Excuse # 101

This is the reason that I haven't been posting all my wonderful progress lately. How can you take good photos in light like this? This was the view last night from my sewing room window.

Yes this is the summer here. It has been pretty much like this for the last month!

Another excuse is not having my camera at the minute so just iPhone snaps.

My sewing space went from bad to worse with all the WIPs going on.

But now hopefully there is light at the end if the tunnel. Here are some pics of the progress.

And a lovely one of organised WIP of the beginnings of 3 bags.

The "fabulous" Bucket Bag

I completed my first project from the The Bag Making Bible by Lisa Lam which my sister bought me for my birthday.

It is the called the Reversible Bucket bag and the free pattern can be found here. I actually did not do the reversible part a changed some of the closure details - but hey that's why you make these things yourself, right?

Not only has this book got great ideas but also the instructions are really easy to follow. There is a chapter for each part of the bag - closures, handles, pockets etc and then a bag pattern in each. So a really good  mix if you like working from a project or if you want to design something yourself, or just to get tips for say putting a zip in something.

The bias binding handles on this bag are a little tricky but with a bit of patience it all came together. I think it looks as fabulous as it claims to be!

The material is a Timeless Treasures - Cardigan Girls panel sewn into Moda Just Wing It Twill Blossoms Aqua. The handles are made from some really old material I had stashed away from when I sewed as a teenager with my gran all those moons ago. Sis and I recognise it but cannot for the life of us think what it has been used for before.


Look at those really cute line drawings on the panel.

The bag itself, went straight to my big sis, of course, who seems to have an insatiable appetite for all that I make. 

Does anyone else's workspace look like this??

At the minute, I have all these piles of fabrics lined up and ready to go. All I need is the time to get sewing!

I have been commissioned to make a baby quilt and as they don't know the gender yet, I want to give the recipient lots of choice. I also need simple designs so that I will actually be able to produce said goods on time. Lets' face it, the baby won't wait for me!

This is the first quilt to go - I'm thinking neutral could go either way. I am using a half square triangle simple pattern for this one. The backing fabric (the bottom one) was going for a song at my local sewing shop. The girl was throwing it in the scrap bin and literally hit me with it as I was hoking through. It was meant to be. It worked out about 60p per metre!

This is for a girl quilt but not too girly ie. no pink! Just going to go with basic charm squares for this one.

This is the more girly version.Not sure of a pattern yet but perhaps 9 patch of the Oh Fransson! variety with the plain pale turquoise as the alternate squares.

And to celebrate the "Jubilolympics" and just about every other British thing that seems to be happening this year - a red white and blue rail fence for a boy.

Many of these fabrics I purchased in Spain so are a bit different from all the usual designers that you see. If you are interested I have a few pieces on my Etsy site for sale.

I think that covers all my bases as I also have another boy's and girl's quilt in progress - did I mention them already???

The other bundles are for me to make myself something - when is that ever likely to happen??!

Another finish

Here is my cute little crayon roll.

I made it for my sister's friend's daughter who was also on the plane with nephew and would need some amusement. I had to use velcro across the top to keep it all together. Not very pretty but practical for plane journey.

I was just dying to use some of the cute embroidery stitches on my new(ish) machine. So I put this little detail on the handles.

Some ric rac for interest.

It was really easy to make and came together quite quickly.

The material is a Timeless Treasures print called Molly Circle Flower in Green. It is hard to see but I used covered the exterior in vinyl - just so that it can be wiped clean.

Finally Finshed - Quiet book

Warning: This post is massively picture heavy. 

Here is my nephew's second quiet book. That's right, I've struggled through 2 of these beasts before his 2nd birthday! I am the crazy auntie. Right at the outset, I will say that I found all of my inspiration on the net and especially from  imagineourlife blog. Her pages are way cool.

First of all the cover - it is very boring but was made at about midnight the night before I was to see him as he was jetting off on holidays. I really wanted him to use it on the plane.Captive audience you see. 

It was a real nightmare trying to sew through so many layers of material, so it is just about hanging together.

The funny face page - I think this one turned out really well. All the pieces are made of felt, backed with velcro. There is velcro round the edges to store them. I guess I should have taken a picture of the faces! but you get the idea.

The crocodile looks so dopey. In the picture I copied he looked so scary (for a toddler!) that I dumbed him down a bit. Now he just looks daft. I am really pleased with the background on this page. I used some material that I got in Spain last year which I made a skirt from. It is perfect to set the scene.

For the trousers, I had some wool material used to make suits that I had stashed away for another project - more about that later in the next few posts. I then used an old belt that I had and a little label cut from some clothing.

Nephew loves looking in my washing machine and pulling the clothes out for me and pressing all the buttons. 

So I gave him his own machine and clothes line. I was a bit disappointed at how this page turned out. I tried free motion sewing the tree trunks. Tension problems caused all the puckering. By the time I realised it was too late to fix.

Some details.

Here is the car page. thankfully this one was dead easy as the material makes the road. Yea!

I did the little car pocket and put in a eraser car. It was fussy cut from that gorgeous Monaluna for Birch fabrics.

Here is the flaps page which has velcro, a hook and bar, a popper, a button and loop and a magnetic snap. Lots of puzzles for little hands.

How cool is this...

Teabag and coffee beans

Milkshake with detachable strawberries.

Ans finally, balloons just made with felt with different shaped buttons.

I hope you find this post as helpful as I did other blogs. But be warned - quiet maybe but not quick!

Finish it up Friday

I can now give you the big reveal.

 This is from my WIP teaser from last Friday here.  

I used my machine to do the writing on of the numbers on the chart. I thought it would be neater.

Here are the three windows of the rocket.

The astronaut was a bit of trial and error. He was originally going to be a  monster with just his eyes on stalks showing at the window. But it didn't really look like anything. Then I put a helmet on him but it was too round and looked like a lampshade.  

I eventually added the NASA badge, body and curly wire. I am so proud I created this from my own design.  

These two are from pictures.

So a rocket height chart for a rocket nephew.

One final Christmas present!

Yes I am aware that it is March, but I have only got the pictures of the finished product in position.

It is of course the book sling from Megan at Penny Carnival's free tutorial found here. I made it as a surprise present for my nephew who is a big book fan. I don't think any of my family was actually too overwhelmed by it as they couldn't really visualise what it was for. Now that it is up they think it is a great idea. It really matches the colour of my nephew's new playroom too.

Let me just say though, that those double curtain rings must be a USA oddity because it was hard to find them here. I had to buy them online and the shipping was more than the actual product.

And finally, an action shot. Just the right height Auntie Ash.