Secret Santa

This year for the first year, I am taking part in the Secret Santa swap with BQL. I have received my parcel, and it is waiting neatly, still in the envelope.

On Friday I sent my own parcel and am allowed to show its content, without revealing who will receive it.

I embroidered the front of the needle holder with a design found on Cynderberry Stitches by Natalie Lymer called "Sweet and spotty Needle Wallet". If you look on the website there is a free download of this project in the column on the right.

The pin cushion is made with 2 squares sewn in a strange way.

You start with one corner sewn on the middle of the side of the other square. You keep going like this all the way around. I then added a button in the middle.

The 6 fabric coasters you have seen before in a post.

Bear Brooch

I found this tutorial on the net, to crochet a bear and mount it as a brooch.

You need 2 big circles and 2 small, easy.

And then my daughter, can't remember which one, said it looked like a pig....maybe because of the colour of the cotton !

Anyway I wore it once and got some interest, so I can say that it is a ..nice .. bear.

You can find the tutorial on Folksy, the author is Irenestrange, and it is called an amigurimi bear.

November Calendar

And November is going on quickly, Christmas seems to be running towards us.

This is my interpretation of our block for our perpetual calendar on BQL for this month.

The block was "Drunkards Path", and we could

machine applique a circle in the middle of a

square, then cut it in 4 to get 4 little blocks.

I complicated it a bit by putting 2 circles in, one being much smaller than the other. It was all calculated so that the final design would give the impression of a continuity between the squares on the block. It worked if you don't look too much in detail.

This photo was taken before the quilting-embroidery-ribbon were added.

I love the result, tried different fabrics, on the basis of a blue, white and red choice.

And then I thought there was still a lot of space in the red area, and added the embroidery (machine) and the ric rac ribbon.

It looks a bit old fashioned, which I find interesting.

I enjoy trying a different technique every month, and a small project gives you the opportunity to play a bit with fabrics, ribbons and quilting.

Soon I will be given the instructions for Christmas, I wonder what Kandy has done for us...

Fine cell work

I have just been watching a video about "Fine Cell Work".

This organisation is teaching men and women in prison in England to sew, embroider, make patchworks. They produce cushions and throws sold to the public, admittedly they are not cheap but very good quality, and the designs are beautiful.

The video is very interesting, so if you have a few minutes, go and have a look.

http://www.finecellwork.co.uk/audiovideo/

They have made things for Dover Castle in a medieval inspiration and will have a piece at the V &A museum in a coming exhibition.

Baby shoes

Julie who lives next door from me had a baby boy last Friday. We are all very excited about this new addition to their family and I made some little shoes from a pattern made by Amy Butler inher book "Little Stitches for little ones".

There are some other projects which are quite tempting. My only regret is that my own children are too old, and I think I didn't have enough time to make all the things I would have liked to make when they were baby girls.

But I'm still making some for the babies around me.

I followed the pattern in the book, done in a size 3 months in this case, but wasn't happy with the space left for the leg of the baby. I then changed the position of the velcro on the shoe, put it higher, and it works much better.

This photo with my hand is just to give you an idea of the size of the shoe. It needs to be roomy enough for the socks as well.

Now should I make another one for my young niece in France, in size 6 months...

News

I am sorry there was a gap in my posting.

I went away in France for a week and took some sewing with me, but didn't find the time to do much. Nothing finished anyway.

We came back in time for Halloween, walking the streets with my youngest, and then on 1st Nov was the Malvern Autumn Patchwork show.

I went with my friend Jane and her daughter Amanda and it was a great day. I didn't buy too much fabric in the morning, but the afternoon was more productive.

I also bought some wadding in advance as I hate chasing cotton wadding for a project, and paying a high price. In fact what happened was that near the end of the show I mentioned it near a shop and was offered to buy whatever wadding was left for £5.50 a metre. A bargain. So instead of a roll I have pieces going from 1 1/2 metres to 4 metres, but I know that some of them will be used for small projects, so it's not a problem.

I am still looking for some black fabric for one of my projects. I am running low but the rolls in the shop have a slightly different hue, and I am getting nowhere. I left my phone number with a shop and haven't heard from them after a week. Another one has something close to the right colour, is that good enough ?

I am hoping to get more sewing done now.

Oh and I have a new computer, much faster, that should help as soon as I get used to the new features.

Enjoy your sewing..

Tilda bathing lady

In the last 3 days I made this beautiful doll, from the tilda book "Sew Sunny Homestyle". There are a few other projects that tempt me for later.

I bought a fat quarter of the black with white spots fabric, from the Tilda collection, and a metre of white croquet ribbon. I already had the fabric for the skin, plain calico.

I had fun and am pleased

with the result.

Now it's your turn to try.

Here is a photo of the book, it has recently been translated in english, and I bought it straight away as I already love Tone Finnanger's other books. Here is a link to the product on Amazon uk no affiliation.

I was wondering how to do the hair but followed the explanation and it worked. I put some pins around her head and weaved the knitting thread around the pins. Then I sewed everything in place, and took the pins out.

I just need to put some colour on her cheeks.