This project has waited a long time now to be realized. I always wanted to make my own knickers facing the problem that I could never find the favorite pairs of knickers again. I don't know why but I always thought knickers are too demanding to make yourself but the reality is much more pleasant: Easily done, easily repeated over and over again and soooo comfortable! But see for yourself!
Tired or not I am generated by excitement of new projects and their outcome. I have an idea and and this boost drives me as fast as possible to realize it. The mat is out, so is the Organic Cotton/Bamboo Jersey, which is already a pleasure in itself to work with, a fine smooth material. . . . And soon I will know. . .
Now, after practicing the Cross stitch ;)it is time to start the first project. It should be the season of showing more leg but it is also nice to wear one over leggings or tights, a skirt. This project is easy and can be repeated over and over again, shorter, longer, softer, brighter . .
What you need . Stretchy Jersey (anything that drapes nicely) . Bottom seam of a T-shirt or a fold-over elastic band . Thin Pins . Gutermann Buttonhole / Top Stitch Thread in colour(s) of your choice . Embroidery Scissors . Milward Sharps Needle No4 . Cutting Matt . Plastic Ruler . Tape Measure . Rotary Cutter . Tailor's chalk or an erasable pen . Fabric scissors
Measurements First measure around your waist, your hips and around the widest part of your bottom.
Ready? Half the fabric, align it and cut the edges straight (on one side, which will be the raw end of the skirt).Choose the length of your skirt, mark it and cut again.Cut the fabric in half now along the grain line using your fabric scissors, which leaves you with 2 halves of your skirt.Take one half and half it again along the grain line. Transfer the measurements taken earlier starting from the edge: first the waist measurement, leaving a 10 cm gap, then mark the hip measurement, leaving again a 10 cm gap and then mark the last measurement.Connect these 3 marks with your chalk or erasable pen, add 1 cm for seam allowance and cut, using your rotary cutter.Repeat the same for the other half. Half this half, transfer your measurements leaving a 10 cm gap between them, connect the marks and add 1 cm seam allowance and cut. If you don't like the angle and it would make your skirt too wide or too narrow, slightly adapt it but leave the waist measurement at the original point or very close to it, otherwise your waistband will have to accommodate too much fabric and this will make it very wavy.
Assembling Now you can start pinning. Assemble both skirt halves, right sides facing each other, pin both ends first, which helps to align the fabric and then pin the rest, repeat for the other side.
Take about 2.5 skirt lengths of your thread and cut it in an angle to thread your needle easier. Make one single knot close to the edge and make a double knot about 7 mm further up. See here and here for knot details. Start sewing with making a loop (up through the fabric, around the edge and up through the fabric again right next to the previous hole) and continue in a straight line a straight stitch, try to stay about 8 mm from the edge and keep the stitches even. When you reached the end run your fingers along the stitches finding the right tension between fabric and thread. Finish with a loop and knot off, first make a double knot close to the fabric using your nails to gently push it there and a single knot a bit further away, trim. Repeat on the other side. The single knot, the double knot, loop around the edge, the straight stitch, adjusting the tension, the loop, double knot, single knot, trim. Turn the skirt to the right side and fold one seam to the back and start pinning. On the other side fold the seam the same way, so they both face back and pin too.
The Cross Stitch Thread the needle, make a single and double knot and loop the thread around the edge of your fabric. Choose to loop through the folded seam (thicker). Come up again through the fabric (below the created line) making the first bottom part of the cross stitch. The top part of the cross stitch is exactly the same but moved to the right. You always come up again where the last stitch ended.
Down and through the fabric for the bottom part, come up again to finish the bottom part where the last top stitch ended and move to the top part and through the fabric again, up and so on. Finished one side, make a loop and the knots, trim and repeat on the other side. Keep the top and bottom part of your cross stitch in a line, so the stitch looks regular. If you have to restart with a new thread make your knots and continue. More details for the cross stitch here.
The Waist Band
Use as much waist band as comfortable around your waist and add 2 cm for overlap. Start pinning at the back, half the elastic band, and pin again. Quarter the elastic band and pin. . . Pin you way around, and keep checking that the fabric is fully tucked in while stretching it.Start sewing a cross stitch next to the overlap (so you go over the overlap in the end). The first few stitches can be tricky but as soon as you moved along it will be easier to find a rhythm again. Do the cross stitch all the way around so the last stitch meshes the first. Knot off, trim. Finished!I hope you enjoyed making this skirt, here is the movie this project is referring to. Thank you and see you at i can cu!
This is only the proud announcement that I finished my first movie! I almost crashed my computer and have increased my coffee intake drastically but it was a lot of fun too!
More about this project later! See you at I can cu . . .
It is a sunny day and everybody is outside on their bikes.
This is very hard for me because I love sunshine and I love my new bike. But: I am sitting in my studio, working. Very good that I really enjoy what I am doing, so I only suffer briefly when I have a look outside my window. Facing my screen I enter the exciting world of click and cut . . . What am I doing? I hope I can present it soon . . .
You never know when you will need this gorgeous cross stitch - it might be very soon ;) So if you have a moment give it a try.
To sew a Hand stitched top or to mend jeans this cross stitch is versatile and an eye-catcher and stretchy!
You need:
Material of your choice pinned, a needle (sharps#4), buttonhole thread and embroidery/fabric scissors.
THE KNOTS
Take about 2 arm's lengths of your thread or whatever length feels comfortable and thread your needle.
Make 1 knot at the very end (about 2mm away from the edge) to prevent fraying. And then about 1cm higher make 2 knots in the same place to fixate your thread at the start and end. (The double knot in the same place might take a bit of practice) For the cross stitch create 2 imaginary lines and let the cross stitch run along them. I usually choose to hold the fabric like shown below, with the seam folded upwards. (If you sew from the edge start with making a loop around the edge like shown at the infinity scarf project here: http://icancu4more.blogspot.co.uk/2013/01/diy-hand-stitched-infinity-scarf.html)
THE CROSS STITCH
Come up on the top (after the loop if you sew from the edge) and make the first bottom part of the cross stitch while moving a cross stitch width to the right.
The top part is exactly the same as the bottom part but moved to the right and then the next bottom part is again exactly the same as the top part moved to the right, the rhythm is determined by the width of your stitch.
Keep your top and bottom parts of your cross stitch in a line so your stitch looks regular with a nice rhythm.
KNOT OFF End as you started (if you sew from the edge end by creating a loop from the back, around to the front and back again right next to the last stitch) and knot off using first the double knot. Slide the first knot of the double knot with your nail close to the fabric but do not pull the thread while doing this. Repeat for the second knot of the double knot. Followed by the single knot about 1cm away, trim.
Sometimes it can take a while to create a nice rhythm but start at a non prominent place.
And now you can watch The movie to learn the Cross Stitch:
If you enjoyed watching this movie, please don't forget to like and share it, thank you!
Incredible how full emptiness can be. I am not starting to elaborate on the meaning of life but I am taking another look at my work and creations. I could not be busier than I am right now, maybe I could but I feel like I am on-the-go from dusk til dawn and have to concentrate so I don't leave the cooker on or some other oversight, so to my perception I am BUSY. But still there is emptiness. I guess I can see this phenomenon in my children too as they seem to be my children as always and suddenly jump from one development to another without warning they just do and then they are changed. I don't know if that makes sense at all but I wanted to say I am experiencing a very interesting phase and wonder what will be . . .`
I cannot believe that it took me so long but it feels good.
I moved my working space to another room and it makes such a difference.
The living room is nice, light and warm but no chance to concentrate there. And, I found my table occupied by the boys, all of them. This might not change after all but at least I can say: I am in my studio!!!! Or: I work, in my studio. I have coffee, in my studio. Please, close the studio door.
The only question remaining, what am I doing with the piano now?
The good thing about test and preparation phases is that MY wardrobe expands. Otherwise - well. I have to confess I am impatient. But actually that is not completely true, I think I am so very excited and want to see the outcome - especially this one, so I get impatient about things and their own timing.
At the moment I feel like a tiger in a zoo trying to get out. I cannot move right now, I wait, have coffee and finish my newly graded tops.
Waiting is actually only annoying when I resist it and that is why I am writing this blog post. I had coffee already twice, the kids are out and I am enjoying the different setting.
It is not the working day I had planned. But there will be another one and I might get some steps closer next time. . . exciting! Stay tuned.
Still recovering of various stages of coughs and colds and trying to boost the system, I must say the beach is my favorite and most effective destination and I have seen quite some during the last week. Apart from being far away and blowy, Scotland is a dream and I love returning, especially now as my friends settled down up there. The kids run free and equipped with beach tools they build and throw and sleep and I love watching their faces. I always take way too much to do on my holiday and I return slightly disappointed but that lasts only for a minute. I am working at the moment on a new way of assembling and therefor a different experience of seams and I managed to finish a tank top just in time to take on holiday and to test in blowy terrain and another long sleeve top had a chance to see the light after some scottish nights! I am not sure yet where to go with this but it feels good and is even lighter and more comfortable!
We are back now, confused with beauty and fresh air and ready for a new season. . .
They are so hot that it was hard to capture this tone in the image!It is a very refreshing pink with matt red contrasting seams. (This colour is carefully chosen not to take the hotness away from the gloves.)
Very soft hot pink Hand stitched arm warmers or fingerless gloves or sleeve extension? This accessoire is a nice must have for your wardrobe.It is warming but gentle. And a very cool eye catcher. Also to find in i can cu's shop!
Take about 2.5 skirt lengths of your thread and cut it in an angle to thread your needle easier. Make one single knot close to the edge and make a double knot about 7 mm further up. See here and here for knot details.
Down and through the fabric for the bottom part, come up again to finish the bottom part where the last top stitch ended and move to the top part and through the fabric again, up and so on. Finished one side, make a loop and the knots, trim and repeat on the other side. Keep the top and bottom part of your cross stitch in a line, so the stitch looks regular. If you have to restart with a new thread make your knots and continue. 
More details for the cross stitch here. 
Do the cross stitch all the way around so the last stitch meshes the first. Knot off, trim. Finished!I hope you enjoyed making this skirt, here is the movie this project is referring to. Thank you and see you at i can cu!
This is very hard for me because I love sunshine and I love my new bike. But: I am sitting in my studio, working. Very good that I really enjoy what I am doing, so I only suffer briefly when I have a look outside my window. Facing my screen I enter the exciting world of click and cut . . . What am I doing? I hope I can present it soon . . .
To sew a Hand stitched top or to mend jeans this cross stitch is versatile and an eye-catcher and stretchy!
At the moment I feel like a tiger in a zoo trying to get out. I cannot move right now, I wait, have coffee and finish my newly graded tops. 
It is not the working day I had planned. 
Still recovering of various stages of coughs and colds and trying to boost the system, I must say the beach is my favorite and most effective destination and I have seen quite some during the last week. Apart from being far away and blowy, Scotland is a dream and I love returning, especially now as my friends settled down up there. The kids run free and equipped with beach tools they build and throw and sleep and I love watching their faces.
They are so hot that it was hard to capture this tone in the image!It is a very refreshing pink with matt red contrasting seams. (This colour is carefully chosen not to take the hotness away from the gloves.)
Very soft hot pink Hand stitched arm warmers or fingerless gloves or sleeve extension? This accessoire is a nice must have for your wardrobe.It is warming but gentle. And a very cool eye catcher. Also to find in i can cu's shop!
