Sewing through Crimbo!!

When I was a child most of my Christmas presents were crafty,makey things I would spent my Christmas holidays making and doing! My poor parents would watch me open my presents on Christmas morning ,and frustratingly for them ,I used to open each box and look at making instructions and even start makng some stuff before folding the xmas paper up neatly and moving on to the next present. I know....i was a pain in the ass!!!....I remember getting a leather bag making kit one year .I insisted in making the bag before opening any more presents.

This Christmas I was in a serious make and do mode. During Christmas day and St Stephens day at my sisters house I managed to crochet some hats.This one is my favourite,made from pure wool I have had in the attic for probably the guts of 20 (shush!!) years. I bought this japanese panel in Pippablue a few weeks ago and immediately cut out a jacket the minute I got it home. It sat beside the sewing machine til this week.

Here is the almost finished jacket....only buttons and handsewing left to do. I am not mad about the collar but its nothing a lovely scarf won't sort out!

I have come to the conclusion that I have a bit of OCD going on. Ages ago I bought the Amy Butler Liverpool shirt pattern. I made one from a gorgeous Kaffe Fasset fabric and love it. It's a matter of leggings,t-shirt, boots, sorted, dressed!!

At the knitting and stitching show this year I bought some fabric with no clear plans in mind. I proceeded to make 2 more Liverpools. This week I was looking a one of the pieces of aforementioned fabric trying to figure out what to make, I even cut out a pattern of a dress but ended up making.....another Liverpool. I think the problem is that when I make something I don't really know if I am going to like it til its made and the Liverpool is my little comfort zone now.Darn....but I love it.

Kaffe Fasset and 3 fabrics bought at the knitting and stitching show.

I had a piece left over from one of my Liverpools so I made a simple A line skirt....I will be teaching an intermediate sewing class in Pippablue in january,showing how to make this skirt.It's a great little project....covers cutting out,seams,zip ( I have a really nifty method for beginners),ways to finish a waist band and hemming.Can't wait!!

Here's another version of the simple A line skirt anyone can make from the basic pattern.

Love this ribbon.

I made this little girls skirt for Ger and Eva in Pippablue to show what can be made from 2 fat quarters.

I love admiring other peoples patchwork but would not be a mad fan of making my own.I could not resist these fabrics and am loving how this turned out. I wanted it to be lightweight so I attached it to a fleece throw I picked up in Penneys.

Happy!!

I even managed to make 2 new roman blinds for my utility. Remember I made these for my kitchen.

Hope you all have a Crafty New Year!!!

Fun with fleece

Did you know that lush stuff was born last winter???.

It all happened through a combination of a few events.Basically for the past few years I have been a closet crafter ,dying to find more 'me' time to try new things. But work and children always came between me and my time to make stuff. But last winter 'the big flood' allowed me more 'me' time. The road in front of my shop was closed temporarily due to the flooding and work did not exactly pour in (excuse the pun).So all of a sudden I had loads of time on my hands. I bought a few rolls of fleece fabrics, made hats,scarves,sweatshirts and ponchos and hit the Christmas craft fairs. I enjoyed it so much and have been looking forward to doing it all again this year.
I had planned to start making earlier than now but time has really flown...anyway I made a great start on tuesday.Here are a few so far modelled by my beautiful daughter Cerys....a budding model.



Here's the plan I had for those cute flowers I crocheted.Thanks Emily for the know how and the button idea.

Great for keeping the ears cosy.

Such a natural model eh!

Grass needs cutting badly.......You know it's to long when it falls over!!

I love the colours.
I certainly have not forgotten the boys,don't worry....more to be revealed soon. Also need a willing model for them too,daughter 'will not model boys hats'...
Linking up to lush friday.I would love if you would link too.
Also amy lous sew and tell

Crochet Flowers

I have an idea.....and it involves....crochet flowers. Now it's ages since I crocheted (probably years!), but it's like riding a bike..yes?
I trawled the internet looking for a pattern or a tutorial for a cute simple (it had to be simple.I am happiest with instant gratification). Now I did find some great stuff,especially on utube but nothing exactly what I was looking for.

Thank God for our little crochet group meeting,which met on tues night...Emily our master crocheter,hands and hook quicker than Concorde, showed me How To.

I got this fab yarn (trying to break a lifetimes habit of calling all yarn Wool) in pippablue (of course,sure where else would I go).

And made these...
My idea is to make children's fleece hats and have a cute detachable(handy for washing!) flower.

Made these too from 'fluffy' yarn....mmmm did not turn out quite how I had imagined...bit of a blobby flower...

As usual I am linking up this weeks 'makes' to a few fun blog parties....lush friday,simply designing,amy lou's sew and tell,