Tiptoe through the Tulips - Bags and cushion cover

Tulip Bags and cushion cover - all cotton 

Calico lining with pockets 

A friend of mine loves Tulips - the same one I made the Artists Bag for (also in tulip material) -which by the way is well used an much admired apparently by those in her art class! 

For her birthday I asked what she would like (mentioning that I had some other tulip fabric that I bought with her in mind .....a bag for my knitting/crochet!

So with some artful measuring n pondering I made these - no measurements 

I did my usual sewing by the seat of my pants method! LOL!! 

I just cut and sewed by the size of the pieces. I had 3 odd sized remnants so cut two pieces and squeezed out the two bags and a cushion cover (that will match her sitting room). 

So she will have a comfy cushion to sit with and knit/crochet or read a book and two matching bags - with different handles and the pattern arranged in different directions - so she knows which is which 

Both bags lined in cream unbleached calico - with pockets 

TUTORIAL - no measurements bag  (well almost  lol)

Materials: 

Some pieces fabric (outer) some calico or other lining material (same amount)

either enough of those scarps for handles or some scraps of something else - easier if there is a selvedge running along the length

the usual cotton/needles/pins etc 

To do this just see what remnants you have that are sort of bag sized  2 pieces that are c16x18" or cut a piece of fabric in half to roughly these measurements

Cut two pieces of calico for lining the same size 

Cut two lengths of fabric for straps - roughly 12-18" long and 3" wide 

OUTER - place the two rectangles right sides together - decide which is the top (dont sew this bit!) 

Then sew down the two sides and the bottom - do it again to reinforce the seam and zigzag edges if you wish 

For sugar bag bottom fold out corners and sew roughly 2-3" in - depending how deep you want the bag 

Just make sure each side matches! 

Turn right side out and press 

LINING  - repeat the same procedure as outer - just make sure its the same size 

Leave inside out! 

Put the lining into the outer and fold down the edge to fit inside the outer bag - and have the edge slightly below the outside fabric 

HANDLES 

Press the lengths - fold one third in , fold again so one edge left leaving the selvedge edge on the outside 

Sew down the length securing the edge and again up the other side and again in the middle if needed. 

Press 

Cut in half or to required lengths - just make sure each handle is the same length

ASSEMBLING THE BAG 

Take the two handles - measure in 3-4" from the side and pin the handles in place 

Just make sure they match from each side and front and back - just fold teh top of teh bag to double check and check handle lengths are the same 

Pin the bag outer and lining together around the top and sew along the top edge ensuring to catch the lining 

Repeat and sew again just below and a third time if wished - this reinforces the top edge of your bag and catches the handles and reinforces those as well 

Shake out - cut off all threads press and enjoy! 

Not a scrap of fabric left - a real stashbuster 

Lets hope she likes them! 

Peninsula Crafts Society Exhibition at the Shipwreck, SHOTLEY May 25-27th 2013

Peninsula Crafts 25^th Exhibition

25^th-27^th May at the Shipwreck, Shotley Marina IP9 1QJ

Open 10am-4pm

Entrance 50p  Children free

Free Parking

Original Art and Craft items on show and for sale

A small sample of things on show from last years Shipwreck Exhibition April 2012

The Peninsula Craft Society will be holding its 25^th Exhibition this spring – quite an achievement for a small local society! This success is surely a testimony to the quality and diverse range of crafts available from the group.

To celebrate this achievement we have invited past and present members and guest artists to exhibit their latest creations.

This will be a very special exhibition and sale room showcasing the very best the region has to offer.

Help us celebrate our 25th Exhibition - we will be showcasing past and present members crafts in the exhibition and sale room, so it promises to be an even better exhibition than usual with an even wider range of crafts for sale than usual. 

Please see the groups new blog - which will publish all latest information http://peninsulacrafts.blogspot.co.uk/

Make it a day out - enjoy not only the exhibition but the views from the Marina across the waters to Harwich and Felixstowe. The Shipwreck, which kindly hosts our exhibitions upstairs, also offers a fine range of  food and beverages, to eat inside or outside on the lawns and patio. 

Coral & Turquoise crochet bags - Navaho Style

Two Tote Bags 

Hand crocheted in cotton blend - both with circular bases but different designs and handles 

Bands of colours and different designs in tapestry crochet - loosely based on a design but as usual I change the patterns! 

Hand crocheted in a  cotton blend yarn in turquoise, coral, indigo, lavender, and a putty white

Has a loop closure - yet to finish it off - deciding if to add tassels and beads 

A close up of the stripes 

Ziggy Zaggy  tote bag 

Hand crocheted in turquoise and coral cotton blend with shorter handles 

Has a spiral pattern on the base and the same colours used on the body in a drop stitch with a single stripe on the handle 

Bright cheerful colours to brighten your day!

Perfect for those projects or on the beach or shopping 

Bedroom soft furnishings and "Done in a Day Quilt" stash-buster quilt TUTORIAL

Bedspread in spotty fabric of pale mauve's, pale blues, creams and whites on a soft turquoise blue background - pure cotton 

Made extra big to allow for shrinkage after washing 

Also made matching curtains (fully lined of course) - you can see them folded at the top ready to hang.

"Done in a Day " Quilt

For a surprise ............I pieced coordinating fabrics in cotton in random strips - I made it up as I went along, balancing stripes and colours as I patched and sewed. 

It is a 'quilt as you go' style being pieced directly onto fleece and then bound with plain blue cotton - I think it made a nice topper for the bed .......what do people think?? 

Took me a day to do as no backing involved or extra quilting - which can be done later - this was done for speed! 

So a really quick quilt - from scraps to quilt in a day!! 

I took the spotty fabric into my sewing room (where the stash seems to mulitply) and grabbed a piece of fleece + 6-8 bits fabric - half yards and longer (no fat quarters) 

My advice set a time limit and do not dither in fabric choice just rip and sew and don't be too fussy so keep strips simple i.e. no more than 3 pieces fabric! 

MATERIALS 

Piece of fleece or strip some oddments together - this determines size of quilt

A small piece = baby quilt, bigger single, double etc 

I just used what I had in my stash - so no delays in shopping trips or added costs!

My piece of fleece was about 40" by 60" so strips of standard fabric would span the width 

Enough oddments fabric - the more variety the better - just be sure they are all a similar weight and content and the colours match or clash well! 

i.e. in my case all cotton and to coordinate with the blues n mauves spotty fabric

but approximately a half yard of 6-8 fabrics - if you run short just tear up a strip off something extra for end pieces

Plus enough for binding

Tear these oddments into strips 2"-6" wide - either before you start - I did it as I went along - this means less wastage or leftovers

Make sure some will go across width of quilt - others piece into sections 

(for pieced sections have some but not all with a middle and two matching ends, the rest three different fabrics) You can have more pieces if you wish but it will take longer to make - and more decisions of what to use where

Ditto the greater the variety of fabrics the more difficult the decision making process - you want this to be fast and snappy) 

Cotton, pins and usual stuff 

HOW TO DO IT:

I started in the middle, with the 3" focus spotty strip then cut/tore strips of fabric as I sewed, tear across width of fabric and pieced bits together where necessary. I had some pieces asymmetric others I guessed the central section and worked my way to each end - the slight off-centers of pieced blocks add a certain charm and folksy appeal without it being too rigid.

Its meant to be slightly off-set and out of kilter - so throw the 'rule book' out!! 

I did not match each piece perfectly but made sure roughly a similar amount of each colour/pattern fabric was on each side of the middle strip. 

Balancing a full strip with a pieced strip 

No pieced strip has more than 3 joined strips fabric - this keeps it from being too busy! 

I made sure a stripe was not with a stripe so striped, floral, plain fabrics alternated. 

Just keep stepping back and double check there isn't too much of one colour/pattern on one side or the other 

The speed you make it stops the dithering of choice of which fabric to use - so set yourself a deadline to piece the top in one day!

Just start in the middle of your fleece, make sure your seams are same width across to keep it parallel 

Flip and sew - I pressed each strip as I went and double checked they were even width and not going wonky and I worked both sides at the same time adding a strip or two one end then did the other - its easier to keep it colour balanced 

Make sure you have a full c 6" strip for the final strip at each end 

 Square up quilt sides and trim with rotary cutter or scissors (double check widths are the same at each end) and measure - use those lengths for binding 

BINDING - tear lengths of fabric into 6" wide strips = to sides and width +2"-3" (measure middle of side/end)

e.g. if quilt 40"x 60" strips should be c 64-66"x 44-46"

Fold strip of fabric in half lengthwise and press 

These can be all different fabrics or the same colour 

This will make a double thickness binding - which will last longer and be more sturdy for everyday wear and tear and help stabilise the edges as there is no backing fabric as you are using fleece which is stretchy

Align the raw edges of the binding strip with edge of quilt (right side up) 

Sew along edge - repeat with each side - do sides then ends 

Fold over binding to the back

Trim the ends to c 1" and tuck in

Either hand stitch or machine sew down 

You can mitre the corners or do simple fold overs (tuck raw edges in and hand sew ends) 

Snip off all loose threads

Press and your done! 

NB: You can add additional quilting if you wish or add appliques of flowers / animals whatever on top

I was going to add flowers but not sure if she would like that or not 

If you add embellishments it will take another day to finish it off 

With the scraps left over I made a matching cushion cover. This was pieced in rows, (row of blocks then a  strip),  then layered with batting and backing - then intensively quilted - first in the ditch then in random rows some v close together others further apart - still enough left for another cushion or matching baby quilt 

Lets hope they like everything!!!!!!!!!!

See what feedback I get if they want another cushion cover or baby quilt to match ...or not :-( 

This is for my son Lucas and his partner Karen - for their bedroom in house  they recently moved into - and of course they have no curtains to fir the huge windows!

 Mother to the rescue ................ 

"Hello Miss Kitty" Quilts - hand quilted

Myla's "Miss Kitty" Crib Quilt 

Hand quilted - whole-cloth with peach backing 

I just folded the front fabric over to the back and hand stitched down 

Emily's Bed Quilt - with contrast binding

Hand quilted with pink backing and contrast double thickness binding 

Here both together - Emily's has a pink backing (as she likes all things to be PINK), with contrast borders; whereas Myla's has a peach backing in a very similar colour

So they are easy to tell apart - so no fighting as to whose is whose - when they get older! 

I quilted these in November 2011 and only just finished them off !

Baskets Cachepots ......

I made two pots/baskets/cachepots - not sure quite what to call them!  But one is 'Negatif' the other 'Positif' as one is predominantly black whereas the other is mainly white - hand crocheted in a funky nylon fabric 'yarn' 
I left all the ends tied but hanging loose on the inside - so you can have a clean finish (the white Negatif one) or raggedy look by turning it inside out (black Positif one)

Hard to do in that they hurt your hands as its 'hard crochet' ie has tight tension to make a stiff fabric and sturdy pots

Quite pleased with them :-)

UFO's as in Unfinished Objects ..................

The Chinois Chrysanthemum Tree Cushion 

Hand quilted and beaded with contrast border in cotton sateen 

This was an oddment of fabric I had - just loved the unusual combination of colours the grey, lavender, pink and powder blues, with the terracotta!

Finally finished this off - think I quilted it a couple of years ago and then beaded the following year and now finally made up into a  cushion. 

Only thing is I don't have the right size pad to go in it! 

Feel such an idiot - I could make a wider flange on the edge - then could put in a 20" " or 18" pad ......

Beaded center of the bigger terracotta flower - dark and paler blue beads plus all the hand quilting 

Orange beads in smaller flower - also hand quilted 

The Birds Cushion 

Hand quilted birds and flowers on a buff cotton sateen curtain fabric 

Birds and flowers in greens and rusts 

Detail of the quilted main bird

Detail of the quilted larger flower

Detail of quilting of one of the smaller flowers 

 I also quilted a lot of the tree stems and leaves 

This fabric was given to me by a friend and I had quilted it several years ago and its been languishing in my pile of 'things to finish off' for ages! Years - mea culpa!!!!

Today I am trying to get through some of them and of course start some new things as well! 

Clearing the decks and getting WIPs out of the way ....... for the next pile of WIP's/UFO's - LOL