Sorry for the lack of blogging yesterday but don't worry, even though it was fairly busy there was no lack of craft!
As you saw I had completed the latest wall hanging and was ready for my next project - a small coin purse for HM. I was adventuring into the world of zips.....
I had picked up a cheap zip from the haberdashery shop in the town earlier in the week - they only had blue so that restricted my fabric choices (also my stash is beginning to run a little low so that limited my choices also). I had some pretty floral blue fabric left from making some birds and mice so I chose that.
I had directions to follow from the most recent issue of Sew Hip Magazine - I had read through them a few times before embarking on this project - I think this is important so you are familiar with what you need to do & so you can follow the process through in your head. The instructions were easy to follow & the whole project too me a maximum of 2 hours...I thought this was quick even for me (also kidding myself that this is evidence that my sewing skills are improving lol).
The only tricky part was the zip - the instructions in the magazine differed to the instructions in my sewing machine manual - I followed the magazine instructions as they were more simple & in the end it turned out ok. Overall - a nice quick project for learning the basics for sewing in a zip & I am pleased with how it turned out.
Sunday:
Now that I had completed the coin purse I was free to turn my hand to another project...this time a doorstop for HM's room. Again this project was from Sew Hip.
I had acquired a few pieces of felt and some suede-type material from my Great Aunt so I thought these would be perfect for this project. The doorstop instructions were easy to follow & there was a pull-out paper pattern inside the magazine. The doorstop was to be in the form of an owl - lovely for children & could be easily converted into a soft toy. The whole project again took 2 hours from start to almost finish - I still need to find something heavy enough to put inside so that it holds the doors in our house open as we have self-closing doors. I also used my machine blanket stitching skills from the wall hanging project to add detail to the appliqué feathers on the front of the owl - I promise to post pics when it is finally completed!
Today:
It was an early start today - I had to take HM to school with the Twins in tow as P was taking my car in for its annual service. Luckily I managed to get my ironing done before leaving for school so when I put the Twins down for their mid-morning nap I was free to craft!
I had decided that I would make some napkins & perhaps a table runner for Grandma's birthday & christmas. I found a guide a few weeks ago & thought this morning would be a great time to make up a trial version using some scraps that I had laying about. I found some creamy coloured cotton & a dark creamy/floral cotton which could be teamed together. However I did not really have a suitable coloured thread so I opted for a bright pink thread so that the stitching would be highlighted.
Again it was another easy project - 1 hour at the most. I cut out a rectangle of each fabric measuring 16" x 13' - sewed them together - right side facing each other & leaving a gap of about 4' along one edge for turning. I trimmed the corners before turning & then carefully pressed the fabric on the right sides before using the 1/4" foot to add the seams on the right sides of the fabric. I then added some embroidery on my machine for a bit of fun.
I am pleased with how the napkin turned out & will definitely make a set for Grandma - its just a case of choosing the correct fabric for her now!
Also - did I mention that I placed an order at Saints & Pinners in readiness for a future project?....shussshhhh - just don't tell P :-)
