Houndstooth and Check

I've been needing a large bag for a while now - big enough to carry a pile of student essays, a pencil case and other assorted bits and pieces. So while I should have been doing a million other things today, I decided to sew a sturdy houndstooth and check bag with a handy zip pocket on the flap. Perfect for my trip to Wellington  tomorrow,. and then on to Christchurch in the weekend to spend some time with Mum.

I'll be back in early July, so take care everyone.

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Sometimes I love a particular design so much that I make more than one of the same thing for myself. That is definitely the case with the Baktus scarf / shawl. It's a scarf that looks great whatever way you wear it. You can loosely drape it around your shoulders like a shawl or you can loop it around your neck a couple of times and tie it in the middle or off to one side. 

The scarf never feels bulky and the pretty lace pattern gives it some added visual interest. The original  non-lacy Baktus was designed by a knitter called Terhimon and the lacy version was designed by Strikkelise. The super simple pattern is free to download. It's also easy to memorise for beginner knitters like me because you just repeat 8 rows the whole way except that you are adding stitches one half and decreasing in the second half to create the large triangle that is the finished product. Another point in its favour is that it only takes one 50gm ball of four ply sock wool to knit, so you can splash out on the finest quality yarn. The scarf grows very quickly on the needles which is satisfying and prevents boredom from setting in. After seeing a beautiful green version knitted by Lies, I knitted one for my friend Katy that I blogged about here. I knitted the terracotta one for myself using a ball of divine Madelinetosh wool generously given to me by Lies and a third one from pale blue merino bought from a lovely wool shop in Devonport.

So what are you waiting for - GET KNITTING - you won't be disappointed.

ps: the background to the photos is a painting by Graham Fletcher from his Lounge Room Tribalism series. I posed the scarves in front of it while I was was waiting for staff from Wellington's City Gallery to collect it from me for a show in their Deane Gallery in July where it will feature along with other recent paintings by Graham. Make sure you drop in for a look if you happen to be in Wellington during that time.

three minute bangles

I had a little frenzy of bangle making after breakfast this morning using the four kinds of vintage knit fabric I showed you in yesterday's post. This is what the finished bangles look like when worn.

When we were little we used to walk home from our local swimming pool wearing head-dresses made from our rolled up towels. These bangles are made the same way. They are so quick and easy that I thought I'd show you how they're done in case you want to make a bunch of them yourself.

Step one: Measure your wrist and cut a piece of non-fraying stretch knit fabric with an extra seam allowance of 1.5cm. My fabric pieces measured 27cm square.

Step 2: Sew a straight seam and then trim close to the stitching. With the fabric tube turned inside out place it on your arm and fold back to the desired width making sure that the fold is even all the way round.

Step 3: Continue folding the bangle on your arm, but before you make the last fold, tuck the edge of the fabric under as shown above.

Step 4:  Fold the final flap of the bangle and adjust to make sure that you have a neat edge. Don't worry that the fabric on the inside of the bangles goes a bit wavy - you can't see that when you're wearing it.

And that's all there is to it. You can vary the width and thickness of the bangles to create extra drama and make dynamic pairs using contrasting fabrics.
In my experience, speed crafting very seldom works out, but these three minute fabric bangles are an exception - fast, thrifty and snazzy to boot. I hope you enjoy making some of your own.

One pattern / Two looks

I found four large pieces of Nana knit fabric at the Takapuna Hospice shop yesterday. Now I'm sure this style of fabric is not everyone's cup of tea, but I could definitely see the potential for all kinds of textile goodies like pocket bags, pencil cases and patchwork cushions. First up though, I decided to make a new collar design using a pattern I adapted from the shaped waistband of a child's skirt.

Because the houndstooth pattern is so busy I kept the collar simple and opted for an invisible dome fastening instead of a button on the outside. 

For a more formal look I used the same pattern to make an ornate version of the collar for a special occasion using a silk panel from an old kimono in a gorgeous shade of midnight blue with a silver and pink pattern. I added a ruffle and embellished it with a black glass Art Deco button.

A versatile pattern is a really handy thing to have in the sewing room.

Up next - Nana knit bangles...

Pop Riveter

I had a productive holiday weekend catching up on a couple of long overdue projects. The plan had been to make up our Pania Press edition of Jen Crawford's poetry chapbook Pop Riveter during the Easter break, but what with one thing and another, it ended up being Queen's Birthday weekend before I could get to it. That seems to be the way of things this year.

Never mind, I'm pleased with the finished result. I loved working with all the colour combinations and the pocket-size A6 format is really cute. I also like the way that the geometric elements are all slightly wonky, which is what makes hand-crafted things special as far as I'm concerned. Each copy comes in a snazzy envelope made from calico bookcloth which will protect the hand-collaged details on the covers from wear and tear.

I wrote about Jen's book in an earlier post which you can read here and if you want to own a copy of Pop Riveter you are very welcome to place an order here.

Enjoy the rest of your week.

works on paper

Are you a dealer?

I was asked this question yesterday when I approached the counter of a pop-up shop in Browns Bay called Time Traveller 2, which sells a great range of reasonably priced vintage and retro clothing, domesticware and bric a brac. If you happen to be venturing across to the Shore you should definitely check it out at 21 Clyde Road, Browns Bay. The original shop operates from Paeroa and I'm told that the owner sources most of the clothes from offshore. The garments are in stunning condition - if only I had the figure of a 1950s housewife!

I think the chap asked if I was a dealer because of my very focused method of shopping. Yesterday, for instance, I noticed a basket brimming over with papers, so I sat on the floor and began to take every item out of the basket to examine them. This kind of activity always gets people's attention. Other shoppers generally start circling around me worried that they might be missing out on something cool. Eventually though, they get tired of hanging around and go away. The basket of papers contained illustrations cut from old picture books, advertisements for old cars taken from magazines, business letters from the early 20th century written by hand on crisp letterhead paper, screenprinted advertisements, and a number of small original watercolours on paper.

I selected this lovely butterfly composition that was probably intended as a design for a ceramic tile for a curved fireplace. The chap in the shop told me that he bought it in the estate sale of a woman named Mrs Holloway who was something of an amateur artist. She seemed pretty accomplished, if you ask me!

Another small watercolour that leapt out at me was this pretty sprig of Manuka blossom painted by O.M Tonkin. I'm going to find a nice frame for it and give it some well deserved space on the wall.

And I couldn't resist this free-standing screenprinted 1950s sign for the old Corban's Vineyard in Henderson. This combination of colours just makes me happy, pure and simple.

I may not be a dealer, but I do love discovering beautiful little artworks like these, and either finding a space for them in my home, or giving them as presents to people who I know will appreciate them as much as I do.