Latest Bag

As usual click to enlarge to see the detail



The image from Just Lilla I printed onto fabric and then went to town on her!

I made her dress which took hours - sewed on beads. Her necklace is tiny seed beads and as she is dancing a jig - it is bouncing about around her neck.


It has taken me a whole day so far! I really must buy a proper pattern! The bag took me hours - honestly - I just couldn't work out how I could achieve a bag without any seams visible inside! Lilla has one on her blog, but I just couldn't work out how to do it - I think you must need thin material and lots of it!

Here is how I made it - perhaps someone reading this might enlighten me!

I cut one long strip out of the thick fabric for the bag. One the same size for the cream lining material, and one piece of padding the same size!

I then made a 'sandwich' face down on the bench - padding cream bag material on top right side facing up, then the lining material.

Sewed them up on three sides, leaving one short side so that I could turn it inside out - which I did and pressed it.

I then folded it into three so that I had the body of the bag, and the front panel 'flap'.

What I would like to do is to have all the seams hidden but this way you get tiny seams inside the bag - which doesn't really matter - as they are neat baving been already sewn on the other side.




The material is very thick cream with an embossed pattern in it - almost like tapestry. I got it from a charity shop yesterday - £2.50 for a metre - I should have enough for another bag - maybe two!

When I go into town to college next week - I need to buy some cream cord for the shoulder straps.

I know I am on a BIG learning curve - but I am really enjoying the process - its rather relaxing sewing on beads and bits of material - you have to really concentrate!

Lilla's paper lady Tute

On Lilla's blog there is a tute on how to 'jazz up' a printed paper image into a Christmas paper doll

Here is my attempt

(Click to enlarge to see a close up of the netting skirt)
I cut her into sections. Next I cut out a hat shape, and glued a tiny peice of glittery red material and added a big red stickle. I used some cream netting for her skirt, enhanced some colours using promarkers, and as I didn't have any beads, I used stickles glue as beads, even on her dainty satin shoes. Finally I glued her back together onto thick card to make into a hanger or a tag not sure which. Lilla made hers a different way, but I didn't any craft sticks so had to improvise. I just love the elegance of times gone by - and those gorgeous evening gloves. I think she looks rather Regency don't you?

Lilla has this image and a Marie Antoinnette image too. Thanks for your wonderful inspiration Lilla

I loved this image so much that I have printed her onto material and am busy sewing on 'things' with the intention of using her on a bag - which I have yet to make!

A little work of art

No one feeds my fish with such flair as my grandson




He doesn't throw in great big hand fulls - just dainty little pinches of food.



Yesterday I apent from 8am until almost 4pm with my husband carrying barrow loads of hedge 'trimming' and tree branches - we had a man round to do the annual prune. We filled up a farmers 'skip' type trailer - it takes more than two tons, and Pat had to jump up and down on the contents to get them all in!

One look at my little grandson takes away all the aches and pains though

Needless to say that today I am feeling the consequences!

Work in progress.............I think

Click on images to enlarge


(I took this photo today in daylight - the others were taken indoors last night)


When I say that I think this is a work in progress, I am not sure.




I feel that it is missing something - but what it is I do not know or have! Yards of lace along the full length of the long handles probably - to make it look more feminine. More little beads sewn on perhaps. I am growing my stash gradually - and these things I will buy for future projects. The trouble with me is that I just get an impulse and have to act on it immediately, without any planning. I then have a rummage around and Voila - something appears! The recipient I am sure can add bits to it!



I should have waited until daylight to take a photo - and until I had 'finished' it - but as I have family staying and then a busy week, it wouldn't get posted, and I am too impatient to hear your ideas of how to improve it.

The image I printed onto material - and the image was a free one from Minds Wide Open which I have cropped to fit this project. The size of the image is just under half of an A4 size.


Have you ever tried taking a photo of an empty tote bag hanging on a wall - I have and it doesn't work as it buckles and bends no matter how hard you try.

So that is why it is laying on the back of an armchair and looking all askew.

I started with a plain tote bag, added the lace strip in the middle, which I think might have spent it's 'other life' as a tie of some sort for net curtains. I got it at a jumble sale - only one sadly - and unpicked it as it was machine sewed together in different places. It was just enough for a pretty lace panel down the centre of the tote bag.

I accentuated the flowers and some of the colours on the material print, and sewed on some sequins and little lime glass beads.

The lovely pink glittery material came from Christine thank you so much - and if you like the bag - it is yours!

The netting I cut into strips and sewed and arranged them in front and behind all around the picture before sewing it all onto the middle panel. It looks quite simple but being a beginner it has taken me hours and hours to complete.

It won't take the weight of a weeks shopping - or the full set of the Encyclopedia Britannica, but it is quite sturdy.

Does anyone have a link to somewhere I can buy plain tote bags please at a reasonable price in the UK?

Secret Squirrel! Project

I can now reveal the 'Secret Squirrel' project that I was working on for quite a while.

A member of a forum I used to belong to is getting married this month, so some of us got together to make pages for a book for her.

I was responsible for collating all the pages, making the book covers and making the book - and of course wrapping it up and sending it off.

I am not a very confident person, and I made several attempts at making the book covers - and lost a lot of sleep over it - especially when the most gorgeous book pages started to arrive - awesome. But I tried my best - and I guess that's all one can do.

I made the covers out of thick mount board. The front I collaged and used a rub on for the 'Love'.

The back page was collaged and I did some stamping on that. The borders are made out of Sari Ribbon.

The insides of the covers I painted lime to match the outside covers, stamped the pattern, and added poems on those and inside.

I think the recent postal strikes had delayed it somewhat - but at last it has arrived safely

The front cover



The back cover



The inside covers with romantic verses - and messages from all of us on the forum



The assembled book

Here are all the lovely internal pages - and the names those who made them. They are all gorgeous and so individual - and make a nice and original keepsake.

Moira


Paula



Mel - who kindly sent messages to everybody inviting them to join in.



Ginger


Natasha


Jaqui


Sue


Rein


Mine - 'Something old, something new' - etc


I love this poem - click to enlarge to read it.




Thank you to everyone who took part - your work is absolutely stunning - and I felt so privileged to see each page, and hold them and touch them - I only wish that my photos did them more justice!

Getting a little Distressed

Its has been a while since I got all inky - so I thought I would have a go this afternoon, having spent the morning on my allotment - harvesting.

On the Time for Crafting site and forum, we are having a play with distress inks. There are some fabulous examples in this months' magazine - and also in the members gallery.



The cover of this book is coloured using distress inks, using Cut and Dry foam pads to apply it.

It is a shame that you can't see the lovely coppery tones achieved by adding some Cosmic copper shimmer to the inks - it really makes it look like burnished leather.

I haven't smudged or splodged the sentiments stamping by the away - they are Tim Holtz stamps from Happy Daze and look at way. I liked the 'old fashioned' typewriter type script of this stamp.

The vintage girl image is from Crafty Individuals - and the butterfly is one I have on a CD which I have printed and coloured to match the little bow in the girl's hair.

Of course I just had to add an image and stamp on the back cover.


I used thick mountboard to make the covers - so used cream card with brown dots for the inside of the covers, then using distressed inks, I tried to make them look old and fade - they do in real life!

I am going to put images on the inside covers too - just haven't decided on which ones yet.

Robin Redbreast

I have been working in the garden today - urgent things to do before the rain started - and it fell down this afternoon.

I couldn't resist taking a photo of this darling young robin that waited patiently for each spade full of soil - so that he could get to it before the chickens


He is so tiny

So inquisitive

He spends most of his days in our garden - we are a cat free zone - the bantams see to that!


I do hope he stays with us all winter