Mummy and Daughter time.....

A friend of mine has a teenage daughter who kindly gave Sophie a Christmas present.  She had a couple of items that she was given over the years but never used.  One of them was a sewing kit to make up four beanie buddies with fabric and clear instructions and patterns.

Yesterday afternoon Sophie and I had a go at making the blue bear shown above.  We did not have any beanie filling but used stuffing instead.  To make her sit up (her because she has pink ears....Sophie's idea) I folded the legs round and added just a couple of stitches to hold it in place.

We are both really pleased with how this turned out and I think that I will take a copy of it to school to use with my little craft group.

The kit said about sewing it by hand but we decided to use the sewing machine to make it stronger.  I stitched up the stuffing gap and Sophie has since found a length of bright pink ribbon to tie around the neck.  We have been able to make so much this holiday, better organised this year perhaps, but I think it is because we have been lucky enough to have a couple of extra days before Christmas rather than afterwards that has made the difference.

We may have a go at another one on New Year's Day as we are staying at home to complete our nice quiet break.

In case I do not see you beforehand.....Have a very Happy New Year!!

It is hubby's birthday tomorrow and we are having a few friends round so it is going to be a bit busy here.....

xx

OPAM November Round-up

I have delayed posting about my November OPAM until after Christmas due to some being presents.  I had a commission to make 8 of the spiral scarves in a variety of colours. It came a a direct result of the Craft Fair I did at the beginning of November.  I needed to get them to the customer pretty quickly so of course I forgot to take any pictures, but they are similar to the ones shown above. I also started several others which were in fact completed in December so go under that month instead.  I only had a couple of sales on my Etsy shop.  I have sold much more in person and my word of mouth than I have on Etsy this past year which I have been surprised at considering the economical climate we are all in.  I shall see what 2012 has in store for me.  I would like to sell more as it help to finance my hobby.

The corsages on the bottom row have been fun to make and I shall show that in more detail in the New Year once I have taken some new pictures.

The bauble decoration was ideal for in front of the TV and I also made some felt ones at the same time, yep that's right no pictures again.  New Year Resolution.....remember to take pictures before giving item away.

Plans are now in motion for New Year, we are having a few friends round and my hubby's birthday in on the 31st December, so another festive/celebration on the horizon.  Honestly, by the time January comes round we are really in need of a rest after two birthdays, Christmas and New year.

Take care

xx

Christmas Swap.Part 2 - November OPAM Too

You may remember a few posts back just before Christmas about a Christmas swap that I took part in.  I unfortunately missed the sign up for Chookyblue's Christmas Swap ....again and Wendy emailed to say that she would be happy to do an unofficial swap with just me.  A very kind offer which I accepted.

We both opened our main swap on Christmas Eve and I sent to Wendy the following.....

Sophie and I made several decorations similar to this one last year and really enjoyed it, so I thought I would make one for Wendy.  Mind you, my fingers were glad when I had finished using all of those pins in!

The main part of the swap from me was......

.... this wall hanging made of appliqued shapes and a layer of organza on top.  I went to a workshop a while back and it was called  Shadow applique.

I also used this style of tree last year for the Christmas Block Quilting Bee.  It is a nice looking tree block and I think it shall reduce it to fit on the tree skirt that I would like to make.

I have already posted about the lovely tree decoration that Wendy made.

It has been hanging on our tree all over the holidays.

Taking pictures on these dull winter days is not good but I hope that the pictures shows you the lovely colours in the fabric that Wendy used for this wall hanging.  Funny how we had the same idea.

Unusual colours for Christmas but I really like them.

This is the lovely fabric on the back of the wall hanging.

I enjoyed sending off a swap parcel at Christmas....anyone remember the Christmas Decoration swap in 2008 or the stocking swap in 2009 that I ran?  Might try another next Christmas if there is any interest.

This also formed one of my November OPAM finishes as well.

I do hope that OPAM runs next year too as I have sat down today and actually written a list of what I would like to make in 2012.  How organised id that!!??

xx

OPAM 2011- Christmas Table Runner

I took part in a Christmas Block Quilting Bee this time last year but due to too many problems etc I pulled out.  I had several blocks so this year I decided to make them into a table mat which I featured in a previous post and today I finished my very first table runner using some more of the blocks.  I was going to make a quilt but felt that several smaller items would be on show and used more.

Our table does open out but so rarely do we do that I thought that making it fit the table for everyday would be a better idea.

I put a poinsettia block in the middle, I have another picture of this but blogger will not let me post it!  Typical.  

The table is usually pushed against the wall so our Poinsettia sits at one end and helps to keep the runner in place.

I made my own binding and for once it went on correctly first time and I used some more Christmas fabric for the backing. 

This has taken several weeks to make and is one of my biggest OPAM finishes.  I can not believe that it is nearly another year gone by.  I hope that OPAM 2012 will run as it certainly motivates me to make even on those days when I feel to tired as I always feel better after a sewing session.  Best tonic sometimes at the end of  the day.

I still have some blocks left so I am going to look into making some mug rugs next.

xx

I am Back!! October OPAM 2011 Round up

Finishes have been a bit thin on the ground this month but I did manage to make some knitted cupcakes for Gina a Fan my Flame.  I used different sized needles to gain different shapes and overall finished sizes.  I simply had to use my single cupcake stand to take the picture.  These have now arrived at Gina's.

The above is my example which I made along side my year 9 fashion group.  I intend wearing it tomorrow.  They are making a small range of corsages using a ranges og methods and fabrics.  We shall continue tomorrow and i hope to have some pictures to show you later this week.

I am sincerely hopeing that November will be a more fruitful month.

xx

Knitted Cupcakes for Pink Friday

On Friday 28th February Gina over at Fan my Flame is going to have a Pink Friday Party in aid of  Breast Cancer and Cancer Research.

The aim is to knit and make as many cakes as possible and send them to her before 28th. My first offering is above.

This is a very simple pattern which I found on the Internet a couple of years ago.  The link and pattern is in my side bar or tutorial links at the top.  I am in the process of moving some things around.

I have stitched them together and added some stuffing inside to give it a bit of body.

A felt base helps to keep the stuffing inside and make the cake stand upright.

If you would like to help pop over to her blog, she has a pattern that she is willing to email you if you leave a comment on her blog expressing your interest.  The post you need to read I think is 12th September but I can not obtain the link for that particular post today for some reason.

These two cupcakes were already knitted but not finished off so Gina;s idea of raising some money prompted me into completing them.

We often organise something at work for Breast Cancer research by wearing pink on a given day, this is another way of taking part.

This would also be a good way of using up scraps of wool left over from other projects.  A spot of easy knitting in the evenings is just what I need at the moment.

Best wishes all.

xx

OPAM 2011 - Fancy Lanyard strap

I have been trying to make a Lanyard for my latest memory stick for most of the summer but I kept putting it off.  Finally. today I used my lunch break to do it.  I need to start using the stick and losing it needs to be avoided.

I used an existing lanyard to work out the measurements for length.  I used the fixings from a broken lanyard  as the clips are quite hard to find that small in the shops.  Recycling is always a good thing anyway.

New memory stick and recycled fixings.

Looking to see which fabric I could use to make the strap I noticed that my collection of cross grain ribbon was not only the right width, but  plus strong enough not the snap.  I settled on the one shown above.

Even though the edges are already neatened, the ends taken through the clip need folding in and pinning.  I then used the old lanyard to work out how much I needed and then cut it off the roll.

Using straight stitch, secure the folded ends of the newly cut ribbon using a sewing machine or firm hand stitches.

 May be not a particularly creative make but certainly a very useful one!

My table runner is still glaring at me as I have been very neglectful these past two weeks, I thought Friday evening I could cheer it up by progressing a little more with it.

Hello to the few added followers who have joined this site.  I shall try and pop over to see you if you have a blog etc.  But for now, Hello!

x

WIP - My first Table Runner

I have collected some Christmas theme blocks over the last couple of years.  Via a swap and a quilting bee.  Enough to do something with but not enough for a quilt, which I doubt I would use. 

Being a part of OPAM 2010 and 2011 I have been visiting Peg over at Happy in Quilting a lot and seen the lovely table runners that she makes.  An idea began to take shape.  The two blocks above are my creations.

 The block above was made my Carol as part of the Quilting around the World Bee.  It has been appliqued and fitted in with all of the other blocks.  I am going to make this my centre block.

I had added some gold thread as part of the applique so I decided to add a little gold machining on each of the blocks.

I stitched all of the blocks that I felt went together and it will fit along the dining room table with a block hanging over the edge at each end.

I have two more blocks to add gold thread to and I have some thin wadding to quilt it on to.  I just need to find some fabric for the backing.

This is my first WIP for September and I intend finishing it this month.  Last Year I got to New Year and realised that I had not made anything festive at all!

I will post the finished item when it is done.

Many thanks for the lovely comments for the August round up. 

xx

August OPAM round-up

No matter what I do I can only seem to make 5 or 6 items per month for the OPAM 2011.  Above is a collage of my makes for August.  Admittedly they are much bigger than some items made in past months and therefore took longer.

Top left is my crochet and flower loom cushion which I am sat next to as I type this and secrectly my fav due to the lack of crochet tution, a bit of a surprise really.  Then my patchwork cushions which are over on the sofa and are standing up well to two cats and a child.  Then there is my new blue felt diary cover for my work planner.  Due to the fact that it will expand to twice its size over the coming year I just stuck the panel onto the front of the dairy.  An actual cover would not stretch very well.

Finally I have the flower corsage from the Mollie Makes Magazine which I really enjoyed putting together with a few modifications.

I am pleased with this months efforts and tomorrow is my sewing group night, so another make for September is in the pipeline.

Many thanks to the 15 new followers who have joined over the past month or so.  Plus those who take the time to leave a comment.  It is nice to now that I am not rambling to myself and your views are helpful and encouraging.

xx

Crochet and Flower Loom Cushion

I will confess to staying up last night until I had finished this cushion.

This is the first round item I have crocheted and regular readers will know that I am trying to teach myself.  I made this up as I went along and experts may well spot mistakes but on the whole yours truly is a bit chuffed with this!  I started by looking on YouTube and found some clips showing how to crochet in a circle.  I was going to make some dish cloths. I used 100% cotton wool and kept crocheting.  I was on holiday so I could not buy any more as I could not find a wool shop.  I decided to stop once the circle looked right on a chair.  began the back and then.....ran out.  So the back has to colour rounds added on the edge.  I like it.

I then waited until I got home to carry on. 

I did start to crochet some flowers but saw my flower loom and changed my mind.  There is a tutorial for using a flower loom if you have not tried it before.  Glover make a range or buy a child's flower loom kit (I did this to try it out and then my Mum gave me her looms)  They are ideal for making in front of the TV in the evening.  Thank goodness for CSI Miami/New York/Las Vegas!

You need plenty of loops and then careful stitching together so that it does not fall apart when it is taken off the loom.

I thought that it needed perhaps a bit more detail on the front so a few hand stitches in wool using french knots and chain stitch were added.  I decided to make each section look different.

I crochet a flower to go on the back.  I am going to make some more of these.  I used the instructions featured in issue three of Mollie Makes, so not my usual pattern,I did get a bit muddled.  I like the final shape, it just took a bit of doing.

My projects are usually fairly well planned but on this occasion the thought of needing a round cushion pad had not registered with me so I had to make one and I think that it could have been a bit bigger.  I needed to really stuff it out but I think that more width was needed.

Many cushions go flat with use (in our house anyway) so it will take a bit of time before this cushion will meet the same fate!

So, using two not entirely identical circles, a cushion pad that is not quite the right size,some way of putting it together was needed.  I stitched and stuffed the cushion pad but did not stitch up the opening.  I then pinned the two crochet circles together.  A bit of fiddling about was needed here.  Using wool and a 4mm crochet hook I decided to literally crochet the cover together using single crochet.  I used green wool for this.

Then before crocheting the gap up I put more stuffing in the pad to really try and make the cover fit better, then stitched up the pad and crochet the rest of the cover opening.

Swapping to pink wool and edging was needed.  So using pink and 4mm hook again I chained 4 and then popped the end into the 3rd/4th chain along to give the loop.

It looks better with just this bit of edging.

This is not perfect (I am not even sure it is entirely round) but I really am pleased with this.  I actually enjoyed the "what shall I do now" approach to this cushion, in fact that is what made it one of the most enjoyable things I have made for some time.

What next?

Well, I did buy a pattern from Sarah London to make a Granny Square tunic.  Definitely a dark winter evening project.  Also maybe another woollen item where some embroidery an be included.

I am off to find the ideal spot for my new creation.

xx

Patchwork "Flower" cushions are finished........Amended title

Amendment:  I am a twit!  I have another cushion on the go but these are clearly patchwork NOT crochet cushions!  Sorry about that, I was writing two posts and got myself in a muddle.  The crochet cushion needs a bit more stuffing then I shall post it here. 

I did start these cushions before I went away on holiday.  On Wednesday I went to my sewing group to finish them.  I wanted to make something brighter and with blocks and stripes of colour.  The sofa is a green and the pink and white blends in with some other features in the living room.

I used cotton quilting fabric and a simple flap opening at the back.  The covers needed to fit the cushion pads that we already had rather than buying more, which I am trying to avoid.

The top one was made a couple of weeks after the other two so it seems to be a slightly snugger fit(?) not sure why but no one here noticed when I brought them home!

I am really pleased with the way that they have turned out.  I simply planned them as I went along.  I wanted them to be simple and not too fussy.  Blocks of colour with a little bit of patchwork.

These are quite large cushions at 18" square each.  Nice duck down ones which have lasted and lasted, well worth the money when I bought them 5+ years ago.

There were two smaller cushions on our sofa but I have decided to see how we go with just these three as the other two often ended up on the floor and not used on the sofa.  They could always go on the futon in the attic. 

I have two more projects cut out and ready to roll.  Only about a week to go so I had better get my skates on as work for net term is now filtering through already!

xx