Sunday, 9 February 2025

Scraps, zippered pouch, placemat and leaders and Enders

 More finishing up with some scraps. These are the scraps from a quilt I have recently made.

Piecing them together.


To make a placemat.


Still some leftovers


Made into a zippered pouch with a clear plastic window. Good to store my thimbles, binding clips or ???


I sewed it so there was a base for it to stand by itself.


This means I can link up with Soscrappy for this years RSC. Blue….



I have also set up my leaders and Enders while I sew these scraps together. More scraps all ready cut out.


I have a sample of both sides pinned to my ironing board so I get the placement and ironing correct.




Friday, 7 February 2025

Clean up and mending


During my clean up I found a lot of mending. Not only mine but my bosses as well.
Oops, I think I have had this for 12 months.
So I started with a favourite dress of mine. I have 2 of these in different colours.


I remember wearing this to work. As it is a long dress, I only wore it on 40 degree days, the wheels on my desk chair got caught and tore it.


Anyway. 
The first skirt.. elastic had lost its stretch and needed replacing.
My dress needed taking up due to the fabric being caught in the wheels of my desk chair at work.
The 3rd… the bust was to big and gaped at the sides showing all of my bra.
4th dress was my bosses. The waist seam had frayed and just needed a little mend job.
My black dress has a side seam exposed. That was an easy fix.


I’m not a fan of mending but this cleared a big pile in my sewing room.


Wednesday, 5 February 2025

I am enjoying these pouches.

 My CHOOKSHED challenge this month was to make some project bags. Well I have started with a zippered pouch using Tony’s chocolate wrappers. I used an iron on vinyl on the wrappers then just added the zip, loops and a lining.


The other side


And 2 wrappers become one pouch. My friend suggested we use it for Tony’s medications….


Next up was a project bag … a Riley Blake Design producers.…. My Happy Place by Lori Holt … Be in my Bonnet. The directions on the panel explains how to make the pouch without lining. I watched and followed her tutorial HERE that has a lining BUT the seams are exposed.


I found some pretty red fabric to use as the lining.


It went together really easily and quick. It’s a handy little size.


Next up was a larger pouch.
It has a lining too.


No exposed seams.


I watched this TUTORIAL which showed a great way of finishing the bag and lining


I am loving them


Don’t these look cute together.



Monday, 3 February 2025

I baked a cake…. While slow stitching my Kawandi tablecloth.

 I pulled out some slow stitching while I had the oven on baking a cake. This is definitely a slow stitching project. But it is very relaxing.


Linking up with https://kathysquilts.blogspot.com/ for Slow Sunday Stitching & RSC - February - Blue

I was going to visit my old workplace and thought I’d bake a cake. I also have visitors coming.
I don’t need a cake for each so a shared one was perfect. I don’t need love this cake. My friend many years ago made this for when I visited. I find it very easy to bake. It can also be great as a gluten free option. This is what I made as my boss is gluten intolerant.

MOIST APPLE CAKE


Here is the recipe……
INGREDIENTS.

225g plain flour or gluten free 
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon bi carb soda
100g butter. Diced. (Room temp)
225g castor sugar
2 apples sliced or thick diced (if using gluten free flour add an extra half an apple)
50g chopped walnuts
50g sultanas (I used cranberries)
2 eggs well beaten
1 teaspoon Vanilla Essence

HOW TO MAKE.
Sift flour, salt, bi carb together.
Rub in butter
Stir in sugar, apples, walnuts and fruit.
Mix in eggs and vanilla essence.

Pour into greased or glad baked lined tin.

Cook on 170 deg c. for approx 1 hr 15 - 1 1/2 hrs. 
Check with skewer. If comes out clean.. ITS DONE

If you want to when serving sprinkle with some icing sugar for decoration.






Saturday, 1 February 2025

CHOOKSHED 2025 CHALLENGE February … No.10. Project bags.

 This month’s no. 10 suits me really well. I have been enjoying making some of these over the last week and will be making a few more.

I bought this panel a few years back when driving through South Australia. I think I may have bought it in Loxton, mmmm ?????. 

The panel is from Lori Holt and it is to make a few pouches/project bags.


I even managed to buy the matching zips at another time.
She even has a video tutorial HERE


I have some large pieces of the plastic I can use too.


I found this chocolate at the supermarket a while back. Bought it for hubby, Tony, as a treat. I kept the wrappers so I can make them into a pouch too. Will have to try something new for this though…


So have a look HERE to see what everyone is planning on making this month for their challenge.




Friday, 31 January 2025

Using up more scraps

 Continuing with my clean up piles I finished off some placemats.


And a Xmas zippered placemat


I have put a napkin and cutlery in the pocket. This one is for me to use.


Then the smaller scraps 


were made into pin cushions.


They are good to put a few binding clips on and your sewing needle when stitching your bindings or other hand projects.


I want to get about 40 of these made by December. I am well on the way. I have about 14 already. I will continue to make these with the leftovers of other projects. It’s a finish up year…


Wednesday, 29 January 2025

Advent calendar finishes . CHOOKSHED January Challenge

 I have finished three small items from my Chandlers Cottage Advent Calendar.

My bookmark. I have stitched all the flowers.

The bookmark is completed

Here it is inside a book I’m reading.

And my Xmas decoration. The one I ran out of thread. I added in some Christmas red for the pot.

The loop has also been made.

How cute does this hanger look.

Only small but that is no.6 of the CHOOKSHED 2025 Challenge.

Linky page


I also snuck in another of the advent calendar. This was what was in the envelope. Beautiful shimmering green fabric and a lovely reel of thread.


And the pattern for a pot holder, mug rug or coaster.


I used this triple stitch as suggested by Leesa for the quilting.


Here it is on my machine


I love the finished stitch. It really shows up great. I think I will use this stitch again in a quilting project.


Included to use was Wonderfil thread. 50 weight.


Colour - Konfetti


I used a pipe clear to put the bobbin with the thread. I did have some bought blue clips to do this but I cannot find them. This will do as I want to keep them together. 


And here it is finished. I love it..





Monday, 27 January 2025

Scrap Saturday, pinks and some sewing,pouches

 Well I have been doing some sewing after I cleaned my room.

Look at my table.

What did I find?

What did I sew? 2 pouches and a placemat.


A pink placemat. This qualifies me to link up with So Scrappy. 


I found a quilted piece that I thought would be great as a pouch to put a little sewing project in.
How cute is this?


Then with the pink quilted piece I added abit of the plastic to create a see through pouch. I have now put my binding clips in. This way I can see what’s there.


Next to sew is another placemat for charity. I had a few scraps leftover from when I made a mug bag.


I also found a zippered placemat that was made from leftover Christmas fabrics. All it needs is a binding. This will happen soon.