Shirt rescue

Two weeks ago I had a very very-very VERY stupid accident with a bottle of liquid rubber that I spilled over me and half of the kitchen. It has been easy to clean the kitchen again, I am lucky that I got it out of my face and hair with no big damage, but it is nearly impossible to get the rubber out of fabric. I lost a beloved woolen pullover (cry), a kitchen towel (minor important) and got it on the sleeves of a long sleeve shirt I wore under the pullover (annoying as it has been nearly new).

I now cut of the spoiled parts of the sleeves and replaced them with other jersey fabric. Purposely I made the cuffs very long so they crease a little.

I added a stripe on the bottom seam too, to match the sleeves. As jersey isn't fraying out, I didn't hem the edges neither at the sleeves nor at the bottom. I like that they are rolling up a little.

Like this I rescued at least one victim of this unnecessary incident. From the pullover I cut of the backside, that hadn't any rubber marks and as it has been from wool (merino and cashmere) I felted it in the machine at 60°C and now I have a very soft and light piece of grey felt. I will see if I can make something from it.

A bientôt,
Jane

4 matches ... or so

For some years now during the Christmas time I wanted to replace the Patch that is normally brighten up our living/dining room. Have a look at the "all-day-patch" here. For me Christmas is not multicolored and I wanted something calmer. 

Of cause I am just thinking about it during November and December and this is a very busy time. But I have some ideas already in mind. During this Christmas vacation I detected a new inspiring blog. Have a look at Christina Camelis blog A few scraps, too. She is doing so nice quilting and it is looking so easy and as if I could do it too. Lately she is posting videos from her quilting and it is a pleasure watching her smooth movements and the elegance. 

I know I am far from that level, but I have been kept by this pattern called wildfire. I watched the video, picked a scrap of fabric made a quick little sandwich and tried it out. Not as even as Christinas quilting, but I thought it might work for a bigger quilt. I wanted to highlight the flames and then I had the idea of 4 matches for a Christmas wall hanging. I have been fast with the quilting of the flames, but then I stuck. How to quilt the background? I finally decided on stripes that are above the flames a little wavy to indicate the motion of hot air.

(Ignore the horrible quality of the photos, we didn't have enough light since days and I got impatient. Maybe I replace them later) 

I have to say, that I really disliked it while finishing it, but having it on the wall, looking from the distance is not so bad and I don't see the mistakes any more.

The matches-idea is not as visual as I intended. My kids are seeing trees and my husband flowers. What do you see?

My husband also thinks it is boring, what is surely true, compared to the other multicolored one that has this place normally. But this one has a backside too. So, darling, there is more color for you: 

The backside is a grey-green colored old bed sheet. The flames are quilted red like on the other side, the stripes are soft blue on this side, so they are not standing out from the background. (oh man this photos are really horrible)

Even I like it a bit better now, when ready, I don't think it will be my Christmas decoration this year. I will see if I can find someone who likes it and who isn't asking for perfection like I do. 

Bonne weekend,

Jane

Baby clothes

We have the greatest sunshine today! I took the chance and went to the garden to take pictures of all the baby clothes I made lately. A lot of administrative work is stopping me from bigger projects, but those little trousers are the perfect quick projects for in between when you think your head will explode in front of your desk. 

I mainly used the same patterns like for the clothes I tested in December (here). This time I made the "milkmonster"-trousers from jeans. I reused the legs of an old jeans from my darling, he is always wearing up his jeans in the upper part and I already gathered a lot of legs for future projects.

Two of the shirts are again from Schnabelinas free pattern. I just wished I had added an other dividing stripe in the front of the owl-shirt.

I like that pattern, it is great for using up little pieces, but for motive-prints the parts are quite small, so I tried out an other free pattern I found in the web. 

I had quite some difficulties to follow the instructions. My normal machine doesn't have an elastic stitch, so I try to avoid sewing jersey with it. I used wristband material for the neckline an fixed it with the over-lock, but I have never opened up so many seams. Finally it is not too bad, but I have to "use" my little niece again to try it out. 

I also changed the order of sewing it together, I thought it would be too fiddly to close the body and sleeves first and then put it together. 

The only thing I am proud of on this shirt: The stripes in the fabric of the sleeves are lining up perfectly on the seam :-)

A bientôt,
Jane

General calendar 2015

For birthdays and vacation times I have always a calendar in the kitchen, so I am not missing those events (okay, I've never missed vacations even before having a calendar :-). Several years ago I stopped looking for one I like in stores but made one myself and decorated it with little animal icons I found in the web. 

This year I advanced it and I took digitized drawings I made myself to decorate the calendar. 

It's a bit difficult to show here the calendar completely as it should be on size A3. Therefor have a look at those details:

 

The Sundays are highlighted as well as the official vacation days that are also labeled. In my version I highlighted also the school vacation times for our region in an other color.

If you want to have a copy for personal use, feel free to download as pdf-file. It is in A3 format, so probably not everybody is able to print it at home (I let my husband print it at work), but probably every copy-shop can do. 

German version

Version française

J'espére bien que c'est utile pour quelques uns de vous!

A bientôt,

Jane

Happy 2015

The year has already started for some days, but nevertheless I want to wish you a happy and healthy new year 2015!

Are you someone who are making new year resolutions? Me normally not, but for this year I made some creative resolutions anyway!

Actually it is only one that will take a big effort. I will finish the oldest UFO (unfinished object) I have! It is a bed cover that I started the year before my eldest has been born, so now the top is about 8 to 9 years old.

The middle section is patchwork and the tendrils are applicated by hand. It is about 2,50m by 3,0m. I finished the top in 2008, but hesitated since to make a sandwich and quilt it. Partly it is because there are some waves in the border and I fear that I have to open up some parts and partly it is because I still don't know how to quilt it. Do you have some ideas? 

This will be a very traditional quilt and I am not quite sure what to do with it later, because it is not at all my style any more.

Anyway, I already have (also since 2006) the batting and the fabric for the back. New mantra: "I WILL DO IT" not "I have to do it some when"

Second resolution is that I want to take some more time to do drawings! Also I would like to improve my hand writing, by maybe doing some exercises in calligraphy. 

You will think, that are not too many plans for one year, but I guess you know as well as I do, how quickly one year is over!

A bientôt,

Jane