Taking leftover fabric to the next level…#6

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Artist and crafter, Buttons, Cotton and Felt, Crafting with leftever fabrics, Crafty creations, Creative crafting, Cute creations, Fabric creations, Fun with fabrics, Mounted Fabric Art, Original, Quirky Collage, Sheep in boots, Unique

Okay!! Finally getting towards to end of the snippet pile of fabrics!

Just a little quickie of a make! A patchwork landscape with a little felt sheep in boots 😉 A couple of wooden flower buttons and some stitched flying birds in the sky. All felt backed and trimmed before being placed behind a little mount. Apart from the one small fabric ‘rogue bit’ for the sky, all using the same leftover fabrics, still on my mini quest! Mounted ready for framing as a quirky fabric collage ! NOW…I need to catch up with what everyone else has been up to ;-)!!!!

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Taking leftover fabric to the next level…#5 (…by th’ ‘eck! Who’d a thunk I cu’d’ve made this from’t fabric I bowt?!)

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Artist and crafter, Brushed Cotton Flannel Shoulder Bag, Carens canvas and craft My ETSY shop, Crazy patchwork designs, Creativity, Fun with fabrics, Hand quilted creations, Leftover Fabric Creations, Original, Patchwork Bags Totes and Purses, Patchwork creations, Striking Patchwork Designs, Unique Quirky Colourful Fabric Creations

After the last four posts of questing to use every scrap I had left of the same fabrics, I put the last bits into some semblance of order on my chopping board! (In case you’re wondering ’bout t’ title ??!- it’s a bit of Lancashire dialect thrown in 😉 Must be one of those days!)

Anyways….back to the real matter in hand! What could you or even I do with these meagre little scraps?? (I have a little confession before we go any further….BIG SIGH!!) Thinking I was getting towards the end of everything,,,I suddenly found another scrap length of the blue flowery fabric in my stash ;-/ Aaaargh!! Well, I couldn’t just leave it to reappear in many moons to come, it had to be combined in this ‘end of makes’!! So, instead of it leaving me utterly frustrated, I took it as a positive and decided therefore I could go larger, rather than smaller as anticipated with this next make 😉 BUT, what would it be??….

Well…..This!

A super soft and very vibrant reversible design Hand Quilted Shoulder Bag/Tote!! Even the tiniest of scrap leftover crimson has made a little statement on this design

Of course, being reversible, needs another design! By this stage I am seriously running out of sizeable fabric pieces (apart from the blue flowery fabric! OOO Please take note of the duo button detail hear on the fastening flap – as it failed to be noted in the final image properly)….So, this if the result! (I’m rather happy with it though all tiny bits considered) As you can see, it’s all hand quilted too 😉

Measuring out the ‘new discovery’ of MORE blue flowery fabric meant I had just enough to Fully Line, make a Multi-Pocket, trim the outer bag And make a single shoulder strap – surely reason enough to be happy now?! Showing the two open pockets and the full width zipped pocket – using also some of the lovely wooden flower buttons I acquired to strengthen and stabilise the pocket areas.

A Couple of coordinating buttons to go on the front of the magnetic clasp (not photographed very well I’m afraid due to shine) and the little super soft cotton tote is packaged ready for a new life of shopping and adventures!!

Still a few scrap leftovers in the pile, though much smaller now……Amazing how far a kilo or so of fabric can go!

Adding More Original Cubism Style Abstract Artwork to My Etsy Shop!!

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Art, Artistic moment, Arty, Black and White Oil paintings, Carens canvas and craft My ETSY shop, Cubism Style Original Art, Mounted Abstract Art, Oil painting, Original, Unique Quirky Art

 

Titled  ”…98…99…100…come and find us…”

A few years ago I was very excited about the Cubism Style Abstracts (indeed, as I still am) which I had done in pencil Crayon, so much so, I took the same style forward and experimented with oils on canvas. They never cease to amuse and amaze me still..as I can always find something ”new” when they drawn me in 🙂 After there being a little rush on the pencil crayon versions, I thought I would add a couple of my Mounted Oil painted versions into my Shop!

Although already reasonably priced!! I just wanted to highlight, that… I have a special time limited voucher code offer running for just a few short weeks in the run up to the Festive Season, which is not limited just to artwork, but across my whole shop…..see below…

…Save 15% off GRABABARGAIN2016 Ends… 1st of December, 2016!!!!!!! Use this limited time Offer Discount Code and Save, Save, Save on all purchases over £20.00 GBP!!

With Christmas on the horizon…could it be just the ‘something’  you are looking for as a Unique Gift for someone very special..??..OR maybe you prefer…

Titled ‘…Penguin hailing a taxi…”

I bet you can find it straight away?? 😉

Anyways, if you like unique Original Artwork and/OR Handcrafted uniquely designed items..??..please do check out my little Etsy Shop and perhaps….

GRABABARGAIN2016

Hope you enjoy the Cubism and would love to read what images you can see in the blended black and white oils..??.. Happy searching!! ;-D

Crafting in Cotton for Christmas

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Artist and crafter, Artistic moment, Arty, Carens canvas and craft My ETSY shop, Christmas patchwork, Crafty creations, Creative crafting, Dining Table Place Mat sets, Fun with fabrics, Hand quilted table mats, Modern twist for X-Mas Dining, Original, Patchwork, Quirky original designs, Skewed X-Mas Place Mat Sets, Stylish quirky design in cotton fabrics

…..Unless commissioned for more…My last Place Mat Sets for this festive season 😉

Having grabbed, a couple of meters, of a beautiful gilded holly berry print, cotton fabric, in the summer sale (…and paying for it of course..lol!) I couldn’t wait to set to, on the final ideas for a couple more place mat sets for this festive season. Steadily through the year I have also been sourcing red and green fabrics too… ‘cos, believe me, when it hits September time, all the red and green gets moved from the normal craft fabrics into the considerably more expensive Christmas craft cotton section ~ shame on the store for doing that, I say!! Anyways, I’m wise to that now…but, a super tip for those just getting going in fabric craft, source your stuff early!!! 😉

Going, once again, with my favourite design of the year, ‘Skewed Squares’!! I just love doing them, they’re so simple, takes not a jot of thinking about, next to no scrapage of fabric, even after trimming as you go, AND…best of all…they are super striking,  a fab burst of festive spirit for even the smallest of dining tables ;-D

Set two 🙂

Both these hand quilted sets are completely machine washable and can also be ironed, so will look as good as new year, after year….after year!!

Packaged…and,

…ready, for a new loving home 🙂

Dennis?! Dennis?! Who the **** is Dennis???? by Caren Taylor ©

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Alliterated silly stories, Alliteration, Another alliterative attack, Artist and crafter, Artistic moment, Beastie Bugs bounce back, Carens canvas and craft My ETSY shop, Courageous Crane Fly, Crazy by character Crazy by creation, Creative crafting, Daddy Long Legs, Dennis, Dennis Dennis Who the **** is Dennis??, Fictional alliteration, Literature, LOL, Original, Silly short stories, Unique, Weird and Wonderful Writings

Dennis?! Dennis?! Who the **** is Dennis???? by Caren Taylor ©

——————————————————————-

…..Dennis dangles dangerously in the dark, dank dungeon…..

…..Dexterity now determines his destiny…..

…..Drop and be……Devoured!…..

…..Down below, deranged dwellers dance and drool…..

…..Dennis deliberates in depths of despair…..

…..Dismay at discoveries down-town…..

…..Distraught with damaged dreams…..

…..Derived decisions from deficient data……

…..Droplets descend downward from the dungeon…..

…..Dripping directly onto a deeply distressed Dennis…..

…..Drenched, he’s drawn directly back to his dilemma…..

…..Dismissing Death ~ Deftness of desire doubles…..

…..Despite disturbing doubts, Dennis detaches…..

…..Diving dizzily with defiance into the darkness…..

…..Driven toward a dash of dazzling daylight…..

…..Dennis departs the dank, dark, dripping dungeon…..

…..Delighted, Dennis, the Daddy, with dangling Long Legs, DID it!!!…..

NB….. Another alliterative attack!!!!….BUT….Definitely, No insects were harmed during the creation of this silly, short story! 😉 …(Booking myself in for two weeks of therapy now though ;-D LOL!!)… I thought it was first brought on by shock of British sunshine…but no!!! It seems, the insane intermittent interlude, is, closely connected with crazy patchwork creations!

A summer spent SEW nicely!! ;-)

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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 !! 😉

 

 

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

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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!

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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!!!

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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 🙂

From Four Fabrics….to Fine Dining!

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Artist and crafter, Crafty creations, Creative crafting, Designer patchwork Place Mats and Runner, Fun with fabrics, Handmade patchwork and quilting, New Modern Patchwork Mats, Original, Quirky, Skewed patchwork squares design, Square quilted Table Mats, Stylish table linens, Unique

Some of you may remember me mentioning four new fabrics I had bought before Christmas, and,  was itching to get my hands on??!…well, this last week I let rip with my rotary cutter….and commenced stitching (did my life depend on it???…well you would have thought so if you’d seen me beavering away ;-/  LOL, Like a woman possessed!!)…Today, I finally finished the first of my New Modern Dining Range, Table Place Mats  & A Runner, with my ”Skewed Squares Design” 😉 

From four lovely new fabrics…to….A stylish new range of Every Day Kitchen/Dining Place Mats AND A Runner too!  Lovingly handmade and crafted with care 🙂

https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/264932580/patchwork-place-mats-unique-set-of-eight?ref=shop_home_active_1

I selected four cotton print fabrics three with a print pattern  and one lovely blue (with a slight shadow effect) which picks up so well on the tinges of blue dotted throughout the brown mottled piece, bringing them all together perfectly

From the width of the fabrics, I chopped inch and a quarter strips, arranging them around a central skewed square and repeated the colour process until I got to my desired ten and a half inch square panel. This then allowed for accurate trimming back to a perfect ten inch square. A layer of 100% cotton wadding was then sandwiched behind the little panel and a plain cream backing, before I hand quilted around several of the concentric skewed squares to fix together. Next, I chopped a 2.5 inch strip of the tiny flower print fabric to double over and bind each one, all with a hand stitched finish. To compliment the Place Mats I added in four,  4.5 inch square matching fabric Coasters/Mug Rugs to create a unique Eight Piece Set.

As they all have a cotton wadding layer, they are so easy to wash and iron without worrying about flattening the quilting, and, will look as good as new after every laundry day 😉 !!

So, as I had bought more than enough of the four fabrics, I decided I would also make a matching Table Runner. Repeating the process by making three eleven inch squares and two ‘skewed’ triangle ends for a bit of extra quirkiness 🙂

 

Having made the three main panels, in the same way as the place mats,  I then used 1.5 inch strips of the brown print fabric to join them all together, trimmed it back to a neat finished size of 10.5  x  47 inches before completing with a binding to match the Place Mat Set.

https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/264824219/table-runner-a-unique-and-striking?ref=shop_home_active_2

Now, having cleared my table, the next exciting thing I need to do…..IS…inspect my newly gifted stash of brand new fabrics given to me by my daughter(such a lovely girl!), masses of fat quarters and lengths of gingham prints, so many goodies she had amassed but never got around to doing anything with ;-/ She just couldn’t let them linger unused any more and asked if I wanted them?????? As if I would say No!!!! LOL