Sewn produce bags

In an attempt to reduce my plastic footprint I have been 'trying' to reuse the plastic tubs before recycling and where possible buy fruit and veg loose, not easy, but I am trying.

I noticed that several shops still use plastic bags for their produce rather than the brown paper ones we used to use many years ago, so I decided to have a go and make my own reusable produce bags.

I bought a reduced voile net for £2 (tried several charity shops but they don't appear to get many in) and reused some spare laces we had hanging around. I already had the spring loaded clasps in my sewing stash so I was ready to go!

Now, I am not great at sewing, but I do enjoy it and I have to focus ALL my attention on it so it is a great way to clear the mind of other things on a day off!

I used Crafty Pattie on YouTube video https://youtu.be/Y8GP8QOJnuw 

as the basis then adapted it as the voile curtain already had some pieces with the seam already (since it was a ready made curtain).

I made 3 just to see how they last, wash etc.  I have plenty of fabric left over to make a few more if they last ok.

I was really pleased with how they turned out, I am not a natural sewer so pleased I made something that was functional and actually worked!!

If you have any tips on making these please let me know

Kyla

This is a really late post as I just realised that I forgot to blog about the cards I made in February for valentines day (or any other reason as they are always blank inside so can be multi use).  I die cut some painted card and used my craft sewing machine (a small mini cheap one I bought a few years ago for paper crafting only rather than using my decent sewing machine as paper and card created a lot of fluff and blunts the needles SO quickly if you want to use them on fabric after-so I keep the 2 separate) to add a zig zag stitch all around the edge and left the threads dangling.

Then I added a strip of patterned card down the edge to bring it all together.  

Quite plain and simple but I quite like the added dimension of the thread.

Kyla

Dressed to impress

 So, I decided to take a well deserved day off work the other day and instead of spending it catching up with housework (everything takes longer when you have Rheumatoid Arthritis and I admit I get behind with a lot of it) I decided to have a day sewing.

I bought a Tilly and The Button dress pattern for the Coco dress on the recommendation from a friend and whilst I made one about a month ago the fabric/seam around the armpit rippped after one wear-no idea why.  Maybe my thread was a little tight or maybe I was over zealous with the iron and it was a little too hot for the jersey fabric.  Anyway, I bought some different fabric (ponte de roma) and decided to have another go.

It was all going really well, I remembered to wash and dry the fabric before cutting it out. Then after about an hour trying, unsuccessfully, to insert the arm into the pattern I suddenly realised what was wrong....can you spot my schoolboy error?

I kept wondering WHY the sleeves were not the same each side. Then I spotted the pattern had one edge tucked over when I cut the fabric out!!!!

 Can you spot the difference between the two?  I was SO annoyed at myself (but also thankful I took my time and hadn't started sewing...that would have been a pain in the backside!) Thankfully I seem to have a LOT of fabric left over when I cut this pattern out (no idea why, I think I need to email them to ask for advice as I end up buying a lot more than I actually need) so I was able to cut another pair out.

Once I had cut the arms out correctly it was much easier to fit the arms (still took me a while to sort it out though but I am guessing this is a skill I can develop the more I make). 

I finally made a dress!  Yes its plain and black (no matching of patterns for me at this stage!!) and I may decide to put a couple of pockets on the front.  I haven't worn it yet so fingers crossed the seams and fabric doesn't rip on this one as I think I may loose the plot if it does!! 

But still...I made a dress!!!! Yes, I did a happy dance round the lounge when I tried it on and it fitted!

Happy crafting

Kyla

Beach huts and tumeric

 Over on the collaborART blog we are taking part in a Chinese Whispers circle journal-full details can be found in my previous posts here .

This month I was sent this parcel of goodies to try to incorporate some in the next make. The picture I was sent was of an autumnal quilt made of small rectangles so I used the inspiration of the colours and rectangles to create my next project.

 I used the dyed fabric as the background and added a piece of fabric I dyed with tumeric (from the colour inspiration) and some left over blue dyed fabric that I was practising stencilling and stamping on.

 Folded over the blue fabric just looked blue with a little faded black in parts-but turn it over and you can see my failed experiment!

 I then stapled it all to a frame to keep it taut

 adding stitching with the machine and some metallic thread for the sea. I also cut out some scraps for a beach hut (using the cardboard shapes as a template).  I painted up one of the brads I was sent and use it on the roof of the beach hut.

 I added  a couple more beach huts and some of the felt I was sent as a door.

 I then added lots of layers for the sea.  Everything from wool, string, silk throwers waste and net which I couched down with free machine embroidery.

So that's my 3rd make-half way through.  I have not received this month envelope yet so not sure what to make, but I am sure it will once again test my imagination-which is the purpose of me doing this, to get out of my crafting comfort zone!

Happy crafting

Kyla

 

Quilt procrastination

Now, I am a really good procrastinator when it comes to certain projects and quilting is one of them.  I bought two jelly rolls 3 years ago with the idea of making my mum a quilt and one for myself.  I made mum's a couple of years ago but it was not an experience I fancied repeating so my jelly roll has sat there year on year.  I even decorated my bedroom in the jelly roll colours to see if that would inspire me, but no.

Then finally, last week I decided to have another go.  My husband was at a punk festival for 4 days and this gave me time.  Now, the Missouri quilt youtube channel says that this quilt top only takes an hour...NOT if you are left handed, new to quilting AND have Rheumatoid Arthritis (which means I need to take regular breaks and stretch/rest).

So I settled down and after an afternoon of sewing (and a little unpicking!) I had half a quilt top, by the following lunchtime I had finished my quilt top.

Now I have to work out how to add the batting, edging and backing.  Fiona (Starting at the Sea) has sent me some great tutorial links so fingers crossed the next part of the quilt doesn't take me 3 years also!

Happy crafting

Kyla

 

Altered coat

 Even though I am in my forties I love learning to sew (even after being asked to leave sewing lessons from school and being told I could do double metal work instead-which I loved but the cheek!).

I bought this wool coat in a second hand shop and finally used some of my fabric stash up (though not much!).

I cut out some circles and edged them on the sewing machine.

 I then un-stitched the lining (so that the coat wouldn't pucker) and attached the circles around the coat and cuffs, then stitched the lining back up.

It's a one-off and I know that I certainly will not bump into anyone in town wearing one like it!

Also, in the background (only just noticed as I loaded up the photos) is some bunting and a black and red fabric brooch (on the coat lapel) that the lovely Lunch Lady Jan made me-I wear the brooch on that coat everyday, its just enough sparkle for a dull winter day.

Happy crafting

Kyla

An oversized tote bag

Just when you thought it was safe to venture back to my blog here comes ANOTHER bag!

This one I made for my sister in law's birthday.  Its quite big so I thought it would be perfect for her to put folders etc in for work (I often keep a small cross body bag for phones, purse and keys for security and  a large tote for "stuff" so thought this may work if I made the tote larger than usual).

Once again it has iron on fusible fleece between the layers to give it some body and the outer fabric is upholstery fabric so it is quite thick and robust, an inner pocket and 2 pockets on the outside, perfect for tissues, travel card or notebook.

I have also been trying to find a good pattern/instructions for a messenger bag so if anyone can recommend one please let me know.

Happy crafting

kyla

 

WOYWW in a special place!

Hello peeps, yep its Wednesday again!  This week I have an extra special workdesk to share...now it's not from Wednesday but actually from Tuesday because I spent the day with the lovely Lunchlady Jan.  At the last crop I asked Jan if she did sewing lessons to improve my skills and she kindly offered a days sewing!

So off I went with my machine and SO much fabric stash in the boot of the car ready to hone my bag making skills.  During the morning the lovely Julia must have smelled the coffee as her timing was impeccable!

 from the left, Julia, me and Jan

I brought my "Man Bites Dog" cards with me and Julia did the honours by picking some for this weeks desk:

 "Teen Rehab Missing Again"....oooh, considering these are picked as random they can be quite dark!

Jan is a great tutor and soon my skills were being honed to another level and after a few hours (made longer as I do have a tendency to chat!) I had a bag that I am SO proud of....look:

 It has pockets and lining

and even a recessed zip!  I am so chuffed that its going to work with me tomorrow...and it is NOT going to be a Christmas pressie for one of my sister in laws as I thought it would be as I love it too much to give it away!!

So thanks Jan for a great day, great lunch, fabulous tuition and for putting up with a messy crafter!  Thanks also to Julia, without WOYWW I would not have made so many new friends (not easy as you get older) to share my crafting passion.

So there you go, I have the skills and now need to have another go at making a bag...somehow I think it wont look as good, but hey I have learnt a new skill and that can never be a bad thing!

Happy WOYWW

Kyla

 

A more productive use for a sewing machine

Those of you who either know me or read my blog regularly will now that me and sewing machines don't really see eye to eye. But, the sewing machine killer (yep, that's me) finally conquered her demons when I bought a 2nd hand Janome XC33, more expensive then my earlier models (but still a good price) and suddenly I was making things.

Now, I made a few handbags and skirts, and whilst the end result was pleasing the actual process wasn't much fun. I ended up stressed and often swearing at the material, needles, machine and if my poor hubby happened to walk past him...well, I think you can guess.

So, after a course at Urchfont manner on machine embroidery I decided to have a crack at my first proper piece.

But, what should the subject be? Well, I had no idea what to get my parents for Christmas, so I thought I would make them something.

They both love Budleigh Salterton in East Devon, so I took a photo and printed it on special paper from Ario (I love their unusual products) and started to stitch....and stitch....and stitch...

I stitched for 3 days, layering threads, silk rods (dyed from Steff Francis who does wonderful colours) and even some angelina fibres for the reflections. I decided to keep some of the sea unstitched to show that it started out life as a photo.

And this is how it turned out:

Because of the pressure on the fabric, it puckered slightly at the edges so I decided to frame it (not easy considering how thick this piece is)

As you can see, I used many, many layers, keeping some of the silk rods and more textured fibres slightly looser to add depth and texture.

When my parents opened it at Christmas their faces said it all, even my family in New Zealand recognised it as Budleigh Salterton when we showed them over skype!!

All in all, I must admit, for my first attempt I am pretty pleased with myself. If it wasn't a gift for my parents (where I can visit it often) then I don't think I could have actually given this away!!

Now I just need to get inspired for another one.

Happy crafting

Li'l Pidge x

theres no business like 'sew' business....

Night in-nest is free of all distractions so apart from a bit of blogging, I have decided to get out the sewing machine and use up some lavender, filling and fabric and make some hanging lavender hearts that I can distress/decorate at a later date.

I have made a few so far and they are great fillers for presents or even over the neck of a bottle of wine if you are visiting as an extra little bit of handcrafted love!

So, in order to be organised, I thought, make a few....put to one side, then i have a haul ready to go....now, just need to not get distracted by blogland or BBC6 music or ashes to ashes!!!



Ooh, also, I have been a bit busy this week and altered an old christmas choccy tin and turned it into a vegan hamper for a friends birthday

There is a lavender heart in the middle.

Happy Crafting weekend allx

Li'l Pidge x

1 thing i love and 1 thing I don't

There is no stopping me now. I have made a union jack cusion with pink tweed, lace and some chintzy fabric....

I love it and as you can see, its taking pride of place in MY chair! I'm loving my sewing machine, if only I had known all those years ago that cheap was not neccessarily best!

So, onto the 1 thing I don't love.

The new Tim Burton film, Alice in Wonderland. Now, I am a big Tim Burton fan, but this has none of dark sub plot that we have come to love in Mr Burton's films, such a shame really as the orginal story is fantastic but you dont feel as though you attach to the characters and as for the Mad Hatter, the only think I could see as mad was speaking in 2 accents, eccentric maybe, mad, no.

If you love the earlier dark humour of Tim Burtons films then I can recommend Jean-Pierre Jeunet, we went to see Micmacs the other week, a great french comedy with amazing cinematography and plots.

Anyway, that's enough non-craft blathering from me, back off to craft a bit more.

Happy Crafting

li'l pidge x

Well, this is a photo from the back window of my wee garden looking all clean and tidy whilst covered in snow. It stayed like this for nearly 2 weeks but is now back to a muddy mess, though they have given out snow for tommorow, so who knows, maybe I will get to go out and play in it for a bit longer!I have made lots, but havent yet taken photos (or gave then away and forget to take a photo!!). This is a distressed vintage card I made for my mum's birthday with paperartsy stamps and some distressed inks and crackle paint, I also had a go at sewing on the card also, hope you like it.I was really pleased with how this turned out and think I will try combining lace, paint and all manner of bits and pieces again.

Happy vrafting
Li'l pidge x

Finally my mojo is back (and I'm skint)

After killing my sewing machine AGAIN last week (thank goodness it was only £25), rumour was there was a bounty hunter after me for 4 needless slaughters of machines! Coupled with the fact that my mojo up and went (probably travelling round warmer climes!) after I produced some cards that were SO ugly they went in the recycling bin and a bag charm I made my mum that just didnt look right, add to this tooth ache (STILL havent plucked up the courage to have it pulled out as the dentist suggested, I will, I just have to work up to it!!) and some other bits and pieces I had just about had enough (my poor OH, what he has to put up with! The sewing machine nearly landed on him as he walked through the door last Friday!). But, my mojo is back-I managed to make several cards in one night...look!
During the week I girded my loins and went to a new crafting night at the local Cath Kidson shop. They run craft classes for free a couple of times a month, so I thought even though I didn't know anyone I decided to go along, and I am so glad I did. This week they were making egg cosies. The other ladies made some lovely ones decorated with flowers, gems etc....me? Well, what did you expect?
Yep,a mexican day of the dead skull!

They were also making drawstring bags, or as we say in the west country,Dap bags!. I ran out of time so brought the fabric and ribbon home to make it.....

Dah-dah!
"How did I make it?" I hear you cry? Well, that'll be on my new sewing machine.......Yep, I decided 4 killings were not enough!! I bought it 2nd hand from a great shop in town and they will throw in a free lesson in using it after Easter-its electronic and has several stitches-I love my new machine! I used it for the first time today to make this bag. I have even managed to change the thread colour-basic I know, but for me that is good!!
Look, Isn't it beautiful...
Fingers crossed it lasts my a LONG time (as it cost me a lot of money).

A few weeks ago I made my Nan a birthday pressie of a scrap book of photos of my nan (and departed grand dad) and me as I grew up. I couldn't post a photo before in case my nan looked at this blog-but she has opened her gift now so the coast is clear!
Boy, did it bring back memories making it, and a few tears.
I have also made a tag book for my pen friend in NYC (we became pen friends in our early teens and have stayed good friends ever since) of his vist more than 20 years ago!! Hopefully Josh would have received it by now so I am taking the gamble and posting a photo...
And then I have made one final card with one of my new stamps from Crafty Individuals, I hope you like it.Happy Crafting

Li'l Pidge

Sick to the back teeth, but not of crafting

Sometimes, you have to admit that life sucks. You get good weeks, and you get bad. The past week was a bad-un. My hands, knees and feet have been hurting like hell and to top it all the temporary filling my dentist put in when my root infection cleared up is still in as the dentist cancelled and it is now all swollen again and so painful I cannot touch it-so lets just say when you are feeling pretty damned grotty, its hard to pick yourself up and get on with things, yes I know you have to, work demands, home etc etc, yadda yadda. But, even then, it still boils down to the fact that sometimes life sucks! But as we all know, the wonderful world of craft allows us to express ourselves and to a degree lose ourselves, even if only for 15 mins to make a card.

So, with this all in mind, I have managed to get a lot of crafting done. Some of it I cant publish yet as they are for pressies, but even then I managed to get a lot done.

I also got my prize for the New Year Card Challenge on the CB Forum, from the lovely Jane, in the post this week, a lovely array of paper crafting products which I am going to love playing around with.

I made another of one of my favourites this week-shaker cards! A couple of friends have just had their first child, so this was the perfect excuse I need to get out the acetate and the micro beads.

I am such a sucker for a shaker card, a bit of noise and movement in what can be a boring everyday object is always a bonus (just think of John Travolta in a 1970s white suit!!)

So, in an effort to try and forget my woes (lets not even go into the gas bill that came this weekend-I know its been cold, but I didnt realise that I signed up with Dick Turpin utilities!) I threw myself into making valentine cards, using glitter glue, acetate and some light airdrying clay to make heart shaped lock and keys.

Gotta love a bit of embossing

oh, and there's the acetate and glitter glue....
and the airdrying clay (I am loving this card...big hint to my OH!!)

Then I decided that I need a bit of bling in my life to cheer me up so I made myself a large statement piece, of a lovely green wooden and pearl ring

I dread to think what I must look like, so far I have made a skirt, bag, jewelry and a scarf-well, at least I know that no-one else will be wearing the same!

And to top it all I have made some fabric brooches, a few of which I have managed to sell, so that is even more money to charity (but now I need to make some more to replace them!).

Well, I did say I needed cheering up!
Then to top it all, I decided that I would try something new. I made a handbag. I made the whole thing in 2 hours, including cutting, interfacing and stitching and even adding a magnetic closure. I lined it and added a gussetted bottom (ooer) so that I could cram even more goodies into it when out shopping! This time I am really pleased, as I am a bit of a handbag fetish, and they arent very cheap-so this is a great alternative!














I am loving this material-so far I have made an apron, skirt and bag from it! I am SO proud of this, especially since I bothered lining it also (as I tend to cut corners when its something for myself). My OH said that when I went into the office in the morning I was SO down, in pain and generally ready to give up, and when he came home he didnt know what to expect. What he wasnt expecting was a flurry of activity, with scissors, ironing of interfacing, sewing machine etc all happening at speed and a happy me!! I would say that crafting is cheaper than therapy, but as any of you know, for every bit of re-purposed wall paper and old junk we use, there are expensive stamps, glitters, flocks and a whole host of lovelyness in the craft shops (as well as craft fairs)!
As I said, its been a busy week. Yes, it has taken me longer than usual to make some things, but the main thing is that I have spend time doing something I enjoy, and what is life if you cant have a pice of happiness now and again (and to spread this around, I also sent out a few random acts of kindness to some of the ladies on the CB fourm, well karma is always good to stay in the right side of!!).

Anyway, off to play in the craft room.
Happy crafting

Li'l Pidge x