Mirror, Mirror

eli # # # #

Today was a brilliant mail day: three packages were delivered. However, I’m only going to show you one today. I ordered some little bits from Ali at Very Berry Fabrics again.

This time I ordered a little pack of scraps and some 5″ charms. I have no plans for them yet but I’m sure I’ll find a use for them.

Remember the Liberty cushion I made for my aunt? Well, you might remember that I loved it so much I was going to make another one for myself. I did. Although it’s not exactly the same:

You might wonder why I called it the Mirror, Mirror cushion. The HST (half square triangles) are arranged in the same order mirroring each other diagonally. It gives a more ordered look, I think. This one is staying with me although I have to go and buy an insert as I have none that fit it. I don’t understand why I keep making cushion covers that don’t fit on my cushions. Maybe it’s my way of giving myself reason to sew another one?

 

Categories: Home Projects1 Comment

Tat, tat

eli

Last week I got my two partners’ details for the Christmas ornament swap and started stalking checking out their blogs. One of them does a lot of crochet, the other one sews, makes cards and generally recycles and reuses materials. I’m very excited to make something for these two ladies.

At first I thought I would crochet something and started looking for free patterns on the internet. However, when I realised that one of the ladies is such a master crocheter (is that a real word?) I decided to do something else and got my tatting shuttles out.

I haven’t done any tatting in quite a while so I might do a little practice piece first.

Categories: Blogtoberfest, Christmas Ornament Swap, Tatting3 Comments

A Nose for it

eli

I got a brilliant gift for my birthday last month which I most definitely didm’t expect as I’d already bought my ticket for the Fat Quarterly Retreat. In fact, I’d asked for a broom but somehow that wish was ignored. What I got was much better than a broom it was a lens for my camera. A macro lens. Something I have been wanting to get since I bought my first SLR camera.

I think there will be quite a bit of playing and testing before I can say that I’ve mastered the close up. My models will surely agree.

Sweet, no?

That cute little face used to be completely black…

Categories: Photography1 Comment

The End is Near

eli # #

Wow, it’s the last day of October and the last day of Blogtoberfest. I’ve missed two posts (three last year!) which I’m a bit sad about but all in all it has been a lot of fun again. I’ve enjoyed discovering new blogs during this month, some of which have ended up in my reader. I’m not sure that I will continue to blog every day in the next couple of months but will try my best to keep it fairly regular. As I’ve said before I really enjoyed it.

The last day of October is, of course, also Halloween and I just want to show you what Little Miss Bossy-Boots and I created this afternoon. I realised that she didn’t have a bag for trick or treating (she has lots and lots of bags, just not a Halloween one) so I got out my orange and green fabrics and quickly made a “pumpkin” bag which she then decorated with the fabric marker I bought for our Bee’s siggy blocks.

Here’s a close up of the people she drew on the bag:

From left to right: me, Sarah (her best friend’s mum), Lily (her best friend’s little sister), Katie (her best friend) and Little Miss Bossy-Boots. We are all wearing witch’s hats except for Sarah who has curly hair.

The bag was quite full at the end of the evening despite a wet and miserable Halloween. I’ve “borrowed” some candy corn from it after Missy went to bed and hope she won’t remember she had two little packets….

Categories: Bags, Blogtoberfest2 Comments

Post from Australia!

eli

I must have been an incredibly good girl lately as after the great emails I got yesterday I was blessed with two lovely packages in the post today. They both came all the way from Australia!

The first one was one of those really kind gestures that make your heart sing. A little while ago Trystan, maidentatters on Instagram, posted a picture of the cutest little pink scissors. When I told her how much I loved them she offered to send me a pair. Now how could I resist such an offer? They arrived today and they are so incredibly cute I can’t stop looking at them. However, that wasn’t the only thing Trystan sent me, she also included a lovely little box pouch in blue and white. It’s absolutely perfect to use for a hand sewing kit. I like to have a few as I usually have about three projects on the go.

Instagram photo

The second package was my Mouthy Stitches tote. The second I saw the name of the sender I knew which one it was and started whooping! Shocking Hocking did incredibly well, picking my favourite colours and making a fantastic paper pieced stars on one side and some patchwork on the other.

Love the little fussy cut deer, bird and car. The hand quilting is beautifully done.

The lining is simply gorgeous and there are three great pockets for my phone, tissues and a wallet. Not my keys as they will be put on the fabulous lanyard Kay sent as the key fob.

Swaps are always a bit daunting as you don’t really know if what you’ve made is going to be to your partner’s taste. Furthermore, you might not like what is coming your way very much. So far I’ve been lucky, I absolutely love this tote and am sure that I will use it a lot.

Categories: Blogtoberfest, Mouthy Stitches, Quilting, Sewing implements1 Comment

Hello!

eli #

I missed another day of Blogtoberfest. I was so proud that I had made it so far without missing any posts and am a bit gutted that I’ve now missed two.

Anyway, today I’ve had three very happy emails:

1. I won a freebie over at the Green bag Lady. If you don’t know her yet hop over and read all about her fabulous crusade to get rid of plastic bags. I have one of her shopping bags which is always in my handbag and it has saved many a plastic bag from coming home with me.

2. Christina sent me the details of my two swap partners for the Christmas ornament swap. I haven’t started stalking yet as it’s Master’s birthday today and I’ve been baking biscuits and a cake. Tomorrow, however, is a different story and I will get out my sunglasses and trench coat.

3. I won the giveaway over at Lily’s Quilts. Chantal from Hyggeligt Fabrics of London, Ontario offered to give away the kit for Lynne’s Modern Blocks Oakshott Ruby shot cottons table runner and I won! I’m beyond excited about this one as I have one fat quarter of Oakshott that I’ve been hoarding/fondling, while waiting for the perfect project to use it in and now I get lots of lovely fat eights to play with.

I’m going to leave you with the present I made for Master, a tray for keys, cuff links and coins. It’s completely hand sewn and not perfect but I love it so much I think I might have to make another one for myself.

 

Categories: Blogtoberfest, Home Projects1 Comment

The Lurgy

eli # #

The lurgy has found me: my head is heavy and my nose is stuffy. I can’t think of anything to write about. Sorry, but Blogtoberfest is going to get another filler post.

I’ll leave you with a picture of my half-finished bath mat.

As you can see my curves weren’t the most successful and I’m still debating whether it’s worth undoing the thing or just leaving it. After all we’re just going to step on it when we get out of the bath…

A bientôt!

Categories: Blogtoberfest1 Comment

Bella’s Book Bag

eli #

Right, I missed one day of blogging. Yesterday felt like one quick blur and before I knew it I was in bed and too tired to even think about a blog post. Never mind.

Today Little Miss Bossy-Boots is invited to her little friend Bella’s fifth birthday party. Now I don’t know about you but my go-to gift for kids is always books. I love books, always have, and believe that it’s very difficult to be bored when you have the ability to read.

We got Bella “The Snail and the Whale” by Julia Donaldson (which is one of my favourites!) and I made a quick and easy reversible book bag to put it in. The stripy fabric is a vintage pillow case, the glittery Disney Princess was given to me by a friend.

The stripy side has a big pocket for a library card or some tissues.

Stripy handles and a little stripy flower finish it off. The princess fabric is more see-through than I realised. The stripes shimmer through even though I used some sew in interlining. Never mind.

 

Categories: Bags, Blogtoberfest, Kid Projects2 Comments

A bit more Liberty

eli

I didn’t have time to do any sewing today but I’ve started pulling fabric for a book bag for one of Little Miss Bossy-Boots’ friends. I’ll show it to you tomorrow.

Mostly, however, I’ve been fondling the remaining Liberty 4″ squares, chomping at the bit to start sewing another cushion. Here are the squares I’ve chosen to use:

Lovely, aren’t they? Yes, I did make a start on those yesterday but didn’t get very far before having to pick up Missy from school.

Categories: Blogtoberfest, Home Projects, Quilting1 Comment

Liberty Done

eli # # # #

After my little melt down yesterday I felt a bit silly this morning. Some of my lovely readers suggested I put a cream border on to make it bigger and so I did.

In hindsight I think it’s probably a good thing because it means the corners, which I always find are the first to go, are now in the Klona quilting cotton rather than the wonderfully soft but maybe more fragile Tana Lawn. I kept the quilting to an absolute minimum, I didn’t feel it needed any more.

I like to put zips in my cushion covers but I didn’t have one in the correct colour so instead of waiting for an opportunity to go into town I made a simple envelope closure. With the 1″ cream border it finished at the required 36 x 36cm (14″ x 14″) and is now all wrapped up and ready to wing its way to Switzerland.

I fell in love with it so badly that I’ve started another one for myself with the rest of the 4″ Liberty squares. I might change up the layout a little but then again I might not.

Categories: Home Projects, Quilting3 Comments