The cushion

It's raining. Again. No surprise there for the depths of an Auckland winter! It was beautiful first thing this morning though, so I grabbed my camera, the bag and the cushion and headed down to the beach.

I've finished the cushion as you can see. This is the second item for the Corban Estate summer school I'll be teaching at in February 2011.

You can just about see the two tone black fabric I used for the fantail applique. It really adds a lovely depth.

The beach is just around the corner from our house but I haven't been down there in ages. I think a family trip there this weekend is order! Hope you have a great weekend.

My Creative Space - Tui

I've been working on some new designs for a Summer school class I've been asked to teach. This is the first. I've got a cushion to make this afternoon during kindy hours. Lots of fun!

Do you like it? Is it the sort of thing you'd like to learn how to make?

For more creative spaces, pop over to Kirsty's.

Cath Kidston - Sew - bag sewalong

After reading Megan's post on her Simple Pleasures blog earlier in the week, I decided to have a go at making my bag kit that came with my Cath Kidston Sew book. I  lined the bag (which is suggested as an alternative version in the book) and turned the facing pieces into a pocket.

The fabric is really quite stiff and had I had the time, I would have put it all through the washing machine to soften it up before I started stitching. The stiffness of the fabric makes the button loop a tricky project. The book suggests that you sew it right sides together and turn it out. With canvas, this is nigh on impossible and I'd highly recommend doing it this way:

EASY ROULEAU STRIP:
Turn both long edges into the middle and press.

Fold in half lengthwise again and press.

Stitch along the long edge and you have your rouleau strip without any frustrating turning.

To make the pocket out of the facing I did the following:

Put the facing pieces right sides together and stitch along the long edge.

Fold in half lengthwise and press. Cut along the fold.

\

Straighten the pointed end.

 

Stitch the pieces together so you have four strips.

 
 

Cut out a piece of lining fabric the same size and stitch right sides together with the outer pocket piece. Leave a gap of about 6cm to turn. Clip corners.

Turn right side out and top stitch.

Fold lining piece of bag in half and price to mark centre. Line up centre of pocket with the fold on the lining and pin and stitch in place around three sides, double stitching at the top edges.

Here's my finished bag with the pocket peeking out.

It's the perfect size for me to take to the Craft Market on Sunday so thanks Cath Kidston... loving my new bag!

Patches

Remember these patches?

Our beach bag gave up the ghost last weekend so I decided to turn those patches into a new one. The patches aready had interfacing on them because I used the Posy Gets Cosy patches tute so it was a really quick make. I'll do a tote tute if I get around to making another one as a gift.

Postscript:

Here are some great tote tutorials from the web:

Non-lined tote with pocket and french seams... great tutorial! http://sewmamasew.com/blog2/?p=514

And a slightly more complicated lined tote bag http://mamaspocketbook.com/freepinkoctpattern.htm

Birdie Sling

One of my very bad habits which I'm sure drives my other half crazy is my compulsive need to make things the night before I travel away on holiday. I think it stems from a need to stock up on some crafting before I go away and have nothing to do and no access to a sewing machine. This time, I was up until after midnight making myself a new handbag. It's from the Amy Butler Birdie Sling pattern and was ideal to take on holiday. It is HUGE and I have to say that I have to tip it out on the bed every other day to find what I have in there. I think I would scale down the pattern dramatically next time I make one as it's really not doing my back any good having all that space to carry things in!

It provoked some lovely conversations with complete strangers which is something I love about handmade things. A conversation in the Target check out queue with one lady revealed her as an artist. She loved the colours in my bag and wondered where I had bought it (don't you love it when that happens?). We had a great chat in the five minutes we were in the queue about her art and my sewing. I'd love to hear any stories you might have about people you've met when you've been out and about with your own handmade creations.

Just dotty about this fabric...

I love it when I get the opportunity to make something special for someone.

I met a lovely lady at Crafternoon Tea last Saturday and she was drawn to some fabric I had made up into a baby bib. The problem was that she was a little too grown up to wear a bib. Here's what I made for her instead:


The little girls are from a piece of Michael Miller "Dick and Jane" fabric and the lining is some beautiful soft shirting.

This is a close up of the other side.

It's going to it's new home tomorrow. Thank you F for asking me to make it for you!

I'm working on some other commissions at the moment so I'll post pics when I've finished them.

Travel Activity Pack Tutorial

I’m taking my girls on holiday tomorrow to see their Nanna and Grandad in Australia. Rich is staying here to work and I have to say that I’m dreading the flight just a little bit! I did all our packing a couple of days ago so I decided to spend today making a couple of bits and pieces that would make the flight easier. I made this bag from Kwik Sew pattern 3612 but added pockets to hold all the bits and pieces that I can never find in normal bags.

I made myself a matching passport case with an appliqué bird on it.

And I made the girls these activity packs to hold all their colouring bits and pieces. I got the basic idea from this tutorial but changed it to suit my needs.

Here’s how you make one big enough to fit a couple of A4 size colouring/reading books, 6 felt pens, a pencil and a pocket for other bits and pieces like stickers and treats.

You will need:
Fabric, small piece of velcro, interfacing or thin wadding, Scissors,
Sewing machine
Straight edge
Rotary cutter and mat (optional)
Tailors chalk or disappearing ink pen

Preparation:
Cut out 2 oblong pieces of fabric. Mine were 23"x16"
Cut out one piece of thin batting or stiff interfacing (I used stuff for handbags) in the same size as the fabric
Cut out a long pocket piece the same length as your outer and lining pieces and about half the height.
Cut out a smaller pocket piece (about 8 1/2“ x 6 1/2” )
Cut out a long d-shaped piece for the outer flap (see pic further down)

1. Take your lining piece and pin it to the wadding or attach fusible interfacing. Fold over the top of the long pocket twice and hem the edge.

2. With the right side of the lining face up, pin the pocket to the lining piece. With your ruler, mark the middle point with tailors chalk or disappearing ink pen.

3. Mark vertical lines over the rest of the pocket wide enough to fit your pens or pencils. Mine were thick pens so I spaced them 1 ½ “ apart.

4. Turn the top of the small pocket over twice and press. Turn over the other 3 edges once. Pin the pocket on to the left hand side of the folder, above where the pens will go. (see above)

5. Stitch the pocket in place and stitch along the vertical lines of the pen pockets. This is what it will look like on the underside of the wadding/interfacing.


6. Stitch around the d-shaped flap piece. Clip curves and turn right side out. Press and top stitch close to the edge. Attach a piece of Velcro (the rough side) to the top edge of the flap.

7. Place the flap Velcro side down in middle of the right hand edge of the lining piece. Make sure that there is a bit of an overhang from the flap piece to make sure it stays there securely. Put the cover piece face down so the pieces are right sides together and pin

8. Stitch all the way around the rectangle leaving a gap for turning. Trim edges and clip the corners. Turn right side out and press tucking the turning opening edges in. Top stitch all the way around catching the opening as you go.

9.Fuse a piece of felt to double sided fusible webbing. Cut out a letter shape of your choice. Peel off paper backing and fuse it on to the closing flap piece.

10. Mark with pins where the soft part of Velcro needs to go and hand stitch it in place.

You’re all done! Fill it with pencils/pens and books and give it to your favourite kiddliwink. Let me know if you make one of these and come across any problems.

Eloise's activity pack has a purple felt strip that she can put fuzzy felts on (which I found in an op shop).