Marigolds' Loft

November Podcast Postponed

2017-11-15T14:54:00.000+01:00

Life has gotten in the way since I last had a chat with you all.

I have nothing new to show you on the weaving side of things this month besides my thread that I have ready, but not even warped for my next project.

Due to the lack of progress I will be podcasting again for you by mid-December, when I will look forward to sharing my weaving with you again.

Until then.
X

Upcoming Sewing Projects

2017-10-30T00:00:00.000+01:00

I have been browsing through my pattern books, through the internet and collecting all my supplies to put together a couple of sewing projects that I would like to attempt before the end of the year.

These are the projects I have come up with so far:

These two combos will be used to make Abigail tunics (The Magic Pattern Book) and a Liv Tops (Pattydoo)

I plan on making hubby a couple of raglan shirts from the Tom Pattern (Pattydoo)

With this jersey fabric I plan on sewing myself some new yoga pants.

I am considering making a blouse or a flowing tunic with this Voile.

With this jersey I would like to make a top or a dress.

And with this stretchy jersey I would like to try my hand at some boxers - this will be a serger project.

I guess I will start with the projects that I know I definitely want to make and continue on my search for the perfect tunic/dress/top for the other fabrics.

I will let you know what I come up with.

If you have any ideas for me, please do share them below :)

FO - Chakra Bracelets for the Family

2017-10-27T00:00:00.000+02:00

The internet and social media has been swamped with these chakra bracelets lately!

You know the one......Lava beads used to diffuse aromatherapy oils.....

Well, I liked the idea (except for the aromatherapy oil detail - not so sure I would want to put those drops on my skin!) and as I had quite a few semi-precious beads at home already, I needed to purchase some of the lava beads and get busy :)

I added a few more beads than necessary for the chakras, I just couldn't decide which ones I felt were more relevant, and I included our individual star-sign stones along the way!

Stones I included:

Hematite

Sun Stone

Yellow agate

Malachite

Turquoise

Lapis Lazuli

Amethyst

Moon Stone

It was quite a fun project and I look forward to beading again soon.

FO - Incremental Scarf

2017-10-20T00:00:00.000+02:00

This is my latest FO:

It is my Incremental Shawl, and I love it :)

I originally bought this yarn as a kit for one of Sidi's own creations, but could not get the pattern to do as it should have, and so I left the yarn in the naughty corner for a while until I stumbled upon the Incremental Shawl by Flock Fibre Studio.

Yarn: Sidi spinnt Merino singles

Needle: 4.0mm

Now onto another cardie perhaps?

Or just another pair of socks......

What have you been up to lately?

My Weaving World Ep.3, Samples

2017-10-16T15:30:00.001+02:00

When I weave I always include enough warp to make a sample of the project.

I may never use the same threads as a warp and weft together, but I never know, and so by making a sample I have a future reference of how the threads worked together, the amount of shrinkage they had etc.

To make the sample I weave about 30cm and I then cut the sample off the loom and reattach my warp (I will show you this process in the next Podcast)

I then cut this piece, lengthwise, in half, so that it gives me two almost identical sized pieces.

I finish each piece off by zigzagging the cut edges (stitch length 2, width 4) and then I wash one piece and record the details of pre-wash and post wash size onto paper which I staple onto the pieces.

I then keep the unwashed and washed sample together for future reference.

In the folder I will also note how I washed them and any other relevant information.

Here is this month's Podcast for your viewing pleasure:

Show-Notes:

Fall Weave-along:

I hope you will consider joining me in the fall/autumn weave-along.

Take a photo and be inspired :)

Share your projects with me on Instagram with the Hashtag:

#mwwfallweavealong

You can find me on Instagram as @marigoldsloft

I can't wait to watch your projects grow :)

To use your photo to create a palette, you can use the palette tool on the following free websites:

canva.com
palettfx.com

Projects from Podcast:

Couch/Sofa covers

Warp: Cotton Mercerized 8/2

Weft: Cotton Mercerized 8/2

Loom: Lilla

Technique: Tabby Weave

Scarves for the family:

Warp: Tussah Silk 20/2

Weft: Merino 30/2

Loom: Arm, Patronic

Technique: 8-Point Twill

Ombré Scarf

Warp: Merino 30/2

Weft: Merino 30/2

Loom: Lilla

Technique: 8-Point Twill

Feel free to leave your comments and questions below.

I will get back to you as soon as possible.

Hope to see you again next month :)

A New Toy and Prompt FOs :)

2017-09-22T00:00:00.000+02:00

My lovely hubby surprised me with this amazing overlocker last week and I am having so much fun trying it out :)

My first projects were going to be something for him of course, and I managed to make him these two sweatshirts:

I love them and so does he, which is super, as I plan on making him a whole bunch of them now that I know how :)

Pattern: Burda 6718

Fabric: Basic Sweat

Do you have a good go to pattern for hoodies?

My Weaving World Ep. 2 - Lilla Öxabäck

2017-09-12T16:06:00.002+02:00

I bought my Lilla directly from Sweden and am so glad I did!

The company was so helpful and friendly it was a pleasure doing business with them.

That said, I have a friend who lives in Sweden, and she was so kind as to call the company up and arrange things for me, as their website is only in Swedish.

Julia asked me a couple of questions regarding my loom on the last episode, here are some helpful discussions that may be interesting:

There is a very interesting thread about the Lilla on the Warped Weavers Forum on Ravelry. You can find that thread HERE (By the way, there are now 43 pages of chatter about this loom :)
There is another great thread about Countermarch Loom Setup also on the same forum. You can find that thread HERE

Here is this month's Podcast for your viewing pleasure :)
I would love to hear from you, please leave your comments/questions below.

Projects from this Podcast:

Silk and Merino Scarves:

Warp: Tussah Silk 20/2
Weft: Merino 30/2
Pattern: 8-Point twill
Loom: Arm Patronic

Couch covers:

Warp: 8/2 Cotton
Weft: 8/2 Cotton
Pattern: Tabby
Loom: Öxabäck Lilla

Finished Objects:

Recycled Bags

Warp: 12/2 Cotton
Weft: Various
Pattern: Tabby
Loom: Lilla

You can read more about this project on the blog HERE

Half-finished objects:

Lounge Rug and Couch cushion covers:

Warp: Media Cotton 10/4
Weft: Maxi Rep-yarn, 12/2 Cotton
Pattern: Rep-Weave
Loom: Lilla

See you next month :)
x

FO - Weaving Bags, a recycling project

2017-09-12T13:11:00.000+02:00

On the last Podcast I did, I showed you my warp that I was going to make bags out of.

The original idea came from Ravelry, from Cindy, who I am so thankful to for her inspirational project :)

I have since finished the bags and want to share my results of that weaving project with you today.

Here is the first project:

It is a rug rag bag which I created by cutting a duvet cover of my children (who are now adults :)) up into a 4cm continuous strip and used that as my weft.

I lined the bag with a pillowcase that belonged to the duvet cover and added a pocket and key fob.

Outside, I created the closure with some more of the pillowcase and made a matching button out of polymer clay.

The second bag I created out of this warp is a zipped, lined bag, which I totally love :)

This bag has a weft of 12/2 cotton.

It has a zipped pocket on the outside, and inside it has another pocket.

Again the lining of this bag is with the pillow case.

And lastly, I had enough warp to make a toiletry bag.

I created this weft with two shuttles, one background, and one pink 12/2 cotton.

Lined with the rest of the pillowcase :)

All in all I am totally thrilled with these results and look forward to putting these bags to good use.

If you want to have a better look at them then feel free to watch my latest podcast where I talk all about them :)

I hope you will come over and join me.
You can find it here on the blog under the tab Podcasts on the top of the page, or over on my Youtube channel

Have a great week.

FO - Gloves ready for the Cold :)

2017-09-08T00:00:00.000+02:00

I have finished with my fingered gloves and they fit perfectly :)

I haven't heard from anyone who would be interested in a glove step-by-step knit-along, so at the moment I will not be offering one (if you want to learn how to knit gloves and would like to take part in a knit-along, please leave a comment below)

I plan on knitting another couple of pairs of these over the next while as I still have quite a bit of Drops alpaca to use :)

Pattern: I didn't use a pattern, I worked on these using my Regia Size table (See below)

Yarn: Drops Alpaca

Needles: 2.5mm Circular

This is what I am busy with at the moment.

It is my Incremental Shawl, and I am loving the project!

The colours are coming together really well and it is a lovely, easy knit :)

What are you working on right now?

Sewing FO - The Cross Body Bag

2017-09-01T00:00:00.000+02:00

(affiliate links included)

Here is my new favourite bag that I recently finished thanks to the Craftsy course - The Cross-Body Bag by Mariah McPherson

I made this bag in an afternoon and am hooked, I will be definitely making different versions of this bag in the future :)

Fabrics used: Canvas and quilting cotton. I didn't use waxed canvas as I couldn't find any where I live, but I am really happy with the canvas I chose.

Tips: I had to do the outer pocket step twice :( as the video instruction was a bit confusing when it came to attaching the zip to the lining and outer fabric. Mariah mentions that we are using the "Lower Body Lining" to create the zipper pocket, and so I whizzed off to sew them together, only to find out after watching her begin to sew hers together, that it was incorrect. So if you are taking this course, be aware of this step so that you don't have to repeat the process, OR don't be like me, watch the step to the end before you begin on your side ;)

Would I recommend this class: Yes, definitely :) You get a great sized bag and learn some great techniques, especially if you have not made a bag before.

FO - Naima

2017-08-25T00:00:00.000+02:00

I absolutely loved this project :)

It seemed to grow really quickly and the small little details made it that much more fun!

I followed the pattern, the only modification I made was with the needle size.

Pattern: Naima

Yarn: Drops Karisma

Buttons: Handmade by me

Needles: 3.0 and 3.5mm

Monday.....

2017-08-21T15:21:00.001+02:00

Winter is coming, I can feel it in the air in the evenings already.......Yay, I can't wait :)

So, the first project on my agenda is gloves.

I bought a whole variety of Drops Alpaca last year for this purpose and so I will be knitting a couple of pairs of gloves over the next while :D

These gloves are knit top down and are going swimmingly at the moment.

I was considering making a glove knit-along, but I am not sure if anyone would be interested - if you would be interested, please let me know below.

My son-in-law had his birthday last week.

I wasn't completely unprepared, I had knit him some socks which he really appreciates, but I wanted to add something extra, so I quickly knit him up this hat.

Hats are great for that don't you think, such quick and satisfying projects :)

Anyway this one was done in the nick of time and it fits - HOORAH!

This hat was knit in Drops Karisma.

I have another bigger FO which I will share with you all on Friday.

See you then.

Sewing FO - My Craftsy Apron

2017-08-18T00:00:00.000+02:00

Here is my sewing FO for this week.

(affiliate links included)

It is my apron that I made by following the Craftsy class - The Easy Modern Apron by Betz White

I love the way the apron turned out, it looks really professionally made, neat and tidy :)

Fabric used: Quilting Cotton

Time needed to complete project: I finished this project over one full day, but I took my time as I wanted it to turn out well!

Would I recommend this course: Yes, it was well worth the investment

Tip for new participants: I was a little confused about the waist and bib ties cutting instructions, but Betz was prompt to elaborate for me :) They are to be cut on the fold and as such the pattern pieces (if you are making some) need to be half as long as stated!

I would love to hear how you found this class, so leave your comments below :)

My Weaving World Podcast Shownotes

2017-08-13T17:15:00.002+02:00

Wow, it has been a while since I was last here, I do apologize!

I have decided to join the ranks of the Podcasters and chat about my weaving side of life.

Here is my first episode, I hope you will enjoy it.

I do look forward to hearing from you all, so please do let me know what you thought of it - all input appreciated :)

Show Notes:

Loom: Lilla by Öxabäck Sweden (Countermarch)

Inkle Loom: Ashford

Chrissy @ The Weaving Show

Handwoven magazine

Material for projects:

Scarf Project:

Merino 30/2

Tussah Silk 20/2

Bag Project:

Saw the original project on Ravelry in the group Warped Weavers

12/2 Cotton

Weft: Duvet strips, cut into 4cm strips and then ironed in half

Belt Project:

Media Cotton (perle cotton) 10/4

Don't forget:

You can find me on Ravelry as Marigoldsloft,

on Instagram as Marigoldsloft

or Facebook as Marigoldsloft :)

See you soon.

Latest Warps

2017-02-22T00:00:00.000+01:00

Here are some of my latest warps that are currently being worked on at the weaving studio.

And lastly, here is a weaving FO which I have finally finished :)

This is a set of table runner, place-mats and kitchen towel.

Spray Dyeing Cloth

2017-02-18T14:57:00.000+01:00

Last week I needed to create a birthday gift and so I decided to spray dye a pull tied bag as a WIP bag for socks :)

To dye this bag I needed:

A cotton pull tie bag, washed

Fashion spray - fabric spray dye

a stencil

some cardboard to place inside the bag

a covered surface

Place the cardboard inside the bag, and the stencil on top of the bag where you would like to see the pattern on the finished product.

Go wild :)

Allow to dry and then iron underneath a cotton cloth to fix the colours!

Enjoy!

Blog Absence

2017-02-12T11:48:00.000+01:00

As life is, I am very busy on my homesteading side of life and not so much on the creative side of things over the last while.

Due to this fact, I have not posted here in a very long while, and really do miss you all..

I am not blog-silent, so-to-speak, but am busy on my Homesteading blog at present and this is where I you can find me.

I would love it if you would visit me there if you miss me too :)

You can find me HERE

I hope to be back on this blog shortly with some wonderful new projects :)

Book Review - Me Before You

2016-11-10T20:45:00.000+01:00

Me Before You - Jojo Moyes

I wasn't sure what I would think of this book when I received it to review from SocialBookCo, but I jumped right in to this title and I loved it!

This was a very touching story that kept my tears flowing freely. So much so that I had to put the book down at the last chapter over last weekend as I was at my expo and I dared not take it with me as I was sure I would be sitting in my stand with red, puffy eyes!

In my teen years I was a big Chick Lit fan, but as I grew older I tended to

choose to read historical fiction instead, so it was a nice to be able to just sit down and enjoy some great light reading for a change.

This title revolves around a set of very likable characters, who each drew me into their world from the start. I found that I could relate to each characters state of mind and position which they played in the story-line.

The two main characters are Lou and Will.

(Spoiler Alert)

Lou Clark loses her job at the Buttered Bun Café as it closes down. She doesn't have many other options open to her as she isn't qualified for much and after trying out a couple of odd jobs, she takes on the opportunity to become Will's carer.

Will has been in a freak accident that has left him as a quadriplegic. Before his accident he led an active lifestyle and now he is stuck in a life that requires constant care and help for the smallest mundane tasks.

He refuses to live this way and chooses to be euthanased in Switzerland after he has given his mother 6 months more of his life.

Lou overhears of Will's plans in Switzerland and is determined to change his mind, ultimately falling in love with him and unfortunately having to come to terms with the fact that Will plans to go ahead with his original plan.

Lou as a character was believable to a point, there were times where she could have been portrayed in a different way. Considering that she was more or less the bread winner for her family, it didn't seem to phase her as much as it would have bothered me to have the burden of getting 5 adults and 1 child through day-to-day life. As much as this aspect of her life was included in the title, I didn't find that it was necessary to the story-line on the whole.

Most adults upon losing their employment tend to have a certain urgency to find another job, so I did find her family situation to be superfluous, and a bit irritating if I am being totally honest.

Of all her family members, I think her sister annoyed me the most.

I found the idea of her sister, having a child, and then still living off her parents and sister, without having the slightest inclination to help out financially, starting to grate my nerves. There are such things as "Learning on the Job", "Night School", and "Correspondence studies" whilst earning an income and raising a child.

Will's character did get me thinking....

How would I react to losing the use of all of my limbs?

Would I move forward or be stuck in the past?

Overall, the story touched on a sensitive subject and it was good to mull over my feelings on the topic of Euthanasia and to understand why it could be a choice for people in dire life situations; if that would be something I could come to terms with if I had to be faced with it as a choice, or someone I loved chose it for themselves.

Moyes' writing ability had me gripped.....to the story line and the characters.

Throughout the book I found myself holding on to the hope that it would have a happy end.

If you are looking for an easy, moving title to read, then I would warmly recommend this book.

I award this book:

4 Owls

Thank you to SocialBookCo for this opportunity!

Be sure to visit their Website to find your next great read at the best price!

Tutorial Thursday Month-Long Linky Party

2016-10-27T00:00:00.000+02:00

Welcome back to another month of linking fun!

October is here!

This time of year lends itself to loads of crafting possibilities :)

Get creative and share your craft tutorials with us all!

I would love to see them, so share them below :)

Feel free to link up all your crafts below.

I look forward to visiting all of the links I find below.

An InLinkz Link-up

Tutorial Thursday Month-Long Linky Party

2016-10-20T00:00:00.000+02:00

Welcome back to another month of linking fun!

October is here!

This time of year lends itself to loads of crafting possibilities :)

Get creative and share your craft tutorials with us all!

I would love to see them, so share them below :)

Feel free to link up all your crafts below.

I look forward to visiting all of the links I find below.

An InLinkz Link-up

FO Friday Fun

2016-10-14T00:00:00.001+02:00

Welcome back to another FO Friday :)

This week I am sharing my finished dress with you.

The original - Burda 6/2016 102B

I really love the way my dress turned out!

Unfortunately the weather turned before I had a chance to wear it, but next year will be another year :)

What have you managed to finish this week?

Feel free to share your FOs with us all below!

An InLinkz Link-up

Tutorial Thursday Month-Long Linky Party

2016-10-13T00:00:00.000+02:00

Welcome back to another month of linking fun!

October is here!

This time of year lends itself to loads of crafting possibilities :)

Get creative and share your craft tutorials with us all!

I would love to see them, so share them below :)

Feel free to link up all your crafts below.

I look forward to visiting all of the links I find below.

An InLinkz Link-up

FO Friday Fun

2016-10-07T00:00:00.000+02:00

Welcome back to a new week of Finished Object fun!

This week I would like to share an English paper piecing pin cushion which I made in the weaving studio with my clients this last week.

This was my first attempt at this quilting method and my sewing definitely needs some work, but overall I am very happy with it :)

Here is my second attempt:

What have you managed to complete this week?

Feel free to share your finished objects with me below :)

An InLinkz Link-up

Tutorial Thursday Month-Long Linky Party

2016-10-06T00:00:00.000+02:00

Welcome back to another month of linking fun!

October is here!

This time of year lends itself to loads of crafting possibilities :)

Get creative and share your craft tutorials with us all!

I would love to see them, so share them below :)

Feel free to link up all your crafts below.

I look forward to visiting all of the links I find below.

An InLinkz Link-up

Warm....

2016-10-05T14:37:00.000+02:00

At least it is warm inside and I can get to knit up a storm while it is cold out :)

Let me share what I have been up to over the last week:

I am loving the blueberry waffle pattern, and the yarn that I am knitting it in is so great too!

This is my progress of my October socks for the Sock-Along.

The month is still very young and if you want to join along in the fun, please do :)

You can find all the info HERE

Before I could get my teeth into my October socks I had a couple of days to work a little more on hubby's socks.

I am just about done with the patterned yarn and then all that is left is the cuff for these babies to be complete.

As soon as my October socks are complete I will focus on this pair again.

I also managed one more colour change in my Shawl, which isn't that much, but I hope to give it a little bit more attention over the next couple of days as it is such a lovely mindless pattern, with such great WOW effect :)

Yay, my warp is finally off my loom.

I have cut and washed my pieces and hope that time will allow me to finish them up over the weekend.

I can't wait to get my new warp onto the loom and hope I will be able to share that with you next week.

Reading wise: I am still just looking through all of my Handwoven mags making mental lists of all the projects I still want to attempt - there really are just not enough hours in a day to do all that I would like to!

How has your week been?

I will be sharing a quilted finished object with you all on Friday and I would love it if you came by and shared your FOs for the week with me too :)

Until then.