Fox cross stitch pattern - and summer holiday

As you know, I am a teacher. That means that for more than a week I have been enjoying my summer holidays now. After a few days not doing basically anything, ans celebrating midsummer, I started cleaning my little flat. I have lots of pain in my back that means that I can only do any physical activity for 30-40 minutes maximum, then I have to sit down and relax. So while the cleaning goes on very slowly, I also sew and read a lot. I have also set myself some goals for this summer, like drawing and trying to live a healthier life. Not much success yet on these fronts, but going slowly.

Cleaning the flat mostly means organising. During the spring I spent lots of time stitching for university, but I was quite stressed with time. I was also working full time, I was not feeling well, had lots of pain, had an operation, didn't sleep much - the result is a horrible messy place. And since my flat is really small, it became kind of impossible by the end of the term.

So far I managed to sort out most of my fabrics and yarn, clean the bedroom, most of the hall and most of the living room. (The kitchen and the bathroom I had managed to keep more or less OK, thank God. I should go through drawers and cupboards there, too, but that is not so urgent.) The main problem is, of course, finding place for all my craft supplies. I still have lots to do, but mostly small things.

Yesterday, while trying to fit all my yarn in containers and vacuum bags, I sorted out my old and broken knitting basket. I bought it a few years ago in a loppis, that is a typical Swedish second-hand shop. You can find them all over the place, often in the countryside, in small sheds or in barns. I love hunting for treasures in them. I should stop, because I have no place for any more stuff, but I just love it. :) And it is enviromnment-friendly to recycle old things, right?

This basket was full of wool yarn that I wanted to buy, and got the basket itself in the bargain. Unfortunately it had lots of broken parts and my yarn got always caught on them. I found a piece of thick canvas fabric in my stash (also from a loppis), and made a lining for the basket. I am very happy with it. The leftover small pieces were just enough for another smaller basket.

Now both of them are full with yarn and UFOs, and these are just the ones I am planning to work on soon. I will write a post about my knitting soon. Watch this place.


Another thing I do when I get tired is sit down with my computer and draw in my cross stitch program. The felt fox pattern I shared the other day was so popular, had lots of views in just a few days, so I thought I could draw the same little fox in cross stitch. Even though there are lots of fox patterns on the net, there might be some who like this one.

Here it is, click on the picture to get the pdf.

Happy stitching.

Fox cross stitch pattern - and summer holiday

As you know, I am a teacher. That means that for more than a week I have been enjoying my summer holidays now. After a few days not doing basically anything - apart from celebrating midsummer - I started cleaning my little flat. I have lots of pain in my back that means that I can only do any physical activity for 30-40 minutes maximum, then I have to sit down and relax. So while the cleaning goes on very slowly, I also sew and read a lot. I have also set myself some goals for this summer, like drawing and trying to live a healthier life. Not much success yet on these fronts, but going slowly.

Cleaning the flat mostly means organising. During the spring I spent lots of time stitching for university, but I was quite stressed with time. I was also working full time, I was not feeling well, had lots of pain, had an operation, didn't sleep much - the result is a horrible messy place. And since my flat is really small, it became kind of impossible by the end of the term.

So far I managed to sort out most of my fabrics and yarn, clean the bedroom, most of the hall and most of the living room. (The kitchen and the bathroom I had managed to keep more or less OK, thank God. I should go through drawers and cupboards there, too, but that is not so urgent.) The main problem is, of course, finding place for all my craft supplies. I still have lots to do, but mostly small things.

Yesterday, while trying to fit all my yarn in containers and vacuum bags, I sorted out my old and broken knitting basket. I bought it a few years ago in a loppis, that is a typical Swedish second-hand shop. You can find them all over the place, often in the countryside, in small sheds or in barns. I love hunting for treasures in them. I should stop, because I have no place for any more stuff, but I just love it. :) And it is enviromnment-friendly to recycle old things, right?

This basket was full of wool yarn that I wanted to buy, and got the basket itself in the bargain. Unfortunately it had lots of broken parts and my yarn got always caught on them. I found a piece of thick canvas fabric in my stash (also from a loppis), and made a lining for the basket. I am very happy with it. The leftover small pieces were just enough for another smaller basket.

Now both of them are full with yarn and UFOs, and these are just the ones I am planning to work on soon. I will write a post about my knitting soon. Watch this place.


Another thing I do when I get tired is sit down with my computer and draw in my cross stitch program. The felt fox pattern I shared the other day was so popular, had lots of views in just a few days, so I thought I could draw the same little fox in cross stitch. Even though there are lots of fox patterns on the net, there might be some who like this one.

Here it is, click on the picture to get the pdf.

Happy stitching.

I am sewing clothes!!!

Yeah! I have done it! :D :D

I didn't know how to sew clothes. I have done a lot of adjustments, hemming and things like that, have made curtains and cushions but I have always wanted to learn how to make my own clothes.
So a few weeks ago I started. First I made myself a 3-layered skirt. It was really easy. I followed this tutorial with my own measurements, naturally.

The fabric was a thrifted sheet, the cover-type and it was so nice that it had coordinating fabric on the two sides, I didn't have to worry about whether they go well together or not :) . It is quite see-through though, so I added lining and I am really proud that it worked.





(Don't laugh at the funny way I am standing - it is because I cannot stand straight from the pain in my back. I had to hold on to the railing.)

Then I realised I needed trousers. Unfortunately my old trousers don't fit. Don't ask why, just look at the pictures. :( Making trousers pattern is not an easy thing but then I found this on the internet: how to take the pattern from an existing pair of trousers. So I went for it. Of course, I had to make the pattern a bit bigger than my existing trousers in a few places.

I have a piece of striped fabric I wanted to use but then I decided to start with a muslin and I used another thrifted sheet. It is good because when it was ready, I realised I need to modify the pattern a bit. It is a little too baggy in the front and after reading lots of descriptions, I understood that I have to make the front crotch a little shorter. So I have the pattern modified and ready, as soon as my back is better I will make my final version. But I think I can wear the muslins, too. If I wear a long t-shirt with them, you can't see the bagginess. What do you think? And I am so proud that I managed to make pockets, too!





The t-shirt is "new" as well. It was made from an existing one that was too short, and three others that were too small (two of them actually children size). It doesn't look very elegant but is so comfy. I love it.

Now the next step is to sew a blouse! I have some old patterns and I will try to find some nice fabric when I am at home in Hungary (much cheaper than here in Sweden). So watch this space!
Any advice from more experienced friends is more than welcome!

Plarn crochet projects

Not long ago I saw this site and I said I have to make it for my balcony. Then I thought that yarn is probably not very durable and also, I don't have any that I would willingly use for this, nor do I have money to spend on it. On the other hand, in school me and the kids have been trying out making and using plarn, that is plastic bags cut into stripes and used as yarn. So I put the two ideas together and this is what happened. I tried knitting, but then realised that crocheting is easier with plarn. I also remembered that in my childhood my grandma and my mom crocheted doormats from plactic bags milk was sold in.

So this is from the inside of the balcony:

...and this from the outside:

It was really simple, I made a long rectangle, about 20 cm by 80, folded back the two ends and crocheted the edges, leaqving about 10 cm in the middle to put over the rail. Then tied them together under the rail. It is actually lined with another plastic bag, with a few small holes in the bottom, so that the soil is not washed out.

The pansies have a wonderful scent!

Then I decided I would like to have a plarn pot too. I have just finished it so it is still empty but will buy some geraniums tomorrow.

I think it looks lovely with my other recycled "pot", the old washbasin with a hole that we found thrown out in the forest and I rescued it. :D