I pulled out the pillow pieces:
Why do I remember this as being way closer to complete? There wasn't that big a gap last time. I thought...
I'd rip it out and start afresh, but considering how long this has taken me, I'm just going to keep going. I might finish this eventually.
I managed to turn this...
...into this...
...and now it's this...
Perhaps a close up will help. With just blanket stitch:
And now that I've done one round of single crochet:
Now I just need to measure to see how wide I want this piece. Then some sewing and button attachment, and I'll have a pillow cover. Eventually.
But I haven't felt like doing much lately. I did manage to pull out some yarn, needles/hooks, and patterns to start a couple new things.
Unfortunately, I can't find the right hook for one of the projects. I'm debating whether to purchase a new hook (I know I have it, but after tearing apart all of the places it could be, I don't know where else to look) or just use a hook one size smaller. It's not something that has to be a certain size, so this would be a minor alteration.
I'm not going to say anything else, as at the rate I'm going, I might not actually touch any of these projects in the foreseeable future. If I get around to any of them, I'll post pictures when I have something to show off.
Have a great week.
Finally. I have completed the blanket stitch around the long piece of fabric that will be the backing for my body pillow.
I only started it in April.
Although, to be fair, I did maybe a couple days' worth of work on it, and then I set it aside and got busy working on other things. I've only really been focusing on it for about two weeks.
And now, I will crochet into those stitches around the edge. Then I will figure out how I'm going to attach this to the front.
I'm contemplating buttons. (I want to be able to remove the cover easily for laundry.)
In case you ever attempt blanket stitch, I have some tips for you.
1. This is much slower going than knitting or crochet.
2. Remember which side you're stitching from. (That's where I made my mistake.)
3. Rather than eyeballing how far apart you want your stitches, you can mark that distance on your thumb. Then all you have to do is line up your thumb on the fabric as you work.
I used a dry erase marker, so the ink came off my thumb easily when I was done. (I read that tidbit online, and it was a game changer. Before, it was hard to line up where to place the stitches.)
The end of this project is in sight. But, for me, that means it could be as soon as October when I have finished photos for you.
I picked up the pillow backing again. If you don't remember, back in April, I finished knitting the two skeins I had bought of a blanket yarn into what was going to be a body pillow cover. (I had bought the skeins for another project that I hated, so I ripped it out and repurposed the yarn.)
But two skeins wasn't quite enough to cover the pillow, so I bought some fabric (because I didn't want to buy more yarn) with the intent to sew a backing. Sort of.
And then I set this aside and got busy (or not so busy) doing other things. Because blanket stitch.
Blanket stitch is a technique where the yarn is stitched to the outside of the fabric, so I can pick up and crochet or knit around the fabric. It'll make sense once I get it done and post pictures.
But, I set this all aside in April and have been ignoring it. Until last week.
I made a bit of progress.
Blanket stitch looks like this:
However, when I picked this back up after three months, I wasn't paying close attention to what I had done before, and I reversed the stitch...
By the time I had realized what I had done, it was going to be too much work to redo, so I'm leaving it. Can you see where I goofed?
No? It's hard in the photo. I'd edit the photo to point it out, but I can't see it here either.
And, once I stitch around this, it probably won't be obvious. The stitches are hand sewn, and that's kind of the look of it anyway. Besides, it's time to get this thing done.
Blanket stitch takes time. It's slow going for me. Hopefully, I'll get this whole thing complete sooner rather than later.
I'll post updates when I have them.
There is software that the school uses for lessons for the students. It's geared towards their level, understanding-wise and age-wise. That is, the words and sentences are very simple, but the topics are geared towards adults learning to navigate the world.
This month's topic is laundry.
They actually do laundry. We have a washer and dryer on campus, and they'll assist in washing towels and such.
On this particular Tuesday, the story we read had to do with not throwing away clothes that can be fixed. The character in the story was taught that she could treat stained clothes, have pants hemmed, and replace a button on a blouse.
When we got to that point, I asked the students if they knew how to sew on a button. They did not.
And now I had a lesson for them.
Vera is a seasoned sewer, so I asked her if she had the materials to sew on a button. She did, and she brought them the next day.
I was not expecting them to become expert button-sewers. I have done a couple crafty-type things with them, and they have a hard time. But the point of the story was that sewing on a button was doable, so I wanted them to at least have a go at doing it.
And they managed it. It took a while. I don't think they'd be able to repeat it without help. (If I was the permanent teacher, button sewing would be part of the curriculum every time the laundry unit rolled around.)
In the second image, we had to cut the thread as Jennifer had gone around the fabric rather than over and under it. Definitely a good first attempt.
It's something we would have spent a lot more time on if I was seeking mastery. But a lot of what we do with them is for introduction and so they know it's possible. So, by that standard, it was a success.
