A Vintage Sewing Box Story

This story shows what a big thoughtful softie my Hubby is and that men do listen and remember even if they do not appear to be doing so!

April 2014 Hubby and I went away for a few days to Burford  in Cotswold's.  We have been there before to stay over night when I used to travel up country to attend meetings to mark GCSE Textiles papers.

There are several antiques shops there and after years of looking for a Vintage sewing box I finally found one.

I had just been given an Outstanding by Ofsted and was looking for a "Well done me" treat but felt that this was too much so I walked away and never thought about it again.

Then  my birthday came along 8 months later and guess what?...............

On one of Hubby's many trips to Grimsby as part of his job he had made a detour to Burford and bought the above sewing box, hidden it in the house ( and there are not many places that I do not go due to cleaning etc).  Everyone knew about it apart from me and they all kept it a secret!

I already had a few items that I had been collecting over the years in the hope that I would find one but a few bits came with it.

The items above I already had except the scissors.  They are not all of the same period and even the date of the box is questionable but I do not care, I love it.

There is a little fold down pocket in the lid.

It came with its own key which still works.

The padded sections reveal compartments underneath.

These two items came with the box, a pair of scissors and I think an awl.

There is a tray which lifts out and there is space to store other sewing items.

This is a tape measure (which still works) that I have had for years.  Now some of these items do have bone parts which s people find unacceptable and I do as well, these are old and at their time of being made it was acceptable.  There are things we do now that the future will not like such as landfill. Sewing  is a part of History that I find interesting and the small size of some of these sewing tools must have made using them quite fiddly.  

I doubt these are of the same era but I have had these for years and they are now stored in the bottom compartment.

I love wooden cotton reels and the labels that are attached.  So much more attractive than the ones we have now.

I found this in February.  Any ideas as to what it is?

I thought it was a compact to start with.

A vintage mini sewing kit with pins and needle which opens up when the catch is undone and folds flat and shut when you shut it again.

Very clever.  I found this in Lostwithiel for any Cornish readers.

I hope to gradually add to this over time, it links to my interests and job plus the enjoyment that Sophie and I get out of talking about this box.

So many thanks plus hugs and kisses for a Hubby who really did go out of his way by hundred of miles to surprise me with a gift like this.

I was quite speechless on my birthday and this is probably the most thoughtful gift I have ever had.

So, some men do listen and remember.....................

xx

I need to get back in to my creative stride........

Despite having spent the last 9 months frantically drawing, painting, stitching, creating and basically drowning in a pile of fabric I feel that I have run out of creative steam!

I actually do not have anything to blog about which I am finding a bit unnerving after having this blog since 2007.  I only have one submission for OPAM this month and I am now in a position where I can now make anything I want and I am at a loss!!!

So my bloggy (is that a word?) friends do you have nay ideas of what I could have a go at which will help me to get my sewing mojo back as I seem to be a bit lost at sea.  Having had such a strong focus for so many months I feel like I have had my teddy bear taken away.

I am keeping calm but the Sew On bit is not.

I have really loved to course I followed and I have learnt a lot and once I get all of the work back  shall go through it with you all.  Might be of interest if you are considering a textiles course of some kind.

Well of to take a look at my fabric and books.................and find some inspiration..

xx

Embroidered Sewing Kit OPAM 2012

A few weeks back I posted about finding a marked out piece of fabric that I must have done years ago 

and decided to finish it.....

Well, after having to think what I could make the small panel into (as this bit was not really thought about until AFTER I had cut the edge fabric.  Why did I do that?

Anyway..

This is the front with added flap and fastening.  Then some random free machining to  add texture.

A little iron on flower that I found at the bottom of my sewing box.  I normally do not rate iron-ons very much.  However, this is a really good one!

Plus a "Sew a little Happiness" label too.

I made a little pouch to go on the inside back cover to hold small items such as crochet hooks, tape measure etc.  

I still need to add a few more things, such as a small pincushion, labels for different types if needles and possibly a scissors pocket.  However, I wanted a follow up post to the embroidery one as it did say that I had plans for it.

I am in the process of developing this to make some for the new website.  As you can see it is quite big as I want to be able to take it to my embroiderers guild classes without having to take half of my sewing room. with me.

I shall be back with pictures of the additions once they have been completed.

It has been a very long week and the weather has been soooo unpredictable. Sun? Rain? Boots? Shoes?   Basically, whatever I had on .....it was not the right thing.

Heyho!  ballet run tomorrow as hubby is working away.  Then I think it is Mummy and Sophie time.

I love that time.

xx

This is also one of this months OPAM 2012 finishes.

We visited Craft 4 Crafters..............

We visited this show two years ago and it was not very big but we were not that impressed by it.  However, we decided to give it another go.

We were not disappointed at all.

There were some stunning quilts such as this one called Mandala.  The shapes and colours are fantastic.

Up close was probably the most skilled machine embroidery I have ever seen!  The accuracy and detail was amazing and this quilt must have taken hours and hours to make.

This was quite a small quilt but has sooooo much stitch and bead detail on it!  I hope you can get the true sense of this from the photograph.  The background appeared to have lots of free machine embroidery.  Gorgeous.

This quilt also has a lot of detail machined on the background and a lovely colour scheme.  I like Blue. 

I really liked this quilt, it has a very fresh look about it.  Each square has a pansy cut and appliqued on.  Must have taken ages to cut out all of the pieces!

At this show I wanted to look for some particular things and Felting was one of them.

There was stand for Bicton College and they had a demo on wet felting making.  The above picture is a final piece created using wet felting.  It looked even better in the flesh.

Lots of fantastic work and several sketchbooks which I would have loved to take pictures of but could not.

Each sample was very unique and must have been brilliant fun to create!

Additional fibres and yarns have been added to this sample which adds even more texture to this piece, which is actually quite large.  Some of the yarns you may not want to knit a jumper with but here they look just right.

A very enjoyable day where is was able to get some supplies, including some Sizzix  Bigz Dies which I have been struggling to get my hands on.  Even Ebay has not been much help.

Have a good week.

xx

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

Quilted Christmas Table Mat

Here is one of my makes this month.  It is a Christmas block made from some scraps left over from taking part in the Around the World Quilting Bee last year.  I decided to make something really simple so I quilt the front onto come wadding.

I used gold embroidery thread and free machined at random all over the outer boarder of the block.

A bit of red for the seasonal touch.

I backed the mat with this lovely fabric and the colours went well with those on the front.

Finally, I added some bright red binding around the edge to neaten and to help keep the shape even.

Voila!  First make for Christmas, it will probably go one the coffee table in the living room.

Next on the sewing table is a table runner.

More on that next time.

Tomorrow we are going to the Eden Project in the evening for Children in Need.  Some of the youngsters from our school are going to be singing as part of a massive choir from around the UK.  So watch the One Show from between 7-7.30pm to hopefully catch and then I am sure it will feature here and there during the programme on BBC 1.

If you live abroad, you may be able to find it via the Internet.

Have a good weekend.

xx

A rainy day in Seaford

Today we woke up to a very wet Seaford so we have decided to postpone our trip to London until Monday.  I did go on the British Museum website and spent ages looking at it.  If your child has a project to do over the summer go to their website it is brilliant.  One of the reasons to for going is that Sophie is going to be studying the Egyptians at school in September.  I remember doing this at primary school and started an interest in History which sadly did not last as this and many other areas are not studied at GCSE.  I did History O'level and I have to say (ashamed really seeing as I am a teacher too) that it was very boring.  Government laws etc.  I wanted to study Kings and Queens, the Vikings and Romans etc.  But it was not to be.

Due to the rainy day we have had a quiet day.  I did brave the weather for abut an hour as I nipped out to buy the new issue of Mollie Makes, more on that another time, and to look at the charity shops which are very good here.  I got completely soaked but the allotment did need the rain.

Sophie was very good about the weather and read a book and looked at the Internet for the BBC children's programmes.  So to lighten the day we headed off to Eastbourne and watched Cars 2.  I have never sat in such uncomfortable seat in my life and everyone was fidgeting but Sophie enjoyed the film and we have just had a lovely Chinese takeaway.  It is still raining but should be bettter tomorrow.  We are off to Ashford to meet up with a friend that I have known since I was about 4.  We keep in touch but have not met in person since our wedding in 1998!! 

Due to our lazy day I have been able to read some more of my current read and the next one is sitting in my suitcase just in case I get time to start it as well.  I also managed some sewing but Ray, one of the cats, had other ideas and kept making a grab for the thread so in the end I read my book with Ray asleep with me.  Very relaxing.  Both cats have been brilliant considering they have not seen us for a year.  I will try and get some pictures for you.  They are truly splendid cats.

Once I have posted this I am off to do some crochet and sewing in front of Disney's Nemo.

More on my visit to Ashford tomorrow.

xx

Mollie Makes Issue 1

I realise that this issue has been out for a while but if you have not bought it yet or seen these magazines then you might like to pick one up when you next see one and have a flip through.

It features all things handmade and lots of ideas.  I have not subscribed, which is an option, as I already subscribe to Sew Hip, but I will confess that I have not missed an issue yet.

Sophie wanted me to try the apple cosies so that she can take one into school.  It is a crochet pattern so it may take some time.  Has anyone else made these up yet?

What initially caught my eye was this lovely little fox made from felt.  I have recently bought a little book on how to make felt creatures ( I will feature that another time) and he is really cute.  The fact that there are templates/patterns and instructions too are a bonus.

Many printers had copying facilities now or if they are 100% already then I like to trace them off so as not to cut up my mag.  Greaseproof paper for lining cake tins is a good thing for this. Comes in a long roll and is not too expensive.  There are several sets of patterns and when yo think how much books and patterns can be £4.99 may not be so bad once a month.  I do not smoke, and only drink a little.  I do not go out a great deal (crikey this is not sounding good is it?) and I tend to keep magazines like these so it is worth it to me.

Plus lots of lovely photography and up to date releases from designers such as Amy Butler.

So far each issue has had a kit on the front that the first issue had a felt mobile phone case.  My hubby has had to update his for work so I have been given his old one.  It is tricky to use, it clearly has more of an IQ that I do but I have promised to try and learn how to use it over the summer.  Anyway, this kit would fit it perfectly.  You have templates and you cut out the pieces following the instructions.

 I did change the appearance of mine to suit my taste, I did not bother with the circle of felt behind the bird as I did not feel that it needed it.  I also machined the two halves together to make it stronger.

I also added a small black brad for its eye which was not in the kit and used matching embroidery thread to put the bird on the front.

I enjoyed this little kit and the felt was quite think and plenty of it.  I had some left over to make a simple keyring if I wanted.

Well worth the money, it is printed on thick good quality paper and it is different to many of the other craft mags on the shelves at the moment.

My other issues are at home as we have arrived in sunny Seaford this afternoon, so hopefully some posts of what we are up to and places to visit should you come this way.

Have a good week.

Do not forget to join in with the GO fabric cutter giveaway.  Click on the picture at the top of the blog to go to Little Cottage Comforts who is hosting it.

xx

Creative Zips - Students work

This picture did not want to cooperate so it is at a funny angle but never mind. These are pictures of the accessories that the students made during the work shop. They had no idea what they were making until they turned up.

I bought a special pot of buttons and I did not know what type or colours there would be until it was delivered. The students loved them, all the colours that I dislike really, but I think that might be due to my age! They do finish off the centre of the flowers.

Some were attached to headbands, some were attached to clips or badge pins.

There were three different shapes of flowers to have a go at.

The loopy flower, which I thought they would find the hardest, actually turned out to be the one that they found the quickest to get to grips with.

It was a new concept for them and they were very good in that they went along with it. Once I had shown them the first one they went off and had a go and went out at lunch time with a handful of different items.

I shall show you how at the weekend. Been a busy week again and today I have had my letters printed for a big trip that I am organising in the Autumn term. Lots happening.

xx

Accessory Workshop - Part 1

My trusty TA and I had made it to Friday of our workshop week and the day would consist of making as many little accessories by lunch time as we could. Some students were back for a second time, some for the first time. There were both boys and girls in the group but not as many as the other groups had been. First, was a good old key fob. I had a template already planned out and we kept the construction simple and several students made at least two of these.
They chose from a range of fabric available. Some of the finishing was not quite straight etc but they made them completely by themselves and several were surprised that they could create something so quickly. Smaller classes are the answer but unlikely to happen in state schools.

The split rings were really useful especially when someone forgot to add it when stitching across their key fob. All was not lost and it just twisted on. Another crisis diverted.

A stock of camouflage fabric is definitely a must even though I had other more masculine fabric in my store, lads still go for this fabric more than any other. It was nice to see that several of the students made a second one for Mum or Dad.

The boys went to make some sweat bands with the TA, which I did not get a chance to photograph, and the girls made some fabric wrap around bracelets. I adapted this idea from a project featured in Sew Hip magazine. Sorry, but there are a couple of mistakes in the instructions which I followed when making up an example and I had to alter the measurements too. I shall show you my version next week here as it would be fun to use up those long thin scraps of fabric. You will need some poppers too. They were pleased with these but the need to adjust to fit your own wrist was ignored a little so some were a bit big, but better than cutting off your circulation!

Some decided to use fabric to match their key fob.

We then went on to make some hair accessories which I shall show you tomorrow as I have a headache and need to hit the hay to get rid of it.

Many thanks for the lovely comments about Sophie's ballet achievement.

See you tomorrow.

xx