Tea Towel Bag Trade

 Recently the online Friends in Stitching group had a tea towel bag swap, you just had to make a bag using a tea towel, easy. I hadn't done any sewing for ages with the baby and thought this was in my capabilities at the time. I was so excited to do something else for ten minutes a day, LOL and it was ten minutes a day, if that! One day I cut up the tea towel, the next day I cut some of the lining (I didn't have to line it but did as this allowed me to put a pocket in the bag and gave me fabric for handles), another day I stitched the sides of the bag up etc etc. Even with only snippets of time you can make great achievements.

I purchased a Red Tractor Designs tea towel with yummy cakes on it from our local newsagent. Red Tractor have lots of gorgeous tea towels out that it is hard to choose one! They are made from linen. Due to these being long tea towels I was able to use the bottom with the design name for the bottom of the bag.

I bought a pretty stripey tea towel from a local gift wares shop to wrap it in for De.

 Sarah made mine, and it is gorgeous! Love the red and aqua colours together!

 Thanks so much Sarah!

catching up

 Since I last posted I got lots of stitching done the first two weeks in April. Haven't done any since because I've been busy with a new baby son. He is just gorgeous and is very much doted on here. 

 Down in the garden, blocks one to three finished except the two paper pieced dresdens and needle turn heart. 

 A small table topper in repro fabrics.

love the colour combination...

 A new bag for me, wool by Hatched and Patched. This was a special order kit as I wanted blue.

 Another Hatched and Patched project! 

Shellie's Bag.

Another special request for the colours - I loved the colours in the quilt from the book 'the world as it should be' so requested these. Made this bag up Easter Sunday.

This is our nappy bag.

A frugal project here, the sort that Mr Busy loves.

A change mat made from a worn cotton baby blanket and flannel bunny rug.

Cushions, Bags and Quilts

 Folk Heart Cushion by Rosalie Quinlan in Vignette #6

A gorgeous cushion stitched in red thread on birch hanky linen.

 My mum recently had a birthday and I had no idea on what to get her. When I saw this in the most recent edition of Vignette by Leanne Beasley I thought it would go nicely with one of her lounges. I really enjoyed stitching this, and I worked on it in waiting rooms at the dentists, x-ray place and the doctors.

 The buttons on the back I had bought from some local markets and were made from trimmings off an apricot tree, just gorgeous.

 One of my sisters recently went back to work after having a baby last year. She asked me to make her a new bag, like her old one but bigger and in purples. The bag I made her before was in black and white, Dolcetto by Melly and Me.

 I increased the size all over but a niggle we both found with this pattern was the opening to the bag was quite restricted for the bag volume. I fiddled with it before handing it over but ended up putting it back how it was originally intended as it changed the design of the bag too much; and to get it where it needed to be (better opening access) would have required a lot of changes and basically remaking the bag.

She loves the colours!

 I put a strip pocket that is divided into sections inside this time, pockets are always handy in bags.

 I came across this quilt pattern last year and asked Sarah from Patchworks Plus to see if she could order in what I needed to make this up. Sarah liked it so much she also has two more kits of this for sale in her shop.

The fabrics/kits arrived in only a few weeks ago. It is Urban Cowgirl by Urban Chiks, just gorgeous fabrics....

The flowers on the quilt top are 3D, looking forward to getting this made up one day.

Belated Christmas

Above is what Vicki made me for Christmas in the Friends in Stitching Secret Santa swap.

The bag was the main present, this is a Red Brolly pattern and Vix has made it for me in reproduction fabrics (love these). Vicki also made me a Red Brolly purse in the FIS purse swap late last year, so they both go together very well! The gorgeous gifts in the other two pictures are what Vicki sent for the advent part of the SSS, we had to purchase or make a small gift to open for the five days leading up to Christmas.

Thanks so much Vicki!

I made for Peg in this swap, and you will have to  look here to see what I made her as I didn't have a camera up and working prior to sending her gifts.

My friend Lynda sent me this gorgeous ornament that she made.

Thanks so much Lynda!

Random Act of Kindness

close up of some of Carole's return gift

 I joined up for Maree's 'RAK', random act of kindness swap. Everyone who joined up was allocated a month to send something to any person they choose off the list. To make sure everyone recieved something you had to send a parcel back if you recieved something.

I chose two people, for different reasons. I chose Pat from Narromine, whom Peg blogs for on the Club Quilt blog. Pat has inspired me over the years with what she makes; and in particular a quilt of hers was very inspirational. I also chose someone at random, wanting to spread some love and kindness around; Carole from Abberdean was my random choice. It has been lovely reading her blog and getting to know her.

Now the slacko that I am, I didn't photograph what I sent to Pat and Carole. Initially I planned to make a gift for this swap but as my month ended up being March, an extra busy month I wasn't able to. So I put together a package of misc things; such as charm packs, threads, stitchery kit, bag handles, Cath Kidston pincushions etc etc. Both packages had some things the same and some things different. It was fun to put together these surprise parcels, a great swap! Thanks Maree for organising it!

 This is what Carole sent back to me. A gorgeous bag with all sorts of bits and pieces in it. Love the stitchery on the bag!

 Pat also sent me a gorgeous bag; funnily enough a bag that I was hoping to purchase the pattern for and make at some point; now I don't have to!

 love the buttons she used, the right ones are on the back of the handles and the left ones are on the front.

Thanks so much Carole and Pat! 

Excuse me posting twice in one day, I didn't want another week to get away before posting again!

EDIT - link to Carole's blog fixed now.

FIS Hatched and Patched

 This is what Kerri made for me, the gorgeous 'Smell the Roses' bag from Anni's book 'A Gardeners Journal'. I love the teal/blue fabric she made the bag from....so rapt to recieve something so beautiful! Thanks Kerri! I have used the bag on every trip to town since recieving it; lots of room inside!

This is what I made for Razzy. I made her up a sewing set using patterns of Anni's from here and there; tied together with the same stitchery/applique pattern. The bag is 'Petite Sewing Set' pattern, the needlecase is a 'Simple Stitchings' pattern, the scissor fob was in the book 'Simple Pleasures' and for the pincushion I used a pincushion pattern for the shape and enlarged the red bird stitchery (''In the Life of a Bag" book) and made it into a wool applique. I even used some of the fabric that I used to make my 'Gardeners Journal' quilt. Love what I made, it was fun making up a sewing set.

I can't believe how long it has been since my last post, I have been laid up though. Had a minor surgery on my foot and the stitches only came out yesterday so I am still hobbling about. I have done only a little sewing, and that is secret sewing for a FIS birthday. I have the bookwork for the farm up to date and have been reading alot. I recently discovered Julie Klassen. So if you are a Jane Austen fan you will love Julie Klassen. Another recent favourite is Cassandra Clare....eagerly awaiting the next book in the mail!

What are you reading?

Bag Making

 This is a bag made using Beach House fabric by Blackbird Designs. It is from Leanne Beasley's book 'Romancing the Road Trip' and is 'The Easiest Bag You'll Ever Make'. It certainly was easy! It is also very roomy.

 These are also from Leanne's book, and are 'Market Bags'. Not too hard to make either!

The fabric is Nicey Jane by Heather Bailey.

I have made these for birthday presents for my daughters; one birthday is up and coming very soon and seeing as I was making up one bag I thought I might as well make up the two.

Now I realise I haven't blogged for while, sorry but I have been busy stitching. I have also been to a cheesemaking class which was fantastic! In a few weeks time we will have a couple more milking cows here (Jersey's to add to our Friesan house mikers); bring on the cheesemaking! I have lots of stitching to share over the next few blog posts.

Cath Kidston Bag

I made this Cath Kidston bag earlier last month ( Feb finish due to my slack blogging). The fabric came with the book all cut out and ready to stitch! It was pretty quick and easy to finish, I only wish I had of lined it. So pretty her stuff is..... Oh, and the book is called 'Sew' by Cath Kidston.