Pins and Needles

I'm thrilled at the response to my first giveaway and at all the other giveaways going on at OWOH - there's so much generosity and inspiration out there :)

I was browsing through the other blogs that have entered over the weekend and I came across Happiness is Cross Stitching. I absolutely adore her little bottle-top pincushions - they have swarovski-like jewels on - what a gorgeous idea! Her pins are fabulous too - sew jazzy!

Anyway I've been in great need of a pincushion for some time...I've been using either this little needlebook or the tassel on my scissors...

Now as lovely as they are I decided a little miniature pincushion for my needles was desperately needed.

Sew this little thing appeared :) just the right size for me here.

I'm also working on a bigger patchwork pincushion...I'm umming over whether it needs a lace trim? I don't think it quite goes...

Oh and i'm also working on some labels that pink penguin inspired me to have a go at here. Sew i won't finish this up until i have a label to add :)

p.s. I know its wonky :( First attempt at patchworking AND i have no sewing machine...great way to use up scraps though

Dangley's

Just showing these again from way back when - they surfaced again this week and received a few interested looks. They're one of jewelery pieces that always get a mention :) I do like them...a few other pairs have been given away as gifts too over the last year. They're a bit raggedy but i quite like them that way. Very simple to do.

I've been studiously avoiding studying this week, instead writing back to sorely missed family members and making myself at home.

This arrived at Christmas too - there are tutorials all over the shop for them and they're so cute on a bedside table or a bathroom shelf. I would definately recommend knocking one up for yourself!

Valentines approaches...I tried my best to be here or here over valentines weekend but that needs months of forward thinking (and booking) apparently...*sigh*

Vintage Jar Labels

I emailed Jessica of howaboutorange a few days ago asking about label designs and she had a reply at her fingertips.

She sent me this link which I adored immediately. Sew beautiful!! I thought they looked a little like the labels you used to see on bars of soap?

I got to work and printed off one experimental sheet which I did very simply with a Microsoft Word application. They work wonderfully see?

The next step is a set of little ones for my spice/seed jars. I think they may take a little longer though. I will have to have my cut/paste wits (and patience) about me.
All that is left to do with these lovelies is a bit of trimming with a scalpel and then some sticking.


Perfect :)

Burlap Totes

This was gift from a friend who works with children, getting them to be part of a business and make things from scratch. This was one of the things they did this year!

The burlap used on the inside is divine - its from Betty's tearooms - its what their tea arrives in! The kids trade recycled things with Bettys for fabrics and other things, a great idea to get people recycling. They collect stamps and bottletops (which once they have the weight of a wheel chair in bottletops, they can actually swap for a wheelchair!) and even glasses and phones.

MummySew got one too...

...sorry its been so long!

But I'm back now! Settled in at uni in cold cold Glasgow. If only we had heating! A hoover would be nice too...never mind.
Thought i'd squeeze a few moments into the busy medical student schedule to pop these up...they'v been on my notice boards for some time now...slowly adding them to my folksy shop too, sew they are up for grabs! Really useful too - uni halls are so drab and these add a bit of fun :)

I've shown you some of these before here... and they sold with surprising ease! I think i've sold 70 heart drawing pins...sew i thought i'd branch out! I have butterflies too but i can't say im a great fan of butterflies...

Anyway ill try to update you on something soon!

*kisses*

Tote time

Mummy Sew seems to have been REALLY busy while i was away! Another pretty thing she finished off this weekend:
She used two old pockets and old buttons, suffolk puffs and bows...and i think its lovely! She found the pocket in a scrap bag that Flossyblossy gave us. I thought using old pockets and straps from old clothes was a wonderful idea!

Possibly going up for sale on Folksy...

Sew keep recycling!

Remember these that i made out of juice cartons? Well i made quite a few (half a dozen :s)...and have decidedthey need a bit of variety.

I have infact discovered that they work quite well as needle cases! Big wow! I quite like them, and my sewing machine survived beating its way through felt and card which spurred me on too.

I tried sewing the felt pages in at both ends, to see which work best.

The one on the left seemed to work better - with the felt on the top hinge, it got slightly in the way of the purses closing. Not drastically but hey. Cute?

And a big thank you to the knackered sewing machine. It keeps plodding on :)

Oh and look what i recieved in a swap recently: part of a stuff an envie swap all the way from Israel! Libat enclosed some very pretty little Ex Libris stickers which i adore...aren't they beautiful?

Sew a Handbag Swap

I swapped one of these bags i made quite a while ago with my Tutor and I quite proudly say she uses it all the time! Remember one of these is for sale over at my folksy store?She recently gave me in return, this gorgeous little thing - isn't it wonderful! I just love the colours :)

Sew a Handbag...

My first usable big handbag!! I used the fabric that i bought in Leeds - from here, and made up my own pattern.
I added pleats - 3 on each side of each handle for a little detail, and a quite a large pocket on the inside. Its also got a calico covered piece of card on the inside so that the bottom keeps its shape. I'm mega pleased with this! Its actually very neat work. It was made to match a vintage dress i bought recently, but it doesn't really go...It will be used anyway methinks!

Sew some glasses cases...

I have recently invested in 3 (yes THREE!) pairs of new sunglasses in prep for holiday times in mallorca again this year. When i say invested, i do infact mean raided charity shops, vintage fair stalls and friendly giveaways...

Anyway, cases aren't normally involved in such investments, and even if they were, they're normally too big and bulky anyway...sew, I decided a make was needed!

Owly motif was needed obviously and a lace trim...et voila!

Note the very snazzy wallace sunglasses donated by a tres generous friend!

Mmm...

Of course, three pairs of sunglasses mean more cases are to come...and velcro/poppers need to be added too!

Just added this to my Folksy store! Added a popper clasp too. I intend to make quite a few :)

Sew use up your scraps...

Mummy Sew has been at it again! She stole my yummy scraps that i made my first set of bags out of and fashioned this:
Its rather funky since she has a different slice of fabric on each side...i like!
And with HER scraps, I made a teeny diddy needle case. Now thats thrifty!

Sew start recycling!

I found a fab little tutorial to make coin purses out of juice cartons! Love recycling so it was good fun! Link

Rather original and surprisingly roomy...

How cute! 2 different types here (the first went wrong and i wasn't going to chuck it after all that folding! so its got a folded in flap rather than an over the top flap).

Sew an owl box...

I attempted a box a few weeks ago - a slightly bigger one than my other ones and made it of 2 layers of felt for sturdiness...needless to say it didn't work! See:

A tad floppy!

Sew, I ripped it up, cut it out again, made it a tad smaller, added sew in interlining aaaand hey presto a box thats stands up!

twit twoo!!

p.s. much prefer the handstitched blanket stitch edging than the machining. Took a bit longer but was good to do while listening to the new Franz album :)

Sew a CD stasher

Hmmmm so I've worked out that if I'll be at uni in Glasgow - there will some serious road trips occuring. Mona (the moaning Micra) has one CD slot and hence I need a CD holder!! Sew I made up this holder for 12 CD's. Quite swish actually I think!


Had to use sheers so you can see which CD's are about and actually I think it'll work quite well. Didn't take too long once I'd got worked out what I wanted. Its not exactly small though so it'll be slightly squashed into the glove compartment!

Sew a gift

Mothers Day arrived today and Mummy Sew recieved one bookmark, a bunch of flowers and one hand made bag! Pattern needs a bit of tweaking but here it is as it stands.
I sewed 2 crocheted doileys onto the pale pink circles of fabric and sewed on my beads and buttons and suffolk puffs and ribbon. I added a chain handle, and another doiley inside sewn onto the pocket. Pops shut with a simple snap fastener :) Mothers Day was a relaxed occasion...a bit of shopping, and saw Nanny! Then we had dinner together - a seafood casserole...mmm... and then strawberry crumble!

Sew some boxes...

Mummy Sew also makes boxes! It appears she's been rather busy recently! She used some rather delicious liberties fabric and a mix of stitch and glue.

Sew a whimsey or five!

Mummy sew has been making whimsey jars while I do my A-level work. Aren't they lovely! She wants to sell them but I've stolen one to use and fill with bits and bobs :) they make really useful pin cushions!

The flash on my camera died last night. Didn't realise how much i use it! I now have to shell out for anther camera! *sigh*

Sew some more bags...

So I made a few more little bags! I have one for a swap with my Tutor and another being sold. Must get on folksy soon. I'm also getting quicker at them. Fabrics not as yummy here but it is what was lieing around! These have two pockets instead of the one :)

Sew a little storage...

Sew...first blog!

First things first I suppose - dragged everything out of the cupboards and attic into a big tangle and immediately decided I needed some storage!!

The first I found on a tutorial by Applehead and adapted. 'H' design works really well, i just changed fabrics, added pockets and handles and hey presto here we are (albeit with a few pins still in!)...


Then I got a little enthusiastic and found another tutorial by crazymomquilts, sew ended up making another set of three...limited only by running out of little quotes for the front.

Odds and Ends
Bits and Bobs
Stuff and Things



Perfect for all my little scraps.
The fabrics I used are cut out of old fabric books - a great way of finding fabric lying about.