School Holidays

Funny how you get so much less done in the holidays.   The boys do have the Autism Society 3 days this week, but there's still work to do, housework, doing things with them on other days etc. 

Yesterday we went ice skating, unfortunately I didn't get many decent photo's as I took the smallest camera which hasn't been used for a while and the batteries died.

George with his classroom's dragon!

We all had an amazing time!   Both boys were skating away from the walls until the direction changed, at which point they went back to the walls for a bit.   George's second ever session, Ian's first though so I was really impressed.   Thomas and I each got a few goes around with no child clinging on; I'm seriously considering trying it a few times in term for fitness and seeing if I enjoy it as much when it's just me.

I've finished Ian's first sock, but forgot to take a photo so you'll have to wait for that.

I have however taken a photo of my stays at the current point of construction.   They're covered and lined now, I stitched near the edge of the fabric to catch all layers, next step is to cut in the bottom to make the tabs and then I can bind them.  I'll be using a chamois, thanks to a suggestion made in the comments of one of The Dreamstress' blog posts.  Luckily I have one which hasn't been used because I can't find my maroon leather offcuts.   The chamois colour works well with the cover fabric which is good.

The chamois is the yellowish cream in the stems.

Once the tabs are done I then need to do the eyelets, make my cording (waiting on a lucet to arrive) and then hopefully the shoulder straps to finish it.  I'm considering putting a narrow band of chamois on the diagonal front side seam to put a visual barrier between my patterns.

Tour de Fleece progress

2nd to last day today and I've finished 5 skeins so far and got started on my final lot of fibre tonight.

4 skeins of English Leicester

1 skein of Half bred in the Denimberry colourway on light grey.  Dyed by Heavenly Wools in Oxford

Beginning of 25g of 50/50 Merino Silk by Anna Harris; spinning this really fine!    Ignore the pink bit on the right, not part of this.

I've got 1" to go on Ian's first sock, hope to get that finished in the next couple of days, 3 rows of finishing the second sheep on the cushion cover which means I'm now slightly over halfway.   Having some issues with my ulna nerve I think it is in my right hand so am being careful.   Might have to pay a visit to the chiropractor.

I've got the base finished on my stays and cut out the cover and lining fabrics.   Still need to trim the bones too.

Looking pretty good, so far I'm liking the Ralph Pink  pattern.

Left is cover fabric, right is the lining.

In other news I've done a little spending in the last week.   I won a $20 voucher for the Make Cafe from the Matariki winter craft thing so spent that on this:

A lovely paisley quilting cotton that will make a good trim on something from the early 1800's

Cotton duck on the left for corset bases and on the right some wool blend suiting which will be lovely for a walking skirt and jacket; possibly Victorian.

I've also got a little fabric coming from the US suitable for a dress and some Noro Kureyon Sock which is now discontinued and I really wanted a little more cos I love the stuff!   Photo's will be posted when they arrive.    That is it for a while though, can't afford to spend more, especially as the garage has run into another hitch with the council and we now need a surveyor to prove it's the requisite amount above the datum line (we are hoping it is anyway).  Wish us luck on that one, it's causing another 2 week delay, but hopefully that's the final delay.    The driveway has been assessed and we'll be overseeing that work once the garage is up, no point before then cos we don't want it ruined by lots of trucks.

Working on my stays

Yesterday with 2 bones in on each back and all seams pinned.

Today with most of the boning done and the wooden busk in. 

I've still got some boning to do on the front part, diagonals and some horizontals.   All the boning in it so far is plastic cable ties.    Once that's all done then I'll be hand-sewing on the cover fabric and possibly a lining, doing the eyelets (by hand), binding it around the edges and then it'll be done.   This may take some time yet, certainly have missed the deadline for the project which was yesterday, but I'm not going to rush it.

I went to Fabric Vision today for twill tape for the next project which is the panniers.   I did get it, but also came home with 5m of wool blend plaid fabric in charcoal and maroon and 2m of a good solid cotton duck which will be a better base for future corsets.

A very quick post

I've been spinning:

2 bobbins ready to ply

Another two, both done today using long draw which is much quicker!

I'll have to do some plying soon, I've only got 3 good bobbins left, or possibly 2.   My other 2 bobbins need some work as they stick a little on the shaft.

I've cut out one layer of my 1770's stays to sew together and see how they'll fit.   I've got 1" seam allowances to play with though so can add some if needed.   Once I get the fit sorted I'll be making them with

this fabric.

They will be for the Eastern Influence challenge.  The fabric is very similar to some examples I found on Leimomi's (The Dreamstress) Pinterest page for this challenge.   I think it's called Chinoserie.   After this is the White Challenge and I'm planning on using an old white linen sheet to make myself a set of panniers.   Then for the next challenge which is Separates I'll make the underskirt and for Robes and Robings I'll be making the bodice and overskirt which has robings as part of it if I understand the definition correctly.    The corset needs to be finished on Monday so I need to get a wriggle on, but not till tomorrow as the sewing machine is too noisy.

Rough Play

At least it is for Thomas, the boys have a ball!

Tour de Fleece day 7 plus knitting.

A little more done on Denimberry, this is taking a while due to me spinning it fine.   Haven't weighed the remainder yet.

The cushion cover from handspun, see the sheep?    This is not my favourite thing to knit, I prefer to knit fair-isle in lighter weight yarn I think.   Gotta finish this one though before I can cast on for a sock.

Ian's Scott Base sock, I really do like how this is turning out in the faux-isle yarn.

This arrived yesterday, 1770's patterns, I have some striped furnishing fabric which I'm hoping will work for the dress part.   It's quite a wide stripe, but I think it should be ok, and one of the colours in it is a slightly darker version of the background colour in the canvas I showed you last night.   I think it's meant.

Arrivals and Creations

A cone of shetland wool for weaving, there was also my brass hook thing so I can warp the loom, a couple of bobbins for my shuttles and another shuttle as well.  I still need to make some warping sticks and a raddle, but I have everything I need to make them.

4 skeins of Madelinetosh Pashmina in Tart; for some thing for me.

2 yards of canvas for a corset most likely, another yard of fabric arrived with this, but it's not as pretty and it's folded inside out so no photograph yet

Day 1 & 2 of the Tour de Fleece, a bobbin of English Leicester; I suspect probably lamb

George's new vest courtesy of his grandma (my mum), he wore it for 2 straight days, then it got warm.

What I'm spinning next, 100g of Heavenly Wools in the colour Denimberry on light grey

Latest from Vintage Purls winter sock club, very intense.

Denimberry singles, day 3 & 4 of Tour de Fleece

Our new floor, still have some cleaning to do (obviously), but it looks much better!   Got to talk to them about how to deal with scratches though.

Silk singles on an acorn spindle on day 6 of Tour de Fleece; I didn't have much time today, and none at all yesterday!

Tomorrow I hope to mow the lawn (jungle) and tidy the kitchen bench (tip).  Also the new bench tile should be going in first thing and then our repairs (garage and section aside) are complete!
Today I did 8 loads of washing, 8!   I couldn't hang the last load off as the line was chocka.

Driveway is being assessed on Monday, will be interesting to see what they have to say about the landscape out there.
Garage consent is at the council, considering the situation there I'm not holding my breath, even should they approve it quickly who's to know if that approval actually holds water?