Beautiful, and Boring

No fabric time during the week but I managed to spend a few hours this afternoon.

Cutting 6" squares from dark grey spraytime, and small triangles from the warm FQs I I bought last week, then sewing them together, pressing them, trimming them and then p

Laying them out like this

 

I know lots of people don't like spraytime, but I do, and I knew I didn't want a flat grey - I'm really pleased with the way this is going!

Meanwhile, after being taken apart and put back together last weekend, the embroidery machine was back at work on about 30 polo shirts for the preschool, boring, but a nice little earner!

 

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Key ring class

This was today's class at Chertsey Museum - making key rings! I got the clamps from Amazon (search ribbon clamp) and we stitched pretty ribbons onto black webbing, then clamped the ends in a loop. These can now be worn on the wrist so you don't drop your keys

 

And some show & tell from last month

 

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The one where I haven't sewn for a while

It seems like a long time since I got to sew something, and it seems my subconscious found a way to cope with that!

I took my (main) machine in for a service, and while I was there I accidentally bought some fabric - who knew there was a danger of such a thing!

And yesterday, after the family learning class I popped into the shops in Windsor and kind of drifted towards C&H fabrics, where I remembered I had a gift card from the parents when I left school . . . ooops, seventeen fat quarters later I have NO gift card left!!!!  But lots of yummy solids!!!

Today I used some of them and made myself a triple zipped pouch - it made me very happy!!

When will I next get time to sew?

The one where we Made Monsters!

I was asked to teach a family learning class today.  We decided it would be a monster making class - using felt for the bodies and all sorts of stuff for arms, legs, eyes etc.

These four were my samples, and as usual, I told the kids I expected they would have much better ideas than me

And oh boy, they did not disappoint!!!

My absolute favourite was this one!!

The one where I started a Birthday Bag

I think I posted a pic of some fabrics I got for my birthday - some fun rainbows in dots and solids and a pack in greys, teales and beige:

These fabrics called to be a bag for me - becuase I really need an new bag, and I have nothing else I should be sewing at the moment (as if)
So I made the outer with two zips on one side, plain yummy fabric on the other

And the inside has one zip pocket

and three slip pockets

I'm not sure about the remaining FQ for the strap, so the bag will have to wait for a while until I can get it finished but it is making me very happy just to look at it!
And I did get some things ticked off my to-do list - today nephew asked for his company logo to be embroidered . . . on a baby's vest!

And two ladies at church got confirmed last week so I made them both a cover for their bible - with our church on the front

The to-do list had got to 14 items, and I'm down to 6, so at least that's better than 50% done! The worry is how much will be added on before I get to take some off next weekend!

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The one where we've nearly made a dress

My Lisa has no idea of her limits and abilities! She (who has never done dressmaking) bought a pattern for a dress. She bought everything she needed (thanks to the help of the lady in the shop) and plans to wear the dress to a wedding mid November

A dress with a 7 piece bodice and 7 piece skirt (lined with another 14 pieces) and with a sort of rouched bra. I'm not great at dress making, but can cobble a simple pattern together - but faced with pieces like this one I knew we had to call in reinforcements!

 

Or one specific reinforcement! My mum!

 Three of us worked for most of the day . . .

 but it was worth it

 A bit more work to do, but having got this far Lisa and I should be able to finish it - thanks mum

 

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Crafty Church

Lots of crafts today - but not too many photos!

Tara learn how to machine embroider!

 

Jennie working on her tenth crochet square

 

And the crochet squares to date - fab collection!

 

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The one where I found a craft I haven't shown you

I'm planning the Fun With Fabric crafts for Chertsey Museum for next year, and had planed to link to blog pages where possible -that only works if I have blogged about the planned craft!!!

Last winter I lusted after a Blanket Cape, but really couldn't justify the cost, so I started an improvised version.

I took an Ikea fleece blanket and folded it in half length ways, and then cut away a section along half the fold.  I used a grey one, but didn't take a pic so I've borrowed this photo to show

Once a section half the length x 4 inches is cut away, you can wear it like a cape: the full half against your back and the split half becomes front right and front left

I'm now doing some running stitch with embroidery floss to give it a bit of detail, but as soon as it's cold enough to need to wear it I can call it finished!

Not bad for £3 eh?

The one where Chertsey ladies made zippy pouches

I had a break from the 9-5 today and made my way to Chertsey museum - first we had a bit of show and tell - just look at this smocking! (Well done Anne)

And Kay's oven gloves:

Then we had a go at making zippy pouches.  We had some great results and they will be finishing these for homework! 

This evening I spent (ok wasted) a bit of time on Facebook and found a lovely message from a May bride this year:

I know we all know people who don't appreciate made gifts - but clearly some do and that makes it all worth while!

The one where I got gifts and made a gift

We went out for a meal in the week, a lovely Indian meal in the village with the girls and their boyfriends. The boys both gave me a gift - really perfect gifts - from Harry on the right and from Jim on the left! (although I think the girls had more to do with it than the boys - can you imagine them giggling as they made the choices!)

The very lovely Fiona (http://celticthistlestitches.blogspot.co.uk) has just become a grandma - congratulations Fiona! I've made a pressie for the little lad, but I'd like it to go in the post next week. It isn't finished as I don't have the time at the moment, but I know she has the ability to finish it (and to a better standard than me!) and he will get it much quicker! All I can show you now is this bit

I posted a gift to another baby earlier this year, and got this pic a few days ago from her daddy

Love it!

If you are NOT Fiona you can scroll down to look at Cormac's pressie:

Not you Fiona

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The one where I remember a daughter can bake

Tomorrow is the Macmillan coffee morning. They were very good with my uncle Geoff when he had prostrate cancer some I'm always happy to support them.

The office is in a serviced building, and our lovely reception ladies are organising a coffee morning for all 20 companies. I'd donated a packet of biscuits and plan to buy *plenty* of cakes . . . But Niki came home with ingredients and told me we were making cheesecakes!

And we did - two large (one each for work tomorrow) and six little ones for pudding tonight! The fridge is full of cheesecakes!!!!

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The one where I had a birthday in Ireland

Yesterday was bittersweet! I felt very loved and spoiled but it was the last full day before leaving Jackie's at silly o'clock to start the 12 hour hourney home!
We had pancakes for breakfast and a lovely meal out for lunch followed by cake in the afternoon (only the cake got photographed - the rest vanished too quickly!)

I got cards, flowers and chocolates from the family there, and Jackie and I got to sew in the afternoon!
I take my La Pass EPP as a travel project, but there are lots of different templates and cut fabric to bring along and they get muddled in my Sew Together pouch.
So (and we are very pleased with ourselves) we designed and made these 4 zip pouch to store the different pieces

It fits in the Sew Together and keeps everything together but separated!!!
We made some little buckets

And some felted buttoned pouches (felt from FOQ and buttons from Poland)

What else did we do? We went for a walk to St Mullins (beautiful - we walk there every visit unless it's chucking it down) and introduced Brian to its charms and visited the Blessed Well

We had a visit from, and cuddles with this honarary grandson

And his baby brother

And my loom knitting is growing significantly

We are now on the ferry on the way home: as always the Irish hospitality has been awesome, Brian now has faces to all the names I blather on about, Jackie has a cupboard ("press") with shelves, a working vacuum system (although the wood burning stove needs a bit of reassembly - sorry!), assorted cables have been tidied, and Brian and Dan have a new friend! And the best news of all - it looks as if Jackie is cancer free (final biopsy results this week) she's off the pain killers and the scar is healing beautifully and we've sorted my next visit: life's looking good!

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