2019 Wk 51 - a day in my happy place

I actually had pretty much a whole day to sew on Thursday - unheard of!!!

And my extra fabric from Janet Clare arrived too so guess what I did!!!

It’s all cut and speed dated, the pieces are mostly joined into strips, and I am loving it!!! The (few) free motioned pictures are included, and the fabrics are all chosen to remind me of my father, the family holiday cottage south of Bergen, and Bergen itself.  There will be enough fabric left over to make a smaller one for my step mum too

And Luna clearly gives it her seal of approval!

This was supposed to be the last Christmas pressie - a bag for the tiles for a favourite game of Lisa’s

But then I got the urge to make rope bowls.  I hadn’t made a totally scrappy one before, I’m really happy with the result.  Niki can use it for bathroom stuff,  food or rubbish!!!

And then I made a much subtle one for Lisa. I’ve bought her a crochet pattern and the wool for Christmas and I think this will be a good size basket to keep it all in.

What I don’t understand is how they decide for themselves what shape they will take! I swear I made these the same but they came out very different shapes - at the end I decided Lisa’s needed handles too

One of husband’s nieces sent me this pic - I made a sack for her oldest daughter Chloe ten years ago when she was a baby - and now one for the much younger new little sister Olivia

And this arrived in the post from Jackie.  I’m sure the inside will be awesome, but at the moment I’m happy looking at the outside - it reminds me of our “small world” that hangs in my bedroom

Retreat Roundup

I can't believe I've only been back home for 24 hours - the weekend seems to have been ages ago!
We managed some more making- and a few gifts were exchanged. By virtue of working full time and also not having a sewing machine at the moment, mine were mostly bought - but my "retreat goodie bag" was awesome!!

Do look at that hexie needle case - and the other side is blue in the centre, yellow outside!

We got the embroidery machine running and made these for the boys for Christmas. We ran out of time so Jackie has to finish them off!

Hand sewing over a cuppa created these

And a lovely lady from my church knitted a panda for A - It went fine very well!!!!! Thank you aunty Janet!

*** STOP PRESS ***
Jackie has just sent pics of the finished sacks!

Looking good!

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Done in December

How many sleeps until Christmas?  Really?  It still feels like about October: partly as the weather is so mild, but also the time is going past soooo quickly!

I have managed some sewing in the last week or so:

I did some secret selvedge sewing

from this magazine

I did some machine embroidery: A friend bought three identical stockings for her three daughters - could I stitch their names on.  Its really difficult to sew onto a completed stocking, so we discussed alternatives, and name tags seemed the best alternative:

 And I made some replacement medical bags for school.  4 years ago I made these

One for each class: to keep inhalers and EpiPens in so they can be easily grabbed when needed, and can go with the class on trips etc. One bag was falling apart, and another was now too small (so many more children with inhalers) so I made a new set using Svetlana's design

Today's project is the perfect pillowcase!  I used this 'Hotdog' method yesterday, and whilst her instructions are excellent, and I ended up (will end up) with a fab pillowcase with no raw edges,

It also doesn't have that extra bit of fabric that keeps the pillow inside the pillowcase.

Sometime over night I thought of a way to combine this design with what I want - watch this space.

I also have a Christmas sack to make for a customer - better get cracking!

Weigh to Go

I've been going to Slimming World for about a year, and I've lost a stone; its not a fantastic weight loss, but I was pleased with it, and it's a lovely group so I enjoy the meetings.

We do a raffle, and every week we used to flaff around looking for somewhere to put the money and the tickets, so a while ago I made two drawstring bags

My consultant's line manager saw them and asked me to make her a set too

And could I make a set of weights as well?

The idea is that if someone is despondent that they've only lost 1 or 2 pounds in a week they can pick up the appropriate bag and realise how much less they are carrying around - they add up to a stone, so I made a 1 stone bag too - and, now that I've had to carry it all to the car for the meeting,  I'm feeling much better about my weight loss, flipping heck, 14 pounds is heavy!!!!

So this week, if you'll excuse the pun (which only works in the UK), I've made pounds, I've earned pounds, and hopefully I've lost a few as well!!!

2010 December

One Down ...

...one to go

The first of Uncle Trygve's table runners has been
(drum roll please)
finished!

Phew! I'm really pleased with it, and although the colours are not ones I would have chosen, I have fallen in love with them (so if he doesn't like it, no problem, I'll have it back!!!)













I haven't progressed far enough out of my comfort zone to have actually quilted it (other than my version of In The Ditch As You Go) but I followed Sandie's Binding lesson on Stash Manicure and L O V E it - the binding is darn close to perfect, and I even managed mitered corners!













3 meters of hand sewing is a bit boring, but I actually watched some TV today while I did the binding, and it does give a much nicer finish than machining.

Now off to finish the Stack and Slash in the same fabrics (or is it a Stack and Whack?) If you know, feel free to remind me of the differences! 

catching up - and bother from my Brother

The list of stuff to be ready for Christmas (for other people) has grown rather than shrunk!

The I Spy Quilt commissioned for baby Charlie has been finished and will be delivered tomorrow,














Two Christmas sacks have been delivered, still leaving 6 to do ... when Big Brother embroidery machine seized up - totally!!!!

I've managed to get each sack 75% made which saves time after embroidery, but is a pain if it goes wrong as it's then wasted work and fabric













I tried using Lizzy's machine today, and that didn't seem to like something I was doing to it either, so I'm back home and I'll have to reduce the designs and stitch them 4x4 on the baby brother instead of 5x7 on the big brother.

First New Year's resolution - look to at least service if not part exchange big brother!

Anyway, happier news - the third Ornament Swap arrived last week and is now on the tree, thank you very much Nelly