Summer holiday

We have just returned from our summer holiday at Papamoa beach and it was one of the best holidays ever.  The weather was perfect, the water was warm and I had a swim every day (that hasn't happened for years!)  We spent time walking, snorkeling, catching up with friends and playing games; "Rage" is our favourite.  I also had time to start stitching a new cross stitch and got lots of knitting done.  Knitting is so transportable and perfect for all the time spent travelling in the car.
The first finish is the Reminisce hat (ravelry link here).  This hat is designed by Libby at Truly Myrtle and I was able to test knit it which was pretty special for me.  I used a beautiful merino and possum yarn, made in New Zealand, which has a very soft feel. The hat was blocked on a dinnerplate which gives it the slightly slouchy beret look.  The pattern is released now and is a gorgeous design.
The sock pattern is Dancetty (ravelry link here) and is an Abbey Morris design.  I used yarn left over from the shawl I made last year.  I love these socks and especially love the stitch used on the heel which makes it feel reinforced.
I knitted the Checkerboard mitts (ravelry page here) for Josh (15 year old) as I wasn't very happy with the ones I knitted for him last year.  These feel comfy and warm and have plenty of room for my growing boy.
I love all three of these knits. It's almost enough to get me looking forward to winter (Yeah Right!) Wendy xx

A weekend away

Oh, it's been more like winter than spring here lately. In the weekend we traveled 4 hours each way to Napier to attend a family wedding.  Thankfully I bought my latest knitting which helped the time pass.  It was a pretty wedding but unfortunately outside so we were rather frozen by the end.  Sunday dawned brighter so we had a look around the city before traveling home, Napier is such a pretty spot.
We made the most of time with family and got some up to date family photos, Josh wanted one that showed that he is now the tallest!
The wedding was just the push I needed to finish my Bellatrix blazer.  I had previously made a muslin and had started the real version, taking my time trying to get the best finish I could.  Normally I make the medium size but realised as I started sewing I had cut the small.  Thankfully it fits perfectly with just the sleeves being a tiny bit short.  I made the blazer exactly as per the pattern and it was a surprisingly easy make, even the welt pockets went together easily which I think is credit to the great instructions.  The outer fabric is a cotton polyester mix with an embossed pattern and the lining is silk. The cost was about $97.00 which I think is pretty good for a tailored blazer.
I also got a bit carried away and sewed my dress using Simplicity 1803.  The fabric was a summer buy from Spotlight and is a cotton silk blend I got for $21.00.  I made size 14 with some alterations: removed darts from back bodice, added 6" to length and removed fullness from the skirt at the side seams.  I did french seams throughout and used interfacing on the facings, the zip edges and the hems.  This really helped the fabric behave.  I'm not sure about this dress though, I think perhaps it looks a bit young although I do like it with the blazer.
And finally, I have also finished my Myrna cardigan which goes with the dress.  This is a pretty pattern and a quick easy make.  Now I just need some warmer weather.  Wendy xx

School holidays

Charlie is safely home and had a wonderful time, it was such a pleasure to hear she fully participated in the experience and loved it all.  Once she was home we spent two days in Taupo, staying in an apartment that looked out to the lake.  Such a beautiful place to visit with snow-capped mountains, Huka waterfall, the lake, and geothermal attractions.  But now the school holidays are over and the routine of term three has begun.
I have managed some sewing in between working and holidaying.  I made the Colette Mabel skirt, using a heavyweight merino ponti knit.  I made size large which ended up being too big, particularly around the waist, so I altered the waistband to make it fit.  I also added 2.5" to the length.  I don't think this is the most flattering pattern on me as it hugs the hips and thighs (the area of my body I try to hide!!), however it is such a warm, comfy skirt especially when paired with my warmest, thickest tights.  I wore it in Taupo with a long cardigan and I think it looked okay.
I also made the Plantain T-shirt which is a free pattern by Deer & Doe.  This is my third time using this pattern, it makes such a great layering top.  The first one was in white cotton knit and the second in a grey and brown merino.  This last one is my favourite, made in black merino.  I added to the length by about 1.5" and added cuffs to the sleeves as I love a long sleeve in winter, keeping my wrists toasty warm.  You may notice a seam under the bust with the black one, I couldn't quite fit the front piece on my fabric so cut it into two - call it a design feature!  I definitely don't plan on wearing the T-shirt and skirt by themselves but layered with other clothes.  These makes just happen to fit in perfectly with The Monthly Stitch where the challenge this month is to sew in monochrome. Wendy xx

A date and a dress

Paul had a day off on Friday so we visited the Hamilton gardens.  It was a perfect winter day, the sun was shining and it really felt more like autumn than winter.  The gardens are a beautiful place to visit and cover a large area with many different collections. My favourites are the Italian and English gardens.
I had also finished a new dress so Paul snapped some photos for me.  The dress is the Darling Ranges dress by Megan Nielsen, my first time sewing one of her designs.  Dear Julie gave me the fabric, it's a polyester (I did a burn test) with a nice soft, silky feel and drapes beautifully.  I finished the seams by overlocking and the neckline with bias binding as the pattern said, I do like the clean finish this gives.  I made the size medium with the following alterations:

• removed 1/2" from top back seam for my narrow shoulders
• added 1/2" to each side seam at the bust
• removed about 4" from the skirt to reduce the fullness and gathers
• added 6" to the length
• I didn't add the elastic casing to the sleeve cuff or add the back tie

I really love this dress, I like how I can dress it up with a belt or just leave it plain.  Thanks so much Julie for the gorgeous fabric.  I've entered my dress into The Monthly Stitch Indie Pattern dress competition. I'm not really one to blow my own trumpet but in this case I have to indulge in a bit of self-promotion. If you feel so inclined you can click on the button above to view the dresses and cast a vote for your favourite (it doesn't have to be mine but of course it wouldn't be self-promotion if I didn't gently nudge you in that direction). :) Wendy xx

Easter weekend and knitting

We had a fab Easter weekend, time spent catching up with family,  a yummy shared lunch after church on Sunday, and sewing and knitting time for me.  Monday was fine so we tripped up to Auckland to visit the War Memorial Museum.  It is one of those places you could spend days looking through, we spent about five hours exploring it.  I loved the Easter egg display, the stained glass ceiling, the human history including clothing and gorgeous china and furniture, and the natural history.
I have been finding time to get some finishes over the last weeks: I have made my first PIF gift and have started the second, and have sewn a few items of clothing.  The tricky bit is getting photos of me in the clothes!  The sun was shining this morning so Charlie got some photos of my recently finished cardy, started back in February.  It is the Miette cardy by Andi Sutterland, a free pattern found here.  The only changes I made was to add a little extra to the length of the body and sleeves.
I had two skeins of yarn left so I knitted myself a cowl, also a free pattern found here.  I knitted with two strands of yarn to get the right weight.  You can see I wore it to the museum on Monday, even though I haven't blocked it yet!  I must say a big thank you to all those talented designers who give us free patterns so generously!  Wendy xx