k,p, ssk and k2tog

We are in the process of changing our heating for a system that is more "green" and so currently we are the greenest of all and not heating the house at all. Now when I say that I do realise that it is only October and we live in Provence so most of the time this is not a problem. In fact the days are still mostly nice and sunny but the evenings and early mornings are starting to feel decidedly chilly.

So when this pattern for a snood appeared on the day that my annual knitting bug attacked I knocked the dust off my needles and set to work. Et voilà!

Ok, so the needles were huge, the wool very thick and it is hardly the biggest item ever but even so. It is done, cast off and sewn together (and I used 100% merino wool so it really is very very warm).

The Snood: perfect for preventing chills around the neck and throat area and perfect also for snuggling into on a chilly evening whilst watching back episodes of Mad Men!

The photos are a little hazy as mademoiselle E. took them but I am sure you get the general gist.

And, of course, the great thing about the snood is the versatility of it.....

In fact, the more I think about it, the more I think everyone should have one!

What happened to the jeans - Part II

As you saw yesterday the jeans I decided to re-cycle made firstly a marble bag for Mademoiselle to use in the playground.

There was still quite a lot of denim left though which I transformed into bag number 2.

It seems that around this time of year, for the past few years, I have got the knitting bug.

It normally doesn't last long (rarely even long enough to make a "quick and easy" scarf!!) but whilst it does last I have to have the knitting to hand so that I can squeeze the odd row in here and there. Now having knitting lying around where there are also small children usually only means one thing (which probably explains why I struggle to finish anything) so when the bug hit this year I decided that I should find something to house my knitting rather than leaving it in sight of little fingers that like to pull stitches off needles.

Step up denim bag number 2. (and please excuse the state of the windows!)

I used the rest of the strips of denim sewn together to make the outer part of the bag. It is lined with the rest of the flowery fabric that I also used to line the marble bag. There is a magnetic fastening (which I am very proud of!) and the handles are line with the remnants of the shirt - waste not want not!

On one outer side I have added a back pocket of the jeans to give me two outer pockets for my instructions and notions (aka buttons!). I also added a fabric flower and a vintage pink flowery button.

Project Runway Challenge- at last!

Remember this post?

Well, after a couple of weeks that haven't been very condusive to sewing or blogging I have finally got round to photographing what happened to the shirt and the jeans (more to come at a later date on the skirt).

The Shirt

The shirt lost the collar and yoke and then I cut two front sections out of the front panels of the shirt, a back section out of the back and two sleeves out of the upper sections of the dismantled sleeves. Add a bit of liberty bias and some brightly coloured "sweetie" buttons, a bit of elastic shirring round the neckline and ta dah!

The Jeans

The jeans were cut into strips. One section went into making this marble bag. I had specific instructions on what a marble bag should be - square or rectangular, with a closure so the marbles don't fall out and the strap should go round the body enabling the wearer to carry it without it hindering other playground activities such as skipping, clapping or playing hopskotch. Job done, I think.

The remainder of the jeans is currently being used in another project - watch this space!

Pink gingham for a girl and a blanket for a boy

Second pink gingham tunic of the week. This time with short sleeves and a button closure at the back.

And a boy blanket. Cotton 'bubbles' on the upper side and light blue 'minky' underneath. Interlined with fleece for added cosyness (particularly as it is on its way to New Zealand).

A matching gym bag completed the set and made a perfect house for the little wooden man!

Come on Debbie Rose

look what you're missing

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Re-live the 70's

If you are a Guardian reader you may know that in the Life & Style section there is a series entitled Buy of the Day where Kate Carter "recommends a little something to brighten up every day of the week".

Today it is shower gel. But last Wednesday it was this dress kit from Clothkits.

Now if you are a proper 70's child and wore dungarees, stripy t-shirts and copious amounts of ric rac in your formative years you may have heard of Clothkits. It was a mail order business that sold clothing kits that did away with paper patterns - the cutting lines were already printed onto the fabric making it simple to create dresses, skirts and, of course, dungarees.

Clothkits was relaunched in 2008 and you can still buy the clothing kits but it also sells, amongst other things, bag and cushion kits, haberdashery items and fabric.

So waiting for me on my return from the Alps was this little lot:

plain cottons in orange, turquoise and purple; a patterned blue, purple and white; and a pink with orange dots.....all to be transformed into dresses, shirts and shorts which the gorgeous sunshine, which was also here on our return, requires.

You may have also noticed the turquoise trim at the top of the picture - here is a close up:

This is to adorn a cushion that will be part of the new children's/baby range for my etsy shop.

I'd better get sewing....