Barbados Bag Two

Driving home from work this afternoon I was thinking about my Barbados Bag.  It worked really well over the suitcase handle

And will be great filled with drink, sunnies, book and towel for a walk to the beach, but may be a bit big for shopping or travelling

It so happens I just *may* be travelling tomorrow too - on a girly trip to Gibraltar, which was really why I was thinking about the suitability of my big bag . . . so I planned a new, smaller, version, and no one was home when I got in - so I made it!

Same fabric

Same inner pockets, same zip pocket and my usual purse clip and secret slip pocket,

And almost the same outer pockets - but can you see the blue zip at the bottom of this pic?

It closes to make an outer pocket . . . or unzips to open so the bag will stand on my case

So I'm ready for some autumn sun this weekend, as well as ready for my January holiday (did I mention I'm going to Barbados?)

Mojo Monday

I had a few hours of 'me time' this afternoon, and I have a hundred and one (at least) projects I could (should?) be working on, but none of them really appealed.

I sat at the work bench and thunked, and my mojo came just when I needed it

I cut up a piece of cream loose weave fabric, into 1.5 inch squares, and pulled a few threads from each side.  I then gathered up a whole load of cream coloured treasures from the sewing room, and started sewing them onto the squares:

Buttons

Ribbons and lace

Motifs, Suffolk puffs, and beads

 

 And tapes with words on them

And they currently look like this. 

I'm hoping I can find a frame for them.  I'm calling them inchies, although they are 50% bigger than inchies!

Chertsey Catchup

After my panic creating at the end of last week, my hot water bottle cosy wasn't needed as the evening class was cancelled.  However the afternoon ladies have decided to host their own class when I'm away in January - and they want to make hot water bottle cosies, so they have the lesson all planned for them.

This month the afternoon ladies were making Pinch purses.  I didn't get any photos of the ones they started to make (and will hopefully finish at home) but I can show you my sample.

They pinch open thanks to the donated (thank you Brian) and disassembled metal tape measure.  I used instructions from various websites and bloggers (thank you Kathy) and the resulting instruction sheet can be down loaded here

I don't know about museums near to you, but Chertsey Museum works closely with local schools and provides artifacts for schools to use in history lessons.  Schools can hire a box of stuff (my school has used the WW2 boxes) or can provide a member of staff with artifacts for a particular period.  One of the periods used to be Tudor, which was fine, but the curriculum changed a few years ago, and out went the Tudors and in came the Vikings!

There wasn't *a lot* of Viking history in Chertsey (although they do have a 10th century viking sword found locally) and certainly not anything robust enough to be taken on school trips, but the museum has done what it can to be able to help schools deliver lessons on this subject, and one of the things it has bought is a replica Viking shield

This long ramble leads to "Benta, could you just . . . make a bag for our shield to be carried around in?"

I found a website where I could translate "viking shield" to Viking runes, and with its help embroidered this on one side of a padded bag

And this on the other

For the lining?  I couldn't resist using some of my precious favourite Michael Miller viking fabric

Perfect!

Hug a Hottie!

It's starting to get chilly in the evenings, and soon people will be needing hot water bottles at night. (Well, those who aren't menopausal will!)

So tomorrow evening I'm teaching a class at Chertsey museum making a hot water bottle cover, or for those who are menopausal, an iPad/tablet cover!

The trouble with teaching these things is that I get to the night before and realise I've never actually made of of them, so I'd better have a go!

So - the result

And the method:

Draw around the hottie / tablet, and add an inch all round.

Cut out this pattern piece, and cut out ONE piece of fabric (I used fleece, with its stretch top to bottom). This is the back piece

Draw a line on the pattern piece about 3 inches down from the 'shoulders' (or a tablet's top) and another a further 3 inches down.  

 You can, of course, use boring scissors but I'm loving my new paper scissors!

 I have shaded the two sections, but they don't need to be, you just need to understand that you are cutting one piece which is the top section and the middle / shared (ie shown orange) and another which is the bottom section and the middle / shared section (shown blue).

Fold the pattern piece to allow you to cut the fabric pieces without cutting the pattern.  You can decorate the pieces, or quilt a prettier piece onto them, or leave them as they are.

Hem the bottom of the top piece - if you have used fleece just a single fold is sufficient.

Layer the pieces: bottom piece, right side up,. Then the hemmed top piece, right side down, then the bottom piece, right side down.

Stitch ALL the way round, about 1cm seam allowance.

Clip the curves:

convex curves need wedges snipped out,

acute angles need to be snipped in,

and obtuse angles need to be trimmed

Then turn the whole lot inside out, shove your hottie inside, and hug yourself warm!

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Barbados Bag

Husband went to Barbados several years ago with his sister and her family, and he brought back several lengths of fabric ideal for bags. Most have been used, but some bright shell fabric was still waiting for the right project!

I've now (nearly) made another version of the Everyday Tote bag:

It's landscape rather than portrait, and I've set the straps into the top seam rather than part way down.

I've added the internal slip pockets and zip pocket as per the instructions, 

and I've also added a few extras: a clip at the top to keep the bag closed as well as a hidden slip pocket and a key ribbon (as I usually do on bags)

New to me however is something I've wanted to try: I've seen holiday bags that attach to the pull up handle on suitcases, and they seem like a great idea, so on the back (below an external zipped pocket) there is a wide band (carefully fussy cut so it's almost hidden)

But this is two external slip pockets, and an open section

I'm hoping this will work on a suitcase.  

This is called my Barbados bag because the fabric came from there, 

oh, 

and because 

I'M GOING TO BARBADOS 

IN JANUARY!!!!!!  

And my bag is coming too!!!!

Whoa, I’m going to Barbados
Whoa, back to the palm trees
Whoa, I’m going to see my girlfriend
Whoa, in the sunny Caribbean Sea

I don’t wanna be bus driver all my life
I’ve seen too much of Brixton town in the night
Fly away on Coconut Airways
Fly me high, Barbados skies

I looked up at the sky and I see the clouds
I look down at the ground and I see the rain go down the drain
Fly away on Coconut Airways
Fly me high, Barbados skies
  

Whoa, I’m going to Barbados
Whoa, back to the palm trees
Whoa, I’m going to see my girlfriend
Whoa, in the sunny Caribbean Sea

Far away from London town and the rain
It’s really very nice to be home again
Mary Jane, with the coconut air plane
Now I know she loves me so

Whoa, I’m going to Barbados
Whoa, back to the palm trees
Whoa, I’m going to see my girlfriend
Whoa, in the sunny Caribbean Sea

Ladies and gentlemen, we are now commencing our approach to Bridgetown, Barbados
The weather is fine with approximate temperature of 90 degrees Fahrenheit
The sky is blue and the palm trees are really cool
Captain Wilcox and his crew hope you have had a pleasant flight
And that you will fly Coconut Airways again

 
Whoa, I’m going to Barbados
Whoa, back to the palm trees
Whoa, I’m going to see my girlfriend
Whoa, in the sunny Caribbean Sea

Whoa, I’m going to Barbados
Whoa, back to the palm trees
Whoa, I’m going to see my girlfriend
Whoa, in the sunny Caribbean Sea

Happy Birthday and Beautiful Bags

Yesterday was my birthday: it seemed strange to celebrating without Lisa here, but I did get to talk to her on the phone.

I got some lovely bits and pieces: you've already met Joey and Zoey

I got troll beads from Niki and Harry, and from Niki and Lisa

And this heartwarming message from a very special friend

And this funky zippy bracelet from my "twin", Plum (hope you had a great day too, Plum)

Today I was teaching a Family class: It was held at Oakfield school where I did a number of sessions to make a 50th Anniversary wall hanging last year, but I had never seen it up on the wall, so it was lovely to see this as I walked in

Today's theme was "Beautiful Bags"! The kids started with a plain calico tote bag and a table of resources and "stuff", and had a great two hours.  The kids came up with some fab ideas, and executed them brilliantly - especially given that some were as young as 5!!!

 

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Crochet Castle

Of course this isn't really a castle ( although it does look a bit like a castle turret) - but it is crochet!

The lovely Carolyn at church started me off, and I'd just been going round in a spiral to make a tube glove. I then started feeling cocky and managed to make a thumb hole, and, what's more, managed to carry one the spiral above the hole.

Now that it's the size I want I realise I'm not quite as awesome a crocheter as I thought I was . . . I have no idea how to start the other one, and given that I just about have two hands I do rather need two gloves!

Roll on Sunday so I can get Carolyn to start off the second glove!

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Monkey Magic

A little bit of 'me' time this afternoon saw the assembly, quilting and binding getting sorted on this Sock Monkey Quilt:

I just need to hand sew the binding, and that will just take a decent program on the TV!

Here is my embroidered monkey for the centre

And last time there was something decent on TV I got the binding finished on the Five-a-Day bonus quilt:

My Babies have been named - Joey and Zoey (or Joey Sorbet and Zoey Lemon to give their full names!).  One of the cats has discovered them!

Quiet? Or Quite a Lot?

I haven't blogged for the last week or so as I didn't feel as if there was much to blog about, but that really isn't the case!

First let me introduce you to my new babies:

Possibly to be christened Lemon and Sorbet, these were an early birthday pressie from the family, aren't they gorgeous!

Next I can show you two exciting postal packages:  Not exciting on the outside . . .

But awesome on the inside

A free sample from Spoonflower (thank you Kathyfor giving me the head's up) and a fab goodie bag from Just Jude as I won a giveaway on her blog - I'm really looking forward to some therapy colouring with this fabric.

I have done some sewing too. Renee (Wren) gifted me some unwanted charm squares and they included some sock monkey fabric.  Inspired by Fiona's recent quilt I bordered the charms with two sides of 2" and two of 1.5" strips. There were 23 blocks which didn't quite make a top, so I also embroidered a sock monkey to fit a double block, so it will look something like this

Last Monday, at Richmond and Kew quilters, we played with some thermofax screens, and I came home with these blocks.

I wasn't sure what to do with them, so I have made up some zippy pouches.

One has gone to a friend, but the others will go back to R&K group to be sold or our craft stall at next month's exhibition.

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