Home

Martha Says

Please visit my site often as I update daily. You will find articles relating to Hawaiian quilting, knitting, weaving along with doll and pillow making. Check out my free patterns! Enjoy your stay!!
 
Martha Marques Threads of Meaning
New Pattern - French School Girl Cardigan PDF Print E-mail
Written by Martha Marques   
Thursday, 01 July 2010 09:46

Here is the French School Girl Cardigan modeled by Devan who is sitting on the deck off the kitchen.  Why the title?  I wanted a cardigan that was sturdy, warm and practical which this is.  I would like to call your attention to the pockets.  I have almost decided that I will only make clothing with pockets from now on because they are so intensely useful -- well maybe not everything -- I'm not sure how useful they would be in socks for example -- but for nearly everything.  School Girl Cardigan seemed to me to imply a certain utilitarian quality, a kind of everyday wearability.  Which is a quality that this sweater certainly has.  This is the second version for me.  The first version has been worn so continuously that it has begun to show signs of wearing out which is why I created and recorded the making of this second version.  I need another one as backup and since I found it so comfortable and useful I thought you might want to make one for yourself.


If you look at the picture below you will see why I threw French into the title.  While I was willing to have a certain frumpy quality to the front of the sweater in the interest of comfort and practicality I also wanted a kind of flirtatious feminine walking away aspect.  That is why I incorporated the pleats and the set in waist band. This is a very feminine sweater and the adaptations that you can make to the back of the sweater allow you to make it as flattering as possible to your own.....aspect.

I created this sweater for myself and I have Devan, who is more slender than I, modeling it because it is so difficult to take a good picture of yourself.  It fits me very well, and is a bit looser in fit for her.  You can make it according to your own particular desired size and most of the fitting takes place on the back of the sweater.  The knitting is very straightforward but there is quite a bit of sewing up, particularly for the back.  You also get pointers on short rows, I-cord bind off, and making of pleats.  This is a 10 page pattern with lots of pictures and explanations.  You can purchase it on my Ravelry site or from my Etsy site as a PDF download.  The sweater requires 1200-1400 yards of sturdy worsted -- I used Peacefleece for both versions for me.  The color for this one is Baghdad Blue.
Last Updated on Thursday, 01 July 2010 10:11
  Read 1 Comments... >>
What Happened in the Doll Making Class PDF Print E-mail
Written by Martha Marques   
Thursday, 10 June 2010 09:51

I just finished up a Doll Making class at Breakwater school here in Portland.  I had some reservations about the ability of 7 - 9 year olds to do this kind of hand sewing.  These are dolls based on the classic Waldorf doll, and in that curriculum are usually done by 8th graders.  I am very happy to report that my reservations were completely unfounded.  These three girls did a remarkable job over the course of this 8 week project.  They had great committment and very good focus, even after the weather turned beautiful and the spring breezes were wafting seductively through the open windows.


This lovely little face belongs to Lily.  You can't see it in the photograph but Lily has gorgeous green eyes, and so does her doll.  We tried to make each doll look like her maker.  Lily made the pants and shirt and we got them done just in the nick of time.

This is Arianna and her glamorous creation.  If you are a girl with red hair the desire for a doll that has red hair that is not some unnatural shade of Ronald McDonald orange is intense.  Arianna was very intent while making her doll and wanted to finish with an elegant dress.  As you can tell she also really likes this brilliant shade of blue.

This is Nami and her doll.  Nami came into class one day late, and missed another session because of a school commitment.  The fact that she was able to complete her doll and get her dressed made me very proud of her.  We finished the dress and popped it on her doll with no minutes to spare, but we did get it done.  I love this picture of them.  They both share that beautiful, serene expression that is so Nami.


I'm really looking forward to doing another Doll Making class at Breakwater in the fall session.  Maybe we'll do a doll dressmaking class as well.

Last Updated on Thursday, 10 June 2010 10:15
  Read 1 Comments... >>
Copyright © 2010 Martha Marques. All Rights Reserved.
Joomla! is Free Software released under the GNU/GPL License.