WooooHoooooo!!! Finally, after all those sleepless nights…I opened my Stitching Santa Gift :-)

Tags

A lovely Christmas present, Christmas Surprises, Handmade, Sewing gifts, Stitching Santa Gift Parcel, Thrifty gifts

As you can see…I carefully undid  (WELL…MORE RIPPED OPEN IN EXCITEMENT REALLY!!) the gifted Stitching Santa parcel I have been driven to distraction by, for the previous two weeks since it arrived, present! I was then greeted by a lovely happy snowman gift bag, which contained lots of lovely wrapped little parcels :-)…..eleven to be precise :-D!!  OMGoodness!! It’s such a long, long time since I received a parcel through the post with unknown contents, it certainly brought back the childhood excitement of Christmas YAY!

Having entered into the wonderful Stitching Santa Gift Swap, hosted by the lovely Sheila from Sewchet,  I wish to thank Sheila, for all her organisational skills and also for including me too this year! Today, was the day, I could finally unwrap my parcel!! The excitement and temptation over the past two weeks, since it arrived, has been almost unbearable…Let me say…I have not been at all disappointed by the lovely generous gifts inside sent to me by the lovely Margaret from https://thecraftycreek.com/  🙂

I have to confess!!! I was so excited…I completely forgot in the first instance to grab my camera as I was going along LOL…my first instinct was to open my card to see from whom I had been gifted, and learn of the lovely lady 🙂 then went full pelt into opening another two gifts in the full throws of giddy childhood excitement ~ how can you help yourself???! After opening my quilting pattern template..then, my beautifully handmade large clasp purse…I stopped myself…! I just had to share all this excitement ! OK! Where’s my camera??? Ah Ha, there it is….OK… now we can proceed 😉

Just look at this wonderful  lovingly handmade clasp purse, large enough to hold all my essential sewing tools to close hand (Apologies for the bad photos, though by the time I had chance to spend time on myself today…the sun had long since departed…and, flash was required!!) The brass clasp is so lovely, as is the finish too!! Fully lined as well in sewing themed fabric, it’s definitely earmarked to live on the shelf next to where I sit sewing, and can comfortably hold all my essential bits and bobs to make stitching life easier!! As If that isn’t enough the Lovely Margaret also included as a gift, a fab gifting tool…designed to ease out/turn out fiddly little projects/elusive lying threads and difficult turn through projects…how have I lived without this little wonder tool??

Can I just explain LOL…I found my camera….SO, there was no reason for me to hold back…”get on in there girl”, I thought…So, I did!! Two weeks remember, TWO WHOLE WEEKS OF WAITING (but, my, was it worth it…?? Oh Yes indeed!!) as you can see …I could no longer restrain myself…by this stage ironing a table cloth for presentation or shifting the debris had gone right out of the window…so intent was I to see my mystery gifts!! 😀

Oh My Word…I AM Sparkling this Christmas! Just as my card says 😉 How lucky am I?!! Such beautiful handmade and thoughtful gifts!! All I can Say is a huge Thank You To Margaret! She must know how much I love buttons! How much I need help with such a great little tool…that I am on the end of an awful cough cold with the lovely handmade tissue  holder The Pin cushion jar will be sooooo helpful! The ribbon labels can be affixed to all new projects, including the ones I will devise for the lovely fabrics and covered buttons! My family Christmas tree is all the happier for it’s new button decoration ( LOL, I actually sent my recipient two similar decorations made from vintage buttons with a little bell attached too!) I shall have much fun, trying to follow a fabric pattern, as most may know… ALL previous projects are done from my head alone! BUT!!!!!!!!….I have always wanted my very own set of long pins, but have never ever invested(sad, but true) I can’t wait to use my new pin wheel set!! Thank You so Much Margaret 🙂

 

Christmas Runners ~ Patchwork and Applique

Tags

Artist and crafter, Artistic moment, Carens canvas and craft My ETSY shop, Christmas Runners and Mats, Crafty creations, Creative craft, Creative crafting, Cute and Quirky Crafted Creations, Felt Christmas Creations, Fun with fabrics, GingerBread Runner, Hand applique and quilting, Handmade, Hessian at Christmas, Patchwork and quilting, Poinsettia Runner/Patchwork Mat, Snowman Runner, Unique

”….Just look Cute, Okay ?!” ….”I’m doing my best!!!…. whilst trying to count how many million stitches are going on around us…!”….”Yeah, Me Too!! You know, 36 hours of hand stitching, is….a LOT of cotton!!!!”…..”Hope we get out of here before Christmas??’

After weeks working with traditional red/green and cream colours for my Christmas patchwork creations, I went scurrying through my stash to see what else I could use, before….my next trip to the fabric shop ;-)?! Finding some spotty fabric and enough blue to bind, a bit of hessian thrown in too, seemed just the right combination 🙂 As most of my Christmas table mats have been aimed at adults, I thought it about time I started balancing it, with more young at heart, cute and quirky creations…What better way, than adding some felt applique 😉 Still All completely machine washable and iron able too (Just not the little beads with a hot iron)!

After first drawing some simple designs, I made myself some card templates, then drew round them onto a sheet of Bondaweb, ironed it to the correct coloured felt for each different shaped piece to create my little snowmen, then patiently cut everything out ( The holly leaves were definitely the fiddliest bit ~ but well worth the effort, non the less) Once I had all 56 pieces cut out, and  28 beads set aside, I started assembling a very simple hessian centred panel to which I could blanket stitch all the pieces to (You’ll have noticed, the colours of the snowmen are inspired by the printed spots of the cotton fabric)

….”You know what??” …”What??”… ”She spent so much time straightening us beautifully, then, decided the table cloth wasn’t straight! So straightening IT, caused us to wiggle about lol!!”…”Never mind, folding us over in the wrapper, everything is squared up again!!”…”Hey!”….”What??” ….”Look down there 😉 ……Ginger bread folk!!”

After a little super cute creation…who can stop at one??!……………SO……..

Another 42 pieces of felt, 42 beads, some hessian, spotty print fabric, wadding, backing, binding, and, a shed load of  hand stitching….et voila!!…A cute quirky Gingerbread runner too 🙂

Enter a caption

There were a couple of more items done in the traditional colours, not included before…Mini Runners/Large Table Centre Mats…using up the remnants of the Poinsettia and Bow fabrics

Quite a busy week all in all 😉

Crazy Patchwork Stockings Lovingly Hand Quilted

Tags

Artistic moment, Artsy, Carens canvas and craft My ETSY shop, Christmas Patchwork Stockings, Crazy Patchwork X-Mas Sock, Creative craft, Creative crafting, Fun with fabrics, Handmade, Modern Abstract Stockings, Patchwork, Patchwork and quilting, Quilted Cotton Christmas Stocking, Unique, With Love from Santa stockings

Okay…now we are in September, I don’t feel so guilty about showing off Christmassy things LOL 😉

Recipe:  1)Grab a large selection of Christmas cotton fabric off-cuts,  2) Sew any which way (which, slowly, but surely, WILL drive you crazy!!),  3)Trim to desired stocking shape, 4) Sandwich with cotton wadding and backing and then hand quilt, 5)Repeat for reverse of stocking (Or, as I did, reserve a little sanity by doing a plain one with cross hatched quilting, 6) Add hanging loop between front and back pieces, bind, then hand stitched to finish!

A simple, sanity saving, hand quilted plain cream cotton reverse!

If, by this stage, you don’t feel compelled to take yourself off to the local recovery centre….try it all again LOL ….Take two!!

Okay…three solid days of craziness….I’m off to book myself in…right now ;-D !!!

A summer spent SEW nicely!! ;-)

Tags

Artist and crafter, Artistic moment, Artsy, Carens canvas and craft My ETSY shop, Christmas Patchwork Mats, Christmas Place Mat Sets, Christmas Table Runner, Colourful Skewed Place Mat Sets, Crafty creations, Creative crafting, Cute quirky creations, Fun with fabrics, Handmade, Modern and Traditional Table Mats, Original, Patchwork, Patchwork and quilting, Table Mats and Mug Rug sets, Traditional Christmas Table linens, Unique, X-Mas Dining Place Mats

Not one to renege on my promises…..here is post number three of my get back up to date out of semi-retirement (though, technically if you count the random alliteration post ~ it’s actually No.4 LOL) !!                                                                                                                                              Sew nicely is how I have been spending my spare time, getting stock ready for the Christmas rush (well..I hope ;-)!!) in my little on line Etsy shop . Trying to cater for all manner of tastes when it comes to festive dining??!!….from the traditional, as shown here, in this beautiful hand quilted set of twelve…to many new quirky, colourful, original and unique designs below……

Again, quite a traditional set of twelve, though with a less formal theme aimed at the young at heart…of course 😉

Now then!! If you really want to add some colour to your Christmas mealtimes..??…these ”Rockin’ Reindeer” Place Mats and matching fabric Coasters/Mug Rugs,  should definitely do the trick!! Traditional Christmas colours with a modern ”skewed” design twist  😉

Another modern take! Colour themed around the central printed cotton squares, I have selected and added fabric strips in co-coordinating colours to bring the different coloured backgrounds together as a bright bold set, which can be brought out year after year! As all my sets are made from cotton fabrics with a 100% cotton wadding, they can be laundered in a machine (YAY) and ironed…. to have them looking as good as new after every mealtime!!

Having been caught out last year, by a customer who wanted extra to match a set she’d bought from me (which I didn’t have, but managed to make a coordinating set to match in for her)….I decided to make a few more smaller sets, which can either be bought as stand alone or add on sets for larger dining tables!

And, then back to traditional! A beautiful hand quilted Festive Table Runner  ~ and it’s still not quite the end of August ~ so, still time to get a few more Christmassy things done 🙂 

Sew!! Missing I may have been, but, slacking..well, not really! And it’s definitely nice to be back amongst you All !! 😉

 

 

A Crazy woman should show off her skills…right?? Some, Pretty Crazy Patchwork Creations…

Tags

Artist Crafter and Designer, Carens canvas and craft My ETSY shop, Christmas patchwork, Crazy Patchwork Creations, Creative craft, Creative crafting, Fun with fabrics, Handmade, Lovingly Handmade and Quilted Fabric Table sets, Patchwork, Patchwork Place Mats and Coasters, Red Green cotton patchwork, Unique

 

Part Two of a little catch up………………………………………………………………………………. As any Patch Worker knows ~ Scraps Grow…unbelievably so!! Before you know it, you are swamped ….AND, can you throw them away???OMGoodness, NOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!                         Here I have a beautiful selection of some of my finest bits turned into useful little items for the table;-) Lovingly handmade fabric coasters and place mat sets at give away prices, ideal for little gifts

Perfectly purple!

Snapped up without a second thought!

Going green is the future…apparently……!                                                                                               To create from scratch would cost a fortune in buying such a selection of fabrics! LOTS of Time and effort to work out these creations ~ but much fun too!

A super set of six…..We all know what these colours represent…..right?! OK, on a whim, I delved into my Christmas fabric selection 😉 Should be a definate NO, NO at this time of the year, I know, BUT, What better time to start, as a lonesome crafter with a little on line shop, to stock up on Christmas creations?? ~ LOL…The height of Summer in the UK! This obviously leads on to more creative X-Mas wonders now, especially if you know me of old,  SO, for catch up post no.3……Cracking on with Christmas Creations….! Watch this space………… ;-D

Sorry To Bore you All with my Busy Week…BUT, I Wish I was Here!!!

Tags

Art, Artist and crafter, Artistic, Artistic moment, Arty, Button faced bags, Buttons, Carens canvas and craft My ETSY shop, Crafty creations, Creative craft, Creative crafting, Fun with fabrics, Handmade, Origami Fabric folded Tote, Original, Original art, Patchwork, Peg bags, Peg Dolls, Style, Totes/Bags, Unique

Continuing my quest to make ever more, even quirkier, unique Peg Bags….My week started here! After considering where I would most like to take my washing in order to get it dry ~ having no electric dryer (living in the dark ages and all that) I considered it would be very cool to set off in my orange short set and matching hat to a remote, very deserted desert Island to watch my whites waft in the wind!! Hand drawn , cut and appliqued novelty Peg Bag ~ check out my Etsy Shop for more quirky items and gift ideas!

On a little roll of creativity, I got, interjected with…an urgent request from a lovely lady in the UK…..Could I make her…..An Origami folded fabric tote in the ‘little owl’ fabric, the same as I had made my little 8 pocket pouches???? But, Of Course!! I even gave her the option of a bespoke lining colour and wadding effect!! No sooner had I had her reply, I was racing off to the fabric store ~ before it closed to buy the requested colour – Duck Egg Blue!!

Received request…Sourced Fabric…Produced the next day….Listed for sale…and sold!…all within two days ~ shipped… and my lovely lady received it the day after ~ what a turn around in under 96 hours!!! My lady was so please I received this little note…….

I absolutely love my new tote and pouch 😊
Thank you it’s very well made and is already in use
It is definitely a talking point
I will remember you in the future for more purchases and recommend you to friends and family
Kind regards…

A wonderful result to make a creative crafter very happy!!!

Whilst on my jolly jaunt to source the Duck Egg Blue, I succumbed to purchase a little ‘Scottie’ Print cotton fabric as well ~ couldn’t resist! SO…

And then…..

Another ‘plumped’ up version…using some more of the Duck Egg Blue cotton fabric for the lining………….

https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/280529334/tote-and-mini-cosmetic-pouch-duo-set?ref=shop_home_active_26

If you want a conversation starter…this is a good starter!!

Moving swiftly through the rest of my week…………

I had enough ‘Owl’ fabric left to then combined it with a rich burgundy cotton for the lining for another unique tote creation….check it out……….

https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/281068022/owl-fabric-tote-free-shipping-super-cute?ref=shop_home_feat_2

back to where I was eventually in the week….Peg Bags ( with included Peg Doll creations for a lovely unique feature)

…Do you know how difficult it is to fashion Peg Dolls with full length Culottes ??? LOL ~ wish my garden was that tidy btw!!!

 

Another little cutie ~ I hope the little fluffy at the back can keep up!!!?!!!

A change of direction from the previous week’s makes…. having some ‘owl’ fabric left over from the commission and a selection of 8 inch squares hanging around for no apparent reason ~ I combined the two ~ into a simply colourful duo Place Mat Set…

https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/294711137/little-owls-patchwork-place-mats-skewed?ref=shop_home_feat_1

…on a ‘skewed’ roll again, rounded my week off 😉

Enter a caption

https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/294299903/set-of-six-coastermug-rugs-pink-and?ref=shop_home_active_3

Enter a caption

https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/280537690/coaster-matsmug-rugs-skewed-squares?ref=shop_home_active_14

Ok!!! I reckon tomorrow is a sewing day off after that week of creativeness 😉 perhaps a little weeding is in order ;-/ ???

SPRING into a new season of pegging out your laundry with a new Designer Peg Bag!

Tags

Artist and crafter, Artistic moment, Artsy, Buttons, Carens canvas and craft My ETSY shop, Crafty creations, Creative crafting, Designer Peg Bags, Felt applique, Handmade, Nature, Original, Outdoors, Patchwork, Posh Peg Bags/Pouches, Unique Peg Bags with wooden hangers, Wash line scene Peg Bags

….

‘Lets tell the world how cute, stylish and unique we are!!…Don’t they knew we have these new boots for a reason??!

One of my most popular designs over the past seven years!!! With another little new twist – NO TWO ARE EVER THE SAME! All hand drawn, cut, and appliquéd to give a uniqueness for the new owner! 🙂 With…the addition of some little button ‘flowers’

Trialling out some very quick drying crepe fabric with a light weight cotton gingham lining for a new range of Quirky Peg Bags! Should that shower drench your washing ;-/……….this little peg bag, if left on the line, should be dryer than dry in no time, compared to your sad washing ;-/! Peg out in style ( and make your neighbours jealous with a new unique, affordable designer Peg bag!

….Taking Drying to new heights!!

‘…keep a little sunshine in your pocket pouch!…. 🙂

Sending myself ‘Skew Whiffy’…Whilst MIA for a while!!!

Tags

Artist and crafter, Artistic moment, Arty, Beautiful Gift ideas, Carens canvas and craft My ETSY shop, Crafty creations, Creative crafting, Designer Patchwork, Fabric creations, Handmade, Original, Patchwork, Patchwork and Quyilting, Patchwork place mats, Quirky 'Skewed' Table Mats, Skew Whiff Designs, Skewed Square Designer Mats, Table Linens

Never having been able to sew a completely straight line on a sewing machine has benefits!!! I think I have found my niche in machining life 😉 YAY!!!!                                                                My ‘Skewed’ Place Mat Sets have been sooooooo therapeutic to make over the past few weeks ~ helping take my mind off some major stresses :-)……Not to mention…at last, getting to grips with some of my Daughter’s lovely gifted to me fabrics – Double bonus – new makes without new expenses 😀

Quite a few of you will already know, that, I get an idea and run around with it until it wears me out…usually it doesn’t take long, maybe one or two (OK…maybe five or six if I’m being honest LOL…) of something, then I’m over it and move on. Though, making these little place mat sets with a ‘skewed’ design has, ironically, been a mind bending saviour! No thought, no measuring, just slash and gash some varying fabric widths and off you go…round and round (should really say..square and square!) ..add wadding, quilt, trim to size and bind – voilà!

This set of four was done to use up almost all the last of these fabrics, after the eight piece set sold overnight!

I love this colour way! We should all eat with more greens -LOL, even if that means the greens are under the plate!!!!!! I should search out some oranges and brown fabrics…as it so reminds me of the seventies somehow??!..my mum did have some eccentric wallpaper back in those days ;-/

Delving into my Daughter’s gifted fabrics once more, with the addition of a little beige gingham fabric from my own stash, gave rise to another set which can be used all year round – and – equally as a Christmas Dining set too! 🙂 Great gift ideas if you are looking for something different and unique!

Just to let you know I do live in the normal ‘un-skewed’ world at times…..I concentrated very hard to sew straight lines with some more of my daughter’s fabrics and printed squares to make a lovely set for kitchen or dining table use 🙂

A new line up of fun button faced multi-pocket pouches

Tags

Artist and crafter, Button faced pouches, Buttons, Carens canvas and craft My ETSY shop, Craft tool storage pouch, Crafty creations, Creative crafting, Cute cosmetic pouches, Fun novelty hand crafted fabric creations, Fun with fabrics, Handmade, Multi-pocket pouches, Origami folded fabric creations, Quirky creations

Is it just me??? Or, does it look like someone just asked them…”WHO DONE IT?!” I can almost imagine them whistling as they look around and everywhere, except straight at you!

Okay, it looks like I have that same issue still in 2016! Stopping at just one – ISN’T POSSIBLE ;-/ But, I do think they are really cute! Though, tomorrow is definitely time for new ventures for my Etsy shop, after all, I can’t just fill it with cute quirky storage pouches. Though, of course, they would be perfect if you had lots of tiny, weeny little orphaned kangaroos 😉 OMGoodness!… you could nurture 8 different sized ones at the same time

Having bought four lovely new pieces of coordinating fabrics just days before Christmas (then, having cleared my studio to make room for family gatherings) the thought of it has been gradually burning a hole in my brain ever since! Singeing thoughts of what I could make with it at first, then, determining I will have plenty left over after it has been made into it’s original ‘purchased for’ idea, the smouldering continued… eventually becoming a vast hole, now filled with little ideas…..Mind you, as the sales are still on, four new fabrics might not be enough after all LOL 😀

Now, do I really need to sleep tonight??? Or, shall the crafting begin now ;-)?! More on the new projects coming soon!!

2016 Peg Bag designs – A new season and new designs

Tags

Appliqued felt designs, Artist and crafter, Artistic moment, Arty, Buttons, Carens canvas and craft My ETSY shop, Handmade, Original, Original Patterns and ideas, Patchwork, Unique Original Peg Bags

Colourful, characterful and designed to be different!

Each and every peg bag I make has been drawn by hand, cut by hand and then lovingly hand stitched over many hours, just to add cheer and fun to wash/laundry day to all you folks out there!

With open season on the dining room table…what I really mean is… now Christmas is over, the conservatory is MINE !! Let the crafting seriously begin!!!!!!!

OMGoodness 🙂 🙂 🙂 I’m in my element, making such a mess as I create new little Peg Bags. There is so much fabric and felt adorning my table I may have to resort to sunglasses, even with the depressing days outdoors.

A couple of days and much sewing has resulted in….

Washday at Toadstool town….

And, A cheeky little ‘Apple Bug’ with of course, a few little buttons thrown in for pleasure! Making Peg Bags means lots of routing through my button collections…Happy Days!! 🙂

More on the way soon 😉