Makings.

 I might have been absent from this blog for a while but I have been busy making.Mostly while I was watching the snow fall in late January early February wondering if I was ever going to make it to an airport to get on my travels.What better thing to sew in the bleak mid-winter while watching the snow fall than summer dresses.

Busy floral version a bit reminiscent of  "when Father papered the parlour..."

 I have been trying to use up as much stuff from my stash of fabric,patterns and wool as possible .I dug around and always liking the McCalls pattern I once made up for my daughter I found I had enough in two fabrics including lining fabric for two of my own....Yay!I really like this dress as not only is the bodice lined but the skirt section is too and that gives the whole thing a nice amount of poofiness for swirling and twirling I find.Plus it does have, despite the pattern cover image, a bit of a vintage retro feel to it of an early 60's dress when wearing it as the length falls just around the top of the knee.

Polka dot version with shortened bodice but still wearable.

 As ever mistakes and errors were in abundance the most notable being that I cut out the front bodice section wrongly in the polka dot fabric.It being a multi sized pattern I had previously been fiddling with it with some idea in mind that had been forgotten about and being in a semi-functioning state due to fears about airport closures I had not realised that I had folded something over that should not have been.Anyway,once the awful truth dawned that I had just wasted not only a load of fabric but also an afternoon sat at my sewing machine because the two shoulder sections refused to match, I found I had just about enough fabric to cut another bodice out providing it was shortened in length by about half an inch.This was not too bad as I just stitched a narrower seam to connect the skirt section so its not too bad.

version number 3 in

 I am currently on my third dress which really is using bits up as I have pieced two fabrics together to make the skirt.These are both left over from another of my daughters dresses.I have not enough of the lining fabric to make the skirt so it looks like I either use a different fabric from the stash to be economical or I bite the bullet and buy some more.As the whole object was to use stuff up I am loathe to do this but then again do I want a really mis-matched garment as five gets you ten that when wearing it I will meet with some awful accident and on arrival at hospital will be met with guffaws of laughter at this Frankenstein of dresses cobbled together with just about everything and anything.

 I also knitted a jumper in Patons Smoothie which was delightful to knit with other than a slight tendency to split as it was indeed smooth and quickly knitted up which is all you can ask for really of a cheaper off the peg yarn.As ever this is not the right wool for the pattern but it seems to work out alright .I can't credit where the pattern came from as it was one  I ripped out from a magazine ages ago and it would appear that since finishing the jumper I have lost the actuall page.

This months contribution so far in this months shade of cream

 And finally since before Christmas I have been making either by crocheting or knitting things for charitable causes either blankets for the local stray cats or little hats and things for premature babies.

Simple little baby wrap.
12" Granny square with corner triangle to make a hood.

 I have been sending things to Cuddles a UK charity supplying items to various hospital units for premature babies and following their suggested patterns for simple little items that are needed such as hats and tiny baby wraps using mostly 4-ply and 3-ply yarn.

Premature baby set in Sublime extra fine merino 4-ply.
Pattern courtesy of Ray of Hope

Baby burial gown in Sublime extra fine merino 4-ply.
Crocheted in half trebles and double crochet on bodice, alternating shell pattern in trebles edged with a picot.
Open sleeve seam and back for easier dressing.
Pattern courtesy of Cuddles.

So while absent I haven't been completely idle!