Care at do. Good Stitches Swap

Note the selvedge action on the pocket, how great is that?

More selvedge action on this side!

My Bradley holds it so you can see just how roomy it is.

the note.

I do like it Dolores! I received my Care group swap today. Gosh that Dolores is on the ball! (Still secret sewing here people.) She also sent me her herringbone blocks for May's do. Good Stitches quilt. I am basking in the loveliness of this bag and dreaming about what I am going to stash in it! The brief was for a little something using three fat quarters. (That way we all would receive something fairly equal) My stipulation was blue and green and I couldn't be happier with the outcome! Thank you Dolores. I love it!

Favourite Things Friday

 I am linking up with Shay's Favourite Things Friday today. I love FTF, I just don't always quite get there at the end of the week. This week I have, and I am thrilled!

Front

Back

This bag is one of my favourite things. It is a well loved and well worn bag made by my daughter picklesticks. I call it "A Walk in the Woods". It isn't mine, but I love it anyway. She was a teenager when she made it and already the queen of needle turn applique. It reminds me of all the fun sewing days we had together when she lived at home, all the wonderful times we had buying fabric at the patchwork apple (great fabric!) and a life from long ago! Good times! (As my 23 year old son would say.)

Check out other favourite things here.

Secret Sewing = A Bag

This is the result of my secret sewing I mentioned a week or so ago. It is an across the body bag I made for my daughter's birthday. (Miss 20 is now Miss 21. Gosh time flies!!!) She doesn't have it yet, but it is on it's way so I thought I would show it to you.

I used about 5 or 6 pieces from a layer cake. (This is homecoming) I am really quite pleased with it.

I put the words on here because my daughter's hometown is printed on them. (See the "Adelaide" on the top row!)

This is the back and then the inside is below. A pocket for a mobile phone and a zipped pocket are essentials in every bag I make. I hope she likes it!

Weekend Stitching

I bought a new bag because my old new one broke. It lasted three weeks. I hope this one lasts longer because I have spent some time on it. This was a $10 markdown from KMart. I have been looking for a bag but just haven't been able to decide on one so I figured I would just pick up something cheap to get me by. When I got the cheap bag home I put some stuff in it and it all disappeared! No, there wasn't a hole in it, the original lining of the bag was black and it was so dark in there! (Why do they do that?) So I decided to sew a new lining. I cut out the old lining and made a red and white lining with a zip pocket (above) and two patch pockets (below). I also kept the original zipped pocket so now it is a pockety bag!


I have actually been stitching my Natalie Bird "Tis the Season" this weekend. They are small and very fun! If you want to see lots more of these stitcheries hop on over to the stitch-a-long blog and have a look around!

It's March

It is March already and today was even quite autumnal here in Melbourne. I am finding the weather here and my expectations of the weather very interesting. So far a Melbourne summer seems to be not as hot as an Adelaide summer. Of course, I don't really know if this Melbourne summer we have just experienced is typical or not. People say not, and then today I read that this summer has been Melbourne's wettest summer on record. Anyway, today was grey and rainy and cool. Pretty much my favourite kind of day, so typical or not I am quite liking Melbourne weather.

I have a few projects on the go. I signed up for a doll quilt swap and I am working secretly on that at the moment. I am making the quilt all by hand and I'm quite enjoying it. I am pleased with how it is turning out. I have been stitching as well and creating some fabric to make a bag. This seems to be taking me an incredibly long time. It is a bag that may never be made! Miss 20 has made herself a bag this week, ready for the new year at uni. She posted photos of it on our family blog (private) and it is gorgeous. She had her first day of honours today. (Did I mention that she graduated last year and is studying honours this year? She is so happy and excited!) Miss 18 is also back at uni too. She is in her second year now. Time just seems to be flying. Miss 18 has also been sewing. She has been creating notebook covers for the new uni year. They are just gorgeous and I am so pleased that my girls are not only busy sewing, but also designing their own creations. Miss 24 has been busy knitting as well. (She is such a great knitter!)

So, what am I expecting from March? A visit from Mrs 26 and her family (yes, that includes grandson and granddaughter) and hopefully some crafty finishes. Not too much. So I might just get it done as March speeds by me!

Did it!

Yay! I finished one of the bags. (If you are related to me, look away now! Lol! I always wanted to say something like that. Let's face it. Such a statement is obsolete if you are me. I am related to soooo many people that no-one could possibly guess if this is for them. Something to do with having a thousand or so children I think!) How cute is it? It is a very clever pattern and went together so easily. I am so glad I have another six to put together. Maybe this week is looking better after all!

Sneak Peek and Lego

I set out to design and make a new handbag today. This is as far as I got. It took all day. I think I was tired! The outside is made. The lining is made. The handle is made. But I can't get them all together because I am too tired and keep making mistakes. Ahh well. Tomorrow!

The boys amused themselves whilst I sewed by building with Lego. They had a blast, so I thought I would include some of their photos to keep you amused!

New bag!

There is lots of sewing and creating going on here at the moment. Christmas presents are being created every day. It's an interesting atmosphere. I think it encourages everyone to create. Miss 17 made this bag one day last week. Not sure if it was the creative atmosphere that encouraged her or not. Apparently she had seen a similar bag in a shop, but didn't want to pay that much money for it! The cute fabric is one from Ikea. Hope you are having a creative week too!

Some stitching ...... and some unpicking!

A little bit of stitching today. I kept making mistakes though and had to unpick. It's not quite finished yet - more tomorrow. Today was the last day of school for Miss 12. Yay!!! I think it was a hard day for her because she is moving to a new school next year and today the realisation of that began to sink in. She has had a wonderful year and done really well at school. The year has passed so quickly, so now it's just two weeks till Christmas!



I have also been making a new bag to keep my pies and tarts in! Isn't this the cutest fabric? So glad to have made something for me! It has a pin cushion in the center and the elastic is to keep my bits and pieces secured. I'm off to put all my pies and tarts stuff in it.