2019 Wk 51 - a day in my happy place

I actually had pretty much a whole day to sew on Thursday - unheard of!!!

And my extra fabric from Janet Clare arrived too so guess what I did!!!

It’s all cut and speed dated, the pieces are mostly joined into strips, and I am loving it!!! The (few) free motioned pictures are included, and the fabrics are all chosen to remind me of my father, the family holiday cottage south of Bergen, and Bergen itself.  There will be enough fabric left over to make a smaller one for my step mum too

And Luna clearly gives it her seal of approval!

This was supposed to be the last Christmas pressie - a bag for the tiles for a favourite game of Lisa’s

But then I got the urge to make rope bowls.  I hadn’t made a totally scrappy one before, I’m really happy with the result.  Niki can use it for bathroom stuff,  food or rubbish!!!

And then I made a much subtle one for Lisa. I’ve bought her a crochet pattern and the wool for Christmas and I think this will be a good size basket to keep it all in.

What I don’t understand is how they decide for themselves what shape they will take! I swear I made these the same but they came out very different shapes - at the end I decided Lisa’s needed handles too

One of husband’s nieces sent me this pic - I made a sack for her oldest daughter Chloe ten years ago when she was a baby - and now one for the much younger new little sister Olivia

And this arrived in the post from Jackie.  I’m sure the inside will be awesome, but at the moment I’m happy looking at the outside - it reminds me of our “small world” that hangs in my bedroom

Retreat Roundup

I can't believe I've only been back home for 24 hours - the weekend seems to have been ages ago!
We managed some more making- and a few gifts were exchanged. By virtue of working full time and also not having a sewing machine at the moment, mine were mostly bought - but my "retreat goodie bag" was awesome!!

Do look at that hexie needle case - and the other side is blue in the centre, yellow outside!

We got the embroidery machine running and made these for the boys for Christmas. We ran out of time so Jackie has to finish them off!

Hand sewing over a cuppa created these

And a lovely lady from my church knitted a panda for A - It went fine very well!!!!! Thank you aunty Janet!

*** STOP PRESS ***
Jackie has just sent pics of the finished sacks!

Looking good!

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Done in December

How many sleeps until Christmas?  Really?  It still feels like about October: partly as the weather is so mild, but also the time is going past soooo quickly!

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!

Weigh to Go

I've been going to Slimming World for about a year, and I've lost a stone; its not a fantastic weight loss, but I was pleased with it, and it's a lovely group so I enjoy the meetings.

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!!!

Santa's Sacks Sorted

A photo of three more items finished from the lit

And Chloe's sack was also finished, but I guess I didn't take a photo of that.  Carol's place mats have been started: the monogrammed centres have been embroidered.  But there are more new costumer orders that have snuck their way onto the list too - such is life!

So the list now looks like this:

• START 2 Pairs of Patchwork boots 
• NEW Embroider names onto 4 fleece blankets for Debbie
• NEW Embroider initials onto 3 dressing gowns for Phoebe
• NEW Santa Sack for Casper
• NEW Scouts 90 Year badges
• NEW Scarves for Liam and Harry
• NEW Wrap for Terri
• START Nicky's Book Block (Out of Africa) 
• START Janine's Butterfly block (Out of Africa) 
• START Sana's Home is where the heart is block (OoA)
• FINISH I-Spy for Liz
• FINISH Christmas Tree by Candlelight wall hanging
• FINISH Napkins for Anna
• FINISH 12 place mats for Carol
• Batik Square Dance 
• I-Spy for Dina
• Christmas Waistcoat
• In The Hoop Gifts
•  I-Spy for Jane (Chloe) 
• Warm Stars quilt for Philippa
• Christmas sack for Richard
• Christmas sack for Chloe
• Christmas sacks for Liam and Harry

Someone's Stocking

OK, not stockings, but Someone's Sack didn't have the same ring to it!!!

I had a few customers ask me to make Christmas Sacks last year: they thought they asked in plenty of time, but as I was going to spend the first 17 days of December in Australia, I had to tell them I couldn't help, so this year I am getting ready early.

I have changed the design slightly so I can get them prepared before personalising them, so decided to make one for our new Great Neice, so I could photograph it:

So, Dear Santa, this year I have been good, Lucia

But if trouble is afoot, and Santa needs to be aware, the tab can be flipped over:

I have an image of, in a few years time, mum or dad shouting to Lucia "Dont make me turn the tab around"

The Reds are reducing

I've managed to take a few more paniccy red projects off the list on the right, thank goodness, as it's now just 16 sleep until I go to Australia - and I have a girly weekend in Vienna to squeeze in before that too!

To into the "FINISHED" category go . . . 

. . . .An I-Spy quilt for mum's boss's new granddaughter

. . . And Christmas Sacks for one of the teachers I used to work with, and for the nephew and niece in Australia (the naughty / good is only to show the design, not to indicate the Lucy is naughty, or that Marley and Indi are good!!!)

In other news this weekend, Mum finished Lisa's VERY warm wool jumper, exactly to specifications:

• warm wool - check
• mottled wool that mustn't go stripy when knitted - check
• big neck - check
• not the big cable on the pattern, but not plain at the front - check
• long enough to cover her bum - check
• holes about 3 inches from the end of the sleeves so she can put her thumbs through - check

 I think Lisa looks rather pleased with it!

And Niki finished an I-Spy quilt for her friend Jade's new baby sister, Maisie. 

Cheesy grin, but permitted given the great job she has done (and this is the daughter who claims she DOESN'T sew!!!)

Happy 21st Heather

 At last Heather's Black and White and Pink quilt is finished ...

 

The binding is mostly black with flashes of pink (this is the smallest flash!)

And I have hand quilted around the 'H', which could I guess could go at the top instead of the bottom!

This quilt was inspired by Deedrie's Blue Cross quilt - you can see hers [here]. 

I also managed to get the tag done for the Christmas sacks,

And I have helped Lisa proof read a 2200 word essay on "Why does Hobbes contend, “Truth is predicated of words, not things" and Explain why Mill contends “the proposition is not true because the object is placed in the class”, not forgetting Explain why Frege states, “In grasping a sense, one is not certainly assured of a Bedeutung.” . . . 

time for wine :-)

SLIK and Quick Christmas Sack

I have spent the day making Christmas sacks, and found I had forgotten how I made them last year.  I seem to remember having the same problem 12 months ago, so this time I am recording the method, so that hopefully next year I'll be able to get started without having to think it through!

I cut the sack fabric to be able to make a sack appx 14" by 19", and I cut Christmassy fabric 14" by 7"

I attached the Christmassy fabric to the top of the bag about 3 inches down from the top (right sides together) then flip up and press. (On back as well as front)

I attached the back and front of bag together, leaving 2" unstitched at the top (either one seam or both seams depending on whether one or two drawer strings will be required)

I stitch open the opening(s) at the top of the bag, slightly tapering them open.  (Reinforce the top of the side seam several times.)

(I have written this for me, anyone else is welcome to use the instructions, but please feel free to ask me if there is anything unclear)
 

Then the Christmassy fabric can be brought down on the inside of the bag, and stitched with a small hem.  Finally I stitched about 2cm from the top to create a channel for the ribbon

Finally I am going to make a small two sided patch that says 'good' on one side, and 'naughty' on the other, so it can be left as a message for Santa on Christmas Eve!

I have obviously been good, as I received a package from Katy.  It doesn't look very exciting, but it is insubrite (I may have spelt it wrong) which is insulating heat resistant fabric that can be used for making oven gloves or table mats.  Thank you thank you thank you Katy!

My other sewing to day has been sewing some strips from my two-and-a-half-inch-strips-of-washed-fabrics drawer (!) for the block lotto this month.  The block is a sort of technicolour yawn with a black Irish chain thing going on.  Have a look [here] to see some of the others that have been entered.  Each block counts as a ticket to win 35 blocks.  I really love this block, and think I will make one for myself from my scraps if I don't win.  I have started to sew the blocks, but don't have any washed black fabric, so these 'fives' will have to wait to be come 'sixes' then I can cross cut and make the 36 patch blocks