Forgotten things in the loft

I was having a tidy in the loft the other day (translate as trying to make more room for my crafting stash and must have more fabric addiction) and I came across a couple of items I had forgotten about. The first is an old UFO ( groan!). It started life as a patchwork bag...I was never really interested in it as a bag though as the challenge was just to see if I could decipher how to make a bag in this design... once I had achieved my goal I lost interest and was on to the next thing...I am rather proud of my pink bullion roses but goodness knows what possesed me to put those hideous blue ones at the bottom for, they are just not working. I can clearly see that my patchworking skills have improved since I did this too, which is encouraging.

Mmm I think I may have uploaded this as too poor a quality to appreciate the bullions...note to self to take a close up of yellow panel at higher quality.

cheery isn't it?

The Sylvester cat was from a home-ed project...the brief was to find a picture of a famous person, copy it and then use it to make a Andy Warhol style painting. I can't remember exactly which site we got the picture from, but I do remember it was a kiddie's site with "tutorials" on how to draw well known cartoon characters. :o) Okay so ours was not a famous person but it was close enough eh?

I did come across another pic that I painted of a couple of my pets, I will keep that under wraps for now as I may make it into an embroidery design at a later date and I don't want to spoil the surprise LOL. Gee dunno when I'll have the time though.

Doxie, who achieved little in the loft that day because she was so distracted by all the interesting ( to her ) finds!

Some girliness for you

This is before it was sewn up so excuse the threads and pin!

How could any girlie not want to stitch up this gorgeous corset pattern from Rectangel? I made a little sachet with mine and filled it with lavender. HOWEVER I was so filled with euphoria and excitement at the result, that when I cut around the edge to shape it and trim the excess felt away, I ...for some reason... failed to see the very obvious ribbon I had carefully stitched on to hang it by and just cut it clean off ! I did remedy it, but what a twit LOL. I think these would be such a hit for pressies.

Be sure to check out the pics in Rectangel's vintage embroidery pattern stream they are lovely.

She's gotta be a very talented person by the look of the pics on flickr.

Doxie

sewn organiser baskets

I thought these are a nice idea...they'd look good for a home office if you co-ordinated them with the soft furnishings in the room.

Or how about these for smaller bits and bobs.

More for the to-do list :o)

Erm...I think this means I'm obsessed

...What does it mean when you wake up in the morning and your ear worm is the closing song on the Bernina presentation...It started as I got out of bed, carried on through the bubbles in my bath, drowned out the sound of electric tooth brush and it is still there now ... I just can't get it out of my head.

Could it be that the clever people at Bernina planted some sort of brainwashing technique into their podcast?...leading anyone who has seen it to break out in song with " This is your time Bernina!" at random times...what a good way of advertising that would be...I'm sure people would notice you if you did that on the tube, in the grocers or waiting in line at the bank. Let just hope that if this is the case, all the new and unwitting advertisers are wearing their best home sewn outfits or it would backfire horrendously LOL

Or perhaps I am just now officially obsessed with this sewing lark.

Either way I am happy in my madness, I wonder what I will produce today...

Doxie who is obviously a bit doolally

A minute's silence...

Could we just take a few moments to honour my dear crafting friend who left us forever yesterday. He was a great help in many projects and no other came close. We spent many an hour in each other's company and without him my projects would not have taken on such a finished and crisp/fresh look. He could seem a bit heavy at times but I think ultimately that was where his strength was... I liked it best when he really let off steam, it was then that we did our best work together...He will be missed, and yesterday I just could not do any crafting knowing that he was not there to aid me.

Goodbye my Rowenta iron...I am sure your replacement will do it's best, but you will take some beating.

XXX

I made a bag

Ooooh I love it. I made it as part of my personal gifting drive, see this post on my blog Gift Me Happy. I found a pattern to work from on Weekend Designer. If you haven't had a look there be sure to it is so inspiring...if you see it, want it but can't afford it, Weekend Designer really puts across the fact that you CAN make it. This is just the concept I have been trying to put across to one keen little girl B I am teaching to sew, but more in the way of toys, hair bands etc. at the moment..somehow I don't usually think to "copy" clothes for myself, but why not? That said I haven't tried any of the clothes on there yet, but I sure would like to.

It's funny really, thinking of the little girl I mentioned...I think the message has got through as her Mum told me that when they were on holiday recently, she ( B ), took lots of pictures of things she liked but couldn't afford to buy so she could show me and when she got back I could show her how to make them...I haven't seen the pics yet, I am both excited to see what she has in mind but feel slight trepidation...which of course I will do my best not to show...after all you can do anything you set your mind to, right? Oh boy oh boy I hope her mentor does not fail her. :o/

Doxie :o)

YAY I did one of Rae's tops!

Okay so I did it a bit late for the Spring Top Sewalong but I did do it!

Some jungle fabric had been taunting me from the stash pile for about a year. It was one of DS's old kiddie duvet covers. It may not be the everyday look for a woman of my age but what the heck I like it! ...and I couldn't waste it on something like a laundry bag that wouldn't get to travel and see the outside world! LOL

I think it will be perfect for a day out at the zoo. I mucked up a bit on the inside of the straps...only because I had a total lapse of concentration during 2 key points... which I shall blame on dear Sharp End taking my concentration away and it being about midnight ...but thankfully it doesn't show or really matter. I just know to take extra care next time and pack in before I get tired...and yes there will be lots of next times because it is such a super adaptable pattern. Thankyou to lovely Rae for providing the pattern, she writes the instructions so well...which you can find here on our much loved SewMamaSew.

and for anyone who has not stumbled across Rae's blog yet, her clever workwomanship can be found here

Doxie who is wearing her new jungle top now!

A first for me...

This afternoon I took the family on their first "long drive" with me behind the wheel. It wasn't the nicest weather for such an outing but it was still a fun trip out. :o)

I felt such a thrill that I couldn't help myself doing a little victory song and dance in the car park at the other end. One young couple gave me a funny look LOL, but I think they realised what was going on after a while because of the "L plates". Still, I don't really worry about that kind of thing these days...at least it gave them a laugh ;o)

I managed to do a few little things that my instructor had been pushing me to do when I have been out with him... so I am hoping that he will see the difference in my confidence during my next lesson. I put my foot down on the NSL roads and resisted the temptation to slow right down at every corner LOL. One thing I did unplanned was a very sudden block change when I realised that the turning I needed was right there and not 50 yards ahead! OK I know that it is not good to do a panic mano but at least I didn't stall after the block change which I did do once in a very inappropriate place!

We stopped enroute at a nice little nursery where they have a pet's corner...I was so tempted by the little baby ratties. I am thinking life is going to be very dicey for a new reason when I have passed my test...if I go out unaccompanied there will be nobody standing there next to me saying " No, we don't really NEED another colony of pet rats!" or whatever cutsies cross my path ;o). Note to self...NEVER EVER drive along to the pet shelter.

The other day when JW came around she offered to be my accompanying driver if I wanted to go out with her and the boys and practice when Mr Doxie is not around or is busy. What a sweet friend, I think I will take her up on that. Who'd have thought that learning to drive could be such a positive experience and one which didn't involve just the family but friends as well. I am blessed. :o)

Doxie feeling quietly satisfied. :o)

New Mano...Bay parking

I had a phone call an hour and a quarter before my last driving lesson...my spirits fell when I heard my instructor's voice, not because he isn't lovely but because I was sure he was phoning to cancel...Thankfully this was not the case...but he asked if I had remembered that he had brought that day's lesson forward by an hour, YIKES!!! No I had not remembered...that meant I had 15 mins to get myself presentable. From planning on spending the next hour doing hypnosis followed by gentle reading so I could start my lesson in a chilled and calm manner, I had to change to full on panic nutter mode! Impressively I was ready in time...He teased me about only just getting up which was SO not the case... I had already done my housework and a step aerobic workout...I was just not ready for my lesson when he telephoned. I had the pleasure of pointing out that HE was the one sat there with toothpaste on his face!!!!!

Mmmm, I'm not sure what to think of this reversing into a bay lark...I totally get why it is wrong to go in nose first, but boy oh boy is this going to take some practice. Doing it with spaces in the bays next to me was okay but I so didn't like doing it with a car next to me. When asked "What must you change when there are cars parked on both sides of your chosen bay?" I was told that the answer

"My pants!"

was not the answer he was looking for... oh well it might not have been correct but at least I made him laugh!

For anyone who hasn't learned this mano yet, the answer is "nothing".

I really wanted to abandon it when he made me reverse in with a car on my left but he kept bringing up that "trust" word again, so even though I was freaking out at how close we were to the other vehicle I went ahead and lo and behold, it all worked like magic...I just wish you could buy pocket sized Mr Patiences to keep in the glove box for times of emergency and tight squeezes.

I tried private practice with the Doxie-mobile the same night but somehow it didn't go quite so well...I kept ending up about a third of a bay to one side....still at least I was straight which is half the battle I guess. I don't know if I am turning too late or too early, ho hum I guess that is what practice is for...it probably didn't help that it was at night in a pitch black car park in the countryside and I couldn't see the bay markings that well anyway, so maybe I am being a bit hard on myself.

I had someone walk backwards into the road in front of me in this latest lesson...now that is an odd one to anticipate LOL. It was a workman...I can only assume he had ear plugs in or something...blooming daft thing to do without looking! Anyway you will be pleased to hear that he is still upright and the only thing that happened was... I stopped, Mr Patience blew the horn and told him what a twit he was, or words to that effect!

Until next time,
Doxie :o)