I started this blog for me - it expanded to show BFF Jackie what I was doing - and a few others have invited themselves too - everybody welcome! Mostly about patchwork, with random comments about embroidery, family and life in general, come on in, put your feet up, and I'll put the [virtual] kettle on.
Friday 25 December 2015
Merry Christmas
Tuesday 22 December 2015
Done in December
I have managed some sewing in the last week or so:
I did some secret selvedge sewing
from this magazine
I did some machine embroidery: A friend bought three identical stockings for her three daughters - could I stitch their names on. Its really difficult to sew onto a completed stocking, so we discussed alternatives, and name tags seemed the best alternative:
And I made some replacement medical bags for school. 4 years ago I made these
One for each class: to keep inhalers and EpiPens in so they can be easily grabbed when needed, and can go with the class on trips etc. One bag was falling apart, and another was now too small (so many more children with inhalers) so I made a new set using Svetlana's design
Today's project is the perfect pillowcase! I used this 'Hotdog' method yesterday, and whilst her instructions are excellent, and I ended up (will end up) with a fab pillowcase with no raw edges,
It also doesn't have that extra bit of fabric that keeps the pillow inside the pillowcase.
Sometime over night I thought of a way to combine this design with what I want - watch this space.
I also have a Christmas sack to make for a customer - better get cracking!
Sunday 13 December 2015
Fiddlesticks and Flipflops (or other F words)
I embroidered them and then started the assembly, making sure I didn't cut off the end of the zip with the zip pull! I actually congratulated myself on sewing up over 25 of these without messing up a zip . . .
When . . . guess what I noticed!
Frances and Lindsey's zips are on the lining not the outside!
and which are the first two I need to hand out? - like in about an hour? Sigh, do you think they'll believe its a special design?
Saturday 12 December 2015
Kids' Crafty Church
It was Kids' Crafty Church today - I put the tables on the pew backs and put craft stuff on all the tables, then had a few minutes rest before the first people arrived
I managed to get a 'during' photo with some of the (are you sitting down?) thirty one people who came, yes, 31 - by far the best attendance, and especially just before Christmas!!!
I was rushing around, and didn't get many photos of the making, but did snap these two
Hope you had a good Saturday!!!
Friday 11 December 2015
Just what I needed
It was just the tonic I needed - food, plonk, chat, gossip, moans, great advice, good friends, and crafting as well
Thank you ladies! Love you
Tuesday 8 December 2015
Boxes of Bags
However I also like to get a little something for everyone. Usually something pretty for the girls and something silly for the boys (all the girls get the same thing and all the boys get the same thing)
This year one of the girls has asked for fine liners, so I thought I would make her a pencil case as well, but that idea grew until that became the 'all the girls' gift! Boring blue on the outside, with their name and a zip in a bright colour
And then a funky lining in the same bright colour
I finished them today
and they are all boxed up ready for wrapping
But I still had some more time free, and Jackie asked me to do plenty of sewing for the two of us as she's not able to sew at the moment, so Jackie - I made a whole load more! These are grey with red zips and red lining . . .
. . . for a whole load of colleagues at school!
I think it's safe to say I'm happy doing zips now!
Wednesday 2 December 2015
Tuesday 1 December 2015
Bags, Bleugh, and Boring
I've been making some zippy bags for friends, it was fun putting bright zips and lining with black fabric
There is some embroidery on the bags, but it didn't photograph too well - gorgeous Jewel colours though
I haven't done much else either IN the sewing room, or TO the sewing room in the last week or so as I've been feeling bleugh - cough, cold, temperature, not sleeping. . . generally yuck! And when I have felt up to doing something I've been trying to reduce this pile of shirts waiting to be embroidered
let's hope it's successful and I don't don't spend the next year growing it out!
Monday 23 November 2015
Weigh to Go
We do a raffle, and every week we used to flaff around looking for somewhere to put the money and the tickets, so a while ago I made two drawstring bags
My consultant's line manager saw them and asked me to make her a set too
And could I make a set of weights as well?
The idea is that if someone is despondent that they've only lost 1 or 2 pounds in a week they can pick up the appropriate bag and realise how much less they are carrying around - they add up to a stone, so I made a 1 stone bag too - and, now that I've had to carry it all to the car for the meeting, I'm feeling much better about my weight loss, flipping heck, 14 pounds is heavy!!!!
So this week, if you'll excuse the pun (which only works in the UK), I've made pounds, I've earned pounds, and hopefully I've lost a few as well!!!
Sunday 22 November 2015
Woolly Weekend
But let's compare them to the ones that Jackie knitted for me
I think *one* pair can go to the homeless, and the other pair I'll carry on using in the car every morning, you don't need me to specify which pair is which do you?
Another woolly wonder - the girls pulled Alice's hood (snood? Cowl?) down yesterday, and discovered even more attention to detail - look at this fab plait,
And look how I often wear my hair!
And finally, my thermofax screen arrived yesterday, so as soon as I clear some other work (preschool uniforms, tshirt for a friend, weight bags for slimming world, two I spy quilts, etc) I want to have a play!
Friday 20 November 2015
Weekend, Workroom and WOW!
My new workroom is almost finished. I still have lots of Lisa's stuff in here as she's decorating her 'new' room, so mine should get better, but here are a few photos for now.
Although the room is bigger I've got less storage as there is more low level stuff rather than to-the-ceiling stuff. I've gone for a standing workbench so I don't need to plan in space for a chair. I spend much of the time at school slumped at a desk, so this may improve my posture too!
And this (rather gorgeous) fabric arrived today, wrapped around my WOW.
Actually that's wrong, it was wrapped around my