This started as a cross stitching diary. I've always wanted to try out different embroidery techniques and have dabbled in Hardanger, goldwork, ribbon embroidery
and stumpwork. I am now enjoying learning crazy quilting and teaching myself dressmaking.

Pages

Sunday, 31 August 2014

After my visit to the craft fair the sewing bug seems to have hit me. I got a new Brother sewing machine. A basic model but it can still do a lot more than the old one of my mothers that I was using.
In the post below I had started my first crazy quilting. Here is the finished result - a cellphone pouch. I've picked the gold of the fan with gold braid and added gold beads, added a bead fan and a cute ladybird

This is the other side

I've been intent on doing more accessories for my handbag. A coin purse

A card case to hold loyalty cards etc. It has slots for 38 cards.

Inside the card holder

Middle page of the card holder﻿

Back page

This is the bag I made from the kit I bought at the fair. The cover can be changed so you can change the mood. I used the fabric in the kit, but then found this lovely fan fabric and made another cover. I also used the fan fabric to make all the accessories. Since this photo I decided I don't really like a "hand"bag and would prefer a shoulder bag and wanted to be able to close the top, so I have added long handles and a button closure, covering the button with the fan fabric. I haven't taken a photo yet though.﻿

I wanted a wallet that will hold coins, notes and cards, so made this.

I also made a tissue holder. Below is a photo of the tissue holder and the wallet

I also had a go at making a cat. I fancy trying to make a crazy quilt cat, but wanted to test the pattern first. I think this should work well for crazy quilting. I have some purple and bright green fabric to try.

Apart from the bag, all the other pieces are from free patterns and tutorials found on the internet. Many thanks to the talented ladies who make these available.

Tuesday, 12 August 2014

Last week I went to the Hamilton Craft and Quilt fair for two days. I went to a lot of workshops and took a couple of make and take classes. The make and take were silk ribbon embroidery with Helen Dafter and English piecework making a Christmas bell. The silk ribbon and piecework are shown below. There wasn't time to finish them in the class. I have finished them but haven't got round to taking a photo yet.

I also made lots of purchases.

Kits and patterns: Chatelaine bag and Pyramid Chatelaine by Helen Dafter. Bag pattern, I liked this as you can make different bag covers, penguin soft toy. Book on making small projects from hexagons.

Lots of fabrics, charms and fibres.﻿

I've made the bag up with 2 different covers. No photos yet.

I've been admiring crazy quilting on the internet and wanting to try it. After making the bag I had left over material and thought it would be good to make something that would go in the bag as the fabrics will be co-ordinating. At first I thought of making a purse, but decided that may be a bit ambitious for my first project, so I'm going with a phone pouch. I first laid my fabric out in what thought would be the layout.

I then sewed it together. Then I double checked it against my phone to see how it fit. Only to find out it was way too long, seems I somehow doubled the width when I measured my phone the first time. Anyway better too big than too small. So I chopped off the extra length, then sewed an extra piece of calico to the chopped end so I can still put fabric in a frame and stitch to the end. So this is what it looks like now.

Before I do any embroidery on this I need to finish some of the other projects I have on the go. Currently working on a stumpwork nasturtium so I need to get that finished.

So lets see, what am I working on now? Victorian five sided box. 3 sides will have threadpainted flowers, which are done, two sides and the top will have stumpwork. Also doing the goldwork piece below, and of course 3 cross stitch pictures. Oh, nearly forgot, I'm wanting to get into hexagon quilts, have the paper pieces and fabric that was in charm packs that I got at the fair. Plenty to keep me busy!﻿