Tuesday 31 July 2012

Do You Believe in UFO's?

Before I started blogging, I'd never heard of unfinished sewing projects as being referred to as 'UFO's'. It was then I realised I had enough floating around this house to populate a needlework version of Area 51! Joining up with Miss Katie's UFO and Stashbusting Project has really helped me have a structure to my projects, and I've actually cleared quite a bit of stuff, and saved some money to boot.

I recently had a good old clear out, and completed some bits and pieces, which I'll share with you now. In reverse order of age:

First, at 18 months - window seat cover:


I bought the fabric for this window seat with every intention of getting straight to it, but instead I just left the fabric in the bag next to the window seat for over a year. I'm ashamed to say I even started cleaning around it, like it was furniture! But a couple of weeks ago, I got up early on my day off, and completed it in a morning. I don't know what took me so long, because it was really easy! And now it looks so much better than the ugly old beige thing previously covering it. The lovely new cover makes the curtains look really sad, so that will have to be the next household project.

Next up, at approx 2 years, the gingham blouse:

 I found this half finished project in a bag amongst my fabric stash, and couldn't even remember what the plan was! There was no way I would have made the full blouse, as there wasn't enough fabric. I seem to remember having a Ginger Rogers, frilly 30' style in mind, so I messed around with the pieces and scraps, and came up with this:

Mr Needles says it makes me look like a rejected Stepford Wife.


There was very little fabric, so with the scraps I cut some frills on the bias, and gathered them to add along the button band and to make a little sleeve. The buttons were from a stall on the local market.

And finally, at 3+ years, the beaded scarf:


Close up of the bead work - it's a lot easier than it looks!
I used to have a long winter scarf that I knitted really quickly, and wore all the time. But I lost it somehow several years ago, and have been knitting this one ever since. Every winter for the last few years, I would watch TV and knit a few rows, thinking 'This year I might actually wear this scarf'. But it never happened, until a few weeks ago, when for some reason I decided to finish it, even though we're in summer. I think the reason it took so long was that the pattern was pretty boring to knit, and for some reason I decided to use 4-ply wool (a thinner wool, to you knitting novices), so it took a lot of work to actually add any length to the scarf.

Now I'll just have to wait for winter to wear it...

So now I'm UFO free! Next up - make a dent in my stash, which is threatening to get out of hand. But if you have unfinished projects, or bits of fabric sitting around waiting for you to do something with them, then do make sure you go over to Miss Katie's blog, for inspiration and motivation!

Also linking up with Lakota's Ta-Dah Tuesday - go check her out!

9 comments:

  1. Everything looks great! I think the blouse turned out particularly well!!!

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  2. Oh yes, i've just made the curtains I bought the fabric for last May and am about start to finish the wool dress that was meant to be for last winter. Maybe I'll get on with it now I've seen your finished projects:)

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  3. Your blouse looks gorgeous on, and I bet the scarf will be ultra glamorous when you get round to wearing it (on current weather predictions, probably the end of August). I am shamefacedly nodding about cleaning (or rather not cleaning) around things left lying around for too long!

    You should link these up to my ta-dah Tuesday post - worthy of showing off!

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  4. Lovely beaded and crocheted scarf! I love it. I am too hoping to crochet some for winter, though I have already crocheted few for me and the kids. I still want to make more. hehehe... Lovely top you made. Looking good. I hear you. There are times that I don't want to do some sewing or make something and it will just sit there for a long time until I finally get that momentum going and want to sew something. Lovely! :)

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  5. I certainly believe in UFO's and yours are fabulous! I especially love that gingham blouse, those frilly little sleeves are gorgeous!

    Oh I can totally relate to fabric turning in to furniture, I have a big old bag which moves around the house but never gets put to use or put away! xx

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  6. i loved the Stepford wives. They always looked so well turned out, and who would have thought they were the ones in control? The blouse is lovely. I started kniting a scarf for my husband last winter, it still is only 5rows in. who knows, this year might see it completed.

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  7. These are all lovely! The scarf pattern is so pretty, especially with the beads.

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  8. Absolutely love the blouse, you suit it to a tee. Stepford wive power dahhling.

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  9. think the blouse is lovely (although I have a secret thing for SW style - my hubs will tell you I am so far from a SW, but I do like the style)

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