six and a half stitches

LEFTOVERS

Seemed like a good use of left over fabric to me:

1 IN 10 AND 1000 PHOTOS

I was trying to work out how best to describe this little piece, and looking through the 3trillion photos I took of it, and it seemed it might be best to just show detail snapshots of it, and let the One In Ten blog tell the story of why I've made this. If you like what you see, this will be auctioned through Ebay August 19th. (details on the one in ten blog)

A long quilt for a baby, using linen with sashiko embroidery to the bottom half, and a textural combination of cashmere, cotton, furry wool and alphabet tape (thanks Shannon!) to the top with a cotton wadding insert. Small tags are there for toys to be attached to. It's long enough to fit the length of a standard cot, to lie on, roll, and play on, but small enough to take on holidays. Fold it in different stages and the whole graphic feel of it changes.

[I'd love to tell you the cats are all lovey dovey again, but they're not, they're still growling away, but keeping their distance at opposite ends of the house. The urine spraying never reached the carpet, and what small amounts of it there were landed on timber floorboards. The hideous smell has slowly gone and there's been no repeats. We've sat down and gone through everything that's been happening in the house recently no matter how minor, and by watching the behaviour of the older cat over the last few days, we're pretty convinced it's behavioural, and related to her wanting our attention, particularly mine, and wanting and needing some assurance she is the dominant female. I think Mr 6.5st being away a bit, Pia now crawling, and all of us being couped up during lots of bad weather recently has all taken it's toll and she's freaked out about her role in the family.  Both cats have been at the vet recently, and both are healthy, I've taken the little one in again, and will take the older one if it doesn't settle, but my gut feeling is she's fine and it's all about attention. What happens next is anyone's guess, but I'm hoping they settle down over time. We've been using the Feliway spray, and that's started getting the older one's attention. Fingers crossed.]

ALL ABOUT THE CATS

First things first – The Shop has been updated. When you’ve gone and had a look, come back. Especially if you own cats. Even more especially if you own two cats who are related to each other.

Back? Good. Now I’m going to throw something out there, and hope some bright spark has an answer for me. We have 2 cats. They are grandmother and granddaughter, and have been together their whole life. They are Abyssinians, placid, gentle, calm. I’ve never seen them fight, hiss, scratch or bite either themselves or anything/anyone else.

Until the other night when they let loose in torrents on each other at 3.30am. Furniture got knocked over. Fur went flying. I separated them both for the rest of the night, and they seemed fine yesterday through the day. Last night they let loose on each other again. Eventually we got them separated, and then spent half an hour calming Max down who was incredibly upset and distressed – there was a lot of noise, and a lot of action both by the cats and by us trying to separate them. Somehow they got themselves un-seperated, and again let loose, and again Max got terribly upset. One of the cats pee'ed, and they both rolled in it. (We didn’t realize this till this morning. Hooray) They spent the night separated. This morning the older cat came looking for the younger cat – at this point we’ve only seen the older cat be the aggressor – and approached her timidly, but then they let loose in the bedroom, one cat’s pee'ed again (smells even better in the confines of the bedroom I can tell you) and now Pia’s freaked out by it all. The younger one has spent the day cowering in the bedroom hidden away where we can’t get to her (along with the piss smell, which I think is her) and low growling alternating with crying. The older one has acted like nothing has happened, but keeps checking the corridor for the younger one. They’re both very wary of moving away from their little posts. The little one has barely eaten, and hasn’t used the litter tray which has been moved for her (they’re generally ok with the tray being moved places). I’ve given both cats a bath. They’ve been recently wormed. I’ve mopped the floors down. I’m ignoring the smell in the bedroom for now. They’re constantly separated now. When I’ve bought them near each other they growl, the hair goes up, the full works. I took the little one to the vet this afternoon just to check – she seems to be the one really feeling it. She’s fine. They are both desexed. There has been no environmental change to bring this on, no additions to the house, no stresses I can think of. What the hell is going on with them! I can only think it’s a hierarchy thing, as the older one has been wanting more strokes, more food - but why now, and why when they’ve been so together till now (they lay grooming each other on the weekend)? I’m stumped. The vet has suggested a pheronome (quite possibly completely wrong spelling) spray to make them happy and after that behavioural treatment. I'm happy to do the spray, but behavioural treatment seems harsh...Any ideas? If it is attention the older one wants, we can solve that easily, by giving her more, but how do I then re-introduce the younger cat back into things without fighting erupting - or do I let them sort it out in time?

Add to that a 3 year old kid stopped us on the footpath today, made us stay stopped while looking straight at me, then threw a handful of rocks at us. A 3 year olds hand is in the direct line of travel of a 9month old’s head in a stroller. I probably don’t need to tell you how that one ended. I was beaten up by a three year old. (should I add to the story and tell you the same kid hit Max in the face yesterday with a car?)

Cari's having cat trouble too. When you're done sorting out my cat problems, you can all go over and sort hers out too.

ANNOUNCING THE PILES

1. Bijou, 2. Packaged Pile, 3. Tiny Happy, 4. 1 Fabric 1 Baby Lavender Water, 5. 1 Card, 6. 2 Cards

Or should that be renouncing the piles. Am I coming out of the pile closet, or giving in to the piles? Hmmm. I cleaned the study up – we were, quite literally, battling through the pile undergrowth in there – and now I have much more space and floor area to create more piles! Brilliance! Currently being piled:

Wool jersey knits for Fold Tops for the babes, including buttons galore and spools of thread everywhere.

Wool for a replacement Sweeten wrap top because Mr6.5st shrunk the previous one. No. I haven’t forgiven him.

A pattern for Sumidity, and a Wrap Top With Fabric Panel – the latter will be available later this week once I get a few things organized. Like a pattern site.

Soap [pictured above]. Amisha’s soap smells, well, heavenly. Her blog is aptly named.

Little Shoes [pictured above]. Tiny happy - makes mummy large happy. Vintage fabric soft shoes perfect for the cold winter we are having before Pia walks. Melissa does such beautiful things.

Fabric swapped with Blossom [pictured above] – this happened a while ago, and I’ve been so caught up I haven’t given her proper credit, but this is the most amazing pile of fabric. I have been working my way through it, every single piece is just me, just Pia, just 6.5st. Thankyou so much Blossom! The red cashmere from Pia's skirt is from this pile, as is the Olive green version on flickr. And more of the Olive green (with variations of material according to what I have that matches it – each one unique) skirts will be available for purchase in the next shop update.

A beautiful little package from Charlotte. Lavender water for Pia (adorable, every mother should have some of this, it's her own brand), Marc Jacobs wool cashmere knit (Oh. My.) and cards.

Patterns.

2 quilts I need to complete in the next few weeks.

One of those quilts is for a very special auction to help raise money to cover the medical expenses Eireann is now faced with after her mother had a massive stroke – and it deserves it’s own little post, but you can go and read about Eireann’s mother and the auction - One In Ten -  in the meantime.

FREEDOM : SEWING : UPDATING

I have relative freedom this weekend - in which I get to be by myself, with only my thoughts, needs, desires to attend to, a large pile of sewing, and a few restful periods with the knitting needles. How wonderful it is to not feel pressured about when I might have 5 minutes peace. How delightful to take ones self off to a cafe and order a nice meal and sit and have dinner alone. I did feel quite self conscious I was the only one not reading Harry Potter. I almost bought it. But decided a night in with my favourite slob night movie Notting Hill, chocolate and Habu were a more fitting response to a weekend without children or husband.

I have sewn like a chinese sweat shop, and actually made indents into my piles and To Do list. Which means - that on Tuesday night I can update my shop with the Black On Black Scarves, Fold Tops, and Gathered Skirts. I had tried to get them all done for this weekend, but I'm failing on that one. I've been playing around with some variations on the scarves as well:

A Lavender and Charcoal print on pewter silk. But they will have to wait for another update.

THOUGHTS BECOME ONE

All the lines, the drawings, the thoughts, the processes.
All became one.
A simple silk scarf, screenprinted at either end, backed with very fine wool. An adult piece [enough of you asked*], simple enough to be worn with a crisp white t-shirt. Elegant enough to be worn to work. Smooth enough to be warm, and subtle.
I love this piece.

* I am making a few, they will be for sale.

BLACK ON BLACK

The bleach didn’t work.

I chose the only black silk resilient to industrial strength bleach. So the little idea of recreating the bleached woven fabric here, then screenprinting over it,  was put aside while I returned to the original idea.

Black:charcoal screenprint on black silk [with very fine black wool outer]. Subtle. Elegant. Sometimes indiscernable.
Very, very grown up. More photos of process - i, ii, iii

THE STORY OF THE GIRL WHO WOULD BE A BOY

On numerous occasions there has been discussion on here about girliness, pinkness, gender definition through clothing, and more specifically, the notion that girls only wear pink, and on some occasions I have lamented the fact that Pia gets called a boy – a fact I know does not waver irrespective of whether she is wearing all pink and frills or not. Many of you have pointed out to me that, indeed, it wouldn’t make any difference and that she will probably continue to be called a boy till she has long hair and her hair is pulled back with cute little clips. It is true that we don’t subscribe to the typical girly baby conforms of pink, lavender or embroidered flowers on everything. It is true we don’t have pink sheets, blankets or stroller things. But that doesn’t mean I don’t achieve some femininity for Pia – there is always something she is wearing which defines her as a girl (well, most of the time). Since she started getting (very) mobile, and standing up and crawling around, I have felt the need to perhaps venture into the unknown realm of The Skirt. I could, perhaps, fashion a nice little skirt, with structure, out of some fabrics, which would stop all those people calling her a boy. Surely a little red skirt, with little red squirrels on it, would scream Little Girl? Surely all the sales assistants, all those mothers at the park, all those other children, would see she was dressed in lovely cashmere of the finest quality, and cute Japanese fabrics….they would all rush to call her a girl.

Apparently not.

[Red cashmere courtesy of Blossom. Red squirrel fabric from Superbuzzy. Grey knit Fold Top 6.5st]

1 PILE, 2 PILES, 3 PILES

A pile. Or 2. Or 3.(left) A few materials from Sprout Design along with some others, (right) vintage chenille's from Sarah London along with some prints that, well, just looked nice with the chenilles.

And then a beautiful, and generous package from Joanne which is a perfect combination of greys, oranges, blues and mustards [thankyou!]

I will leave the bleach and screenprints to another day.

TEST

Part of the test print, on dyed cotton - I wanted to see how the linework on the screens turned out. It might just work.
Tomorrow: bleach, silk, mixing paint and colours. Yes. Bleach.
Soundtrack: The Editors 'An End Has A Start'
Reading: The Ghost In The House - a must read for any mother dealing with any sort of depression.
Eating: Green and Blacks Dark Chocolate - courtesy of Sarah.