Safe as Houses

Each book is 1&1/8" by 1&3/4". Interior pages are a copper etching, covers are silkscreen on balsa wood, handcut. Edition of 10.

(Partially Vintage) Fabric Bonanza!

I've been meaning to post about this all week!

I went to an absolutely fantastic fabric sale put on by the Textile Museum last Saturday. Got some super cute fabrics, all looking to be about three metre lenghts. Except for the funky cotton print three from the bottom, which is only one metre. Tote bag maybe? I also scored a fantastic butterscotch bakelite brooch for my mom. Someone had covered it in iridescent nail polish, but as I expected she made quick work of it. Now it's gorgeous again!


This first fabric is the only one I think I have doubts on, bought in the midst of fabric shopping frenzy. It's a cute print, but a lightweight polyester which isn't what I usually sew with, so we'll see what happens. I also look awful in white. And small scale prints. Oof.


This one is a similar type of fabric, but I love the print, which is also a way better scale and colour for me. I think I'm going to just go for it. There's a blouse in the January issue of Burda I think this would look awesome as.


This one is cut into two pieces, and it a gorgeous watercolour wool suiting, possibly a blend? I'm thinking skirt for this.


The colour on this dress weight linen is luminous. It glows. Seriously. Summer shift to-be, possibly Butterick 2952, version C. It really reminds me of early 90s sundresses, but I need a little sleeve.


I love this print, but it's just one metre and a kind of open weave cotton. An awkward piece for sure.



These last two are amazing light weight wool suiting. I think I might try doing a 40s suit in the Barbie pink one for fall. Mostly because that just has to exist, right?

A Quick Project

I wanted to get something nice and cozy done up for a friend's birthday. Nothing beats the cold like an alpaca cowl.


Materials:
1 Skein Bristol Yarn Gallery Lafayette (I used about 85% of the skein)
8mm 18" circular needles

Gauge: 3sts/inch

Cast on 60 sts, place stitch marker and join in the round

Knit one row.
Purl one row.
Knit one row.
Purl one row.

Knit until piece measures 7.5" from cast on edge.

Purl one row.
Knit one row.
Purl one row.
Knit one row.
Bind off.

Weave in ends.

Keeping Warm...

...Although not for this photoshoot. Chloe couldn't figure out what I was doing halfway out the kitchen door in my slippers.

I finished this hat during a lecture by the fascinating artist Wafaa Bilal at OCAD last night. I'll write more about that later, since I'm still stewing it over.

It was so freak cold on the way home I was tempted to wear this hat over my other one. Kind of hating winter right now. This time every year I try to convince Brian to move to Vancouver.

I'm thinking about making a knitting pattern so Wafaa, or anyone with a camera embedded in the back of their head, could wear a hat while still shooting. Any chilly cyborgs out there?

Hello there!

It's been a while, hasn't it? The holiday season was a bit more than I could handle so close to losing my dad, and coming back to school this semester is also proving rougher than expected. It's strange how during something awful I can function more or less ok, but afterwards I just want to fall to pieces. That said, crafting has not progressed as I would have liked, nor has home-cleaning or art making. Makes for a quiet blog.

I finally got around to photographing the scroll lace scarf I made a while back, which I wasn't wearing much at first but am falling in love with as time goes on. It's so cold in Toronto right now that I'm doubling up my scarves! But I am, by all accounts, a wimp at weather.


I tried to hang it up the way I usually wear it. It's the underscarf of my two scarf plan. Being super soft baby llama makes it silky and warm.


I didn't end up blocking it afterwards, since I like the organic feel of the unblocked lace. It's also knit in a garter stitch pattern, so it needs less opening up.

More things coming up as we return to our regularly scheduled updates.

Christmas Countdown

It's going to be close this year... but isn't it every year?

Got this blocked and ready to wrap yesterday. It's a cowl for my mom that can also be pulled up and worn as a hood. Because my mother, like most children, won't wear a freaking hat in winter.

It's cold here, people! I'm hoping this will convince her to bundle up a bit more.

Still to go? Two and a half hats, some pyjamas and a bookbinding project. Then all the stuff I'm planning to give people late. MUST CRAFT FASTER.

Why I'm Not Naked Today

I found this skirt on my last thrifting trek, and even though it was too small, fatigued around the yoke seam and overpriced, I fell in love with the print. I recently picked up a book on 80s textile prints and I think it's influencing my fashion decisions...

So I hacked off the yoke with my trusty seam ripper, folded over the top towards the front and attached it to a wide elastic with two rows of stretch stitch while stretching the elastic to the length of the fabric. That last part was HARD. I finally figured out how to keep tension on the top fabric using my elbow, but I'm not in a rush to try it again.


In the end I got a cute skirt that fits and that I'll actually wear. Success! Just don't look at my stitching too closely...