Some bits and pieces and a new WIP

 I have a few finishes. 

Daughter 1's drawstring bag. 

 Bunting for my birthday. 

 The fabrics a maybe a little Kidstonque for my liking but the daughters told me I had to make it like that. 

My new WIP. I think I need to change the layout. There maybe some seem ripping going on later.

Well what can I say?

I have no excuses really for not blogging other than I didn't feel I had a lot to share sewing wise. The other stuff in my life kind of got in the way of sewing. Hate it when that happens but sometimes sewing has to take a backseat.

I did finish my sew serendipity skirt and it's a great fit. No photos as yet.

Today I finished this little drawstring bag.

 It is very cute. My nine year old loves it.

Just as well because I made it for her. She can take her suntan lotion and sunhat to school in it and leave it on her peg. 

The 10 year old needs one too of course. Her will be more green/turquoise. Better get on with that and some real paid work as well. 

More pictures soon I hope. 

Buttercup bag.

 I have finally gotten round to making one of these little beauties. I found the pattern last year on Rae's blog. I knew it was cute and I wanted one. Cute bags need cute fabric, so I chose these little rabbits. Not too cute I think but cute enough to satisfy my girlish side. 

It has taken me almost a year to make one. Well I needed a reason for a small bag and I am going out on Friday. Without children or husband. Nothing terribly wild. One of the mothers at the daughters' school has organised a meal out. Still exciting though. I don't get out much. Well people don't understand that I want to take my sewing with me.

Not the biggest bag ever as you can see from the size of the phone but should be big enough.
Rae's pattern is easy to follow and the make was quick too.

Overcoming my fear of buttonholes

Yes, I don't like them. They are mean and go wonky and are never aligned as well as I would like.

 This bag needs 4 of them on the handle according to the pattern. I made the bag way back in May. It came as kit with the Sew book and was a birthday present from the husband. And then it was left for five month.

 I couldn't face the buttonholes. I don't like the little beasts. It was made a lot easier by my sewing machine having a sensor foot. However even a sensor foot does not cancel out human operator error. My bag only has two buttonholes. Mainly because I couldn't get them to line up.

However my bag has a lining and the pattern doesn't call for that, so all in all I don't feel too bad about the lack of buttonholes. Daughter 2 has claimed this one as hers, so I need to make one for daughter one. Christmas present maybe? I call that a plan. 

Not much sewing this week.

 There hasn't been much sewing this week. There has been baking. I can highly recommend this cinnamon pound cake.

 I guess husband did get the hint and bought me these cute fat quarters from celtic fusion fabrics. I suspect that the daughters helped him to choose. They got me some tape measures that look like snails too. Forgot to photograph them.

 I have decided to put my dress making fears to one side and actually make something for myself. Yes, I do make clothes for the daughters but they have great figures. Mainly because they have no shape yet. There are no hips or waists or breasts to worry about. Making dresses for them is easy. I on the other hand have all of the afore mentioned in abundance. Maybe I will let you see what I look like in my new skirt. Depends how flattering it is.

 Did I mention it was my birthday. Well it was. I bought this cute bag kit with some birthday money.

 How lovely are these little bunnies? They had a bag made up in the shop and it's not too cute because it's brown. I could do with a small bag for school run. Now all I have to do is make sure daughter 2 doesn't steal it.

 The shop had a scarp bucket. You know how it is I couldn't resist a rummage. I thought these two went well together but the green also goes well with the owls. There was more of the green but Friend A wanted some as well. Friend E wanted the third piece. Actually E did very well out of the scarp bucket she found an almost fat quarter of Denyse Schmidt fabric for 50p. Jammy

 I found this cute red riding hood fabric as well.

 Now there was that thing about not buying any fabric in 2013. I know, I know. But I am working on getting rid of scraps. Scrappy trip quilt has helped with that and so will this disappearing nine patch. So I am sticking to my one out, one in policy; sort of   ;-)

Hope you have better weather than we do. It's blowing a gale outside and I am about to light the fire in May. Have a good long weekend.

Swim bag 2 finished or should that be PE?

 Well here it is with white cord. There may be a little whiff of halloween about the fabric.

It is already in use. Dirty PE kit was brought home yesterday and loaded into the new bag. New clean bag with dirty stuff went back to school this morning. I did try to wash the dirty kit but "the weather isn't good enough to have it dry before tomorrow". I do have a drier but I wasn't going to argue.

In other news; The scrappy trip quilt has all 48 blocks but I can't find a layout I like. I need a floor that is clean and big enough to use. Part of me is tempted to go to my parents' house. They have a huge table that I steal for basting quilts. I am sure it would be big enough for trying to figure out the layout. Technically my living room floor is big enough but the small black dog is far too helpful. I don't fancy chasing after her to get my quilt squares back.

The goth quilt has been quilted. I hope to finish it over the weekend.

I had better do some ironing. It was lovely weather this weekend so I did lots of washing and line drying. Unfortunately I have lots to iron now.

WIP Wednesday - Swim bag 2

 As I explained earlier Daughter 2 now NEEDS a swim bag. She does not have swimming lessons right now.

 So four rectangles were cut. 50cm by 40cm.

 

 This is how far I have gotten. The grey cord I had in mind for the bag was rejected. It needs to be white. Bag can wait  because Daughter 2 wants to make Paverlova. (I know it's Pavlova but she pronounces it with an er in the middle)

Meringue is waiting for the whipped cream and berries. Shame that husband doesn't like it. More for us. 

Other WIPs:

Goth Quilt finish quilting and bind.

Scrappy trips sew together the last 6 blocks 

Blue green quilt still needs basting and quilting. 

I am hoping to do some scrappy trip blocks after daughters are in bed. Tomorrow I am going to a cosmetics party (think tuppa ware but then different), so probably won't get a chance then. 

Linking to Freshly Pieced's WIP Wednesday. 

Swimming Lessons

Swimming lessons can commence again. The eldest daughter has a new swim bag. I should maybe not have given her free choice of the fabric cupboard. Daughter 1 chose a rather nice Cath Kidston fabric I was saving. Not sure for what I was saving it but I was. It was a remnant according to the Cath Kidston shop. I don't call 1.4m by 1.7m a remnant but seeing as they were selling it for £5/metre I didn't argue.
I added a waterproof lining, reused the cords of the old bag and hey presto.

 I think some photos of the making process might have been helpful. But don't fear she also needs a new PE bag (Hello Kitty is so "Infants") and daughter 2 needs a swim bag and a PE bag because obviously there can be no bias.

The eyelets presented a small problem. Above is exhibit A. I blame the pictorial instructions on the back. I believe Pym could have done a better job. 

As you can see the eyelets were inserted successfully in the end.

More drawstring bags soon.

New things in my shop.

I have listed a few more things in my Etsy shop.

Other than that I am working on modifying the Halloween costume into a Victorian lady for a school Christmas performance. My model is at an after school club today, so no photos yet.

The other child has an ancient Greek theme day at school on Wednesday. I have made her a chiton (tunic) today. She is at the after school club with number one daughter, so pictures to follow.

Now I just need to figure out how to do victorian hairstyle and Greek hairstyle. Heaven help me.

Custom orders

Did mention that we had some requests for custom orders? Yes, I can understand your groans I am getting a little repetitive aren't I?
I will carry on regardless though.

I love the chilli pepper fabric. I think it looks quite chic.

 Little pink purse with flap. My pink daughter is very reluctant to let this one leave the house.

 Shopping bag with internal zip. I am rather proud of this one. I like the fabric choice I hope the customer will too.

Always slightly tricky when the remit is : black with zip and something striking. Fingers crossed.

Custom Order

A quick view of my prototype for a custom order. Thank goodness for U Handbag's tutorial on recessed zips.

 I now need to decide whether to go for red roses or

Daisies (with a black outside).

Craft fair the saga continues

 I made some more things for the craft fair. A little Christmas table topper

 Some cushions. My eldest loves the green and red one. She even offered me £5 from her piggy bank. I guess I had better make one for her.

 My dad would like the yellow and blue cushion. I fear he will have to fight youngest child for it though, if I don't sell it. I still hope that I will sell some things.

 Because as much as I love my bags I can't have 10 of them.

 I also worry that people lie to me when they say that the things I make as saleable. What if they say this only to be kind.

 Pricing worries me a little too. I have been checking on Etsy and Dawanda and even local shops.

I have come to the conclusion that I probably won't make money but I  might make bak the cost of the fabrics. Hope I sell something....

Stock take

 I did a stock take yesterday. I was trying to work out how much I would hve to take to the craft fair. yesterday's tally was 4 tote bags,

 4 small quilts,

one cushion and

 21 purses of different styles and sizes.

Not enough clearly for a two day fair. I phoned friend Anna. She told me to relax she has things to sell too and we have till the 13th to make things. As in remember this is a two people venture.

Not withstanding the reassuring words of my friend I do still worry. However my mother will come to rescue. Her hobby is making necklaces and bracelets. When she heard about Anna and my plan she offered to let us sell her necklaces. She has too many to wear and even giving them to daughter and daughter in law and granddaughters she has too many.

So this week I will be finishing the Stripes quilt and making more tote bags and cushions.

Fingers crossed.