All Bagged Up

I recently made this bag for a friend, it's a copy of her favourite handbag but given my denim patchwork treatment! I think she likes it! Hooray!

New Bag In Town!

I've been looking for a handbag of the right size for a very long time with no luck, and I now have a selection of bags from oversized to mini and every size inbetween! So I finally decided to make my own bag with a handle long enough to fit over my shoulder with or with out a coat on, but not so long as to drag along the floor when held. It's big enough to hold keys, purse, mobile phone, make up bag, kindle and all the other essential stuff you may need at a moments notice (including snacks!). I also gave it a strong zip to keep everything safe inside. Thanks Hellie for modelling!

Available on my Etsy shop here……...

Table Tennis Trials

I was recently asked to make a cover for a friends well loved table tennis bat. I was provided with an outline of the bat and its old cover to work from.  We had a 'fitting' after my first attempt and thought that the cover needed more of a handle to it for a better grasp. So here it is in the last photo……. . . . 

Cutting Edge

This is how I start doing my miniature patchwork, I start by cutting strips of denim into squares. For half squares and rectangles I stitch together contrasting denims, then use squares cut out of (American) kitchen paper as templates. The kitchen paper becomes sticky when you iron it onto fabric, once adhered you can cut out your shape then peel off the paper. The paper can be re-used several times!

There's Gonna be a Jumble in the Jungle!

I'm still working on miniature patchwork - getting to grips with new techniques and battling it out with unruly sewing machines! Tomorrow I go to a jumble sale, which I'm very excited about and also a bit nervous too. Excited because I haven't been to a jumble sale for months (years?) and nervous incase I will be disappointed. Ho hum only time will tell, maybe I will report back to you on events!

A Letter To You

I've started making these miniature patchwork bags with inbuilt initials, I started off with my family's initials…… coming soon - A, C, D, E……………..

After trial and error I have mastered inserting zips into awkward spaces!! Here is a zipper bag that I made for a friends birthday - I hope he'll like it!

Denim Logcabin Patchwork

As you know I like making patchwork. One of my favourite designs is the logcabin design which has been used for hundreds of years in different formats, apparently log cabin patterns are to be found on the tiled floors of some ancient Egyptian buildings. 

I build up the patchwork by working square 'blocks' that are joined together. Above the strips of light and dark denim are randomly placed. Not happy with the design, I made alternate light and dark blocks below.

This arrangement didn't make me happy either!

So I next divided each block into light and dark.

This was better, but wasn't symmetrical enough to my eye, so I worked out where I'd gone wrong and finally found the right block formation to create the design below.....

I used a flat fell seam on my overlocker to sew the strips together, once a seam is stitched you gently pull the fabric strips apart and magically the seam flattens out on both sides of the fabric. This is very exciting for me, because it means that I do not have to back this type of work, great news for anyone who has slept under one of my very heavyweight quilts! 

Right side of patchwork.

 A

Reverse side of patchwork.

My Latest Offerings

I've now finished the button embellished denim snowflake baubles I started last week, together with some santa baby bears including my poor one legged sample bear ( I was a bit rough when turning her the right side out though....shame! They'll be for sale on Saturday at the Mangle Christmas   Sale together with some of my other creations including bears, draught excluder sausage dogs and foxes.

Snow Way!

I've started working on the above denim snowflakes using buttons that I've been holding onto for years.........I'm beginning to feel a little Christmasy now!

Maz Baz Badge Collection

I forgot to show you Maria's denim pocket holdall. I made it years ago when she was a girl, it has since become the repository for her badge collection. She is now on holdall numero 2, watch this space for her next collection.. . . . . . . . . 

Baby Blast From The Past

I made these a few years ago, the baby is now 18, the denim settee cover much older and passed on to a friend. Happy birthday Barbara!

Heart

It's an old heart but it's still true to you my Valentine xxxxx

Long Time Coming

More draft excluders, this time made out of denim.

Monsters Inc.

Last Saturday I took part in the Mangle Christmas Sale, I shared a table with one of my studio mates - Maggie. As well as creating amazing effects and puppets for film and television she makes her 'Monsters' which were for sale that day (on the right hand side of the table). She acquired a box full of knitting samples which she delves into until she finds an interesting piece of fabric, she then transforms it into a one off wonder. We listened to music all day provided by Rocky the Elf and part-time disc-jockey, ate mince pies and took it in turns to look around at all the interesting objects on offer.

So-fa So Good

I recently made this denim cover for my other half's sofa-bed that sits in his new studio.

Oi! You've Been Collared!

More collars for those naughty dash-hounds.

Heart of the Matter

I've just finished making these collars for the corduroy daschunds that I've been working on.

Bean Thinking

I had fun making these bean bags yesterday. Somehow I managed to fill them with black beans and pearl barley, managing to get half of the stuff on the studio floor! Did you use bean bags during P.E at infant school? I did, and I remember that they came in a red, blue, green or yellow cotton drill type covering. As a nursery teacher part of my job description included ordering supplies and as hard as I tried I could never find cotton covered bean bags for my pupils, nowadays they only seem to be made with practical nylon covers - shame!

Back Off!

I'm very excited about our Earnest Sewn bear. Here is the very first sample, hot off the press so to speak. As you can see Rob has written a lovely poem which will be gracing the back of the bear. I will keep you posted as we go along.....