Thursday, February 22, 2018

TWEEDY STRIPEY

 These pictures are sort of embarrassing, but let's just go with it. I knit a sweater!
I read a book called Overdressed: the Shockingly High Cost of cheap Fashion by Elizabeth L. Cline as recommended by Elise on her post about making her own clothes. I love a book that kicks me into action and I was about half way through this book when I started knitting this sweater.

What really motivated me wasn't the knowledge of sweatshops, I knew about those and buy a lot of my clothes second hand and try only buy new what I must. But as I was reading this book I realized the things I was buying in thrift stores weren't vintage, they were H&M. As the book points out, the quality of most clothes today is bad and I'd have to keep buying new (or new to me) clothes that would only hold up a few washes. That's waste too.

And secondly, most clothes today are plastic. I try to avoid plastic in my home, yet I'm walking around wearing it?

So, now my new year's resolution too (I think it's OK to make resolutions all year long) is to make clothes for myself. I don't know what I'll make or how many or how they'll turn out, but I'll try! I'm thinking a few more sweaters, a couple of tops and t-shirts for the summer (I'm not making my own jeans.)
The pattern is Tweedy Stripey by Leslie Weber. It was great for a first time clothing maker! Very straight forward and easy to follow. Although, I did completely mess up the stripe pattern. Still, I'm very fond of my sweater. It's loose and long enough to wear with leggings. It's wool and very warm, but the short sleeves are very practically since it seems I'm constantly washing hands, faces and butts. 

Sunday, February 11, 2018

NEEDLE FELT LUMBERJACK

Hello.
I made a lumberjack!
With a tiny ukulele.

And suspenders. And a beard, you can't forget the beard.
He's shy.

No, really, back to reality. But isn't he cute?  I sort of love him and his worried eyebrows and little brown boots. 
If you want to make one, I tried following this YouTube tutorial by Shayda Campbell, but veered off course immediately. It's a good tutorial. I just kept adding details, like the nose and ears and the ukulele... I couldn't help myself. 

This is so going on the Christmas tree and my kid can marvel what a crazy mother she has.

This might be the last needle felt project for a while, because right now I'm knitting. Watch out, next pigs will fly.

Sunday, February 4, 2018

NEEDLE FELT SWAN

I made a swan! Like I mentioned in the needle felted snowflakes post, I run out of white wool, hence a grey swan. I still think it came out pretty cute!
Wouldn't two of these make a great wedding cake topper (in white)? Maybe one with a tiny golden crown... Pity I'm already married ;)
This was the first needle felt project I used a skewer in. You take a skewer, wrap a sliver of wool tightly around it and then slide the skewer out. Poke the wool a bit so everything adheres together and voila! you have a neck! Or an arm or leg or what have you. You get the idea. If I'd known about this technique earlier I  could have made my narwhal's horn with it too.
Once I get my hands on some white wool, I'll make another one in white. Also, now I'm thinking: next, a flamingo!
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