Easter Bunny Egg Cosy Tutorial

Want a fun and easy tutorial for the kids this Easter or maybe to give as gifts. A simple egg cup with a Cadbury's Creme egg topped with one of these bunny egg cosies....perfect! Follow the link here or by clicking the photo to Annie's blog The Felt Fairy for the guest tutorial I wrote last year. Enjoy :D

A little something new

If I have seemed a little quiet on the blogs lately its because I am busy preparing for BCTF. So as well as juggling orders I am making some new samples for the trade fair. I absolutely adore these new shape purses. For those of you signed up for my newsletter you will have already seen a sneak peak of the new design. (If you haven't signed up you can do so with the link to the right).

I am trying to multi task as these 4 cuties still need their bows constructing but I've already started on some mini clutches and normal size clutches. All new fabrics!!!

Keep your eyes peeled for a giveaway coming soon :D

A little bit of storage

Can you remember a little while back when the very lovely Rachel made me a sewing machine mat? It was crafted from some gorgeous sewing themed fabrics I'd been hoarding for sometime?

Well I decided that I would make some matching storage for my thread bobbins as previously I kept them in a box. Its much more time effective to have them on the desk with my sewing machine so I can dip into them when I need to.

I used a similar pattern to my clutch bags, they have the same boxed corner seams and are lined to the max to give them the same sturdiness to stand up on their own.

I made one from the buttons fabric and one from the bobbin fabric, I wanted a third so I used some of the scraps left to make the lovely one in the middle. As you can see they all have a different colour cotton lining inside.

I'm thinking of adding them to my website to buy as a group of three. I will be offering a bespoke service as well as ready made so if you're wanting a theme I can always accommodate.

I think these were a fantastic accompaniment to Rachel's mat.....I love being coordinated :D

A pair of Scotties

A few weeks ago now a lovely lady named Gill contacted me through Twitter and asked if I could make a shoulder bag out of some fabric that she loved. The fabric she was talking about was the Scotties fabric from Clarke and Clarke, I love this fabric too. One bag quickly became two, Gill's only stipulation was that she wanted them slightly different from one another.

After a little bit of a think I ordered some gorgeous Klona cottons from Patch Fabrics and got to work. Apart from the little glitch of Bestie blowing a fuse it didn't take me long to get the fabric cut out and start piecing them together. Those of you who follow me on Twitter will have seen a few Work in Progress shots.

And here they are all finished just before I wrapped them up and sent them on their way. I have already had more requests for bags in the same material and some other gorgeous fabric found by a customer.....and the answer is yes I can make any of my designs in almost any fabric. If you would like a custom bag please do get in touch. I will be adding a 'bespoke' page back to my website after all the queries I've had.

I love to make custom orders, I really connect with the task of fulfilling a brief set by a customer.....hope my next one will be as lovely as the last :D

I love my loop turner

already sewn strap (down both the long side seams) & my beloved loop turner

Have you used a loop turner before? I literally couldn't live without mine. Well maybe I could 'live' without it but my fingers would be red raw from trying to turn out handles by my finger nails and there would be a lot more aggression in my studio!! Probably a few swears too ;)

They are cheap as chips, you can pick one up for around £2 and believe me when you have bought one and used it for the first time you will wonder why the hell you didn't buy one before!

Right what are they for? Turning handles or straps, including little fiddly spaghetti straps through the right way once you have sewn them. Go on then go grab your straps and a loop turner and I'll show you....

Push your loop turner in the opening of one end, keep pushing the fabric down until you get this ruched affect, nope its not to look fancy its so that you can hook then end of your loop turner to the opposite end of your fabric. As you can see here (photo above) once the hook is attached tuck the ends of your strap inside, *be gentle* until you can slowly pull the 'ring' end of your loop turner back towards you bringing the fabric back with you inside the strap.

This is what it should look like as you begin to pull the strap back through, once you get just over half way there you can ruche the fabric right up again so that you can grab the end (photo below) and pull the remainder through without the loop turner.

***TOP TIP*** Ease the fabric through gently, don't pull too hard or your loop turner will tear your fabric and you will have to sit and pull the fabric through and start again. Most annoying, please add swears here too ;)

This ugly looking thing, almost like a fabric snake is what you will end up with. Now all it need is a good press with the iron and you will have a perfect strap. Easy peasy!!

Bet you all wanna go buy a loop turner now?

She's ALIVE!!!

*Breathes a sigh of relief* C kindly dropped Betsie off at the Sewing Centre in town and at 4pm this afternoon the technician Neil called me to say she was ready to pick up. Apparently the bulb had gone which had blown the fuse and tripped it out. Well the machine is from the 70's ;) C trundled back into town to pick her up and by the time I came home from work she was waiting for me.

*does a little dance*

So now I'm off into the studio to go and get on with 2 custom bags I have to finish. Thank you to Neil for sorting her out for me free of charge. Next time I will know what to look out for.

Disaster!

My worst fear (in sewing land of course) came to fruition today. I cut the last pieces of interfacing, pined my sections of bag together, threaded the machine and then..........NOTHING!! Absolutely nothing. I checked the plug, the cable, the switch, the socket, the plug in another socket. And then after conferring with my StepDad ran downstairs for a fuse and screw driver.....changed it......still nothing.

Bestie is dead :(

She was only just serviced in January and for the first time in 9 years she isn't working.....starting to think I shouldn't have had her serviced!! No, what am I talking about, of course I should and tomorrow I will be calling the technician who serviced her tomorrow to see what they will do. I cant be without her for a long period of time so if its a long wait I will either have to hire one or loan one.

And on that note I'm off.....to console myself with a glass of wine.