makey vicky

to chit or not to chit?

2012-02-23T11:33:00.006-08:00

Beautiful weather today so we did some work in the garden. I sowed some seeds... Leeks (Musselburgh and Tornado) and lettuce (Quattro Stagioni). I unpacked my seed potatoes that had arrived a few days ago and laid them out in egg boxes for chitting. I didn't bother chitting last year, and from what I've read, I don't think it makes much difference whether you do or not. Still, it feels like a small achievement to be doing something towards the allotment. This year I am trying Salad Blue, Pentland Javelin, Sarpo Mira.

off the page 2012

2012-02-23T05:56:00.004-08:00

It's Off the Page again this weekend. (The UK's only literary festival devoted to music criticism and audio culture). There are lots of interesting events scheduled. I'm particularly looking forward to Everyone Knows This is No.w.here: short films programme, Attack of the Radiophonic Women: How Synthesizers Cracked Music's Glass Ceiling and An Audience With Evan Parker. It's a shame Betty is too young for the kids activities as they look great too.

I did a terrible thing

2012-02-09T13:13:00.000-08:00

After basking in the glory of my near perfect ladybird dress. I did the most terrible and stupidest thing. I shrank it in the wash. Ruined.

Only now, two weeks later can I talk about it without crying. No one to blame but myself. The only way I find I can deal with it is to start again with another one. So here I am casting on...

snow exhaustion

2012-02-06T14:25:00.000-08:00

It was her third winter of snow, but the first one since learning to walk.

After all the excitement, and with perfect timing she fell asleep in the sledge at Windy Corner whilst we warmed up with hot chocolates.

We towed her home still fast asleep.

aviatrix hat

2012-02-03T03:32:00.001-08:00

Brrrrrr. It's 2 degrees c. in my workshop today! Given up and finished this hat instead. It's the Aviatrix pattern from ravelry. I've made several versions over the past few years. This one is to be sent off to my friend Jenny's new baby Connie, and is modeled here by the lovely Raymond.

crocheted pin cushion

2012-01-25T05:31:00.000-08:00

A little present for a sewing friend of mine. I'm not that great at crocheting. I can't seem to get on without constantly having to refer to basic stitch diagrams. Things are making more sense now that I've realised that single, double and triple crochet mean different things in English and American.

The pattern is from here.

ladybird dress

2012-01-17T03:26:00.000-08:00

This is a super dress pattern. Easy to follow, adaptable and very long lasting. I made one when Betty was only six months old and she's still wearing it now as a vest top.

The pattern is the Little Sister Dress by Tora Fr o seth Designs. It's available as a free download on Ravelry. The yarn is Millamia Soft Merino.

I plotted out the ladybird design on graph paper and slightly altered the number of stitches in a row to fit. It helps to use an asymmetric graph paper, where the boxes are wider than they are tall, when sketching out knitting patterns. I printed my own from this website.

She seems very pleased... and so am I!

fairisle cardigan

2012-01-03T10:22:00.001-08:00

This cardi has taken me ages! I was trying to get it finished to go under the christmas tree but only managed to cast off last night.

It's a modified version of this pattern I found on Ravelry. I knitted a smaller one before Betty was born and scaled up the pattern to fit her now.

I also free-styled on the fairisle. It's knitted from Jamiesons of Shetland's Spindrift. The main colour is Leprchaun.

I always like to look at the reverse on fairisle knitting.

Next project... fairisle jumper for me!

recycled dolly

2011-12-20T13:22:00.000-08:00

This doll is made from recycling Betty's outgrown baby clothes. She's a birthday present for her little friend Freya.

I wonder what else could be done with all the old vests and all-in-ones? Maybe a rag rug?

origami flower ball

2011-12-20T05:54:00.000-08:00

We've all been laid low with colds this week. To make the most of being trapped indoors during this frosty spell, I got stuck into a bit of origami.

This is an origami flower ball and the instructions are from here. I've made it as a Christmas/first Wedding Anniversary present for two dear friends. They we're married last Christmas in Vegas and honeymooned on the Californian coast. I've used a map of California I had from an amazing trip there five years ago. I've been getting distracted from all the cutting and folding by pouring over it and remembering our adventures on the lovely Big Sur coastline.

There's a lot of work involved in making this. Each flower is made from five folded petals, and twelve flowers make the ball.

windy winterland evening

2011-12-11T11:09:00.001-08:00

I spent a really enjoyable evening at Windy Corner Stores on Friday for their Christmas market.

Here we are setting up our wares.

Lots of lovely things on display... This is work from the Print Block artists...

... and this is Karen Boatwright's wonderful display. She has a great etsy shop...

... and these are Hiroko's beautifully embroidered necklaces...

... and this is what I came away with... a lavender bag kitten, (which I suspect is vintage Tammis Keefe fabric) and a crow painting, all from Karen Boatwright.

windy winterland

2011-12-03T12:01:00.001-08:00

I'm going to be taking part in Windy Winterland this coming Friday at Windy Corner Stores in Whitstable. Windy Corner is a very special and slightly eccentric cafe/general stores with a wonderfully random menu, the best brownies I've ever tasted, artisan bread baked on the premises and a mystery sweet drawer. The tables and chairs will be pushed aside and the shelves cleared to make room for the work. It'll be all Christmassy with mince pies and mulled wine. Really looking forward to it.

cat party dress

2011-11-24T12:24:00.000-08:00

Tis the season to be ill, overworked and suffering from severe lack of sleep. I haven't blogged for a while, as for a whole month now we have all been coughing night and day. I have barely managed to string a coherent sentence together.

I have managed to finish this dress though, just in time for a very special day coming up this weekend. It's the same pattern as the cloud blouse, Oliver and S Family Reunion. The fabric is a Tammis Keefe tribute design by Michael Miller.

cloud blouse

2011-10-26T09:45:00.000-07:00

I signed up again for the Kids Clothes Week Challenge on the Elsie Marley blog. Like last time I only managed to finish one thing, and that was several weeks after everyone else. But, I'm amazed at what I've achieved being a novice seamstress!

I love this pattern. It's the Family Reunion Dress/Blouse by Oliver and S. It's so easy to follow, and although it's quite dear to buy, I can see that I'll be making it again and again.

The fabric is Free as a Bird which is part of the Cut Out and Keep collection by Cloud 9 Fabrics. I bought it from M is For Make.

There's a ruffle at the front and pin tucks front and back. It fastens at the rear.

I've already cut out the pieces for another version. A dress this time.

tomatoes

2011-10-10T11:58:00.000-07:00

Here we are picking tomatoes at the allotment. We got a whole load extra thanks to a late heatwave. I reckon I've harvested at least 50kg so far. Mostly I've been roasting them by the tray full, pushing them through a sieve and freezing the sauce. Such a luxury to have a glut of tomatoes. Also on the menu has been minestrone and Tuscan bean soups and I made six jars of tomato and apple chutney thus...

1.5kg tomatoes skinned, (sort of) deseeded and roughly chopped

1kg apples (a mix of eaters and cookers) peeled, cored and chopped

200g sultanas

500g onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, crushed

450ml vinegar, (I used a mix of malt, white wine and cider - just what I had in my cupboard)

350g brown sugar, (I used demerara)

1/2 teaspoon of ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon of allspice

1/4 teaspoon of cayenne

salt and pepper

In a big pan heat tomatoes, apple, onion, garlic and vinegar until soft, (about half and hour).

Add the remaining ingredients and boil until reduced right down, (about 2 hours).

Ladle into clean jars.

Leave to mature for at least a month.

knitting and stitching show

2011-10-09T10:10:00.000-07:00

Oooooh! I had a fun day at the Knitting and Stitching show with my mum. Here's my hoard... a Miz Mozelle Dress pattern from the Raystitch stand (can't wait to visit their new shop/cafe in Islington), an Oliver and S dress pattern and various fabric from the wonderful Eternal Maker stand including some Echino and Tammis Keefe. Some Millamia yarn, and a beaded necklace made in Bawaqua, Tanzania by Maasai women. This was from the stand of Mary Sleigh who was exhibiting an amazing collection of African textiles and beadwork. Wish I'd had my camera with me. I've just discovered her blog though.

gallerytop

2011-10-06T11:52:00.000-07:00

Today I parceled off some work to Gallerytop in the Peak District for their New Domestic Ceramics show.

pixie hat

2011-10-04T04:42:00.001-07:00

This is the Stella Pixie Hat from Kristen Rengren's book Vintage Baby Knits. I've used 1.5 balls of King Cole Merino Blend dk and modified the pattern slightly to include a 1x1 rib border and an i-cord tie strap instead of a button fastening. You can get a free copy of this pattern here.

Poor Betty, having to pose for photos in this heat wave we are having!

scottie dog jumper

2011-09-24T05:50:00.001-07:00

This pattern and the yarn, (Baby Rooster) were given to me for Betty's first birthday by my friend Linda. It's only taken me 10 months to knit it up!

The yarn is lovely but it does take a few washes to get rid of the sheep poo smell.

raglan jumper

2011-09-15T14:09:00.000-07:00

Just managed to finish and photograph this before it got covered in pasty and mud. It's a free Drops Design pattern that I enlarged by adapting it for slightly thicker wool and larger needles.

The yarn is Debbie Bliss Baby Cashmerino

.... as I type this I have another failed batch of macaroons in the oven. Just can't seem to get them to work.... too tired to wash up piping bag mess.

macaroon obsession

2011-08-26T12:06:00.000-07:00

We had some friends round yesterday for afternoon tea in the garden. A good reason to make another batch of macaroons - my current obsession. I tried a new recipe I found online. They taste good but don't look anything like the recipe picture. How are theirs so smooth?! I must continue to practice.

A tip to get them to come away cleanly from the greaseproof paper is to pour a little freshly boiled water underneath the paper as soon as they are out of the oven. As the paper dampens, they lift off no problem!

Laundry disasters

2011-08-22T12:37:00.000-07:00

Not a good week. Laundry disasters. (neither were my fault)

RIP birdy dress, now minus birds after having been SOAKED IN BLEACH!?!

RIP lovely fairisle cardigan, now very much shrunk and felted.

tank top (and a new camera)

2011-08-11T11:44:00.000-07:00

This is a pattern called Archie's Vest from Kristen Rengren's book Vintage Baby Knits. It's taken me four library renewals, (and two fines) to get this finished. But jolly nice it is!

The yarn is Rowan 4 Ply Soft (green) and Lang Yarns Jawoll Solid Superwash, (pink).

I've also been a bit naughty and treated myself to a Nikon D90 camera.

paving!

2011-07-27T10:53:00.000-07:00

From this...

to this...

via this!

My poor Dad. He and Mum were coming down to stay for a short holiday. Alarm bells rang when I asked if he could bring down his angle grinder. I honestly believed that I would be able to lay the paving myself after they'd gone. How wrong I was! There was so much fiddly cutting to do, and cutting 25mm slate is not easy. It took four days to finish. I was a human cement mixer, (very good for toning stomach muscles), and Dad cut and laid. We both pointed them in. We even covered half the garden with a tarpaulin so we could carry on working through the rain!

The finished result is fantastic. It's great to have a smooth, even, clean surface. Betty can now wander in and out all day, and we've been eating meals out there too. Good old Dad!

clothkits shift dress

2011-07-27T06:20:00.000-07:00

Oooh! A beautifully wrapped parcel arrived from Clothkits the other day. With much glee I immediately set about making this little 'funky chicken' shift dress.

It's got lovely Liberty print lining.

I could make an awful lot of things from Clothkits. Being a child of the 70s, I remember having some brown dungarees and a pinny dress. Must find some photos.

Please also note the paving is done! Blog on that soon!

little top

2011-07-20T07:40:00.000-07:00

A little summer top I've just finished. Made from some voile I found in The Cloth House. The top section is double layered and it fastens with three squares of velcro up the back. The pattern is an enlarged copy of a top Betty had when she was born.

summer dress

2011-07-11T00:32:00.000-07:00

I made this last summer but it was so big on Betty that she's not been wearing it until just recently. It's Burda 6878 and the fabric I'm pretty sure I got from M is for Make. I reckon she'll still be able to wear it next summer as a top, it's so roomy.

garden transformation continues

2011-07-10T13:06:00.001-07:00

From this...

... to this!

The hard work continues. I finished rendering and painting the raised bed and had a very enjoyable trip to the garden centre. I'm looking forward to watching it fill out and bloom. Next job paving!

unwhitstable

2011-07-05T12:00:00.000-07:00

It was Unwhitstable on Saturday. A day of improvised music and art at St. Peter's in Whitstable.

For my part in it I had made lots of little ceramic lambs, cast from a plastic toy of Betty's. (She hasn't yet noticed that I had to saw its ears off to make the plaster mould).

These were wandering round the church.

I enjoyed getting back into mould making. Something I haven't done for years. Quite a lot of problem solving required which appeals to me. I also displayed some small bowls in the window niches.

The performances were very good. I really liked the percussionist Mark Sanders. Here is a picture of Evan Parker playing alto saxophone with Matt Wright on turntables and other electronica. The horn you can see is for recording on wax cylinder and is used by Aleks Kolkowski.

tour of the south west

2011-06-28T04:52:00.000-07:00

Here's where we stayed. Egyptian House, Penzance.

We've had a week away in Devon and Cornwall. Visiting family and exploring the coast.

View from the top flat of the Egyptian House. That's the sea and St. Michael's Mount in the distance, honest.

Betty having had her height recorded at Tate St. Ives as part of Roman Ondak's installation.

Barbara Hepworth's tools at her workshop in St. Ives.

The Minack Theatre.

The causeway to St. Michael's Mount.

Stopping off for a picnic at Stonehenge on the way home.

ikat dressing gown

2011-06-28T02:34:00.001-07:00

I finished making this dressing gown for myself a couple of weeks ago, but taking photos of me modelling it has proved tricky as I don't look my best first thing in the morning. I've gone for the washing line option instead.

The fabric is a beautiful ikat design I found in John Lewis. It's so soft. I used nearly all of the 3m I bought. I hope they've still got some when I next go, as I'm kicking myself for not buying a little more for a summer top.

The pattern is from my old dressing gown that had been worn to tatters. I cut along the seams and laid the pieces out on the new fabric. The seams are flat-felled so the whole gown is essentially reversible.

mini bunting dress

2011-06-15T12:12:00.000-07:00

With left over fabric from Betty's bunting dress I've made a little version for Kiki, her Cloth Kit doll.The pattern is traced from the dress she originally came with.

betty proof laptop cover

2011-06-07T10:04:00.000-07:00

To try and prevent Betty from bashing my laptop whilst watching Ivor The Engine episodes on Youtube, I came up with this. Made from the packaging from a vinyl record delivery it slips neatly over the keyboard.

oh dear, the allotment

2011-06-02T14:42:00.000-07:00

Not much time for sewing or knitting recently. I've pulled my finger out and am attempting to regain control of my sorry looking allotment. I've been timing my visits with Betty's morning nap. I can usually get an hour and a half of work done before she wakes. Then, the only thing that keeps her happy is soaking herself with the hose pipe.

My studio has become a green house.

I'm also making the most of the light evenings, going up again after dinner for an hour or so. It's hard to capture the amazing sunsets over the sea.

unwhitstable

2011-05-20T12:34:00.000-07:00

I'm very excited to be taking part in this next month. See the website for more details. It's going to be a really interesting mix of experimental improv., film and art. How will my ceramics sit alongside all that!?

UNWHITSTABLE

a day of improvised music and art

2 July 2011 : St Peter's, Whitstable

featuring

Vicky Hageman

Neil Henderson

Robert Jarvis

Aleks Kolkowski

Mat Manieri

Liam Noble

Evan Parker

Polly Read

Mark Sanders

John Russell

Roger Turner

Matt Wright

* * *

St Peter's Church, 66 Sydenham Street, Whitstable CT5 1HL (map)

Doors open 2pm-5.30pm and 7pm-10pm

Tickets available at the door
£6 for afternoon or evening concert (£5 concessions)
£10 both concerts (£8 concessions)

Refreshments will be available

90 minutes direct train from London St Pancras or Victoria

* * *

"Evan Parker has made no secret of his enthusiasm for the acoustic warmth and fidelity of St Peter's, an 80 year old church in the Kent coastal town of Whitstable. It has become his performance and recording space of choice, and this relaxed day of music making, hosted by Parker, made it easy to understand why. St Peter's is spacious but sounds intimate and free from distracting echo. Light and airy and close to the sea, it was just right for a six-hour event on a warm summer's day that celebrated improvising as a mode of sociality, while delivering some of those magical experiences reached only through open and spontaneous playing" - Julian Cowley, The Wire, October 2010

bunting dress

2011-05-18T05:20:00.000-07:00

A sweet little dress made from baby cord with applique bunting and Liberty print bias binding. The Pattern is NewLook 6692. Part two of my Kids Clothes Week Challenge.

KCWC

2011-05-12T13:01:00.001-07:00

Last week was Kids Clothes Week Challenge. An idea thought up by Meg Spaeth, author of the lovely blog Elsie Marley. Along with many others I pledged to sew for an hour a day to make clothes for our little ones. Well, I wasn't quite as committed as others were but I did manage to get a few things done. Here's a little skirt; a simple made-up pattern with an elasticated waist.

I've nearly finished a cute dress too which I'll post on shortly I hope.

new knickers!

2011-05-11T02:08:00.001-07:00

I have been lusting after the liberty print knickers (below) from the Brora catalogue for a while now. Trouble is, they are £19 a pair, and I wouldn't just want one, I'd want half a dozen! Way out of my league. So from rendering walls one day to sewing knickers the next, I thought I'd have a go!

Ta da!

Here's how I did it....

(I am no sewing expert, so excuse the lay person terms).

*Buy cheap pair of cotton knickers in non stretchy fabric. These are from Topshop.

*Deconstruct them by removing elastic and unpicking side and crotch seams.

*Lay out flat on paper and draw around for pattern.

*Cut pattern from chosen Liberty fabric.

*Join front to back at crotch, incorporating crotch piece so seam is hidden inside. (Lay knicker front right side facing up. On top of this lay knicker back right side facing down. On top of this lay crotch piece right side facing down. Line up edges and sew).

*Overlock the opposite edge of the crotch piece.

*Sew side seams together and overlock edges.

*Fold over edges and attach elastic to waist and leg openings using a zig zag stitch and stretching it as it goes through the machine.

*Congratulate yourself and pop them on!

new found skill!

2011-05-10T13:21:00.000-07:00

I can do plastering! We built this brick raised bed last year and have had to wait until good weather to finish it off. After long phone tutorials with my Dad and watching youtube videos I got stuck in! I fixed beading for neat edges and then mixed up a rendering mix of 1:1:5.5 cement:hydrated lime:builder's sand and slapped it on! Just look at that professional sausage shaped blob on my float! Really not that hard to do and lo and behold it was still stuck to the wall the following day!

Only half done so far. Will have to finish it later this week.

gentleman's shooting socks (for me)

2011-05-03T08:43:00.000-07:00

I finished these socks a couple of months ago but it's taken me ages to photograph them. The pattern is from Knitting Vintage Socks by Nancy Bush, and there's a whole load more socks in there I'd like to do, only I get so bored by the time I get to the second one. There must be some kind of sock club where you could be paired with a person of similar sized feet and taste in socks. You would each knit two different socks, one for yourself and one for your sock buddy, and then swap.

Anyway, they are very comfortable and I've been wearing them with sandals, which I think can just about be pulled off, but only if you are female and the socks are hand made!

The yarn is Lorna's laces Shepherd Sock Solid in Douglas Fir, and Jawoll Solid Superwash by Lang Yarns. (Which comes with a reinforcement spool of yarn to double up with on the toes - genius!)

knitted royal wedding

2011-05-02T11:28:00.000-07:00

I was vaguely surprised to find myself getting drawn into the excitement of the Royal Wedding last week. Lots of the local shops have been going to town with their window displays and this knitted Royal Wedding has been on show in the local haberdashers. It's from the book Knit Your Own Royal Wedding by Fiona Goble which has been a best seller, even briefly knocking Dan Brown off the top spot. I'm loving the Queen in pink! A free Corgi pattern from the book can be found here.

tour of the north

2011-05-01T12:14:00.000-07:00

We've spent the last week on a busy tour of the North. Spending Easter visiting various family members in Lincolnshire before heading up to Leeds to visit more family. I combined business with pleasure and dropped off work at the Yorkshire Sculpture Park which is just outside Wakefield. It's well worth a visit. We spent a lovely day exploring the country estate. There are the sculptures of course, a lake, galleries, two very fine cafes and a well stocked shop.

Here's Betty in a Barbara Hepworth.

We spent a day in York where we couldn't leave without having lunch at Bettys Tea Rooms. Really tasty, and our little Betty was on her best behaviour.

happy easter

2011-04-24T10:10:00.001-07:00

A chocolate feast and a wheel barrow ride round the garden!

turner contemporary

2011-04-14T14:07:00.000-07:00

We were very excited to go along to the launch of the new Turner Contemporary gallery in Margate. Poor old Margate has been heading steadily downhill since the advent of cheap package holidays, but I do believe this new gallery could be the start of an upward trend. Already there's lots of regeneration going on in the Old Town with cafes and galleries and shops where there were only bordered up buildings before.

The building is designed by David Chipperfield and looks out to sea making the most of the amazing north light that so impressed Turner.

What with all the canapes, speeches and Betty to chase after we didn't get a chance to look at the work properly but we'll return soon for a another look.

gorse flower cordial

2011-04-13T10:00:00.000-07:00

The smell of the coconutty gorse in full bloom has been heavenly on these warm days we've been getting recently. I remembered to take a plastic tub with me on a walk yesterday and filled it with flowers. (Forgot gardening gloves though and got a few sore fingers). Last night I made some cordial. There are various recipes on the internet. This a hybrid of a few of them....

Recipe

4 handfuls of gorse flowers

600ml water

250g caster sugar

juice and zest of 2 lemons

Rapidly boil the water and sugar for 10 minutes to create the syrup. Take off the heat and add the lemon zest and juice and the gorse flowers. (I spread these out on a tea towel before hand to let the insects crawl away). Leave for 3 or 4 hours before straining through a muslin cloth and sealing in sterilised bottles. Makes about 500ml. Delicious diluted as a drink, as a syrup on ice cream or other desserts or made into a granita.

Other variations include the addition of orange or grapefruit juice and if I was to pick 10 pints worth of flowers I could make wine from this River Cottage Gorseflower wine recipe.

suspiciously quiet

2011-04-03T12:29:00.000-07:00

It went suspiciously quiet in the living room whilst I was making lunch....

bunty bunny

2011-03-25T12:49:00.001-07:00

A quick new baby gift I've finished just in time. This pattern is from Debi Birkin's website. Top marks to anyone who identifies the album cover back drop!

salty fudge

2011-03-24T08:49:00.000-07:00

I often get a craving for sweet and salty treats. I love peanut butter cupcakes, salty buttery sugery popcorn, sea salt chocolates, salted caramel chocolate mousse.... I could go on. I found this recipe for sea salt fudge on a great blog called Cooking the Books. After licking the pan out I needed to lay down for a bit. Certainly not for everyday consumption!

drawing fluid screen print

2011-03-19T14:06:00.000-07:00

Here's a practice print from the course I did in screen printing a while back at the Print Block. I drew directly on the screen with drawing fluid. I actually prefer the drawing on the screen (top) to the actual print (bottom), which came out rather clunky. There are not really any grey areas with drawing fluid, and I was a little over zealous with the paintbrush.

bowls drying

2011-03-03T02:37:00.000-08:00

Been rather busy lately making stock for an upcoming showcase at the Yorkshire Sculpture Park shop.

failed miserably

2011-02-18T08:47:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago I was asked by a fellow knitter on Ravelry whether I would like to be a test knitter for a pattern she was shortly to publish. The top looked cute, and being for a small baby I didn't think it would take me long, so I accepted. Several weeks and many impatient emails later I finally finished it, long after it was actually published. The poor girl couldn't wait for me any longer. (Luckily I was not the only tester).

Anyway, it's a lovely top and will be quite versatile weather wise. Made for a friend who is due to have her first baby next month. If you are interested in knitting it yourself it's called Kira's Hooded Vest by Yumiko Sakurai.

Off The Page

2011-02-12T10:47:00.000-08:00

I was rather excited and suprised to discover recently that my small and humble home town of Whitstable would be hosting the UK's first ever literary festival devoted to music criticism. Off The Page.

The show was opened last night by the wonderful Robert Wyatt, who played and discussed (in a typically meandering, going-off-on-tangents kind of way) five of his favourite music tracks. Particularly interesting as he talked about his childhood in Canterbury and the weekends he spent feeding coins into jukeboxes in Whitstable cafes in order to watch girls dance.

Another highlight of the weekend was an enthusiastic talk by Dave Tompkins on the history of the vocoder, which began life as a Second World War device to scramble the transatlantic conversations between Churchill and Roosevelt, (with the UK vocoder operated from the basement of Selfridges department store.) It was subsequently employed as a more creative instrument in film, tv and music, particularly hip hop. Here Dave is on Youtube talking about his favourite vocoder records.

It's been a bit tricky trying to see everything we wanted to, what with juggling Betty between us and her Aunty Joanne, and the organisers constantly changing the running order with very little notice. I think tomorrow we'll see what Betty makes of the 'performance lecture on the art of listening'. I'm hoping it will be loud enough to drown out her babbling.

at last! the lace ribbon scarf

2011-01-28T07:44:00.001-08:00

In hindsight, it probably wasn't such a good idea to start this project shortly after having a baby. There are many mistakes and it has taken over a year to complete, with an intensive and focused effort to get the last two feet done. I'm so pleased with it though!

The yarn is Lacey Lamb by Jade Sapphire, in mustard. It goes on and on. The ball is never ending! And It comes in a wonderful range of colours. I would like a ball of each please! The pattern I found on knitty.com via Ravelry.

Every girl needs mustard accessories!

little tig

2011-01-15T03:13:00.000-08:00

Here's Little Tig, another creature from the Donna Wilson book The Knitted Odd-bod Bunch.

He's alpaca and mohair and has a rather shorter tail than planned as the wool ran out! You can see more I've knitted from the book here.

special relationship dishcloth

2011-01-06T04:24:00.001-08:00

In honour of the Cross-Atlantic union of friends Janet and Philip, I've made this 'Special Relationship Dishcloth'. May it bring many hours of enjoyment to the drudgery of washing up, once the honeymoon has worn off!

Christmas trousers

2011-01-04T03:04:00.001-08:00

I finished knitting these on Christmas Eve, just in time to wrap them up for Betty to unwrap. I found the pattern on Ravelry, but added ribbed cuffs round the ankles. I accidently bought Sublime Cashmerino Silk yarn, instead of the machine washable equivalent. Oops.

resolutions for 2011

2011-01-01T02:44:00.000-08:00

The essence of our Christmas and New Year is captured perfectly in A Charlie Brown Christmas. We bought Betty the sound track by the Vince Guaraldi Trio. She's developed a funny new dance to go with it, and she squeals with delight when watching the video on You Tube.

I'm even considering knitting a yellow zig zag jumper for her.

With Peanuts in the background I've been thinking about my resolutions for 2011. Here's what I've come up with....

* Address the storage problems in the house.

* Spend more time in my studio.

* Get my work into at least three new shops or galleries.

* Make more of my own clothes, and Betty's too.

* Visit friends and family.

* Keep on top of my allotment and increase productivity.

* Transform the garden, including preparations for building a new studio.

* Work on designs for printing on fabric.

* Buy a new camera.

happy christmas

2010-12-22T12:55:00.000-08:00

Wishing you all a Happy Christmas!

artisans' bazaar

2010-12-22T12:13:00.000-08:00

Here we are again with another Christmas Artisans' Bazaar at the Fish Slab Gallery in Whitstable. I've been sewing into the small hours to get things finished in time. It was a relief to finally open the doors to the public and we've had a busy first day with lots of sales despite the snow.

I really look forward to spending a few days with the other makers and there are so many beautiful things.

another cloth book

2010-12-21T04:01:00.001-08:00

Another cloth book, this time for Freya who has a pirate obsessed brother, likes to hang out at the Tudor Tearooms, has a cat called Henry and has already attended several Fulham home games.

tea cosy

2010-12-04T04:06:00.001-08:00

Here's a tea cosy I've just finished for a friend's birthday present. The pattern was adapted from here. The traditional technique is one where the spare yarn is pulled along the back so that the front puckers and creates a double layer for extra insulation.

Happy Birthday Betty

2010-12-04T04:03:00.000-08:00

cloth books

2010-12-04T03:09:00.000-08:00

I've been making a few cloth books of late for some special first birthdays.

The monkey is a likeness of a favourite toy and has a squeaker in him.

The tea cup represents all the coffee mornings (and afternoons) spent at the Tudor Tearooms, and Bob is her little pull along dog.

This is broccoli and blueberries, the only food that passed her lips for quite some time, and of course the last page is Betty tucked up in bed.

She likes this page best.

Here's Betty's special friend Oliver's.

Here I've added a stirring spoon. The sail boat has crinkly flapping sails.

Oliver lives on the top of a very steep hill.

tea cups

2010-11-20T07:02:00.000-08:00

I am trying to spend a bit more time in my workshop. (Typically this happens as the temperature drops and the hours of daylight lessen). It's almost a year since Betty was born, and I haven't begun to seriously make work since. I have a lot to get ready for various projects. I find I can sometimes grab a couple of hours making as she naps during the day and it's surprising how much can be accomplished in such a short time. (Housework, dinner etc goes out the window though!)

Here are some cups ready for the slip to be painted on. But cups are nothing without saucers, so I'd better get cracking on those!

knitted odd-bods

2010-11-16T10:58:00.001-08:00

I've been steadily working my way through the knitting patterns in the wonderful "Knitted Odd-Bod Bunch" book by Donna Wilson. I love that each pattern's character is styled in a funny little vignette. Here's who I've created so far....

Ginge Marmalade twins

Rill Raccoon Fox

Bad Ralf

Aggie Bear

Cyril Squirrel Fox

There are 35 characters to knit, so I've plenty more to go!

the print block

2010-11-09T13:49:00.000-08:00

On Tuesday evenings for the past five weeks I've been going to a screen printing class at The Print Block. Beginning with stencil prints, we then moved on to using drawing fluid, and for the last two evenings we used photographic screen printing techniques. Despite being incredibly disorganised I am really pleased with my final print. I have to admit I am indebted to the patience and skills of Suki and Karen.

I used three overlays. The first one pink, the second a semi translucent blue (creating a purple where it overlays the pink), and finally the dark outline. I almost prefer it without the dark outline.

She sews as she grows

2010-11-07T11:20:00.000-08:00

I was so excited to find this at the Seaside Brocante yesterday. It looks like it's never been used and has instruction book and cotton reel ready to go.

From the 1950s I would guess; such wonderful graphics.

Rather a gender specific toy!

happy halloween

2010-11-03T03:38:00.000-07:00

Poor Betty was a bit puzzled by all the scary visitors we had on Sunday evening. Really looking forward to dressing her up next year.... I'm thinking Willo The Wisp!

The small pumpkin is one I grew; a 'Red Kuri'.

what to do with all the grapes.

2010-11-01T14:48:00.001-07:00

Other than eating them straight off the vine, I was wondering what to do with the first substantial harvest we've had from our grape vine. It's a wonderful variety called "Strawberry", with a very unusual musky deep flavour. I found a recipe for grape jelly in Sarah Raven's Garden Cookbook.

This made 900ml of juice, and 3 and a half jars of jam.

baubles!

2010-11-01T09:46:00.001-07:00

I've been popping out these Christmas baubles in anticipation of our Handmade Market at the Fish Slab Gallery the week before Christmas.

They are fairly easy to make....

*Firstly wind a tight ball of wool. (must be 100%wool).

*Then cover with 'wool tops' so that none of the wound wool is showing through. There's a great selection of wool tops colours available from Knitshop.co.uk.

*Stuff the balls into a leg of old nylon tights, tying between each ball.

*Machine wash with a teaspoon of detergent on a hot wash. I did 90 degrees c.

They come out tightly felted and shrunk by approximately one third.

I've not done much embroidery before, but taught myself a French Knot and have been decorating with simple contrasting colours.

beginnings of a homeware empire

2010-10-21T11:59:00.000-07:00

I've been making pot holders and oven gloves from the stash of material I've been building up. I came home from the Knitting and Stitching show at Alexandra Palace with quite a bit more, mainly from the wonderful Eternal Maker stand.

The elephant fabric is Svenskt Tenn, left over from a roman blind made for Betty's bedroom. The car fabric is Echino.

october allotment

2010-10-21T09:01:00.000-07:00

These are just about the last of my tomatoes. Seven different varieties; Roma, Marmande, Cuor Di Bue, Scatolone, Astro Ibrido, Principe Borghese and Lilliput. I love having a glut of tomatoes. It's such a treat to be able to chop up a few kilos and slowly roast them in the oven with a head of garlic. I push the soft sweet mush through a sieve and freeze in tubs for soups and sauces.

I've also harvested all my various squashes, as the weather is turning cold now and I didn't want to risk being caught out by a frost. The bumpy ones are Rugosa Friulana, and I also sowed Avalon, Potimarron and a Bottle Gourd. They store for months and should keep Betty in her favourite meal of butternut squash risotto for quite some time.

a warm cardigan

2010-10-17T08:22:00.001-07:00

I've finally finished this cardigan for Betty. Doesn't garter stitch take ages? It's a dense stitch that uses quite a bit of yarn; four balls for this size. So the resulting cardi is a warm one and fairly heavy. The pattern is a free one and is from here. It is knitted sideways, casting on along the front left edge and casting off the front right edge, and uses short row shaping to flare out the waist. I'm pleased with the finished result.

a winter balaclava

2010-09-26T05:43:00.000-07:00

This balaclava is an attempt at making a hat that Betty won't immediately tear off. It seems to work! The pattern can be found here.

space baby!

2010-09-21T02:58:00.001-07:00

I've finished another sleep sack for Betty. A winter one this time. I love this space baby material. I just used a fat quarters worth for this, with some star fabric for the rest. I think it's got a kind of Wonder Woman vibe!

The first sleep sack I made was this toadstool one. Betty had reached the end of her 0-6 month one, so, inspired by some homemade ones I'd seen on flickr, I drew round it, making it slightly wider and a fair bit longer, and ran it up in no time. She's been in it all summer long. The new space babies one is warmer.

tunic top

2010-09-18T02:15:00.001-07:00

I made this top a few weeks ago and have worn it pretty much non stop ever since. It's pattern H from Stylish Dress Book volume 2. My first attempt in sewing for myself in quite a while. I bought the lovely material from Cloth House on Berwick Street, London. It's an Ikat woven cotton from India. I went back to buy some more but sadly it was all gone. I'd love to find some more Ikat cotton, but it seems there's not much out there that's not silk. Despite being in Japanese, the pattern was fairly simple to follow from looking at the diagrams, and by using the translation sheets included with the book. I'm not sure I did the neck slit exactly as the diagram showed, but it's worked out just fine. I bought the book from M is For Make, where you will find many others in the series as well as lots of lovely fabrics. Kate who runs M Is For Make is holding a first anniversary Sew-Along competition, into which I've entered my top. You can see all the other amazing entries and cast your vote over the following week here. I'm very impressed by the frilly pants, the tunic by Susan and the cushion by Karen. Who shall I vote for?!

birdie pinafore

2010-09-12T02:27:00.001-07:00

After coming to terms with the fact that I will never again be able to fit into one of my favourite skirts, I decided it should be reincarnated as a pinafore dress for Betty. I just managed to squeeze from the available fabric New Look pattern 6576.

harvest

2010-09-01T08:23:00.000-07:00

It's not been a great summer in the allotment. At least this year I have a legitimate excuse. I did manage to dig over parts of it last autumn, but had to stop at 7 months pregnant due to dodgy hips. And of course this year I've had a baby to contend with. I had a naive idea that I would be pottering around up there with Betty happily rolling around on a blanket. I didn't think about the ants, the scorching sun, the fact that as soon I was elbow deep in mud she'd need a feed. Everything is a bit parched and wind blown. Still, I nipped up today for an hour of tidying, and picked a bit for dinner. LOADS of cucumbers; Betty's favourite.

preparations for a sewing frenzy

2010-09-01T08:00:00.000-07:00

I've just washed the Indian fabric I bought at Cloth House on Berwick Street in London's Soho. The very helpful shop girl suggested washing them separately with a handful of salt to fix the colours. And what amazing colours! My garden is looking very Hare Krishna at the moment. There were at least two dozen different shades in the shop, but I plumped for these ones and some contrasting trim, with the intention of making little B some dresses and tops. Just need to find some time. (And energy).

makey vicky

to chit or not to chit?

off the page 2012

I did a terrible thing

snow exhaustion

aviatrix hat

crocheted pin cushion

ladybird dress

fairisle cardigan

recycled dolly

origami flower ball

windy winterland evening

windy winterland

cat party dress

cloud blouse

tomatoes

knitting and stitching show

gallerytop

pixie hat

scottie dog jumper

raglan jumper

macaroon obsession

Laundry disasters

tank top (and a new camera)

paving!

clothkits shift dress

little top

summer dress

garden transformation continues

unwhitstable

tour of the south west

ikat dressing gown

mini bunting dress

betty proof laptop cover

oh dear, the allotment

unwhitstable

UNWHITSTABLE

a day of improvised music and art

2 July 2011 : St Peter's, Whitstable

featuring

* * *

St Peter's Church, 66 Sydenham Street, Whitstable CT5 1HL (map)

Doors open 2pm-5.30pm and 7pm-10pm

Tickets available at the door£6 for afternoon or evening concert (£5 concessions)£10 both concerts (£8 concessions)

Refreshments will be available

90 minutes direct train from London St Pancras or Victoria

* * *

bunting dress

KCWC

new knickers!

new found skill!

gentleman's shooting socks (for me)

knitted royal wedding

tour of the north

happy easter

turner contemporary

gorse flower cordial

suspiciously quiet

bunty bunny

salty fudge

drawing fluid screen print

bowls drying

failed miserably

Off The Page

at last! the lace ribbon scarf

little tig

special relationship dishcloth

Christmas trousers

resolutions for 2011

happy christmas

artisans' bazaar

another cloth book

tea cosy

Happy Birthday Betty

cloth books

tea cups

knitted odd-bods

the print block

She sews as she grows

happy halloween

Tickets available at the door
£6 for afternoon or evening concert (£5 concessions)
£10 both concerts (£8 concessions)