100th Granny squares

I keep on making granny squares when I have some breaks from other work. The great thing about these is that I can work on only some parts of them even for five minutes at a time. 

I am happy that I have made 100 of them now. This is about a half way to my goal! 

Mending a rip

I was asked to repair a rip in the back panel of this garment. As you can see, the rip was horizontal and quite long. 

In this kind of rip, I will have to provide a backing layer of fabric on the wrong side, and darn over from the right side to sew the rip closed. 

Although I used the thread that matches the fabric, the repaired area is visible. However, since this is a night shirt, I hope the user gets more use out of it for a while longer. 

Snow skirt

A while back, my friend gave me an outerwear fabric that is meant for an outer shell. The outside blocks wind, and the inside is lined with a thin fleece material. 

I thought I would make a jacket with the fabric, but I had a different idea and executed it. 

This is a snow skirt! 

I would be wearing it over a pair of pants when I go outside if I have to be outside for an extended amount of time. A layer of this fabric blocks the wind from going through my pants, as a result my legs should stay warm. 

I had to make sure I measured my waist with a fleece or hoodie because I want to wear it like a jacket for my leg. 

I do have a long down filled coat that goes almost to my ankle, but that coat is so hot. I have to wait till it gets below -20 degrees Celsius before I wear it. So, I wanted to make something that is suitable for the in-between coldness. 

I reused an open-ended zipper from an old jacket that I saved when the jacket was no longer viable as a jacket. (I kept all the zippers from that jacket.) That is why the colours do not match, but the zipper does not show while I am wearing the skirt. 

You may ask, "Why snow skirt?" This is because if I have to take off a pair of snow pants, then I would have to take off the boots. That can be quite a lot of work if I am bundled up with a heavy jacket, scarf, and huge mittens. Once I take off my mittens to undo the boot laces, my hands get cold, and when I take my boots off, the toes may freeze off! But with this snow skirt, since I can unzip it all the way down and it separates at the bottom, it's just like taking off a jacket. I don't have to take off my mittens and boots. 

I wore it for a walk of 1.5 hours at -18 degrees Celsius, and it kept me warm (with jeans underneath). It was not in the way of walking at all, and it was like having a longer coat covering my legs. This time, we did not stop at a cafe at the end of the walk, so I did not have to take off my snow skirt. 

I think it will be used quite often this winter. 

Train cushions

These are a set of pillows with a train fabric. The outer layer has a zipper, so if it needs laundering, it's easy to wash.  

I was a little concerned if I had enough matching thread... This is what was left when I finished. Phew. 

If you need something made for Christmas, there's still time! But the space is limited, so please contact me if you are thinking of making one-of-a-kind gift with a special fabric that you've been holding onto. (I know I'm guilty of keeping a stash of fabric!) 

Shoulder bag and pouches

This shoulder bag is for a special boy who loves trains. 

With the remnants, I was able to make a couple of pouches as well. The fabric is mostly grey, so I chose a colourful zipper to make it a little more fun.