New Look!

OK I was getting fed up with the look of the blog - that brown and beige was beginning to look a bit dated. So I have been playing around with different colours. I'm still not sure I've got it right so there may be more changes yet! Bear with me! And please feel free to comment and tell me what you think!

In the meantime, this is some fabric that I have been working with from a friend who bravely commissioned me to sew it up for her! It is being turned into another fleece backed quilt and a curtain pelmet style hanging. I love the colours but the fabric is a complete pig to work with!

I think the colours look much nicer against this new neutral background, don't you?

Crochet Purse

Well my little crochet purse was obviously a hit! It sold after being on Folksy for less than 24 hours - in fact it was 15 hours between me posting it and it selling! So I've been crocheting like mad to do some more. They are actually quite easy once you have the pattern in your head! And I have loads of this crochet thread to use up - it's good to find a use for old things! And this is the last piece of this coloured silk, so future purses will be very different!

Mum in law's quilt

Is finished! And I love it - hopefully Mum will love it too! She is in hospital at the moment, but getting better and hoping to be out again in a few more days. We will make the drive 'oop north in a couple of weeks and take her the quilt as an early Mothers Day present.

Wool, fabric and new makes

I've been bitten by the crochet bug just recently. I normally sew in the dining room, but it is so cold, I've been confined to the lounge where I can sit by the fire. Trouble is I still get itchy fingers, and crochet is ideal. I enjoyed making beanie hats to sell on the craft stall last year, so have been searching for other things to make. I've found several sources of inspiration. One is this blog: http://attic24.typepad.com/ Lucy makes the most scrumptious crochet and she has a real eye for yummy colours. So when I saw this wool, I had to succumb. I don't know what I'm going to make with it yet, but it will be something along the lines of Lucys work!

I also spotted this chunky yarn, Twister by King Cole. Again I love the colours and am thinking of using it for some more hats.

The boys bought me a crochet book for christmas. Essential Crochet, by Erica Knight. Lots of lovely projects to inspire me! I've already made a cushion cover, but that is for another day! It was this that caught my eye - cluster stitches used to make a fairly firm fabric. The book pattern is for a lingerie case, but that was too large and time consuming - and I much prefer quick! So I adapted it, made it much smaller, and dug out some vintage mercerised crochet cotton that I unraveled from an old bed jacket many years ago.

Lined with a scrap of recycled, patterned silk.

Finished with another scrap of silk and a vintage button and vintage press stud. I'm rather pleased with the result and it will go into the Folksy shop and out to the craft fairs in due course.

Finally (I think I've spent enough money this week!) I found this fabric in the sale. With easter on the horizon, I can see some chocolatey aga top pads and pot holders coming out of this!

New fabric, new bags and quilt progress

Look at this yummy fabric! I bought it from a french seller on ebay. There are 3 fat quarters of the blue chicken fabric; 2 each of the small chicken panels and one each of the large panels. What can I make with them though! I might just keep getting them out to look at.

This was from the same seller. It is a lovely, thick, tapestry weave fabric. I know exactly what I'm going to do with it though. It's going to be a cushion cover for my lounge!

Two green bags made as a special order for a friend: the dark green one was fabric rescued from a charity shop, and the lighter green is recycled, vintage Laura Ashley.

Progress on Mother in Laws quilt. I just need to add the fleece backing now! It's looking very pretty.

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Aga Top Pads & New Patchwork

When a friend talked about top pads for her new aga, I had to have a go! All these pieces of chicken fabric in my stash have been crying out for a kitcheny make! These are the first ones to go into the Folksy shop. I love this fabric in soft greens and creams with it's pretty chicken and egg design. I've used the insulbright wadding inside so they are good and heat resistent. And keeping to the recycled theme, the reverse is plain cream recycled cotton and the binding is hand made from recycled fabric.

My husband was moderately impressed with my last quilted fleece and commisioned one for his mother. I have to say I am impressed, he isn't normally known for inspirational gift ideas, but this is definitely one of his better ideas. So I chose some pretty soft greens and lilacs that I think (hope) Mum will love. I've also sourced a lovely soft lilac fleece for the reverse. I tried the colours in several different patterns, but finally settled on this one. Just need some border fabric now!

Purple Rain Tote Bag

I love the colours in this bag - plum with touches of red, mustard and green.

I only had enough fabric to make two, and used up the surplus chintz to put a couple of appliqued leaves on the fronts and backs. I don't know why, but the colours reminded me of a wet autumn - hence the name!

I have loads of this slub silk/polyester fabric, and it makes a lovely bag lining.

Happy New Year! (and finished quilt)

First of all, let me wish everyone who has visited this blog and all my lovely customers, a very happy and proepeous New Year! Thank you for all your encouragement over the last year - I've thoroughly enjoyed myself and hope you have enjoyed the things I've made!

I really put my new sewing machine to the test yesterday! I finally managed to finish my quilt. It is a bit of a cheats quilt - machine pieced and backed with fleece rather than wadding and a backing. But I wanted something soft and cosy as a throw for my newly decorated lounge

I used the bag method to attach the cloth to the fleece, sewed the two pieces right side together then turned them right way out; top stitched the edges, then quilted a large pattern. I'm very pleased with it, it is thick and warm and I love the colours, they are so me!

Mended Machine - New Makes!

Well! I rang the supplier about my machine and lo and behold, it was because I hadn't been threading it properly! How embarrassing!

Anyway, here are some bags I made from my recent mega fabric acquisition. There are some beautiful fabrics in there, the hard part is finding which ones go together! But these three were quite easy to make up! The first one in Antique Rose. The top is a gorgeous floral chintz in late summer/early autumn colours. And it looks just perfect with these fabulous deckchair stripes in cream and plum.

Another pretty floral print, this time teamed with a lovely, thick beige chenille - Briar Rose


Another favourite - I love this Vanessa Arbuthnot print of feathers in raspberry pink. I think it goes perfectly with this lovely, winter white, thick chenille. I couldn't think of a better name than Feathers for it!

These bags were all put onto my Folksy shop in the last couple of days and a very lovely lady bought all three!!! I have enough material left to make another one of each (two more of the Feathers one), so keep your eye on Folksy if you like them.

I have loads more to get on with, but you will probably have to wait until after Christmas to see those!

New Machine - New Makes

My new sewing machine arrived yesterday - a Janome MC4900QC. It feels lovely to use - solid and smooth. I've had a play with some of the features - overlocking and monogramming.

The boys will be delighted - a soft, fleece hat and scarf with their name on and plenty of Thomas the Tank Engine.

Only problem now is that I think I've broken it - it did all this, then decided to start knotting the thread. I can't seem to resolve it, so it's a call to the supplier tomorrow. Aaah! Not a good time for getting things repaired, or for being without my machine!