Italics and Cherubs and Frogs and Spots

I have had a fairly productive weekend

despite Trixie thinking that behind my sewing machine

was the ideal place to make her bed for the day!

She doesn't look happy at me taking a picture of her!

 

Anyway ... I decided to make two more drawstring wash-bags

- and as usual I decided to make them at the same time!

 

 

 So I used some lovely fabric with italic writing all over in the form of bills, receipts, postcards etc and picture of cherubs and stamps ... I love it!  I chose a muted salmon pink with a gold streaking across it and some beige striped fabric to go with it, along with a dusky pink lining.

The second one I had some pink polka dot fabric with frogs all over which I matched with pale green polka dots and a pale apricot shade with cream spots all over to line.

The Italics and Cherubs sewn up ... just need to find the right ribbon for the ties ...

(I keep my ribbons in a huge Cadburys Chocolate Drink tub - and believe me when I say it's full!)

A rich cream wide ribbon chosen for the ties

 

Ready to stitch the channel for the ties and to chose the ribbon for the Frogs and Spots bag ...

 

I found a nice pink striped ribbon - it almost looks like ticking

- which I thought went really well with the pink froggy fabric.

And here they are finished and hanging outside in the sunshine ...

 

 

I particularly like the Italics and Cherubs bag -

I think because I really have a thing for fabric that has text on at the moment.

 

What do you think?  Which is your favourite?

 

And me being me and not wishing to waste any of the offcuts

made some lavender bags out of them

 

 

This picture above shows them just before I hand-sewed the openings up.  Which I did whilst watching Parenthood (I love that film!) with the family last night.

 

Adam was sat next to me and said he wanted the frog one because in his words "I like pink!".  I said that I'd made them to go in The Crafty Phoenix unit at The Emporium in Yeovil, but I would happily make him one - and he could chose his own fabric.  So off he shot (well limped as he's hurt his leg somehow when he was at his dad's) and brought back some purple fabric he'd found on my worktable.

 

This morning I picked out a couple more fabrics - just to give him a choice before I went ahead and made his - and he went for the football fabric.  Here he is - happy with his new football lavender bag ...

 

 

See how early I got down to making it - he's still in his dressing gown! 

Actually that doesn't really prove it's the early hours as it is now nearly three in the afternoon

and I do believe Adam is having a "dressing gown day" today!

 

 

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Becoming The Bag Lady

I do seem to make quite a few bags!

I thought perhaps I should change my name to The Bag Lady...!

I have finished a bag today that I can't show you fully for a while as it is for a swap on www.ravelry.com and I don't want to spoil the surprise.

But here's a little teaser ...

When the bag - which is on it's way to the USA today - has arrived then I will show you the other pictures!

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Bright Summer Flowers

Today I have finished one of the other projects that I had on the go at the same time as the Hare cushion and the floral cushion.  This one is using the same fabric that was the dog draught excluder - really bright summery flowers.

How bright is this fabric!



  

Finding the brightest other fabrics to put with the flowers ....

Planning the layout ...

 

Front and backs sewn

 

 

And quilting round the flowers to give them some emphasis ...

 

 

Made a long handle - long enough to be an over-the-body bag ...

 

With a magnetic bag fastener (my first go of using one!) and bright yellow fabric lining

 

Ideal for a taking to the beach with your book and bikini in!

 

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Hare today ... gone tomorrow... (hopefully!)

Do you remember me giving you a little teaser the other week?  In case you did forget, here's a little reminder ....

 

The good news is that I have now finished the project I had planned for this piece of patchwork and I am really pleased with the result. 

 

Here's a few "in progress" photos ...

 

The backing - nicely ironed and ready for embellishment

Trying to work out the best placement of my hare

 (who is already mark#2 as the first one was too pale!)

 

 

Hare's positioning chosen ...

 

I must tell you this little snippet ... I had placed the hare in place and my eldest son Luke came in.  I asked him what he thought of my hare - only to have him looking intently at my head of hair!

And then to stitch the outline on the machine ...  (I was so proud of this part as it went just right!) 

 

 

Can you tell how proud I am of myself?!  I had to take a close-up!

 

 

And then onto the background machine stitching - I wanted it quilted (there's wadding behind) so decided to do wavy lines across with little tussocks of grass at intervals ...

 

And finally fully lined and all sewn up into a cushion cover

Looking rather good (even if I do say so myself!) 

 

I do love it when a plan goes well!

 

 

Mr Hare is now in situ in The Crafty Phoenix Lady unit at The Emporium in Yeovil. 

 

Hoping (or is it hopping?!) to find a new home very soon! 

 

 (Although I must admit I'd rather like to keep him for myself...!)

 

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It's a very flowery day

I have been juggling again!

Over the past couple of days I have had not one, not two, not even three, but four projects on the go - and that's not including the crochet blanket I work on in the evening!

I don't know why I feel I have to work on many things at once, maybe it's so I don't get bored...?  Perhaps it's a way of stretching my brain ...?  Could it be just the Gemini trait ...?  Wonder if I just like starting new things ....?

That last one is definitely something I am working on.  I really must finish my UFOs!  At least now with having The Crafty Phoenix Lady at The Emporium I can craft to my heart's content and with no guilt at all ... because I'm WORKING!!!

Anyway, enough, babbling and analysing, lets get on and show you my flowery projects of the day (these are just two of today's!)

I would not say that I'm a really "flowery" person.  I like flowers but I'm not a mega floral girl!  I do, obviously, have one or two floral fabrics within my stash, but certainly not loads!  In fact when I had this idea to use bright summery flowers I was actually hard pushed to find enough.  Thankfully I managed to find four that I felt quite well together.

Digressing slightly - does anyone else save the selvedge?  I keep seeing these super projects on the Bermuda Triangle of Pinterest that I really think I should have a go at using selvedges.  So, I've started cutting mine off before starting a project so I'm now building up a little collection ready for another project ... one day!

I cut 5 1/2" squares out of the four fabrics.  I actually had an idea to make a bag - but when I started sewing together I realised that the squares were too big and it would end up a mega bag - so it evolved into a cushion!

Work in progress.

 

 

And both sides of the cushion which is lined and has a zip opening.  I went for a random look.  Something that doesn't always sit right with me - however I had to go with the amount of squares I had - so it was a pick and mix put together!

 

All I have to do now is find a cushion pad large enough to fit it!

 

And then, of course, I have some scraps left over and I cannot bear to let anything go to waste (especially fabric) so I put them together and made a lavender sachet ....

 

 

All I need to do tonight is sew the opening up and then it's ready to pop along to The Crafty Phoenix Lady's unit on Thursday!

 

 

 

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