July Craft Challenge - Nature

This is my submission for July for Adele's  '12 Month Craft the World Challenge'. The theme for this month is 'nature'.  I've chosen a certified organic cotton* to make this wrap around dress.  The print is called "Garden Poppy Scrolls", designed for Mod Green Pod by Nancy Mims and is part of the "Free To Grow" collection.  In my mind it looks like a field of wildflowers, so to this backdrop I have appliqued some trees, using other organic cottons,  then added some happy dogs frolicking in the flowers and put some singing birds in the trees.

Here is the back view:

This is the detail of the applique on the front of the dress. Shows the detail of the fabric print as well.

You can see what others have come up with using the theme of nature in the month of July by following the links over on the page Adele has on her website (here)

*Certified: 100% certified organic  through Global Organic Textile Standards (GOTS by IMO) to requirements of Organic Exchange 100 Standard.
Inks and/or Dyes: Low impact, approved for use by GOTS. No substances banned by GOTS were used in production.

Turning the Table(cloth)s

What fun I have had this week.  It started with a visit to my favourite op-shop where I found three tablecloths just begging for a chance to do something different with their lives.  The first had a beautiful hand crocheted edge, so needed to be something simple to make the most of this.  It was also quite a small cloth and turned out to be just enough for this top:

The pattern was Style I 

which comes from the Japanese Pattern book Sewing Lesson:

The other two cloths I made into skirts.

front view

side view

front view

side view

For the first skirt  I used New Look pattern 6637  to make the short version of the wrap skirt 

The pattern for the second skirt was Style 16 

from another Japanese Pattern book:  One Day Sewing No. 746 

June Craft Challenge Top

The theme for June for Adele's '12 Month Craft the World Challenge' is Black and White.  Here is my entry.  The fabric is a beautiful soft broderie anglaise voile.  I've embellished it by cutting up and appliqueing a vintage crocheted doiley.  The pattern is Style F from the "Simple Tunic and One Piece" Pattern Book

 

which, in the book was also made in black and white:

Detail of shoulders and doiley trim:

the chill air

It might be sunny but there is a distinct nip in the air.  My dad would say, "It's too cold to rain." Makes me feel like sitting next to the window where the sun is coming through and knitting. Doesn't that sound like bliss?  Wont happen today.  I've got non-crafting work to do today. Perhaps tonight I can get on with the scarf I am knitting.  I'm wanting to wear it so I cant wait until it is long enough The yarn is an alpaca/mohair/wool blend, so it feels soft and warm but with some structure.  The pattern is simple - I'm not good at following a pattern, particularly not a lacey one but I am managing this one with ease - long as I knit 7 rows at a time.  That is because there are 7 rows to make the pattern and if I always complete a pattern I don't have to try to work out where I am up to.  (That is how bad I am at knitting!) A woman in a shop gave me these photocopied instructions so I dont know where the pattern really comes from.

Here's how simple it is:
Using size 10 (6mm) needles cast on 16 stitches
Row 1: (Right side) K1, *yarn over, knit one repeat from * until the last stitch, K1
Row 2: K1, purl to last stitch, K1
Row 3: K1, *knit 2 together. repeat from * until last stitch, K1
Row 4: K1,  *Yarn over, knit two together, repeat from * until last stitch, K1
Row 5: same as row 4
Row 6: knit
Row 7 knit

Repeat the following 7 rows until the scarf is the length you want.  Cast off and work in loose ends

today I'm making .... biscuits

Going to have dinner with friends tonight so decided to bake some bickies to take.  It's just a basic biscuit recipe to which I have added ginger and almonds ...'cause that makes them a bit more grown up.
Here is the recipe:
100g Buderim Naked Ginger (uncrystalized sweet ginger)
120g slivered almonds
process together or chop finely

125g butter
1/2 cup sugar (I used 1/3 cup Smart Sugar*)
1 egg
1 1/4 cup plain flour (I used organic wholemeal flour), sifted
1 teaspoon baking powder

Preheat oven to 180 degrees celsius.  Beat butter and sugar with electric mixer until mixture is light and creamy. Add the egg and mix until combined. Fold through the flour, baking powder  and chopped ginger and almonds.
Shape teaspoons full into rounds. press down with a fork. Place on silicone sheet  (or non stick paper) on baking tray. Bake for 10 - 12 minutes, until golden. Cool on wire rack.  Makes about 30 biscuits - depending on size.

*Smart Sugar is made by CSR and is natural sugar with Stevia and contains half the calories of ordinary sugar.  The stevia plant is native to South America, sweetness is extracted from the leaves and it can be up to 300 times sweeter than sugar - so not as much is required to get the same sweetness

Japanese Pattern Books

I'm in love with these books!  The patterns are simple but classy.  I've been using this skirt pattern

from this book

to make this

and this

and the pockets on this skirt

from this book

inspired these pockets

on this skirt