I love owls

Hi again,

I thought I would show my gorgeous owls that I popped into my new craft bag yesterday. I made them a few months ago but they are so sweet I want to share them with you.

Here are Hottie and Hoots.




They are from a Whimsicals booklet called Buttons and Blooms. I used some Japanese linen fat quarter fabrics I bought early last year to make them. The texture of the linen makes them look so much more interesting than patchwork fabric alone would do.

The booklet also has a pretty bag I want to make soon...




... How lucky I bought the picture panel at the same time I bought the booklet... oh, and a meter each of some small print green fabric and a pale green fabric with owls, birds and branches. I am sure I can find some other matching fabric in my stash to be able to start the bag as soon as I want.

Until next time
Gillian

Craft bag

Hi again,

I've been away from blogland for a while, busy with real life making things.

The Great British Sewing Bee has been inspirational, taking me back to my sewing machine. I've started with sewing dolls clothes and now I'm moving on to bags and clothes.

Today I completed my Butterick b 5741 multi pocket craft bag.


It's a good size, 31 cm wide, 31 cm high and 23 cm deep.


There are four small pockets, 16 cm wide by 19 cm tall...perfect for a pattern envelope and multiple bits and pieces.


There a two side pockets big enough for a booklet or magazine at 23 cm by 24 cm.


It also can hold an A4 file and a large Plastic tub easily with lots of room to spare. I am so happy with that.

It took longer to make than I expected, mainly because the handles were awkward; thick seams and heavyweight fabric do not go well with curved facing and topstitching. My inexperience means I got impatient and just got on with it instead of pausing and thinking of a better way- I was desperate to finish today.

So on reflection, the good bits- great size and pockets too. A bag that will be useful.

The bad bits- the awkward handle, maybe I'll square off the top and make a strappy handle next time.

What did I change- I didn't use interfacing, I felt the canvas I used was thick enough. It would have been really hard to sew if it was thicker still. I also only had one metre of fabric, instead of the 1.4 m needed per the pattern so had to raid my scraps for facing and lining material.

What will I change next time- maybe change the handles, or maybe not as they do look good. I also think I might use a plain fabric with some bias binding to edge the top and pockets.

The biggest surprise- I didn't like the fabric at first, I originally bought it to make a present for someone with different taste to me. Maybe it's because it just reminds me of British summer flowers, but I just love it now.

Until next time
Gillian

Another lunch bag

I've had fun this afternoon playing around with my sewing machine trying out an idea to make an insulated messenger style lunch bag. I used the last of my gorgeous white strawberry cotton, insulbright and a polyvinyl lining and made up how to do it as I went along.

First I cut all three layers to the same size to make a long thin rectangle. I then layered them with insulbright then rightside up fabric then the polyvinyl. I stitched down both long sides and one end. Next I turned it inside out so the insulbright was between the fabric and the polyvinyl. I then folded it to the desired size with the fabric right sides inwards. I had some fun (=difficulty) persuading the thick sandwich to go through my sewing machine to sew up the sides- several cross words came to mind as it jammed several times before finally I got both sides done (I wanted to stitch it twice to re-enforce the seams but couldn't face doing it again). Next I turned the back right side out and finally turned the unstitched flap edge over and fastened it by handstitching with blanket stitch.

The gorgeous strawberry fabric

I'm pretty pleased with the result- I'm sure there may be better ways to do it, but It worked OK. I am happy with my lunch bag, and know I will be using it soon.

I really hope I can get more of the fabric soon- but in reality this is a summer style fabric so probably the shop I get it from won't stock it again until next year.


Until next time
Gillian

Creations

I've had a busy last few days of our summer holidays. Another day at the beach on Thursday. Friday and Saturday mostly at home because the weather wasn't brilliant. Of course that just gave me time to play and make...


I've gone a bit overboard making cute little lunch bags- just the right size to fit in a small lock and lock box, some crisps and a piece of fruit...

I saw a friend with a bag like this and through trial and error have designed some sweet little bags. They are basically  little tote bags but what I  love about them is that the tops of these bags have one long loop for the handle and one short one to thread the handle through- a great way to keep everything together.

Two loops...

...One handle

Though when I gave one to Sean he very seriously said "Mummy, I think we've got a problem. One handle is too small." - bless him...




He's actually taken one of the bags to keep some small toys in. I'm thinking of making some larger ones and ones with two equal handles instead of the loop and handle design...






My favourite bag is the strawberry insulated one. I used insulbright as a wadding in a straightforward tote shape- this makes it a proper insulated lunch bag. This one I'm keeping for me- oh how selfish!....








I'm also working on two hexagon granny blankets for a crochet a long with Scotti Oxford a.k.a. the Inner hooker on Facebook. I'm using a pattern I found on Attic 24's blog ( this is a great blog- one of my favourites)  at http://attic24.typepad.com/weblog/hexagon-howto.html .


One is in coffee colours. It's hard to see in the photos but the centres are very pale cream, very pale flesh and off white. I find crocheting this one very soothing.

 The other is supposed to look like a field of wild flowers. I'm using lots of leftover wool and trying to avoid any regular repeats- the idea is to be completely random and wild.




Anyway, time to go and do...
So, until next time
Gillian

More knitting

My knitting has slowed down this weekend. A combination of being out geocaching a lot and hayfever giving me puffy blurry eyes... it might seem obvious that I would be better off indoors but I do love going out walking and strangely I usually am not too bad in woodland- I think it is May Tree (hawthorn) blossom that affects me most so that my hayfever is worse in towns and parks where it is more common.

Anyhow here is my latest from the Annette Hefford doll clothes. The first leg of the underpants is done and I'm most of the way up the next.

I was knitting at 6.00am this morning as I work up a bit early and I didn't want to waste the time! - when I wake up I don't always want to even try to go back to sleep if I want to do something...





....some people might think I'm a bit batty!!!

.... or a bit dotty!!!!





OK that's a lame link in order to show off two of my home made sewn softies that my family say are pretty cool. The bat is made from fleece and of course the monkey is a sock monkey. I made them both last year when I was just getting used to making toys again after a bit of a break...

...so many hobbies, never enough time...

Until next time
Gillian