My Housemate the Craft-aphobe!!!

One of my housemate's is something of a Craft-aphobe, whilst she is brilliant at just about everything else, cooking, cleaning, sporting things, being generally lovely, etc etc etc yet, she really does not get the crafty thing, she really doesn't understand me and my other housemate who sew, crochet, knit, quilt etc...
So, when she announced that she wanted to make her Mum a Christmas present...I jumped on the chance...and she did great...she made her this brilliant jewellery roll...
Really simple....just quilted 2 pieces of fabric, using the darning foot and then between us finished it off...

We made a little roll stuffed with wadding for rings...

A felt flap to push studs through

A big pocket for larger jewellery...

Really hoping her mum likes it...I really hope she appreciates the effort Hannah put in..she did a great job, especially with the free hand quilting!!!

other bits and bobs!!!

so I made myself a laptop case for my new Mac Book Pro..it is ohhh soo beautiful, so thought it needed something beautiful to protect it...what do you think?

I used fabric from the same collection for the inside so it went together really well...the quilting too ages...but looks great!!!

Inside pouch for the cleaning cloth that comes with the Mac Book Pro!!!

Tiny Little pocket for the power cable cover!!! (obsessive? yes, too much? NO!!!)

And in other projects...I have started the Christmas cards...they need finishing actually, but will have to wait...I have more pressing orders!!!

This was made using brown paper cards, strings of cotton and small pieces of Japanese masking tape folded over and cut into Bunting shapes...the cotton was then glued in place with a hot glue gun and then covered in glitter!!!

Let me know what you are planning to make for the festive season!!! I love it all...

To Busy to Blog...

Hello...
Again I have been remiss in my blogging again...I have been uber busy...here are some of my latest creations...
Stockings for my god-kids...

Made from strips of christmassy fabric cut to different widths, then pieced at different angles, then felt for the heel, and felt for the top, and then felt for the back...the ribbon for the loop is from my Granny, she bought it when she was on holiday in Switzerland, over 20 years ago, (she was going to make me and my twin sister some Christmas dresses but never did and whilst raiding her scrap box we found it...so now it is mine, it is very beautiful) I'm going to send up some little bits and pieces to go into each of their stockings.

I used the darning foot on my machine and attempted to embroider their names, I think they came out quite well...

Laptop Cover for my Mummy...
it's my Mum's Birthday this weekend and she wanted us to buy her a laptop cover...well...that seemed rather silly seeing as they are a ludicrous price, and well...I can make one...so I russelled one up...used a lovely print, not sure who buy and then quilted it, on my machine, then using the measurements my mum TEXT me...I made a pocket on the front and then sewed it all up...

Then came the very scary moment of sending it to her, without knowing if it would fit...miraculously (or you could say, due to my immense skill...but probably more likely a miracle) IT FITTED!!! YAYYYY!!!
Mum loves it and feels very trendy!!! I ended up using some strong elastic cord, in a loop from the top flap, and then sewing a button onto the front pocket for it to loop over. All in all I think my favourite thing I have made...beautiful yet functional!!!
(sorry for the lousy photos, I dropped my camera on the floor just before I finished these projects, so now relying on my iPhone until I get some money this week to buy a new one)

Busy Busy, not crafting much...

but I have been busy,

little sister got married... some photos to follow,

summer is over,

although the Autumn here is beautiful!!!

This is a block I have made either for one baby quilt, or the start of a bigger quilt...

The tables at the wedding, beautiful apple green was the theme, with apples on the tables with paper leaves as place settings!!!



I made the table centres, vase £2.50 from asda, candle under a £1, 1 stem of Gyp about a £1 and then the hired mirror!!! total bargain!!!



And this is Essie on her quilt...she is exceedingly, extraordinarily, astonishingly, amazingly gorgeous!!!

Blossom Quilt!!!

Blossom Quilt!!!

Another little bundle of joy will be with us soon, so I have made a little pressie for her. Her Mummy and Daddy are very good friends of mine, and it is the baby shower tomorrow. It's going to be a rather classy affair - a gazebo, blankets, cushions, bunting, cakes, food, flowers pressies and a Mummy to be!!! should be lovely!!!
Anyway this is the quilt I have made, 28' square, made from 1/2 squares, with white one side and beautiful prints on the other, creating a diamond quilt, inspired by this quilt from Pikku-Kettu Knits and Quilts.

Quilt top, before quilting

The quilt top was pretty easy to assemble, work out how many squares you want, then, half it and cut that many patterned squares and the same number of white, cut them in half, along the diagonal, then sew them together with a 1/4' seam. Lay them all out to give you the desired pattern, then I just sewed them together line by line, then pieced all the lines together and then ta-da a quilt-top.

Backing of Michel Miller Fabric with a yellow binding

Choosing the backing, as always is a total pain in the butt!!! But...I think between myself, my housemate and the quilt shop owner, we came up with this one and I am really happy with it. Whilst this is a blanket for a little baby girl, I didn't want it to be ALL pinks!!! hopefully this backing helps it not to be!!!

All wrapped up and ready for the Baby Shower!!!

Hopefully it will be well received, I'll try and get some pictures of the baby with it once she is here with us!!!

Eaaaaaakkkkk,,,,been away and very busy!!!

But, still crafting!!!
I went camping in Norfolk with some lovely friends from church and with some great kids...as  little pressie at the end of a long week, I made the eldest girl Tali a little quilted bag...I made it the same way I made the crafting bag for my friend Lucy last month, but I just made it smaller, used cotton binding as the straps and closed it with a button on either side and a piece of cotton ribbon to hook from front to back.

Tali's Bag

And I thought you might like a shot of my tent in the sun. It didn't shine all week, but I did manage to get this shot of my new Eurohike tent, with bunting from my kitchen and picnic blanket from Joules.

Lovely Sunny goodness!!! 

Will post again soon...going to start a quilt for a very good friends baby that is almost here!!! better crack on!!!

Scary Pattern sewing!!!

I am venturing into the unknown with a new project. Fed up of trying to find a Maxi skirt that  looks nice, is made of black Jersey, is Long enough for my 5"11 height yet fits me well, I have decided to make my own. Now I'm not stupid, and I know how one is made, I can pretty much work it out for myself, however, as it is my 1st dip into the clothes making world, I thought buying a pattern would be wise.

The sort of look I am going for!!!

So off to my local Fabric Land I went and looked through their MASSIVE amount of catalogues and chose a cheap-ish, very simple type of skirt. I chose a Kwick Sew pattern and am following the directions!!!

I'm going for skirt A!!!

I bought the prescribed amount of black jersey material, it appears to beWAY too much. But I'm only at the cutting stage, I guess if it all goes wrong I can always make a new one...or a top or something!!! Anyway...photos of the progress and outcome to come later this week, maybe even tomorrow!!!

Wedding Bouquets!!

A very good, and very lovely friend of mine, Ani Smith married Pete Taylor on  the VERY VERY hot Saturday the 22nd of May, in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire. As my lovely sister was bridesmaid and she was back over from America I also spent the week helping out with wedding organising and creating. The wedding reception was in a beautiful hall in an amazing little 'Jane Austin' type village, and so the theme came quite naturally as a country garden party. Complete with many, many metres of bunting, fairy lights, a hog roast, oodles of flowers, garden games, cup cakes, cricket on the village green and vintage tea cups for all the ladies.
For my part, and the reason for the post, is that the day before the wedding, we were setting up the flowers for the tables, when Ani came in, and (I hope she doesn't mind me saying) had a minor meltdown (every bride is allowed an odd few of these) because the flowers she had orders for the tables and for the bridesmaids bouquets were sooooo much nicer than what she had ordered for her own. These were going to be just plain cream roses in a hand tied bunch, but it woiuld have looked very insignificant next to ALL the other beautiful flowers which included AMAZING peonies, cream and antique yellow roses, stocks, anenomes, ranunculus and cornflowers.
SO, I offered to make her a bouquet up quickly to see if it was more of what she had dreamed of for her own bouquet and yes, (with a few more tears) the decision was made. I would make the bouquets for Ani and her 5 bridemaids. Now, I have done this before, my Mum has done the flowers for ALOT of weddings and I have helped her with those, but I am by no means an expert. But I am putting up the photos cause I am really pleased with how they came out, although, it is mainly due to the flowers Ani chose, rather than my skills.
So here it is in detail,

Pink Peonies in the centre, Blue cornflowers, Red Anemones, cream and yellow roses and there are some white ranunculus, hidden near the base!!!

The handle was tied with cream organza ribbon (from a lovely florist shop who SAVED the day) and then some beautiful cream trimming which Ani had bought to go on small jam jars on the tables. They were secured with cream headed pins.

The Bridesmaids bouquets all had a central peonie, and then cream and yellow roses, white ranunculus and blue cornflowers. The handles were tied with cream organza ribbon and secured with pearl headed pins.

Photos by the lovely and talented Mr.Paul O'Connor. Also an old friend, please contact me if you would like his contact details. 

Tri - Quilt finished and ready to be sold!!!

Sooooooooo here she is, my latest creation, I finished her a few days go, but life seems to be speeding by and I can't keep up!!! But I finally bought some binding (actually it was given to me by a lovely lady from the Brighton Sewing Machine Centre because it wasn't quite what I wanted) and sewed it on and here it is...perfect for a cot, or play mat for someone...

Made from 100% cotton, 52x65 cms, machine washable, can be personalised with names and dates...

£25.00 send me an email or leave me a comment if you are interested. 

Patchwork Paper Picture Frames!!!

Hello...it's been beautiful weather here for days and days now...(bit worried it's all the summer we are going to have, so trying to make the most of it), but I currently have tonsillitis, which is rubbish, and I've had a temperature which in 30 degree heat is not ideal. Anyway...this hasn't completely stopped me crafting...
I was looking through a cupboard of odds and ends the other day, (somewhere I put presents, and things that need a make over at some point) and found some plain photo frames, which were nice, I had painted them, but decided I didn't like them once I had. I liked the idea of making them look like a patchwork, (something I had seen on Design Sponge -scroll down to see Lula Aldunate beautiful patchwork effect wallcovering- )

Using this as inspiration I got out some lovely Origami paper I bought when I was in the States and set about covering the frames. I used PVA glue to both stick the paper on and to seal them once stuck. VERY simple and easy to do...

Now they hold 2 lovely but very different birthday cards, one from my lovely friend Lucy from the previous post, she is a brilliant crafter and artist, and makes gorgeous cards and the other by my buddy Obi who was 3 I think when he gave me this card and who LOVES Disney's Stitch. I think they may end up with actual photos in, but I haven't had any developed for ages... defiantly needs to go on the To-Do list!!!

Lovely Lucy's Birthday Bag!!!

The Lovely Lucy and her bag on Brighton beach!!! Oh Sunny evenings!!! 

Well it was my Lovely friend Lucy's Birthday this week, and upon racking my brain to think of something to make her, I decided to continue my recent quilted bag theme, and make her a quilted craft bag....

So I set about cutting 3" strips of almost all my favourite fabrics, and then sewed them together, into groups of 4, then I cut them into 3" x 4 square rows. Then arranged them randomly, joined the groups of 4's, then sewed them all together. 

Squares made from all my gorgeous fabric!!!

From there I just did a simple stitch-in-the-ditch quilt, with a very beautiful backing fabric..., then I used white biased binding on the top and bottom, then, folded it in half and sewed the sides.

I made handles from the inside fabric, triple stitched them in place and then used "cover-yourself" buttons to hide my slightly dodgy sewing!!!

Covered buttons...

What do you think? I'm going to make another one as I have enough squares for another one. Hopefully I will maybe get my shop finally up and running...give me a shout if you would like one...:-D

Enjoy the Sun, it's AMAZING weather here!!!

Busy little Beee!!!

Well, not having a car does seem to make everything take longer and much more time is spent travelling around on slightly dodgy public transport or relying on my ever patient housemate!!! I'll have to come up with a nice gift to thank her for all the lifts and all her driving!!! and for putting up with me when we turn right...(it seems I am going to be VERY slow when it comes to turning right, especially where I had my crash...It will go I am sure - like falling of a horse - you have to get straight back on again!!!)
So, whilst waiting for the new car to be made, I HAVE been busy crafting and making pretty things...2 projects to share with you today...

1st is a new quilt - still in the assembley stage, but getting there...

I used a simple equilateral triangle (it's amazing how Math classes come back to you and words lie Tessellation!!!) I have been wanting to make a quilt which has a large proportion of white in it to really set off the beautiful patchwork fabric I have. Oh I should also add a BIG thank you to Quilt Home for the $20 voucher, I haven't spent it yet, but will defo once I have worked out how to redeem it!!! (see the right side-bar for a link to their site)

Once I had cut out a triangle from almost ALL the fabric I own I then cut LOADS of white ones out and then tried to group the patterned fabric into colour groups...I'm not sure how successful I have been, but I wanted it to look kinda like hexagons, rather than lines of triangles...I guess once it's assembled it might look more clear. So next comes sewing...I am rather hesitant as I'm not sure how best to do this, I guess maybe sewing them into lines and then sewing the lines together...I'll get my thinking cap on!!!
Onto the 2nd project...
My house-mate and I went to our fries local Craft fair last weekend, and are hoping to exhibit at the next one...although it maybe the one after that....soooooooooooooooooo...I was kinda inspired to get going, build up a stock of things which might sell quite well, and here is my 1st batch of bags...I have already shared some of these in earlier posts, but...since them I have given them as gifts and they seemed to go down pretty well and lots of people said they would like them too, so I'm hoping they might sell well...

What do you think? which one do you like the most? I think my favourite is the fuchsia pink is mine...
And whilst making these it seems that I have FINALLY mastered the ZIP!!! it has taken a while, and much unpicking, but I think I have sussed it...not sure if I would be brave enough to attempt it in clothes but I think they have come out OK, some defiantly better than others...
Anyway, onwards I go, more crafting today and tomorrow, I will post more soon,
enjoy the sun!!!

P.S. Just thought I would mention a few local Brighton Links to some of my discoveries for buying crafting goodies...
1 - Just Sew and the Brighton Sewing Centre - come under one website and are over the road from each other...The sewing centre is where I got my machine from and where I go whilst shopping, for little odds and ends, including all the Zips i used to make the bags above...they are always really helpful, smiley and remember you!!! :-D
2 -  Quilty Pleasures - What a brilliant and aptly named shop!!! newly opened in Brighton, I stumbled upon it whilst taking some friends kids to the park the other day...and what a treat, tucked up in a little corner in 7 Dials, a fully functioning Quilt store!!! I am defiantly going back there!!!
3 - Handmade Brighton - this is the group which runs the craft fair bi-monthly at the Komedia in Brighton, please check them out, they also have a co-op shop on St.James street in Brighton!!!
Thanks, sorry this is SUCH a LONG post
XoXo

Hand-tied Bouquets!!!

SO....it is one of my oldest friends weddings this weekend, and due to a few last minute changes of plan and supply problems from the rubbish florist I ended up hand tying 1 brides bouquet and 5 bridesmaids bouquets...

This is a bit of a rubbish picture, but you get the idea...better ones to follow after the day...but this is the brides bouquet and contains 1 peonie, a few cream roses, a few yellow roses, blue corn flowers, red anenomies and white rononculus...all very beautiful and very in keeping with the theme which is 1940's country shabby chic!!!
hope you like!!!

Blogger's Quilt Festival

I love this idea, a bloggers quilt festival from the comfort of your sofa and your laptop!!!





I thought I would share my favourite quilt I have made so far, for my friends Abbey and Mark and their new baby Noah.

This is the 1st quilt I made using my new machine and a Darning foot. It made free hand quilting soooooooooooo much easier and much less stressfull. I guess I should have been smart enough to know the way I was doing it with a standard foot on was wrong, but I confess, it did take me a while.

I really love giving quilts as gifts, I guess because it has taken time, has been made just for them and is unique from all other gifts...Abbey said she would take it to the hospital with her when she had him.

This is my best binding effort too, it seemed to go really well, machine stitched on the front and hand sewn on the back, hopefully it will hold up.