cosmetic bag tutorial

A simple little bag that's perfect for using up scraps of fabric...

Zipped tote bag tutorial

I've has so many requests for a tutorial on a zipped tote bag, so I've spent the day making this, hope you like it! And a Happy New Year!

Alfie having another sing song!

Yes, he's singing again!

My Pin Cushions book is published!

My pin cushions e book has just been published! There's the mannequin, cathedral window, smocked, watch, ring, tea cup, chicken, picture frame, glam, biscornu and loads more, many with video which is the beauty of an e book! Enjoy!

click here to go to the Vivebooks web site

My tidy sewing room... and a new machine!

One of the sewing magazines want to do an article on my sewing room, this is as tidy as I could ,ake it! Took me hours... still can't find anything...

And note the new addition... a lovely little Pfaff Passport!

New Fabric

Kims just put some new fabric on www.thimblelane.co.uk, it's from the new Clarke and Clarke collection and I'm going to make cushion covers and curtains!

My pinboard

This is my pinboard, right next to my sewing machine, with ideas, photos, things that make me smile and things I don't want to lose!

Home Make Me Happy

This is a project I donated to a charity book called 'Home Make Me Happy', 100% of the profits go to the Princes Trust, my project is a reversible bag, slightly different to the one I posted on You Tube. The book is full of recipes and crafty ideas, and has raised over £1700 since launching. Take a look at www.homemakemehappy.co.uk.

Fabric gift wrap

I made this simple fabric gift wrap for a friend's birthday present...

1 fat quarter of fabric made into a square, then the same in a lining fabric. The box my present was in measured about 4" square. [it was a candle...] 

Right sides together, sew all the way round leaving a gap of about 3" for turning.

Turn the right side out and press. [No need to sew the opening closed]

Top stitch all the way around.

Fold the corners over by two or three inches and sew, leaving a 'tunnel' about 1" wide.

Thread ribbon through the corners and when you draw it up little petals appear on top of the present!

Christmas tree draught excluder video tutorial

As seen on TV... this is the full demo for the gingham draught excluder...

Link for pin cushions e book

Here you go...pin cushions should be out in January but is available to pre-order...

Tablet case You Tube project

Just popped this on on You Tube, I love the colours of the greys and lace... and quite as simple project too!

Here he is again...

I was working on some bedroom projects for another book, and somebody thought the set looked quite comfy...

Pin cushions e book tease!

Just a little teaser...

Ideal Home Christmas Show

Well I have to say I really enjoyed my half hour demonstration at Earls Court on Wednesday, the organisers contacted me and asked if I could demonstrate something Christmassy, I couldn't carry my sewing machine on the train so I opted for Santa bunting, which didn't actually involve sewing! There were quite a few people there and I had lots of comments after the demo which was nice. Earls court was decorated with snow and lots of suspended Christmas trees, with an ice rink in the centre. Really quite stunning. Hopefully next year I'll be able to attend more days!

Pin Cushions e book

This e book I'm really excited about, there are 15 lovely pin cushions for you to make, many with video instruction. Get your glue guns ready!

It should be published by the end of Jan next year, I'll let you know if it's any sooner!

My favourite is the tea cup...

Free motion Christmas trees draught excluder

Take the width of the door, and cut a strip of fabric this length by 8" wide. Cut two strips.

Cut out 6 or 7 triangles of green fabric, they don't have to be perfect! Use repositionable fabric adhesive to secure them in place, Crafters Companion Stick and Spray is good.

Add little pots underneath each tree, again, random patterns and sizes work well.

Using the free motion embroidery foot on your machine, sew around each tree three or four times, taking the stitches down to the pots.

  Add a few buttons for baubles!

 Sew the front of the draught excluder to the back, leaving one end open for stuffing. Turn the right side out, stuff with lots of wadding, and hand sew the open end closed.

And here's another idea for the tree!

Fabric piping bowl

I never got to finish my piping bowl on air, so here's the video instructions...

Cat/dog bed

I made a bed for the cats and Alfie loves it!

four point flower

Been asked about making a flower from 4 point smocking... this is where you pull out the design, there is video in my e books explaining more...

https://www.vivebooks.com/product-category/sewing/?affiliates=14

Tote bag using a Clover template

I made this bag from a really easy to follow Clover template, here's how I made it... I didn't follow the instructions exactly as I didn't have all the ingredients, such as bag feet and magnetic clasp to fasten the sides together, but the instructions with the template are really clear and explain how to do this easily.

You'll need about a meter of fabric, the same of lining, bag feet and 2 magnetic clasps if you want to use them, strap-maker [fusible], fusible stabiliser, about 1m, a packet of bag base, and I used 4 buttons to decorate. Clover make all the furniture, stabiliser and base, everything apart from the buttons and fabric!

1. Firstly fold the two contrasting outer fabrics in half.
2. Lay the template on the fold of the fabric, draw then cut around. Do this for both the front and back sides, so you have two top sections and two bottom.
3. Sew the tops to the bottoms right sides together.
4. Open out and press,
5. Lay these sections wrong sides to the shiny side of your fusible interfacing, and press to adhere.
6. Take one side, lay on top of the lining fabric, and use this as a template to draw around, then cut out two linings.

 7.

Place the two outer sides of the bag together and sew across the bottom

. 

8. Open out and press.

9. Cut the bag base to the size of the bottom of the bag, use basting tape to secure, then sew in place.

10. For the handles, cut four strips of fabric to the length you'd like, mine are about 16" long, iron on some fusible strap stabiliser which is 2 1/2 " wide. Follow the instructions on the packaging, turning the sides of the strap inwards and top stitching to hide any raw edges.

11. Using the pattern template, cut out the pocket and pocket lining.

12. Sew, right sides together, across both the bottom and the top of the pocket section and turn the right way out. Press.

16. Place the template back over the top and with air-erasable pen, draw on the pocket stitch lines.

17. Lay on top of one side of the lining, and sew over the pen marks.

18. Take the outer side of the bag and sew down the sides.

19. Pinch the cut out squares at the base of the bag and sew across to give it shape.

20. I didn't have any bag feet, but if you're going to use them, attach now, and the magnetic clasp is attached at this stage too.
21. Sew together the lining of the bag, across the base and down the sides.

22. Turning the right way out, and drop inside the outer section of the bag, keeping this side inside out. Basically you'll need the two right sides of the bag facing each other.

23. Sew together the straight 'shoulders' of the bag, leaving the curved handle section open.

24. Turn the right way out and press.

25. Pin then sew bias tape around each curve, holding the outer and lining sections together.

25. According to the pattern, this bias actually becomes the handles, but I folded over the top of the bias tape and trimmed it, then sewed my handles on top, using a button to hide the stitches.

, 

Kims cushion

At last I've finished the little cushion I started making for my daughters new home! 

Bunting

Just thought I'd share a few pictures from my bunting book...

Smocking a Christmas tree

This is a bit of an experiment but I'm smocking a tree! I've graduated all the boxes and curved them, [took ages...] and made a cone shape, this is about four hours work and my fingers are aching too much to carry on today!

Pin Cushions e book

A little taster of my next e book...

It will be with Vivebooks with video instruction, in  a couple of months, I'll keep you posted!

Smocked bag

A little smocked bag...

https://www.vivebooks.com/product-category/sewing/?affiliates=14