wide open pouch

Morning ladies.  I'm not at work today as I feel like death warmed up, there's been a bit of a bug going round at work and I think it's my turn.  I always feel really guilty when I take a day off work sick so I'll probably end up going back before I'm better...

Last weekend I went to a wedding in Bristol.  My brother had ordered a new sofa and chair and wanted throws to protect them from the baby so I had a deadline of last weekend to get them made and take them down.  I ordered 8m of black cotton drill.  It was horrible, it felt like polyester even though it was labelled as 100% cotton...

I didn't take photos of them made as they're just great big squares with a double folded hem.  They were a nightmare to maneuver through the machine.  The fabric was so slippery and they were so heavy.  When I'd finished, I was so relieved I treated myself to some colour.

This is Noodle-Head's wide open zipper pouch.  Well actually, it's not Noodle-heads, it's mine, but it was her pattern.

I chose some cheerful pink fabric.  The lining is Amy Butler Soul Blossoms, I have no idea what the other two are, they were just in my stash.  Luckily I had a zip of the right size in pink!

I made the largest size as this is actually a prototype.  I need to make myself a new insulated lunch box for work.  I take a plastic tub or a can of soup, a can of Diet Coke, yogurt and some fruit so it needed to be reasonable large.  Oh, and it has to hold ice blocks.  This one wasn't made with insulating wadding as it was just a trial piece and will do as a Christmas present!  So did I make the lunch box... erm... no!

I hate this method of doing zipper ends as it always looks so untidy, but I can't find an alternative way of doing it.  Anyone got any ideas?

Right, I'm off to lie down before I fall down.  Oh, the self-pity is rife today!

bits of stitching

I don't have long today as I'm off to a wedding.  My brother's closest friend is getting married and we've been invited to the evening reception along with his parents.  He's been a constant fixture in my life since I was about 8 so I'm really pleased he invited us.  It's just a shame I'll look like a whale in my dress.

I've been doing some bits of stitching - as you probably guessed by the title of the post, and I thought I'd show you what I've been doing, although they aren't finished.

I whipped these little cross stitch patterns up out of an episode of Cross Stitcher.  Episode?  That's not the right word is it?  Anyway, I couldn't finish the butterfly as they didn't give me enough thread!!  I used thread from my stash for the larger areas of the other too - I hate it when they provide kits that don't have enough thread.  Someone did suggest that there might be a DMC reference in the pattern and yes there is!  I just need to go to Hobbycraft but I'm avoiding it at the minute as it always costs me a fortune in there...

This is my first attempt at Sashiko stitching.  I used the mini-book Sashiko from my set of "How to Sew" books which explained how to draw the grid and make the pattern.

The book suggested using Sashiko thread, but I wanted to use what I had to hand.  It said that Coton A Broder was a good alternative.  I don't have any of that so I went with Perle Cotton size 8. 

The green linen is wonderful Latvian linen from my lovely friend Fiona.

I also tried my hand at bead embroidery.  I didn't use a book, I just sewed seed beads (size 10s) around the paisley motifs on this Michael Miller fabric and added dots to the centres.  I just hope I haven't sewn any in the seam allowance!

If you're wondering what these strange shapes I'm working on are... well you'll just have to carry on wondering!  All will be revealed on the 6th November.

I couldn't get a decent photo that showed the beads properly, but this one above gives them some height.

Finally, I started a small cross stitch project, on a whim.  I know, there are no cross stitches on it yet, but there will be!

giveaway win and free tutorials

Oh yes, another one!!  This time I won a doll pattern from A Little Red Dress.  I'm eagerly awaiting its arrival (along with a couple of other wins that haven't arrived!)

I told you in my last bragging giveaway post that's I'd won the cross stitch section in the first week of the Handcrafted Holidays Sew and Stitch Along, well I received my voucher (which I haven't spent yet!).  The other prize was from Charlottle Lyons, it was to be a kit, but she offered me my choice of pdf patterns from her Etsy Shop.  I was all too happy to take her up on it and chose this cute pattern.

And last, but definitely not least, my prize for the giveaway during the Bead Soup Blog Tour hosted by Lori turned up. I won some beautiful handmade beads from Miss Fickle Media.  How gorgeous are they!?

 

Still no sign of a lottery win though...

 

So, on to the free tutorials - have you come across Homecrafts Direct before?  They've got some great things to make: I have no affiliation with this company, they asked me if I'd post this and I did.  I have used them before with no problems and they stock a wide range of crafting goodies.

   

Peyote Stitch Stars part 2

Morning ladies!  I'm feeling a bit better than my last post.  I've had headaches, but no migraines so far.  For those that have never had a migraine, it really isn't a headache, it's so much worse than that.  The problem is, I don't seem to be able to get the doctor to understand that!  I have an appointment on Friday so keep your fingers crossed I can persuade him to refer me to the hospital where there is a migraine specialist.

Boring health stuff over, do you remember my peyote stitch stars?  What do you mean "no"?  Are you trying to tell me you don't memorise my posts as well as printing them out to read in bed at night??  Go to the back of the class!

After the class, I went home, got out my bead stash and started making stars.  I could not stop.  They are so quick to make when you have the hang of it.  I decided to try a little cascade design in size 9 beads.

I had a different idea of how I was going to put them together, but it didn't work out.  I'm pretty happy with the final arrangement though.  I added some simple earrings.  I was going to do three stars hanging underneath each other, but wasn't sure if they'd be too much.  Not wearing earrings myself, I never really know!

Next came size 10 beads with white centres and blue outlines, I used 7 stars in a row.

That got me thinking... how would a rainbow look?  FAB!  If I do say so myself...

Last, but not least, I decided to play with the colour arrangement.  The ones with the grey centres and teal outlines are the same as all those above (in size 10 beads), the grey-outlined ones are a bit different.  I changed colour a couple of rows early, I quite like them!

This will all be stock for the bead fair, so I hope someone besides me loves them!

A quick Tuesday rant

Do you mind if I have a quick rant?  Just a little one?  OK, here we go.

There is a dearth of craft programmes in the UK, we generally only get an annoying estate agent who thinks she's a craft maven extraordinaire, so I was pretty excited to hear about Paul Martin's Handmade Revolution, a 2-week programme on the BBC.  I have no idea who Paul Martin is or why he would want to revolt, but it seemed right up my alley so, with it being on during the day, I Sky plussed it and finished watching it last night.

The premise behind the programme was excellent.  They got various amateur craftspeople in to show their work and talk about it, a winner was then selected from the 5 each day (10 programmes in all) to have their work on sale at the shop at the V&A.  The variety and talent was astounding, though there were a few bizarre entrants (the guerilla knitter who submitted a large, ugly rectangle of fabric didn't really fit amongst the silversmiths, wood carvers and glass blowers!).

The problem?  The judges.  Mr Curator for the V&A was OK, it was the other too.  An "entrepreneur" turned fabric designer and a snotty milliner.  They were so rude about some of the pieces, and the pieces were excellent.  One lady was told her crocheted bag (with the most stunning freeform crocheted fruit on it) was old-fashioned and no-one would want it, this was after the male presenter told her he'd been dreading seeing crochet work as he doesn't like it.  Hmmm, biased at all?  

One lady did the most amazing glass fusing but was told it was horrible!  Seriously, this is from two people who'd shown no crafting talent themselves!  A rival milliner was told by the milliner presenter her hat was "cheap looking" and the guy who made the most incredible sculpture of a robot from polymer clay was explained as using a "kiddie's play material".  So tell that to the incredible polymer clay artists out there then...  children indeed!

I think what got my back up was that they were outwardly encouraging everyone to have a go at crafts (the presenter tried a different craft each day) and get involved in the "handmade revolution" but were then criticising, quite personally, those that have already got involved.  No, it wasn't constructive criticism, it was plain rude!

Did any one else see this programme?  What did you think?

more

Remember my felt flowers?  I made some more.  I just couldn't stop cutting. 

I didn't think to use white at first, but I'm glad I did as I really feel it sets the other colours off.

I also layered some colours up with green behind, I think they look like leaves.  I now have 20 felt flowers all ready for the craft fair.

I also got round to doing some more wiggly bags.  I promised these ages ago, but I assume they'll still be needed.  I've just got 3 more to do and I can send them off.

I'm hoping these ones might also be suitable for boys.

Sorry this wasn't a very exciting post, I don't feel like I have much to say today.  I've been suffering from a lot of migraines and very severe headaches recently... It might be time to go back to the doctor.

Cathedral Window

Hello ladies!  Another inspired blog post title today.  I don't know if any of you have been following along with the Cathedral Windows QAL hosted by My Crafty Crap?  I've been looking at the tutorials and pinning them for future use.  I mentioned this to Bree who bullied me into trying one!  When I saw Week 4 - Tutorial by Mommy's Nap Time - I had an "aha!" moment.  I finally understood how the windows were made and thought it would be a good place to start.  So I did.

Now, my block will not be winning any awards.  I used white thread, but it's just a practice block, I don't intend to do anything with it.  I chose 4 solids as I thought it'd be easier than trying to select patterned fabrics that would work.

The top photo shows the block after I sewed the pieces together, and the photo above is after I'd made my "windows".  I love it!  OK, it's not the best made block in the world, but I understand Cathedral Windows now!

This photo shows the folds better, but it perhaps could have done without the bunting behind!!

And here's a close up.  Clearly, if I did this block again I'd use a thread that matched, but it was only a practice.  I finished this up at about 5 on Sunday, so I didn't have time to make any more, but now I want to try some of the other blocks, I hope I have time!

what I'm working on

I've got so many WIPs lying around, I thought I should show you some of them.  I'm not going to show them all or we'd be here all night and you'd be asleep.  I'll just show you a couple.

Those of you that are part of the Handcrafted Holiday Sew & Stitch Along may well recognise these items.  First up is a tiny little cross stitch.  It came as a kit with CrossStitcher magazine a while ago.  The other night I had been working on my peyote star necklaces and wanted something else to do for an hour or so.  I picked up the kit and got stitching. 

This is how far I got as I ran out of thread!  That so annoys me when they don't provide enough thread.  I'm going to see if I can find something matching in my massive stash, if not, I'll have to abandon this and start again with stash thread.

See how tiny it is?  The other thing I've been working on is this little fella.

Isn't he cute!  I'm not going to explain what he is until it's finished, Sandra, don't spill the beans as I know you've worked it out!

I posted the photo below in the Flickr group for the Handmade Holidays Sew and Stitch Along and someone thought it was a hat.  Brilliant, wonder if I could make a bee hat like this?

Glass update

Hello ladies.  I promised you more frequent updates on my leaded light stained glass piece, so here it is!  You can see how far I'd got last week here.

I've finished the cutting (for the most part) and am now on to the leading.  I went armed with a big piece of wood and hammered some batons in place to work against.  The teacher gave me the tools below, these are the tools of the trade.  The small blob that looks like an eraser or candle wax is...  damn, I've forgotten!  I know what it does though!  I rub it on the knife (first tool on the left) to help the knife cut through the lead.  I have no idea what the second tool is, I didn't get that far, and the third item is a flid, used for opening up the channel in the lead.

And this is how far I got.  I know, pretty rubbish for a 2 hour class!  The issue I had was those glass nuggets.  I have to lead each one, then cut a curve in the glass either side (that kind of mottled clear glass is called English Muffle) to form a border.  Cutting the curves was hard.  I'd cut and grind one to perfection, then I'd go to do the other side and break the glass!  I ended up cutting them on the bandsaw and then grinding them.  Now I have the technique, hopefully I'll get more done tonight!

This is what the lead looks like.  It's surprisingly soft and pliable.  The profile is an I shape so the glass slots in either side.  I'm going to be seeing a lot of this stuff over the next couple of months... and so are you!

corners!

So, last Weekend I had a list of sewing to do as long as my arm.  There were the chair cushions for mum, the new cool bag I desperately need for a lunch box, the big pile of WIPs I have, preparation for the upcoming blog hop...  So what did I make? 

 

A picnic bag.  Yes.  With napkins.  I know, I know, it's October, I live in the coldest, windiest, rainiest country on earth (or so it feels) and there's no prospect of a picnic any time soon.  I don't know how to explain it!

 

I'd gone up to my craft room and spotted these dumped on the sofa.  I felt like cleaning up, but instead of tackling the piles of fabric, patterns strewed all over the room, mountain of boxes in the corner... I decided I needed to tidy up these poor picnic plates and cutlery.

 

I had the perfect fabric in my stash, some food print fabric I'd bought from Fabric Land ages ago with no plan in mind.  Add in some IKEA solid red and Bob's your uncle.

I made a very simple drawstring bag with boxed bottom.  It's not for the food, we have a large cool bag for that (not the smelly one I take to work, a family-sized one), it's just for the plate and cutler.

And for the napkins.  Because I decided we needed napkins too.  Hmmm.  I used the pattern in Stitch by Stitch: Learning to Sew, One Project at a Time.  It shows you how to do the perfect mitred corner.

Unfortunately, I didn't really understand the instructions the first two times.  The bottom corner in the picture above shows my messy corner.  Then I got it, you really had to push the corners out.

Ta-dah!  I'm really quite proud of them.  Useless though they will be for the next 9 months.

So now I have two perfect napkins and one bag.  And two not-perfect napkins waiting to be unpicked...  It may take a while as I may have the urge to sew a lifesized giraffe, or a TV-cover or something first...

BUT, at least the corner of my sofa that held the plates and cutlery is now tidy.  Yay, a victory! ?!?!

button hearts

No prizes for guessing what this post is about.  With post titles like mine, I should be up for a Pulitzer.  So, button hearts then.

I have got a massive jar of buttons.  Some I have collected, some I bought or took from old clothes, a lot came from my mum.  That's right, first they were my grandma's, then my mum's and now I have become keeper of the buttons.  It's an honour.

I don't really know what to say about these.  I mean, they're so simple, it doesn't really need instructions or information about how I made them.  And I think you can see what colour they are without me pointing it out.  Unless you're colour blind, in which case I'm sorry.

I took them outside last Saturday to hang them artistically in my garden.  They're hanging on a trellis or a nail in my garden wall.  The wall is original so is about 130 years old, that's why it looks the way it does.  The one with the trellis on is newer and not so nice.

Yes, I have cobwebs in the garden.  Lots of them.  And in the house.  Spiders have become my friend.  They're unavoidable when you live in an old house and they don't really bother me.  Unless they crawl on my face.

Having said that, I've never actually had a spider crawl on my face.  Or maybe I have, but I was asleep and didn't know.  Speaking of spiders, I have one that lives in my wing mirror.  I don't see him that often but I see he spins me a nice new web everytime I destroy the old one by winding my window down (which I have to do to adjust the wing mirror, it used to be electric but it's broken.  Like most things in my car).

One day I was driving and smoking (yes, I smoke.  Yes, I know it will kill me.  Yes, I do care) and I flicked my ash, it landed on Mr Spider's web.  He came hurrying out to remove it, despite the fact I was doing about 60mph.  He was shaking and wobbling like nobody's business but he clung on.

I was a little worried when we went down to Devon in the summer that he'd climb out when we got there and go for a stroll and we'd leave without him.  We didn't.

So ladies, that was pretty much a post about spiders.  The button hearts are for sale at the craft fair.  Or Christmas presents for friends and family when they don't sell...