Present for Lily

Some of my lovely friends are moving this weekend so fingers crossed it all goes to plan, their new house is gorgeous. My wonderous friend Eartha also has a big work day coming up - am sure she will be wonderful so lots of love for her too xxxxxxxxx

I also spotted the most wonderful felt sewing machine on 'A Beautiul Mess' for sale for $50! Sadly with postage this is a bit much for the UK, so I figured I would recreate one, here's my effort! Will be winging it's way to my pretty niece soon so she can have fun copying her talented mummy (check out *the crazy gecko* for her makes)

That's all for today, off to eat curry! K xx

Companion Cube Tissue Box Cover

Happy Thursday everyone, I just had a cool piano lesson and cooked greek style stuffed peppers a la shutterbean (if you like to cook savory you have to read this blog it's amazing). I only have 1 more day of holiday left before we have visitors and then back to work! Summer goes so fast but I am a little stir crazy now, will be nice to be back at work.

Have a few things to share but have not taken pictures yet, although I did get round to photographing this crazy tissue box cover I made for a friend, this is serious nerdcore, if you don't get the joke then don't worry! K xxx

I Love Summer Pudding

Got it right this time! So, as well as making odd little chequebook holders I also made my favourite food ever...SUMMER PUDDING!!! It's amazing, if you have not made it look it up NOW although you will have to wait overnight before you can eat it!


Lot's of my family and friends have summer birthdays, so have had loads of fun wrapping, here's my current favourite, the prezzie is a secret though...

My garden even managed to survive our holiday unwatering (must have rained), I love my pretty herbs and my runner beans are so so tall. All for now xxxx

Deborah Bag

Do you remember ages ago waaaaay back in March I gave you a sneak preview of a project I had made? Well I can finally reveal the final photos!

I had no pattern for this, so just kinda made it up as I went along but if you want a tute please ask! It has a cool all the way through pocket on the front I was particularly proud of (go me) xxx

Amazing Cake

Is this not the most amazing cake ever made??? It was not created by me, but my lovely London friends for my partners birthday (lucky guy). What's even more amazing is it arrived with a massive pork belly (which made the most incredible sandwiches) and a surprise hidden inside!!!

If you can't tell btw this cake it huge, over a foot long and containing 16 eggs. Inside (after baking before someone odd tries this) there is a bottle of something very special hiding, as soon as I steal the pics of the other PC I will show you!

A Few Things

Hello all, here are a few little makes for this week. I bought some really thick nice woolen style red fabric from a really nice antiques and crafts place near my parent's house a few weeks ago, as it's so lovely I want to make lots of smaller things from it, so I started with this tiny purse as a gift for a family friend!

I had to iron it a ridiculous amount to get it this flat, I think it's just one of those puffy type things but hey-ho! I also made a coffee cake yesterday and grabbed a couple of charity shop bargins, I have wanted a tiny cross stitch hoop for ages and love the odd shape of this one!

I still only have a tape player in my car, so to keep me sane on the way to work I try anbd listen to stories, I wasn't quite up for this on when driving in the dark, but now it is sunny in the mornings I thought I would give it a try!

Surprise in the Post

What is that on the table next to my flowers?

Lets have a closer look...

Oh wow it's a pot from The Crazo Gecko!

Oh cool it's made from a food tin!

I have to have a go at making those!

x x THANK YOU x x

If you want to make your own check out this tutorial: Funky Felt Tins @ The Crazy Gecko

Floral Bag for Auntie Laura

I made another Buttercup Bag (see Made by Rae for the pattern) this time as a birthday gift for my partner's Auntie Laura. Everytime I make one it gets quicker and easier, and you only need 2 fat quaters of fabric, genius!

Custom Front Notebooks

I was shopping with my brother when I went to visit last week and we were admiring some plain front notebooks which you could draw your own cover on! Instead of buying I decided to make some for him with squared, lined and plain pages. The front was thick card cut 2mm wider than the paper pages on all edges, I then stapled them shut and used bias binding and superglue to make the seams, croc clipping them whilst they dried:


Here's the finished books in a little bag (trying to be pro, or just colourful)

I also used the gift giving excuse to make some Nigella Choc Cookies to take home too, they are simply the best chocolate thing ever and very easy!

For more ideas check out the link below:

Play Oven Gloves and Placemat

Yet more Good Friday makes (has been a busy day, am finding it tough to do nothing after a hectic week at work)! This is a little request and surprise for my lovely niece (and her creative Mummy) who I keep forgetting to send freezer paper to (I am sorry, will remember this time!). The lucky little girl is getting an amazing homemade play kitchen for her birthday, check out The Crazo Gecko for updates, and I was tasked with making oven gloves! To go with the gloves I had some fun with Amy Butler fabric and made a placemat complete with felt instructions for how to lay the table! I kind of want to keep it but I doubt my dinner will fit on it!

INSTRUCTIONS (more detailed now hopefully)

Both are very easy to make, for the oven mits draw a pattern to match the size of the hand of the child (I had to guess a bit) then cut a front and back (long sausage shapes) the same and 2 ends (U shapes to match the sausage ends). Hem the straight edge of the ends (the flat bit of the U) and place face up on the side that matches/where you would like them, then place the other side face down on top and sew around the whole thing leaving a small (3") gap to turn inside out. Remember to include a ribbon if you want to hang it, turn inside out, sew up the hole and your done!

The placemat has a back (a very old retro teatowel from a carboot sale), sew 2 squares faces together, leave a small gap and turn inside out (then sew up the hole), then use bondaweb/glue to stick down your felt shapes and sew around (I am not very neat but managed to machine stitch this fine). It may be a plan to trace a plate and the cutlery first to get the sizing spot on!

UPDATE: I have entered Sew Dang Cute's Link Party, check out the other submissions below!

UPDATE: I have also entered 'The Idea Room's link-me-up event, check out the other entrants here:

Sneak Preview

I have spent a lot of time sewing today and am very excited, but the finsihed product cannot be unvieled yet. Even so here is a sneak preview...do you know what it is yet??!

Oilcloth Pencil Case

This weekend me and my nice friend Eartha have made a pencil case (and some secret bunting which will appear once it's finished!). The outer oilcloth is Cath kidston, as is the inner alphabet print but sadly this is now out of stock. I bought some boy friendly alphabet ribbon and have so far only used it on girl things, but it is pretty lovely!

Blue Bag for Eartha

My friend helped me pick out some fabric this weekend, so I used some of it to make an impro bag for her! I bought the cotton print fabric ages ago (just a fq) and had meant it to go to her at some point, so it was great to finally use it!

The inside has 2 open pockets for phone and railcards and a zip pocket for other bits and bobs. The other lining fabric is very thick giving the bag a nice structure!

Valentines Gifts

I am so glad Valentines is over, I do love the idea but most blogs seem to become filled with pink and hearts and cupcakes and I feel inspiration withdrawl! I did make my lovely partner a Valentines gift or 2, the edible ones disappeared before photography could take place but luckily I also made him an Eel's arty picture to go above his PC, hooray for boy art! I am actually quite proud, it looks half ok!


Little did I know that he was going to really push the boat out this year (no irony intended, this is an amazing present) and hunted down some Almdudler in London (I am amazed!!!!) and got me 2 cans! Almdudler is one of those holiday things I have not had for ages and ages, it comes from Austria and even there is tough to get hold of sometimes, I am saving mine for a special treat.

Pinboard Present & Pancakes

Twas my lovely friend Eartha's Birthday last weekend and she requested a pinboard to brighten up her house has part of her gift. I had some random primark top fabric that was ideal for this, I had to go and buy a staple gun (something I had wanted for ages) and decided to buy the el-cheapo brand to try out, to my amazement it's really good, I am very glad I did not splash out on a shiny one! I sewed (although you could glue) buttons to the 4 outer crosses for a bit of decoration, the middle I left open for larger items - something I did not do on my own pinboard and now regret a bit! She seemed to like it muchly!

I also tried my hand at making scotch pancakes, they were really tasty and very simple. You need 1 egg, 30g sugar, 1/4 pint of milk and 120g self raising flour. Whizz it with a whisk/processor and ladel onto an oiled pan, medium high heat, flip when the underside becomes golden at the edge and bubbles appear on the top (40 secs - 1 min). I like mine with blackcurrents and icecream!

Bolster Pictures - the better ones!

I said I would upload some better photos of the bolster I made once my brother's birthday was over so here they are! The fabric is Cath Kidston (shock horror at the price, but my Dad kindly invested in this too, how sweet!). I managed to get the whole bolster and the window seat cusion out of 1m of expensive fabric and did the piping and underside of the seat cusion in much cheaper rope print (£1 for 2m in a thrifty shop) so it evened out!

I felt terrible cutting up nice fabric, but it is making me more brave, might even try my hand at some curtains!

Fishy Melted Crayons

I wanted to try my hand at something un-fabric related and saw some really cool remelted crayon ideas on various blogs (see Muffin tin Mom for some good ones, wish I saw this idea before I started). To be honest making them now was a ridiculous idea as all my lovely family members are either too young or much to old to use the crayons at present but nevermind that.

1st I tried the microwave method of melting the crayons - this was unsuccessful in 2 ways, first as the crayons only melted a bit, and second as they ruined the glass jug I melted them in. I then tried a sort of bain marie style thing with crayons in individual paper cups floating in boiling water - it worked a treat! The cups were also disposable so no nasty wax cleaning! The fish mould was from IKEA.

The finished crayons! I made the bags out of the bottom of a sandwich bag and a piece of card folded over and stapled.

Presents!

Have gone home for the weekend to my parents and brother's house and had a chance to take a few pictures of some presents I sent my brother. I made (or tried to make) a new 'cat' version of an old bear he had as a very small child, the pattern turned out slightly giant but not too bad, if a little lumpy! My brother likes it but the real cat hates it and hides under a chair whenever anyone picks it up! I also made some pencil cases, a bit of applique and a bolster and cushion cover for his window seat.

My first attempt at piping. My zipper foot flew off the sewing machine and it's currently missing in action so I had to finish it by hand. Will add a close up later!