2018 Wk 15 - chocolate and creating

Do you know that feeling when you need a hug from your BFF but she’s too far away.  Well the best alternative is an unexpected squishy containing a paper hug AND a zippy pouch, AND fabric AND chocolate!  Love you Jackie xxx


In the afternoon I was teaching at a Chertsey Museum - a little out of my comfort zone!  Mixed media notebook decorating!  We used wooden and card shapes as well as fabric shapes, ribbons, buttons and lace.  They were all stuck down and then painted black with gesso.  Once that was dry it was over painted with a metallic paint (red, purple or turquoise) and finally some elements were highlighted using silver, pewter or gold wax.

Some stage photos: such a dramatic difference between stage 1 and stage 3
  
And some comparison photos showing how much difference the wax makes
 

And finally the other creations



A good day eh?

2018 wk 5 - class prep

I actually got to turn on my sewing machine today - woohoo!!  After I’d finished the meeting minutes and helped Lisa with her tax return I ignored the big boxes of uniforms to be embroidered and cut some fabric and sewed it back together!!!

Sooooo therapeutic!   I made a sample twisty thread catcher.  It’s not finished so I can show the ladies the various stages


I also did some painting!  I’m teaching a class later in the year where we’ll stick fabric and fabric related stuff onto card, paint the whole lot with black gesso (?) and then add a thin layer of bright colour (I’ve got purple, red and blue) then add a little bit of metallic wax (pewter, bronze and mother of pearl) to highlight the raised textures.

I expect it has a name in card making circles, but “painting” is all I can give you, apart from photos



Nice result but only just fabriccy (and the black gesso is like tar - sticks until you can eventually peel it off hands, jeans, cutting boards (!) etc) but the ladies want to try so we will

The one where I started a Birthday Bag

I think I posted a pic of some fabrics I got for my birthday - some fun rainbows in dots and solids and a pack in greys, teales and beige:

These fabrics called to be a bag for me - becuase I really need an new bag, and I have nothing else I should be sewing at the moment (as if)
So I made the outer with two zips on one side, plain yummy fabric on the other

And the inside has one zip pocket

and three slip pockets

I'm not sure about the remaining FQ for the strap, so the bag will have to wait for a while until I can get it finished but it is making me very happy just to look at it!
And I did get some things ticked off my to-do list - today nephew asked for his company logo to be embroidered . . . on a baby's vest!

And two ladies at church got confirmed last week so I made them both a cover for their bible - with our church on the front

The to-do list had got to 14 items, and I'm down to 6, so at least that's better than 50% done! The worry is how much will be added on before I get to take some off next weekend!

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Saturday Sort Out

Today I've completed a few things in the sewing room:

I have finished this quilt for a very good friend who is leaving school

It is hand quilted, and even labeled!!!

 

And pre-loved by a cat!

I made gifts for two staff leaving the other school I work at

 I cut all my new fabrics into 8" squares for I-Spy quilts

And trimmed the left overs into 4" x 8" for Brickwall I-Spy quilts, and pieces suitable for my I-Spy hexagon quilt AND the selvedge edge quilt that is under long term construction!

Phew!

And then I went to play at Crafty Church - those pics will follow another day!

Books and Bunnies

Last Thursday I taught an adult education workshop in the evening.  I wasn't sure how many would come as it was enrolment on the night and the local authority hadn't advertised it much.

I put it on the Windsor Parents facebook page, and the Hive office (Military and Community information) put it on their facebook page . . .  and we had 11 ladies wanting to come!!!!!

They all worked hard

 and we had nine fab book covers finished by the end of the evening!

Well done ladies

And I've been making Easter Bunnies again!  This is another recommendation from the lovely Plum (the notebook are her instructions too).  The bunnies originated from Urban Threads - they are called Giving Bunnies, and you can read about they and the random acts of kindness they support here.

These are being made for the assorted great nephews and nieces as Easter pressies - the first batch are ready:

And I'd like to make some more to leave for children to find over Easter

Binding, Book Covers and a Blanket

I've not done much sewing recently - I'm trying to lose weight and as an incentive agreed with Niki that I wouldn't cut into new fabric until I lost 4lbs!

The cars fabric had been cut years ago, so the rules allowed me to make them, and two have now been finished, just a bit to go on the third binding:

And I could make book covers from scraps, so they were allowed - and anyway are samples for a work shop, so were exempt from the rules

At tonight's weight in I've finally lost the last half of the 4lbs, so tomorrow I can start on a new project!!!!

Lisa however has finished a project - her friend Ryan is modelling her granny square blanket!

Well done Lisa! Xx

Gifts from Girlfriends

Isn't it lovely when people give you *exactly* what you would have bought for yourself?

I met up with three girlfriends a few nights ago, and received two fab button mugs:

And a hand made hexi sewing travel kit -Jane, you are awesome!

I've nearly finished making gifts - thanks to Plum's fab tutorial I have made just a few covered notebooks for Santa to distribute on the day!

Chertsey, and Christmas

I had a lovely afternoon with the ladies at Chertsey Museum on Friday. We were making book covers - some used the results from last month's transfer painting, some used fabric, and Denise used a piece she painted herself.

Most are being finished at home - I'm really looking forward to seeing the finished items next month

Meanwhile I've finished sewing together the blocks of a Christmas quilt.

Inspired by these fab blocks that Nicky (Mrs Sew and Sow) has been posting, (great colour combos) and this Christmas quilt from Carla at Grace and Favour, (and half price FQs from hobby craft) I have made this flimsy :-)

 It needs basting and quilting, but it *might* be ready by Christmas!

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Pressies needed, Pronto!

After an early start ("taxi" service to the airport at 5am) I planned a relaxing morning before meeting friends for lunch . . . lunch for a friend's birthday . . . Sue's birthday . . . Oh flip flops, no pressie!

Inspired by people I admire, I made a notebook cover for her, and for another of the girls who's birthday is next week.

The instructions for the cover come from Plum,

the elastic for a pen came from Jackie,

and the rainbow design came from Kathy

So I cut rainbow fabrics into 1.5" strips

Joined them, and cross cut into strips

Bordered them with some sketch fabric, and cut to size

added the sleeves, and stitched and turned through

Two birthday pressies sorted in time!

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Selfish Sewing

After another long day at school I came home tonight and actually sat in front of my sewing machine!

In between sewing more trousers for the school play (dress rehearsal on Tuesday, we're not ready!) 

and making covered books as a thank you to the mums that have helped 

I actually managed to sneak in fifteen minutes of selfish sewing !

I've started randomly joining strips from the aqua/ teal/ turquoise/ brown and white FQs given to me by Lisa and Jackie

Only in pairs so far, but it's a good start!  Gorgeous gorgeous colours!

Another 14 alarm clock mornings and the madness will be over for a while