Done, Done, Begun

The Molly Ringwald Cotton Shell. DONE!



The baby Cardi in need of seams and buttons. DONE!



The discovery of a new addiction. BEGUN!



Oh yeah!!!

On an unrelated note:

I found this creature in the garden the other day:



It gave me a starteled, "Sir, Yes Sir"



and grabbed a cold one.

Hiya

I've almost finished the little cardigan for the baby due in June. I still need to sew the last seams and find five wee matching buttons. You probably think that in that vast stash of buttons I have there would be five that match, and yet...



I made a new start on the second Molly Ringwald. The one I made last summer was all together too big and was dismantled and re-knit into a fine linen shell earlier this spring, and now I'm using the lovely cotton I over-dyed and working the pattern one size smaller. This knit is super-quick and I've already finished the front.

I've almost caught up on all those unfinished projects (understand please, that doesn't include all the materials, tools, patterns and what-not that have been purchased for ALL the projects swirling around my head - just the ones that had ACTUALLY been started). The exception is, my knitting friends know, the Seaweed Stole I started last summer. It's just a huge beast of a project - very time consuming, and takes up a large work-space. I have to have a dish of beads, a small crochet hook, the yarn, the needles, the pattern as well as near complete silence. I've been foolishly thinking I can work on it during the house reno this summer - crammed into a much tighter living space, dust flying everywhere and the constant drone of power tools. Perhaps in the autumn, yes?

Last week I was out for a gander at Mike's General Store and found some old magazine adverts that I just couldn't resist. My plan is to frame them up and perhaps have them hanging in the new craft room.



From the twenties, look a little closer, it says Smart Frocks for Small Maidens
- so sweet...



Also from the twenties, Daintiness and Durability - honestly, what kinda gal could resist that?



And from the forties,



Yup, Wired for Witchery. I think this would be a great logo for an online psychic. I fear I may have to battle Elly for ownership of this one.



Elly sent a wee parcel this week filled with all kinds of delights. Some fantastic stationary stickers from Paris (for Mother's Day) as well as a great load of Miniatures for the dollhouse from a shop in Dublin . I'll have to start working on that dollhouse again (hmmm....pre- or post- reno, I'm not sure). I'll show pictures of all my little mini treasures another time.

She also sent a box of chocolates from Paris.



They're not ALL gone. Not YET.

She also sent us these crazy new flavours of crisps.



Yes, that does say Cajun Squirrel (which wasn't too bad). Onion Bhaji was the best and Fish and Chips was absolutely revolting. I also thought Builder's Breakfast was quite foul, but Ian and Nigel disagreed.

Don't expect any of these flavours to cross the pond.

A Quick Update

I've had some success with that pesky Molly Ringwald. She continued to get shorter and wider the longer I left her tumbling in the dryer, so I took her out, soaked her in eucalan and arranged her on the insertable drying rack for the dryer. Instead of tumbling she just lay there in the heat, and it's done the trick. She's narrower and back to her correct length. Hooray!

If only my own shape were so easy to alter.

Sewing Is So Much Quicker

Really and truly, I need to weed the garden and clean the house, and yet I continually find ways to avoid all that.

Years ago I spent lots of time sewing things for myself, and as time past I veered off towards knitting instead, but recently I bought some fabric that appealed.



And so...I'm trying to remember a few of the old tricks. One I remembered is to keep it simple. I bought this ultra easy wrap skirt pattern from Indygo Junction. An excellent choice if I do say so. In fact, it's so easy that I may buy a couple more of their patterns. This skirt was sewn in an afternoon - oh, so quick!



A great trick that I forgot was to avoid installing zippers at all costs. I chose a dress pattern from McCall's (I don't even like McCall's) that required a zip down the back. I sewed it in and ripped it out four times, FOUR!

I won't be forgetting that rule in a hurry. I still need to attached the sleeves, and do the hem, and then...well, if it's not suitable to be seen in public, then at least I'll have something colourful to wear while I mow the lawn and dig the weeds (apologies in advance to the neighbours).



I loved the fabric, purchased at Fabricland, it was fairly cheap and mostly cotton, with just s a hint of Lycra. I don't normally wear yellow, but there seemed to be enough grey to balance it out, and I suppose the lawnmower won't notice if it doesn't suit.



Hot off the needles, I finished the Molly Ringwald Tank Top from Knitscene. I worked this top in Maggi Knits Linen, but instead of pink I opted for an icy blue, only because I happened to have enough in this colour in my stash. The pattern was very quick to knit and has a bit of shaping to the waist, very flattering. I wore it this afternoon and found it just a tad on the big side, so I soaked it in water and threw it in the dryer. I've checked on it once so far, and it looks even bigger, but I'm going to persist with a hot dryer and see if I can't shrink it up just a wee bit.



I'll let you know how that one turns out.

Late today I had a message on my voicemail from Thea saying the handmade-of-the-month arrived for June, but no-one could figure out what it was,



that's a jar of homemade mango chutney and a dishcloth in blue and green to help with the dishes. Happy Homemade for June!