January 2014 – The Craft Room

Adult v-neck t-shirt v2

The final Christmas present 2013 post!

After the t-shirt I made turned out too small, I went back and cut out the size large pieces instead. I used the same Charlie Tee pattern by Fishsticks Designs, and again drew on a v-neck, rather than the original rounded neck. I followed the instructions from the children’s v-neck pattern I have, and stay stitched the v before adding the neckband on. I’ve never done that before as I didn’t really see what difference it would make, and it means changing the double needle to a single and back again, but actually it does make the v much flatter! So perhaps following the pattern properly is a good idea after all! Look at those stripes! I was so proud of these – they match up perfectly!

It turned out really well, and was even better as once finished I didn’t have any Christmas presents left to make! 🙂

Adult v-neck t-shirt

It’s nearly the end of January and I still haven’t finished sharing the things I made for Christmas!

This was intended to be an adult’s v-neck t-shirt that I was going to give as a present. It is made from grey cotton jersey with white ribbing for the neck.

There are not a huge number of adult patterns out there, at least not as much choice as there seems to be with children’s patterns, and I couldn’t find one with a v-neck at a reasonable (not extortionate) price. I did, however, already have an adult t-shirt pattern with the ordinary rounded neck – the Charlie Tee pattern by Fishsticks Designs. So in a ‘how hard can it be?’ moment I decided to just use that one and draw my own v-neck onto the pattern pieces! The answer to my question turned out to be – not really that hard! I think the v-neck turned out just fine. I used my twin needle again to do all the hemming … …and I also use it to sew all the seams and topstitching.

I sewed the size medium, and that turned out to be my one mistake. When I got my husband to try it on it was a pretty good fit on him, which meant that it was going to be a tiny bit too small for its intended recipient.So it was back to the drawing board for the Christmas t-shirt, and this one went into our wardrobe instead. (and he does wear it, so even though he’s not a huge fan of me making him things to wear, he must like it really 🙂 )

Tardis Hat

We’re back in the UK and it’s a bit chilly!

W has an owl hat I made him, but since it’s a year or so old his head has grown and he needed one a little bigger.

What better for a mini Dr Who fan than a TARDIS hat?!

Even more impressive – I didn’t use a pattern!

I searched online for a pattern, and did find a couple, but not one that I liked enough to buy. So since I’ve made enough hats to know how to make the basic shape, and done enough colour work to know how to change colours I though I might as well just make it without one!

This is the first hat I’ve made in aran yarn, usually I use DK, and it makes it a bit bigger without having to add in extra increases.

There are two sets of windows on the front and the same on the back. The words ‘POLICE BOX’ are only on the front. Really they should be on both, but letters are a pain to do and at least he’ll be able to tell which way round it goes with it like this! There is a white pom pom on the top for the flashing light.

He seems happy with it, he even let me take a few photos of him trying it on!

Modern QAL – January Block

It’s January! And there’s only four months of the Modern Blocks QAL left!

So everyone who knows me will know that I can’t possibly have made made my block this month. Living in a house with no table/chair/desk and with my sewing machine and all my fabric in a box ready to start its 10,000 mile journey to a new home I’d need some superhuman powers to have made it in the last two days!!

But when I made last month’s block, suspecting that this might be a possibility, I got ahead. So actually I made all the rest of my blocks, since there was only four, which is cheating a little bit, but now I can still link up when everyone else does – yay!

All of the blocks for the QAL come from this book: