Homemade Happiness

I stitched some rather late gifts for our Threads Across The Sea visit that never was (thank you Coronavirus).  The other lovelies have long since spoiled me with their gifts which we would have swapped in person had we been able to.  I just didn't get my act together quickly enough in my making and when I did, I created another delay by not being sure I liked what I intended to make.  

Cue a little alternative inspiration from the Fat Quarter Shop Floss Tube channel and a root around my long forgotten cross stitch supplies and voila I had plans for these sweet hoops.  Although I've been tinkering with a little blackwork since Lockdown, it has been many years since I attempted any cross stitch.  I used to stitch a lot and it was nice to have a little play again.

There's one for Judith

one for Trudi

and one for Di too.

You can find the Fat Quarter Shop cross stitch pattern here. My hoop is just 5" since I stitched on 18 count aida instead of the 14 count suggested by the pattern, and I finished it with a little lace glued around the outer edge and turned over the lace picots toward the front of the hoop.

I'm really hoping my Threads Across The Sea buddies like them since they're a little diversion from a quilty gift.

Kindred Spirits Quilt Along

 

Kindred Spirits QAL by Just Jude Designs

I am beyond excited to be joining in with Just Jude Designs' very first Quilt Along which starts on Monday 14 September.  Doesn't it look brilliant?  If you fancy joining in, you still have plenty of time to read all about it and gather your ideas and supplies, just saying'.

The Kindred Spirits QAL is just what I need for a little push to refresh and expand some of my skills, since I've gotten a bit rusty.  Over Lockdown I found that SALs and QALs seemed to work well for me at a time when I was struggling to maintain focus, so I think the structure of having a weekly assignment will be just the ticket for the autumn through winter months (runs mid-Sept to end Jan).

At the end of last week I couldn't wait to pull fabrics and get myself all ready for the big lift off.  I decided that since I have so many 30s fabric left over from my abbreviated Dear Jane adventure, I'll use them up for a scrappy version of the quilt with a variety of white on whites forming their own scrappy background.  I'm looking forward to making fabric choices week by week and seeing the quilt grow!

Now, I just have to wait patiently for Monday 14th.  Are you joining us?

Betty Bag Swap

To combat the fact that my lovely Threads Across the Sea (TATS) friends and I have not been able to get an in-person meet-up this year, we decided to join in a little socially distanced stitching by way of a swap. Remember those?

We wanted to make a little something for each other - no pressure, just fun. We opted to test drive Judith's fabulous new You Tube class and make our "secret" partner a Betty Bag.

Of course, I soon discovered that it's not easy to keep the secret of who you are making for when the four of us know each others' tastes so well.  I tried a bluff with this fabric pull - for a partner who likes Tilda? or who likes teal? or who likes pink? Not sure I was really fooling anyone though ;-)  The secret wasn't the main thing though. We were each having fun doing what we love for friends we love, and that's what matters.

It was so brilliant taking a class with Judith again, even if just virtually.  The Just Jude Designs Betty Bag Class is such an accessible watch and Judith has filled it full of tips on how to use your machine, your quilting bar, your zipper foot, so you learn lots along the way as you construct the Betty Bag stage by stage under her fab tuition.

The Betty Bag has lovely features that allow you to learn how to incorporate magnetic clasps, letterbox zippers and top zippers, single fold binding and hardware fitting.  None of it is scary as Judith walks you through it one step at a time, and the beauty of buying the You Tube class is that you can repeat any section as often as you like. I did!

Betty is a cute little bag for times when you want to carry a minimum.  It would be a fabulous holiday pouch to carry a couple of credit cards (see the slots in the pic above) some loose change and your passport or tickets, assuming of course you are keen to travel currently.  Alternatively, it would be really handy for nipping out to the shops with your cards and your mask!

I added a few little zipper tab bling things

and a cute handmade button on the front.  Perhaps I got carried away, but my partner can adapt the bling if required.

My finish was a little bit wonky, so I've encouraged my partner to learn to stand with one hip tilted to take the bad look off it ;-)  This is not a pattern fault, but user error when aligning the magnetic snaps - apologies partner xx

Of course, you'll want to see the one I received too -

The lovely Di nailed it with her fabric choices on this version 

so beautiful

and I love the cute multi coloured zips with those handy ring pulls.

I LOVED sharing this project with my TATS friends and cannot recommend Judith's class enough.  Please do go and get it for yourself.  My advice - watch it all the way through before you do anything else. Just enjoy and follow the process, and then have fun re-watching and making your own beautiful Betty Bag!

Looking forward to a little more TATS socially distanced sewing soon!

Personalised Pencil Case

Little Miss CT starts P1 next week!  

I think with all of the surreal things happening in the world these last months I can hardly believe that it will actually happen next Tues, that school will actually be back up and running. 

School bags are currently disallowed and pencil cases are to be left in school rather than transfer back and forward between school and home. So I'm glad to have made her a special pencil case that is easily identifiable from the others in the class, and of course it meant I got to indulge in all the cute fabric and buttons and ric-rac and embroidery.  Playtime for mummy!

Coasters galore!

As we were deep in plans for our house move in January, I stitched up some tiny hexies flowers with the intention of finishing them as coasters for our new lounge.  

Rummaging in boxes recently I found the hexie flowers again and finished them into the coasters anyway.  We can always use some new ones even if we aren't in a new house.

I love them, especially the little bit of hand quilting I added.  Of course, they are Bonnie and Camille favourites, too.

I made two more coasters for our bedside tables just because I have had the pattern bookmarked for ages.  It's Sedef Imer's Quilted Coaster Tutorial.  They were quick and fun and used up a few more B&C scraps. I made a little change to the tutorial though. Rather than piecing the back of the coaster from two pieces of fabric and leaving a turning gap there, I just used a single fabric on the back and left a couple of inches open on the side of the leaf.  I felt it was a little neater overall, and the topstitching around the edge closed everything in again nicely.

No excuses for coffee marks on furniture in our house now!

Lunch Aprons for Primary School

So, as well as planning for my eldest offspring to head away to university in September, I am planning for my youngest to start Primary School!

Aprons for school lunch!  Some fun polycotton prints from The Remnant House (just £2.99/mtr) and we have hippos, birdies and flamingoes on her aprons.  This is what is known as optimistic sewing.  I am hopeful that wearing one of these at lunch time might help keep her uniform clean for a second day's wear.  Living in hope folks!

Triangles Cushion

I enjoyed piecing a second cushion for DS in July, especially as the HSTs were already pieced and trimmed.  They were the bonus offcuts HSTs from his university quilt.

I made him a cushion cover to go along with his quilt and to accompany him to Durham next month (sob, sob).

I love how the triangles work together in those colours - one of my all time favourite combinations.

All of that science/maths fabric on the front combined with the musical print from Aspen Frost on the back.  One way or another DS hopes to continue with both subjects areas next academic year.  It makes me happy to make for his big new adventure!