Knitting in New Cross

Sat in a cafe the other week with Eleanor (debating a suitable name for our theatre company) I saw a notice for a free afternoon of knitting. I signed up thinking if I was free then I'd enjoy a Sunday of knitting with locals. Might even progress past regular stitching!

By some miracle of scheduling on my part, I was actually free to attend. I had a lovely time whiling away 2hours with yarn, needles and cake. Under the patient instruction of Emma, our knitting guru, I even learned to purl. I can now knit one, purl one. Actually it was more like knit one, purl one, have one bite of cake, knit one, purl one (you get the idea).

I feel this is achievement enough and was perfectly happy to butcher a ball of yarn with my childish knitting while others created moss and stocking stitch creations. Someone had even done a Fair Isle pattern!

But hey, I'm not striving for knitting Nirvana. I'm perfectly chilled out from the afternoon's activities (which is more achievement for me than any knitting pattern). Definitely returning on the 4th December. Might attempt another stitch... Who knows...

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Relocation, Relocation, Relocation

The Magenta Machine is officially in Lewisham! I've also got today off work so its most definitely sewing time. Settling down with a cup of real coffee (real coffee!) and a slice of toast with homemade jam (homemade!) courtesy of housemate Eleanor's mother. Sketch book is out and I'm already planning some lovely projects :) stay tuned!

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Magenta Machine Is Relocating...

This weekend I went home to pack up some more bits and bobs to move to my new place in London (yes, I now live in London, but thats another post for another day). And I've packed up the MM, my sewing drawer and my bag of cloth, ready to be moved down to jolly Lewisham. In other news, the bag of cloth has TRIPLED in size, courtesy of my lovely aunt, Anjie and her gift of remnants (thank you Anjie!!).

The Machine will be driving down with my mum and dad mid-October and I can resume my love-affair with sewing, which has been sadly postponed since July thanks to excellent developments in my theatre career (win some, lose some :P ).

But soon both will live in harmony, with me, in London. And I've already got a list of things to sew waiting.

It's going to be a fun Autumn :)

xx

PS: Also on Twitter now, search amyPgunn :)

Fabric Covered Beads

Still using my (copious, but soon to end) free time by making some fabric covered beads. I used the tutorial on Twirling Betty's blog which was very helpful and easy to follow.
I bought a long string of wooden beads from a charity shop for the bargain price of £1 a while ago and now I'm finally round to doing it.

I covered a few beads in scraps of a very cute japanese children print that I've used on my patchwork quilt. There are some lovely flowers in it which fitted well onto the small beads. I threaded them together with the smaller wooden beads from the string to make a cute necklace I intend to wear with my outfit for my boyfriend's graduation.


I also covered 10 beads with scraps of my patchwork fabrics to make a cute little bracelet. I threaded them onto some elastic et voila! Very easy. I got somewhat carried away with the theraputic glueing of fabric and now I have two bracelets and a necklace!


I also made a cushion cover for my mum's birthday and made her a matching bracelet with leftover fabric on some more beads! Happy birthday mum!

Patchwork Part One

My quality time with the machine continues, in the fulfilment of a long-time ambition - to sew and own a patchwork quilt.
All the squares have been cut out and lovingly ironed, and a design has been laid out on the living room floor. I've begun sewing and have the 9 centre squares attached and ironed to perfection (I've never ironed so much in my life-I bet my mum is concerned at this unusual behaviour!)

Palazzo Pants

I've been no-sew for a while, due to travelling all over the place - which makes me rather sad. But now I'm home for a while I've got out the MM and got cracking on many a project! First off, a pair of delightfully comfy (and even a little bit on trend) palazzo pants, courtesy of a piece of fabric my aunt gave me on my last visit to St Albans. My aunt and uncle have been putting me up while I work in London and I'm extremely grateful for their help and generosity - AND Anjie gave me material!! Bonus.

Thanks Anjie: It was fairly simple - sewed the piece into one giant tube, cut up the middle and re-sewed into baggy baggy trousers, then hemmed and made a tube at the top to thread a thin piece of the same fabric as a drawstring. Because of the forgiving volume of the fabric, my dressmaking skills (or limit thereof) aren't visible. A lovely pair of trousers for the summer.


Oh. And I've had my hair cut - a lot!

Happy Birthday Mum

Its my mum's birthday today. And the bunting ninja has been hard at work after she went to bed last night. Hope she likes her surprise :)

Happy birthday Mum!