Fabric Challenge.......finished finally!!

You may have noticed that I disappeared for awhile from my blog.  Or you may not have! lol.  But I have not even turned on my PC for awhile.  There seems to be a nasty bug doing the rounds around town and I may have caught it.  Well, I hope so because if not then all the nausea I have been feeling is going to turn into quite a surprise in 9 months!  Nausea and keener sense of smell are the only symptoms I have got and everyone is saying "preggers" at me.  I got my tubes done about 15 years ago so I don't think that is it!! 

Oh, and I am doing stupid things.  For example I bought a new kettle, filled with water and boiled it, then tipped it down the sink to clean it out.  I felt the pouring was a bit slow but didn't bother checking and boiled some more water for a coffee.  Still pouring a bit slow.  Had a look inside the kettle and found the instruction manual still in there.  A bit soggy and falling apart.

So a bit sick, a bit stressed because I have to wait till the end of this month to do the pregnancy test.  Even though I am 99.9% sure I am not, it's that small uncertainty which has me worried.

Anyway!  I haven't been feeling like sewing much as my brain has gone elsewhere.  After all this time I have finally finished my fabric challenge.

There are eight grommets hammered into this bag.  I had to leave the room while hubby did it for me.  Using a tool he made, to do what I wanted.  I told him my plans of wanting bronze grommets on one side and silver on the other and wanted to make two male grommets work together.  A special tool was needed and hubby came up with the goods.  Had to alter one side of the grommets, but finished off being just how I wanted them.

It's reversible!  Red with beige linen themed on one side and green and grey linen themed on the other.

In my not well state I have forgotten to take a proper picture of the red and cream side!!  Shit this is not my month.  I don't want to leave posting this bag as my challenge partners have waited long enough.

I used bits of all the fabric prints sent to me.  I hope this is exceptable to have some on the inside of the bag.  Fingers crossed that it is exceptable and they forgive me for going over the allotted time.

I also had to go away up north for a work related conference.  The conference lasted a week and I will show a pic tomorrow of what I get paid to do. he he

UPDATE:  I have found out that I forgot to say where I found the pattern for this bag and it's designer!  Thanks SoozeM.

Pattern from April 2009 issue of "Stitch" and designed by Rashida Coleman-Hale.  It is a great pattern.

While I am here I may as well post the picture of the red side of the bag which I had forgotten to take yesterday.

Pretty buttons to make yourself

I really felt stupid after buying some buttons at $6.00 ea.  Yes!  I paid 6 bucks ea for some really pretty buttons.  Then on arriving home and giving them another look, I found that I could have made them easily and a lot cheaper.

I thought I would show you how I made them just in case you see some and think of buying them.

First:

Grab some supplies.  Scraps of fabric and scraps of ribbons and trims.
Buy a packet of self cover buttons ($1.60 for three)

Sew two fabric scraps together like above.  Then, using the circle template found on the back of button pack, cut out a fabric circle.

Add your trims to the circles.  I glued the trims and stitched the ribbons down.  Next, do a running stitch around the outside, close to the edge.  Pretty much the same as making yo yo's.

Place your button inside the puff and draw in the puff (see button above).
Finally add the washer and press down.  I use cotton reel placed over the shank and give a light tap with a small hammer.  Voila!  Pretty buttons.

The pink button on the left and top button are the purchased buttons that cost $6 ea!  The rest cost less than $1.00 to make.

Hint:  At the stage where your about to put the washer on,  I dampen the button with water.  This helps smooth out the fabric for a neater button.

Here's a finished clutch

Just a quickie tonight to share this clutch I made using Noodleheads beautiful Gathered Clutch Tutorial.  As usual I recycled.  Remember those 3/4 LOUD patterned pants that were around a few years ago?  Well, I still had a few pairs taking up room in my wardrobe so I have started cutting them up.  The fabric from them is a soft brushed drill cotton that is good for pouches, wallets etc and the room growing in my wardrobe is good for a shopping spree!

Inside the clutch is some credit card pockets and clutch divider.  Strap seen is a sneak in cameo appearance from my camera strap and not a strap for the clutch.  I was thinking of adding one for my next clutch and also making the clutch a bit bigger next time.

I also wanted to show my luck at winning these patterns in a giveaway that  Melissa of Ardea's Nest gave.  Really like those Walking Frame bags!  Guess what all my colleagues at work are going to get this Christmas? lol   (Shoot!  I think they read this blog!) 

That's it from me.  I am going to be away for a week and may not have access to the internet so enjoy yourselves and I will catch up on your blogs when I get back.

Finally! A Finish!

These sleeve protectors are the only things I have finished this "flat out" month of April.  I decided to do some Japanese embroidery on one and almost completely made the brown ones by hand!  I am a slow stitcher so no wonder they took so long.

They look better "in person" than they do in the photo above but not as good as the originals from Mairuru.  You can see her lovelies and see the tutorial she wrote here.

Just made it to work in time to deliver these to a colleague before she knocked off.  Which was the second time today that I drove into work because after getting up early,  ready for work and driving in,  I found out that I am on the roster to work tomorrow.  Not today!  So off I go driving home a bit embarrassed and check my diary to see that its correctly written for Friday but I have incorrectly written that I am working Thursday on my calendar in the laundry.

That grey and brown fabric is actually the same piece of fabric!  Grey one side and brown the other.  Recycled from a pair of slacks.

Now onto some doll staining!

The Pink Post!

Hello!  I am still kicking around someplace.  Just no current sewing finished because of life's busy little schedule!  So I thought I would take this opportunity to post about a few things I have previously made for my "gift box"  but couldn't give away until I had taken a photo of them.  There is a lot of stuff in my "gift box" and I don't want to overwhelm people with too much all at once, so I decided to show the pink ones.

Flower pincushion  pattern found here in a free tutorial!

Needle book pattern used can be found in this book here.  I cheated with the flower!  It is an iron on! 

Baby booties made using Heather Baileys "bitty booties" pattern.  It's a free download you can get from her blog here.

Wristlet made by me "winging it" again.  Actually I don't mind how it turned out,  especially  when its made using leftover fabric and an old recycled buckle!

With pretty pink lining!  Also a scrap of knit fabric from an old jumper that compliments the pink velvet outer fabric with its soft texture! 

My attempt at log cabin patchwork.  I feel I need to practice with a tutorial that has a few measurement guidelines for me! 

Has some pink in it!  If you look closely enough!  lol.  Pattern used is from this book here.  These slippers are a size 7/8 adult and ended up in the "gift box" waiting for a winter birthday girl.

Soon I will be able to show the project I have just finished!  I am patiently waiting for the recipient to return from her holiday so that I can give it to her!  It's a surprise.

My next project may take awhile to complete.  Its for a swap and I can't say much more about it really except it's  A DOLL and I am a bit of a learner when it comes to their hair.  But I have a wonderful friend who has led me to some very clear tutorials  that I am looking forward to trying.  By the way its a doll swap so no surprise lol.

Some Finished Projects

Hope I can remember where I found the pattern!

Pattern was from this book by Tone Finnanger.  Used recycled old denim for the pouch and felt and beads for flowers.

Easy Peasy pattern.  Forgot to take a pic of the lining!  It was recycled shorts in hot pink Hawaii  fabric.

Another pouch.  I stupidly thought I could just "wing it" without a pattern!  But the end result was a lop sided pouch lol.

And finally some coasters.  I saw some made by a lady at work and loved them.  I thought "what a lovely scrap fabric project".  So being me I had to make some.  When I have made some complimentary things to go with them, they will be given as a gift.

That's it from me tonight because I have a deadline to finish a surprise gift for a work colleague tomorrow.   Show pics after delivery!

Fabric store finds

Today, straight after work, I raced down to my local fabric store to find some beautiful fabric for a fabric swap challenge I am in.  After an hour standing in front of the fabric, unable to choose what I will buy for the ladies in the challenge,  I took hold of the fabric above.  It's very beautiful but on holding it I felt it was not the quality of fabric I wanted to send to my bloggy friends.  It was quite thin and reading the info told me it was "suitable for childrens sleepwear".  Not suitable for my challenge but so pretty I grabbed a quarter metre anyway.

A fat quarter I found in their cheap $2.00 basket.  When I got home I found they had charged me $4.75 for it :( .   I thought this fabric would be good for dolls dresses or pants.

Fabric with writing on it!  I love it but am suspicious of the printing.  Looks sprayed on and could just as easily wash off.  It was one of the highest priced fabrics in the store but I still couldn't trust it enough to post to the ladies in the challenge.

 

I was astounded to find my local store has some nice patterns from Amy Butler in stock!  I bought one of course and also the Flea Market Bag.  

I asked the sales lady why they don't stock Amy Butler fabric as well.  Cost is the answer I got and that they only stock Moda fabric.  There would be a lot more sewists in this town if they stocked some fabric from the designers like Amy Butler and Heather Bailey!

I purchased the required fabric for the challenge as well but will not show it as probably should be a surprise!  (Hint it's Moda)

On the sewing front I have been doing a bit but haven't finished any of it so no pics.   Cant even show a WIP as its a surprise for a work colleague!

So I took some pics of some projects I made earlier (lots earlier) and will show them in a day or so.

Cheers!