Friday, 7 January 2011

Linen Slim Glasses cases

 Slim Glasses Cases

Made with a natural linen, almost sack cloth like, and I find it a nightmare to sew with, as the open weave makes it stretch, so you start off with the lining and wading and outer casing the same size and end up with 1cm of linen at the end of the row!
Next time I will iron interfacing to the linen to stop it from moving, always something to learn!
Bias Binding slipstitched so no machine showing stitches.

And I am still hunting for that perfect dove grey linen, I just don't seam to be happy with any I buy, they are either far to dark, the weave is too open, or colour to 'linen' or to 'cream', so if anybody knows of some you will make me one happy person!
Happy Weekend.

Kx

Tuesday, 4 January 2011

SMARTIE NEEDLE POUCHES

 Eye candy needle cases
 Tangerine
 Lime
 Bubble gum pink
 Cherry Red
Lined in Amy Butler Full Moon fabrics
Edeged in my Bias binds I sell
And my covered buttons




 All bias binding is blind stitched, so no showing stitches
(I have become a bit nerdy over my bindings!)
 Plenty of room for all you needles and even pins,
now all I have to do is find all my needles around the house, as I have a great habit of dropping them down the side of the sofa and sitting on them, something I inherited off my dad who used to come home from work (he was a tailor) with a row of pins in his tie.
Happy Tuesday, linking this to Fabric Tuesday
Kx

Monday, 3 January 2011

MAKE MONDAY - QUICK JEAN BAG

 Want to make a quick cute jean bag from old jeans.
Follow me....
 Sadly the zip broke on my jeans, and so rather than just bin them,
one of things I am making from them is a bag.
 Now these jeans are skinny so the bag will be a little tote,
the wider the jeans the bigger the bag.
Mine are approx 7 inch across.
 So I measure approx 7 inch down, same as the width, and half again,
Cut. so if your trouser leg is 15 inch flat then measure 15 plus say another 8.
 From the cut top, measure down your 7 inches(or what ever your length is).
Sew across.
 Turn up the jeans, you can iron the seam if you want ...
 Now turn the whole thing inside out, making sure you push the corners out and flat.
 The tricky part is cutting the flat bottom.
You need to line up the side seam on one side with the base seam.
This forms a triangle, pin, measure up from the point, this one I measured 1 inch if a larger bag go for 2 inches. Chalk or pen mark, sew across and then cut.
 Repeat this on the other side, oh and this is not about perfection!
Your base should look like this.
 Flip the bag back inside out and now you have a turn up bag!
 To finish the top, I use cute bias binding from my stash,
 Now you could leave this as it is and use them for storage bags in kids bedrooms or for your cottons, zips, anything! or you can add handles.
 I cut from the jeans 2 x 14" by 2" strips, I think they ended up a little long but you make you handles as long as you wish.
Folding long ways fold the into the middle and fold in half, as bias binding looks, then sew down the length.
I think this adds to the'jean look'.
You could try sewing and turning inside out, but trust me trying to turn under 1" strips inside out is almost impossible in denim fabric!
 Next cut 4 x 2" strips of matching bias binding
 As per the photo, fold these to the middle, then in half and sew one of each on the end of your handles
Take one handle place on bag, I always do handles by eye, not measurements.
Sew the handles on by stching anyway you want on the yellow tabs, a square, an X.
Then repeat for the other handle on the other side.
Add and embellishment's you want.

The mini bag here is perfect for little girls or to carry your lunch.
A larger one will take you shopping on a weekend or down the pub!

Kx

Friday, 24 December 2010

Shhhhh! Listen Santa's Coming.......

Happy Christmas Everybody!!

Last minute table setting.........

Take the number of required baubles off the Christmas Tree
1 pack of blue tack
Torn paper
1 Pen

Blue tack the bauble upside down to the table, write names on torn paper, and slot into the hoop at the top.

See you in 4 days, off to Norfolk for 2 days and Essex for 2 days.
Kx

Tuesday, 21 December 2010

Inside Crochet Magazine - Featured!

My Owl Buttons!!


One of my new years resolutions for 2010 was to get something I make and sell into one of the craft magazines, and I always leave everything to the last minute and so my wish was granted in the last hour (of few!), OK so only my buttons, but buttons all the same! This is inside Crochet magazine, the sister mag to sew hip, and last night attempted for the second time to crochet with appalling results! but now all I need to do is find how many of the other resolutions I made, and how many need to follow me into 2011.

Kx

Sunday, 19 December 2010

Finally.....

 Mums Christmas Present.

My mum was moaning about when reading in bed she gets cold (she can read for hours), and wearing a dressing gown in bed is uncomfortable and bulky, so last month when I picked up a sewing mag (can't remember which one), there was a free sewing jacket,trousers and dress pattern, and adapting the jacket slightly as you can't put pleats in fleece, the modern super soft cozy bed jacket was born, finished with my handmade spotty bias binding and button, for cuteness.

 My Owl Buttons!!

One of my new years resolutions for 2010 was to get something I make and sell into one of the craft magazines, and I always leave everything to the last minute and so my wish was granted in the last hour (of few!), OK so only my buttons, but buttons all the same! This is inside Crochet magazine, the sister mag to sew hip, and last night attempted for the second time to crochet with appalling results!  but now all I need to do is find how many of the other resolutions I made, and how many need to follow me into 2011.

 Bed jacket polka dot button

Bed Jacket Cuff

Happy Sunday!
Kx

Tuesday, 14 December 2010

All I want for Christmas

No! Not one of those short arm quilters,
you know a long arm quilter!
But I don't have a spare few thousand pounds....
 Roberts Radio for my sewing room, but still verging on £200...
One red Pashley British Bike, with a basket, sigh! no change from £550.00

So I'll make do with a bottle of bubbly, some cute flannel PJ bottoms, new slippers and an open fire.
Kx

Saturday, 11 December 2010

Lollipop Candy Cane Pincushions

 Giant Candy Cane Pincushions

Packaged like edible giant lollipops! Felt swirls edged in polka dot bias binding, backed in felt secured with cute ribbons. Available at the moment in bubblegum pink, sour lemon and cherry red.

Perfect to sit in your pen pot, 7" tall and approx 3" wide, make great presents.
And can always be used for child's shop play!

Felt from paperandstring on folksy
http://www.folksy.com/shops/paperandstring

Available in my blondesbackyard shops

Cherry Red Lollipop 
 Sour Lemon Lollipop
Bubblegum Pink Lollipop

Kx