Small catch up

Ok Iv not managed to get my laptop totally working yet so I can only post the odd bits from my iPod.

This was the first full item I made in the new flat. I fell in love the single girl quilt and decided to try one block first to see if I was able to do it.

It was perfect for this, Iv had the wooden bar for 2 years and Iv never worked out what to do with it. Very fitting and works perfectly with this single girl in the entrance of my new flat.

To follow soon, recent clothes Iv made (and in the process of making) recent quilts n sewing projects Iv mastered. And photos of the flat.

Hope you are all well and glad to see me again.

Technical Glitch: Service will be resumed shortly

Hey guys,

Sorry for the silence for so long. Anyone would think I had been sent to Coventry!

Anyway, I am pretty much all settled in my flat now (last piece of furniture arrives tomorrow) I will then of course be taking lots of photographs of my new place

You are going to be some very lucky people to also see some photographs of things I have made recently - particularly to fill the gaps in my new home.

Hold on to the seat of your pants cause this ride could become a little bumpy!

See you again very soon,

x

In hiding

Just so you don't think I've disappeared off the face of the earth, I promise you I am still around however I'm in the process of moving house.

I'm going to have an attic space that will become my sewing room!!!!!!! I'm currently sooo excited. The move is soo close now and I don't feel ready. Will post pictures when I get settled in.

xx

MMM Item 1

Right I have decided to partake in Made by me March '11. Having joined very late, and not sure that I actually have that many clothes to wear. I thought it was best I got in both feet first as it was and make something for work.

I'm always annoyed in the morning that I cant find a pair of trousers or something when I dont have legs for skirts. Or that I have nothing brown to wear. So I found this pattern (while actually looking for a blouse pattern)

Its a womans weekly (magazine) pattern, there is no date on it at all but as far as I can tell from the fashions its probably mid 80's. The item I made was the trousers from view D. I had to make quite a few alterations (if I left all the pleats in after cutting the fabric out I think it would have been tooo detailed. So I took the one in the middle of the waist band out. They aren't actually sewn on the pattern but I figure that would make me look even more pregnant than I already do (even though I'm not)

The waistband wasn't working at all so allow me to wear these as high waisted trousers I removed the waist band and hemmed the top.

I also had to cut quite a bit away from the bottom of the trousers to get them to suit my length. Does anyone else find a height problem with Me made clothes?

Next project will be the top that comes with this pattern, and maybe the dress (shorter one) but with straps.

Make up Roll

Well this project has been on my mind for exactly 7 weeks. Since I realised that I get frustrated in the mornings searching in my brush make up bag (a free-bee from the make up shop, and yes I have two make up bags, one for brushes one for make up) for the correct brush.

I realised although I had picked fabrics out 7 weeks ago to make this that the stumbling block was with the fabric I had chosen although I loved the fabric I originally chose I was afraid of cutting into it.

I won the fabric that I used for the outside months ago on a giveaway. I fell in love with this print ages ago but have been keeping it for using large scale. Most things I make I like to piece pretty small, when I found this fabric again this evening I realised this was the fabric I NEEDED to make the roll from.

So pleased with how it turned out. Also learnt a few things along the way including more basting required for things like the folded fabric. I would probably have put the binding on all the way around, but quite like the cutness of it not being there on the pink rose (seen above)

I have also put on binding by machine, which I have never done before, and would probably only do for little projects like this as I struggled slightly but was really exciting to try.

And finally a thanks to my housemate who lent me his white box to take the photographs in!

Teaching a friend to sew

OK a friend approached me the other day telling me she is going ski-ing soon but doesn't have a case for her goggles. Having a love for making things I said it would be a breeze for me to make this for her.
All credit to her she asked if she could have a go at it herself with guidance. Well this was a little challenge for both of us as I didn't have a clue what to do, decided to go about making something similar to a pencil case with a top opening.

She choose the fabrics and I LOVE it!! Especially the square on the end of the ribbon pull.

Here she is looking very smiley, a very hard working student. (we are both teachers). Massive congratulations!!!!!!

Happy New Year and BOM

Well I guess i Had better jump on the band wagon and wish you all a Happy new Year.

I'm sure many of you have noticed the BOM in my sidebar recently. This is by little Miss Shabby called Birdie Stitches.

I got really excited by this bring both embroidery and quilting into one project so I whipped straight on the internet and ordered a jelly roll and plain fabric.

I've been eyeing up Bliss by Moda for ages and guessed at Kona Solids Aqua. When it arrived it was perfect, and this morning Little Miss Shabby released the first BOM.

I LOVE IT!!!

A Christmas Affair

OK this is really unusual for me to post so often, I'm sure this will stop again soon (or I will force myself to blog every other day for the next 2 weeks)

I realised I needed something Christmasy to wear to work this week. Loving the hair band that I made I whipped some christmas fabrics out and some matching buttons.

Exactly the same process as the previous one, I played around with fabrics that I have. I have never liked the fabric with the girl on before, but being almost fussy cut so that there is only one she looks gorgeous, I think it really tones the hair band down from the crazy christmas look.

Proof that I am wearing it. I love the green button on the "vintage" style fabric its a heart shape, perfect for this time of year.

If you look closely I also have a bell on there, at the top of the green suffolk puff. I brought these last year and didn't really know what I was going to do with it. I love it on there, thankfully though it doesnt actually ring too much unless I shake my head hard.

Hope you like todays creations.

Will be back tomorrow to show you todays dying attempts, not sure if its a sucess or failure yet, its slightly patchy!

First Ever custom order!

I'm am sooo pleased about this. I have been putting it off for weeks and weeks.

A student at school came to me asking if I could help her with a christmas present for her little brother. She gave me strict instructions that it must be a green bib with a giraffe on it and be fastened with Velcro.

Boy do I feel I have delivered!!!

Thinking back to previous things I have made I feel that applique is something that I've never afraid of! this is a really complex shape that I wasn't sure I would be happy with.

I've surprised myself by choosing this brown fabric for the giraffe, it was something I had in my stash but I've no idea why I had it. When I saw it I immediately thought GIRAFFE!!!!!!

I totally love this and hope that the girl who brought it does as well. What do you think?? How much would you be willing to buy/sell this at?

This Week

Wow I dont know what happened this week but the sewing bug has really taken hold!!

I took my students to the Clotheshow in Birmingham on Tuesday, theres a brand new area there where you can try making different things.



I loved this in about 3 hours I made:

• A knitted Brooch (having never sucessfully knitted before)
• A phone case
• A sewn brooch
• And did quite a large amount of shopping

I managed to build up my fabric stash, mainly with Japanese fabrics. I've never seen such an abundance of these in one place in person. Had to have. Thank god I ran out of money is all I can say!!!

It was a real special occasion taking my students on their and my first school trip. They love it when I make my own clothes so I whipped this little number up especially for the day (Have worn it twice more already since Tuesday)The pockets and the ties on the dress are all removable. A nice simple denim dress that I can easily customise for different occasions!

Original 1960's pattern that I was kindly given by a little old lady who was having a clear out!Another purchase at the Clotheshow was a kit all made up from The eternal Maker they also have a blog which is really worth reading.

The only clear photo I could find of the head band

(while being made)

I loved this kit and again all my students commented on it (and slightly embarrasingly 3 Technology teachers that saw it decided to touch it) little awkward moments!!!

I love this and think I might use the pattern again to make a few more.

Few other activities gone on this week but I'm sure most of you are in the same situation that they are all christmas creations!

All for now!

Baby quilts

Ok I have been working on some treats last week. I only had 2 recipients in mind when I was making these how ever I got carried away and made a third because I had the fabric in my stash.

I think photo's will say everything I need.Girl'sBoy'sSpecial quilt for a little lady who is ill in hospital

They were all backed with the same fabric (IKEA)

Backing

The pink one was for a little lady called Daisy so its quilted with a Daisy instead of being signed.

My Brothers Birthday....

Ok this sounds a similar post to the previous one...

I fell in love with this fabric at the Knitting and Stitching show back in October, I've not seen this fabric since then (until today on someone's blog).

I wanted to go really simple for him, didn't want to make it look too girly if you know what I mean.
It was going to be single until he decided that he wanted to live with his girlfriend, figured it should be double bed sized.

As this was also partically for his graduation I always really wanted to applique a cartoon doctor on the back (this is what he has just graduated for...) However, I didn't think his girlfriend would be very impressed with this.

Sorry the photographs weren't much better, they were taken at 8am the morning that I was giving him them, yes as usual I was sewing the binding on the night before...

My Boss'es birthday

OK this possibly sounds a little bit late. My boss Sally's birthday was in March (I think) I made her a small collection of things for her newly furnished sewing room she had just finished before her birthday (and yes I am very Jealous!!!)

This was the small collection of bits, including a scrap fabric bin (only for the table top, please remember any quilter has a massive amount of scrap fabrics)

The Purple thing you can see is a shop brought letter S (for Sally or Sewing) to put up on the wall in her sewing room.

Two very cute "elf" houses, in red and white, very clean looking. And they look amazing on her black fire place!!!Here is an up close of the fabrics used for the scrap basket, she loves cats!!!

I also made her a tissue holder for her handbag from the fabrics left over from the basic, would you believe I must see it every week she carries it everywhere!! (for some reason I can't get Blogger to put these pictures on)

All these patterns have been taken from the sewing calendar 2010, I love so many things in there, had to spent about 48 hours trying to decide what I wanted to make.

Later I will show you another birthday present that I made. This time my brothers and my Dad's...

Finishes so far this year...

OK I can't believe that we are already into May!!!(well tomorrow we are away)

Was discussing with one of my students the other that that I should probably write down somewhere everything that I have finished this year...

In no particular order (as much as I can remember now)

• Linda's 50th Table runner
• Nan's birthday present
• Draw string bag(from the sewing class)
• Cushion cover (from the sewing class)
• Dad's birthday quilt
• Mum's mothers day present
• 4 table mats (for charity)
• 2 wall hangings (identical - one for me one for charity)
• 3 swap blocks

WIP List!

Ok this one is likely to be just as long....

• Mothers day gift for a friend
• Red and white quilt
• hexagon quilt (started over 7 years ago)
• Brothers graduation present(and birthday prsesent)
• Blouse

I will be back in the very near future to give some more information about the finished projects and hopefully to show you some more things that I will have got off the WIP's list at some point.

I can't believe how much I have made this month! Its been a mamoth sewing month and I believe my hands had enough of sewing bindings on for charity on Sunday (11 hours straight hand sewing, only stopping for the loo and food)

All the best everyone

Long time no post... (Mothers Day gifts)

OK guys I know that it has been absolutely ages since my last post. I need to start getting a bit more up to speed with blogging.

Since my last post the UK has had Mothers Day racking my brains to come up with something a little different I thought about a table runner (they have a octagonal dining table and its been bugging me for years that they have a mat in the middle of the table that is Oval, it never did go at all)

This is what I came up with, fastest table runner I think I have ever made, as soon as I saw the fabric I knew this was the fabric that mum needed.

Not sure if you can see the stitch I used for applique-ing the Dresden plate blocks onto the top, but I found it on a machine at my local quilt shop that I attend. Its tiny little M's Thought this was perfect considering its a mothers day present (and yes I did fall in love with a machine that night)

Quilting it was a real challenge for me, I have never done free hand embroidery like this before, I wanted to make this a little different from a table runner that I gave my gran for her birthday (you might get an opportunity to see that another night) so I highly quilted the middle circle leaving the edges raw, I love the texture and feeling that this has given!

Vermicelli quilting was needed for the rest of the quilt, and I even managed to quilt the word MUM into it somewhere...

Later I will blog about my Dad's birthday present but for now, I thought I wouldn't give anyone a heart attack by showing them EVERYTHING I have been working on since I last blogged.

What do you think about the runner? Anyone else love the fabrics as much as I do??