Recent sewing

I am still plodding away at the sewing, working my way through an extensive to-do list! This has been on my list for a while now, it is the Highbrow Hobo pattern from Lisa Lam at U-handbag.

Next is a 12 sided dice bag for my brother in law! I must have been mad when I said I would make this! I used this tutorial. It was a bit trickier than I expected as they don't fully explain how to sew the remaining pieces on after you complete the top part and it took me a while to figure out. Although I have finished it I am not happy with it and feel like I have to make it again differently to try and improve it!

Birthday Gifts

Joe went to a party yesterday for a little girl from his pre-school and I wanted to make something. I decided on a bag and a pencil roll. I had a small piece of beautiful red cord from a friend of mine already in my stash but I did buy the co-ordinating stars fabric to line it as I had nothing suitable to match!

I love making presents for other people but I do always worry how they will be received. I hope she likes them.

Sewing again!

I have had a bit of a sewing slump recently. Partly caused by the school holidays because I am busy looking after my boys and partly because I have gone back to work part time and no longer have any child free time in which to sew except when they have gone to bed.

I decided to join in a sewing challenge over at The Sewing Forum to make a sewing caddy made from recycled items or items from your stash, well I have plenty to choose from!

I decided to make a bag to carry things in to the sewing group I go to (also found through the sewing forum) and I adapted the crafty carry case pattern from Sewing World March 2007. The original design is good but there is a problem with the pattern in the magazine that when you enlarge it by 250% (like it says in the magazine) it is still too small. So I had to try and calculate all the measurements from the final measurements and the sizes given to cut the pocket pieces from.

This is what I ended up with:-



The outer is made from a pair of jeans and I made the handles from some dowel rod that I had left over from another project.

Inside has 1 large pocket on one side and then I changed the pockets on the other side so I now have: a tool pocket with slots for pens/pencils, seam ripper etc Then down the middle is a strip of elastic to hold my needle case and pin cushion and threads and then a vinyl pocket.


The pin cushion and needle book were made from selvages inspired by the Selvage blog.

I have the itch to sew again so hopefully it won't be as long until my next project gets posted here.

My first fair.

Well I am back from the summer fair! The weather was at bit glum this morning with showers (which is why the photo is a bit dark) but it picked up for the afternoon and we even had some sunshine!

I had a nice time and sold more than I expected (seeing as it wasn't a craft fair) The hair clips and brooches where the most popular by far!

I think I will have a rest tonight and then add the rest of the things to my shop tomorrow.

Feeling creative and a bit nervous

I made this mini messenger bag as a gift for one of my eldest sons friends from school. Usually I just go and buy things for school friends but things are a bit tight at the moment and I have lots of fabric and things available to use! I am a bit nervous about how it will go down as a gift though, it is the first time I have given a hand crafted item as a gift for a birthday.

It was made completely from stash items so I didn't have to buy anything. It has the same butterflies print as the lining and a simple divided pocket under the flap.

If I could have changed anything it would be the strap, I only had 1" webbing and I think it would have looked better with a wider strap.

I hope she likes it.

First one off the list

Is my Onbag baby! I finally got round to making it!

I used curtain fabric for the outer and a teal taffeta for the lining, it's not the best picture but I took it in a rush as I was off out meeting friends today.

I feel better now I am working through my list.

Jumping on the Buttercup bandwagon.

A friend of mine has recently been making Buttercup Bags using a free tutorial available on the Made By Rae blog. It is a cute little bag that can be made up in an evening. Which is what I did last night, I find I am easily distracted by other little projects even though I have lots of other things already planned!

It is not perfect as I used my new sewing machine to sew it and I am still getting to grips with it's little quirks! I used the left over fabrics from the curtains I made recently for this one. I will be making another one soon (my mum has requested one)


Off to write a to-do list now to try and keep my projects on track!

Birthday presents for my nephew

My nephew turns 1 tomorrow and as I love making things for little ones I thought I would sew a few things for him. First a little rucksack, he has recently started at nursery so needs a bag to keep all his things in.

This is the second time I have made a rucksack like this. It is not perfect but was easier to make than last time. I'm going to make another one soon so I am hoping it will be easier next time.

And then I filled it with these things:

Travel bibs





















The bib was not my idea but copied from Odannysgirl's ones on Etsy


And a set of 3 appliqued tops.

Ugly DollWhaleElephant, which wraps around to the back.