Little Baby Clothes

Squee! Little baby things! 

Size 3 months, as per pattern

Size 3 months, but legs extended to 9 month length

The contrast hem at the bottom has added a bit of length. Otherwise as per pattern.

What I learnt from my first cosplay

In no particular order:

• It would have been faster and easier if I'd had my sewing machine. 
• Amazon and ebay really are suprisingly cheap.
• Toy plastic guns that don't look like alien guns are quite hard to find.
• Staples are not your friend (not even to cheat and attach belt buckles).
• Temporary spray glue (post-it note glue!) is your friend (to fix things in place while you sew instead of using pins; to stop things falling down on the day).
• Colombia doesn't have enough types of glue (or perhaps I was just looking in the wrong shops?)

• Foam craft sheets are brilliant.
• Stencils should be stuck down (preferably using the post-it note glue) to whatever they are supposed to be covering, otherwise just trace it and use a sharpie (yes, I found out the hard way). 

• Graffiti must be much harder than it looks - just spray painting a couple of knife handles and bullets was hard enough!

• Spray paint comes off plastic bullets quite easily :(
• Always have a plan B, C, and D for the construction process/materials, and for what to do if things fall off when you're in costume. 
• People will pay you to have their photo taken with you! (Or would have if I'd asked... next time!)
• A large number of people will want their photo taken with you even though they have no idea who you're supposed to be dressed up as:

Spot the Black Widow...

• People who do recognise your character, and are dressed up as a "teammate" will produce the most awesome photos:

• People who are dressed up as something completely irrelevant will produce the funniest photos:

• Curly hair really suits me. 
• Fake eyelashes are brilliant.
• It will take longer than you plan, but not as long as you fear.
• You will end up with both surplus, and not enough, materials for various parts of your costume. 
• Wigs are fine, but real hair gets more attention.
• Getting into character really pays off (modelling job offers!).
• If you're dressed as a character who can fight, everyone will want to "fight" with you in the photos:

• Being famous for five minutes is hilarious (I've been "recognised" twice by people in the street).
• Having guns in thigh holsters is frighteningly comfortable and easy to get used to (brilliant place to rest your hands).
• Children are awed by people in costumes (OK, I already knew that, but I hadn't experienced it from this side of the relationship!)
• It's a great way to make friends who are into the same silly stuff as you.
• It's a lot of work, but it's definitely worth it!

Exitoooo!

Modern Hexagon Cushion

Well, I'm still alive, and suffering occasional bouts of sewing machine withdrawal. Especially when looking at jersey tops and thinking "I could make that in half an hour for a quarter of the price!"

Hand sewing is helping to ease the cravings (as is being really busy on other things) and this is my first completely hand sewed project! Ok, the hems on the back are the original sheet hems, but the pretty parts are all mine ;)

A paper pieced cushion made of oversized hexagons. The fabric is from one of the charm packs I brought with me from London. I think I still have enough for the quilt that I'd originally intended this fabric for! The white fabric is a cotton sheet I bought on sale. I think next time I'll go for a (still 100% cotton but) lesser quality sheet, as this fine one was, well, a little too fine compared to the quilting cotton. It is soft though :)

I feel like a rockstar for completing this :D And more so as I finished it a couple of weeks ago and it still hasn't fallen apart yet!

In with the old, Out with the new

In times of change and upheaval, it's only natural to cling onto some remnant of the past, something to ground you, remind you of simpler times and make you remember that it will all work out in the end. Usually this is something from the changee's own lifetime, however. So why have I just decided to make an entire quilt by hand? Perhaps I am overreacting a little. Hay que ver...

A Surprisingly Manly Scarf

Black, super chunky alpaca. Extremely cosy!

La Serenisima

A Hug and a Squeeze

My own pattern, based on (yet again) the squishy scarf. Using a figure of 8 cast on, knit in the round, with a plait threaded through the ribs at the top to close. Purple chunky alpaca. Very warm and snuggly :D

Grandpa

It can be difficult sewing for guys, especially things that aren't clothes. Hopefully this is practical enough, and geometric enough, that it will go down well :)

NouNou

Beautiful fabric, quilted by outlining the pattern. Very satisfying to do, especially as I'd been wanting to try this for a long time! And because my first attempts at free motion anything were... less than brilliant.... (break your foot!)

Xmas

Gluten free (almond) ginger bread men - ninjabread men! Sadly I have no idea which recipe I used.

Obsession

There is also a purple malabrigo version, and a black one to be started... (This version is turquoise IRL, unlike the photo)
Mr. Habit has a lot to answer for!

New Hat

Autumn looks like it's finally here, and with it my annual obsession with purple and burgundy, or more specifically, Mmmalabrigo in Velvet Grapes. This is Felicity, although as my gauge was off I didn't follow the pattern exactly. There is another (in an equally predictable turquoise and black) to follow. A fun and easy pattern - hoping to use it to teach my flat-mate to knit as she's been eyeing this up since I finished it :D

I so should have been a model.

Sencillo

 Trying to use up stash to give me an excuse to buy new fabric - no pattern, just a rotary cutter, some of my favourite b/w patterns, and the last scraps of a black sheet.

A Sunny Sunday

For the first time (ever) I had a go on the Boris Bikes today, which is also the first time in (over 15) years that I've been on any kind of bike. I guess it's true what they say - you really don't forget - although I confess to not having ridden anywhere near as fast as I could have run.

The space down by St James' Park is perfect for practicing, as it is also near Hyde Park once you've got your confidence up.

London is a wonderful city in the sunshine. More so when it's an unexpected 28 degree Indian summer in October.

Coasting Along

A belated birthday present for my uncle. He now lives in a gorgeous (and/but?) extremely masculine 'bachelor pad.' Everything was wood, steel and black leather last time I visited. I hope these will provide a bit of comfort without being girly...

Each was made using just black and blue log cabins, then quilted in a spiral following the lines. I love that such variety is possible with such a simple construction.

I really wish I could remember why the bottom left coaster looks different. I know I was experimenting with different binding methods, but which one did I use on the more successful five?

Nom

Thanks to my mum's aplotment I had a gigantic courgette. Thanks to Mark's Daily Apple I knew what to do with it. And the best part? I still have 3/4 of the courgette left! The next set will be less burnt, and hopefully involve cheese :)

Awesome

Coasting along

Made with leftover scraps from a couple of Moda projects.

Rosas Amarillas

Although I don't generally like yellow, it's been growing on me lately. I certainly can't deny it's a very happy colour :)

The Joy of Foreign Flatmates

Friday night was spent, as all Friday nights should be, with good food, good people, and dangerous drinks. And the best part? When I woke up the following morning, they had done all the clearing up! A cake of some kind should definitely feature soon as a thank you for my lovely flatmates. 

 Golden tequila, which is apparently drunk with slices of orange sprinkled with cinnamon, and is definitely just as effective as the better known silver/lime/salt combination. Fresh guacamole, handmade by a real Mexican - devoured on top of potatoes with butter...! Not as neat/tidy as tortilla chips, but literally (and necessarily) finger-licking good.

 Arepas - handmade by... the only non-native Spanish speaker in the kitchen, me! I suppose practice does make (close enough to) perfect after all: there were no complaints from anyone who knows what arepas should be like. The spring onion, however, is still a mystery to me. I believe it was all still there at the end of the evening...

Several kilos of the best beef Seven Sisters had to offer. Photographing piles of raw meat in an appetising manner was a lot harder than I had expected - next time I'll wait until it's been cooked :)

Just to have something girly in this post ;)