I think I can I think I can

I think I can said the little engine. At this stage of the tour de fleece I am already displaying signs of injury. I have got some sensitivity in the finger tips of my left hand. I think I have been pinching the twist to hard. While I have got one bobbin done I am not pushing for a second bobbin today as I am taking it as a slower day - that makes 3 down about 27 to go. Instead I am doing something about the pig sty which is better known as my coal bunker.

Yarn barf every where

I have let the children in there too often and as a result they have ratted around a little more than I like.  To the point I can not find anything. So today I decided was D-day to go through and get it reorganised in preparation for the new academic year. At some stage I am going to have to repaint it but that is not likely to be this summer. I made some project bags to help sort some of my yarn projects.  I sorted out some fabric to be sent off to the charity shop.  I know me putting fabric out the door is a totally strange concept but I felt that I was never going to use it and therefore it was better off in someone else's fabric stash.  I almost did some yarn but then my yarn hoarding tendencies come over myself and I held onto the yarn.  It is a box where if I dont find a use for it in the next six weeks I will send it out to someone else.

Pottering in the coal shed

Sunday afternoon the daughter and I were pottering in the coal shed.  I think I have created a monster as at one stage I was kicked out of my crafting shed as daughter wanted to use my sewing machine and really mother there just not enough room for the two of us in here. : said with 16 yr attitude:

Not enough room for two 

adults sized people here.

She was bugging me about wanting to make something so after some dicussion with me attempting to gain clarification about what she wanted to do and some ratting through my fabric stash she decided that we would make some Christmas stockings.   So after quickly drafting up a rough pattern on the back of a piece of handy card board (back of a note pad) we had a pattern.  We did not have enough of anyone piece of Christmas fabric to make a whole stocking out of it so it was time for creative extending.  Using some of the ubiqutious calico which I have miles of in the stash.  I always buy calico as it is my go to resource - makes toiles, school costumes that need to be dyed you can never not use calico in this household.

Crazy Patchwork

Crazy patchwork here we come if you want to do some. 

1. Cut out your shape in calico in our case it was the classic Christmas stocking shape.
2. Cut your fabirc into 2inch strips. Have about 5 different fabric selections.
3. Take one strip and cut a five sided shape out to start your patchwork this will be your centre. Pin to the stocking about the ankle location.
4. Work round your shape a strip at a time to set the next patch and this create a crazy patch effect.  When you have sewn along one edge. Iron or in mycase finger press the seam open and then trim to match the next edge shape.  Use the next strip to alternate the pattern.
5. If you  need to due to the shaping you can cut a new edge in if you find that you are starting to get stripes or arrows. 
6. To finish you can top sew  the seams by machine or hand with embrodiery stitches.
7. Sew your front to your back and trim 'n' grade the seams.  Dont forget to clip your curves and points and pull through and adjust into shape 

Don't you just love
the concentration

Ry is starting to become more confident with the sewing machine and there were only three times she called on me after kicking me out. Twice with loading a bobbin and rethreading it and once with threading the needle.  She had a minor tension problem thanks to top needle rethreading but she worked it out once she found out where the threading picture on the machine was located.  Her stocking is a little distorted but it will still be usable.

Sunday in the Coal Bunker

It was a lovely sunny day so I spent the afternoon in the coal bunker sorting through my stash and making some project bags. My crafting room is the old coal bunker and it has a window added to it. It is not very big or very wide but it does me as a broom cupboard.

Stash Cupboard

It was an enjoyable afternoon pottering in my shed. Daughter actually showed an interest in sewing this afternoon so we made some project bags. She also did some modelling for me. Here she is with the newest hair colour and length modelling a swap shawl that I was sent.

Mummy can I have this please.

As per normal she has put a request and seeing how sweet it was I have of course given into her. The Sunday afternoon mother daughter crafting event may be come a regular activity if she gets her homework done.