Doll's bedding set made for Granddaughter

Granddaughter No 1 was 3 just before Christmas. I made her this set of doll's bedding, which was a feather pillow, made from old cushions (feathers everywhere ....) a pillow case, a duvet made from a piece of wool fabric I was given, duvet cover made from calico, and duvet cover. The little doll is made from calico and stuffed with scraps of curtain interlining. 

The first thing to say is that some time ago one of my customers had given me lots of very old baby clothes which her husband (about 75) had worn. She gave them to me because none of her family wanted them and she thought I might appreciate them. I gave them all a hot wash, to see if they would stand up to it without falling apart as much as anything else, and then I wondered what to do with them.....

I know some people might consider it sacrilege to cut such things up, but I did..... The bedding below is made from one of the gowns, and I would guess is probably a cotton/wool mix. When I was doing my 'O' level needlework back in the 1970s, we were taught that the fabric known as Viyella was 80% wool/20% cotton, and that the one called Clydella was the other way round, i.e. 80% cotton/20% wool. I remember some of my school blouses being made from it. I don't know whether you can still get a fabric of this fibre content, but it is, in my opinion, such a sensible fabric - both soft and warm to the touch, ideal for winter shirts and blouses. It was lovely to sew with.

In these old baby garments there is a lot of fabric, as there was much gathering, so there was plenty in one of these gowns to make this set. The applique and embroidery is all from the original garment. I edged the pillow case with a piece of my wedding dress, the fabric for which came from Liberty's in the 1980s.

I made the little doll as I thought that Granddaughter might enjoy putting her in and out of the pocket, and also taking the nappy on and off. Maybe she will do that when her mummy is changing the nappy of little baby brother or sister who is due in the spring. I also thought that she might like trying to undo and do up the buttons on the duvet cover.

The nappy fastens with a popper.

Details of the embroidery - 

The piece of lace was also from the gown -

 Detail of applique -

Making the duvet with layers of wool (wool makes the best duvets! Yes it really does!) 

I sewed the original Harrods label back in and added my own on the back, with the date of Granddaughter's birthday.

And I also have to show you the money box that Husband made her, because it is so lovely!

Money box house

The money goes down the chimney. Husband spent hours getting it to look just right, and making a removable bottom. Now she can start saving for a real house! He also made Granddaughter No 2's present, and I made stuff to go with it - next blog post!

A second Purl Soho Quilted Wool Vest

Firstly, I have to apologise for the rather poor quality photos. some are taken with my Ipad and some with the new camera I was given last Christmas, but either I am thick about mastering it or there's something wrong with the camera. It just never seems to focus properly. I do like to have an instruction book with new bits of technology, but I didn't have one with either this camera or my previous one. The manufacturers of these things seem to think that people don't need them, or if they do then they can download one in the form of hundreds of pages off the internet. So, anyway.....

I first made one of these quilted wool vests - a free downloadable PDF pattern - back in March, from Husband's old boyhood canvas tent. I wouldn't fancy using a PDF pattern for something bigger than this, but for this vest/waistcoat/gilet or whatever you want to call it, there weren't too many pieces and it was easy to stick them together. You can see that post here. I wore it a lot and although it's nothing to write home about looks wise I love it as it's warm and practical.

This second one I made from some wool remnants I'd bought years ago at the Cotswold Woollen Mill. Here it is -

I lined it with some cotton pique which I had been given and which I had dyed. I also used it for the binding round the edges.

I should have made the openings to the pockets a bit longer, as they were a bit small for getting one's hands in, so instead I left the side seam open for about the top inch, and then folded the corner over and added the button for decoration.

The poppers were from my collection - very old ones that I acquired somehow. I didn't have enough of the same ones, hence the odd black one at the bottom, but hey ho, never mind!

For the wadding I once again used curtain interlining (cotton domette) which worked out really well. I have a big stash of the stuff, even more now as I have just recently been given some by a lady in our village who has a curtain making business but who is moving.

After completing it, I tried it on and thought - ah, I know what I haven't done........ lowered the armholes.  I'd even written a note to myself last time to do it, but somehow hadn't noticed this on the pattern envelope. So I had to unpick the armhole binding, cut the armholes lower by about an inch, and then reattach the binding.

This pattern is really very easy, and if you don't want to go to the trouble of quilting your own fabric you can buy some lovely organic quilted cotton from the Organic Textile Company in Machynlleth, a town I always associate, incidentally, with both Laura Ashley (she opened her first shop there) and the Centre for Alternative Technology, which we visited back in the early 1990s.

One day I'd like to have a go at making this rather similar quilted Tamarack jacket from the Grainline Studio.

I am really pleased with how this turned out, but have to say that due to the mostly mild weather we've had I haven't worn it yet! December, and still mild....but I gather cold weather is forecast for later in the week.

Another Cycling UK group ride, and identifying the Stylish Bicycling Lady.

Recently I found myself wishing our local CUK group did mid-week rides, and thought of suggesting it, but happily at another unrelated local event other members happened to be there and told me that such a group was just starting up! The next ride was the following day, and I cycled in the 5 1/2 miles or so to join them at the start.

It was highly enjoyable - there were six of us, nothing too strenuous, and discovering some new roads. As the planned route was coming through my village, I had made chocolate muffins before I left, thinking I would offer the others a coffee stop here (and use of facilities...) instead of the planned stop at a nearby village's cafe. They accepted enthusiastically - and one of the other members also contributed home made gingerbread men. Pity I didn't take a photo!

Yesterday we had another ride, the first official one for this mid-week group. This time there were eight of us, and again we had another very pleasant ride of about nine miles around local routes. We stopped at the lovely Ardington shop and cafe for refreshments - and again used the all-important facilities! (On my way home a couple of hours later, the facilities were more bush-like....)

What is good is that even though these rides are all on roads I have ridden before, there is always some little bit I haven't discovered. I commit them to memory for future use.

I still find group rides a bit daunting, and I have to slightly force myself to do them, as I have thoughts of -

"Will I be able to keep up?" I did. This group's rides are not fast paced though.

"Will I fall off in front of other people and look a plonker....?" I did slip (wet leaves perhaps) turning a tight corner of a path but did not fall.

"Will I manage any hills?" There was only really one on this ride and no, I did not manage it, because I did not manage the sharp left turn onto it, and had to get off and walk, but it didn't really matter.

Having said all that, I have always ended up enjoying them. What I enjoy is the social side - riding alongside someone else who also enjoys cycling, and chatting, and then more chatting over some delicious refreshments!

After the ride, I cycled back into town to do some shopping. Being the fan of charity shops that I am, after parking my bike I thought -

"I'll just pop along to the Red Cross shop...."

And what was almost better than finding a bargain (which I did, incidentally - a nice linen East tunic) was meeting the lady who I think of as the Stylish Bicycling Lady. This is a lady who I have noticed because I love her vintage bike - green sit-up-and-beg with basket and bunting! -  and she is, you've guessed it, very stylish in her clothing, but in a charity shop sort of way. I'm sure she won't me saying that! I also dress in a very charity shop sort of way, but I am more along the lines of a bag lady!!! Some people have style, I don't.....

I told her I had always admired her bike and her style, and we fell into discussion of her bike. She finds it very comfortable to ride, so much so, that after one of the pedals broke, she has been riding it with only the spindle on that side because of difficulty with getting someone to fix it. I told her there was someone locally on Facebook who might be able to help, and although I hadn't got the name I said I'd try and found out and gave her my details in case she couldn't find the person herself.

I cycled on home later and thought what a good few hours I had had all because of cycling, and how, like small children and dogs, bicycles bring people together.