A bit of this & that!!

Well it’s again been a while since I last posted – not intentional; however, I’ve had stuff going on and I suppose lost my sewing mojo to some degree. I moved house mid-May. What I’ve actually done is to move back home, having temporarily moved in and lodged with my sister-in-law for about 18 months – I rented out my house to tenants. It was a great opportunity for me to reduce my mortgage a bit, which is in preparation for me retiring next May when I’ll be 60-years old (cannot wait!!).

In moving back home, I decided it was a good time to have some decorating done, which I did before moving back. I’ve had all of the upstairs and the staircase redecorated and new carpet laid, new wardrobes from Ikea, new light fittings and I’m still waiting on a bespoke handmade chest of drawers, which I designed. So, a fair bit of my time was spent organising all of that. Plus also re-packing my belongings, removals, ending the tenancy and everything that goes with that etc. etc.

So to start with, I made a bag for my nephew’s wife (Hafsa). They had been to Turkey on holiday, and Hafsa had bought back a print of lovely colourful doors. As soon as I looked at the picture, I saw ‘free-motion applique’ which had to be done, and as everyone can use another tote bag, that’s what I decided to do. I used faux leather for the base. Here are the framed print and the bag:

Next, and for whatever reason, I decided to make a ‘Tilda’ duck with some of my Tilda stash – I then thought I might as well make two!!

I’m fairly sure I’m moving away from the Artist Teddy Bears in favour of the Waldorf Dolls I’ve been loving more and more over the last couple of years or so. I have LOADS yet to learn about them, but here is my third attempt.

It’s better than the first two, but I’m FAR from happy with the face – getting it right is about the eye/mouth/chin area, which I’ve not done well; however, it is the face that’s the most difficult to get right. Still, in about 3 – 4 weeks, I shall be attending my first Waldorf Doll Workshop, which will hopefully guide me in the process of the face and hair making. I also made the dress and knitted the cardigan that she’s wearing, together a spare red & white dress.

So then (4 weeks ago) I decided to break my ankle!!!!!!!!!!!! Now if you’d read my last blog post, you may recall I was on crutches then because I’d had a total knee replacement. So, this is a bit of a déjà vu moment – same leg even! What happened was that I was going downstairs (getting ready for work at 6:15am) and thought I was on the last stair before the floor – unfortunately, there was actually another stair, which I missed, and I landed very heavily in a heap on the floor. A trip to A&E and then the fracture clinic resulted in a moon boot and crutches – and 6 weeks (or so) off work!! Mind you, boredom has really set in being housebound! Daytime TV is totally pants – here I am watching the ‘Sewing Quarter’. I’ve even signed up to ‘Netflix’! Still, it could be worse! Speaking about Netflix, have you seen a wonderful film called ‘Lion’? It came out a couple of years ago and is a true story about a 5-year old boy who became lost from his home and family in India; accidently ended up on a very long train journey across India and was eventually adopted by a couple in Tasmania ….. what a fabulous film (and a tear jerker).

I have to keep my leg elevated as much as possible, which rules out sitting at the sewing machine, so I’ve settled down to some knitting instead. A few weeks before the ankle break, I’d been to the Birmingham Yarningham Knitting Festival, where I excitedly bought a kit to make a VERY quirky (which I love) little fox. So excited was I when I bought the kit, it didn’t occur to me to read the pattern. Now, although I’ve been a knitter since I was a child, I’ve only ever knitted in what I’m now terming the ‘old-fashioned’ way on 2 metal single pointed knitting needles with either double-knit or 4-ply yarn. This quirky looking fox has been a massive (and welcome) learning curve to my knitting skills. I’ve had to knit with what is probably equivalent to something like 2-ply yarn (very thin), knitting with dpns (double pointed needles) in size 2.25mm (also very thin) – my sister-in-law said they look more like cocktail sticks, which is true, especially as they’re made from bamboo. I’ve learnt to do something called ‘short rows’, I’ve knitted ‘in the round’ – I’ve cast on with a method called ‘figure of 8 cast-on’ – and all this on needles only a little bigger than cocktail sticks. I did it though and my ‘quirky fox’ is the result AND he looks like the picture on the pattern. He measures about 8 inches from top to toe.

This week, I also finished an ‘Ellie’ which I’d prepared months and months ago. Finishing meant stuffing the body and doing the head. He has a little pair of trousers, but I’ll probably finish him with a little knitted top …….. eventually!!!

Next on my list is a couple of small (I hope) cross-stitch projects.

I think to be honest, I’ve been doing a lot more dreaming about the crafts I want to do, rather than actually ‘doing’!! I’m really hoping I can do something with my crafts once I retire, such as holding workshops as well as selling made items and I think I’m getting too anxious about it all. Although I have loads of ideas of things to make, I just really don’t know where to start with the ‘doing’ side of things!! I need to do some business research I suppose and make a plan! I also think I’m probably afraid of failure and am procrastinating big time!!

Anyway, to finish, and just because he’s so gorgeous, here’s a photo of my great nephew, Mika, who is just over 8-months old now ……. isn’t he a cutie?

Sally Shopper

This is a bit of a show off post really!! I knocked this bag up this evening in about 2½ hours; and that includes cutting out the pattern. It's called a 'Sally Shopper' and I bought it as a kit from Create & Craft a week ago (the Freeview TV Shopping Channel Craft show) from a company called 'The Owl and the Sewing Cat'. I liked it so much, I ordered the kit and it had arrived when I got home from work this evening - I even surprised myself when I decided to set about making it this evening.

It was quite easy to be fair, but all the same, I have been at work all day, so not bad eh! The little gold tag thing on the handle is my own addition and I shall make a little pretty something or other with beads and charms to hang on it when I have a bit more time - time really didn't allow for that as well tonight!!

My new bag

Like my new bag?!! This is the front

I bought the pattern and fabric when I was the Malvern Quilt Show the other week and decided to set to work on it straight away. The sheep is my own adaptation, as the pattern called for an applique angel, but I'm not particularly in to angels too much and preferred a sheepy! 

...... and this is the back, including a large pocket!

and the finishing touch - a metal charm dangly thing!

You like - I just love the colours of the fabric?

(New) Bag Lady!!

OK, so there was something else I was working on while I was away from work recently, but I hadn’t finished it, and I didn’t know whether it would turn out as I wanted it to. Now I know this is going to sound very big-headed, BUT, I have to admit to being quite proud of my new bag. It’s actually a rucksack and is made from my favourite fabric of the moment – Blackbird Design’s ‘Harvest Home’. I plan to use it for work (so long as it’ll take the strain) instead of having to carry 2 or 3 bags, plus an umbrella when it’s wet!!! Mind you, I’ll probably end up knocking people flying with it knowing me every time I turn round!!!

Here’s the front with an appliquéd front flap




........... a little zip pocket under the flap .... and get this cute little zipper with the scissors charm. I only discovered it very recently (maybe I’m behind the times), but I just had to have one for my bag! It came from Belen of Simply Patchwork. If you want to look at them (there are a few other different charms), pick up the link from her name and from there, take the link to her store.

This is the side – there's a large deep pocket each side for carrying a book, umbrella etc.

The back!

And this is a view of an alternative way I can carry it instead of on my back, as I can take the strap from the back and attach it to the clips on the sides ....... had to stand on a chair in front of the bathroom mirror to take this one!!! which is why it’s a bit dark – so apologies for that. My neighbours would probably have thought I’d lost the plot (be careful of what you say now!!!!) if I’d popped round to ask if they would take a photo of me holding my new bag ...... they’d have likely patted me on my head and sent me on my way!!!!!

Anyway, I hope you agree that it has turned out well – there’s nothing like blowing your own trumpet is there?!!!