2023 Sewing, Cross Stitch and Knitting Goals

I’m not making the Make Nine List this year. Instead I have more generalized goals. In the past three or four years 90% of my making has been garment sewing, and I want to branch out.

Sewing

Garment Sewing – I will sew some casual pants and tees. I bought two top patterns on sale late last year: the Weekend Getaway Blouse by Liesl + Co, and the Corin Top by Grainline Studio.

I already made one Weekend Getaway top, and plan on making another.

Quilt: I am going to use 10 inch pre-cuts, and try a quilt as you go method.

I also want to sew other home projects – a wall hanging, pillows, etc.

Cross Stitch

I am working again on the cross stitch picture I started in 2019. It’s called Autumn Twilight and is a cross stich rendering of original artwork by Steve French. I looked him up, and found that he was a South Haven, Michigan artist who depicted many outdoor and nature compositions.

I didn’t get very far, and I hated working on it. So what has changed? First, I took it out of that heavy frame! It was so awkward to hold. I washed the dirty fabric and am using the hoop shown in the photo. The second problem was seeing the fabric. I wore a magnifier around my neck and propped it against me which was uncomfortable. I bought a pair of magnifying glasses to wear over my reading glasses, and that is working out better.

With 64 different DMC colors in the design, it’s a challenging piece. I still like the picture, except for the dark blob in the center. The dense foliage makes it hard to see one of the geese. Maybe I can change that. Today, I would look for a design with a focus on one subject that can be seen from across the room. My completed cross stitch pieces have all been small ornaments or motifs. I’ve never completed a larger cross stitch piece for framing. This one is 7 1/2 by 11 1/2 inches.

Knitting

I’ve been on Ravelry since 2008. After two non-knitting years, I started knitting on the very first day of the year and have already completed two projects. They are a doily style decorative cloth made from cotton, and a Boom! scarf from wool yarn. I only had enough yarn for a short version of the shawl.

I started a sweater in February 2020 with Cara Mia Yarn, and abandoned it for various reasons. This discontinued yarn is a soft acrylic/nylon/rayon/angora blend; very nice for a budget yarn. I have about 1,680 yards of Cara Mia, enough to make a cardigan.

I am thinking of frogging the bit I knitted, and starting either the Lucia Hoodie by Carrie Bostick Hoge or Blend by Shaina Bilow.

The hoodie is knitted in one piece from the bottom up with raglan sleeves attached while knitting, and the shawl collared cardigan is knit in pieces and then seamed. Both have positive ease, pockets, and a band in which the stitches are picked up and knit.

I also have yarn for a spring shell type top if I can’t get decide what I want to do about the cardigan. I may also crochet.

Thoughts

I have a philosophy that as a maker I should take on more ambitious projects at least once in each craft. I have knitted sweaters, crocheted an afghan, and sewn garments but only one quilt, and have not completed a challenging cross stitch piece. Of course, my main goal is to enjoy the creative process, as well as produce some useful or beautiful objects. It’s not a job, and following a passion is more important than a “should”. My favorite projects are those that I feel inspired to make. So these are just ideas – as the days unfold I’ll see where they lead. As of February, these are the three needle arts I’ve already been working on this year.

As I write, I see my theme for 2023: to pick up the threads of the past, to branch out, and have multiple projects in different needle arts going at the same time.

Embroidery 2021

Last year I embroidered two cross stitch pieces, and two embroidered designs from kits.

I already showed you the California and New York state pieces in this post: Little State Samplers Cross Stitch. I didn’t want to just store them in a drawer for years, so I set about to frame them myself.

I bought two 5 x 7 mounting boards, marked the pieces, and used a pretty tape.

The finished samplers in their dollar frames:

Not bad.

I received this Hawthorne botanical themed embroidery kit as a gift.

It contained an insert with illustrations of many stitches. I enjoyed the variety of stitches used to complete this design. My favorite was the fly stitch for the feathery leaf. I added some additional colors for interest. I have two shoebox size plastic bins of floss to choose from.

Why use a kit? The hardest part of creating free form embroidery is getting started and transferring a design; with a kit it is more likely that a design will be actually stitched.

For taking part in an Instagram sewing challenge, I won a voucher to Rocco-Sienna’s embroidery shop.

I chose a cute little alpaca (or llama) design, and a little scissor set, which is not part of the embroidery kit.

I hesitated on choosing this one because I thought I would get tired of embroidering so many French knots, but I enjoyed making them.

Both of these kits came with hoops. I always consider making something out of embroidered pieces like a little pillow or ornament as an alternative but these remain hooped.

Little State Samplers Cross Stitch

I came across one of the Little States Samplers by Alma Lynne on Ebay, and then bought a second state as a companion piece. The two states I chose were California and New York. California is where I live, and New York was where I was born. The finished size of the designs are 4-1/8 by 5-3/4 inches when stitched on 14 count fabric which will fit nicely in a 5×7 frame. I stitched them on oatmeal colored Aida.

New York snagged the best symbols: the state bird is the bluebird, the state flower is the rose, and the state insect is the nine-spotted ladybug. I didn’t know there was such a thing as a state bug, but the ladybug is about as lovable as a bug gets. I liked this design, and stitched it as written with few changes. I used floss I already had, and didn’t use the exact colors as charted. I just looked at the photo and chose similar shades.

There were a large number of partial stitches which made the chart hard to follow. For the rose, I stitched the outline first and then filled in with 3 or 4 different shades of the same color. The blue leaves were the result of not being able to tell colors apart when stitching at night.

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The California grizzly bear is on the state flag, and is the state animal. I liked the bear design, but not the collar and bib. That’s just wrong for a wild bear, and suggested captivity which is sad. The grizzly is a type of brown bear, and has been extinct in California since 1924.

Our state flower is the California poppy which bloom in March and April. I have photographed them many times.

I thought the poppies were too small and simplistic in the design, so I redesigned that as well. With the bear and the poppies as the only motifs besides the grapes at the top, I felt the design was lacking. The state bird is the California quail which wouldn’t be recognizable as a small cross stitch, so I can see why it wasn’t included. I got out my very old graph paper and tried to come up with something. I had never done this before and enjoyed the challenge and the creative process.

I sketched a pan of gold, but had trouble making it look appealing. Eureka is our state motto which means “I have found it” referring to the discovery of gold in 1848 leading to the gold rush of ’49. I settled on a mission bell tower and a wave as my motifs.

The wave represents California’s 840 miles of scenic Pacific coastline. California is also known for its 21 Spanish missions. The first, established in 1769, Mission San Diego de Alcala, is the inspiration for the bell tower design I created.

I haven’t framed these two pieces yet. Because they are so small, I will probably display them on a shelf.

A Look Back and Make Nine 2019

First a look back at 2018:

Raglan tee

Raglan tee 2

Sew stripes top

Dress to Top Refashion

Itch to Stitch Cargo Pants 1

Sequoia Cargo Pants 2

Big Shirt Resized

Quilted Star Potholders

Double Sided Bandana

Sashiko Linen Pouch

Stitch Siters Kaftan

Shirt to Kimono Refashion

Eggs Embroidered Towel

Summertime Embroidered Towel

Santa Wall Hanging

I completed 5 items from my 2018 Make Nine List: summer pants, raglan tee, embroidered kitchen towels, refashion from stash (3 refashions), and Christmas sewing.

Embroidered blouse, crochet yoke tee, basket quilt with (previously) embroidered center, and collared button shirt were not finished (or started).  Will anything carry over?  Let’s see.

The Make Nine Challenge was started by Lucky Lucille, and the photo collages are popular on Instagram.

Last year my make nine was just nine hand written notes. This year I am being less vague, and I’m showing either the pattern or fabric I will be using.

2019 Make Nine

1. Embroidered Blouse – Using the Folkwear pattern “Old Mexico Dress”, the yoke will be hand embroidered.
2. Crochet yoke tee – with the pictured crochet thread.
3. Itch to Stitch Mountain View Pull on Jeans –  for comfort and because they have real pockets.  I was planning on using a stretch denim I already had but didn’t have enough fabric.
4. Maria Denmark Day to Night Drape Top –  I don’t have the fabric yet.
5. Autumn Twilight Cross Stitch Picture – I have never stitched a full size picture for framing before and I like this flying geese scene.  This is a kit with 16 count aida.  It will be challenging, but it’s doable.
6. Hand knit accessory –   a scarf knitted with the pictured navy and gray yarn.
7. Stretch Denim Shorts – this is the fabric I wanted to make the pants with.  I might use the same pattern for the shorts.
8. Knit Fabric Dress – I could use a basic dress, and notice I have never liked wearing traditional dresses with zippers.  I’m not sure if I will use a pattern, or just make an elongated tee.
9. Spring Jacket – McCalls 7333 –  I am planning to use a linen blend fabric I already have.

The list contains a variety of most everything I know how to do: sewing, freehand embroidery, cross stitch, knitting, and crochet.  So much creativity – at least in my mind and on paper, ha!

I have actually started 3 of these projects already!  I love making lists, do you?

Retro Syle Embroidered Kitchen Towels

Last year I bought a set of pretty yellow gingham towels that came with embroidery transfers, and then lost the transfers.  I probably threw them out by mistake.

This summer I decided on motifs, and used a few different techniques to transfer the designs to the towels.

For towel #1 I used the booklet Aunt Martha’s Embroidery Patterns The Four Seasons. I chose a summer and a spring design and transferred them to the same towel 3 inches from the bottom. I will use the towels folded in half with one of the designs showing at a time.

Using embroidery transfers with an iron was quick and easy, and the designs came out clear and dark.

I embroidered using stem stitch, with some french knots and a lazy daisy.

I love the ease of iron-on transfers, but the available designs are limited.  What if you have a drawing you want to use instead?  How do you transfer the drawing to the towel?

I decided on a farmhouse chicken and egg theme for towel #2.

I used a Dritz iron-on transfer pencil and traced my design onto another piece of paper. The design will be reversed when transferred, so I traced the design backwards. I found this method difficult : I had to press hard with the pencil while trying to trace accurately.  I also had to hold them up against the window to see the lines through the paper. The transfer came out too light on the towel, and areas were not clear.

I used a fine point .25 mm black Pigma micron pen to go over areas of the design, and traced the second motif directly on the towel with this pen.  The micron ink is permanent and water proof so mistakes can’t be washed out.  Proceed carefully on your fabric!

The hardest one to embroider was the Fresh Eggs design because of the small details and human hands and face.

This was the first time I embroidered kitchen towels! They’re so cheery and homey on the yellow checked background.   Which is your favorite design?

 

Quick Summer Projects

The days and nights have been hot, and I lack the will to  concentrate!  But I did finish a few satisfying little projects.

First I had to deal with my squeaking machine.  My basic mechanical  Brother machine is not supposed to need oil. The only cleaning instructions in my manual are about removing the needle plate.  This was intimidating for me, but I put on my big girl pants and forged ahead.  I’ve sewn with this machine for 6 years, and have never done any maintenance.

Dirty!

removing the fuzzy stuff

a clean machine

In machines that take oil, there is an round opening in the middle of the bobbin race.

No more squeak!  And I managed to put all the pieces back together.

 

1) I had a few mock-ups of star quilt blocks in different sizes.

 I made two of them into potholders by using two to three layers of batting, putting wrong sides together and sewing, leaving a side partially open for turning.  Then I sewed around the perimeter, tucking the seam allowances in the open portion under, and inserting a handmade ribbon.  I put on the walking foot to quilt along the star lines.  

Quilted Star Potholders

 

2) What is more appropriate as a sewing project for the dog days of summer than a dog accessory?

A while back, I sewed a traditional triangle bandana, and used my rolled hem foot for the first time.

First I read tutorials and practiced.  It took a lot of concentration and effort to keep the fabric feeding into the curl correctly. I think I would rather sew a hand rolled hem on this type of small item because sewing the two bias sides was a struggle.  The rolled hem foot would be a great time saver for long, straight sewing.

Right side of rolled hem

Rolled hem fail

Wrong side

Several months back, I also sewed a few of the little reversible triangle bandanas with a top channel opening that slide onto the collar.

I’m especially happy with the latest bandana I tried: two reversible bib-like pieces that are finished on top with bias tape that extends to form ties. The name is hand embroidered with satin stitch.

My model was available to work for the price of a few treats.  Those eyes!

 

3) Three years ago I posted about trying sashiko embroidery for the first time, and stitched three pieces.  My idea for the piece stitched on cream satin was to make an envelope pouch, with the embroidered side folding over the pocket.  I’ve finally done just that, combining the embroidery with natural colored linen and an off white cotton lining.  I used bias binding on the pocket.  The rest of the raw edges are enclosed.  I hand stitched the opening closed that I used for turning the pouch right side out.

turned right side out

bias tape on inside of pocket

open pouch

The pouch reminds me of the type of project found in a zakka sewing book.  I like it for its simplicity, combining beauty with utility.

These three projects have something in common:  they had been partially worked on or cut out but not completed.

I have also been embroidering, which I enjoy in the summer because a hot iron isn’t needed, and for its portability.

Does your making/sewing/crafting change or slow down in the summer?

A Look Back and On To 2018

As I was thinking about what projects I wanted to work on in 2018, I made a collage from 2017:

A few haven’t been finished, and a few are unblogged.

Lucky Lucille hosts the make nine challenge on Instagram and has very helpful questions to consider when choosing your projects. I’ve seen a lot of make nine collages for 2018, but my list is a little different.  It’s more general and individualized, so no photos.

For quite some time, I’ve had in my mind a desire to make two hybrid projects, blending sewing with embroidery, and with crochet.   These are hard to get started on, because some planning, experimentation,  and decision making are needed first.  Summer sewing is always in my queque, throw in some embroidery, and a few little projects, and that’s it.

I’ve never made a proper button-down shirt with a collar with a collar stand, so I might attempt one to expand my sewing skills, even if it’s a sleeveless shirt.

1. embroidered blouse
2. crochet yoke tee
3. summer pants
4. raglan tee
5. embroidered kitchen towels
6. basket quilt from previously embroidered square
7. refashion (I know, so vague)
8. button shirt, maybe with collar
9. Christmas sewing

So, you might see these projects completed and blogged this year….or maybe not.

Do you make these kind of lists?