Blanket Stitch

I have been wanting to share one of my favourite stitches for a while now.

Super super easy peasy, with chocolate dipped strawberries on top blanket stitch.

I should probably start by warning you that I am left-handed.  

I do knit and crochet as right-handed, but I am not sure who I am when I sew.  

Start with your piggy-back stitch to secure your thread behind the scenes, 

and pull through to the front of your work, ready to commence blanket stitch.  

Push your needle into your fabric, and out the back.

Make sure your length of thread is BEHIND your needle, as shown above.

Pull your needle and thread through all the way. 

Ta-daaaa - your first blanket stitch.

See how the thread has been 'caught' at the back of your stitch?

Awesome!

Ok - so keep going - get your needle, pushing into the fabric and out the back, again,

make sure the tail of the thread of where you have just come from, is behind your needle.

Drag through gently to create the next stitch.

You can put the stitches as close together or as far apart as you wish.

You can also alter the length of your stitches as well, depending on the finish you are after.

Push the needle through the fabric, . . . . . . .

making sure the thread is behind the needle, . . . . . . . 

and gently pull through . . . . . . . . 

making blanket stitch.

YaY!

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 

So ok, sometimes we do a little hiccup and don't have the 

thread behind the needle when we pull it through the fabric.  

Not a problem, here is what it looks like, and what we can do to make it all better again.  

It really is quite simple.

You can see the thread is not behind the needle coming through the back where my finger is.

If you notice this at the time, all you have to do is pop the thread behind the needle and keep going.

But if you don't notice it until you have pulled the thread through, 

you can still fix it.

Get your needle. . . . . . .

put it through the loop as you can see here. . . . . . . 

and pull your thread through gently. . . . . . . 

to complete the blanket stitch.

You are awesome!

Now go forth, be free, and blanket stitch!

xx

ne ne ne ne ne ne ne ne, ne ne ne ne ne ne ne BATMAN!

It's finished, it's posted, it should get there today.

Hurry Mr Postie, I wanna know if my little mate likes his early birthday present.

There are many adventures to be had, so hurry Mr Postie, please!

1 x batman cape completed.  

The symbol is in yellow and black felt.  I have hand sewn the symbol to the cape, so that if Batman

is no longer 'the thing to do', then our little hero can ask his Mummy with his best manners to take it off and all she has to do is snip the knot and gently unpick the thread.  Much easier when done by hand than by machine, and less pull and stress on the cotton poplin too.  The same goes for the little badge at the neck, which can be sewn onto a pillow or library bag or attached with a piece of black satin ribbon, makes the perfect bookmark.  

Thanks for stopping by my place today.

Have a wonderful week wherever you may be.  

xx

Snapshots of the making kind.

Here is part of why Joyce has been rather blog absent of late.  

Going to try my best to keep it short, well as short as things go for a Joyce.  

Welcome to the making-ness.  

A custom order for a little friend - crochet beanie being modelled by Russell.

Markers of the book kind.  

Neck warmers (market stock)

Playing with fabrics, making brooches.  

'the boyfriend' scarf.  (market stock)

Hairbands aplenty.  (market stock)

wristies - to keep your wrists warm. (market stock)

monster birthday cake for my Mr Eggy-man.

ohhhhhh birthday party table making - soooo much fun!

cot/pram blankie.  (market stock)

a variety of roses, hair clip and brooch backings. (market stock)

Paper bags for my customers' goodies they purchased at the markets.  Even the customers that had a bag, when they saw these, they decided they needed a Joycie bag.  It was so much fun, I never realised such a small bag would bring so many smiles.

Part of my table set up at my very first ever market day on the 4th December 2011.  

I so love my little 'J' for Joyce.  Thank you for all the lovely comments on my 'J'.  

You can just see the moustachness in the background.  I was so shocked they were selling.

What fun to see people totally enjoying themselves with a little bit of moustache love.  

Denim hair elastics. (market stock)

Happy birthday my itty bitty minni.  First time using marshmallow fondant.  

Thank you to a very special lady - you know who you are my dear!  xx

Funny face biscuits sent to school to celebrate the birthdays to share with the class.  Using the pink marshmallows, just melted in the microwave.  woo hoo!

Joycie's coasties adorn wine glasses all over the Coast this Christmas.

These are currently all sold out!  How fabulous - spread the bling I say,

spread it far and wide.  There are more coming in 2012 but not these colours. (market stock)

My most recently finished lacy loveliness, winter wonderland scarf.  (market stock)

So that is what has kept Joyce busy lately.

Thanks so much for stopping by my place today.

May the creative-ness be flowing at your place.

sock it to me baby!

I know its my Friday b-r-e-a-t-h-e moment, however that was this morning.  

and now is now (8.45pm Friday evening).  It's a long time since my 'take a moment', and besides I am so excited I just HAVE to share.  

Fingers cold and stiff, current gloves too cumbersome and slows down my typing big time, so frustrating I ended up just not bothering to try and keep my fingers warm whilst typing my assignment today.

Study break from the cold depths of the cold part of the house, 

to the warm end of the house to thaw out and fold washing, 

*sniff* a fave pair of my socks, almost on their 'last leg' - will be sad to say goodbye to these. . . . . . . 

as I turned them in the right way, possibly for the last time, I stopped. . . . . . 

I grabbed my scissors. . . . . . . . 

I opened up my machine and set the stitch to zig zag and I stitched around where I had cut. . . . . . . . .

within about 2 minuties - *pffffft* cold hands - Not I says Joyce!  

 

 oh my wrists just loves these, they are so so soft and so so warm.  I can type faster than the leaves scuttling up the street in the howling wind, I can roll them back when I hang the next lot of washing, I can look at the flowers that now adorn my wrist and I can smile.

Hello sock hands, how are you today?

Sweet Dreamin'

We love stars.

Especially on pyjama shirts.

I used these to do the stars.

The boys have some lovely boxer shorts they use as pj's, however, instead of plain shirts, which are very boring, even in the dark of night, I coloured up some sweet dreams for them.  They love them and although my imagination just didn't extend far enough to give them different shirts, it doesn't bother them at all.  Since colouring these though, I have thought of a few more patterns to do for them.  

I think I want a little sweet dreams singlet for me too now.  

This single bed sheeting was op-shopped many months ago, 

with the intent of new jammie pants for moi!

Finally, here they are, and gosh they are lovely and soft and mega comfy.  


Do you like making something from something else?
Do you get excited when you have a plain white t-shirt, to transform?
What have you been making lately?


Thanks so much for stopping by my place today,
have a most wonderful weekend at your place.  


(Again our planet has been struck, please spare a thought to those in Japan right now.)

A Weekend in Pictures.

Thank you so much for your lovely comments from last week.  

It's a new week, it's a new chapter.  

Hurrah!  Bring it on - I am ready!!

I have finished unit 3, it is printed and bundled ready to post - goodbye and good riddance unit 3 - I say with a kiss - travel the postal route safely to the hands of the red penned ticking person who is going to do lots of red pen ticking (please!).  

I hope you had a glorious weekend.

I certainly did.  There was lots of washing and cleaning and cooking to prepare for a new week, but then there was lots of family time as well.  Much needed hanging with my boys, it recharges me in the most wonderful way.  

Here are some bits and bobs of time spent with the ones I love the mostest.  

Beach boys. . . . and they both went jetty jumping for the first time, but Joyce didn't have the camera with her (!).  My big boy jumped from the topmost pylon and Minnie jumped from the little platform which at the low tide that it was, would have been from a floor to ceiling sized gap between platform to water.  They jumped over and over again.  Woo hoo!!

My big boy and I finished this book and so hired the movie.

Lots of laughs - two thumbs up!  Can't wait to start on book two.

I love this time with my boy, he is growing up so quickly and to snuggle with him and read each night really is very special to me.  No matter how tired I am, or what chores await me, I make sure I put it all aside to spend this time with him.  The chores are always there, they never grow up, they never change.  

Another completed scarf for our local cancer unit.  I need your help, I have more yarn to make possibly two more of this scarf.  What do you think?  Personally, me, I love it, I want one of my own.  This is 5ply yarn from the stash that was given me by my neighbour the other week.   Your honest thoughts would be greatly appreciated.  If the vote is no, it will be made into granny squares instead, so don't worry there will be no waste.

Yes, I cannot help myself, a new scarf on the hook.  

Sewing alterations for a friend.

Recorder time.  We had fun making music and little Minnie was on the harmonica.

This was our beautiful sky on Saturday night.  So brilliant.

Fresh blueberries from the markets . . . . picked Friday, bought and eaten by us Saturday.

You just don't get stuff like that in the city baby!!

I wish you a wonderful week at your place.

Thanks so much for stopping by my place.