First 2 Samples Completed

I have finished the first of the personalised name plaques 

I now just have to make up samples of variations

There are dinosaurs a princess and a fairy  I also have a new baby idea.

The children's ones I am going to make and sell for £6.50.

I think tat is a fair price what d you think ?

Patchwork In The Cabin

A very cold wet day today so I popped into the cabin for a bit of sewing

I patch worked the fourth block of Le Jardine I am doing with them at the craft group

 The four embroidery corner blocks are now completed

The next five blocks include some applique work, I am enjoying doing some hand embroidery and its going to be  lovely quilt when its finished.

Another block done for the Art of Quilting quilt

This one is called Clarke's Choice, you had to build up the star in the middle first and then add the frame, precision and was needed I must be improving on my point work as this time I didn't have to do any unpicking.

I was looking at some of the ex shop stock that has been arriving, I have decided to start selling it on Amazon, I listed my first items today, I am also booking a table at our next village sale, they have them every month, I really need to make inroads at moving some of the stock.

Making To Sell

I have been playing with an idea of some things I want to make to sell

the little figures are made from air dry clay and are hand painted, I have to work on a design for the backgrounds yet, I have moulds to make 4 different figures and have about six different sets of moulds for letters, I can get the plaques and door hanger blanks from a supplier I use.

I am thinking of making up lots of figures and have them painted up and letters to make up names then people can pick and choose what they want. After they are put together I would like to coat them in varnish as well.

At the moment its all in the thoughts stage.

What do you think ?

Duck And Ducklings Block

I love the names they give patchwork blocks, the block I did today was called Duck and Ducklings, another one added to the pile of completed blocks I think I am at the half way point now, I plan to get the blocks finished first then add the sashing, the part work gets you do the sashing every so many blocks, as I have all the parts I am leaving the sashing for now, although I did sash  about a dozen blocks when I was doing them as they arrived.

I did get all the fabric cut for the ladies at the craft club who are now starting block two on there embroidered block, so its all ready to take with me tomorrow.

I think we are in for a wet week so I will get stuck into lots more blocks if that is the case.

2 Blocks Done

A short visit to the cabin today resulted in getting another two blocks completed

this one had been hanging about for some time as I had cut the green fabric wrong the angles were in the wrong direction, so I left the block to one side undecided what to do, they only send you enough fabric for the block.

I then came to this block that used the same fabric, 

the same shape was needed but the angles were in a opposite direction to the one above so I swapped them over and managed to complete both blocks.

The second block was a bit tying to do and unpicked several times, you had to do the star in the middle first then put the frame together and ease it all together, not by far the easiest block to do.

so that's another two of the list.

Thought Provoking

They are everywhere in the shops, comments, proverbs and sayings they seem to be the in thing, I have often looked at them in the shops and fancied having a few in the house, I thought I would make my own thought provoking little plaques, I made this one today.

I cut out the lettering and words from sticky vinyl with the silhouette, its all mounted onto some mount board and I inked around the edges blending and fading the ink into the middle, I used the big bite to set some eyelets to thread some ribbon through.

All very simple and straight forward to do.

Sewing and Mending

Firstly mending, it was only a small job but it has been hanging about for ages,

 I made this Cath Kidston bag about a year ago from a kit that came with one of her books, I had lost the button off the front months ago, at last I have now replaced the button so I can once again close the bag.

Next up today was patch working the third block on the embroidery quilt I am doing with the Monday craft club

They ave just finished there first block and I am just starting the fourth block I need to keep a couple of blocks ahead of them

here are the three completed blocks, there are nine blocks in total.

Next up today was this little cute dangling heart decoration

It was a little kit that came with a magazine, the ribbon wasn't included I picked some out from my stash, there is also an owl in the kit but I didn't feel like doing that at the moment

That rounds up my afternoon of crafting.

Revisable Fleece Gillet

Fleece blankets are cheap and there is lots of colourful ones out there, I got myself a couple of new books by Nancy Cornwell the queen of fleece.

I decided to make a revisable fleece gillet from her book 90 Minute Fleece

There is a full multi sized tissue pattern for the gillet that comes with the book, I re-traced the parts in the size I wanted onto dressmakers paper, this way I keep the original pattern in all sizes.

I chose lilac and grey and cut out the parts

The inner and outer were sewen up and stitched together, I also stitched out some leaf shapes onto the front panels

 I trimmed all the edges with pinking shears, the beauty of working with fleece it doesn't need hemming you can leave raw edges, I also cut out the top layer of fleece in the leaf shapes, (reverse cut away applique) 

The reverse side just shows the stitching of the leaves.

I think it took  bit longer than 90 minuets but now I have the pattern cut out it wont so long to do.

I could make 1 gillet from one fleece blanket in the same colour inside and out, so it works out very cost effective.