thornberry

Since I have recently upgraded my crochet tools with two new sets, a set of bamboo hooks and a set of Clover Soft Touch hooks (both bought via eBay), I thought that they deserved a nice new hook roll all of their own!

I think that the outer fabric is by Michael Miller (but I could be wrong); the binding is some of the many metres I made with fabric from Spotlight.

The interior fabrics are a mixture of Alexander Henry’s Birdseed fabric, Moda’s Summer in the City stripe, and the Spotlight floral.  I used a layer of Pellon fusible wadding inbetween the lining and outer fabric.  The roll is based on this tutorial. 

I learned a big lesson while making this roll - listen to my instincts.  I made a one to two hour sewing project into a five hour one.  Voice inside my head says to apply the binding by hand.  I ignored it and tried to apply the binding by just wrapping it around the edges, then machine sewing it into place.  Disastrous - wonky sewing that didn’t catch the binding on both sides.  Time to unpick, stitch by stitch.  Second try - sewed the binding to the outside by machine.  That went fine.  Then while ignoring the voice inside my head that says to apply the binding by hand I wrapped the binding around to the inside and pinned it all into place to machine sew it down.  Finished result - wonky stitching once again that wasn’t all stitched in the ditch on the other side.  Time to unpick, stitch by stitch.  Sit down, watch a movie, and handsew the binding into place.  Much, much better.  Don’t ignore the nagging voice.

I won another bag pattern!  This one is from the lovely Tania at Jet Designs.  She also runs Jet Music & Books, which is where I’ve bought my Melly & Me patterns.

Thanks so much Tania!  She is running another bag pattern giveaway on her blog at the moment, so head over and leave a comment to be in the running.

These patterns arrived last week from Montessori by hand.

I have read through the bag instructions, and they appear to be comprehensive and easy to follow, with plenty of photo to help.  It includes full sized pattern pieces (I prefer this when I buy a pattern) and seems to have been well tested - the bag materials list includes good interfacings and structure.  I’m really looking forward to making both patterns.  Have you gathered that I have a bit of a pattern obsession/collection?  And at the moment many of them are bag patterns!

I did make this doorstop the other day, using the tutorial from Oh, Fransson!

This is the quick and easy version - no nine-patch, no quilting - mainly because I really needed a doorstop!  I love these ones filled with beans/rice/wheat, because they don’t hurt if you stub your toe on them and because Stella can’t hurt herself playing with them.  And they look good!  The feature fabric is a bit of Amy Butler Nigella fabric.

Four done!  Two of these are Christmas presents; the bottom two are for me (yes, I know, I don’t need them, but I do love that chenille and those fabrics).

Although the recipients of the top two cushions don’t read this blog, their mother does - so I won’t show them in all their glory until after Christmas.

But here are the other two!  One side:

And the other:

Once again I used the fantastic tutorial from house on hill road for the zippers.  I prefer to have cushion covers that can be removed for washing.  The vintage chenille is from Jodie, of course, the apple fabric was from Spotlight ages ago, and I think that the fabric with the elegant ladies is by Michael Miller.  Cushion covers are so satisfying to make! 

After all my hard work sewing the algae bag, I “needed” to make something that was quick and easy.  Ta-da - a ruffled skirt for Miss Clare!

The fabric is from my stash (the print is a thrifted sheet) and I loosely followed this tutorial.  She likes it, I like it - everyone happy!

This terrific Melly and me pattern has been on my “to-make” list for a few months.  Now it’s finished just in time for summer!

The fabrics are all from the Summer in the City range by Urban Chicks for Moda.

It’s made pretty much as per the pattern, although it has a layer of Pellon as well as interfacing throughout. 

This is the first internal zipped pocket I’ve done like this - thanks to a great tutorial on the Sew Mama Sew blog.  There is an internal patch pocket on the other side but you can’t really see it in this photo.

And there is the ubiquitous key fob!

I included a base made from fast-to-fuse, but possibly cut it a little too wide.  This bag can hold a fair amount, so the structured base will help to support its shape.  As usual, there are things that I will do differently the next time I make up this pattern.  Anyway, I’ll be keeping this first go for myself!

Today’s project - a couple of cushions for the girls.  Each has their initial appliqued onto them.  One side is vintage chenille (thanks Jodie!) and the other a coordinating print.

If I’d been super-professional I’d have piped the edges - but alas, I currently have no piping in my stash!

The zips are inserted using this fantastic tutorial from house on hill road.  It gives such a nice finish!  I have inserted zips into cushions a few different ways in the past but I think that this is one of the best.

And TWO packages came in the mail today - they’re waiting to be opened.  Online shopping is very exciting!  Stay tuned …

Someone else’s craft!  My non-blogging friend Jane made these fantastic beaded cushions for each of her three girls.

We saw a similar cushion in a shop some time ago.  Jane got inspired, and designed her own!  She used Word to write each name in a large font (part of the challenge was choosing the best font) and printed it off, then traced each letter onto white cotton, leaving plenty of room around each one to applique it later.  She used a mixture of five bead colours and sewed each bead individually onto each letter.  Here’s a close-up:

Once all the beads were embroidered on, she cut each letter out and appliqued it onto the pink PVC by gluing them into place then carefully stitching the base fabric to the PVC.  The next step was to attach the cord trim around the outside, then sew the front and back together.  Turning them to the right side was a challenge, but she managed it!  The opening was slip-stitched closed after stuffing with fibrefill.  It is difficult to see in these photos but the cushions are actually pale pink, the twisted cord trim is light purple, and the beads are a mixture of pink, blue, purple and metallic.

Jane’s girls adore their cushions, quite understandably, and my daughter is pestering me (to the point of tantrum) to make one for her.

Well done Jane!  I think that you’ve done a brilliant job (especially considering that the bead embroidery alone was about two hours per letter).  You should be very proud!

The run of kinder friends’ birthday parties has started.  Clare is off to a 5th birthday party at the fairy shop (coincidentally where she’ll be having her own fairy birthday party in January) in a couple of weeks time.  The dilemma - what to take as a gift?  Mum gave me some fabric recently with nine panels of fairy prints.  So I decided that they could become simple tote bags that we can give as birthday presents.  Would you want one if you were five years old?

One completed - eight to go!  Clare has claimed this one as her own.  The remaining eight bags, which are all cut out with fairy panels fused in place, just need to be sewn up - hopefully this afternoon (if I can tear myself away from reading blogs).  This should keep us in birthday presents for little girls for a short while, at least!  We’re going to tuck a pair of socks inside the bag as a little extra.

These are super simple - a rectangle of outer fabric and the same sized rectangle of lining fabric. Fuse the panel on one side of the outside of the outer fabric and zigzag around the edges.  Fold the outer in half and sew up the sides and bottom.  Turn right side out.  Fold the lining fabric in half, sew up the sides and bottom leaving a gap in one side for turning later on.   Leave wrong side out.  The handles are made from cord; each is about fifteen inches long.  Sew one on the right side of each side of the outside of the bag, each end about seven centimetres in from the side, with the end of the cord lined up with the top of the bag.  Place the outside of the bag inside the lining with right sides of the fabric together, match up seams, and sew around the top, catching the ends of the cord handles in the stitching.  Turn through the opening you left in the lining, sew the opening closed, push the lining inside the bag, press, and topstich.  Well, something like that, anyway!  If you can understand those instructions you probably didn’t need them.  I’ll post a picture of the whole set once they’re done.

And apologies for the photo of washing on the clothesline!

Woohoo, I’ve made something!  A baby tag blanket for Stella.

I’d seen these on the web in various shops, selling for quite a significant amount of money, and thought that “I can make one of those, surely”.  It was super quick and easy!  This one measures about 33cm by 45 cm (13 x 18 inches), has chenille (from Polka Dot Chenille) on one side and printed flannelette on the other.  I used a variety of ribbons to give as much contrasting colour and texture as was available in my stash.

How to make it?  Cut out two rectangles or squares, pin the folded ribbons (mine vary in length from about 4 to 6 inches unfolded) on the right side of one piece of fabric with the cut edges of the ribbon on the edge of the fabric, then place the other piece of fabric on top, right sides together, sandwiching the ribbon inbetween, and sew around the outside.  Make sure that you leave a big enough opening to turn it!  Once turned, sew up the opening, and you’re done! 

These can be made in whatever size that you like.  This one obviously isn’t big enough to be a real “blanket” to cover a baby; it’s a size that she can cuddle up to and play with the tags (because we’ve all seen how babies tend to play with the tags on toys more than the toy itself).  This one will fold up easily to fit in the nappy bag and to be manageable for a baby.  I think that I might pop this one down my top for a couple of hours to get that “mummy smell” into it and then it may be a handy comforter for Stella.

I think that these will go onto my mental list of good quick presents to make for new babies.

Of the crochet hook and knitting needle variety!  Once I started working with yarn, I quickly realised that I had no adequate storage for my hooks and needles.  A little googling later and I had found some excellent tutorials that helped me to make these:

A crochet hook roll:

A knitting needle roll:

And both together all rolled up!

I’m certain that I’ll find it handy to have the crochet hooks separate, as I have an inkling that I am much more likely to be doing crochet than knit.  Although you never know what fad inspiration will strike me next!

I keep trying to figure out where the time has come from to do all the crafting that I’ve been doing lately - I’m possibly neglecting my poor husband and child.  Although I think that it has mainly substituted for watching TV (I’m completely behind on about every program now, so can’t have been watching much) and of course, now that I’m not going to work I have some time while Miss Clare is at kinder.  I do get up earlier than the rest of the household as well.  Does it sound as though I am trying to justify anything?

One of the things that probably makes the biggest difference in finding time to sew and craft is having a dedicated sewing room.  The machines are always set up, everything is easy to find and on hand, I can open the cupboard doors and stare at the piles of nicely stacked fabric for inspiration.  I am even keeping the mending up to date.  The ironing board is permanently set up with iron, pressing cloths etc.  Knowing where everything is has made it all so much easier.