Sewing stuff on todays blog post

Hi everyone and welcome to my little home on the net. Today's blog is about sewing stuff. I enjoy making bags and things but haven't yet ventured into trying clothing. The last skirt I made was whilst I was at school. It looked great, until I picked it up by the waistband and it all fell apart. I didn't go near a machine again for many moons lol 

I bought a new machine a few years back - a lovely little Singer for less than £100 with a needle threader too - perfect. Before the machine had even arrived I had bought a pattern for a hobo type bag (I was so confident that I was going to be able to do it). I had been watching Debbie Shore on Create & Craft and she made me believe that I could do it. The machine duly arrived and within an hour I had started on my very first bag. I am lucky to have an independent furniture shop literally 500 yards from my door and they also do made to measure curtains, so from time to time they have sales of oddments etc & bolt ends (I learnt what a bolt was too lol). So I bought a piece for £3 and created my very first bag - with lining and a pocket too. 

I then went on to make a few more bags of various types, a cushion cover from a jelly roll (I love jelly rolls) and a wall hanging (from the same jelly roll). 

I have made laundry bags, raggedy owls, tooth fairy pillows, make up bags - whatever takes my fancy.

I signed up to a couple of newsletters by email and my favourite has got to be Sew She Can  One email a day and one pattern a day (or the link to where it is at least). I also use allfreesewing.com and again, there are some great links to sites and blog etc etc.

Last year, a treasured client that I cleaned house for sadly passed away at the age of 94 and he had left me some money in his will so I bought myself a new machine with more functions and also a new bike. He would be very proud of my purchases as he would want me to make the most use of my windfall x 

The quilted organiser baskets that I have made a couple of lately came from a link in a recent email and the direct link to the original pattern is HERE  

The blue one is made using the dimensions in the original pattern and curtain weight fabric and the purple one (which I made today whilst waiting for the British gas engineer to come & service the boiler) is made from a Fat Quarter cut in half across the width to make the outer & inner. They are both perfect size for their respective uses. 

I decided I wanted a cafe style curtain for my little kitchen window (thats the kitchen that is little, not the window). I had bought some lovely beach themed fabric and decided it was perfect for the job. I did make the stupid mistake of putting the tabs on the wrong way so when I turned the curtain right side out (it is double sided) the tabs were on the inside -- so out came the quick unpick and the issue was resolved. 

Then it true crafty style and not wanting to waste the last bit of fabric, I made this tote bag. I didn't have enough plain red fabric for the lining but did have 2 polka dot Fat Quarters in matching red & blue so used those for the lining 

I have also started on my first 'quilt proper'. My inspiration to start quilting on a small scale has come from Jenny Rayment and also the wonderful YouTube video's by Jenny Doan from Missouri Star Quilt Company. She breaks things down into simple steps and you say to yourself 'oh yeah, I can see how its done now'. I bought 2 charm packs from Ebay - one in shades of purple and one in white / ivory. I watched Jenny Doan's tutorial on 'half square triangles' and set of making mine. 

I had 3 of each design in both the white & the purple packs which gave me enough for each block. I could have mixed them up but on this occasion, I haven't. 

This is what the 9 blocks look like laid out on my bed. I have since bought some black fabric and will be putting black sashing in-between each block. I have also bought another piece that matches one of the purple blocks to make the outer border. I am not rushing this project so there won't be a finished photo any time soon lol The points on the blocks aren't all perfect, but then what is... and it is my first 'quilt proper' and galloping horses aren't going to stop to inspect them. 

At the weekend just gone, a friend and I went to Hatfield House to the Living Craft Show. So many talented crafters, artists, etc etc and some beautiful finished goods. I bought 4 packs of fabric scraps that had been cut into rough 4" squares. Well at only £2.50 a pack (32 squares in each), it would have been rude not to !!

Saturday evening I set about making a rustic cushion for my sewing chair. 

 Barely any of the seams line up due to the way the squares were cut and not one square matched another one so it is a totally random, rustic, shabby cushion.

And very comfy under my derrière on my chair (I'm a poet and I didn't know it)

The two photos show both sides.

I literally just made 2 squares and sewed them together, stuffed a cushion pad inside and sewed up the seam by hand.

And I LOVE it :-)

So that's it for today's blog post. Hope I haven't bored you to sleep. Hopefully, if you are thinking of stepping into sewing, I will have helped push you over the edge (not the literal edge of course). 

Thank you for stopping by my blog today x