Sophie's latest Project

Sophie and I have decided that during the summer holidays we are going to set up a blog for her and I shall have access to it as well.  She is now making so many much more complicated things and using the sewing machine independently.  Sophie has also asked several times about it and I think it could help with her ICT skills and general writing and literacy.

So here is her latest make............with a bit of help as this was her first zip application.

 Sophie found this lovely elephant fabric on a day trip to Lostwithiel.  It has sat in her sewing box for just over a month until last weekend.  An idea began to take shape in her mind, something to carry her art and small sketchbook around in.

So a zip was also needed and luckily I had one just the right size.

This  isin fact the second zip because the first time Sophie closed and opened her pencils case the first purple zip broke!!!! It was a new zip and I had spent time teaching her how to sew a zip in, which she did herself under supervision.  You should have seen the look on her face it was heartbreaking but she never said a word.  I started to unpick it and she said  "No Mummy I will do that and let you know when I have unpicked it"  Unpick it she did as well.  I like zips to be well stitched in so you can imagine how long it took.  So when I found another one and triple checked it was ok I stitched it in this time to make up for the disappointment.

The owl tab was an added extra we popped in at the same time which she found at Coast and Country on the way to Falmouth.

 So after a bit of drama and despair at the quality of today's zips Sophie know has a lovely case for her art materials and small sketchbook which is of her own design.

She is now working on a sock cat.  this is why her own blog might be in order!

Take care.

xx

Quilted and patchworked make up bag

I came home this afternoon determined to actually finish this make up bag which my friend at work ordered a week or two back. 

This is similar to the pencil case that I made her at the beginning of term so I added a Suffolk puff or Yo Yo to show the difference between them.

 A tab to either  pull on to open the zip or to hang it up.

Some free machine embroidery to quilt and add design.

 I added my tabs at either end of the zip which I am so glad that I now do. It makes adding the zip neater and much easier.

 I shall take this in tomorrow and pop it on her desk as a surprise.

I would really like to make some more of these as they are fun to work out what colours to use.

Any way,  must dash as i have some sketchbook work to do for my evening class on Wednesday.

Bye for now.

xx

OPAM August Round Up

Here is my OPAM August round up!

I made a total of 5 items last month.  I seem to have missed off a picture of a basic scissor case that I made.  I found a strip of quilted fabric just the right size.  Folded it into three and put a velcro fastening on it.  Nothing cleaver really, but still very useful to hold my largest scissors.

My favourite make in August has to be this patchwork and quilted pencil case which I have now filled with my drawing and painting supplies.

I am back at work now so I do not know how much sewing time I will have but I always seem to have less time during the school holidays than I do during term time(?).

Tomorrow I am off to my little sewing group and I shall start making another case.  My friend was so impressed with her new pencil case that she has asked for another version to use as a make up bag!

It is nice to be asked to make something like that.

Take care all

xx

A fresh start...........Another Quilted Pencil Case.

It was my first day of the new school year today.  No students, just us staff having meetings end sorting things out.  You really do need this time so that the first day back for the students runs a smoothly as possible.  This will be my 18 year and I really do not know where the time has gone.

I like to make something for my colleague every now and then and this year we meet up again to work in the same Year group.  I decided last week to make her the above pencil case which she can use for any pens or for those that you use on a white board or even storing memory sticks.

Kirsty is a very good friend nit just my head of Year this academic year and she loves Purple!
I made a purple quilt for Kirsty's Wedding anniversary some years ago and that too was in shades of purple.  It was also my first quilt so she was very brave to ask!
So I used the same approach as my out sized version ( I have still not told you why it was so large but I will next week).
Strips of fabric patch worked together and then quilted on to woollen interfacing to add thickness and strength.  This time I added some machine embroidery designs along the seams.#

I could not resist adding some free machine embroidery.  I wished that I had added some to my version....only after I had finished it!

Again, I added fabric strips at either end of the zip to make it easier and neater to stitch.  I am definitely converted to this method of adding a zip to a pouch or pencil case.

I made the final length just a bit longer than one of Sophie's pencil case and then finally a lilac lining.
I think that I am going to have to make some more of these.....
xx

Patchwork and Quilted Pencil Case

Quite a bit has happened this week which is one of the reasons for my absence from here.  Not all of it good but I shall start with something fun.

Just before going on my hols I did start a patchwork pencil case from an idea that I found in issue 21 of Making Magazine.  I have had my eye on this for ages and finally got on with it.

It is ideal for using up strips of fabric.

The above are some of my favourites and I wanted to include the Amy Butler fabric but had to make a join in it, but it turned out on the back of the pencil case anyway.

I also had some very thin denim look fabric which I thought would contrast well with the brightly coloured patterns.

I increased the proportions of my version by quite a bit as I wanted to put particular items in my new pencil case.  I top stitched down both sides of each of the seams as I was adding thin cotton batting to the back of the patchwork to also add a little quilting at the same time.  I decided that interfacing would not be thick enough.

I made an over sized tab to help make closing the pencil case a little easier.  I also wanted to make adding the zip neater.  I have seen on the Internet about adding a tab of fabric at either end of the zip before adding it and I think that you can just about see it behind the zip handle.  It certainly made the whole process much less stressful!

It turned out quite square in the end.

The reason for making the pencil case larger was so that I could use it for paint brushes and my small paintbox and water colour pencils and other arty items.  There is a purpose for all of this but I am waiting for confirmation before saying anything else.

Love my new make and I can see a few more being made but that will have to wait.

Now, I need to get on with finishing a project off for school which starts in just over a week and seeing as it resembles November outside today I do not think that I can justify doing anything else!.

Bye for now.

xx