Poncho

It is fascinating how beautiful this autumn is. All the colours are in the air. And when the sun beams kiss the tree crowns, it explodes fire and all this beautiful reflection in the puddles start dancing in a wonderful, primitive and inspiring dance.

This is one of these moments that I want to seal in my memory forever - can not take any more beauty. 

Until the autumn is still warm and happy, before the angry winds' dance, the best cover to wear is a warm wool, knitted poncho. The one I made for my girl is very easy to knit. I did not need it textured, so the variegated yarn could stand out. 

The original shape of the poncho is different, but I made it intentionally longer on the arms. Ana has always wanted to fly. She had made a pair of wings out of cardboard, when she was 5. I still keep them in my treasure chest. These are her wings in a cosy wrapping clothing.

Here is how to knit it:

materials needed:

350 (400) g variegated yarn - 100% wool, or 50% wool and 50% acrylic
50 g solid colour yarn - 100% wool, or 50% wool and 50% acrylic
knitting needles size 4 mm (4.5 mm), I used 80 cm circular 4 mm needles

The 10cm x 10cm knitted sample of the yarn produces 22 knits and 30 rows. Make sure that you are aware of your yarn sample and adjust to the pattern above in centimetres.

Since the pattern is not for a fitted clothing, it could fit size 6-8 (in brackets) and 8-10.

How to:

1. Knit two separate pieces for the front and back.
2. Sew them together.
3. Cross-stitch over the side seam.
4. Crochet the wholes for the pom-pom rope around the neck.
5. Make the pom-pom rope.
6. Make the fringe as desired.

The poncho gives your kid freedom to move and at the same time feel like a bird. It is a weekend project and a couple of movies, watched in a rainy day.

Enjoy making it!

Thanks for visiting! 🍂 🌾🍁
IN  

Late Summer or Early Fall

This is the question...

In the second half of October, the weather is still so beautiful! Inspired by that I am having great time thinking of making a fall projects with my new fabric from Haori.

So many things are running through my mind. It is like a windy hall in my head - falling leaves, bright colours, running streams - it is all thoughts in different shape that fight each other in a winning battle. I wish I can nominate one and start working on it right away. 

Finally, I decided to make a list and honour each one of my ideas. This is the most difficult part of making the project - create and decide, construct and seal, it all comes with a vision and more time.  

Once I have the design and the drawing, it comes to the best part of creating - combining the fabric. Sewing it ...well, that gives me piece. 

Lovely to meet you here, in my home-blog,

IN

Happiness is Homemade

It is school time. 

My girls are still at school, and while we are hunting for prom dresses for my older one and trying to fit into the requirements she is having, the little one is still enjoying everything I make for her. 

There were two major things at school, I accepted with a lot of struggle. One: sleeping on the floor at junior and senior kinder garden and two: not having a canteen at the elementary schools, so the kids eat on their working desks. 

I try not to think about that too much now, but at first this was shocking to me. The desks where they work their science projects, and spread leaves, or even study the density of different types of rocks, which involves breaking them with a hammer, on the desks where there is constant residue from pencils sharpening, they only have 20 min to eat, which means no time to properly clean the space and prepare it for lunch. I guess, there is a reason for this settlement, but I still haven't found it. The only thing I could do is make a placemat. And she has learned through the years that it is important to have a meal on a clean cloth, since this shows respect and gratitude. 

I made this placemat for my girl and she is excited to use it at school. The food is so much more delicious when it is homemade and even tastes better, stamped with mom's love. 

My daughter will probably enjoy all the things I make for her for a little longer... until ... probably we get close to the prom. And I am planing of enjoying these moments, until they last, because time flies fast.

Try this homemade bread. Recipe is in Tablier taché.

Thanks for stopping by,
IN

Happy Friends Giving

Here is another adventure, I would like to go on.

I have been admiring Minki's blog for years already. Every post of hers has a sewing illustration that takes you on a journey - from every day lived scenes to a heart breaking children's pictures. I love sinking into the comfort of looking at her work. 

I have never dared to try anything like this, but secretly, I always wanted... I just wasn't sure, if I would be able to handle the disappointment. The day I decided to do this little candy bag as a gift, I must had been inspired by the upcoming Thanksgiving celebration with a friend, who is also crazy about fabric and who actually believes, that it doesn't matter how frustrating the surrounding could be, as soon as she is in a presence of some fabric, she is perfectly happy. So... what better present for Thanksgiving, but a handmade one?! I would probably would haven't still tried the drawing with thread and fabric, if it wasn't for the giving gesture.

I needed to copy the image on the fabric. What a challenge... I probably drew it four times before I was able to transfer it on a way to the main fabric, which I chose to be a cotton twill. No transfer paper, no special pans, so I had to be creative, but it took me probably three times the time I would have spent, if I had the gadgets. Who cares about that, though, my project is a go go and I was one step further than when I started.

My little personalized tag that is hanging on the side of the bag is the miniature card that keeps a tiny message. 

Who could resist a delicious, gently melting and perfectly smooth (believe it or not, I insist on smooth texture) Lindt chocolate truffles?! Especially, with their new flavour pumpkin spice. 

I loved machine sewing through most of the wreath. I had troubles with the tiny fruits and the leaves,  in cutting off these small pieces of fabric and keeping them in place, while machine stitching them, and by the time I was done, after hours on the machine desk, my whole body hurt... But I was pleased with the result. Now I know why Minki calls it 'sewing illustrations' - I was about to say something with my sewing. But I was far from done.

Some of the green leaves (most of them) I hand-stitched, as well as some of the red fruits, for which I used french knot stitch. The sign is hand stitched too, and lastly - the personalized tag.

There are so many lovely things about this project! I explored a completely new to me way of sewing through drawing pictures with the tools that I love using - a needle and some thread. I made a little unique bag to fill with chocolate, but it could be easily used as a lunch bag, or any other. And the best part of this story, I get to give it as a present.