. As much as it pains me to be honest about these stuff-ups, I'd feel worse to send these away to someone without warning them about what to expect. Nonetheless, they're still pretty darn kewl, and no-one will see the lining hole when you're wearing them, and the button hole should be mainly covered by the, y'know, button. :)

[EDIT] Congrats Allegra, you will be seeing some spats in the mail shortly.

~Jessica

New she-tails vest & spats, living room decor and other news

Hello world,

The first piece of news that I'd like to share is that I've added a new gadget on the righthand side of my page - Followers. That's right! If you want to keep up-to-date with what I'm posting, just click the link to follow this blog. If you're using Google reader then my posts will appear in there, or if you are using another RSS reader you can click the 'Subscribe to' link further down the righthand column of the blog.

Now to business - yet another two items I can cross off my two steps forward one step back future projects list. Behold my she-tails and matching spats!

I am so proud. I think everyone should dress like this all the time. :)

To make this I used a pattern I made from tracing an old waistcoat EJ got from an op-shop. I did this a while ago to make him a red waistcoart to match my formal dress for his work's annual awards night:

Not bad for an afternoon's work, eh? Anyway, I altered that pattern to have a scoop, be double-breasted and have the tails at the back, plus added some lapels for good measure. I love the materials that I used - the pinstripe suiting is lovely, and the silver lining was just a scrap in the offcuts bin that I could not resist.

As to the spats, I downloaded the pattern from Thank you for not being perky. I love them, too, and I think I'll be wearing them even more often than the she-tails just because they're easier to get away with. And tres trendy. And cozy, too, which would be great if we had, you know, winter.

Now that the beginning of Autumn semester at UOW is drawing nigh, I probably won't have as many posts. However, I am determined not to let this blog fade into the background and I will keep updating and checking for any responses people might post. While real schoolwork might be the enemy of the blogging world, I have no doubt that procrastination will come to its aid. :)

I've also begun tutoring again now that the high school kids have gone back to work. If you're interested, I tutor Mathematics for years 7-10 (and revision for adults) and English for years 7-8 in the greater Wollongong area, and you can get hold of me via Sharron at Illawarra Home Tuition on 02 4261 3000 - just mention you are interested in working with Jessica.

I also wanted to post a couple of other older projects that I never got around to photographing and posting: my lounge cushion covers, which I love lots and lots, and my matching reupholstered stools:

I made these a long time ago now, back when we first got the new lounge. There's about 14 cushions, and they have the brocade on one side, the paisley on the other. And more recently, I made covers for both the computer monitor/keyboard and printer:

I especially liked making them reversible and adding the pouch for the printer paper. :)

If anyone is interested, I'd be happy to accept any tutorial requests that people might have. I can't guarantee that they'll be strictly professional, but I can assure you that I will do my best!

Anyway, I think that'll do for today (this post has been a long time in the making, actually), so I'll say goodbye.

~Jessica