Even More Mug Rugs....

I have been a busy bee today, I finished getting all the bits sorted out for the new sewing classes which start on Saturday then I have spent a few hours making more Mug Rugs for the shop.

I have to admit that I love these little things, they are so cute and when made using pretty fabrics I cant resist them.

Here are some I have made today -

Tea....

& Cakes



Polka Dot Hearts on baby Pink Gingham



Hearts and Flowers




All over Hearts




Cath Kidston Fabrics

 I think I am hooked, I have lots more cupcakes and tea Pots cut out ready to use. I don't have a fancy sewing machine but I think they are lovely especially the tea and cake ones as they are backed in this Cupcake fabric.

terrible photo as the background is actually cream.

I have a few more to make up for our Valentine's day display, back to it I suppose. Hoping to have photos of the new project I started yesterday very soon.

The Sunday Project - January

It has been a while since I last tackled a Sunday project but since Christmas I have been on a spending freeze, You see I am an impulse buyer, I find things and buy them and then sit on them for months without doing anything with them, I suppose alot of you will see a bit of yourselves in that but there is a problem with this - SPACE!!!!!! and I am running out of it. So I have promised myself that I will use up some of the things/ stash I have bought before I buy anything else and the car boot season is fast approaching so I need to get cracking.

With this being said here is one of my projects for this weekend

A pretty sorrowful Jewellery box



Lovely Green interior






Large part with mirror removed

I do have another box but I will see how I get on with this one first, all I have to do is decide what I am going to do with it, maybe turn it into a sort of miniature Armoire and do I use Cath Kidston or Laura Ashley? I am  not sure yet but there will definitely be pretty fabrics involved.
Hopefully be back later with an update, have a great Sunday everyone

I am rather pleased with myself....

I have been sewing for as long as I can remember, my Mum taught me when I was about 7 and I always did sewing at school but tonight I have sewn my first ever zip in, hard to believe isn't it after all these years but whenever I have made cushions or something similar I have searched for patterns without zips.

As I have done quite a few quilts over the last few years I have accumulated a few small pieces of fabric that I want to do something with, not big enough for cushions but far too big to throw away so I made some Mug Rugs and was now looking for more ideas when I came across this tutorial at Flossie's Teacakes for a lined, zippered make up bag and had to have a go, so here is my first zip

One thing I wasn't happy with, my zip was a little on the heavy side as the edges where the zip goes in are not as neat as I would have liked but easy solved as I will get some lighter weight zips.

It only took me about 45 minutes and its a really easy tutorial to follow so if like me you have a few bits of fabric lying around have a go at one of these.

Not having a good start to today!

I thought this week was going better until today!

The table runner (see below) I started making the other day was an order, the lady chose the fabrics for it but sadly now doesn't like it, she has asked to see if I can sell it on. I cant say I am not a little disappointed as it has been quite allot of work so far and it still needs to be backed and have the binding on it. Hopefully I will be able to sell it, fingers crossed!!

On a brighter note I have finished my stool, it has been my first attempt at this sort of thing so be kind if you leave a comment although constructive criticism is always welcome.

I really wanted this to be girly but not over frilly if you know what I mean and I only had a bare fat quarter of the Cath Kidston fabric to play with, I love, love, love this fabric.

I am pleased with the way it has turned out as it could have multiple uses as a side table or dressing table stool. I know my daughter will love it but alas I cant keep it as I have no room for it so its off to the shop this morning

So honestly what do you think?

 

Patchwork table runner

What I like most about my life is that it is never boring, I get to do something different nearly everyday and I love it.

So what is my latest project I here you ask! I am half way through making a patchwork table runner as an order for a lovely Lady called Tina and here are a couple of photos of it

This is a piccy of the top well enough to show the fabric layout, it will measure 76" x 16" when its finished.

Close up of the embroidered hearts

The hearts are finished off with some free motion embroidery in red, not sure it shows up that well.

It has to be quilted and have the backing and binding on but I am pretty pleased with it so far.

So the next project will include a piece of this


Cath Kidston Washed Roses

I am going to attempt to upholster a side table/ magazine rack/ stool made by my hubby which has been painted in these colours


Green Ground







Borrowed Light



I am hoping to get this finished this week all being well and will post the photos when its finished. Hope it turns out ok!

More Mug Rugs

I dont do New Years resolutions but I do try to make plans, since having the shop I am always planning, what stock, where to put it, whats in the window next. I am quite an organised person if a bit impulsive so my own plan; the one for me to follow is to try and use what craft stuff I have instead of buying more.

So yesterday I went into my NEW sewing room and sorted through my fabrics and made the shoe fresheners and these mini Mug Rugs, all made from left over quilt fabrics I bought to make patchwork quilts for my grandchildren

I have some small heart charms which I will sew onto the centre of the pocket top.

I love these little Mug Rugs and have decided that I will definitely have them in the shop, I have a few ideas for both Valentines and Mothers Day. So watch this space!

Shoe Freshener bags

I have been busy this morning on another idea I have had.

This is the time of year we are all looking forward to warmer weather, open doors and windows and being able to wear less layers of clothing, well I am anyway! It will be great to put away all those heavy winter clothes and shoes and get out the summer wardrobe.

I was thinking it will be great not to have to wear my boots soon and look forward to packing them away but it would also be nice to have them smelling fresh when they do go away so here is what I have been busy making...... Shoe freshener bags

Pretty little bags,  shaped to fit into your shoes and held together with a cord. They are filled with scented rice and a little toy stuffing and they smell lovely.

These ones are quite small, they measure 4" x 2.5" x 2.5" so these would be a lovely size for slippers or summer shoes, I am off to make some larger ones and I may scent them with lavender although I have quite alot of rice left!

I love them and will be making myself a matching set for all my shoes and some for the shop, I am thinking Mothers day and may make some sets maybe with a scarf hanger and some scented hearts for the wardrobe, what do you think?

Freebie Giveaway!!!

Not me I hasten to add; but Toni who is celebrating 4 years and over 500 hundred posts on her blog My world....sort of

This is what is on offer

The lucky winner will be sent the mug & pot hugs shown in this picture. Toni says 'Just a little something to say thank you for helping me celebrate'

All you need to do is go and follow her page and leave a lovely comment

The draw will take place on Sunday 16 January

A new set for the bedroom??

Including a clock

A waste bin

and a Jewellery chest

All covered in beautiful Laura Ashley Butterfly scrapbook paper, there may be other bits to go with this set in the next day or so.

I love this set and these photos do them no justice what so ever, I am rather tempted to keep them all for me but I probably wont.

What do you think, do you like them?

It's starting to come together in there now...

Four months ago my youngest daughter Sarah left home and whilst we were very sad to see her fly the nest as she was our baby; it wasn't so bad as she only moved a short distance from us; it did come with an up side, it meant I had a spare room at last! Obviously I claimed the room before anyone else could but what could I fill all this space up with?

'Light bulb moment'

My sewing stuff of course, anyway I have been after a kitchen table to go in there, something I could stand my sewing machine on and use for cutting out fabrics as well, saves the running down stairs to use the kitchen table to cut the fabric then upstairs to sew it. Well before Christmas my DIL moved to a new house and didn't have space for her table so I claimed it for my craft room but then Sarah claimed it for her new house so I lost it again.

Are you bored yet? we are nearly to the point now

In the garage from when we moved about 18months ago we had one of these

We had no room or any use for it, no one in the family wanted it and so we kept it as it was only a year old, then the brainwave struck and my lovely hubby has made me this

By cutting the top off the wardrobe I now have a unit to store all my fabrics, it big enough to hold y large cutting mat and an ironing pad and there is still enough wood left to make another desk to stand my machine on to sew

How good is that?

New cards in the shop ...

Just a few of the new cards that are now in the shop. I've kept them fairly simple as that's what the customers seem to like.

I've been to the shop today and guess what I

did ? No, no guesses. Well I painted the inside of a ........ BIN ! Yes bin to go in my living room. I'l show you all when it's finished.

Intrigued, you should be !

I have an increasing problem in my house....

and its these.....

my collection of scarves that currently hang over the top of the downstairs toilet door in the hallway, this situation makes it difficult for the adults in our house as when they use the loo they cant shut the door.

Last weekend my DIL told me I needed to make a scarf hanger to alleviate this problem, in the summer these will all hang in my wardrobe normally just looped over the hanging rail but I decided to make something a little bit nicer

So I took these....

along with a pack of curtain rings I had left from Christmas and made this...

The fabric I have used for this is some that my Mum gave me years ago in fact she made me a nightdress from it when I was about 7, I have always loved it as its so pretty and have been saving it for something that needed pretty fabric.

Here are my scarves now nicely looped through the rings and taking up much less space

When I get home later I intend to make a scented heart to loop onto the wire hook which will hang nicely on the front and help to keep my wardrobe smelling nice.

Problem solved I think!