2019 Wk 24 - D4G update and some new ideas

Niki set off on her safari adventure on Wednesday morning.  She's packed everything into these two backpacks and is clearly apprehensive about going and missing her mummy (not!)

She's sent a few pics - I think it's safe to say she's having a great time!

As well as the two backpacks she also took a suitcase filled with 48 Days For Girls kits - and these have been delivered top the lovely Pamela who has undertaken to get them to Connie at Kisumu

I have bought some more brushed cotton for more D4G kits - if you ever wanted to know what £180 worth of brushed cotton looks like here is your answer!

I don't know about your sitting room but we have two double sofas - he has one which he shares with the cat and the TV remote controls and I have one that I share with my hand sewing projects!  My project basket was a rubbishy woven one with the lining on the outside rather than the inside to stop it scratching the sofa.  

So I made myself a fabric caddy, with pockets that holds it all and is gentle on the sofa, and can be picked up and moved if I have to share my sofa with another person!

I have been thinking about being unemployed from next month (!) and maybe offering a sewing / making / mindfulness class.  Something that will teach people a new skill but just as importantly let them zone out of the daily stresses of life and concentrate on themselves.

I've been Pinning loads of ideas, and decided to try this one - handmade fabric beads.  I store my embroidery threads on clothes pins, so used one to wrap fabric (and wadding) around
 

and then started stitching.  The phone clearly doesn't like zooming in that much, but they were really good fun to make and only took about 20 minutes each - what do you think?  Would there be any interest?

And finally this week I was going to a meeting and needed pen and notebook.  I was tidying up some leather (Jackie arrives in less that a week so I need to have *some* work space to share with her) and made a quick pen holder before I put it away!

2018 Wk 34 - Hand finished finishes

We went to Mum's today: about a 75 minute drive, and husband had a list of odd jobs to do for her, so I had some sewing time on the journey, and while we were there.

So these hexies became this and with the addition of some hooks and eyes becomes this bowl

This project box and tray got finished

I left Lizzie embroidering the chunky mandala and came home to this lush design

And photos arrived from Jackie showing that she won two firsts, a second and a highly commended in the county show - well done Jackie well deserved!!!!

2018 Wk 32 - Sewing with Jackie

Despite starting with a tidy sewing room, Jackie and I soon descended into the "organised chaos" that is our usual working state!

Most of the time there was at least two projects on the go, plus Lizzy the embroidery machine doing her stuff, and probably something else needing unpicking!

We made another zip up tray pouch - pattern from Aneela Hooey  We love this design! (and this will get finished!) 

And Lizzy was put to good use while we made an embroidered taggie for baby Leah, and a ring cushion for Claire who gets married at the end of the month

We made four project bags, inspired by Running With Homemade's Lama Drama field bag with zippy pouches

And we made big bucket bags based on Ashley's  Around Town bag

As well as all the making I decided to carry on with the bobbin winding that I'd been doing at Chertsey:  I have far too many threads: mostly those small ones that come with sewing kits and are useless thread - I thought if I wound them onto the bobbins I'd bought for the Chertsey class (yes, I bought far too many, but they were really cheap!) I could make some more bobbin necklaces - the empties are in the middle - quite a quantity reductions!

And don't the bobbins look so pretty!

2018 Wk 26 - a bit of a catch up

 I've been having problems getting photos from my phone to the computer, so I haven't blogged for a few weeks, but today it worked - so here is a quick catch up

Niki's colleague's colleagues all attacked her chemo quilt with fabric pens- and my concern that it was too white has been blown away - doesn't it look great!

I went to Ireland for a few days this last week.  Officially it was to see Jackie, but (shhhhh) there was another person I was eager to meet - this little beauty, Leah, my honorary granddaughter!  We spent lots of time with her big brothers too - D in the pic and A who was at school - my gosh . . .  boys are exhausting!

We made a few bits for Leah (or possibly her mum!): this changing clutch

 and changing mat (it did get finished before being handed over)

And her I-spy quilt was finished and handed over too (pic to follow).  Jackie had been on a course and made this fab elephant pic for Leah's room

We made ourselves some great project trays too, by coincidence we had instructions for two: different sizes, different designers and different methods but very similar result.  They have Peltex 72F (I think) in them which makes them really firm, and the closure action from tray to storage is really satisfying

A friend decided to join in the Untangled Threads art installation to commemorate WW1 - I am totally in love with her heart - she needle felted these poppies in a field and it's beyond awesome!

And Jackie and I bought some pickling jars.  For pickling you ask?  No - of course not - for beautiful buttons!!!!