Bits and Pieces

After cool and dreary weather we've suddenly had bright, sunny and warm -- but not to worry, in a few days we'll be back to not so nice. Gather ye rosebuds...

The small knit project Every Bit Cowl is finished and blocked. 

After many months of searching a button has been found. I can't say the project it is meant for has been finished, as I have still not sewn it on (sewing on buttons = least favorite chore), but at least I know where it is now. I picked it up years ago at a Stitches East convention - it's a depiction of a Chinese zodiac rat - which is not only my personal sign, but also very appropriate in this Year of the Rat.

It will (eventually) be sewn on a Hanne Falkenberg Tokyo cardigan (seen in background).

And speaking of buttons - the last sewing guild meeting I went to was about buttons, and we brought in some of our own to trade/give away. A single ziggurat-shaped button caught my eye, and I took it home to perhaps use in some way. It wasn't really big enough to use as a single focal button on a garment, so I thought I might use it as part of a pin for a hat.

I decided to bead a background for it and sew it to a backing fabric. The beads are Miyuki Delica size 8, the pattern and shape are adapted from Pattern 108 from Etsy seller All You Can Bead.

The hat it is meant for has yet to be sewn (of course) but I'm hoping it will add an interesting little note to it when done.

Back to Sewing

Still not feeling like tackling large projects, but taking baby steps to get back into a sewing mood.

I like coverups when cooking, but dislike feeling constricted by ties, so I had intended to get an apron pattern that I could just slip into (there most likely is a specific name for that style, but it's escaping me). Never got around to it, and then -- well, you know what happened next.

Fortunately the folks at Tessuti Fabrics are offering a free downloadable pattern for just what I wanted. Having difficulty linking to the pattern itself, so just click on the 'patterns' tab and take a look at what they offer -- including the freebies.

The fabric used appears to be a linen blend. It was a piece in a free bundle from Fabric Mart many moons ago, so it's just a guess as to what it is, but it was here and available, so there you go.  The pattern didn't take too much paper (about 25 sheets) and was reasonably easy to glue together (a chore which I absolutely hate!). I didn't pay too much attention to the directions until I got to the bib facing -- pay attention there if you want the nice, clean finish shown.

So, nothing earth-shattering, but a needed accessory and a small push towards getting back in the sewing groove.  I'll take it!