Weekend - including Knitting and Stitching Show in Edinburgh

I was feeling this way last week and technology still has me a bit this way still!
A poor photo of a wonderful recreation of The Scream

I decided pretty much at the last minute to go to the Knitting and Stitching Show in Edinburgh last weekend.  I hadn't intended to - we had been due to go to Cambridge but Joanne was working; there was a craft show at home; David and I are still tired after a bug; one of my sewing friends went to the first Edinburgh show last year and said it was poor with not enough sewing related; and I don't need more fabric. Then it's a bit of a drive. However, we decided to go and planned also to visit my Mum so booked overnight hotel accommodation for Sunday night after the show, intending to visit Mum on Monday and then travel home on Monday evening.

David dropped me off at the show and went on into Edinburgh to go on a photographing and reminiscing journey. We lived in Edinburgh for a few years; we left almost exactly 30 years ago.

As we left home at 7.30 am and hadn't stopped,  I was ready for a comfort  break and a coffee as soon as I got to the show and wanted to see if there were any spaces left on any of the workshops that interested me. There were.

I gently wandered around. The first thing that interested me was the display from Materialistics, a group of knitters and stitchers, which began in 2009 in South Shields where I worked for over 20 years. It's 10 miles from where I live.  They agreed to me taking photos and putting on my blog. The photos sadly haven't come out that well and you can't see the marvellous colours and textures. They have an exhibition on at present and I'll make sure to catch it. I'm less likely to go to their twice weekly meetings. I had a lovely chat about the background to Materialistics with one of the ladies - she created The Eiffel Tower by Robert Delauney

and Sylvette by Picasso.

I confess my favourite two were the Cezanne

A close up detail of the wonderful texture

and the Rennie McIntosh.

Have a look at their website materialistics.info for more information and some more photos.

The exhibition was much smaller than Harrogate or London. It was also much less crowded (good and bad of course!). Yes, I'd go back if only because of the convenience. I'm not going to go to Harrogate or London this autumn but quite fancy the Great British Sewing Bee Live in London in September. I'm not sure about the timing yet. It sounds much ore specifically dressmaking related.

I looked around some of the stalls, bought a Harris Tweed jacket and had lunch before going to my first 1h workshop on bias binding on a neckline with Claire Tyler. I've  been to one of her workshops before and like her style. I completed a sample. My neighbour in the class was on her 4th straight day of the show and on her 7th workshop! My sample wasn't perfect but a decent press would probably sort it. In the real thing, I would tack (baste) first to make sure everything was lying where it should. I do quite a lot of tacking and enjoy it for some reason when other people avoid at all costs..

A short break and then my 2nd 1h class on the lapped zipper. I liked the method taught here and am likely to use it. Again, a nice sample to take home. When I said to Rory that I had taken this class, she said but you know how to do a lapped zipper’ (sha and Dan had taught me). I said that  hadn’t been happy with my technique

There were a couple of things I couldn't attend as they clashed eg Lauren Guthrie demonstrating sewing with knits and the timing of another workshop appeared to have been changed at the last minute and I missed it.  I  enjoyed looking around the other displays.

I finished looking around the other stands. I couldn't get a couple of things on my potential shopping list (wool jersey). I attended a short demo of the Lutterloh system, which I have but have never used. I bought the Cashmerette Turner pattern (at Guthrie and Ghani), a couple  of greatly reduced Simplicity New Look patterns - no doubt there had been a greater selection in the earlier days. I subscribed to Selvedge magazine,  decided against buying Ottobre, bought some woolly nylon for Helen's dress.   Wait for it - I bought yarn and pattern! I also bought a kit which had sold out and is going to be sent to me so you can't see it until it's done. I wasn't  tempted just to buy to add to my yarn stash (yes, I have one of those too despite all the yarn I gave away. Most recently I've been a machine knitter). I'm hoping my hands won't get too sore trying hand knitting again.

By this time David had given up and decided that our plans for nighttime walking and photography from Calton Hill (Edinburgh Castle at night) were off. So he picked me up and we went to the hotel and ate there instead. Nice meal. I phoned my Mum and arranged  to visit - we hadn’t done that earlier incase our plans changed. Had she not been free, we would have spent an extra day in Edinburgh.

I found that I was the lucky recipient of Sigrid’s Knipmode magazine in her giveaway. I've never seen the magazine so look forward to getting it. I enjoy Marianne’s reviews of it. I do have an unsewn Knipmode pattern that I got from their website, with Marianne’s help to negotiate the language barrier.

On Monday we took my Mum out for lunch at a new to us restaurant - Artisan, which serves ‘modern Scottish fare’. A lovely meal and very reasonably priced.  They had a fabulous selection of whisky which David unfortunately couldn't sample as he was driving. We'll go back.

My Mum had worn the top I made for her specially as I was going. Remember I said she told me it fitted well? It doesn't. My mother is becoming very frail and has lost quite a bit of body bulk and the top basically drowns her. My 'dowager's hump' alteration appears to have been insufficient and'/or this style just doesn't work for her. Pity as she s likes a cowl neckline, though this one wasn't quite cowly enough for her she told me.

Mum in the top I made for her

There won't be much sewing this coming week as I have a number of golf-related activities which are quite time consuming. For those of you who don't know, I am the secretary of our County association for senior ladies and while I also play in the competitions where I'm eligible, I have a few committee duties too. The golfing season has started. I still haven't made the golf attire I'd like to. I don't think it will be this year either! I'd prefer  to lose a bit more weight.

I intended to post this earlier, but it’s now Wednesday evening. I was at sewing bee today and took the torso block on to the next stage. It’s very nearly ready for Madame!

Torso block front

Torso block back

Rory had made me up a toile of another pair of trousers and tbh I thought these were the worst yet. She said that she could see why I’ve had wide legged trousers a lot in the past and maybe went as far as to suggest I stuck to those. I don’t want ‘skinnies’ but I would really like a pair of slim legged trousers. Don’t care if they’re stretch or woven. I was at a fitting group a few weeks ago (not blogged) and one of the others has said that she read that some wrinkles are impossible to get rid of for her type of figure (not mine) and that perhaps wide legs are the answer. Oh dear! So how long do I stick at it? I didn’t get around to finishing the little pink rain jacket. Never mind, it’s a sample piece only.

This was my last Wednesday afternoon sewing bee for a while as our Wednesday evening stretch/ knits/ swimwear class starts next week. I’m still not sure whether I’m looking forward to it.

Relative restraint at the Knitting and Stitching Show

Yesterday,  Friday, I visited the Knitting and Stitching Show in Harrogate.

Last year I remembered being in long queues for the car park and then everything else. This year I decided to travel early,  hoping to avoid the car park queue at least. We did! I thought the exhibition in general was much quieter but apparently Fridays and Sundays are always quieter than Thursdays and Saturdays . But I went on Friday last year, too. Last year we had difficulty finding a space at a table for lunch and there were long queues at the food stands - this year we had a choice of tables and no queues.

Previously I've had a good deal on tickets via Prima, as a subscriber, but couldn't find the deal this time. I thought I'd mislaid the relevant issue. I couldn't find on the website either, though.  Prima wasn't at the show so their sponsorship has ended,  I reckon. Instead, the Dressmaking Studio in association with McCall's Pattern Co. and Sew Today were there for the first time and held a series of workshops. I'm thinking of cancelling my Prima subscription as I've never made up even one of their patterns and if the discount is no longer available…

When I arrived I was greeted from one of the fabric stalls, M Rosenberg & Son , where I've bought a couple of pieces (!) in the past. The proprietor asked me if I'd used up all the fabric I bought from him previously. I replied ‘some of it’ with massive understatement and realised that I shouldn't buy ‘any more’ fabric until I've made a dent in the last lot! Or at least certainly not add to the stash.

I did buy a 1 metre piece of Japanese cotton with an owl design from  Japan Crafts. The fabric feels lovely; the owls are for my oldest daughter. I didn't go for any of the Japanese bag patterns, though. I am thinking of a bag with this. The bag with owl appliqué I'd planned to make for her didn't work out. Their fabrics were gorgeous and the Sashiko fabulous.

For the first time,  I signed up for a workshop, at the last minute true,  but I did it. I booked my tickets too late to book the classes in advance. This was ‘Dealing with Denim, Stitch, Zips and Tips’ run by Claire Tyler, whose articles I enjoy.  I had major problems sewing through the canvas on the bag I've just finished at the point where there are lots of layers and seams and a zip and hoped this would help me. It didn't actually focus on this aspect, other than suggesting flattening seams with a hammer. I’d hoped to get a better idea of how to minimise bulk. In the workshop,  we did a jeans zip in the easiest way you can imagine. Nice result, though the workshop didn't include a zip guard; easy to add,  though.  We also applied a patch pocket with contrast topstitching and Claire gave us an excellent tip for keeping the topstitching looking good and both rows pivoting at the same point. The class was worth it for that alone,  but we got a voucher to send for a McCall's pattern of our choice (except Vogue, unfortunately) too. Claire also indicated she was contactable afterwards if we needed. I did buy a few patterns from McCall’s stand as they had a selection with good, show, prices. here are two - which do you prefer? I'm making up a MOB short list. I think Ill get all the images together, at a later date, and seek opinions.

Butterick 6032 This is version B - I prefer version A with the slit neck and contrast shoulders

I like version A, top left

This is version A - I prefer version C at the bottom. This colour is close to what I was thinking of, though.

Butterick 6163 I like version C, bottom here

Vogue 9019

I like both versions but would probably go for the one with the sleeves, unless I made a jacket

I bought two independent patterns. The first was from Alison Smith. She had her Bella dress made up and I thought it looked lovely.

I had a chat with Alison and decided to buy the pattern. I will have to increase hip size but will have other modifications anyway - length for one. I have her Craftsy classes,  which are good. They are on sale for Black Friday currently; if anyone doesn't have them, it's a good time to pick them up. I did get a card for 50% off a class so I'll see what her new ones are when they come out.

The other pattern I bought was from Sew La-Di-Da Vintage; the Sweetheart.

Again, all of the patterns were made up in calico and the shape of this one,  and one other,  appealed. Although there was an offer on two patterns,  I stuck to the one. Alison was very helpful and asked me about what I was going to make it for etc and gave me some tips on using the dupion silk I am thinking of for it. She also invited me to contact her if I ran into trouble and pointed out the pattern variations possible. I'm likely to reduce the skirt width - there is no waistband but the whole dress is based on princess seams so I can reduce the panel widths to reduce the flair. At least, the line drawing on my envelope looks like princess seams but the line drawing I copied and show above doesn't so I'll need to wait and see. I'm really not 'into' vintage but the dress on the stand did look really nice.

I'd hoped to buy some bag pieces. I've finished my first bag but didn't have the right bits for it and one of the other students in class gave me them. The bag stall had a few pieces, though I thought prices were high and they didn't have exactly what I was looking for. They pointed me towards eBay for the webbing for straps as they said they couldn't compete on price with eBay vendors. I did buy some D rings and sliders, but the ones I ‘borrowed’ were nicer. Ill post a photo of the bag at a alter date.

David went with me and did all the driving,  bless him. He attended a workshop too on inkjet printing onto fabric by Ruth Brown from Stone Creek Textiles. He found this useful and interesting. We also bought the tutor’s book Digital Imagery on Fabric. So watch this space. He also purchased some felt for his Lego model landscapes. He builds these as part of his photography course.

I bought a couple of Ottobre magazines and the Singer book on sewing with specialty fabrics. I admired the silk in The Silk Route and bought a sample selection in the colour range suitable for the bridesmaids’ dresses. I looked around and admired lots of different stands but didn't buy.

I bought just a few pieces of fabric to finish my Christmas bottle bags.  That was right at the end, when I picked up my mega lap top tray, bought at the start of the exhibition and left for later pick up, and bought a lamp with magnifier, both of which were Black Friday deals. The other things I bought here were a scissor sharpener and an unpicker with a magnifying glass; I'm not sure how that will work but felt it was worth a try.

So I was relatively restrained! My hands are still painful and swollen (having test results on Tuesday coming - got loads of tests on Tuesday past) so I didn't golf today although the weather was pretty perfect for it. Never mind,  I'll catch up on some class work and some wedding work. Plans for this weekend are: modify swimsuit block Rory gave me to leotard block for H;  welt/jet pockets in waistcoat toile - this is a third toile and I need to practice welt pockets as I've never done previously and need to check exact position; continue with mood board and sketchbook for class. Hands allowing.

Earlier on,  the postman delivered Nancy Zieman’s Confident Sewing Collection and a sewing magazine,  so they feature on my to do list as well as Ruth Brown's Digital Imagery on Fabric. I will also have to do some cooking etc of course. Least said!

There's going to be a new Knitting and Stitching Show in Edinburgh next year and I'll probably attend that in preference to Harrogate. I'll see.

Wedding dresses, Olympia and Goldhawk Road

I just realised I forgot to post this,  so it's a bit out of date,  but still very relevant,  to me,  anyway!  I will be asking for your advice,  too.

My youngest daughter, H,  lives in London with her fiancé, A. They visited us a couple of weeks ago to celebrate their engagement and look at some wedding venues.  A had asked DH's permission to marry  H when we were in London in January so we were less surprised than she was when he proposed romantically on a beach in Barcelona,  complete with ring.

I decided to visit the Knitting and Stitching Show at Olympia as we were meeting A's parents, whom we had never met, for Sunday lunch in Cambridge,  where DD1 stays, the same weekend. I asked H if she'd like to go with me to the show on Saturday. I travelled down the day before and stayed overnight in a hotel close to Olympia;  I couldn't stay with H.

I visited the V&A museum's wedding dresses through the ages exhibition on my own on the Friday afternoon as H was working. I don't know whether she managed to go before it closed.

I've been to the Knitting and Stitching Show in Harrogate twice and to be honest I prefer it. This didn't seem bigger and really lacked seating space.

We looked around and a bought a couple of gadgets - a needle threader which actually worked when I tried it and a depiller. A friend had offered to lend me a magnetic bracelet which she swears by for arthritis but it was too small. I looked at magnetic bracelets at the show but was really put off buying by the vendor's attitude.

I bought a length of silk for the Sewing Workshop blouse

and a length of textured grey jersey,

and some thin grey patterned fabric for me - I forget what it was called. From a designer's range.

Grey and cream polyester voile? 

My daughter fancies a kimono top and we bought a length of jersey for that.

H's kimono jacket fabric;  no pattern chosen yet

It wasn't very late but we'd had enough. H suggested we go to Goldhawk Road as it wasn't far away. She knew I'd be interested. She went for materials when she made herself a tutu for an event  (her only make ever).

We had a look at some wedding silks and laces;  H is getting married next year and has asked me to make her wedding dress!!  Help!! I'm also supposed to be making the two dresses for the bridesmaids and my MOB outfit. Currently I'm on the RTW fast,  who knows about next year,  though. H is very well aware of my limitations.

Goldhawk Road was a revelation!  Fantastic! We looked at three shops. The choice!  The prices! I will certainly return. Or I'll send H! It's quite a distance from where she lives,  though. I bought a length of patterned wool jersey on sale. It's really quite thin with little body.  Not sure what I'll do with it as yet. 

H hasn't yet decided on the style she wants for her dress and that obviously impacts on fabric and on bridesmaid dress style. And of course whether I can even think about making it! She had photos of her wearing two really expensive dresses on her shortlist, which she has just started. One I liked (nearly £6000!! - $9000),  the other I didn't think I could make - and didn't like.

H and I then travelled to Cambridge where DD1 stays. In the meantime DH and DD2 had travelled there too.

DD1 had previously offered her wedding dress to be used or cannibalised but H hadn't been keen. She tried on the dress - and it was beautiful and really suited her, though a bit big particularly in the bodice. H is taller than DD1 and that actually made the dress a better length. I can't show pictures of any of these dresses,  for obvious reasons. H has added this dress to her shortlist and we're taking it back home with us.

H would really like to take up dressmaking. She loved the fabric and the garments she saw.  I have a spare sewing machine but A says they don't have room as their flat its very tiny.

I reckon I need to have an idea of the design H wants for her dress by June. That's a year in advance.  I've looked with her at the Marfy bridal pattern book and have an idea of what she might like - and I believe it's achievable with help from my sewing tutors who have kindly agreed this (though none of them now make wedding dresses due to bridezilla behaviour.)  For me,  I really need to lose a lot of weight - this should act as an incentive,  shouldn't it?  Unfortunately, it hasn't so far. Some suggestions for a nice MOB outfit would be welcome. Weather won't be very warm,  will be changeable, though could be gorgeous - that's weather in this part of the UK.