Yesterday (Saturday) I got a little time for sewing and spent time finishing the black pinafore dress that I started back in November. For once I followed the pattern exactly and this caused a lot of swearing when I got to putting the zip in. In the end I ignored the pattern and did the zip the way I normally do. It went in very neatly and quickly. That left the final finishing for today - the hem, neaten the seam by the zip and the hook and eye at the neck above the zip. The pattern said to machine stitch the hem but I much prefer to hand stitch as it always looks much neater. This is the pattern I'm using to make the pinafore.
I added some trim to the pockets and as you can see the hem isn't fully stitched.
Kathy challenged us to take a photo of our hand whilst stitching. This was a little difficult trying to manipulate the camera with my left hand and hold a needle with my right. Of course it could have been the glass of wine I'd just finished that was making it difficult! Anyway here I am stitching the hem - OK so I was pretending to stitch.
Then it was time to sit and relax in front of a film with my cross stitch. This week I'm concentrating on the next square on the millennium sampler. This one is about the Battle of Hastings in 1066 when William the Conqueror defeated Harold. So far I've got most of the horse completed and a little of the knight. This should be finished by the end of the week.
This morning I spent some time looking at a hardanger pattern. I had started the pattern some time ago but couldn't make it work properly and so had dumped it at the back of a drawer. It took me a little while to work out what I'd been doing wrong but I finally got there.
The pattern is from this book which has 8 coaster and 8 place mat patterns. It also has patterns for napkin rings and table runners. It was one of the place mats that I'd started but I had managed to totally misread the pattern including getting the wrong size piece of fabric. It would have been too small and I would have been cross had I got quite far with it only to discover the fabric wasn't big enough. Soon I'm going to get some more fabric and start the piece again. In the meantime I will use the fabric I've got to make some coasters.
I've spent some time this week going over why I've stopped making particular projecst. I've realised that often it is because something goes wrong. When I've gone back to it, sometimes years later, I find I've misread what I'm supposed to do, mis-measured something or just feel I can't do it. This was the case with the millennium sampler as it has a lot of fractional stitches and I found these difficult and tedious to do. I told myself I couldn't do it and it would end up looking a mess. Now having come back to it after a few years I'm enjoying stitching it and the fractional stitches present no problem. In fact I like the way they help to make the piece more detailed. Maybe as I've got older I've acquired more patience with things. Anyway whatever the reason I am slowly sorting out all those projects that have been left and I'm enjoying doing it.
Do you put projects away when you run up against something you find difficult? I hope today your slow stitching has been enjoyable with no problems. I'm linking this post with Kathy' Quilts for Slow Stitching Sunday
Lyndsey
Love the cross stitch, and I know what you mean with fractional stitches. So glad you started working on it. I bought a Bucilia cross stitch sampler at a thrift store. Must be back in the early 80's. This person started and had the numbers and alphabet completed but then abandoned the project. The back were all knotted and some coming loose. Had to untie them and weave in the ends. The threads were missing so I had to match them with DMC . I prefer counted over printed x's as it is hard to see and some do not match up. I don't give up on a project, just keep plugging along till I get it. Working on knitted socks and have ripped out the heel 4 times but one of these days it will get, I hope!! lol
ReplyDeleteI love the dress, it looks so comfortable. Nice to see you stitching on your Millennium piece, it's looking marvelous.
ReplyDeleteSometimes patterns do make things harder. Glad you figured out your zipper. I agree about taking a picture of your hand, kind of like rubbing your tummy and patting your head and then trying to reverse. OH MY!
ReplyDeleteI love the dress pattern and I prefer hemming by hand also. I love patterns that have so many pieces in one packet too.
ReplyDeleteThe Millennium sampler is challenging in many ways - it's looking good. I love your dress making too
ReplyDeleteYes.. I must say the Millennium sampler looks challenging too.. and I can't wait to see how the final work looks like.. and don't we just have all these kits.. (I'm embarrassed to say.. i stored mine away and not opened yet.. Yikes)
ReplyDeleteStitching selfies are challenging for sure!
ReplyDeleteI think when we come back to old UFo's we are more patient, plus we are more skilled to solve the problems that occurred.
Thanks for linking up!
Knitters often blog about things in the "naughty corner" or, if it's really gone wrong, "the frog pond" (as in: rip-it, rip-it, rip-it!)
ReplyDeleteI did find the fractionals a challenge on aida which is why I never use it now. I have very few actual UFOs, one is because of the aida, another because it was too "bitty", lots of colour changes etc and the third I really don't know why it's a UFO! I loved stitching it but it just got out away,m maybe next year's list!
ReplyDeleteI'm actually more likely to put away a project if it's too easy (i.e. boring). I love the pinafore and I've enjoyed seeing your progress on the sampler.
ReplyDelete